Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIPI
INDIVIDUALLY PACKAGED ABSORBENT ARTICLE ASSEMBLY
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Patent
Application
12/512,922, filed July 30, 2009, priority of which is hereby claimed.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to individually packaged disposable absorbent
articles, and
in particular to disposable absorbent articles that are tri-folded and
individually packaged prior to
use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Individually packaged disposable absorbent articles are well known in the art.
For
example, feminine sanitary napkins are often sold in such a configuration.
Commercially
available sanitary napkins are commonly folded in three overlapping sections
along the length of
the napkin ("tri-folded") and such tri-folded napkin is arranged in a sealed
pouch to thereby
maintain the napkin sanitary prior to use. Sanitary napkins of this type
conventionally include an
adhesive arranged on a garment-facing side of the napkin ("garment attachment
adhesive") to
enable the user to attach the napkin to an undergarment during use. Prior to
use, the garment
attachment adhesive is covered by a removable release paper that is intended
to protect the
adhesive and prevent the garment attachment adhesive from adhering to the
pouch prior to use.
Alternatively, the release paper may by omitted, and the interior surface of
the pouch may
include a non-stick coating (e.g. silicone) to prevent the garment attachment
adhesive from
1
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIP 1
adhering to the pouch. When ready for use, a user removes the napkin from the
pouch, unfolds
the napkin, removes the release paper (if such paper is employed) and attaches
the napkin to the
undergarment.
The inventors of the present invention have discovered that a problem with the
above
described configuration is that the user must completely remove the napkin
from the pouch, and
remove the release paper if such release paper is present, prior to attaching
the napkin to the
undergarment. The above described process can be cumbersome and may cause the
user to
inadvertently attach the napkin at the wrong location in the undergarment
and/or contaminate the
garment attachment adhesive before the user attaches the napkin to the
undergarment.
In view of the foregoing, the inventors have disclosed herein an improved
individually
packaged absorbent article assembly that overcomes the shortcomings of the
prior art assemblies
described above.
2
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIPI
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above, the present invention provides, according to a first
aspect of the
invention, an individually packaged absorbent article assembly including a tri-
folded absorbent
article including a garment-facing surface, a body-facing surface, a first
fold line, a second fold
line, a first end portion, a second end portion, and an intermediate portion
arranged between the
first end portion and the second end portions, a main body, and a pair of
wings extending
outwardly relative to the main body, the garment-facing surface of each wing
having adhesive
thereon for attaching the wings to an undergarment during use, at least one
removable release
strip arranged over the adhesive to protect the adhesive prior to use of the
article, the first end
portion being separated from the intermediate portion by the first fold line,
the second end
portion being separated from the intermediate portion by the second fold line,
and the
intermediate portion being located between the first fold line and the second
fold line, a pouch
for containing the tri-folded absorbent article, the pouch formed from a sheet
material having a
first terminal edge and a second terminal edge, wherein the pouch is
structured and arranged to
be opened by a user along the first terminal edge of the sheet material such
that a garment-facing
surface of the intermediate portion of the article is exposed prior to
exposing the garment-facing
surface of the first end portion and the garment-facing surface of the second
end portion, and
wherein the sheet material is coupled to the release strip to enable the
simultaneous opening of
the pouch and removal of the release strip by a user.
The present invention provides, according to a second aspect of the invention,
an
individually packaged absorbent article assembly including a tri-folded
absorbent article
including a garment-facing surface, a body-facing surface, a first fold line,
a second fold line, a
3
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIP 1
first end portion, a second end portion, and an intermediate portion arranged
between the first
end portion and the second end portion, a main body, and a pair of wings
extending outwardly
relative to the main body, the garment-facing surface of each wing having
adhesive thereon for
attaching the wings to an undergarment during use, at least one removable
release strip arranged
over the adhesive to protect the adhesive prior to use of the article, the
first end portion being
separated from the intermediate portion by the first fold line, the second end
portion being
separated from the intermediate portion by the second fold line, and the
intermediate portion
being located between the first fold line and the second fold line, a pouch
for containing the tri-
folded absorbent article, the pouch formed from a sheet material having a
first terminal edge, a
second terminal edge and a line of weakness arranged between the first
terminal edge and the
second terminal edge, wherein the pouch is structured and arranged to be
opened by a user along
the line of weakness such that a garment-facing surface of the intermediate
portion of the article
is exposed prior to exposing the garment-facing surface of the first end
portion and the garment-
facing surface of the second end portion, and wherein the sheet material is
coupled to the release
strip to enable the simultaneous opening of the pouch and removal of the
release strip by a user.
4
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIP 1
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an individually packaged absorbent article
assembly
according to a first embodiment of the present invention showing the exterior
surface of the
pouch that forms part of the assembly;
FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the individually packaged absorbent
article
assembly shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a partially exploded view of the of the absorbent article assembly
shown in
FIGS. I and 2 revealing the first and second sheets of material that define
the pouch and the
absorbent article contained within such pouch;
FIGS. 4-11 depict the manner in which the absorbent article is removed from
the pouch
and applied to an undergarment;
FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of an individually packaged absorbent
article
assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention showing the
exterior
surface of the pouch that forms part of the assembly;
FIG. 13 is a detailed top perspective view of a portion of the individually
packaged
absorbent article assembly shown in FIG. 12;
FIG. 14 is detailed view of a portion of the individually packaged absorbent
article
assembly shown in FIG. 13 depicting the manner in which pouch is opened to
obtain access to
the absorbent article;
FIG. 15 is a partially exploded view of the of the absorbent article assembly
shown in
FIG. 12 revealing the sheet of material that forms the pouch and the absorbent
article contained
within such pouch;
5
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIP I
FIG. 16 is a top perspective view of an individually packaged absorbent
article assembly
according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 17 is a sectional view of the individually packaged absorbent article
assembly
shown in FIG. 16 taken along line 17-17 thereof;
FIG. 18 is a partially exploded view of the of the absorbent article assembly
shown in
FIGS. 16 and 17 revealing the first and second sheets of material that define
the pouch and the
absorbent contained within such pouch;
FIGS. 19-26 depict the manner in which the absorbent article is removed from
the pouch
and applied to an undergarment;
FIG. 27 is a top perspective view of an individually packaged absorbent
article assembly
according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 28 is a sectional view of the assembly shown in FIG. 27 taken along line
28-28
thereof; and
FIG. 29 is a partially exploded view of the absorbent article assembly shown
in FIG. 27
revealing the sheet of material that forms the pouch and the absorbent article
contained within
such pouch.
6
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIP I
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings there is shown an individually packaged
disposable
absorbent article assembly embodying the teachings of the present invention.
As used herein
"disposable absorbent articles" includes articles such as sanitary napkins,
pantiliners, absorbent
products for incontinence, and other disposable absorbent articles worn close
to a wearer's body.
Although the invention will be described herein with reference to a sanitary
napkin, the invention
may be utilized with other disposable sanitary absorbent articles such as
absorbent products for
incontinence, diapers, pantiliners and the like.
An individually packaged absorbent article assembly 10 according to a first
embodiment
of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-3. The individually packaged
absorbent article
assembly 10 generally includes a sanitary napkin 12 and a pouch 14.
Prior to removal from the pouch 14, the sanitary napkin 12 is tri-folded such
that three
portions of the napkin 12 are defined. Specifically, referring to FIG. 3, the
napkin 12 in its
folded state prior to use includes a first end portion 16, a second end
portion 18, and an
intermediate portion 20 arranged between the end portions 16 and 18. The first
end portion 16 is
separated from the intermediate portion 20 by fold line 19 and the second end
portion 18 is
separated from the intermediate portion 20 by fold line 21. The napkin 12
further includes a
body-facing surface 22 and a garment-facing surface 24. The terms "body-
facing" and
"garment-facing" as used herein are intended to indicate the final orientation
of the napkin after
the napkin has been attached to an undergarment by the user.
As shown in FIG. 3, the first end portion 16 is folded toward the body-facing
surface 22
and then the second end portion 18 is folded on top of and in overlapping
relationship to the first
7
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIP 1
end portion 16. The napkin 12 also includes a garment attachment adhesive 26
that is applied to
the garment-facing surface 24 of the napkin that functions to attach the
napkin 12 to an
undergarment during use.
In the specific embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-3, the pouch 14
is defined
by two lengths of a sheet material 29 that are attached to one another to form
the final pouch 14.
However, the pouch 14 could alternatively be formed from a single length of
the sheet material
29. The sheet material 29 may be a plastic film sheet or a paper sheet
material. The paper or
plastic film sheet is coated on its inwards facing surface thereof with a
coating of silicone
polymer to prevent the adhesive 26 on the garment-facing surface 24 of the
napkin 12 from
adhering to the pouch 14. Other non-stick coatings may be employed provided
that they
effectively prevent the napkin 12 from adhering to the pouch 14.
In the specific embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-3, the pouch is
formed by
a first length of sheet material 30 and a second length of sheet material 31,
as best seen in FIG. 3.
The first length of material 30 defines a first end section 32 of the sheet
material 29 and the
second length of material 31 defines a second end section 34 of the sheet
material 29. The first
length of material 30 further defines an intermediate section 36 of the sheet
material 29 arranged
between the end sections 32 and 34. The first length of material 30 includes a
first terminal
transverse edge 37 and a second terminal transverse edge 39. The second length
of material 31
includes a first terminal transverse edge 47 and a second terminal transverse
edge 49.
As shown in FIG. 3 the first length of material 30 partially overlaps the
second length of
material 31 adjacent terminal edges 39 and 47 and the two lengths of material
are permanently
secured to one another by a strip of adhesive or the like. Thus, in the final
pouch configuration
the sheet material 29 has two terminal edges, i.e. terminal edges 37 and 49.
8
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIP I
As shown in FIG. 3, the first end section 32 of the sheet material 29 extends
over and
corresponds in location to the intermediate portion 20 of the napkin 12. The
intermediate section
36 of the sheet material 29 extends over and corresponds in location to the
second end portion 18
of the napkin 12. The second end section 34 of the sheet material 29 extends
over and
corresponds in location to the first end portion 16 of the napkin 12.
It is noted that in the final pouch 14 configuration the first terminal edge
37 of the first
length of material 30 is substantially aligned with the fold line 19 of the
napkin 12 that separates
the intermediate portion 20 of the napkin 12 from the first end portion 16 of
the napkin 12.
Along the first terminal edge 37, the first length of material 30 may
optionally be
provided with a tab 41. The tab 41 may be formed from the first length of
material 30 or may
constitute a separate piece of material permanently attached to the first
length of material 30. As
show in FIG. 2, the tab 41 overlaps the end section 34 of the pouch 14 and is
secured to the
external surface of the end section 34 by adhesive arranged on a bottom
surface 43 of the tab 41.
The adhesive provided on the bottom surface 43 of the tab 41 should be
selected so as to enable a
user to selectively open the pouch 14 by pulling on the tab 41, as will be
described herein in
greater detail below.
As shown in FIGS. I and 2, the pouch 14 also includes side seams 40 defined by
embossments running along and defining opposite longitudinal edge zones of the
pouch. The
side seams 40 function to seal the overlapping portions of the sheet material
29 and thereby form
a sealed enclosure for the napkin 12. The embossments may be formed by any
suitable known
means to provide such embossments, such as heated embossing rolls or the like.
Alternatively,
in lieu of embossments, other means such as glue or tape may be used to seal
the pouch 14.
9
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIPI
The manner of deploying the napkin 12 from the pouch 14, and attachment of the
napkin
to an undergarment 60 of a user, will now be described with reference to FIGS.
4-11. As shown
in FIGS. 4 and 5 the user first grasps the tab 41 and pulls the tab 41 to
separate the same from the
external surface of the end section 34 of the pouch 14. As the user pulls the
tab 41 and lifts the
first end section 32 of the pouch 14, the embossments defining the side seams
40 separate
thereby exposing the intermediate portion 20 of the napkin 12, and more
specifically exposing
the garment-facing surface 24 of the intermediate portion 20. Thereafter, as
shown FIG. 6, the
user may then attach the intermediate portion 20 of the napkin 12 to the
undergarment 60 with
the garment-facing surface 24 of the napkin 12 in abutting relationship to the
undergarment 60.
As the user continues to pull on the tab 41, and/or the portion of the pouch
14 now
separated from the napkin 12, the second end portion 18 of the napkin is
released from the pouch
14 as shown in FIG. 7. Thereafter, the user may then attach the second end
portion 18 of the
napkin to the undergarment 60 as shown in FIG. 8. As the user continues to
pull on the tab 41,
and/or the portion of the pouch 14 now separated from the napkin 12, the first
end portion 16 of
the napkin 12 is released from the pouch as shown in FIG. 9. Thereafter, the
user may then
attach the first end portion 16 of the napkin 12 to the undergarment 60 as
shown in FIG. 10.
As best seen in FIG. 11, the napkin 12 may optionally be provided with wings
50 and 52
that extend out from the main body 53 of the napkin 12 and are adapted to be
folded over the
edges of the undergarment 60 and attached to the crotch portion of the
undergarment 60 by
means of adhesive provided on the garment-facing surface of the wings 50 and
52. Prior to
deployment of the wings 50 and 52 the wings 50 and 52 may be folded toward the
body-facing
surface 22 of the napkin 12 and the adhesive on the wings 50, 52 may be
covered by a removable
release strip 54. The release strip 54 may be formed from any suitable
conventional release
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIP I
paper material, or other suitable material, known to those of skill in the
art. When the user is
ready to attach the wings 50 and 52 to the undergarment the release strip 54
may be removed and
the wings 50 and 52 folded around the edges of the undergarment 60 and
attached to the crotch
portion of the undergarment 60, as shown in FIG. 11.
It is noted that that the individually packaged absorbent article assembly 10
as described
above enables the intermediate portion 20 of the napkin, and particularly the
garment-facing
surface 24 thereof, to be first exposed prior to exposing the garment-facing
surfaces of the other
portions of the napkin 12. This enables the user to easily attach the
intermediate portion 20 of
the napkin to the undergarment before the other portions of the napkin are
deployed from the
pouch 14. This significantly simplifies the attachment process and represents
a significant
improvement over prior art assemblies.
A second embodiment of an individually packaged absorbent article assembly 100
according to the present invention will now be described with reference to
FIGS. 12-15. In those
instances where the same or similar structural elements are present in the
second embodiment of
the invention as those described above with regard to the first embodiment,
the same or similar
reference numerals will be employed. The individually packaged absorbent
article assembly 100
generally includes a sanitary napkin 12 and a pouch 14.
In the specific embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 12-15, the pouch 14
is
defined by a single piece of sheet material 29, as best seen in FIG. 15. The
sheet material may
be a plastic film sheet or a paper sheet material. The sheet material 29
includes a first end
section 132, a second end section 134, and an intermediate section 136
arranged between the end
sections 132 and 134.
11
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIPI
In the second embodiment of the invention 100, the intermediate section 136 of
the sheet
material 29 extends over and corresponds in location to the intermediate
portion 20 of the napkin
12. The second end section 134 of the sheet material 29 extends over and
corresponds in
location to the second end portion 18 of the napkin 12. The first end section
132 of the sheet
material 29 extends over and corresponds in location to the first end portion
16 of the napkin 12.
The sheet material 29 includes a first terminal edge 137 and a second terminal
edge 149. The
sheet material 29 is also provided with a score line or other line of weakness
180 arranged
between the first terminal edge 137 and the second terminal edge 149.
It is noted that in the final pouch 14 configuration the score line 180 is
substantially
aligned with the fold line 19 of the napkin 12 that separates the intermediate
portion 20 of the
napkin 12 from the first end portion 16 of the napkin 12. The pouch 14 may
optionally be
provided with a tab 41 that is formed from a separate piece of material that
is permanently
attached to the pouch 14 in a location adjacent the score line 180. As shown
in FIG. 14, when a
user desires to open the pouch 14 the user grasps the tab 41 and pulls the tab
in an upward
direction causing the pouch 14 to open along the score line 180, i.e. by
forming a "free end" 182
of the sheet material 29 along the score line 180.
As shown in FIG. 12, the side seams of the pouch 14 are designated by the
numeral 40
and are defined by embossments running along and defining opposite
longitudinal edge zones of
the pouch. The side seams 40 function to seal the overlapping portions of the
sheet material 29.
As shown in FIG. 15, the second end section 134 of the sheet material
partially overlaps the first
end sectionl32 of the sheet material adjacent terminal edges 149 and 137 and
the two ends of the
sheet material 29 are permanently secured to one another by a strip of
adhesive or the like.
12
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIPI
In this manner, the pouch 14 provides a sealed enclosure for the tri-folded
napkin 12 prior to use
of the napkin 12.
The manner of deploying the napkin 12 from the pouch 14 in the individually
packaged
absorbent article assembly 100 is substantially identically to the manner
employed in the first
embodiment of the invention 10 described above with reference to FIGS. 4-11.
However, in the
absorbent article assembly 100 the user initiates opening the pouch 14 by
opening the pouch
along the score line 180. Specifically, the user grasps the tab 41 and pulls
in an upward direction
to thereby open the pouch 14 along the score line 180.
It is noted that that the individually packaged absorbent article assembly 100
as described
above, like the first embodiment of the invention 10, enables the intermediate
portion 20 of the
napkin, and in particularly the garment-facing surface 24 thereof, to be first
deployed prior to the
deployment of the other portions of the napkin 12. This enables the user to
easily attach the
intermediate portion 20 of the napkin to the undergarment before the other
portions of the napkin
are deployed from the pouch 14. This significantly simplifies the attachment
process and
represents a significant improvement over prior art assemblies.
A third embodiment of an individually packaged absorbent article assembly 200
according to the present invention will now be described with reference to
FIGS. 16-28. In those
instances where the same or similar structural elements are present in the
third embodiment 200
of the invention as those described above with regard to the first embodiment
10, the same or
similar reference numerals will be employed.
The individually packaged absorbent article assembly 200 generally includes a
sanitary
napkin 12 and a pouch 14. Prior to removal from the pouch 14, the sanitary
napkin 12 is tri-
folded such that three portions of the napkin 12 are defined. Specifically,
referring to FIGS. 17-
13
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIP1
18, the napkin 12 in its folded state prior to use includes a first end
portion 16, a second end
portion 18, and an intermediate portion 20 arranged between the end portions
16 and 18. As
shown in FIG. 18, the first end portion 16 is separated from the intermediate
portion 20 by fold
line 19 and the second end portion 18 is separated from the intermediate
portion 20 by fold line
21. The napkin 12 further includes a body-facing surface 22 and a garment-
facing surface 24.
As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the first end portion 16 is folded toward the
body-facing
surface 22 and then the second end portion 18 is folded on top of and in
overlapping relationship
to the first end portion 16. The napkin 12 also includes a garment attachment
adhesive 26 that is
applied to the garment-facing surface 24 of the napkin that functions to
attach the napkin 12 to
an undergarment during use.
In specific embodiment of the invention 200, as best seen in FIGS. 25 and 26,
the napkin
12 is provided with wings 50 and 52 that extend out from the main body 53 of
the napkin 12.
The wings 50, 52 are adapted to be folded over the edges of the undergarment
60 and attached to
the crotch portion of the undergarment 60 by means of adhesive 55 provided on
the garment-
facing surface of the wings 50 and 52. Prior to deployment of the wings 50 and
52 the wings 50
and 52 may be folded toward the body-facing surface 22 of the napkin 12 and
the adhesive on
the wings 50 and 52 may be covered by a release strip 54.
In the specific embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 16-28, the pouch 14
is
defined by two lengths of a sheet material 29 that are attached to one another
to form the final
pouch 14, as best seen in FIG. 18. The sheet material 29 may be a plastic film
sheet or a paper
sheet material. The paper or plastic film sheet is coated on its inwards
facing surface thereof
with a coating of silicone polymer to prevent the adhesive 26 on the garment-
facing surface of
14
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIPI
the napkin 12 from adhering to the pouch 14. Other non-stick coatings may be
employed
provided that they effectively prevent the napkin 12 from adhering to the
pouch 14.
In the specific embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 16-28, the pouch is
formed
by a first length of sheet material 30 and a second length of sheet material
31, as best seen in
FIG. 18. The first length of material 30 defines a first end section 32 of the
sheet material 29 and
the second length of material 31 defines a second end section 34 of the sheet
material 29. The
first length of material 30 further defines an intermediate section 36 of the
sheet material 29
arranged between the end sections 32 and 34. The first length of material 30
includes a first
terminal transverse edge 37 and a second terminal transverse edge 39. The
second length of
material 31 includes a first terminal transverse edge 47 and a second terminal
transverse edge 49.
As shown in Fig. 17, the second length of material 31 includes a portion 51
adjacent the
first terminal transverse edge 47 that is coupled to the release strip 54 that
covers the adhesive on
the wings 50 and 52. The second length of material 31 is coupled to the
release strip 54 by any
suitable means such as adhesive or the like. As will be described in greater
detail below, this
configuration permits the simultaneously opening of the pouch 14 and removal
of the release
strip 54 by a user. The second terminal transverse edge 49 of the second
length of material 31 is
coupled to the first length of material 30, by adhesive or the like, at a
location between the first
terminal transverse edge 37 and the second terminal transverse edge 39.
In the embodiment of the present invention 200, as shown in FIG. 18, the first
length of
material 30 overlaps the second length of material 31 and the two lengths of
material are
permanently secured to one another by a strip of adhesive or the like.
Specifically, as shown in
FIGS. 17 and 18, the first length of material 30 is secured to the second
length of material 31 by
securing the second transverse edge 39 of the first length of material 30 to
the second length of
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIPI
material 31 at a location located between the first terminal transverse edge
47 and the second
terminal transverse edge 49 of the second length of material 31.
As shown in FIG. 18, the first end section 32 of the sheet material 29 extends
over and
corresponds in location to the intermediate portion 20 of the napkin 12. The
intermediate section
36 of the sheet material 29 extends over and corresponds in location to the
second end portion 18
of the napkin 12. In the specific embodiment 200 shown in FIGS. 16-26, the
intermediate
section 36 also extends over and overlaps the second end section 34, as best
seen in FIG. 17.
The second end section 34 extends over and corresponds in location to the
first end portion 16 of
the napkin 12.
It is noted that in the final pouch 14 configuration the first terminal edge
37 of the first
length of material 30 is substantially aligned with the fold line 19 of the
napkin 12 that separates
the intermediate portion 20 of the napkin 12 from the first end portion 16 of
the napkin 12.
Along the first terminal edge 37, the first length of material 30 may
optionally be
provided with a tab 41, as best seen in FIG. 18. The tab 41 may be formed from
the first length
of material 30 or may constitute a separate piece of material permanently
attached to the first
length of material 30. As shown in FIG. 17, the tab 41 overlaps the end
section 34 of the pouch
14 and is secured to the external surface of the end section 34 by adhesive
arranged on a bottom
surface 43 of the tab 41. The adhesive provided on the bottom surface 43 of
the tab 41 should
be selected so as to enable a user to selectively open the pouch 14 by pulling
on the tab 41, as
will be described herein in greater detail below.
As shown in FIG. 16, the pouch 14 also includes side seams 40 defined by
embossments
running along and defining opposite longitudinal edge zones of the pouch. The
side seams 40
function to seal the overlapping portions of the sheet material 29 and thereby
form a sealed
16
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIP 1
enclosure for the napkin 12. The embossments may be formed by any suitable
known means to
provide such embossments, such as heated embossing rolls or the like.
Alternatively, in lieu of
embossments, other means such as glue or tape may be used to seal the pouch.
The manner of deploying the napkin 12 from the pouch 14, and attachment of the
napkin
to an undergarment 60 of a user, will now be described with reference to FIGS.
19-26. As
shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 the user first grasps the tab 41 and pulls the tab 41
to separate the
same from the external surface of the end section 34 of the pouch 14. As the
user pulls the tab
41 and lifts the first end section 32 of the pouch 14, the embossments
defining the side seams 40
separate thereby exposing the intermediate portion 20 of the napkin 12, and
more specifically
exposing the garment-facing surface 24 of the intermediate portion 20.
Thereafter, as shown
FIG. 21, the user may then attach the intermediate portion 20 of the napkin 12
to the
undergarment 60 with the garment-facing surface 24 of the napkin 12 in
abutting relationship to
the undergarment 60.
As the user continues to pull on the tab 41, and/or the portion of the pouch
14 now
separated from the napkin 12, the second end portion 18 of the napkin is
released from the pouch
14 as shown in FIG. 22. Thereafter, the user may then attach the second end
portion 18 of the
napkin to the undergarment 60 as shown in FIG. 23. As the user continues to
pull on the tab 41,
and/or the portion of the pouch 14 now separated from the napkin 12, the end
section 34 of the
pouch 14 secured to the release strip 54 causes the release strip 54 to be
drawn away from the
wings 50 and 52 of the napkin 12, as best seen in FIG. 24. As the release
strip 54 is drawn away
from the wings 50 and 52 the adhesive 55 on the garment-facing surface of the
wings 50 and 52
is exposed.
17
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIPI
As the user continues to pull on the tab 41, and/or the portion of the pouch
14 now
separated from the napkin 12, the release strip 54 is fully removed from the
wings 50 and 52 and
the first end portion 16 of the napkin 12 is released from the pouch as shown
in FIG. 25.
Thereafter, the user may attach the first end portion 16 of the napkin 12 to
the undergarment 60
as shown in FIG. 25. As shown in FIG. 26, the user may then wrap the wings 50
and 52 around
the edges of the undergarment 60 and attach the wings 50 and 52 to the
undergarment 60 by
means of the adhesive 55.
It is noted that that the individually packaged absorbent article assembly 200
as described
above enables the intermediate portion 20 of the napkin, and particularly the
garment-facing
surface 24 thereof, to be first exposed prior to exposing the garment-facing
surfaces of the other
portions of the napkin 12. This enables the user to easily attach the
intermediate portion 20 of
the napkin to the undergarment before the other portions of the napkin are
deployed from the
pouch 14. In addition, the embodiment of the invention 200 described above
also permits the
simultaneous removal of the release strip 54 from the wings 50 and 52 as the
pouch 14 is opened.
This significantly simplifies the attachment process and represents a
significant improvement
over prior art assemblies.
A fourth embodiment of an individually packaged absorbent article assembly 300
according to the present invention will now be described with reference to
FIGS. 27-29. In those
instances where the same or similar structural elements are present in the
fourth embodiment of
the invention as those described above with regard to the second embodiment
100, the same or
similar reference numerals will be employed.
The individually packaged absorbent article assembly 300 is similar to the
third
embodiment 200 described above, however the pouch 14 in the absorbent article
assembly 300 is
18
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIP 1
defined by a single piece of sheet material 29, as best seen in FIG. 29. The
sheet material may
be a plastic film sheet or a paper sheet material. The sheet material 29
includes a first end
section 132, a second end section 134, and an intermediate section 136
arranged between the end
sections 132 and 134, as best seen in FIG. 29.
In the fourth embodiment of the invention 300, the intermediate section 136 of
the sheet
material 29 extends over and corresponds in location to the intermediate
portion 20 of the napkin
12. The second end section 134 of the sheet material 29 extends over and
corresponds in
location to the second end portion 18 of the napkin 12. The second end section
134 also extends
over and overlaps the first end section 132, as best seen in FIG. 28. The
first end section 132
extends over and corresponds in location to the first end portion 16 of the
napkin 12.
As best seen in FIG. 29, the sheet material 29 includes a first terminal edge
137 and a
second terminal edge 149. As shown in FIG. 28, the second terminal edge 149 is
coupled to the
first end section 132, by adhesive or like, at a location between the first
terminal edge 137 and
the second terminal edge 149.
As shown in FIG. 28, the sheet material 29 includes a portion 151 adjacent the
first
terminal edge 137 that is coupled to the release strip 54 that covers the
adhesive on the wings 50
and 52. The portion 151, which is located in the first end section 132 of the
sheet material 29, is
coupled to the release strip 54 by any suitable means such as adhesive or the
like. This
configuration permits the simultaneous opening of the pouch 14 and the removal
of the release
strip 54 by a user.
As best seen in FIG. 29, the sheet material 29 is also provided with a score
line or other
line of weakness 180 arranged between the first terminal edge 137 and the
second terminal edge
149. It is noted that in the final pouch 14 configuration the score line 180
is substantially
19
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIPI
aligned with the fold line 19 of the napkin 12 that separates the intermediate
portion 20 of the
napkin 12 from the first end portion 16 of the napkin 12. The pouch 14 may
optionally be
provided with a tab 41 that is formed from a separate piece of material and is
permanently
attached to the pouch in a location adjacent the score line 180. When a user
desires to open the
pouch 14 the user grasps the tab 41 and pulls the tab in an upward direction
causing the pouch 14
to open along the score line 180.
As shown in FIG. 27, the side seams of the pouch 14 are designated by the
numeral 40
and are defined by embossments running along and defining opposite
longitudinal edge zones of
the pouch. The side seams 40 function to seal the overlapping portions of the
sheet material 29.
As shown in FIG. 28, the second end section 134 of the sheet material overlaps
the first
end section 132 of the sheet material and the two ends of the sheet material
29 are permanently
secured to one another by a strip of adhesive or the like. In this manner, the
pouch 14 provides a
sealed enclosure for the tri-folded napkin 12 prior to use of the napkin 12.
The manner of deploying the napkin 12 from the pouch 14 in the individually
packaged
absorbent article assembly 100 is substantially identically to the manner
employed in the third
embodiment of the invention 200 described above with reference to FIGS. 19-26.
However, in
the absorbent article assembly 300 the user initiates opening the pouch 14 by
opening the pouch
along the score line 180. Specifically, the user grasps the tab 41 and pulls
in an upward direction
to thereby open the pouch 14 along the score line 180.
It is noted that that the individually packaged absorbent article assembly 300
as described
enables the intermediate portion 20 of the napkin, and in particularly the
garment-facing surface
24 thereof, to be first deployed prior to the deployment of the other portions
of the napkin 12.
This enables the user to easily attach the intermediate portion 20 of the
napkin to the
CA 02719154 2010-10-26
PPC-5330-USCIP 1
undergarment before the other portions of the napkin are deployed from the
pouch 14. In
addition, the embodiment of the invention 300 described above also permits the
simultaneous
removal of the release strip 54 from the wings 50 and 52 during opening of the
pouch 14. This
significantly simplifies the attachment process and represents a significant
improvement over
prior art assemblies.
21
