ABSORBENT ARTICLE PROVIDED WITH A QR-CODE

Abstract

A disposable absorbent article such as a diaper, pant diaper, a sanitary pant or incontinence garment, intended to be worn around the waist of a wearer is provided. The absorbent article has a chassis having a front portion, a back portion and a crotch portion therebetween. The absorbent article optionally has one or more fastening tabs attached to the back or front portion of the chassis. The absorbent article has an absorbent core secured to the chassis in at least the crotch portion. The absorbent article is provided with a QR-code on a garment facing-side thereof and on a carrier material in or on at least one of the front portion, back portion and/or on the one or more fastening tabs. The carrier material has a Gurley stiffness of 8 mgf or more.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A disposable absorbent article such as a diaper, pant diaper, a sanitary pant or incontinence garment, intended to be worn around the waist of a wearer, said article comprising a chassis having a front portion, a back portion and a crotch portion there between, optionally one or more fastening tabs attached to said back portion and/or to said front portion of said chassis, said absorbent article having a wearer-facing side and a garment-facing side, said article further comprising an absorbent core secured to the chassis in at least the crotch portion, wherein a QR-code is provided on a garment-facing side and on a carrier material in or on at least one of said front portion, back portion and/or said one or more fastening tabs, and that said carrier material has a Gurley stiffness of 8 mgf or more, as measured according to the Gurley Stiffness test method TAPPI T 543 om-05, Bending resistance of paper (Gurley-type tester).

16. The disposable absorbent article according to claim 15, wherein said carrier material has a Gurley stiffness of from 10 mgf to 1000 mgf.

17. The disposable absorbent article according to claim 15, wherein said QR-code is a printed QR-code.

18. The absorbent article according to claim 15, wherein said carrier material is selected from the group consisting of a nonwoven material, a knitted material, a woven material, a film material, and a laminate of at least two thereof.

19. The absorbent article according to claim 18, wherein said carrier comprises a nonwoven material comprising at least two or more layers of spunbond and/or meltblown fibers.

20. The disposable absorbent article according to claim 19, wherein said fibers of said layers have a diameter of from 1.5 to 2.5 microns.

21. The disposable absorbent article according to claim 15, wherein said carrier material has a basis weight of from 50 gsm to 150 gsm.

22. The disposable absorbent article according to claim 15, wherein said absorbent article comprises at least one fastening tab, and wherein said carrier material forms part of said at least one fastening tab.

23. The disposable absorbent article according to claim 15, wherein said QR-code is provided at an outermost layer, facing away from the user.

24. The disposable absorbent article according to claim 15, wherein said carrier material has an extensibility of no more than 4%, as measured upon application of a load of 100 g per centimetre of the material width.

25. The disposable absorbent article according to claim 15, wherein said carrier material is non-extendible.

26. The disposable absorbent article according to claim 15, wherein said carrier material has an opacity of about 80% to about 100%.

27. The disposable absorbent article according to claim 15, wherein said disposable absorbent article comprises a print having a colour and wherein said QR-code has the same colour.

28. The disposable absorbent article according to claim 15, wherein said disposable absorbent article is provided with two or more QR-codes.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] The present invention will be further explained hereinafter by means of non-limiting examples and with reference to the appended drawings wherein:

[0042] FIG. 1 illustrates a diaper according to the present disclosure, with QR-codes provided on the fastening tabs; and

[0043] FIG. 2 illustrates a fastening tab according to FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

[0044] It is to be understood that the drawings are schematic and that individual components are not necessarily drawn to scale. The diaper and the fastening tabs shown in the figures are provided as examples only and should not be considered limiting to the invention. Accordingly, the scope of invention is determined solely by the scope of the appended claims.

[0045] FIG. 1 illustrates an absorbent article 1, in the form of a diaper, in a closed configuration. The absorbent article 1 comprises a chassis 2 having a front portion 3, a back portion 4 and a crotch portion 5 there between. The absorbent article furthermore comprises a front waist 5 edge 7a and a back waist edge 7b and first and second longitudinal side edges 6a,6b extending from the front and back waist edges 7a,7b. The absorbent article also comprises leg elastic 9 extending along the longitudinal side edges 6a,6b in the crotch portion 5. The absorbent article 1 according to FIG. 1 furthermore comprises one fastening tab 10 extending from the first longitudinal side edge 6a, and one fastening tab 10 extending from the second longitudinal side edge 6b. The fastening tabs 10 are attached directly to the back portion 4 of the chassis 2. The fastening tabs 10 are in the form of large shaped and non-rectangular carrier materials, each comprising broader sections 13 attached at the longitudinal side edges 6a,6b of the back portion 4 of the chassis 2, and more narrow fastening sections 14. The fastening sections 14 comprise fastening means on a wearer facing side thereof. The fastening means may for example be adhesive or hooks. The absorbent article 1 furthermore comprises a receiving component 11 provided on an outer surface of the front portion 3 of the chassis 2. The absorbent article 1 is provided with two QR-codes 12 arranged on the outer surface of the fastening tabs 10. However, the absorbent article may also be provided with more than one QR-code on each carrier material, such as two, three or four QR-codes on each carrier material. The QR-codes may be identical or different QR-codes. The fastening tabs 10 are composed of a nonwoven material having a stiffness of 16 mgf as measured by the Gurley stiffness tester and the TAPPI test method T 543 om-05, Bending resistance of paper (Gurley-type tester).

[0046] FIG. 2 shows the fastening tab 10 from FIG. 1. In this figure, the QR-code 12 is printed on the fastening tab 10, but slightly off set the area comprising the fastening component on the wearer facing side.

[0047] Table 1, shown below, shows test data from measurements with respect to the Gurley stiffness, as measured according to the TAPPI specification T 543 om-05 by the Gurley Stiffness tester. In the test, measurements were performed on a fastening tab according to the present disclosure comprising a 55 gsm SSMMS nonwoven, from Fibertex and compared to a breathable backsheet laminate comprising a 10 gsm polypropylene/polyethylene film laminated with a 12 gsm polypropylene nonwoven.

[0048] Measurements in respect to the extensibility of different types of material were also made, comparing the fastening tab nonwoven with the backsheet laminate and an elastic side panel. The extensibility measurements were performed by removing, by cutting, the materials in the lateral direction of the diaper, and by applying a load of 100 grams per centimetre of the material width. The elastic side panel is taken from the commercially available Libero Touch from SCA Hygiene Products AB. The elastic side panel was a laminated material, comprising an elastic film in the middle (40 gsm, styrenic block copolymer) glued to two outer, covering nonwovens (27 gsm each, carded polypropylene fibers).

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Gurley stiffness (mgf) Extensibility Nonwoven-Fastening tab 16 3% Backsheet laminate 2 5% Elastic side panel 70%

[0049] As illustrated by the measurements presented in table 1, the difference in stiffness is significant between the fastening tab and the backsheet laminate, corresponding to a conventional backsheet laminate for a baby diaper. The extensibility of the nonwoven used as fastening tab and fulfilling the Gurley stiffness requirements are also very low, 3%, as shown in the third column in table 1.

[0050] Table 2, shown below, shows test data from measurements with regards to the readability for a fastening tab according to the present disclosure and for a 13 gsm backsheet laminate comprising a polypropylene film and a SMMS/SSMMS nonwoven (Fibertex Personal Care Sdn Bhd, spec. No. CT-MT-SPFB08), and a fastening tab. The backsheet laminate comprises a polyethylene film and a nonwoven, wherein the QR-code is printed on the polyethylene film and the fastening tab comprises a SSMMS/SSMMS nonwoven. The QR-codes were printed with flexographic print and the ink used was colour P455, L:70, a: 1.95, b: 12.00, max Delta E: 4 and density: 0.40-0.45. The results are indicated with either a 0 for a successful read and 1 for a failed read. The tests were performed under the same conditions and the scanning of the QR-code was performed with a mobile phone Samsung Galaxy Note II.

[0051] The procedure comprised the following steps; [0052] 1) Take one roll of the printed side panel/fastening tab nonwoven or alternatively one roll of the printed backsheet laminate and cut into samples having a width of 141 mm and a sample length of 3750 mm [0053] 2) ensure that there are no stains, folds or crumple mark on the QR-code printed area, [0054] 3) Take the mobile device, open the WeChat app on the mobile device. Tap the discovery button, and then select the Scan QR code option, [0055] 4) set up a mobile phone holder on a table, [0056] 5) place the mobile phone in the mobile phone holder such that the mobile phone camera is directed towards the table at a distance of 90 mm, [0057] 6) place a table lamp next to the mobile phone holder and switch on the lamp, [0058] 7) use a 0 for pass reading and a 1 as fail reading.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Backsheet Fastening Fastening laminate tab R tab L 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0

[0059] As illustrated in table 2 above, a consistent readability is provided when printing the QR-code on the fastening tab having a stiffness of 16 gsm as measured by the Gurley Stiffness tester, compared with when the printing is provided on the backsheet of the absorbent article.