HU225516B1 - Absorbent articles having cuffs with skin care composition disposed thereon - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to absorbent articles, such as diapers, training pants, adult incontinence pads, sanitary napkins, womenswear and the like, which have cuffs including elastic thigh cuffs. More particularly, the present invention relates to absorbent articles having a skin care composition disposed on its cuffs or cuffs and topsheet so as to penetrate the wearer's skin under normal contact and / or under the action of the wearer and / or body heat. The skin care compositions of the present invention are selected to preserve and / or improve the health of the wearer's skin through passage through use, for example, by forming a skin protective layer or having a curative effect; to reduce abrasion between the cuffs and the skin in the area where the cuffs are in contact with the wearer's skin, thereby reducing redness or skin irritation; to facilitate the removal of faeces from the skin; or to improve the cuff closure.

The main function of absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers and incontinence garments, is to absorb and store selection products. Such articles are intended to prevent clothing and other articles such as bedding from being contaminated or moistened with selection products. The most common reason for the failure of such articles is that the secretion products slip into the gap between the wearer's thighs or waist and the article into adjacent garments because they are not immediately absorbed in the article and the absorbent article cannot maintain a good fit on the wearer. For example, urine enters the topsheet in a jet, flows to the gap between the article and the wearer, and is in contact with and absorbed by clothing or other articles. In addition, dilute stools, which are hardly absorbed by the absorbent article, tend to "flow" on the surface in contact with the body and pass through the gap between the absorbent article and the wearer's thighs or waist.

These disposable diapers have a topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent core, and one or more cuffs, typically elastic cuffs, that are positioned to contact the wearer's thighs and / or waist. These elastic cuffs are generally effective in preventing leakage or overflow of liquid from a diaper filled with liquid by providing the elastic cuff with a barrier between the diaper edge and the garment that is in contact with it, and generally provides an insulating effect on the wearer's thighs or around the waist to maintain sealing around the thighs and waist and to minimize crack formation. However, as the forces exerted by the elastic members are concentrated along a narrow surface, high local pressure is generated and, as a result, the elastic cuffs tend to slit into the wearer's skin. The resulting skin symptoms are particularly pronounced in articles worn by infants and elderly, incontinent adults, because their skin is more sensitive and may respond to low pressure or rubbing. Skin symptoms may be further exacerbated by swelling caused by such products. Overheating of the skin in the diaper can lead to overhydration of the skin. As a result, overhydrated skin will be more sensitive to abrasion caused by normal wearer contact with the elastic cuff. It is also known that over-hydrated skin is also more sensitive to skin conditions such as diaper rash, inflammation, heat rash, abrasion, pinching and loss of skin insulation function. Reduced insulating performance of abraded, overhydrated skin can further exacerbate diaper rash. ("Disease List 21 CFR 333.503, as used by the Social Insurance Institution," diaper rash "is the inflammatory condition of the skin on the diaper area (back, buttocks, lower abdomen, or inner thighs) caused by one or more of the following: moisture, blockage, Immersion, prolonged contact with urine or faeces, or both, or mechanical or chemical imitation. "In view of the skin changes associated with the wearing of diapers or other absorbent articles, the caregiver or wearer will often apply a skin protection and / or medicinal product to the mucous membranes, external genitals, and / or other locations before applying the absorbent article. This procedure is usually done by placing the skin protection product on the hand of the caregiver and then spreading it on the wearer's skin.To eliminate this wasteful, dirty, time consuming and easy to forget procedure spreading, many attempts to prepare absorbent articles which contain a skin care substance on the article's topsheet.

One of the substances commonly used as a soothing protective coating on diaper products is paraffin oil. Paraffin oil (also called liquid petrolatum) is a mixture of various liquid hydrocarbons obtained by distillation of a high boiling point (for example 300-390 ° C) of petroleum. Paraffin oil is a liquid at room temperature, i.e., 20-25 ° C. As a result, paraffin oil is relatively mobile when applied to diapers. Because paraffin oil is easy to flow and mobile at room temperature, it does not stay on the diaper surface but gets inside the diaper. Accordingly, relatively large amounts of paraffin oil must be applied to the diaper to achieve the desired therapeutic and protective effect. Not only does this increase the cost of such treated diapers, but it also has other detrimental effects, such as reducing the absorbency of the underlying absorbent core.

Even if the amount is not raised, the tendency of paraffin oil to creep up after application has other detrimental consequences. For example, paraffin oil can penetrate and penetrate the wrapper and wrapper of the treated diaper product. For this reason, sealing packaging or wrapping foil may be required to prevent the paraffin oil from smearing or otherwise leaking from the diaper product.

U.S. Patent No. 3,489,148 discloses an infant diaper having a hydrophobic and

It has an oleophobic topsheet, some of which is coated with a discontinuous layer of an oily material. The greatest disadvantage of this diaper is that the urine slowly passes through the hydrophobic and oleophobic topsheet into the underlying absorbent core.

In addition to the problem of smudging caused by liquid formulations applied to the topsheet, the disadvantages of skin care caused by the use of cuffs and the possibility that the skin care compositions applied to the cuffs remain on them and pass through to the wearer's skin . It has not previously been recognized that treating only the top layer of an article does not necessarily penetrate all critical areas of the wearer's skin.

Thus, it would be desirable to have an absorbent article having cuffs and a skin care composition placed on the cuffs to provide an improved skin care effect, particularly on the skin surfaces that are in contact with the article during wear. The skin care composition should be such that it can penetrate the wearer's skin and exert a skin care effect, while not impeding the function of the cuffs in the product.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide diaper articles or other absorbent articles having one or more cuffs on them with a skin care composition such that (1) it has the desired therapeutic or protective effect; and / or (2) a relatively large amount of skin care composition is not required when it is liquid at room temperature (e.g., paraffin oil); and / or (3) does not adversely affect the absorbency of the diaper product; and / or (4) no special wrapping or sealing materials are required for packaging.

Description of the invention according to the main claim

An absorbent article (20) worn by a wearer in contact with the skin; the absorbent article contains:

a base plate comprising: an outer cover layer comprising: a backsheet (42) and a fluid-permeable topsheet (38) attached to said backsheet (42) and an absorbent core (44) which is said topsheet (38) and disposed between said backsheet (42);

a cuff (56, 62) attached to said base plate, each cuff having a first surface and a second surface located opposite said first surface. An effective amount of a skin care composition (72) is disposed on the cuff of the absorbent article of the present invention; said skin care composition is semi-solid or solid at 20 ° C and is at least partially transferable to the wearer's skin.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a diaper or absorbent article having one or more cuffs having a skin care composition which may penetrate at least a portion of the skin of the wearer to produce the desired skin care effect, thereby reducing skin irritation and redness, therapeutic effect - thus curing inflammation and / or diaper rash - and / or reducing stool adherence to the skin, thus facilitating stool removal. Another object of the present invention is to improve the storage and closure function of cuffs by using hydrophobic skin care compositions.

These and other objects of the present invention are set forth herein and will be clearly understood by reading the following claims.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention relates to an absorbent article, such as a disposable diaper, which has one or more cuffs on which a skin care composition is applied (applied or migrated) to the body surface (s). It is important that the skin care compositions of the present invention can be readily transmitted to the wearer's skin by normal contact, wearer's movement and / or body heat. Upon penetration of the skin, the skin care composition exerts its desired therapeutic and / or protective coating effect, resulting in reduced redness, inflammation, diaper rash, skin irritation, and / or reduced adherence of feces to the skin, thereby facilitating the elimination of feces. When hydrophobic skin care compositions are used, the skin care compositions of the present invention may enhance the storage and closure properties of the cuffs, thereby improving protection against spillage. Such a hydrophobic skin care composition can make the design of cuffs made of nonwovens particularly flexible by providing an alternative method to achieve the desired storage and closure properties. This can also reduce material costs.

In the present invention, the term "cuff" includes thigh cuffs, including closures, sealing cuffs, combinations and variants thereof; transverse closures and pockets or spacers; page disks; and waist cuffs, including waist cuffs, waistbands, waistbands and single waistband closures; and a combination of all or some of these cuffs.

It is important that the skin care compositions of the present invention provide a protective and / or therapeutic effect upon the wearer's skin, thereby reducing inflammation and / or diaper rash. The skin care composition can minimize rubbing between the cuffs and areas of the skin where the cuffs are in contact with the wearer's skin, resulting in a reduction in redness and / or skin irritation. In addition, a protective coating on the wearer's skin can reduce the stool's adhesion to the skin, making it easier to remove the stool.

As discussed below, the skin care compositions useful in the present invention have a melting profile that is relatively immobilized at room temperature and remains at the cuffs, but can pass through the wearer at body temperature, but is not even liquid under extreme storage conditions. In such embodiments, less skin care composition is required to achieve the desired skin protection effect

EN 225 516 Β1. In addition, it is not necessary to use special sealing or wrapping materials to package the treated products of the invention.

In a preferred embodiment, an absorbent article of the present invention may comprise a skin care composition applied (applied or migrated) to the cuff and topsheet. It has been discovered that such beneficial articles enhance the penetration of the composition into the skin of the wearer, which may result in an enhanced therapeutic and / or protective effect. In this regard, enhanced penetration is achieved by increasing the coverage of the skin (i.e., the area of the skin surface covered) and / or the amount of formulation applied to a given surface of the skin.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1. Top view of a disposable diaper embodiment of the present invention with cut-out portions to show the structure below.

Figure 2. Cross section along line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3. Cross section along line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4. A perspective view of an disposable diaper absorbent article of the invention.

Figure 5. Schematic drawing of a preferred method of applying the composition of the invention to diaper closure cuffs.

Figure 6. Schematic drawing of another method of applying the composition of the invention to diaper closure cuffs.

Figure 7. Sectional view of another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 8. Cross section of a further embodiment of the invention.

Figure 9. Top view of yet another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 10. Sectional view of a still further embodiment of the invention.

Figure 11. A frontal section showing a sanitary napkin and panties of the invention in place on a wearer.

Detailed Description of the Invention

As used herein, the term "comprising" means that the various parts, components or steps may be used in conjunction with one another to practice the invention. Accordingly, the term "comprising" includes the more limited terms "consisting essentially of" or "consisting of".

The term "skin care composition" means any composition containing one or more active ingredients which, when passed from one article to the wearer's skin, provide a therapeutic and / or protective effect there. Representative materials will be described in detail below.

Unless otherwise specified, all percentages, ratios, or percentages are by weight.

A. The absorbent article

As used herein, the term "absorbent article" refers to devices that absorb and store excretory products, more particularly devices that are applied to the wearer's skin to absorb and store various excretory products that are excreted from the body. The term "disposable" is used to describe absorbent articles which are not intended to be washed or otherwise reconstituted or reused as an absorbent article after a single use. Examples of disposable absorbent articles are women's health products, such as sanitary panties, pads, or panty liners; diapers; incontinence products such as shorts and underpants; diaper holders; diaper pads; slip-on diapers and training pants; and the like.

Disposable absorbent articles typically comprise a base sheet having an outer covering layer consisting of a liquid-impermeable topsheet and a liquid impermeable backing sheet attached to the topsheet, and having an absorbent core enclosed within the topsheet, preferably between the topsheet and the backsheet. . The disposable absorbent article and its components, such as the topsheet, backsheet, absorbent core, and each individual layer of these components, have two main surfaces (a first surface and a second surface), commonly referred to as body surfaces and clothing surfaces. The "body surface" (also called the body or skin contact surface) is the surface of an article or component that is intended to be worn facing or adjacent to the wearer's body, while the "clothing surface" is the opposite side of the article. It is facing outward from the wearer and is directed toward the wearer's wear when the disposable absorbent article is worn.

The following description generally describes materials for the absorbent core, topsheet, and backsheet that may be used in disposable absorbent articles. It is to be understood that this general description is set forth in FIGS. 2A and 2B are intended to cover parts of certain absorbent articles described below and other disposable absorbent articles generally described in the present invention.

Generally, the absorbent core is capable of absorbing and retaining fluids (e.g., menstruation, urine, and / or other excretion products). Preferably, the absorbent core is compressible, capable of flexing, and does not irritate the wearer's skin. The absorbent core can be manufactured in a wide variety of sizes and shapes (for example, rectangular, oval, hourglass, T or shin, symmetrical or asymmetric, and others). In addition to the absorbent material compositions of the present invention, the absorbent core may comprise any liquid absorbent material commonly used in absorbent articles, such as shredded wood pulp, commonly referred to as air mat. Suitable materials for use in the absorbent core include, for example, creped cellulose wadding; melt-blown polymers, inter

EN 225 516 Β1 needles coformulated; chemically stiffened, modified or cross-linked cellulosic fibers; synthetic fibers, such as polyester staple fibers; peat moss; tissues, including folded or laminated tissues; absorbent foams; absorbent sponges; superabsorbent polymers; absorbent gelling materials; or any equivalent material or combinations or mixtures of these materials.

The structure and structure of the absorbent core may also be variable (e.g., the absorbent core may have variable thickness fields and / or profiles with a thicker center; hydrophilic gradients; gradients in the absorbent material such as superabsorbent gradient; for example, capture boxes; or may include one or more layers or structures). However, the total absorbent capacity of the absorbent core must be appropriate to the intended load and use of the absorbent article. Further, the size and absorbent capacity of the absorbent core may vary for a variety of applications such as diapers, incontinence pads, training pants, panty liners, day and night sanitary napkins, and infant-to-adult wearers.

The absorbent core may also include other components commonly used in absorbent articles, such as a spray layer, a suction or absorption layer (spill control layer), or a secondary topcoat to enhance wearer comfort.

The topsheet is preferably lenient, soft to the touch and non-irritating to the wearer's skin. Furthermore, the topsheet is fluid permeable, at least in many areas, and allows fluids (e.g., menstrual and / or urine) to rapidly penetrate through its thickness. A suitable topsheet may be made from a wide variety of materials, such as woven and nonwoven materials; polymeric materials such as perforated, formed, thermoplastic films and hydroformed thermoplastic films; porous foams; network foams; network thermoplastic foams; and thermoplastic lining fabrics. Suitable woven and nonwoven materials may be made from natural fibers (e.g., wood or cotton fibers), synthetic fibers (e.g., polymeric fibers, such as polyester, polypropylene or polyethylene fibers), binary fibers, or combinations of natural and synthetic fibers. If the topsheet is a nonwoven web, it may be manufactured by a number of known techniques. For example, the web may be molten, carded, wet-laid, melt-blown, water-entangled, hydroformated, hydroperforated, or a combination thereof, or the like.

Preferably, the backsheet is impermeable to fluids (e.g., menstruation and / or urine) at least between the thighs of the absorbent article, and is preferably made of a thin plastic film, although other flexible fluid impermeable materials may be used. The term "flexible" is used for substances that are lenient and easily conform to the general shape and contours of the human body. The backsheet prevents excreted articles absorbed and stored in the absorbent core from wetting articles that are in contact with the absorbent article, such as bedding, pants, pajamas, or underwear. The backsheet may be made of a woven or nonwoven material, polymeric films such as thermoplastic polyethylene or polypropylene films, or composite materials such as a coated, nonwoven or film-coated nonwoven material. A suitable backsheet is a polyethylene film having a thickness of about 0.012 to 0.051 mm. Exemplary polyethylene film is manufactured by Clopay Corp. (Cincinnati, Oh.) P18-1401 and Tredegar Film Products (Terra Haute, In.) Under the trade name XP-39385. The backsheet is preferably embossed or matted for a more textile-like appearance. Additionally, the backsheet may allow moisture to escape from the absorbent core (i.e., the backsheet may be breathable) while preventing the selection products from passing through. (An example of a suitable, breathable backsheet is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,571,096, which is incorporated herein by reference. The size of the backsheet is determined by the size of the absorbent core and the exact design of the absorbent article.

The backsheet and topsheet are located adjacent the topsheet and body surface of the absorbent core, respectively. Preferably, the absorbent core is attached to the topsheet, backsheet, or both by any of the art-known bonding methods. However, embodiments of the present invention are also conceivable in which some portions of the absorbent core are not attached to either the topsheet or the backsheet or to either.

The backsheet and / or topsheet may be bonded to the absorbent core or to one another, for example, by a continuous adhesive layer, a patterned adhesive layer, or individual adhesive strips, spirals or dots. Adhesives found to be suitable can be found in Η. Manufactured by B. Fuller Co. (St. Paul, Mn.) As HL-1258 and H-2031. Preferably, the bonding elements consist of an open pattern of adhesive filaments according to U.S. Patent 4,573,986, which is incorporated herein by reference. An exemplary fastener, an open mesh of spirally wound adhesive filaments, and apparatus for making it are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,911,173, 4,785,996 and 4,842,666. These patents are hereby incorporated by reference. On the other hand, the bonding may be by thermal, pressure or ultrasonic bonding, dynamic-mechanical bonding, or any other bonding method known in the art, or combinations thereof.

A preferred disposable absorbent article for use with the " treated cuffs " of the invention (" treated cuffs, " cuffs containing one or more skin care compositions) is a diaper. The term "diaper", as used herein, refers to an absorbent article commonly used by infants and incontinent patients.

EN 225 516 Β1 are worn approximately on the lower half of the wearer. In other words, the term "diaper" includes babies' nappies, exercise pants, adult incontinence equipment and the like. The present invention is applicable to disposable articles containing other types of cuffs, such as sanitary napkins and panty liners.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of a diaper 20 of the present invention in a smoothed, flattened state (i.e., elastic contractions are stretched) and a partially cut out structure so that the structure of the diaper 20 is clearly visible; In the figure, the surface (body surface) of the diaper 20 facing the wearer is facing the viewer. The diaper 20 shown in FIG. 1 has a front waist portion 22, a rear waist portion 24, a thigh portion 26, and a circumference formed by the outer edges 30, 32 and 32 of the diaper 20. The diaper 20 further has a transverse centerline 34 and a longitudinal centerline 36. The diaper 20 comprises a base sheet having (i) an outer wrapper layer formed by a liquid-permeable topsheet 38 and a liquid-impermeable backsheet 42, and (ii) an absorbent core 44 having side edges 46; a fastening system consisting of a pair of snap tabs 54 and a fastening section 55; Sealing cuffs 56 formed by wings 58 and elastic members 60 respectively; Closure cuffs 62 formed by a closure cuff element 63 having a proximal edge 64, a distal edge 66, and end 74; and spacer means, such as a spacer element 76 that maintains the distal life 66 from the topsheet. The diaper 20 also optionally includes closures 78 for securing the ends 74 of each closure 62. Although the diaper components may be assembled in a number of well-known arrangements, a preferred diaper arrangement is described in U.S. Patent 4,695,278, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Figure 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of diaper 20 in which the topsheet 38 and backsheet 42 are of equal size and generally have a length and width greater than that of the absorbent core 44. The topsheet 38 is joined and reinforced with the backsheet 42 to form the periphery of the diaper 20.

The diaper 20 has a front 22 and a rear waist portion 24 extending from the peripheral end edges 32 to the transverse centerline 34 of the diaper 20. The waist portions are those portions of the diaper 20 that surround the waist during wear. The crotch region 26 is that portion of the diaper 20 that lies between the waist regions and, when worn, covers the lower body half between the user's thighs.

As shown in Figure 1, the skin care composition 72 is disposed on the closure cuffs 62. Preferably, the skin care composition 72 is disposed on the body surface of the closure cuffs so that the skin care composition can readily penetrate the wearer's skin during use. In the illustrated embodiment, the skin care composition 72 is disposed adjacent the distal edge 66, preferably at least in the region of the thigh 26. More preferably, the skin care composition 72 is disposed on the distal edge 66. Most preferably, the closure cuff 62 contains one or more strips 72 of skin care composition. In the illustrated embodiment, the skin care composition 72 is applied to only a portion of the closure cuff 62. For some skin care products, it is advantageous to be careful not to place the skin care product close to the end of the spacer elastic members because elastic slipping may occur due to the interaction between the skin care composition and the adhesive. As shown in Figure 1, in a preferred embodiment, the skin care composition 72 is not positioned adjacent to the end of the spacer 76 in the front waistband (although, on the other hand, it may not be positioned adjacent to the end of the back waistband). (Alternatively, an adhesive compatible skin care composition may be used and the placement of the skin care composition on the cuff is not limited to the end of the spacer elastic.) As described above, the skin care composition may be applied to the topsheet of the closure and allow its penetration into the body surface. , which enhances the hydrophobic nature of the sealing cuffs and exerts a skin-care effect on the body surface. Further, the skin care composition may be applied to other areas of the closure cuff, the entire closure cuff, spacer elastic members, or any other part of the closure cuff. The skin care composition may be included in any pattern, such as discontinuous or continuous patterns, or in any amount, as will be discussed later.

The diaper 20 of FIG. 2 has a garment surface 86 and a body surface 84 opposite the garment surface 86. The body surface 84 of the diaper 20 is that portion of the diaper 20 that is adjacent to the wearer's body when used (i.e., the body surface 84 is generally comprised of at least a portion of the topsheet 38 and other components including the topsheet 38). The garment surface 86 is the portion of the diaper 20 that faces outward from the wearer's body when used (i.e., the garment surface 86 is generally formed by at least a portion of the backsheet 42 and other components, including those attached to the backsheet 42).

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the structure of the diaper 20 at the back waist 24. (It is understood that the diaper structure of the front waist portion 22 is substantially identical to the structure of the rear waist portion 24.) The absorbent core comprises an absorbent layer 48 which is shown to be completely enveloped by the fabric layers 50 and 52. The absorbent core 44 is disposed between the topsheet 38 and the backsheet 42; both the topsheet 38 and the backsheet 42 extend beyond the side edge 46 of the absorbent core 44 and form the flap 58. The joined portions of the topsheet 38 and the backsheet 42 are secured to one another by a wing joint member 88, such as an adhesive. In a preferred embodiment, the elastic members of the sash do not extend into the rear 24

EN 225 516 Β1 so that no sealing cuff is formed in this area. The closure 62 is visibly formed by a separate element, the closure member 63, which is attached to the topsheet 38; the proximal end 64 is formed by attaching the closure member 63 to the topsheet 38 by the proximal fastener 92. The garment surface 68 of the closure 62 (also referred to as the inner surface of the closure) is attached to the body surface 40 of the closure 78. As a result, the distal edge 66 is closed (i.e., not raised from the body surface 40). It should be noted that the spacer resilient member is not disposed in this area because the distal edge 66 is not constructed to rise from the body surface 40 in the waist region. Thus, the closure cuff is neither open nor ready to restrict the flow of selection products in this area. Preferably, no skin care composition is placed on the closure cuff at the back of this particular embodiment.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1, showing the diaper structure at the crotch region 26 as it is picked up before being released to the wearer (i.e., the diaper 20 is in an elastic contracted state). The absorbent core comprises an absorbent layer 48 which is shown to be completely enveloped by the fabric layers 50 and 52. The absorbent core 44 is disposed between the topsheet 38 and the backsheet 42; both the topsheet 38 and the backsheet 42 extend beyond the side edge 46 of the absorbent core 44 and form the flap 58. The joined portions of the topsheet 38 and the backsheet 42 are secured to one another by a wing joint member 88, such as an adhesive. The topsheet 38 and the backsheet 42 enclose the elastic wing member 60 along the longitudinal edge 30. The elastic wing member 60 is secured to the wing 58 formed by the topsheet and backsheet, preferably by the elastic fastener member 90. The resiliently shrinkable sealing cuff 56 is thus formed by the flap 58 and the elastic flap member 60. The sealing cuff has a body surface 57 which is directed toward the wearer's skin when the diaper is worn and a garment surface 59 facing the body surface 57. The closure 62 is visibly formed by a separate element, the closure member, which is attached to the topsheet 38, preferably between the elastic wing member 60 and the side edge 46 of the absorbent core 44. The proximal edge 64 of the closure 62 is secured to the topsheet 38 of the closure member 63 by the proximity fastener 92. The spacer elastic member 76 is enclosed within a tunnel formed by folding the closure member 63 back to itself; the spacer element 76 is secured by the elastic fastener 94 in the tunnel. The distal end 66 of the closure is lifted and held away from the body surface 40 by the elastic wrinkle action of the spacer member 76. The closure cuff 62 is shown as ready to hold and store the selection products until the diaper 20 is removed from the wearer. The skin care composition 72 is shown in Figure 3 with the closure cuff 62 (the closure member 63) positioned on a body surface 70 so that the skin care composition 72 can penetrate the wearer's skin during use.

The diapers of the present invention may have a number of well known arrangements; their absorbent cores may be adapted to the present invention. Exemplary arrangements are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,860,003, 5,151,092, 5,580,411, 5,569,232 and 5,569,234. The foregoing patents are hereby incorporated by reference.

The diaper base plate is shown in the figures as containing the central body (storage base unit) of the diaper. The base sheet comprises at least one absorbent core and preferably an outer cover layer formed by the topsheet and the backsheet. When the absorbent article comprises a separate support and wrapping fabric, these are generally contained within the base sheet (i.e., the base sheet has one or more layers of material that form the support, while the wrapping fabric may be an absorbent composite material such as a topsheet, backsheet, and may form an absorbent core). In the case of uniform absorbent articles, the base sheet comprises the main diaper structure with all the elements added to form the composite diaper structure, wherein the base sheet comprises the topsheet, the backsheet, and the absorbent core.

The topsheet 38, which is particularly suitable for diaper 20, is carded and heat fixed in a manner well known in the textile industry. A topcoat suitable for the present invention consists of strand-length polypropylene fibers having a denier (fineness number) of about 2.2. The term "strand length" refers to fibers having a length of at least about 15.9 mm. The topsheet preferably has a rice weight of about 14 to 25 g / m ² . A suitable topcoat is manufactured by Veratec, Inc. (Walpole, Ma.) Under the trade name P-8. Another preferred topsheet is a molten nonwoven web weighing 22 g / m ² and manufactured by Fiberweb North America, Inc. (Simpsonville, SC) under the designation 9694.

The topsheet 38 of diaper 20 is preferably made of a hydrophilic material to facilitate rapid passage of fluids (i.e., urine). If the topsheet is made of a hydrophobic material, it is preferred to treat at least some of the body surface of the topsheet to be hydrophilic so that liquids can pass through it more rapidly. This eliminates the possibility that the secretion products may peel off the topsheet rather than being absorbed through and absorbed into the absorbent core. The topsheet may be hydrophilized by treatment with a surfactant. A suitable method for treating the topsheet with a surfactant is to spray or dip the topsheet in a solution of the surfactant. Hydrophilic treatment is discussed in detail in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,988,344 and 4,988,345, which are incorporated herein by reference.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the absorbent article further comprises a skin care composition on its topsheet. Representative treated topcoats are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,643,588 and 5,635,191, which are incorporated herein by reference.

HU 225 516 Β1 is considered a ference. Suitable methods for applying a skin care composition to the repeated use of such treated topsheet absorbent articles are described in US-A 08 / 926.532, 08 / 926.533 and 08 / 908,852, which are incorporated herein by reference. As described above, a skin care composition that is applied to both the cuffs and the topsheet results in a larger skin surface than when placed on the cuffs alone. Furthermore, placing the composition on both components may result in a greater amount of skin care composition being applied to a particular skin surface of the wearer and / or allowing different skin care compositions to be used to achieve different skin care effects.

In a preferred embodiment of the diaper of the present invention, the backsheet 42 has a modified hourglass shape and extends circumferentially around the absorbent core along the entire circumference of the diaper. Preferably, the backsheet is a soft, tissue-like, layered web consisting of a selectively perforated polymeric film and a nonwoven web. Such a breathable backsheet is described in detail in U.S. Patent No. 5,571,096, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The absorbent core 44 may be of any size and shape appropriate to the diaper 20. In a preferred embodiment of the diaper 20, there is provided an asymmetric modified T-shaped absorbent core 44 having tabs at the front of the waist but generally rectangular at the back of the waist. Exemplary, widely accepted and commercially successful absorbent structures for use as an absorbent core are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,673,402 and 4,888,231, EP 640,330 and US 4,834,735. The absorbent core may comprise a dual core system having an acquisition / distribution layer of chemically stiffened cellulosic fibers disposed on an absorbent storage core as disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,234,423 and 5,147,345. The cited patents are incorporated herein by reference.

In a preferred embodiment, the diaper 20 has cuffs, namely, thigh cuffs, which include a closure 62 and / or a sealing cuff 56 for improved storage of liquids and other secretion products. The cuffs provide improved storage of liquids and other excretion products and can be made in many different layouts. The diaper 20 may also include a cuff comprising an elastic waistband and / or elastic side panels (not shown) to provide a more conformable fit and effective use of the diaper 20. Such cuffs may also be treated with a skin care composition.

Each thigh cuff may have a number of different designs to reduce spillage on the thigh region. (Thigh cuffs may also be referred to as thigh bands, wings, closures, elastic thigh cuffs, sealing cuffs, or elastic cuffs.) U.S. Patent No. 3,860,003, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a disposable diaper having a wing and one or more elastic members are arranged to form an elastic (sealing) thigh cuff. U.S. Patent No. 4,909,803, which is also incorporated herein by reference, discloses a disposable diaper having "erect" elasticized flaps (closure cuffs) to improve thigh storage capacity. U.S. Patent No. 4,695,278, which is also incorporated herein by reference, discloses a disposable diaper having double cuffs comprising a sealing cuff and a closure cuff. Although each leg cuff may be made to resemble the aforementioned leg cuffs, wings, closures or elastic cuffs, it is preferred that each leg cuff comprises the closure cuffs 62 and sealing cuffs 56 described below.

The closure cuff 62 is a resilient member having a proximal edge 64, a distal edge 66, a garment surface 68 (also called an inner surface), and a body surface 70 (also called an outer surface). The clothing surface 68 faces the inside of the diaper, while the body surface 70 faces the wearer's skin when wearing the diaper. The closure 62 may be made of a variety of materials such as polypropylene, polyester, rayon, nylon, foams, nonwovens, plastic films, formed films, and elastic films or foams. Many manufacturing techniques can be used to make the cuff. For example, the closure 62 may be a woven, non-woven, molten font, melt-font-melt-blown-melt, carded, coated, laminated, or the like. A preferred closure 62 comprises a polypropylene material that is not finished or treated with a surfactant to impermeability to liquid. It produces an exemplary nonwoven fabric made of polypropylene fiber under the brand name "Celestra" by Crown Zellerbach Co. A particularly preferred nonwoven material is carded nonwoven web available from PGI (Landisville, N.J.) under the number 67,700. On the other hand, this material may also be a nonwoven web of MD300A manufactured by Corovin GmbH (Peine, Germany). In addition, since the hydrophobic skin care compositions of the present invention are used, the closure may be made of a hydrophilic material and a hydrophobic skin care composition may be applied thereto to improve its sealing properties.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the closure cuff 62, more particularly the proximal edge 64, is located inwardly of, and preferably inwardly from, the longitudinal edge 30 of the sealing cuff 56. As shown in Figs. By "inward" is meant the direction pointing toward the centerline of the diaper (centerline 34 or 36) and parallel to the corresponding edge of the diaper along which the respective sealing cuff is disposed. The closure 62 is located adjacent to the seal 56 to provide a more effective double closure of

EN 225 516 Β1 against spillage of election products. Preferably, the sealing cuff 62 is located inwardly of the sealing cuff 56 so that the excretion products, particularly the dilute feces, which are not readily absorbed and tend to spill over the body surface 40, contact the sealing cuff 62 before reaching the sealing cuff 56. More preferably, the closure cuff 62 is disposed between the elastic wing member 60 of the sealing cuff 56 and the longitudinal centerline 36 of the diaper 20. Most preferably, the closure cuff 62 is located between the elastic flap member 60 and the side edge 46 of the absorbent core 44 in the thigh portion 26 of the diaper 20.

The proximal edge 64 and the distal edge 66 are spaced apart and this distance is the width of the closure cuff 62. The proximal edges 64 and the distal edges 66 may be parallel or non-parallel to each other, or may be straight or cross-sectional. In addition, the closure 62 may have a variety of cross-sections, such as circles, squares, rectangles, or any other cross section. Preferably, the proximal edge 64 and the distal edge 66 are parallel to each other, and both are straight, so that the cuff 62 is of uniform width.

In the preferred embodiment of the diaper 20 shown in Figures 2 and 3, the closure cuff 62 is attached to the topsheet 38. The term "joined" encompasses all methods of attaching the closure 62 to the diaper 20 as well as embodiments in which the closure 62 is a discrete member having its proximal end 64 directly or indirectly attached to the topsheet 38 (i.e., integral), or embodiments in which the closure cuff 62 is made of the same element or material as the topsheet 38, so that the proximal edge 64 is a continuous (not uniform) member of the topsheet. On the other hand, the closure 62 may be attached to the flap 58, the backsheet 42, the absorbent core 44, the topsheet 38 or any combination of these or other elements of the diaper 20. In a preferred diaper 20, the cuffs 62 are integral with the topsheet 38. The integral closure cuffs 62 are preferably formed of a strip of material, the closure member 63 being secured to the topsheet by the proximal fastening member 92, while the distal edge 66 is formed by itself being driven through one end of the closure member 63.

The distal edge 66 is preferably disposed inwardly of the proximal edge 64 to provide a more effective barrier to the discharge of the selection products. The distal edges 66 are held inwardly by the closures 78 relative to the proximal edges 64 to prevent them from turning. Although the distal edges 66 may be located differently from the proximal edges 64, such situations are not preferred.

Preferably, the distal edge 66 is not secured to any other member at least between the thighs 26 of the diaper 20 and may therefore move away from the body surface 40 of the topsheet 38. The distal edge 66 is preferably away from the topsheet 40 to enhance the storage capacity of the article. The term "removed" includes embodiments in which the distal edges 66 may assume one or more positions relative to the body surface 40 of the topsheet 38, including sometimes adjacent to the body 40 of the topsheet 38. The distance between the distal edge 66 and the body surface 40 of the topsheet 38 is measured along a line extending from the distal edge 66 to the closest portion of the topsheet 38 when the outermost edge 66 is located as far away from the topsheet as possible. .

In addition to the closure cuffs, the leg cuffs of the present invention preferably also include sealing cuffs 56. The sealing cuffs 56 are located around the circumference of the diaper 20, preferably along both longitudinal edges 30, such that the sealing cuffs 56 clamp the diaper 20 to the wearer's thighs. Although the sealing cuffs 56 may be made by a variety of methods known in the art of diaper manufacture, a sealing cuff structure 56 having an elastic wing 58 and elastic wing members 60 according to US 3,860,003, which is incorporated herein by reference, is particularly preferred. In addition, a process and apparatus for making a disposable diaper comprising elastic sealing cuffs 56 are described in U.S. Patent 4,081,301, which is also incorporated herein by reference.

The flap 58 must be highly elastic and collapsible so that the flap flange 60 can fold the flap 58 to form a sealing cuff 56 around the wearer's thigh. Preferably, the flap 58 is a portion of the diaper 20 disposed between the periphery and the edges of the absorbent core 44. Thus, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flap 58 is formed from the projections of the backsheet 42 and the topsheet 38 and extends along the lateral edge 46 of the absorbent core 44 of the diaper 20 at least between the thighs 26. On the other hand, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,003, the wing may be a discrete element attached to the base plate (topsheet, backsheet and / or absorbent core), or a part of the wing may be a discrete element. .

Preferably, the elastic wing member 60 is operatively attached (attached) to the wing 58 in a state of resilient contraction such that in the normal, unrestricted configuration, the elastic wing member 60 effectively contracts or wrinkles the wing 58. The elastic wing member 60 may be secured to the wing 58 in a state of elastic contraction in at least two ways. For example, the elastic wing member 60 may be extended and thus attached to the wing 58 while the wing 58 is in a smoothed state. Alternatively, the flap 58 may be contracted, for example, by wrinkling, and the elastic flap member 60 may be attached to the collapsed flap 58 such that the flap flap 60 is in a relaxed, unstretched condition. The sealing cuff may further comprise a plurality of kits

Various elastic extensible structures, such as elastic nonwoven webs or foams; crepe sheets in accordance with U.S. Patent 5,151,092; or structurally rubber-like films (SELF) according to U.S. Patent No. 5,518,801; both patents are hereby incorporated by reference.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the elastic wing member 60 extends substantially along the entire length of the wing 58 in the region of the diaper 20 between the thighs 26. On the other hand, the elastic member 60 may extend over the entire length of the diaper 20 or be of any length to form a sealing cuff. The length of the elastic wing member 60 is determined by the structure of the diaper.

In the diaper 20 shown in Figure 3, the elastic wing members 60 are joined to the wings 58 so that they are secured to the wings 58 by the elastic fastening members 90. The elastic fastener 90 must be sufficiently elastic and low enough to maintain the elastic wing member even when in tension. Preferably, the elastic bonding members 90 of the present invention are adhesive points or spirals made from a hot melt adhesive such as Fidley 2511 or H9254 (Findley, Inc., Wauwatosa, Wi.). We have discovered that conventional adhesives are not compatible with all skin care products. Specifically, some skin care products are capable of breaking the adhesive bond, resulting in elastic creep and / or insufficient durability. Findley H9254 is an adhesive that has been found to be particularly suitable for preventing elastic creep when a skin care product is applied to it. The manner in which the elastic wing members 60 are positioned and secured to the diaper 20 is described in more detail in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,253,461 and 4,081,301, which are incorporated herein by reference.

A suitable elastic member 60 may be made of natural rubber sold under the tradename L-1900 Rubber Compound by Easthampton Rubber Thread Co. (Stewart, Va.). Other suitable elastic wing members 60 can be made, for example, from natural rubber bands Fulflex 9211 (Fulflex Co., Scotland, N.C.). An exemplary elastic member is a Lycra fiber bundle sold by DuPont Co. (Waynesboro, Va.) Under the trade name Lycra-XA T-151. The elastic wing member 60 may further comprise a heat-shrinkable elastic material known in the art. Other suitable resilient wing members 60 may also be made from a wide variety of materials, such as resilient films, Lycra films or fibers, polyurethane films, resilient foams, or molded elastic lining fabrics.

In addition, the elastic wing members 60 may have a variety of shapes. For example, the width of the elastic wing member 60 may vary from about 0.25 mm to about 25 mm or more; it may consist of a single fiber of a flexible material or it may comprise a plurality of parallel or non-parallel flexible fibers; or it may be straight or curved. In addition, the elastic wing member 60 may be attached to the diaper 20 in a variety of ways known in the art. For example, the elastic wing member 60 may be ultrasonic, heat or pressure bonded to the diaper 20, with different bond patterns, or simply glued.

The cuff may further comprise an elastic waistband, such as an elasticated waistband (not shown), which may have a variety of different structures (including those described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,515,595, 5,026,364 and 5,151,092) when a skin care product is used. the composition can be placed on them.

The cuff may have elastic wings, which can be made in many different designs when a skin care composition can be placed on them. Examples of wings with diapers are found in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,857,067, 4,381,781, 4,938,753, 5,151,092, 5,580,411, 5,669,897 and 5,569,232, which are incorporated herein by reference.

The cuff embodiments of the present invention may further include pockets for receiving and storing selection products; limiting elements to restrict the movement of selection products in the article; spaces or cavities for receiving and storing selection products deposited in the diaper; and the like, or any combination thereof, when a skin care composition can be applied thereto. Examples of pockets and guides for use in absorbent articles are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,514,121, 5,171,236, 5,397,318, 5,540,671 and WO 93/25172, and in U.S. Patent 5,306,266. The spaces and cavities are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,968,312, 4,990,147, 5,062,840 and 5,269,755. Suitable transverse barriers are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,554,142, WO 94/14395 and US 5,653,703. The foregoing patents are hereby incorporated by reference.

Exemplary fastening systems 54 are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,846,815, 4,894,060, 4,946,527, 3,884,594, 4,963,404, 4,662,875 and 5,151,092, which are incorporated herein by reference. A skin care composition may be placed on one or more components of the fixation system to improve the health of the skin. Thus, for example, a skin care composition of the invention may be applied to the strip tabs to reduce friction of the strip tabs to the skin.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the diaper 20 in a resiliently contracted state prior to dispatch to the wearer. The topsheet 38 is visible as part of the body surface of the diaper 20, the backsheet 42 extending outward from the wearer's body. The sealing cuffs 56 are in a collapsed or folded state by the elastic wing members. The diaper 20 has two closure cuffs 62 adjacent and inwardly of the sealing cuffs 56. The distal edges 66 are folded and contracted by the spacer elastic members (not shown) between the thighs. In addition, the ends 74 of the closure cuffs 62 are secured in a closed position to provide wearer comfort with

EN 225 516 Β1 prevent the sleeves from turning over and facilitate the delivery of the diaper. A skin care composition 72 is applied (applied to the body surface or positioned to migrate to the body surface) on the body surface of each of the closures 62 so as to exert the skin care effect of the present invention on the wearer's skin.

The diaper 20 may be worn on the wearer by placing the back waist portion 24 under the wearer's back and then pulling the remainder of the diaper 20 between the wearer's thighs so that the front waist portion 22 lies across the abdomen of the person. The ends of the adhesive tape fasteners 54 are then secured to the fastener 55 to close the diaper 20. In doing so, the closure cuffs 62 must be placed on the wearer's thighs and provide the position and function described above. After dispatch, the distal edges 66 of the closure cuffs 62 extend beyond the wearer's groin and extend upwardly along each flap. None of the cuffs 62 surrounds the wearer's thighs. However, sealing cuffs 56 surround the thighs and exert a sealing effect around the thighs. The closure cuffs 62 contact the wearer's skin and transfer the skin care composition 72 therewith, providing some or all of the benefits described herein.

The treated cuffs of the present invention can also be used in training pants or diapers. The term "training pants" refers to disposable garments having closed sides and thereby securing their waist and thigh openings. Training pants are given to the wearer by placing the wearer's feet in the thigh openings and then slipping the pants around the wearer's lower body. Suitable training pants are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,246,433, 4,940,446, and 5,092,861, which are incorporated herein by reference. The treated cuffs of the present invention may also be used in absorbent articles which are combinations or "hybrids" of training pants and diapers (U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,234), which is incorporated herein by reference.

Other disposable absorbent articles may be used as incontinence articles with the treated cuffs of the present invention. The term "incontinence article" means pads, underwear (pads held in place by a suspension system, such as a belt or the like), inserts for absorbent articles, capacity enhancers for absorbent articles, shorts, bed pads, and the like, whether or not they are borne by other incontinent persons. Suitable absorbent articles are described in U.S. Patents 4,253,461, 4,597,760, 4,597,761, 4,704,115, 4,909,802, 4,964,860 and WO 92/11830, which are incorporated herein by reference.

Figure 7 is a simplified cross-sectional view of another preferred embodiment of the diaper structure of the present invention. The diaper 720 includes a base plate and treated cuffs attached to the base plate. The base sheet has (i) an outer covering layer formed partly by the topsheet 38 and partly by the backsheet 42, and (ii) by an absorbent core 44. Each cuff comprises a locking cuff 762 and a sealing cuff 756. The closure cuff 762 is formed by a separate closure cuff member 763 having a wing portion 702 and a channel portion 704.

The wing portion 702 is formed by securing a portion of the closure cuff member 763 to the backsheet 42 adjacent the longitudinal edge 30 of the diaper by a number connecting member 88 such as an adhesive; the flap connection member 88 forming a spill-proof seam between the numeral portion 702 and the backsheet 42 to provide protection against spillage of liquid absorbed through the topsheet 38. The numeral portion 702 and the backsheet 42 together form the flaps 758 of the sealing cuff 756 and enclose the elastic flap member 760. The elastic wing member 760 is secured by the elastic fastener member 90 in the wing 758 formed by the numeral portion and the backsheet. The sealing cuff 756 is thus formed by the wing 758 and the elastic numeral member 760.

The channel portion 704 of the closure cuff 762 is connected to the wing portion 702 and has a proximal edge 64 and a distal edge 66. Preferably, the proximal edge 64 is formed inwardly of the sealing cuff 756, more preferably between the side edge 46 of the absorbent core and the elastic flap member 760 by attaching a segment of the closure member 763 to the backsheet 42 by a proximity coupling 92 such as a spill-proof seam is formed along the proximal edge 64, which creates a barrier against the liquid percolating on the topsheet 38 because it prevents the liquid from percolating under the cuffs to the edges of the diaper 20. Preferably, the distal edge 66 is inward from the proximal edge 64 and is not secured to any of the lower members of the diaper 20. As shown in Figure 7, the distal edge 66 is formed by folding the end of the closure member 763 on itself and creating a tunnel by attaching it to the other portion of the closure member by the remote connector 96. A spacer device, such as a flexible spacer 76, is enclosed within the tunnel; the flexible spacer 76 is secured to the locking cuff 762 by the flexible coupling member 94. (In another embodiment, the flexible spacer has only the ends attached to the closure member and thereby forms a "flexible curtain cord" since its center portion is "flowing" freely through the tunnel. This elastic curtain cord is described in detail in U.S. Pat. 025, which is incorporated herein by reference. The distal edge 66 is thus removed from the body surface 40 of the topsheet 38 due to the shirring action of the flexible spacer 77.

In the illustrated embodiment, the topsheet 38 is disposed on the body surface of the absorbent core 44 and extends beyond the lateral edge 46 of the absorbent core 44 but terminates inwardly of the proximal edge 64. (Alternatively, the topsheet may extend outwardly from the proximal edge, but may terminate inwardly from the number clamp member 88 to obtain the benefits of the structure.) This embodiment of the cuff structure is described in detail in U.S. Patent No. 4,795,445, which is incorporated herein by reference. .

HU 225 516 Β1

The wing portion 702 is connected to the channel portion 704 and extends outwardly from the proximal edge 64 of the channel portion 704 to the longitudinal edge 30, preferably to the longitudinal edge 30 such that the flap 758 is formed from the projection of the backsheet 42 and the wing portion 702. Although the wing portion 702 is preferably a continuous segment of the closure member 763, the wing portion 702 may also be formed of a separate piece of material secured to the channel portion 704 of the closure 762. Thus, the wing portion 702 may have different physical properties, dimensions, and characteristics than the channel portion 704. Thus, for example, the numeral portion 702 need not be hydrophobic or extend to the longitudinal edge 30. In addition, the wing cuffs 762 also require a wing portion, so that the wing portion may be completely omitted. Preferably, however, the wing portion is hydrophobic, can flex, is soft to the touch and does not irritate the wearer's skin when it comes into contact with the thighs during wear.

An effective amount of a skin care composition is placed on the cuff to provide a skin care effect to the wearer. In order to allow the skin care composition to penetrate the wearer's skin during use, it is preferable to place the skin care composition on the part of the cuff that will be in contact with the wearer's skin. Thus, the skin care composition may be applied to either or both surfaces of the cuff, or to portions of one or both surfaces. In the embodiment shown in Figure 7, the skin care composition may be on the wing portion 702, the channel portion 704, or both. If the skin care composition is applied to both the wing portion and the canal portion, the formulation need not be the same. In fact, each skin care composition may have different shapes and properties to provide different benefits. Thus, for example, a first skin care composition that precedes the onset of diaper rash may be applied to the canal portion, while a second skin care composition, such as to reduce skin irritation and / or abrasion, may be applied to the wing portion. In the embodiment shown in Figure 7, a first skin care composition 72 is disposed on the canal portion, preferably on its body surface, while a second skin care composition 72 'is disposed on the wing portion, preferably its body surface, and a third skin care composition 72' is disposed on the topsheet. preferably on its body surface. The individual skin care compositions need not have the same form, but in this particular embodiment the skin care compositions have the same form. Each skin care composition is provided in an effective amount to penetrate the wearer's skin.

As shown in Figure 7, a skin care composition is preferably applied in discrete portions to the wing portion and canal portion. More preferably, the skin care composition is applied in one or more strips, most preferably, the strip or strips are applied to areas overlying the elastic flap member or boundaries. The first skin care composition 72 is applied to the channel portion 704 in a wide strip (about 35 mm) extending from the distal edge to the proximal edge 64. The strip extends along a portion (about 30 cm) of the elastic spacer 64 such that no skin care composition is provided on the portion of the closure member 763 adjacent to the elastic spacer (see, for example, Figure 1). Several strips of the second skin care composition 72 'are disposed on the wing portion 702.

The skin care composition may be applied to the body surface 57 or the clothing surface 59 of the closure member 763. When on the garment surface, the skin care composition preferably acts as a hydrophobic coating to help stop the flow of urine and feces through the closure cuff. However, the skin care composition may be applied to penetrate the body surface of the closure member and from there to the wearer's skin to exert the skin care effect of the present invention.

A skin care composition may also be applied to the topsheet to provide a different effect from that applied to the closure cuff. A topical skin care composition is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,643,588, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Figure 8 illustrates another embodiment of a treated cuff, more particularly, a breathable, treated, elastic thigh cuff according to the invention. Referring to FIG. 8, diaper 820 has a base sheet comprising an outer covering layer 38 and a backsheet 42 and an absorbent core 44 enclosed within the outer covering layer, preferably between the topsheet 38 and the backsheet. The leg cuff 856 includes a wing 858 and elastic members 860. The leg cuff 856 is formed as a separate unit and attached to the base plate. In this particular embodiment, the flap 858 comprises two cuff members, a first cuff member 802 attached to the topsheet 38 so as to extend laterally thereto, and a second cuff member 804 attached to the backsheet 42 so as to extend laterally. The first cuff member 802 and the second cuff member 804 include elastic members 860 operably secured to one or both cuff members to form a sealing cuff. In the particular embodiment shown, each cuff member is made of a material that is permeable to vapor (breathable) but retains fluid (breathable but impermeable). In this particular embodiment, both cuff members are made of a nonwoven web; however, other breathable materials, including perforated films, may be used. A more detailed description of such a leg cuff is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,636,207, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The skin care composition may be applied to either the first, second or both cuff members. In the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 8, the skin care composition 872 is disposed on the first cuff member 802, preferably on its body surface such that

The skin care composition 872 can easily penetrate the wearer's skin when the 856 thigh cuff is in contact with the wearer's skin. Preferably, the skin care composition is applied in one or more strips, and more preferably, the strips coincide with areas overlying the elastic members. Alternatively, the skin care composition may be applied to the garment surface 808 of the first or second cuff member 802 and allowing materials to penetrate the body surface 806 of the first cuff member 80 to exert their skin care effect and reduce spillage near the thigh cuff. In addition, the skin care composition may be applied to the elastic members to allow penetration of the body surface of the first cuff member. (In another embodiment, the second cuff member may be replaced by extending the backsheet along the entire edge of the diaper.)

The breathability (vapor permeability) of the cuff enhances the effect of most of the skin care compositions of the present invention by allowing moisture exchange and decreasing relative humidity within the diaper. Excessive relative humidity in the absorbent article between the wearer's skin and the article affects the movement of water from and to the skin. By providing a means to remove excess moisture (with breathing cuffs), we reduce the forces on overhydration. Thereby, it is possible for the moisture on the skin to be removed by the diaper, thereby further enhancing the skin-health effect that the skin care composition of the present invention already provides. (US-A 08 / 926,566 discloses disposable absorbent articles which provide increased protection against skin overhydration by providing a skin care composition on their topsheet, providing increased breathability due to their improved breathability and excellent fluid handling capability; is counted as a reference.)

Fig. 9 is a top view of another embodiment of the present invention in which the individual laminated wings, the front wings 902 and the rear wings 904 are attached to the base plate (storage base unit). The multidirectional extensibility of the extensible wings 904 is provided by a first flap 906 and a second flap 908, which provide for separate extensibility in the waist and thigh portions of the diaper 920. These account sheets and diapers are described in more detail in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,580,411 and US-A 08 / 115,048, which are incorporated herein by reference. The 920 diaper may have various treated cuffs and combinations thereof. The thigh cuffs of the diaper 920 include the compression cuffs 956 of the base plate (storage base unit) and the thigh edges 910 of the second flaps 908 and the front flaps 902. Waist cuffs include elastic waistband 912 of base plate (storage base unit) and waist edges 914 of front flaps 906 and front flaps 902. In this embodiment, a skin care composition may be applied to the wings or any portion thereof, to a sealing cuff, to an elastic waistband, or to any combination thereof. For example, a skin care composition may be applied to the elastic waistband and to a portion of the waist edge of the front flap and front flap. A skin care composition may be applied to both thigh cuffs, such as a segment of the sealing cuff, the second wing flap, and the anterior flap femur. The skin care composition can thus provide a healing or protective coating to the wearer's thigh. On the other hand, skin care compositions of various shapes may be placed on any combination of these cuffs or on all cuffs. An additional skin care composition may be applied to the topsheet 38. As shown in FIG. 10, a first skin care composition 972 is applied to the first sheet 906 in strips or spirals, a second skin care product 972 'is applied to the second flap 908 in strips or spirals, and a third skin care composition 972' is applied to front wings in stripes or spirals. These skin care compositions may be the same or different forms. When the skin care compositions are in different forms, each skin care composition may be formulated to provide a unique skin care effect in different areas of the wearer's body.

Figure 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of another preferred diaper structure with a treated cuff disposed in the waist region of the diaper. More specifically, the drawing shows a uniform waistband. An exemplary embodiment of such a uniform waistband is described in U.S. Patent 5,026,364, which is incorporated herein by reference. (It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to unitary waistband belts and includes belt belts described in U.S. Patent 4,515,595 as well as belts described in U.S. Patent No. 4,743,246; both of which are incorporated herein by reference). The uniform waistband belt 1002 is formed of a piece of elastically extensible material which is operably attached to the diapers 1020. The outer portion 1004 is operably secured to the waist folds 1058 in a resiliently extensible condition at the end edge 32 of the diaper 1020 by a waistband fastener (not shown), e.g., an ultrasonic bandage, to form an elastic waistband 1056. The inner portion 1006 is connected to the outer portion 1004 and has a proximal edge 1064 and a distal edge 1066. The proximal end 1064 of the inner portion 1006 is formed inwardly from the end edge 32 of the diaper 1020, preferably between the waist edge 47 of the absorbent core 44 and the outer portion 1004 by securing a segment of the inner portion 1006 to the waist drives 1058 (topsheet 38) (not shown), for example with an adhesive such that a seam is formed along the proximal edge 1064. The distal edge 1066 is inward from the proximal edge 1064 and, as can be seen, is not secured to any of the lower members of the diaper 1020, but particularly to the topsheet 38, so that the inner portion 1006 may move away from the body 40

EN 225 516 Β1 to form the 1062 waistband (closure cuff). In the embodiment shown, a single piece of material serves as the elastic waistband 1056 and the waistband 1062 (closure cuff). The waistband enhances the fit of the diaper around the wearer and prevents spillage in the waist while the waistband retains, stores and retains selection products in the diaper. However, it should be noted that both the waistband and the waistband may be made as separate parts.

In the embodiment shown, a skin care composition may be applied to either the inner or outer portion, or both. Thus, a skin care composition may be applied to the waistband or waistband. Preferably, the skin care composition is applied to the body surface of the unitary waistband to transfer to the wearer's skin during use. As shown in Figure 10, a skin care composition 1072 is preferably applied in one or more strips to the body surface 1070 of the uniform waistband 1002, more preferably at the distal edge 1066 of the waistband 1062 and at the waistband 1056. To make the waistband hydrophobic and to ensure that the skin care composition is permeable to the skin, the skin care composition can also be applied to the clothing surface and allowed to penetrate the body surface where it forms a hydrophobic coating that helps prevent fluid from passing through rapid penetration of the skin care composition into the wearer's skin. In addition, various skin care compositions can be applied to the inner and outer parts.

Other absorbent articles of the invention include women's sanitary articles, such as sanitary napkins. Suitable female health articles are described in U.S. 4,556,146, 4,589,976, 4,687,478,49,950,264, 5,009,653, 5,267,992, 5,389,094, 5,413,568, 5,460,623, 5,489,283, 5,569. 231 and 5,620,430, which are incorporated herein by reference.

Figure 11 is a front elevational view of a sanitary napkin 1120 having a treated cuff according to the invention in a panty 1102, when worn by a wearer. A more detailed description of a sanitary napkin with a closure cuff is provided in U.S. Patent No. 5,649,917, which is incorporated herein by reference. As shown in Figure 11, the sanitary napkin 1120 has a central absorbent pad comprising a topsheet 38, a backsheet 42, and an absorbent core 44 between the topsheet 38 and the backsheet 42; two flaps 1104 (commercially referred to as "wings" or "tabs") extending from the longitudinal edges 1130 of the central absorbent pad and having at least one axis of elasticity, preferably a first and a second axis of elasticity 1106 such that during use rubberizing panties 1102 pushes flaps 1104 along the second elastic axis 1108 to the body, thereby creating a double-walled reservoir for storing the menstrual space; and a treated cuff comprising a closure 1162 (closure device) having a proximal edge 1164 and a distal edge 1166 where the proximal end 1164 is secured to the insert (preferably to the flaps 1104 in this embodiment) to store the selection products.

A skin care composition 1172 is disposed on each of the closure cuffs 1162 to provide the skin care effect of the present invention. Although the skin care composition may be applied to the entire cuff, to one surface of the cuff, or to any portion thereof, in the illustrated embodiment, the skin care composition is applied in one or more strips to the body surface of the closure cuff 1162. In addition, in the embodiment shown, a second skin care composition 1172 'is provided on each of the folds 1104. A 1172 "third skin care composition is applied to the topsheet 38. The second skin care composition 1172 ', which is located on the flaps 1104, is preferably present in the areas of the flaps that are in contact with the wearer during use, typically in the area of the flaps adjacent to the second elastic axis 1108. The second skin care composition 1172 'is disposed between the first elastic axes 1106 and 1108 and / or between the second elastic shaft 1108 and the distal edge 1110 of the flap. Formulations of skin care compositions applied to the closure cuff, topsheet, and lapels may be varied to provide different skin care effects in different areas of the wearer's skin. In the embodiment shown, the same skin care composition is applied to the topsheet, the lapels and the closure cuffs.

B. Skin care preparations

Although the specific skin care compositions used in the present invention (referred to herein as "skin care composition" or "composition") are important factors in achieving the desired skin effects, it is preferred that a skin care composition has a protective, anti-lung effect (i.e., relatively fluid forms an impermeable but vapor-permeable layer) to prevent skin overhydration and contact with substances contained in the secretion products; if it has an anti-abrasive effect to reduce skin irritation in areas where the cuffs are in contact with the wearer's skin; or if it contains active substances which have a direct or indirect effect on the skin. Indirect effects include, for example, facilitating the removal of skin irritants such as faeces and urine. The compositions may take a variety of forms such as emulsions, lotions, creams, ointments, powders, suspensions, encapsulated formulations, gels, and the like; the list is not exclusive.

The term "effective amount of a skin care composition" means an amount of a particular composition that, when applied or applied ("applied" or "applied") to the body surface of a cuff, effectively reduces friction between the cuff and the skin where the cuff is in contact with the skin of the wearer, providing a barrier and / or a skin care ha14

EN 225 516 Β1 when it reaches the cuffs and / or reduces fecal adhesion to the skin. Unless otherwise stated, the description of applying the skin care composition to the cuff may also be used to apply the composition to the topsheet in preferred embodiments. The effective amount of the composition placed on the cuff will, of course, greatly depend on which skin care composition is used. However, the amount of skin care composition applied to at least a portion of the body surface of the cuff is preferably in the range of 0.0075 to 12 mg / cm ² , more preferably about 0.15 to 6 mg / cm ² , and more preferably about 0.6 to 4 mg / cm ² . it is. These limits are for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that the nature of the composition will determine the amount to be applied to achieve the desired skin care effect, and that amount may be determined by routine experimentation in accordance with the present invention.

Although the amount of skin care composition placed on the cuff is an important aspect of the present invention, more important is the amount of composition that is transmitted to the wearer's skin during use from one or more treated cuffs. Although the amount of skin care required will depend to some extent on the nature of the composition employed, it has been found that it is sufficient to deliver relatively small amounts to achieve the desired effect. This is especially true in the advantageous cases described in the examples.

A further advantage of the present invention is the controlled use of the skin care composition to provide the desired small but effective amount of the composition. This is in contrast to the typical, occasional, manual application of skin care products, where the caregiver and / or user often applies much more than necessary. Excess material applied by hand adversely affects the fluid handling properties of the absorbent article by passing it from the skin to the article. However, for some substances, such as petroleum jelly, the amount applied by hand can cause blockage and thus actually endanger the skin. One of the advantages of the present invention is to provide a barrier to surface moisture while protecting the skin from swelling (i.e., maintaining the breathability of the skin). Thus, the present invention makes it possible to deliver an optimum amount of the composition to the skin to maintain and / or improve skin health.

The amount of skin care composition that is delivered to the wearer from a treated absorbent article within 3 hours of use (this is typical daytime application time), particularly at least about 0.0016 mg / cm ² , more preferably at least 0, of the preferred skin care composition described in Example 1. 0078 mg / cm ² , and more preferably at least about 0.016 mg / cm ² . The amount of formulation delivered by one treated article is typically about 0.0016 to 1.24 mg / cm ² , more preferably about 0.0078 to 0.93 mg / cm ² , and more preferably about 0.016 to 0.78 mg / cm ^{2 per} hour. over time.

It will be appreciated that of the plurality of substances that can be applied to the skin in skin care compositions, only those which have been designated as safe and effective skin care active ingredients may be considered for use in the present invention. Such materials include the I-Tentative Final Monograph on Skin Protectant Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use (21 CFR § 347) in the US Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standard. active substances currently in the class: allantoin, aluminum hydroxide gel, calamine, cocoa butter, dimethicone, cod liver oil (in combination), glycerol, kaolin, petroleum jelly, lanolin, paraffin oil, shark liver oil, white petrolatum, talc, starch, acetate, zinc carbonate, zinc oxide and the like. In the standard quoted above, lll. Potentially usable substances in Class A currently include the following: live yeast cell derivatives, aldioxa, aluminum acetate, microporous cellulose, cholecalciferol, colloidal macleand, cysteine hydrochloride, dexapanthenol, perubsalam oil, protein hydrolysates, n-hydrolysates, Vitamin A and the like. It will be appreciated that these excipients may be used in combination with one or more other active ingredients, such as those described herein.

As discussed below, the skin care compositions of the present invention preferably, though not necessarily, have a melt profile that is relatively less mobile at room temperature and remains in place on the body surface of the cuff wearer, but at body temperature, even under extreme conditions of storage, they are not completely liquid. Preferably, the compositions are readily transferable to the skin by normal contact, wearer movement, and / or body heat. Because the compositions are preferably substantially immobilized on the wearer contact surface of the cuffs, a relatively small amount of skin care composition is required to provide the desired skin care effect. In addition, it is not necessary to use special sealing or wrapping materials to package the articles of the invention.

In a preferred embodiment, the skin care compositions of the present invention are solid or, more often, semi-solid at 20 ° C, i.e., room temperature. The term "semi-solid" means that the composition is rheologically a pseudoplastic or plastic fluid. If not mixed, the formulations appear to be semi-solid but can be made liquid by increasing the mixing rate. This is due to the fact that although the compositions consist primarily of solid ingredients, they also contain small amounts of liquid ingredients.

Viscosity of the compositions of the invention mixing dry state is preferably about 0.8 * 10 ⁶ -1.0 * 10 ^θ cps, more preferably about 5.0 * 10 ⁶ -5.0 * 10 ⁷ cP. By "unmixed state" is meant that viscosity is measured at very slow agitation (e.g. 1.0 g ^-1 ) in an Engler viscometer (CSL 100, TA Instruments, New Castle,

HU 225 516 Β1

But.). Those skilled in the art will recognize devices other than high melting ingredients that can be used to provide a comparable viscosity to such formulations, which can be measured by extrapolating the mix / viscosity ratio of such formulations to a zero mixing rate at 20 ° C.

Preferred compositions are at least semi-solid at room temperature to minimize displacement of the composition. In addition, formulations have a melting end point (100% liquid) higher than the temperature of the possible bad storage conditions, which can be higher than 45 ° C (for example, in an Arizona store or in a car boot in Florida and others). Specifically, the melting profile of the preferred compositions is as follows:

specific advantageous values Most preferred values % liquid at room temperature (20 ° C) 2-50 3-25% % fluid at body temperature (37 'C) 25-95 30-90 Melting point (° C) > 38 > 45

Because they are solid or semi-solid at room temperature, the compositions of the present invention do not tend to significantly flow or migrate to undesirable areas of the absorbent article. This means that less skin care products are needed to achieve the desired therapeutic, protective and / or conditioning effect.

In order to increase the immobilization of the preferred compositions, the viscosity of the formulated compositions should be as high as possible to prevent it from flowing from the cuff to the undesirable parts of the diaper. It is an unfortunate circumstance that in some cases, higher viscosity impedes the penetration of the formulation into the wearer's skin or causes problems in the manufacturing process. Thus, a balance must be achieved in which the viscosity is high enough to maintain the compositions on the body surface of the cuff, but not so much as to prevent them from penetrating the wearer's skin. Typically, the compositions have a suitable viscosity of from about 1 to about 5,000 cP, preferably from about 5 to about 300 cP, and more preferably from about 5 to about 100 cP at 60 ° C using a rotary viscometer (Model 4537, Foot Line Instruments, Inc., Melrose Park, II. ). The viscometer is operated at 60 rpm with cylinder # 2.

One or more skin protection or emollient substances may be used as active ingredients in formulations designed to provide a skin care effect. "Emolliens" are substances that protect against moisture or irritation, soften, smooth, elastic, coat, grease, moisturize, protect and / or cleanse the skin. (It is recognized that many of the materials listed in the FDA standard are "emollients" as defined above.) In a preferred embodiment, these emollients are ductile or liquid at room temperature, i.e., 20 ° C.

Representative emollients for use in the present invention include petroleum-based emollients; sucrose esters of fatty acids; polyethylene glycol and its derivatives; wetting agents; fatty acid esters; alkyl ethoxylates; ethoxylated fatty acid esters; fatty alcohols; polysiloxanes; propylene glycol and its derivatives; glycerol and its derivatives, including glycerides, acetoglycerides, and ethoxylated glycerides of C 12 -C 18 fatty acids; triethylene glycol and its derivatives; spermaceti and other waxes; fatty acids; fatty alcohol ethers, especially C12-C28; propoxylated fatty alcohols; esters of fatty acids with polyhydric alcohols; lanolin and its derivatives; kaolin and its derivatives; all skin care products listed above on the FDA list; or mixtures of the above emollients; the list is not exclusive.

Suitable petroleum-based emollients include those hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon mixtures in which the compounds have a carbon chain of 16 to 32 carbon atoms. Such petroleum-based hydrocarbons include paraffin oil and petrolatum. Paraffin oil is generally a less viscous blend of C 16-20 hydrocarbons. Vaseline is a much more viscous blend of C 16 -C 32 hydrocarbons. Vaseline and paraffin oil are particularly preferred emollients in the compositions of the invention.

Suitable emollients of the fatty acid ester type include C12-C28 fatty acids, preferably C16-C22 fatty acids, and lower (1-8, preferably 1-3 C) monovalent alcohols. Representative examples of such esters include methyl palmitate, methyl stearate, isopropyl laurate, isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, ethyl hexyl palmitate, and mixtures thereof. Suitable fatty acid ester emollients may also be higher alcohols (12 to 28, preferably 12 to 16 carbon atoms) and shorter fatty acids, such as lactic acid esters such as lauryl lactate and cetyl lactate.

Suitable alkyl ethoxylate type emollients include C 12 -C 22 ethoxylated fatty alcohols having an average degree of ethoxylation of about 2 to about 30. Preferred fatty alcohol ethoxylate type emollients can be selected from lauryl, cetyl or stearyl ethoxylates and mixtures thereof having an ethoxylation degree of about 2 to about 23. Typical examples of such alkyl ethoxylates include lauret-3 (lauryl ethoxylate having an average degree of ethoxylation of 3), lauret-23 (lauryl ethoxylate having an average degree of ethoxylation of 23), cetet-10 (ethoxylated cetyl alcohol). with an average degree of ethoxylation of 10) and steareth-10 (ethoxylated stearyl alcohol having an average degree of ethoxylation of 10). When used, these alkyl ethoxylated emollients are typically combined with petroleum based emollients such as petroleum jelly so that the weight ratio of the alkyl ethoxylate to the petroleum based emollients is from about 1: 1 to about 1: 5, preferably from about 1: 2 to 1: 4.

Suitable fatty alcohol-type emollients include C12-C22 fatty alcohols, preferably16

EN 225 516 Β1 fatty alcohols having from 16 to 18 carbon atoms. Representative examples include cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol or mixtures thereof. When used, these fatty alcohol-type emollients are typically combined with petroleum-based emollients such as petroleum jelly so that the weight ratio of the fatty alcohol emollient to the petroleum-based emollient is from about 1: 1 to about 1: 5, preferably from about 1: 1 to 1: 2.

Other suitable emollients are polysiloxane compounds. Suitable polysiloxane derivatives for use in the present invention generally include those compounds which contain the following siloxane units of the general formula:

R ¹

wherein R ¹ and R ^{2 in} each independent monomer unit are independently hydrogen, or any alkyl, aryl, alkenyl, alkylaryl, aralkyl, cycloalkyl, halogenated hydrocarbon, or other moiety. Any of such groups may be substituted or unsubstituted. The R ¹ and R ² groups of any given monomer unit may differ from their corresponding immediate monomer unit. In addition, the polysiloxane may be straight or branched or cyclic in structure. R ¹ and R ² may independently be further silicon-containing groups such as siloxanes, polysiloxanes, silanes or polysilanes. The ^R1 and ^R2 groups can be any organic functional groups such as alcohols, carboxylic acids, phenyl, and amine groups.

Exemplary alkyl groups include methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, octyl, decyl or octadecyl and the like. The alkenyl group may be vinyl or allyl group or the like. Examples of alkylaryl groups include tolyl, xylyl or ethylphenyl and the like. Exemplary aralkyl groups include benzyl, 1-phenylethyl, 2-phenylethyl or 1-phenylbutyl and the like. Examples of cycloalkyl groups include cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl and the like. Exemplary halogenated hydrocarbon groups include chloromethyl, bromoethyl, tetrafluoroethyl, fluoroethyl, trifluoroethyl, trifluoro-tolyl or hexafluoro-xylyl and the like.

The viscosity of suitable polysiloxanes may vary within the wide range in which the viscosity of the polysiloxanes generally varies, as long as the polysiloxane is liquid or liquid for application to the absorbent article. This includes viscosity values of 5 to 20,000,000 cSt (measured in a capillary viscometer at 37 ° C). The viscosity of the polysiloxanes at 37 ° C is from about 5 to about 5000 cSt, and most preferably from about 100 to about 1000 cSt. High viscosity, non-liquid polysiloxanes can be economically applied to the absorbent articles by emulsifying the polysiloxane, for example, in a surfactant, or by applying the polysiloxane in solution with a solvent (e.g. hexane). Methods for the use of polysiloxane emollients are described in more detail below.

Preferred polysiloxane compounds for use in the present invention are those described in U.S. Patent 5,059,282; this is taken as a reference. Particularly preferred polysiloxane compounds which may be used as emollients in the compositions of the present invention are phenyl-containing polymethylsiloxane compounds (e.g., Dow Corning 556 Cosmetic-Grade Fluid, which is a poly (phenylmethylsiloxane)) and cetyl or stearyl functionalities. dimethicones containing groups such as Dow 2502 and Dow 2503 polysiloxane fluids, respectively. In addition to phenyl or alkyl substituents, effective substitution may also be made with amino, carboxy, ether, polyether, aldehyde, ketone, amide, ester or thiol groups. Of these effective substituents, phenyl, amino, alkyl, carboxy or hydroxy groups are preferred over others; most preferred are phenyl-substituted substituents.

Suitable wetting agents include glycerol, propylene glycol, sorbitol or trihydroxystearin, and the like.

When used, the amount of emollients in the compositions of the invention will depend on a number of factors including the particular emollient involved, the desired skin care effect, other ingredients of the composition and the like. 0 to 100% by weight of the total composition may be emollient. The compositions preferably contain from about 10% to about 95% by weight, more preferably from about 20% to about 80%, and most preferably from about 40% to about 75%, of the parent material.

Another ancillary but multiple component of the skin care compositions of the present invention is an active ingredient that immobilizes the compositions (including the preferred emollient and / or other skin conditioning or protective compositions) at or within the desired location on the treated cuff. Because many of the preferred emollients are ductile or liquid at 20 ° C, they tend to flow or migrate even under low shear forces. When the emollient is applied to the body surface or other point of a cuff, especially when melted or fluxed, it will not remain primarily in the treated area. Instead, the emolliens will tend to migrate or flow into unwanted areas of the absorbent article.

If the emollient enters the absorbent article, it may have an undesirable effect on the absorbency of the absorbent core because most of the emollients and other skin care materials are hydrophobic. However, many more emollients need to be applied to the cuff to obtain the desired effect. Raising the amount of emollient not only increases the cost, but also exacerbates the undesirable effect on the absorbency of the absorbent core and enhances unwanted transfer of the composition during the treatment with the treated cuff.

HU 225 516 Β1

The immobilizing agent eliminates the tendency of emollients to migrate or spill, and retains the emollients primarily on the surface or area to which the formulation is applied, it is believed that this is in part due to the melting point and / or viscosity of the formulation. above. Because the immobilizing agent is preferably miscible with the emollient (or dissolved or dispersed in the emollient by means of a suitable emulsifier), it binds the emollient to the surface of the cuff wearer in the area to which it is applied.

It is also advantageous to "immobilize" the immobilizer on the contact surface of the cuff wearer where it is applied. This can be done by using an immobilizing agent that quickly "recovers" (e.g. solidifies) upon application to the cuff. In addition, external cooling of the treated cuff, such as nozzles, fans, cold rolls and the like, can accelerate the crystallization of the immobilizer.

In addition to being miscible with (or soluble in) the emollient, the immobilizing agent preferably has a melting profile such that the composition is solid or semi-solid at room temperature. In this regard, a preferred immobilizer having a melting point of at least about 35 ° C is preferred. If this is the case, the Immobilizer alone will not show a tendency to migrate or flow. Preferred immobilizing agents have a melting point of at least about 40 ° C. Typically, immobilizing agents have a melting point of about 50-150 ° C.

When used, the appropriate immobilizing agent may be selected from a wide variety of active ingredients as long as the skin care composition is capable of providing the skin care effect of the present invention. Preferred immobilizing agents may be selected from the group consisting of C14-C22 fatty alcohols, C12-C22 fatty acids and C12-C22 fatty alcohol ethoxylates (having an average degree of ethoxylation of about 2 to 30) or mixtures thereof. Preferred immobilizing agents include C16-C18 fatty alcohols, most preferably crystalline high melting agents such as cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, and mixtures thereof. (The linear structure of these materials accelerates cure on the treated cuff.) Mixtures of cetyl and stearyl alcohol are particularly preferred. Other preferred immobilizing agents include C16-C18 fatty acids, most preferably palmitic acid, stearic acid and mixtures thereof. Mixtures of palmitic acid and stearic acid are particularly preferred. Still other preferred immobilizing agents are C16-C18 fatty alcohol ethoxylates having an average degree of ethoxylation of about 5-30. Fatty alcohols and fatty acids are preferably of linear structure. It is important that these immobilizing agents, such as C16-C18 fatty alcohols, increase the rate of crystallization of the composition and thereby enable the composition to rapidly crystallize on its support.

Other types of immobilizing agents useful in the present invention include polyhydroxy fatty acid esters, polyhydroxy fatty acid amides, and mixtures thereof. Preferred esters and amides have three or more free hydroxy groups in the polyhydroxy moiety and are typically nonionic. Because users of treated cuffs may have sensitive skin, these esters and amides should also be mild and non-irritating to the skin.

Suitable polyhydroxy fatty acid esters according to the invention have the following general formula:

Γ p 1

R-C-O-Y

- 1n wherein R is a C 5 -C ³¹ hydrocarbon group, preferably a straight-chained C 7 -C 19 alkyl or alkenyl group, more preferably a straight-chained C 9 -C 17 alkyl or alkenyl group, and most preferably a linear C 11 -C 11 alkyl or alkenyl group; C 17 -alkyl or alkenyl, or mixtures thereof; Y is a polyhydroxy hydrocarbon group having at least two free hydroxy groups directly attached to the hydrocarbon chain; and n is at least 1. Suitable Y groups include polyols such as glycerol or pentaerythritol; sugars such as raffinose, maltodextrose, galactose, sucrose, glucose, xylose, fructose, maltose, lactose, mannose or erythrose; sugar alcohols such as erythritol, xylitol, maltitol, mannitol or sorbitol; and anhydrides of sugar alcohols, such as sorbitan.

A class of polyhydroxy fatty acid esters suitable for use in the present invention comprises certain sorbitan esters, preferably the sorbitan esters of C 16 -C 22 saturated fatty acids. Because of the way they are typically manufactured, these sorbitan esters are generally mixtures of mono-, di-, tri-, and higher esters. Examples of suitable sorbitan esters include sorbitan palmitates (e.g. SPAN 40), sorbitan stearates (e.g. SPAN 60) and sorbitan behenates containing one or more of the mono-, di-, or triester variants of these sorbitan esters. such as sorbitan mono-, di- or tripalmitate, sorbitan mono-, di- or tristearate, sorbitan mono-, di- or tribehenate, and mixed mono-, di- or triesters of antifreeze. Mixtures of various sorbitan esters such as sorbitan palmitates and sorbitan stearates can also be used. Particularly preferred sorbitan esters are sorbitan stearates, typically mixtures of mono-, di-, and triesters (with a small amount of tetraester) such as SPAN 60, and sorbitan stearates sold by Lonza, Inc. for commercial use in GLYCOMUL-S. under the name.

Another class of polyhydroxy fatty acid esters suitable for use in the present invention comprises certain glyceryl monoesters, preferably monoesters of C 16 -C 22 saturated fatty acids, such as glyceryl monostearate, monopalmitate and monobehenate. Like sorbitan esters, glyceryl monoester mixtures typically have some di- and

They also contain triesters. However, such mixtures must predominantly contain a monoester to be useful in the present invention.

Another class of polyhydroxy fatty acid esters suitable for use in the present invention comprises certain sucrose fatty acid esters, preferably sucrose esters of C12-C22 saturated fatty acids. Particularly preferred are mono- and di-esters of mono- and di-esters, including sucrose, and mono- and dilaurates.

The polyhydroxy fatty acid amides suitable for use in the present invention have the following general formula:

_R 2 _-C -N-Z wherein R ¹ is hydrogen, C 1 -C 4 hydrocarbon, 2-hydroxyethyl, 2-hydroxypropyl, methylethyl, methoxypropyl or mixtures thereof preferably C1 -C4 alkyl, methoxyethyl or methoxypropyl, more preferably C1 -C12 alkyl or methoxypropyl, and most preferably C1 -C4 alkyl (i.e., methyl) or methoxypropyl; R ² is a 5 to 31 carbon atoms, preferably 7-19 carbon atoms, a straight chain alkyl or alkenyl, more preferably from 9 to 17 alkyl or alkenyl, and most preferably from 11 to 17 alkyl or alkenyl, or mixtures thereof; and Z is a polyhydroxy hydrocarbon group having at least 3 hydroxyl groups directly attached to its straight hydrocarbon chain. Polyhydroxy fatty acid amides and methods for their preparation are described in U.S. Patent 5,174,927, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Preferably, Z is derived from a reducing sugar by reductive amination; most preferably glycityl. Suitable reducing sugars include glucose, fructose, maltose, lactose, galactose, mannose and xylose. High glucose, fructose or maltose corn syrups as well as the isolated sugars listed above may also be used. The use of corn syrups leads to mixed Z groups. Preferably, the group Z is selected from the group consisting of:

-CH _{2 -} (CHOH) _n -CH ₂ OH, -CH (CH ₂ OH - [(CHOH) _{n- 1} ] -CH ₂ OH, and -CH ₁ CH ₂ OH j -CHHCHOH ³ -CHOR ³ ) (CHOH) -CH ₂ OH wherein n is 3 , 4 or 5 and R ³ is hydrogen or a cyclic or aliphatic monosaccharide. Most preferred are glycityls wherein n is 4; especially

-CH- (CHOH) ₄ -CH ₂ OH.

In the above general formula, R ¹ is, for example, N-methyl, Ν-ethyl, N-propyl, Ν-isopropyl, N-butyl, Ν-2-hydroxyethyl, N-methoxypropyl or Ν. It may be -2-hydroxypropyl. Examples of R ² include coconut amides, stearylamides, oleylamides, laurylamides, myristylamides, caproylamides, palmitylamides, tallow amides and the like. The group Z may be 1-deoxyglucityl, 2-deoxygructityl, 1-deoxymaltityl, 1-deoxygalactityl, 1-deoxygalactityl, 1-deoxymannityl, 1-deoxymaltotriothyl, and the like.

The most preferred polyhydroxy fatty acid amides have the following general formula:

JJH r2 - c N -CHj - CH - _CH2 OH ^LJ 4 wherein R ¹ is methyl or methoxypropyl group, and ^R2 is a C11-17 straight chain alkyl or alkenyl . These include N-lauryl-N-methyl glucamide, N-lauryl-N-methoxypropyl glucamide, N-cocoyl-N-methyl glucamide, N-cocoyl-N-methoxypropyl glucamide, N-palmityl- N-methoxypropyl glucamide, N-tallow-N-methylglucamide or N-tallow-N-methoxypropyl glucamide.

As noted above, some immobilizing agents require an emulsifier to mix with the emollient. This is especially true for some glucamides, such as N-alkyl-N-methoxypropyl glucamides, which have an HLB of at least about 7. The sorbitan esters described above, particularly sorbitan stearates, have an HLB of about 4.9 or less, therefore, we have found it suitable to mix such glucamides in petroleum jelly. Other suitable emulsifiers include steareth-2, a polyethylene glycol ether of stearyl alcohol having the general formula

CH ₃ (CH ₂ ) ₇ (OCH ₂ CH ₂ ) _n OH where n is an average value of 2, sorbitan tristearate, isosorbite laurate and glyceryl monostearate. The emulsifier is used in an amount sufficient to mix the immobilizer in the emollient so as to obtain a substantially homogeneous mixture. For example, a mixture of N-cocoyl-N-methylglucamide and petroleum jelly in a ratio of about 1: 1 by weight, which does not normally melt into a single-phase mixture, will melt as a single-phase mixture if 20% by weight of the 1: 1 mixture. A mixture of steareth-2 and sorbitan tristearate in a weight ratio of 1 is added as an emulsifier.

Other types of ingredients that can be used as immobilizing agents, either alone or in combination with the above-mentioned immobilizing agents, include waxes such as carnauba wax, ozokerlt, beeswax, candelilla wax, paraffin wax, cerezin, wax, mineral wax, isoparaffin and other known, mined and mineral waxes. These materials have a high melting point, thus helping to immobilize the composition on the desired surface or site of the cuff. Microcrystalline waxes are effective immobilizing agents because they "fix" low molecular weight hydrocarbons in the skin care composition. Paraffin wax is preferred. A particularly preferred immobilizing agent is paraffin wax supplied by Strahl and Pitch Inc. (West Babylon, N. Y.) under the name Parrafin S.P. 434.

HU 225 516B1

The amount of immobilizing agent that may be present in the composition will depend on a variety of factors, including the active ingredients (emollients), the nature of the immobilizing agent, the other ingredients of the composition, the need or need for an emulsifier to mix the immobilizing agent, and the like. When used, the compositions typically contain from about 5% to about 90% by weight of an immobilizing agent. The compositions preferably contain from about 5% to about 50%, more preferably from about 10% to about 40%, by weight of the immobilizing agent.

The formulations may also contain other ingredients typically present in emulsions, creams, ointments, lotions, powders, suspensions, and the like. These ingredients include water, viscosity modifiers, fragrances, antibacterial disinfectants, antivirals, vitamins, pharmaceuticals, film-makers, aloe extracts, deodorizers, opacifiers, astringents, solvents, preservatives, and the like. In addition, stabilizers may be used to extend the life of the formulations, such as cellulose, proteins or lecithin. All such materials are well known in the art as ingredients in such compositions and may be used in appropriate amounts in the compositions of the present invention.

If water-based skin care products are used, a preservative is needed. Suitable preservatives include propyl paraben, methyl paraben, benzyl alcohol, benzalkonium, calcium phosphate, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT), or acids such as citric acid, tartaric acid, maleic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, benzoic acid, salicylic acid and the like. Other suitable viscosity enhancing agents include alkyl galactomannans, silica gel, talc, magnesium silicate, dispersants, colloidal silica, magnesium aluminum silicate, zinc stearate, wool wax alcohol, sorbitol, sesquitol cellulose and other modified cellulose derivatives. Suitable solvents include propylene glycol, glycerol, cyclomethicone, polyethylene glycols, hexalene glycol, diol and multi-hydroxy based solvents. Suitable vitamins include Vitamin A, B ₅ , D ₃ and E, and Vitamin E acetate.

C. Application of skin care products to cuffs (or other webs)

When making the treated cuff products of the present invention, the skin care composition is preferably applied to the body surface (i.e., the wearer contact surface) of the cuff. However, since certain skin care compositions of the present invention are capable of penetrating or migrating through some of the cuff materials of the invention, the skin care composition may also be applied to the garment surface of the cuff so that an effective amount of the skin care composition is applied. In fact, under certain circumstances, this may be the preferred way to achieve the benefits of a fully cured (i.e., treated on both surfaces) cuff.

Any method of applying a melt, a liquid, or a lubricant may be applied to the cuff. Suitable application methods include coating (e.g., gravure or slot application), spraying, printing (e.g., rubber printing), extrusion, or combinations of these and other application techniques (e.g., spraying a skin care composition onto a rotating surface, such as a calender roll). , then applied to the body surface of the diaper cuff by contact coating). If desired, the skin care composition may be applied to both sides of the cuff.

The procedure for applying the skin care composition should be such that the cuff does not become over saturated with the skin care composition. If the cuff is treated with an excess amount of skin care composition, there is a great potential for the skin care product to migrate to undesired areas of the article, such as the interior of the article, which adversely affects the absorbency of the underlying absorbent core. Similarly, there is no need to saturate the cuff for the therapeutic and / or protective effect of the skin care composition.

The minimum amount to be applied to the cuff is the minimum amount effective to relieve dermatitis, diaper rash, redness, skin irritation, or any other adverse condition. (The composition can also effectively reduce the stool's adherence to the skin.) Of course, the effective amount of skin care composition also depends greatly on the nature of the skin care composition. Because the emollient is substantially immobilized on the body surface of the cuff, less skin care composition is required to achieve the desired skin care effect. Such a relatively small amount of the skin care composition is sufficient to provide the desired therapeutic and / or protective effect by the cuff.

The skin care composition may be applied uniformly and uniformly to one or both surfaces of the cuff or individual parts thereof. The skin care composition may also be applied to samples (e.g., stripes, grids, dots, spirals, and the like). Preferably, the skin care composition is located in the area of the cuff that is in contact with the wearer's skin during use. Most preferably, as will be described in the examples, the skin care composition is applied in a strip to a contoured area of the cuff, e.g., 3.5 cm wide (measured transversely to the diaper with the distal edge of the cuff) and 29.8 cm long ( in the longitudinal direction of the diaper), which is usually located between the thighs of the body surface of the cuff.

The skin care composition may be applied to one or both sides of the cuff in a non-uniform manner. "Non-uniform" means that the amount, distribution pattern, and the like of the skin care composition varies on the cuff surface. so

For example, some parts of the treated surfaces of the cuff will have more or less skin care composition, including portions of the surface that will not have any skin care composition at all.

The skin care composition can be applied at any point in the manufacturing process to the cuff or to a web that forms part of the cuff. For example, the skin care composition may be applied to the cuff of the finished product prior to packaging. The skin care composition may also be applied to the cuff or web prior to being combined with other raw materials during the formulation of the finished product, either prior to incorporation with other components at the formulation step or as a pre-treated raw material.

The skin care composition is typically applied as a melt to the cuff. Because the skin care compositions have a substantially higher melting point than ambient temperature, they are usually applied as a warm coating on the cuff. The skin care composition is typically heated to about 35-100 ° C, preferably about 40-90 ° C, prior to application to the cuff. After applying the thawed skin care composition to the cuff, allow it to cool and solidify to form a solidified coating or film on the cuff surface. Preferably, the application process is designed to assist in cooling and adherence of the formulation.

Preferred methods of applying the skin care composition of the invention to the cuffs include lubrication, extrusion, gravure printing and spraying. Figure 5 illustrates a preferred method of continuously or intermittently lubricating a skin care composition on a diaper closure cuff during the manufacturing process. In the figure, the conveyor belt 1 moves in the direction of the arrows on the cylinders 3 and 4 and passes through the return conveyor belt 2. The conveyor belt 1 carries the untreated diapers 5 underneath the slit lubricator 6, where a warm, molten skin (e.g., 65 ° C) skin care composition is placed on the closure cuff. Leaving the lubrication device 6, the diaper 5 becomes the treated diaper 8. The amount of skin care composition applied to the closure member 7 is controlled by: (1) the exit rate of the molten skin care composition from the 6-slot contact lubricant; and / or (2) the travel speed of the conveyor belt 1 below the lubrication device 6; and / or (3) the location of the lubricator 6. (If desired, the lubricant may also be disposed by covering the closure member 7 and a portion of the topsheet 38 with a skin care composition on both the cuff and topsheet.)

Figure 6 illustrates another preferred method wherein a contact slit lubricant is applied to the diaper closure cuff before the cuff is combined with other raw materials in the finished product. The figure shows that the nonwoven material 1 of the closure is wound down from the feed roller 2 (rotating in the direction of arrow 2a) and reaches the slit lubricator 6, where one surface of the web is coated with a hot melt (e.g. 65 ° C). ) with skin care product. Leaving the lubricator 6, the nonwoven material 1 is transformed into the treated cuff material 3. The treated cuff material 3 then passes through the guide rolls 4 and 8 and is wound onto the storage roll 10 (rotating in the direction of arrow 10a). The treated web is then attached to the diaper base plate to form the closure cuff member during the assembly operation.

D. Skin care composition on the topcoat and cuff

As shown in Figure 7, a first skin care composition may be disposed on the topsheet while a second skin care composition may be disposed on one or more cuffs. It has been found that a skin care composition is more effective when applied to both the topsheet and the cuff than it is present on either. The combination of the treated topcoat and treated cuffs allows the skin to be transferred to a larger skin surface. The larger the surface to which the skin care product penetrates, the better the chances of the wearer's skin remaining healthy.

As discussed above, the first skin care composition and the second skin care composition may be the same formulation. However, it has been found that if the first skin care composition is different from the second skin care composition, the diaper may also be designed so that the different parts exert a specific skin care effect on different areas of the wearer's skin. For example, the topsheet will typically contact the external genitalia and the pads during wear, so that a first skin care composition specifically adapted to prevent and / or treat diaper rash may be placed on it. Typically, the cuffs will contact the wearer's waist and thighs, so a second skin care composition can be placed on it that is specifically designed to reduce rubbing and redness. Accordingly, specific portions of the diaper may include specially formulated skin care compositions that may be used to treat specific areas of the wearer's skin. This allows great flexibility in the design of the diaper and allows the manufacturer to tailor special products to meet different consumer needs.

Further variations of the formulation of the skin care composition may result from the function of the element on which the skin care composition is placed. For example, cuffs are typically designed to store and hold urine and liquid feces in a diaper. It may be desirable for the cuffs to be hydrophobic, or more particularly impermeable, to prevent liquids from passing through their material. If the skin care composition is also hydrophobic, it will help the cuff to withstand fluid. In contrast, the topsheet must be highly fluid permeable to allow rapid passage of urine and menstruation into the absorbent core. If hydrophobic skin21

EN 225 516 Β1 care composition would be applied to the topcoat, which would reduce the performance of the topcoat. It is more desirable to apply a hydrophilic skin care composition to the topsheet to maintain its performance. Thus, in some embodiments, it may be desirable that at least a portion of the skin care composition applied to the topsheet be made of a hydrophilic material that accelerates the passage of liquids (e.g., urine) through the topsheet. Likewise, it may be desirable for the skin care composition to be sufficiently wetted to ensure rapid passage of liquids through the topsheet. On the other hand, a hydrophobic skin care composition may be used if it is applied so as to maintain the fluid-handling properties of the topsheet. This object is achieved, for example, by applying the composition unevenly to the topsheet. An example of such non-uniform application is US-A 08 / 908,852, which is incorporated herein by reference.

If it is desired that the composition be hydrophilic, depending on the ingredients used in the composition, then a hydrophilic surfactant (or mixture of hydrophilic surfactants) may or may not be required to achieve the desired wettability. For example, some immobilizing agents, such as N-cocoyl-N-methoxyprop H-glucamide, have an HLB (hydrophilic / lyophilic equilibrium) of at least 7 and are sufficiently wetted without the addition of a hydrophilic surfactant. Other immobilizing agents, such as C16-C18 fatty alcohols, have an HLB of less than about 7, which requires the addition of a hydrophilic surfactant to enhance wettability when applied to the topcoat. Likewise, a hydrophobic emollient such as petroleum jelly requires the addition of a hydrophilic surfactant if a hydrophilic composition is desired. Of course, the problem of wettability becomes irrelevant if the wearer contact surface in question is to be hydrophobic or if the fluid handling properties of the material can be retained by other means (for example, by non-uniform application).

Suitable hydrophilic surfactants may advantageously be combined with the other ingredients of the skin care composition to form a homogeneous mixture. Due to the potential sensitivity of the skin of disposable absorbent articles, these surfactants should be gentle and non-irritating to the skin. Typically, these surfactants are nonionic, not only in order not to irritate the skin but also to have undesirable effects on other components of the treated diaper. These include reducing the tensile strength of the laminates, rendering bonded joints inadequate, and others.

Suitable nonionic surfactants are substantially non-motile after application of the composition to the topsheet and typically have an HLB of from about 4 to about 20, preferably from about 7 to about 20. These surfactants are non-motile because they typically have a melting point higher than the temperatures typically encountered during storage, transport and sale of disposable absorbent articles, i.e., at least about 30 ° C. The melting point of these surfactants is preferably similar to the immobilizing agents described above.

Nonionic surfactants suitable for use in topcoat formulations include alkyl glucosides; alkyl glucoside ethers disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,011,389, which is incorporated herein by reference; alkyl polyethoxy esters such as Pegoperse 1000MS (Lonza, Inc., Fair Lawn, N.J.); Mono-, di- or triesters of C12-C18 fatty acids with ethoxylated sorbitan having an average degree of ethoxylation of about 2-20, preferably about 210, such as TWEEN 60 (a sorbitan ester of stearic acid with an average degree of ethoxylation of about 20) and TWEEN 61 (sorbitan ester of stearic acid with an average degree of ethoxylation of about 4); and condensation products of aliphatic alcohols with about 1 to about 54 moles of ethylene oxide. The aliphatic alcohols typically have a straight chain alkyl chain of about 8 to about 22 carbon atoms. Particularly preferred are the condensation products of alcohols having an alkyl group of about 11 to about 22 carbon atoms and condensed with about 2 to about 30 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol. Examples of such ethoxylated alcohols are the condensation product of myristyl alcohol with 7 moles of ethylene oxide and coconut alcohol (a mixture of fatty alcohols in which the length of the alkyl chains ranges from 10 to 14) with 6 moles of ethylene oxide. Many suitable ethoxylated alcohols are commercially available, including TERGITOL 15-S-9 (a C 11 -C 15 linear condensation product of linear alcohols made by Union Carbide Corporation), KYRO EOB (C 13 -C 15), condensation product of linear alcohols with 9 moles of ethylene oxide produced by The Procter & Gamble Corp.), a NEODOL group surfactant manufactured by Shell Chemical Co., in particular NEODOL 25-12 (C12-15 linear alcohols). Condensation product of 12 moles of ethylene oxide) and NEODOL 23-6.5T (condensation product of linear alcohols of 12-13 carbon atoms with 6.5 moles of ethylene oxide, which is freed from certain impurities by distillation); and, in particular, the PLURAFAC group surfactants manufactured by BASF Corp., in particular PLURAFAC A-38 (a condensation product of a C18 linear alcohol with 27 moles of ethylene oxide). (Certain hydrophilic surfactants, especially ethoxylated alcohols, such as NEODOL 25-12, may also be used as the alkyl ethoxylate parent emollient.) Further examples of preferred ethoxylated alcohol surfactants include those described in I.C.I. Brij surfactants and mixtures thereof; Brij 72 (i.e. steareth-2) and Brij 76 (i.e. steareth-10) are particularly preferred. Mixtures of cetyl and stearyl alcohols having an average degree of ethoxylation of about 10-20 are also useful hydrophilic surfactants.

Another type of surfactant for use in formulations includes Aerosol OC, a dioctyl ester of sodium sulfosuccinate manufactured by American Cyanamid Co.

HU 225 516B1

Still another class of suitable surfactants include silicone copolymers, such as General Electric SF 1188, a copolymer of polydimethylsiloxane and polyoxyalkylene, or General Electric SF 1228, a silicone polyether copolymer. These silicone surfactants can also be used in combination with the other types of hydrophilic surfactants mentioned above, such as ethoxylated alcohols. Silicone surfactants have been found to be effective at concentrations as low as 0.1% by weight; their proportion in the compositions preferably about 0.25 to 1.0 w ⁰ /).

Where a hydrophilic composition is desired, the amount of hydrophilic surfactant required to enhance wettability will depend, in part (if used) on the HLB value and ratio of the immobilizer used, and partly on the HLB value of the surfactant and the like. If it is desired to enhance the wettability properties of the composition, the proportion of hydrophilic surfactant may be from about 0.1 to about 50% by weight of the composition. The compositions preferably contain from about 1% to about 25% by weight, most preferably from about 10% to about 20%, by weight of a hydrophilic surfactant when enhanced wettability is required.

It has been observed that skin health can be maintained or improved during absorbent articles even during prolonged (e.g., several days) intermittent wear when the absorbent articles are treated with two or more skin care compositions that penetrate the wearer's skin during normal wear and tear. under conditions (such as contact, movement, delivery by a caregiver, body heat, and others). In this regard, a process for maintaining or improving the health of an area of skin covered with absorbent articles comprises the following steps:

(a) dispensing an absorbent article onto a wearer comprising a first skin care composition having a therapeutic and / or protective effect on the skin by passing through it and a second skin care composition providing a second skin care effect by passing through the skin;

(b) delivering at least a portion of the first skin care composition and the second skin care composition to the wearer during wear; and (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) with one or more accessory articles and at a frequency sufficient to maintain or improve the health of the skin covered by the absorbent article relative to an area of skin which is provided by a suitable but first skin care composition. and an absorbent article without the second skin care composition, without the need for manual application of skin care agents (e.g., by a caregiver or wearer).

The key to this process is the use of an absorbent article on which two or more skin care products are placed and the frequent use of cumulatively transferring a first skin care composition and a second skin care composition to the skin of a wearer to maintain or improve skin health. status. It has also been found that the delivery of the compositions in relatively small amounts with each absorbent article is sufficient to achieve the beneficial effects provided by this new method of cumulative delivery.

The article used in the process of the present invention provides an accessible source from which the skin care composition is continuously delivered to the skin over an extended period of time. As the preparations pass through, they accumulate on the surface of the skin to start and continue their protective action. As soon as a used article is discarded and replaced, the cycle continues and additional formulation accumulates, beyond what one or the original article alone gives to the skin. Many of the ingredients used in preferred skin care formulations (e.g., petroleum jelly, which is preferred herein) penetrate the epidermis. As a result, although a certain amount of the formulations are removed from the skin due to cleaning, bathing, and temporary discontinuation of other or even treated articles of the invention, their beneficial effects are retained. Once the treated articles are re-used, before the benefits of the product disappear, the user will reap the benefits, such as the elimination of inflammation and / or rashes, and much faster than anyone who has not yet used treated articles.

As noted above, it is known that the skin is much more prone to deterioration during absorbent articles. The manifestations of poor health include redness (inflammation of the skin) and / or rash. The present invention provides a method of maintaining and improving skin health in an area covered by an absorbent article, wherein the object of the method is to reduce or prevent inflammation and / or rashes over an area of the skin that is absorbed by an identical absorbent article. cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREPARATION OF THE TREATED NECK CABLES OF THE INVENTION The following examples illustrate how to treat cuffs and / or topsheets or webs with the compositions of the invention.

Example 1

A. Preparation of the skin care composition

A skin care composition (skin care composition A) is prepared by mixing the following melted (i.e., liquid) ingredients: Vaseline (available from Witco Corp. under the tradename Perfecta®; Greenwich, Ct.); stearyl alcohol (available from The Procter & Gamble Co. as CO1897; Cincinnati, Oh.); and an aloe extract (available from Madis Botanical, Inc. under the tradename Veragel Lipoid; South Hackensack, N. J.). The weight ratios of the above ingredients are shown in Table 1.

HU 225 516 Β1

Table 1

component Crowd% vaseline 58 Stearyl alcohol 41 Aloékivonat 1

B. Preparation of a treated diaper thigh cuff with a hot melt coating

The skin care composition A. is placed in a heated container at 77 ° C. From here, the formulation is applied directly to the body surface of the diaper closure cuff (e.g., a Meltex EP45 melt adhesive applicator operating at 77 ° C) at a width of 3.5 cm (measured transversely to the distal edge of the diaper cuff). and 29.8 cm long (measured in the longitudinal direction of the diaper) with the strip positioned longitudinally on the base plate so that one or both ends of the elastic spacer are covered with the skin care composition. The application rate is 18.0 g / m ² . The resilient spacer is operably secured to the closure member by a specially crafted adhesive such as Findley H9245 to prevent creep as previously described.

Example 2

The skin care composition (prepared as in Example 1) is applied to the body surface of the diaper closure cuff in a strip 3.5 cm wide (measured transversely to the distal edge of the closure cuff) over each of the closure cuffs over their entire length. The application rate is 18.0 g / m ² .

Example 3

The skin care composition A (prepared as in Example 1) is applied to the body surface of the diaper closure cuff, 3.5 cm wide (measured transversely to the distal edge of the closure cuff) and 20.3 cm long (the measured along the longitudinal direction of the diaper) with the strip positioned in the contracted area of the closure cuff so that none of the spacer elastic members is covered by the skin care composition. The application rate is 18.0 g / m ² .

Example 4

A. Preparation of the skin care composition

An anhydrous skin care composition (skin care composition B) is prepared by mixing the following melted (i.e., liquid) ingredients: paraffin oil (available from Witco Corp. under the tradename Carnation White Mineral Oil, USP); and cetearyl alcohol (a mixture of C 16-18 linear primary alcohols marketed by The Procter & Gamble Co. under the designation TA-1618). The weight ratios of the above ingredients are shown in Table 2.

Table 2

component Crowd% paraffin oil 65 Cetearyl alcohol 35

B. Preparation of Treated Diaper Thigh Cuff with Hot Melt Coating B. Skin Care Composition B. is placed in a heated container at 77 ° C. From here, the formulation is applied directly to the body surface of the diaper closure cuff (e.g., a Meltex EP45 melt adhesive applicator operating at 77 ° C) at a width of 3.5 cm (measured transversely to the distal edge of the diaper cuff). and 29.8 cm long (measured in the longitudinal direction of the diaper) with the strip positioned longitudinally in the contracted region of the closure cuff so that one or both ends of the elastic spacer is covered with the skin care composition. The application rate is 18.0 g / m ² .

Example 5

A. Preparation of the skin care composition

An anhydrous skin care composition (C. skin care composition) is prepared by blending the following melted (i.e., liquid) ingredients: paraffin oil (available from Witco Corp. under the tradename Carnation White Mineral Oil, USP); cetearyl alcohol (a mixture of C 16-18 linear primary alcohols marketed by The Procter & Gamble Co. under the designation TA-1618); and Cetereath 10 (C16-C18 linear alcohol ethoxylate having an average degree of ethoxylation of 10 produced by I.C.I. America). The weight ratios of the above ingredients are as follows:

Table 3 shows.

Table 3

component Crowd% paraffin oil 50 Cetearyl alcohol 35 Ceteareth 10 15

B. Preparation of a treated diaper with a hot melt coating

C. skin care composition is placed in a heated container at 77 ° C. From here, the formulation is applied with a contact applicator (e.g., a Meltex EP45 melt adhesive applicator operating at 77 ° C) to the diaper closure cuff 3.5 cm wide (measured transversely to the distal edge of the closure cuff) and 29.8 cm long (measured in the longitudinal direction of the diaper) with the strip positioned longitudinally in the contracted area of the closure cuff so that one or both ends of the elastic spacer is covered with the skin care composition. The application rate is 18.0 g / m ² .

HU 225 516 Β1

Example 6

A. Preparation of the skin care composition

An anhydrous skin care composition (skin care composition D.) is prepared by mixing the following melted (i.e., liquid) ingredients: Vaseline (available from Witco Corp. under the tradename Perfecta®); cetearyl alcohol (a mixture of C 16-18 linear primary alcohols marketed by The Procter & Gamble Co. under the designation TA-1618); Ceteareth 10 (C16-C18 linear alcohol ethoxylate having an average degree of ethoxylation of 10 produced by I.C.I. America); and Veragel 1: 1 Lipoid with Kaydol (an aloe extract in paraffin oil produced by Madis Laboratories, Inc.). The weight ratios of the above ingredients are shown in Table 4.

Table 4

component Crowd% vaseline 49 Cetearyl alcohol 35 Ceteareth 10 15 Aloékivonat 1

B. Preparation of a treated diaper with a hot melt coating

The skin care composition D. is placed in a heated container at 77 ° C. From here, the formulation is applied with a contact applicator (e.g., a Meltex EP45 melt adhesive applicator operating at 77 ° C) to the diaper closure cuff 3.5 cm wide (measured transversely to the distal edge of the closure cuff) and 29.8 cm long (measured in the longitudinal direction of the diaper) with the strip positioned longitudinally in the contracted area of the closure cuff so that one or both ends of the elastic spacer is covered with the skin care composition. The application rate is 18.0 g / m ² .

Example 7

Skin care composition A (prepared as in Example 1) is placed in a heated container at 77 ° C. From there, the composition is applied to the top layer of the article in a striped pattern with a contact applicator (e.g., a Meltex EP45 melt adhesive applicator having 5 slits and operating at 77 ° C) with strips running in the longitudinal direction of the article. Specifically, 5 strips are applied, each 6 mm wide (measured transversely of the diaper) and 29.8 cm long. The application rate is 12 g / m ² . The distance between the strips is 7.6 mm.

Skin care composition A is then applied to the body surface of the article's closure in a 3.5 cm wide (measured transversely to the distal edge of the closure) covering the entire length of the closure. The application rate is 18.0 g / m ² . The treatment was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1.

Example 8

The skin care composition D. (prepared as in Example 6) was placed in a heated container at 77 ° C. From there, the composition is applied to the topcoat of the article with a contact applicator (e.g., a Meltex EP45 hot melt adhesive applicator having a single slot and operating at 77 ° C), generally forming a uniform coating. Specifically, a strip is applied which is 6.3 cm wide (measured across the article) and 29.8 cm long. The application rate is 12 g / m ² . Apply the strip so that it is centered on the longitudinal centerline of the article.

Skin care composition A is then applied to the body surface of the article's closure in a 3.5 cm wide (measured transversely to the distal edge of the closure) covering the entire length of the closure. The application rate is 18.0 g / m ² . The treatment was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1.

Claims (10)

PATENT CLAIMS An absorbent article (20) worn by a wearer in contact with the skin; the absorbent article comprises: a base plate comprising: an outer covering layer comprising: a backsheet (42) and a fluid-permeable topsheet (38) attached to said backsheet (42), and an absorbent core (44) forming said topsheet (38) and said backsheet (42). located between; a cuff (56, 62) attached to said base plate, each cuff having a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite said first surface; characterized in that an effective amount of a skin care composition (72) is disposed on said cuff, said skin care composition being semi-solid or solid at 20 ° C and at least partially transferable to the wearer's skin. An absorbent article (20) according to claim 1, wherein said cuff is a closure cuff (62, 762) attached to said base plate, said closure cuff (62) preferably comprising a separate closure cuff member (63) having a proximal closure member (63). an edge (64) and a spaced apart distal edge (66), said proximal edge (64) being attached to said outer covering layer, a portion of said distal edge (66) not attached to the absorbent article (20), and a spacer an element (76) operably coupled to said distal edge (66) to allow said closure cuff element (63) to rise from said outer cover layer. The absorbent article (20) of claim 2, wherein each of said closure cuffs (762) has a wing portion (702) and a channel portion (704), said skin care composition (72) preferably being provided on at least said channel portion (704). more preferably said skin care composition GB 225 516 Β1 is applied to said link portion (704) and said wing portion (702). An absorbent article (20) according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, wherein said cuff (56, 62) comprises a sealing cuff (56, 756) attached to said base plate, said sealing cuff (56, 856). preferably comprising a flap (858) extending outwardly from said edges (46) of said absorbent core (44) along their length, said flap (858) more preferably comprising at least one separate first cuff member (802) attached to said base plate and a resilient member (860) operably attached to said wing (858). The absorbent article (20) of claim 4, wherein said first cuff member (802) is attached to said topsheet (38) to form said body surface of said wing (858); said skin care composition (72) being preferably applied to said body surface of said cuff member (802). An absorbent article (20) according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, wherein said skin care composition (72) comprises: (i) from about 10% to about 95% by weight of an emollient that is plastic or liquid at 20 ° C; and (ii) from about 5% to about 90% by weight of an active agent capable of immobilizing said emollient on said cuff. An absorbent article (20) according to claim 6, wherein said emollient is a member of one of the following groups: petroleum-based emollients, fatty acid ester emollients, polysiloxane emollients, fatty acid sucrose ester emollients, alkyl ethoxylate emollients, and mixtures thereof. ; said immobilizing agent is a member of one of the following groups: polyhydroxy fatty acid esters, polyhydroxy fatty acid amides, C 14 -C 22 fatty alcohols, C 12 -C 22 fatty acids, C 12 -C 22 fatty alcohol ethoxylates, and mixtures thereof; said skin care composition more preferably also contains an aloe extract. An absorbent article (20) according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, wherein an effective amount of a second skin care composition (1172 ') is disposed on said topsheet, said second skin care composition (1172 ') is semi-solid or solid at 20 ° C and is at least partially transferable to the wearer's skin. The absorbent article (20) of claim 8, wherein the formulation of said first skin care composition (72) is different from said second skin care composition (1172 '), preferably said first skin care composition is hydrophobic and said second skin care composition hydrophilic; or the formulation of said first skin care composition is the same as said second skin care composition. An absorbent article (20) according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, wherein said first skin care composition (72) comprises said first skin care composition (72). placed on the surface; said first surface of said cuff (56, 62) preferably contacts the wearer's skin during use and thereby forms a body surface; or said first surface rotates outwardly from the wearer during use and thereby forms a garment surface, and said skin care composition (72) passes from said first surface to said second surface.