WO1997004729A1

WO1997004729A1 - Adhesive taping panel

Info

Publication number: WO1997004729A1
Application number: PCT/US1995/009582
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jerry L. Worstell; Michael F. Bly; Thomas C. Burke
Original assignee: Blessings Corp.
Priority date: 1995-07-28
Filing date: 1995-07-28
Publication date: 1997-02-13
Also published as: AU3359795A

Abstract

The invention provides a taping panel (119) specially useful for disposable diapers (101). The panel (119) is provided with alternating minipanels (121, 123) that exhibit differing (high and lo w) levels of aggressiveness to the tape (111a, 111b) used to secure the diaper. The taping panel (119) can be made by embossing (139) a polyolefin film (137, 145) to provide that alternating minipanels (121, 123) separately having high and low aggression to the tape (111a, 111b).

Description

ADHESIVE TAPING PANEL

Background of the Invention 1. The field of the invention.

This invention relates to a taping panel used typically to secure garments such as diapers to wearers, to combinations of the taping panel with an adhesive tape to provide a securing means, to garments comprising such securing means, to methods of making and using such panels, and to methods and devices for the manufacture of such panels.

2. The state of the art. The attachment of garments to wearers can take any number of forms, such as zippers and metal fasteners. For diapers and similar incontinence devices, which were typically made of cloth, attachment was conventionally done with the use of pins, especially safety pins. Modern incontinence and similar hygiene devices typically comprise an absorbent material for contact with the user. The other side of the absorbent material has attached thereto a water-proof barrier layer, typically made of a polyolefin (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, etc.). While some have used mechanical hook and loop fasteners (e.g., VELCRO brand) to attach the diaper to the wearer, such fastening means are relatively expensive to employ for a disposable diaper. More typically, attachment of a disposable diaper is by means of an adhesive strip permanently attached to the rear portion of the diaper

(i.e., the portion at the wearers back) and draped over the hip area for adhesive attachment to the front portion of the diaper (i.e., the portion at the front of the wearer).

Various problems occur in the adhesion performance when securing the adhesive strip to the barrier layer or outside of the diaper. While the diaper is intended for one-time use and to be disposable, it is often the case that the diaper must be either readjusted for the baby's comfort or opened to check whether changing of the diaper is due. As the adhesive strip is removed and reapplied, a portion of the adhesive will remain on the attachment surface, thereby decreasing the adhesive forces when the strip is reattached. This can lead to the strip having an insufficient adhesion to the attachment surface. Another problem is that the adhesive may be too aggressive for the attachment surface, whereby removal of the adhesive strip permanently deforms or rips open the attachment surface and possibly the barrier layer as well.

To solve these types of problems, the art has resorted to the use of a taping panel permanently attached to the barrier layer for use as the attachment surface. Generally, the barrier layer comprises polyethylene and the taping panel comprises polypropylene. One existing system uses an oriented polypropylene taping panel having a polycarbamate coating thereon. Another taping panel system uses polypropylene having a uniform pattern embossed over its entire surface. Other methods for solving this problem include the use of an adhesive strip having portions with adhesive alternating with portions having no adhesive; for example, US 4,299,223 and US 4,911,563.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a taping panel having a generally rectangular geometry defining a long dimension and a short dimension, the panel having thereon along the long dimension alternating minipanels of high and low aggression to a particular adhesive tape. The invention also provides a securement system comprising the taping panel and an adhesive tape. The invention further provides a garment, preferably an incontinence device, wherein the means of attaching the garment to the wearer is by the combination of an adhesive tape and the novel taping panel of this invention. More particularly, the invention provides a taping panel for use in the attachment of a garment to a wearer by means of strips having an adhesive thereon, said panel comprising alternating minipanels which exhibit, respectively, relatively higher and relatively lower aggression to the adhesive strip.

The invention also provides, more particularly, an incontinence device which comprises an absorbent, a barrier layer having an inside to which said absorbent is attached and an outside, said barrier layer also defining front and rear portions of the device, adhesive strips having an adhesive coating thereon, said strips having a fixed end attached to said device at said rear portion and a free end, and a taping panel as defined by claim 1 attached to the outside of the barrier layer at the front portion thereof.

Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an idealized disposable diaper. Fig. 2 is a view of an embodiment of a taping panel according to this invention.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an embossing roll useful for making the taping panel shown in Fig. 2.

Figs. 4a and 4b are idealized views of processes for manufacturing the taping panel shown in Fig. 2 using the embossing roll shown in Fig. 3.

Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments The invention primarily is directed to a taping panel useful with garments attached to wearers with adhesive strips that attach to a portion of the article. Such garments typically include diapers and similar incontinence devices; the invention is also applicable to paper clothing, such as used in hospital environments, and similar articles or garments which are attached to or worn by people or animals.

Fig. 1 depicts a conventional disposable diaper 101 which comprises an absorbent portion 103 for contact with the wearer and a barrier layer 105 to protect the exudate in the absorbent from leaking and/or contacting the wearer's clothing or surfaces with which the wearer may come in contact. The diaper is typically constructed to provide a front portion 107 having opposing ends or corners 107a and 107b, and a rear portion 109 having opposing ends or corners 109a and 109b. The rear portion is provided with adhesive strips Ilia and illb in the vicinity of the respective corners I09a/b. The adhesive strips have a free end 113 for attachment of the diaper to the wearer by adhering to the front portion, and a fixed end 115 secured in the vicinity of the rear corner. To protect the adhesive layer, landing strips 117a and 117b are provided attached to the inside of the diaper (i.e., the side of the barrier layer to which the absorbent is attached) for placement of the adhesive tape during shipping; such an arrangement in the configuration of the adhesive and landings strips is as shown for Illb and 117b in Fig. 1. When placed on a wearer, the adhesive strip is removed from the landing strip and the free end is brought around to the front portion and attached to a taping panel 119 permanently secured to the outside of the diaper (e.g., the side of the barrier layer away from the wearer) . The taping panel is preferably generally rectangular and has a long side 119a and a short side 119b. Fig. 2 shows a more detailed view of one embodiment of a taping panel according to this invention. The panel comprises a plurality or multiplicity of alternating minipanels which provide different, and alternating, surfaces exhibiting different aggression to the adhesive strip; for example, minipanels 121 having a high aggression alternating with minipanels 123 having a low aggression to the adhesive strip. There are various known standard methods for measuring adhesion, such as provided by the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council (e.g., PSTC-1 for Peel Adhesion for single Coated Pressure Sensitive Tapes at 180° Angle) as well as others (e.g., ASTM-D3330) ; a dynamic shear test can also be a useful measurement of adhesive aggressiveness. The minipanels of high aggression are generally made with homogeneous surfaces having a smooth or matte surface. The minipanels of low aggression are generally made such that the minipanels present a reduced surface area for tape adhesion, whereby a lower aggression is achieved. Another factor effecting the aggressiveness of the minipanel is the width 125 of the high aggression panel and the width 127 of the low aggression panel, including the ratio of their widths. Thus, the minipanels may all be of the same width, or those having a higher aggression may be wider or narrower than those exhibiting a lower aggression. It may also be desirable to provide differing panel widths along the long length of the taping panel, such as narrower towards the middle of the panel and wider towards each of the short ends. The taping panels can be made by embossing a film with an embossing roll as shown in Fig. 3. The embossing roll 129 is typically a roll having an engraved aluminum surface suitable for embossing polyolefin film. The embossing roll is provided with portions corresponding the surfaces characteristics desired for the minipanels in the taping panel.

The taping panel can be made by any number of methods, two of which are shown in Figs. 4a and 4b. In Fig. 4a, a film is made by a cast-embossed process in which polypropylene pellets (commercially available, e.g., melt flow index of 35) are melted and cast in an extruder 135 to provide a film 137. The film is passed through a nip between an embossing roll 139 and a roll having a rubber surface 141 to provide the embossed surfaces as shown in Fig. 2. Another method for making the film is by chill casting, as shown in Fig. 4b. From an extruder 143 emerges a film 145 which is at a temperature sufficiently high for the film to receive a pattern from a chilled embossing roll 147 onto which the film is extruded. Because there is no nip through which the film passes, the outside of the film (i.e., away from the embossing roll) has a smooth, shiny appearance; in the cast-embossed process, the film side in contact with the rubber roll is typically of a matte finish. If desired, the embossing roll can be provided such that the boundaries between the minipanels are sufficiently deep to provide score lines between the minipanels. The film may also be provided with minipanels having differing adhesion by the application of an overfinish to alternating panels. Overfinishes increasing or decreasing the adhesion can be used depending upon design choices, or two separate overfinishes, one increasing adhesion and the other decreasing adhesion, can be applied to alternate panels. The film is then cut into panels or strips which are permanently affixed to the outside of the diaper by heat sealing and/or with an adhesive. The panel is attached so that the embossed side faces away from the diaper and serves as the landing strip for the adhesive tape. The film may be comprised of virtually any film-forming polymeric material such as a polyolefin or a polyester. Polyolefins are preferred, including those derived from ethylene, propylene, and l-butene monomers, homopolymers of any such monomers, and copolymers (including terpolymers) thereof, including blends (alloys) of two or more polyolefin homopolymers or copolymers. Most preferred is polypropylene homopolymer.

As noted above, the minipanels have an alternating high and low aggression to the adhesive. The terms "high" and "low" are relative to each other when adhesion is determined by a standardized testing method. The minipanels of high aggression preferably have a smooth or matte finish (e.g., a matte finish with a surface smoothness of 60 R/A) . The minipanels of low aggression are typically those which are embossed. Virtually any embossing pattern will provide a minipanel having some surface portions which are depressed, whereby a diminished taping surface is presented to the adhesive strip. A preferred embossing pattern is known as taffeta, which has an appearance of a continuous diamond pattern, and especially one having a density of less than about 250 diamonds/inch. A pattern having 165 diamonds/inch will provide a more aggressive adhesion than one having

55 diamonds/inch; note that the diamond portion is depressed from the surface, and thus a finer patter will provide more surface area for contact with the tape and thus a relatively higher aggression. A preferred taping panel has minipanels of high aggression with a width of 1/4" (60 R/A matte finish) alternating with minipanels of low aggression having a width of 1/8" and having embossed thereon a regular diamond taffeta pattern (2 mil depth) having a pattern density of 165 diamonds/inch.

For a given tape to be used in the fastening means, routine experimentation can be used to determine the desired aggressiveness of the minipanels. For example, a series of films would be made and embossed with an embossing roll as shown in Fig. 3, the series including films having differing patterns and/or densities for embossing, and/or differing widths of the minipanels. The embossed film is cut into taping panels and tested for adhesive aggressiveness. A standard adhesion test is performed on each of the taping panels and the difference, if any, in the adhesion of the adhesive strip is determined. It is preferred that the high aggression minipanels exhibit an adhesive force at least 15% greater than the low aggression minipanels, more preferably at least 25% greater, and most preferably at least 50% greater. It should be noted that, to some extent, the desired difference in adhesive aggressiveness will be related to the idiosyncracies of the person placing the diaper on the wearer.

One of the benefits of the invention is that the low aggression minipanels will provide an improved refastening performance because less of the adhesive from the strip will be left on the surface of these minipanels. Accordingly, more adhesive remains on the adhesive strip to allow for multiple opportunities to remove and attach the adhesive strip.

Another benefit of the present invention is that a more aggressive adhesive can be used on the adhesive tape.

Because the taping panel has minipanels exhibiting a low aggressiveness, problems associated with deformation or tearing of the panel and possibly the barrier layer can be avoided using the present invention even with a more aggressive adhesion.

Yet another benefit of the invention is that a narrower width adhesive tape can be used. Since wider tapes are more costly, a narrower tape would provide cost savings. Adjustment of the aggressiveness of the alternating minipanels allows for a tape of a desired, narrower width to be used.

The foregoing descriptions are meant to illustrate and describe the invention without limitation to the particular embodiments described, and various modifications and changes thereof are intended to be within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is: 1. A taping panel for use in the attachment of a garment to a wearer by means of strips having an adhesive thereon, said panel comprising alternating minipanels which exhibit, respectively, relatively higher and relatively lower aggression to the adhesive strip.

2. The taping panel defined by claim 1, wherein the minipanels exhibiting a relatively higher adhesion have a matte surface finish.

3. The taping panel defined by claim 1, wherein the minipanels exhibiting a relatively lower adhesion have an pattern embossed thereon.

4. The taping panel defined by claim 3, wherein the pattern is a regular diamond taffeta pattern.

5. The taping panel defined by claim 1, wherein the panel is comprised of a polyolefin.

6. The taping panel defined by claim 5, wherein the panel consists essentially of polypropylene.

7. An incontinence device, comprising: an absorbent; a barrier layer having an inside to which said absorbent is attached and an outside, said barrier layer also defining front and rear portions of the device; adhesive strips having an adhesive coating thereon, said strips having a fixed end attached to said device at said rear portion and a free end; and a taping panel as defined by claim 1 attached to the front portion of the device.

8. The device as defined by claim 7, wherein the device is a diaper.

9. The device defined by claim 7 having the taping panel defined by claim 1, wherein the minipanels exhibiting a relatively higher adhesion have a matte surface finish.

10. The device defined by claim 7 having the taping panel defined by claim 1, wherein the minipanels exhibiting a relatively lower adhesion have an pattern embossed thereon.

11. The device defined by claim 7 having the taping panel defined by claim 3, wherein the pattern is a regular diamond taffeta pattern.

12. The device define by claim 7 having the taping panel defined by claim 1, wherein the panel is comprised of a polyolefin.

13. The device defined by claim 12, wherein the panel consists essentially of polypropylene.

14. The taping panel defined by claim 1 in combination with an adhesive tape selectively adherable thereto.

15. A method for making the taping panel defined by claim 1, comprising: extruding a polyolefin film; providing an embossing roll effective to produce the taping panel as defined by claim 1, and embossing said film with said embossing roll.