GB2303538A - Absorbent articles - Google Patents

Abstract

An absorbent article 10 that can be used for wiping and spillage containment comprises a folded liquid permeable cover 11, which encapsulates an absorbent pad or core 12. The cover 11 is stitched at 13 around three sides of the pad 12 to form a pocket 14, which retains the pad 12. The stitching is positioned so that it also defines marginal or wing portions 15 which can be used for wicking or wiping.

Description

Absorbent Articles This invention relates to absorbent articles and in particular to articles for absorbing and/or retaining spilled liquids. These days there is a considerable framework of regulations for dealing with spilt liquids, particularly oils, solvents, volatile liquids and body and medical fluids. Employers are required to provide suitable products for retaining and wiping up such spillages. There is currently a wide range of products in the form of pillows, mats, socks and sausages made from expanded polypropylene. These products work quite well as absorbents, but they are expensive and tend to tear or unravel if used in a wiping action, particularly on a rough surface.

There is also a need for a robust industrial cleaning device.

From one aspect, the invention consists in an absorbent article for absorbing and/or retaining spilt liquid or for cleaning use, comprising an absorbent core and a liquidpermeable tear- resistant cover enclosing the core within a pocket defined by the cover and having a projecting margin extending beyond the pocket to provide a wicking or wiping surface.

This arrangement has two particular advantages. First the products can be made extremely cheaply, because such materials as waste rag (which can be obtained from recycling centres) can be used for the cover and the absorbent core can be made of cellulose or some other cheap absorbent product because of the protection provided by the cover.

(Waste Rag may not be suitable for a number of markets due to the inconsistencies in its quality and properties).

Cellulose is made on a significant scale for incontinence pads, nappies, etc. The second advantage is that the margin provides a portion of the article which does not overlie the absorbent core and so can be used for wiping without squeezing liquid out of the core. The margin is also thin and can be used to enter narrow channels or slots and is, because of the nature of the cover, robust. For certain uses this second advantage may predominate, because it may be desirable to use more expensive materials.

The core may be disposed in a fold of the cover and the free edge portion may form the margin. Conveniently, there are a pair of adjacent margins and the/or each margin may extend along at least substantially one side of the pocket.

The boundary between the pocket and the margin may be defined by a line of fixing, which may be formed by stitching, adhering, welding or fusing. As has been mentioned before the cover is preferably made of cloth but may be of non-woven material.

The article may be any convenient shape. If the core is elongate (e.g. in the form of a sausage) the margin may extend along its length. The margin can then be turned inwardly into the spill, when the sausage is used to surround a spill and will provide a good wicking portion and a good surface contact area. The margin may be fixed such that it naturally projects to one side of the sausage and may ballasted with a weight or weights. Further in any of these cases the margins may include anchor points.

In an alternative arrangement, the core may be substantially rectangular and the margin may extend around at least three sides thereof.

Where the absorbent article is particularly intended to be used for cleaning purposes, e.g. for wiping up work surfaces or dirty articles such as print machines, the pocket may also include a sac of cleaning liquid (e.g.

detergents, polishing compound or wax solvents) at a suitable concentration. That sac may easily be pierced, with a pin or the like, prior to using so that the liquid is absorbed in the pad and squeezes out onto the surface with pressure. Other sac opening arrangements may be provided; for example, the sac may have a peelable opening. The sac and/or the pad may include components which react exothermically to provide hot cleaning liquid or alternatively the article may be suitable for microwave or conventional oven heating. In this latter case the sac may burst to release the liquid and may be located within the core. In some instances 2 sacs may be provided either to contain the 2 part exothermically reacting chemicals or to allow for a two stage process eg. clean then polish. Additionally or alternatively one or both sides of the cover may have an abrasive surface.

In any of the above case the pad may mountable on a handle to form a mop or to allow remote handling.

When the article is particularly intended for spillage absorbtion, the sac may contain neutralising or chemical treatment chemicals dispersible either into the core or the spill. The chemicals may include deodorants and/or disinfectants. Where large quantities are requested they may be fed from an external reservoir. Alternatively they could be in powder form and dispersed in the cover and/or the core.

From another aspect the invention consists in a method of forming an absorbent article for absorbing and/or retaining spilt liquids, comprising folding a liquidpermeable and tear-resistant cover around an absorbent core and fixing the two parts of the cover together to form a pocket to retain the core, whilst leaving a projecting marginal portion beyond the pocket to provide a wicking or wiping surface.

The absorbent core may be formed on a continuous basis and then cut to length. The core may be placed on the cover when the cover is in an unfolded or partially folded above and such an arrangement is particularly suited for automatic manufacture. The fixing may be stitching, adhesive or a weld and the method may include forming an article in any of the forms defined above.

Although the invention has been defined above, it is to be understood it includes any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description.

The invention may be performed in various ways and a specific embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view from an absorbent article; Figure 2 is a view from above of the article of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of an alternative form of an absorbent article.

The absorbent article is generally indicated at 10 and comprises a folded liquid permeable cover 11, which encapsulates an absorbent pad or core 12 which, for example, is made of, for example, cellulose. The cover 11, which is preferably of waste cloth or rag, is stitched at 13, around three sides of the pad 12 to form a pocket 14, which retains the pad 12. The cover is of tear-resistant material to protect the pad. The stitching is positioned so that it also defines marginal or wing portions 15 which can be used for wicking or wiping as set out above. It will be appreciated that such an article 10 can be formed very cheaply and simply, because the cover 11 merely needs to be folded around the pad 12 and a simple stitching operation carried out. Welding and/or abhering may be used if the manufacture is being automated and an appropriate material is used for the cover.

Figure 1 also illustrates three optional features: a pocket 16 for a hand, which could alternatively be centrally located and/or in the form of a glove; a pierceable liquid sac 17 for containing cleaning liquid (other arrangements are mentioned above); and an abrasive surface 18 which can be stuck or stitched on.

Figure 3 illustrates a sausage variant of the article 10. It may be preferable to stitch the wings 15 together or to form the product with only one wing. A further line of stitching may be also included so that the wings 15 lie to a particular side of the article 10 so as to provide a good wicking surface when the sausage is laid around a spill. The wings may be weighted so that they lie on the floor and may include anchor points.

It will be appreciated that a variety of cover materials can be used, provided they are liquid-permeable and tear-resistant. For certain articles it may be desirable to have covers which are selectively permeable, e.g. for oil but not for water. The absorbent core 12 may be an appropriate absorbent material, which may be liquid selective, although for an economic product cellulose is particularly preferred. Any article may have a single wing and it is possible to form the article with wings entirely surrounding the core. However, the arrangement shown in the figures is particularly simply and convenient to manufacture.

As has been mentioned above the provision of a handle may be advantageous either for use as a contentional mop or where hazardous chemicals are involved.

Claims (17)

Claims

1. An absorbent article for absorbing and/or retaining spilt liquid comprising an absorbent core and a liquid permeable tear-resistant cover enclosing the core within a pocket defined by the cover and having a projecting margin extending beyond the pocket to provide a wicking or wiping surface.

2. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the core is disposed in a fold of the cover and a free edge portion forms the margin.

3 An article as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 herein there are a pair of adjacent margins.

4. An article as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the or each margin extends along at least substantially one side of the pocket.

5. An article as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the boundary between the pocket and the margin is defined by a line of fixing.

6. An article as claimed in claim 5 wherein the line of fixing is formed by stitching, adhering or welding.

7. An article as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the cover is made of cloth or non-woven material.

8. An article as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the core is elongate and the margin or margins extend along its length.

9. An article wherein is claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the core is generally rectangular and the margins extend around at least three sides thereof.

10. An article as claimed in any one of the preceding claims containing a sac containing a liquid.

11. An article as claimed in claim 10 wherein the liquid has one or more of the following properties either alone or when mixed with other liquids: cleaning neutralising or rending other chemicals harmless, deodorising, disinfecting, polishing or heating.

12. An article as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including a handle or means for engaging a handle.

13. A method of forming an absorbent article for absorbing and/or retaining spilt liquids comprising folding a liquidpermeable tear resistant cover around an absorbent core and fixing the two parts of the cover together to form a pocket to retain the core whilst leaving a projecting marginal portion beyond the pocket to provide a wicking or wiping surface.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the absorbent core is formed on a continuous basis and then cut to length.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13 or 14 wherein the core is placed on the cover and the cover is in an unfolded or partially folder condition.

16. A method as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 15 wherein the fixing is stitching, adhesive or a weld.

17. A method as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 16 forming an article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12.