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Title: Scitation (beta version)
Publisher: American Institute of Physics
Cost: Partially open access
Tested: September 20-30, 2009
The beta version offers some useful additional options, such as result clustering and quick filtering by descriptors, classification codes, journal names, author, publication year etc. But the search is still limited to bibliographic metadata excluding the text of the papers, Open access full-text searching is the norm these days in almost all societies' archives. It aggravates the problem that Scitation is also the host/digital facilitator of journals and conference proceedings of other societies and associations.
For many years I have organized my reviews in this column into three main sections (context, content, and software) to organize my pro and con arguments about the databases. I found the context section especially needed, because a database can be judged objectively only if the reviewer knows the other related databases and/or the implementations of the same database on different software platforms, such as the varieties of the PsycINFO database implementations through ProQuest, CSA, OCLC, Ovid (and for a time on SilverPlatter), or most recently, on the American Psychological Association's site. Another reason that I feel the need to put a database in context is that its content or software may have been novel or even unique several years ago, but by now it may not even catch up to similar databases in its peer group. This is the case with Scitation.
I have reviewed the Scitation database twice before in the Peter's Picks and Pans column in Online. After its debut (under the name OJPS for Online Journal Publishing Service), it was my pick in 2003 because it was among the first to offer open access searching of bibliographic data (metadata) when it was a novelty.
In 2008 I panned it, because it did not keep up with the trend of offering open access full-text searching, which has become the norm throughout the community of the best scholarly publishers, most dominantly in the subject area of physics and its sub-disciplines, such as astrophysics and high-energy physics.
The PROLA database of the American Physical Society, the journals archive of the Institute of Physics, or the Astrophysics Data System (ADS) of NASA hosted by Harvard University, run circles around Scitation of the American Institute of Physics(AIP) by virtue of offering full-text searching free. The open access ADS which — in spite of its name — covers all sub-disciplines of physics and mathematics, stands out with nearly 8 million bibliographic records, most of them with abstracts.
Many offer the option of viewing/printing/ saving some full-text documents free directly from their own journals, and more than half a million papers through the arXiv preprint archive. The note to the beta version (which was released eight months ago) promised that the search engine would go through continuous changes and improvements, and the changes would be recorded in a change tracking log. The log remained completely empty.
The AIP claims that Scitation has more than one million records, but my test showed that the beta version has more than two million records, and the official version has 1.92 million records. Of course, two million is more than one million, but it would be in the best interest of AIP (as a journal publisher, and as a digital facilitator of other scholarly publishers) to update the information about the size of the Scitation database. Two million records about scholarly articles and conference papers in physics is an impressive number.
About a little over a quarter of the two million records are for journals, magazines and conference papers published by AIP. The rest are from journals and conference proceedings of other publishers whose digital libraries are hosted on the Scitation platform.
There are 12 AIP journals, two AIP magazines and the AIP Conference Proceedings (which includes hundreds of proceedings from the various series, such as the ones on Astronomy and Astrophysics, on Plasma Physics, on Nuclear and High Energy Physics, etc.). The importance of this is elevated by the fact that some of the AIP journals have been top-ranked in the appropriate subcategories of physics in the Journal Citation Reports by their absolute citedness count and by the recently introduced new Eigenfactor score.
The only comparable publisher of journals and other periodicals in physics is the American Physical Society, with nearly half a million papers (all of them full-text searchable on the native site of APS, but not through Scitation, in which APS is a partner ). (For comparison, the respected Institute of Physics Electronic Journal archive has 150,000 papers — all of them full-text searchable).
The other half of the records are for papers published by many respectful groups of publishers (beyond AIP and APS), which is quite a good company for partners and clients. The list of AIP partners/clients includes the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), the American Astronomical Society (AAS), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Electrochemical Society (ECS), the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) and SPIE (which is not an acronym, but is the name of the society for optics and photonics) — to mention only the most widely known societies who have records for a substantial percent of their journal/conference paper records available through Scitation. An odd client in the group — given its emphasis on science and technology — is the American Accounting Association, with 15 journals. Quite tellingly, while it appears under "the" in the alphabetic and publisher list of the component databases of Scitation, there is no entry for it in the category list and can't be chosen from the pull down category menu that indicates well the scope of coverage of Scitation.
No matter how good and wide Scitations's source base, its depth of indexing is very inadequate because of the lack of full-text indexing. The advantage that the bibliographic records of several physics publishers' digital archives can be searched at one fell swoop is not unique anymore.
The free Scirus system from Elsevier offers cross-archive search for many of the same publishers' digital archives plus others such as that of Elsevier, the IoP, SAGE, Royal Society Publishing, as well as 20 other preferred Web sources (renown institutional repositories, disciplinary reprint archives) — all of these with the possibility to expand the search to the full-text — to the tune of 56.5 million records. This figure does not include the nearly 287 million Web pages indexed by Scirus, as these represent a medley of documents with very different quality (but they can be easily excluded from the search). Then there is the variety of new science-oriented free federated search engines, partially overlapping Scitation, from the government and from private entrepreneurs, such as WorldWideScience or Scitopia, which I will review soon.
The software in the beta version has not been extended to the full-text document. The broadest search still is the full bibliographic record. This is the biggest disappointment. AIP does a disservice not only to its own journals and conference proceedings but also to its partners/clients. The difference can be easily seen when searching the digital archive of one of its partners through Scitation versus the native search engine of one its partners. The database is PROLA of the American Physical Society, but it could be any of the other partner/client databases of Scitation.
The search for cryptography AND quantum dots" finds 175 hits when searching through the native search engine of PROLA - using the full-text index and limited to the Physical Review journal family. The number of hits is 5 when searching the same journal family through Scitation using the broadest index: the full bibliographic record index. When the search is limited to the title or abstract index both versions bring up very similar number of hits, clearly indicating that Scitation uses the entire PROLA database except for the two Physical Review Special Topics Series.
On the positive side, the beta version of Scitation has been enhanced by comprehensive clustering. On the side bar of the screen the software shows the top five keywords, publication years, PACS (Physics and Astronomy Classification Scheme) codes, authors, journals and article types found in the result set produced by the search.
It instantly shows the most commonly co-occurring metadata elements, which in turn can be used to filter the search by limiting it to one or two favorite journal(s) or author(s) of the searcher, or to a document type, or to a particular aspect of the topic, such as radiation pressure or atom-photon collisions in laser cooling. It makes the clustering even more useful that the hit counts associated with the cluster element within the result set are shown, predicting how much the result will shrink, if the cluster element is used for filtering.
This clustering/filtering option could be better only if the user, such as a graduate students not yet familiar with the sophisticated, structured PACS codes could have the choice to display their text equivalent in the cluster. Allowing the display of the next five most commonly associated keywords, etc. with the query would also be a great help in optimizing the results.
The result list is very clearly presented with an almost optimal font type, size and color. I would choose blue for the title (as that takes the user to the more detailed record with abstract), and use bold for the publication year rather than the volume number as the former is far more informative to the vast majority of users when pondering if the paper is current enough.
True, the results can be sorted by three criteria (relevance, most recent, oldest), but if relevance is chosen, than one can intuitively make the best compromise intuitively. It would be very useful to show the citedness count of the items and offer a sort option by it. This is an increasingly popular criterion in selecting items from a long list of results, and are implemented in more and more databases, such as ADS, PROLA and the SPIRES High Energy Physics databases. Marking the preferred items is much needed, to be able to retain on the list only the items which are pertinent for the searcher.
Although I like this format, the option of saving the result list in one or more of the standard bibliographic citation format(s) would be much appreciated by students and also by young researchers, not yet familiar with the vagaries of the excessive numbers of citation formats.
The lack of full-text searching in the two million record collection hosted on the Scitation platform is hard to understand. The expensive Verity software certainly could handle that with aplomb. The much larger storage area needed for full-text indexing is not an issue when 1 terabyte disk drives are available for about $100. It seems to be just a bad management decision, depriving users from discovering items where their search terms may not appear in the title, abstract or descriptor field of the bibliographic record, but are used by the author frequently in the full-text, and are obviously relevant for the topic.


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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to police officers about protecting law and order on Feb. 20, 2023 in New York City. Photo: Spencer Platt via Getty Images
Sixteen Democratic attorneys general have condemned Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' request for information about students who sought or received gender-affirming care at public colleges in Florida.
Driving the news: DeSantis has asked state universities to complete a survey detailing the numbers and ages of students who have accessed treatments for gender dysphoria, including gender reassignment surgeries and hormone prescriptions.
What they're saying: "This information request may be intended to intimidate, and will actually intimidate, university administrators and health care providers and chill vulnerable students … from accessing necessary medical care," the coalition, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, wrote in a letter to DeSantis this week.
- "Further, public reports suggest that you may seek to use the information sought to eliminate funding for necessary gender-affirming health care for students."
- "Such actions jeopardize the health, safety and well-being of young people and their families, contravene well-accepted medical standards, unduly insert the state into the provider-patient relationship, violate students’ rights under federal law—including privacy—and offend basic human rights," the letter noted.
- "Accordingly, we urge you to reconsider this action and rescind the information request immediately."
- A spokesperson for DeSantis did not immediately return a request for comment.
State of play: Reputable medical groups, including the American Medical Association, have warned that restrictions on gender-affirming care could lead to negative impacts on mental health for trans youth, who have an increased risk of suicide.
- But DeSantis and other high-profile Republicans — including former President Trump — have homed in on gender-affirming care as a target and sought to restrict trans people's ability to access it.
- DeSantis' administration has asked the state board regulating doctors to essentially ban transition-related care for trans minors and advised doctors to ignore federal guidance and stop assisting children and teens with gender transitions.
- He also signed a bill in 2021 to ban trans girls from participating in school sports that align with their gender identity.
Worth noting: The Florida Board of Medicine finalized a rule in November to bar health providers in the state from offering gender-affirming care for minors. All of the members of the state's medical board were appointed by DeSantis.
The big picture: At least 97 pieces of legislation introduced in state legislatures in 2023 seek to ban aspects of gender-affirming medical care, according to data from the American Civil Liberties Union.
Source: Read Full Article
Manhattan DA presses House GOP committee chairs to condemn Trump's "harsh" rhetoric
Joy, vindication and anxiety: Democrats absorb a consequential moment.
Denver mayoral candidate Lisa Calderón, Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca campaign finance violation complaints
House Passes G.O.P. Energy Bill, Pushing to Roll Back Biden Climate Measures
Starmer faces election nightmare with top unions slamming Corbyn ban

domain: politics


text:
MANILA – Richard Gomez is both excited and nervous as he holds his first solo exhibit at the Pinto Art Museum in Antipolo.
The exhibit opened on Sunday.
“My appreciation for the arts started in the '80s,” said the actor, who first joined group shows before mounting his own exhibit.
“I’m hoping that friends and people will come and take a look,” he added.
Gomez said his exhibit will benefit the children of Ormoc City, where he serves as mayor. “I want to build a beautiful playground for them,” he said.
Here’s a glimpse of some of the actor’s paintings, which he described as “experiential.”

domain: entertainment


text:
Datasets contain original and revised Index of Watershed Integrity (IWI) and Index of Catchment Integrity (ICI), as well as sub-components that were used to develop the indices and water quality data used to revise and/or evaluate the indices.
This data center is not currently reporting usage information. For information on how your repository can submit usage information, please see our Documentation.
Relation Types Summary
Is supplement to1

domain: geography


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Have you ever wondered how you can combine an active life, with a luxurious and tranquil life? I have. However, I can actually experience this on a daily basis! Yesterday I ventured out to the Sierra Bermeja, a mountain shared between the villages of Casares, Estepona and Genaguacil. It is a wonderful hike; a 5hr long track with wonderful sights over the Costa del Sol at the peak, where the three towns unite. Afterwards, I drove down to Estepona and had a nice cup of tea, enjoying the last minutes of sunshine at 7pm.
YOUR WAY UP TO THE PEAK OF SIERRA BERMEJA
I left my house in Casares at 11am with a bag with water, aquarius, a typical Spanish lunch I prepared (tortilla and a Russian salad), and some cookies. To access the track, you have to drive through Los Reales in Estepona and after 20min you can park your car at an open space and start. My way up took a little more than expected though. Expect the unexpected on these types of roads! You should be prepared for some traffic jam, but don’t worry, it’s not an average vehicle jam, you’ll be stuck behind 100 sheep, a dog and a shepherd for a couple of minutes. It is good fun, I can assure you that!
I don’t know what type of hikes you’ve experienced, but I will update your knowledge on this hike. It is not a regular, straight road you will be walking. It is a path that has curved together with the steps of the many hikers, goats, and other animals that have undertaken the challenge to walk to the peak of this mountain. I suggest you put on your hiking boots, long trousers (to not get scratched by unmaintained plants), a t-shirt, a jumper, and a windproof coat as the winds can be quite strong and cold at this side of the mountain. In summer days, be prepared with sun cream because you will transform into a nice and pink prawn without even noticing!
FAUNA, FLORA, THE BEAUTY OF ANDALUSIA
If you’re lucky you will be able to see a deer feast the green grasses on the sudden prairies within the forest, or the eagles and vultures ruling over the skies, and many other surprises that could in fact cross the path when you less expect it to happen. The beauty of the unspoiled nature in Andalusia is irreplaceable in so many aspects. Many feel fortunate to live in Andalusia, where at the doorstep of your villa or cortijo you have direct access to this amazing nature.
No matter where you live, you will always find a way to wander off within the exquisiteness and splendour of the masses of flora and fauna that compose the landscapes of the diverse Andalusian grounds.

domain: hobby


text:
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This book is certainly worth consulting for anyone studying international aid institutions. The better parts include those on private aid institutions and their related PR... Read morePublished on Nov. 17 2013 by ogilvie
This is a thought provoking treatise on the AID industry to countries of the third world.It is a well researched book by an insider. Read morePublished on July 16 2000 by Olumide Ogunremi
In his book Lords of Poverty, Mr. Graham Hancock offers a very detailed account of the so-called Aid Industry. Read morePublished on Feb. 25 2000 by Viola P. Reyna
Hancock exposes the seedy underbelly of development/aid as few have dared in the past. Those who live off this industry or have vested interests in spouting an image of Western... Read morePublished on Jan. 6 2000 by Carlo Matthews
Lords of Poverty presents a very coherent argument, backed up by lots of specific experiences *and* data. It is by no means sensationalistic. Read morePublished on Oct. 4 1999
This book is a MUST READ for anyone in international aid, finance, politics, and anyone who wants to make some sense of the aid & development industry. Read morePublished on Sept. 30 1999
While mis-uses of international aid funds certainly do happend, and while development programs sometimes run amuck, Mr Hancock very poorly supports his thesis - that international... Read morePublished on Jan. 22 1999
This book is getting a little dated now, but remains a classic critique of the international aid business. Read morePublished on Oct. 6 1998

domain: library


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CHANGES IN FINANCE SYSTEM OF CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS DURING "RESTRUCTURING" (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE BASHKIR AUTONOMOUS SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLIC)Journal: Science and world (Vol.2, No. 9)
Publication Date: 2014-05-25
Authors : Badretdinova S.A.;
Page : 139-141
Keywords : cultural and educational institutions; multichannel finance system; clubs; paid services; "Restructuring".;
The changes in finance system of cultural and educational institutions that began in the years of "Restructuring" and the related problems are investigated in the article. Considering this process in the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, the author allocates its the general, characteristic for all country, line, and regional features. The considerable part of the studied archival materials for the first time is introduced into scientific circulation.
Other Latest Articles
Last modified: 2015-08-13 19:05:44


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Avnio, a London, UK-based sales automation startup has exited stealth mode with a £3 million seed investment led by early-stage VC firm Felicis Ventures.
Avnio will use the investment to fuel its expansion to the US and for the product development of its sales and marketing software.
Company: Avnio Ltd.
Round: Seed Round
Funding Month: March 2022
Lead Investors: Felicis Ventures
Company Website: https://www.avnio.com/
Software Category: AI-powered solutions for RFP Automation and PreSales Operations
About the Company: Founded in 2020 by Tobias Dawes, Avnio provides AI-powered solutions for RFP Automation and PreSales Operations. The startup’s software solutions are integrated into the Salesforce platform and combine artificial intelligence and distributed workflows. It aims to automate manual sales tasks from the request for proposal stage through the “entire business workflow”. Avnio currently employs more than 30 people across the UK and India. The company says its annual recurring revenue has increased by 14x and its customers have grown sevenfold.

domain: news


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For a different look at the Hall, check out this video by Canadian comedian Rick Mercer, paying a visit some years ago and getting a personal tour of the official residence with the current Governor General David Johnston. Denise asked a question about tennis balls breaking windows in the Tent Room the other day- this clip has a different spin on that.
Looking at this, you wouldn't expect that off to the right, Rideau Hall stands. This ravine is on the east side of the property. It's quite a drop down to the bottom from here.
One last look back at Rideau Hall as we head down the main driveway.
I mentioned in an earlier post about dignitaries doing ceremonial tree plantings. Their plaques can be found by the tree, such as in the case of this one, identifying President Truman as having planted a sugar maple here. Obviously from the size of the tree, this must be a shoot of the original tree, given new life.
This totem pole is on the grounds, dating back to 1946. It was carved for the Governor General of the time, Viscount Alexander, by a First Nations artist.
The inukshuk is nearby, dating back to a more recent Governor General, Romeo LeBlanc, in 1997.
A gatehouse can be found here.
And in summer when I took these shots, the Ceremonial Guard is on hand manning the gates. I hope you have enjoyed this look at Rideau Hall.

domain: history


China's first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Type 001A, embarked on its ninth sea trial on Thursday, during which fighter jets may land and take-off during tests held before its final commissioning.
The carrier left Dalian Shipyard on Thursday morning, according to a report by Hong Kong-based news website wenweipo.com.
A navigation restriction notice released by the Maritime Safety Administration of China on Tuesday said a military mission is scheduled from Thursday to Friday in the Bohai Sea.
"Since the navigation restriction period is only two days, and the zone is close to a military base that hosts aircraft carrier-borne fighter jets, the objective of the sea trial could be for it to receive fighter jets," military analysts were quoted as saying by wenweipo.com.
Two other navigation restriction notices by the Maritime Safety Administration, both released on Thursday, said there were two more military missions- one in the North Yellow Sea from Friday to November 21, and the other in the Bohai Strait and North Yellow Sea from Friday to November 22.
"It is unclear which and if these three military restriction zones are related to the aircraft carrier," a military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Thursday.
"The aircraft carrier could complete the two-day mission to get fighter jets and then head to a longer one, or return to the shipyard on Friday, or could go directly to a longer mission without taking fighter jets as the report suggested," the expert added.
The boat returned from its eighth sea trial this October, which experts speculated, was “the last trial before its induction into the Chinese navy.”
Troops in white naval uniforms lined the warship's flight deck on the morning of October 24, and practiced an inspection ceremony. A huge “1” was painted on the ship’s hull earlier, deemed to be a sign of its induction into military service, was erased.
China’s first carrier, the Liaoning, entered service in September 2012. While the Liaoning has the hull number “16,” the new Type 001A vessel could bear the number “17,” military observers noted.
The new boat can reportedly house 36 J-15 fighter jets and additional helicopters, a dozen more than the Liaoning’s tally of 24 J-15s.
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Cabin & apartment | Tollagården's holiday village in Gesunda is located 16 km southwest of Mora at Siljan beach. It is a scenic area with the big forests and about fifty meters to Siljan Lake. The holiday village consists of 11 timbered cottages (4 - 8 beds) in genuine Dala style with stained glass windows etc.
Tollagården is an ideal starting point for excursions in Dalarna. Two kilometers from the holiday village is Gesundaberget (514m), which has an alpine ski-resort in the winter and bikepark in the summer. (The Gesundaberget skiresort is closed 2022 for renovation.) From the top you have a breathtaking view of Siljan area. Down in the valley, in the forest, Santa Claus lives. The theme park is called Santaworld. It is also close to hiking trails and nice cycle paths.
There are 10 self-catering cottages in the holiday village, all with shower, WC, kitchen area or kitchenette and outdoor furniture. Some cottages have a fireplace and others have a sauna. For the cottages that do not have a sauna, there is a sauna belonging to the holiday village which you can book. In the same house there is also a laundry room and a relax room with sofas, many plants and large windows facing the garden and the pond outside. Around the pond there are garden furniture with fixed benches and tables under roof for those who want to settle down at the pond and perhaps enjoy a picnic or a coffee break. On the farm there are also ducks that are happy to visit you around the pond. Grills are available to borrow. Wood for the indoor fireplace are available at reception.
There are also 2 smaller shelter on the farm that can be rented as an extra sleeping cabin to some of the cottages. Contact Tollagården for more information.


How can we stop coal pollution?
Equipment intended mainly to reduce SO2, NOx, and particulate matter can also be used to reduce mercury emissions from some types of coal. Scientists are also working on new ways to reduce mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants. Research is underway to address emissions of carbon dioxide from coal combustion.
Should we stop coal mining?
As of 2010, coal accounted for 43% of global greenhouse gas emissions from fuel combustion. Simply put, to solve the climate crisis we must stop burning coal. Job number one is retiring old coal plants. … Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main greenhouse gas, and is the leading cause of global warming.
How do we stop mining?
How can mining become more environmentally sustainable?
- Reduce inputs. The mining industry uses a large amount of water and land in their operations. …
- Reduce outputs. …
- Proper waste disposal. …
- Improving the manufacturing process. …
- Close and reclaim shut-down mines. …
- Replenishing the environment. …
- Final words.
Will coal ever go away?
Rob Jackson, the chair of Global Carbon Project, said the pandemic was likely to confirm that coal will never again reach the global peak seen in 2013: “Covid-19 will slash coal emissions so much this year that the industry will never recover, even with a continued build-out in India and elsewhere.17 мая 2020 г.
Is Clean Coal a real thing?
According to the Sierra Club, “Despite the industry’s hype, there’s no such thing as ‘clean coal. ‘ But new technologies and policies can help reduce coal plants’ deadly emissions.”
Why is coal so bad?
Air pollution from coal-fired power plants is linked with asthma, cancer, heart and lung ailments, neurological problems, acid rain, global warming, and other severe environmental and public health impacts.
Does coal have a future?
The current administration favors coal, but that policy may not continue in future administrations. Displacing coal-fired power generation is a very cost-effective way to reduce U.S. energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and thus could be targeted by a future administration more concerned about climate.
Do coal miners still get black lung?
After Congress passed the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act in 1969, which made the elimination of black lung a national goal, coal workers’ pneumoconiosis dropped to historically low rates by the 1990s.
How long will coal last?
Based on U.S. coal production in 2019, of about 0.706 billion short tons, the recoverable coal reserves would last about 357 years, and recoverable reserves at producing mines would last about 20 years. The actual number of years that those reserves will last depends on changes in production and reserves estimates.
Is mining bad for the earth?
Across the world, mining contributes to erosion, sinkholes, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, significant use of water resources, dammed rivers and ponded waters, wastewater disposal issues, acid mine drainage and contamination of soil, ground and surface water, all of which can lead to health issues in local …
Can mining ever be environmentally friendly?
Choosing environmentally friendly general mining processes. In situ mining, for example, can be more environmentally friendly than underground mining and is cheaper than many mining methods. … Research and development of green mining technology in the areas of processing, clean water, and energy efficiency.
How does mining benefit the environment?
Modern mining methods have a proven and positive track record and are designed to minimize disturbance to land, vegetation, water, air, natural habitat and surrounding communities.
Who uses coal the most?
What can we use instead of coal?
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), nuclear power is the most effective substitute to challenge fossil fuels for future energy consumption. Compared to coal, gas, oil, and ethanol, nuclear power produces almost negligible adverse climate effects.
Why is coal being phased out?
Phasing out emissions from the existing coal fleet faces steep challenges. First, the market forces unleashed by cheap natural gas and the improved economics of renewables that drove the retirement of old coal power plants in the United States won’t be sufficient to do so for most of the world’s coal fleet.


|Publication number||US8016803 B2|
|Application number||US 11/224,779|
|Publication date||Sep 13, 2011|
|Filing date||Sep 13, 2005|
|Priority date||Sep 13, 2004|
|Also published as||CA2580369A1, CA2580369C, CN101010053A, CN101010053B, EP1788998A1, US20060058766, WO2006031639A1, WO2006031639A9|
|Publication number||11224779, 224779, US 8016803 B2, US 8016803B2, US-B2-8016803, US8016803 B2, US8016803B2|
|Inventors||Joerg Mueller, Cornelia Martynus, Ralf Geilich, Simone Seeboth, Ekaterina Anatolyevna Ponomarenko, Michael I. Divo|
|Original Assignee||The Procter & Gamble Company|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (34), Non-Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (6), Classifications (14), Legal Events (3)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/609,393 filed Sep. 13, 2004.
This invention is directed to an absorbent article, preferably a diaper or training pants, having a backsheet, an absorbent core and a topsheet, provided with at least one opening adapted to receive fecal material, comprising also a genital coversheet, which in use covers the genitals, and which is positioned in, under or above part of the opening, such that a void space is present between the topsheet and the absorbent core.
It is well known that fecal material is often difficult to remove from the skin of the user, in particular on sensitive skin such as that of young babies and the skin around the genitals. Moreover, it is well known that fecal material on the skin can cause irritation and redness of the skin and sometimes even dermatitis.
One of the solutions to reduce the fecal material on the skin is to provide a means to isolate the fecal material immediately after discharge, away from the skin. For example, diapers with a topsheet with one or more openings, through which the feces can pass to a void space between the topsheet and the absorbent core, have been developed. The fecal material is then stored underneath this topsheet, away from the skin.
However, occasionally still some fecal material may transfer back onto the skin including on the genitals.
Therefore, an absorbent article with a genital coversheet, which protects in use the genitals from being soiled by the fecal material, has been developed. This cover is typically only present in the areas of the topsheet and of the opening, which are in proximity with the genitals (i.e., the front of the opening in the topsheet of the diaper), to allow sufficient open space to pass the fecal material through. The cover may be an integral part of said topsheet with the opening, or it may be an additional component (sheet) attached to for example the topsheet with the opening.
Preferably, the genital coversheet is such that it forms a pocket in use, which can partially enclose the genitals.
An absorbent article has a backsheet, an absorbent core, a topsheet, and a genital coversheet. The topsheet has an opening positioned to allow exuded fecal material to pass therethrough when the article is worn by a wearer. The genital coversheet is positioned across a portion of the opening and covers the wearer's genitals. A void space is formed between the genital coversheet and the absorbent core and a void space is formed between the topsheet and the absorbent core.
As used herein, the following terms have the following meanings:
As used herein, ‘absorbent article’ means any article that can absorb body fluids and is suitable to be placed in close proximity to the genitals of the user, including in particular an adult or infant diaper and so-called training or pull-on pants.
As used herein ‘front region’ and ‘back region’ refer to the two regions, which are in use, respectively, closest to the front of the wearer and the back of the wearer.
As used herein the ‘crotch side portion’ is the portion of the topsheet between the longitudinal side edge of the opening and the longitudinal side edge of the topsheet, and the crotch side portion may thus be part of the front region and/or the back region.
As used herein, a ‘void space’ is a cavity in the article present in at least the relaxed state, which serves to accept and contain bodily exudates such as fecal material, typically being at least 5 cm3 in the relaxed state.
When used herein, ‘longitudinal’ is the direction running substantially parallel to the maximum linear dimension of the component, typically parallel to the longitudinal axis of the article, and includes directions within 30° of this parallel, when applicable.
The ‘lateral’ or ‘transverse’ direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and in the same plane of the majority of the article and the longitudinal axis and includes directions within 30° of the perpendicular, when applicable.
‘Extendibility’ and ‘extendable’, when used herein, means that the width or length of the component (in its relaxed state) can be increased.
As used herein, the term ‘attached’ encompasses configurations wherein a first element is directly secured to another element by affixing the element directly to a second element.
As used herein, the term ‘joined’ or ‘connected’ encompasses configurations wherein a first element is indirectly secured to a second element by affixing the first element to a third, intermediate member(s), which in turn is affixed to the second element.
As used herein ‘stretched’ or ‘stretched state’ means that the article or topsheet thereof is stretched to its maximum length, which is typically determined by the length of a non-elastically extendable component which is part thereof, e.g., the backsheet or the non-elastically extendable material of the topsheet.
As used herein ‘relaxed’ or ‘relaxed state’ means the state in which no forces are applied to the article or component thereof (other than naturally occurring forces such as gravity), when the article is laid on a horizontal surface, such that the transverse front and back edge are flat on the horizontal surface and the transverse centre line or axis is on the horizontal surface.
As used herein, ‘elasticated’ means typically, that the component consists of or comprises elastic material, which is elastic in at least one direction. ‘Non-elasticated’ when used herein means that the component does not comprise any elastic material.
As used herein, ‘along’ means ‘at least partially substantially parallel to and adjacent to’. Adjacent includes ‘in close proximity with’ and ‘in contact with’.
As used herein, ‘opening in the topsheet’ means an area completely circumscribed by the topsheet, but where the topsheet material is not present, and which is large enough to receive fecal material, typically being at least 2 cm long or wide, or having a surface area of at least 2 cm2.
As used herein, the term “microporous” refers to materials that are capable of transporting fluids by capillary action, but having a mean pore size of more than 50 microns. The term “macroporous” refers to materials having pores too large to effect capillary transport of fluid, generally having pores greater than about 0.5 mm (mean) in diameter and more specifically, having pores greater than about 1.0 mm (mean) in diameter, but typically less than 10 mm or even less than 6 mm (mean).
In a first embodiment, the absorbent article of the invention comprises one or more opening(s), preferably a single opening, for the reception of fecal material and a genital coversheet. Preferably, the opening is in the form of a slit opening. The opening is preferably present in (part of) the front region of the topsheet (in use toward the front of the user) and in (part of) the back region of the topsheet.
Preferably, the topsheet has a slit opening, which has a longitudinal dimension (length) substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the topsheet and of the diaper.
It is preferred that (in the stretched state) the opening (or openings) of the topsheet is (are) configured such that from 20% to 40%, or more preferably from 20% to 30% of the length of the opening (or total length of the openings) extends from the transverse axis of the topsheet toward the front edge of the topsheet, and the remaining percentage extends toward the back edge of the topsheet.
The dimensions and exact shape of the opening(s) may vary, depending on the size of the topsheet and/or the absorbent article. For example, in a preferred embodiment the opening is in the form of a slit opening with substantially parallel longitudinal side edges, which are connected in the front and back by V-shaped or rounded V-shaped (as shown hereinafter) front and back edges, wherein both the front and back V-shaped edges comprise two angled edges.
In a preferred embodiment, the front V-shaped edges have a larger angle than the back V-shaped edges. Preferably, the front V-shaped edges have an angle of 20° to 140°, preferably from 45° to 65°, most preferably from 55° to 60°, as described hereinafter and can be seen from
The maximum length of the slit opening may be for example 40% to 90% or more preferably 50% to 80%, or even more preferably about 60% to 70%, of the total length of the absorbent article.
It may be preferred, in particular for size 4 diapers with a maximum topsheet length of between 45 cm and 55 cm, typically between 48 cm and 52 cm, that the length of the single slit opening, when the diaper is in the stretched state, is from 20 cm to 40 cm, or even from 25 cm to 35 cm, or even from 28 cm to 32 cm.
The average width of the opening, in the stretched state, is preferably from 5% to 30%, or more preferably 10% to 25%, of the average width of the topsheet (including opening width), or for example for a size 4 diaper, 15 mm to 60 mm, more preferably from 20 mm to 40 mm.
In a second embodiment, the absorbent article comprises a backsheet and an absorbent core and a body-facing liner, which is apertured, comprising a multitude of micro-apertures, as described hereinafter (referred to hereinafter also as a sublayer for the first embodiment of the invention), and for example described in EP 0 714 272. The genital coversheet is then present above this apertured body-facing liner, between the skin of the user and the body-facing liner. Preferably, the genital coversheet is present in only the front region of the absorbent article, above the front region of the body-facing liner. The genital coversheet is preferably not completely attached to the body-facing liner, or more preferably not attached to the body-facing liner. The genital coversheet is then spaced apart from the body-facing liner by spacing means, to allow formation in use of a pocket by the genital coversheet, around the genitals. To this purpose, the absorbent article may comprise a pair of longitudinally extending cuffs, placed along the longitudinal side edges of the absorbent article, and extending in the z-direction from the X-Y plane of the article, and the genital coversheet may then be attached to these cuffs, for example, attached to the outer surface of the cuffs (this being the surface which in use is not in contact with the skin).
In the first embodiment of the invention, relating to an absorbent article with a topsheet with one or more openings, as referred to above, the absorbent article of the invention comprises a genital coversheet that is present under, in or above the opening in the topsheet, typically only that part of the opening that is in close proximity with the genitals during use, i.e., the front region of the opening. Preferably, the maximum length of the part of the genital coversheet that is present above, in or under the opening genital is 10% to 50% of the maximum length of the opening, preferred 10% to 30%, or more preferably 13% to 28% or even more preferably 17% to 27%. In other words, at the most 50% of the maximum length of the opening is ‘covered’ by the longest part of the genital coversheet, but at least 10% of the maximum length of the opening is covered by the longest part of the genital coversheet.
Preferably, the genital cover sheet has a substantially transverse edge above, in or under the opening which is not straight, but preferably curved or V-shaped (arrow-shaped), having the centre point of the curved edge or of the V-shaped edge closer to the front of the article than the remaining part of the curved edge or V-shaped edge. Then, the length of the part of the genital coversheet from this centre point to the front of the opening is preferably 10% to 30% of the maximum length of the opening, more preferably 15% to 25%, or even to 20%.
When the genital coversheet is present under the topsheet and below the opening, thus between the topsheet and the absorbent core, then, the genital coversheet is typically not attached to the absorbent core, to ensure the creation of a maximum void space for fecal material between the topsheet and the absorbent core and between the genital coversheet and the absorbent core.
The genital coversheet may be attached to the absorbent article by any means, including adhesive bonding, heat bonding, pressure bonding, and including various bonding patterns, such as a longitudinal line or a longitudinal line formed from individual transverse lines or dots, etc.
Preferably, the genital coversheet is partially attached to the topsheet, forming thereby attachment areas and non-attached area(s). (Some of) the non-attached area(s) may then form the protective genital cover for the genitals, typically in the form of a pocket.
In a preferred embodiment, the genital coversheet is extendable, either longitudinally or transversely or both, so that the pressure of the genitals onto the genital coversheet causes the genital coversheet to extend and form a pocket around the genitals. The genital coversheet may be elastically extendable, or preferably, the genital coversheet may be non-elastically extendable, in the longitudinal and/or, more preferably, in the transverse direction. To this purpose, the genital coversheet is preferably attached, for example to the topsheet, with a pair of opposing attachment areas, with thereinbetween one or more unattached area(s), as described above, whereby the average width of the unattached area(s) of the genital coversheet, between the pair of attachment area(s), is larger than the average distance (width) between the two attachment areas, preferably at least 1.2 times larger, or even 1.5 times larger.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the genital coversheet is an integral part of the topsheet with the opening. Then, the genital coversheet is herein referred to as a genital cover portion of the topsheet. This integral genital coversheet or genital cover portion is then urine-permeable, as described hereinafter, and the remaining part of the topsheet (the feces-retaining portion) except for the opening is urine-impermeable, as described hereinafter. The urine-permeable genital cover portion is present in the front region of the topsheet, preferably between the front edge of the topsheet and the front edge of the opening, while the back region of the topsheet comprises said opening and the feces-retaining portion.
Then, the genital cover portion typically forms the front 10% to 50%, or more preferably 15% to 30%, or more preferably 15% to 20%, of the surface area of the topsheet, while the fecal-material retaining portion, being the back portion of the topsheet, forms the remaining percentage of the surface area of the topsheet.
It may also be preferred that the genital cover portion of the topsheet is extendable, preferably (at least) in the transverse direction.
In another embodiment, the genital coversheet extends over the whole length of the opening and comprises also an opening, for receiving fecal material.
The genital coversheet is preferably urine-permeable. Urine-permeability can be determined by the Strike Through test, EDANA test method 150.3-96, which is modified in that it applies two gushes of 5 ml to the same sample with a waiting time of 60 seconds between the two gushes (without changing the absorbent pad) and in that the absorbent pad consists of 10 plies of filter paper, rather than five plies; the filter paper used may be Ahlstroem grade 989, or equivalent; the pick-up paper may be Ahlstroem Grade 632 or equivalent. This modified EDANA test method provides the strike through times of the first gush and second gush, each of which is an average of the values obtained in three tests.
Typically, the genital coversheet has an average first gush strike through time of less than 7 seconds, but typically less than 5 seconds, or more preferably less than 3 seconds, and most preferably between 1 and 3 seconds or most preferably between 1 and 2 seconds. Preferably, the genital coversheet has a second gush strike through time of less than 9 seconds, preferably less than 7 seconds, or more preferably even less than 5 seconds, and preferably between 1 and 7 seconds or more preferably between 2 and 5 seconds, or even more preferably between 1 and 5, or even 3 seconds.
Preferably, the genital coversheet does not allow moisture to pass back to the skin, and therefore, it preferably has a low rewet. This can be determined by the Wetback Test, EDANA test method 151.3-02, under 23° C. and 50% humidity test conditions, as specified in the EDANA test method, and using a filter paper with a loading factor of 3.30, as specified therein, and resulting in average rewet values, which are an average of 3 test results (the filter paper used may be as specified above). Preferably the genital coversheet has an average rewet value of less than 0.8 g, preferably less than 0.5 g, more preferably less than 0.3 g, or even more preferably less than 0.2 g or even less than 0.15 g.
Also it may be preferred that the genital coversheet can let low viscosity fecal material pass through and entrap it, thereby protecting the genitals from said fecal material. It is preferred therefore that the genital coversheet is formed from materials with large pores, and large caliper, e.g., a mean pore size of 50 to 400 microns, or even more preferably from 100 to 300 microns, and an average caliper (measured under compression of 0.3 psi (approximately 2 kPa)) of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm, preferably 0.7 mm to 1 mm, such as carded resin-bonded or through-air bonded nonwovens made of for example PET fiber.
Preferred genital coversheets are hydrophilic, or treated with a hydrophilising agent to render them hydrophilic. Preferred materials for the genital coversheet are nonwoven and woven materials comprising hydrophilic fibers and/or nonwoven or woven materials treated with a hydrophilising agent, e.g., a surfactant.
A preferred genital coversheet is also soft to the touch. Therefore, it may be preferred that at least the surface in contact with the genitals is formed by a carded or spunbond material.
Preferred are for example spunbond nonwovens, laminates of spunbond nonwovens (S) and meltblown nonwovens (M), such as SM and SMMS laminates, or carded nonwovens, or apertured formed films, such as for example described in WO 96/00549, which each may be coated with a hydrophilising agent, e.g., a surfactant.
Also highly preferred are carded nonwoven materials, with preferably an average caliper (measured under compression of 0.3 psi (approximately 2 kPa)) of at least 0.3 mm, preferably at least 0.5 mm, even more preferably 0.7 mm, and/or with a mean pore size of from 100 microns to 300 microns.
It may be preferred that the genital coversheet or a part thereof is colored (e.g., other then the normal white color of known diapers), comprising a coloring agent, and/or that the genital coversheet is opaque, comprising an opacifying agent. This helps to mask the fecal material deposited in the absorbent article and present under the genital coversheet.
Preferably, the topsheet has, typically adjacent to, or in close proximity with, each longitudinal side edge of the opening a primary elasticated area, to form typically a pair of opposing, preferably at least partially parallel, elasticated areas, such as described in EP 1 201 212.
It may be preferred that the genital coversheet is attached to the topsheet by at least two attachment areas that are along, either directly adjacent or not, part of the longitudinal side edges of the opening.
When the genital coversheet is attached to the topsheet with at least a pair of opposing attachment areas, then the attachment areas are preferably not located where the primary elasticated areas are located, but preferably in close proximity to said primary elasticated areas.
It may be preferred that the topsheet comprises these attachment areas (where the genital coversheet is attached to the topsheet) along the opposing longitudinal side edges of the (slit) opening in said topsheet, but spaced apart from these edges, preferably by about 2 mm to 20 mm, more preferably by about 5 mm to 15 mm.
An elasticated area in the topsheet may be formed from a multitude of thin strands of elastic material or for example from a single band of elastic material.
The primary elasticated areas extend preferably from said side edges of the opening(s) toward or completely to the front and back edge of the topsheet. Thus, the primary elasticated areas are preferably longer than the opening. It is preferred that the elasticated area is positioned over the full length of the topsheet, or at least the part of the topsheet which in use is intended to receive body exudates, typically the topsheet minus the parts thereof which form (part of) the waist bands.
The width of the elasticated areas on the topsheet will vary, typically depending on the exact dimensions of the topsheet and/or the article. For example, for size 4 diapers as described above, a primary elasticated area, in the stretched state, may be an elastic band, or a multitude of elastic strands, having an average width of about 3 mm to 50 mm, preferably 3 mm to 40 mm, or even more preferably 3 mm, or even 5 mm to 20 mm.
Also, the length of the primary elasticated area will typically depend on the size of the topsheet and/or the article. For example, for a size 4 diaper as described above the average length of the elasticated area in the stretched state, may preferably be at least 35 cm, preferably from 35 cm to 45 cm.
The primary elasticated area is preferably shaped such that it has a centre portion that is substantially parallel to the centre portion of the opposing primary elasticated area. Each of the two centre portions has a length L2, which is preferably 30% to 70% of the total length L1 of a corresponding elasticated area, and preferably about 40% to 80% of the maximum length of the opening; it is preferred that the total length of the elasticated area is about 70% to 90%, or preferably from about 80% to 90% or preferably about 85% of the maximum length of the topsheet.
It is preferred that the front end portions of the two opposing primary elasticated areas bend away from one another (in the plane of the topsheet), so that the distance between the end edges of the opposing front end portions of the two opposing elastic areas is larger that the distance between the centre portions of the two opposing elastic areas, and similarly, the distance between the end edges of the opposing back end portions of the two opposing elastic areas is larger that the distance between the centre portions of the two opposing elastic areas. Then, the front end portion of a primary elasticated area has typically an angle with a longitudinal line through the centre portion of the elasticated area and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the topsheet, said angle being between 10° and 40°, or preferably between 17° to 35°, or even more preferably between 20° and 35°. Then, the back end portion of each of the primary elasticated areas has also preferably an angle with a longitudinal line through the centre portion of the elasticated area and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the topsheet, said angle being between 10° and 40°, or preferably between 17° to 35°, or even more preferably between 20° and 35°.
When both front end portions and both back end portions have an angle as above, then the primary elasticated areas have, as is herein referred to, an X-shape, and a preferred X-shape is exemplified in
It may be that the front end and/or the back end and/or the centre portion of an elasticated area is (are) curved rather than straight, and then the angles above are determined by the angle of the tangent line through the centre point of the front end and/or the back end, with the line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the topsheet and tangent to the centre point of the centre portion of the elasticated area.
Preferably, the absorbent article comprises in each crotch side portion (i.e., the portion of the topsheet between the longitudinal side edge of the topsheet and the longitudinal side edge of the opening) a secondary elasticated area, and each secondary elasticized area preferably has an overall curvature, curving away from the primary elasticated area of the same crotch side portion. The overall curvature is the curved line through the two end points of a secondary elasticated area and through the point on the same secondary elasticated area that is closest to the primary elasticated area of the same crotch side portion (herein referred to as ‘closest point’), whereby the two end points are always farther away from the primary elasticated area than said closest point, or in other words, an end point is never the closest point. An end point of a secondary elasticated area is herein the point of the transverse end edge of the secondary elasticated area, which is transversely closest to the longitudinal side edge of the topsheet, and transversely farthest away from a primary elasticated area.
This curved line has a radius R of between 0.3 times the length of the absorbent article (L) to 3.2 times the length of the article or preferably 0.4 times the length of the article to 2.8 times the length of the article.
Thus, the secondary elasticated area may be a perfect curved line, a curved line with an inflection point (as shown in for example
The transverse distance from this closest point to the primary elasticated area is preferably at least 0.5 mm, preferably between 0.5 mm and 30 mm, or even more preferably between 3.0 mm and 20 mm.
The end points of each secondary elasticated area are preferably close to the longitudinal side edges of the topsheet, but preferably not in contact with the longitudinal side edges of the topsheet, preferably the transverse distance between the longitudinal side edges and an end point being at least 5.0 mm, preferably at least 10 mm. Preferably, the end points of a secondary elasticated area are close to the transverse edge of the topsheet, but preferably not in contact with the transverse end edge of the topsheet, the longitudinal distance between an end point and the transverse end edge of the topsheet being preferably between 1% and 20% of the total length of the topsheet and/or of the article, more preferably between 5% and 15% or even between 9% and 13% of the total length of the topsheet and/or the article.
Preferably, the average transverse distance between the primary and secondary elasticated areas of a crotch side portion is at least 15 mm, or more preferably at least 20 mm or even more preferably at least 25 mm, this average being the average of three distances, namely the transverse distance from the closest point (of the secondary elasticated area) to the primary elasticated area, the transverse distance from the front end point (of the secondary elasticated area) to the primary elasticated area, and the transverse distance from the back end point (of the secondary elasticated area) to the primary elasticated area, i.e., the three transverse distances of the three points that determine the curvature of the secondary elasticated area.
Preferably, the secondary elasticated area does not comprise any angles and it is curved over its full length, with a single curvature, optionally with an inflection point.
The average width of a secondary elasticated area, e.g., a multitude of strands or a single band of elastic material, is from 0.5 mm to 20 mm or even from 0.5 mm to 10 mm.
The length of a secondary elasticated area will depend on the length of the article and the topsheet thereof, and the elastic cross machine direction (CD) force required, e.g., the curvature required and the distance to the primary elasticated area required, as mentioned above.
The topsheet comprises preferably also one or more tertiary elasticated areas. A tertiary elasticated area is then present between a secondary elasticated area and a longitudinal side edge of the topsheet, and preferably spaced apart from the closest secondary elasticated area with an average transverse distance of at least 5 mm, or preferably at least 10 mm, or even more preferably at least 15 mm.
The tertiary elasticated areas are preferably also curved, with an overall curvature as described above for the secondary elasticated area, but whereby the minimum radius is 0.1 times the length of the article.
Preferably, the elasticated areas are formed by attaching an elasticated material in the stretched state or partially being in the stretched state to the topsheet, or to one or more carrier material(s), which is (are) then subsequently attached to the topsheet.
The elastic materials are typically in the form of a multitude of strands or a single band with an average thickness (e.g., gauge) of at least 20 microns, more preferably at least 40 microns, or even at least 60 microns, typically up to about 300 microns, or even up to 200 microns or even up to 150 microns. Highly preferred materials have an average thickness of about 70 microns to 100 microns.
Preferred elastic materials include VFE-CD, available from Tredegar Industries Inc. of Terre Haute, Ind., USA, and L-86, L-89, or L-90, available from Fulflex (Limerick, Ireland).
The longitudinal side edges of the topsheet are preferably joined or attached to the longitudinal side edges of the backsheet, by any attachment means known in the art, to form longitudinally opposing attachment areas. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the topsheet and the backsheet are attached to one another in some locations and are indirectly joined together in other locations.
Preferably, the absorbent article of the invention is sag-tolerant, and has preferably a topsheet that is sag-tolerant. This means that the topsheet does not sag and that the topsheet keeps its z-direction alignment with the anal region and genitals of the wearer, and typically also its x and y direction alignment, when the backsheet and absorbent core sag due to increased weight of the body exudates received by the article. The absorbent article, preferably diaper or training pants, has means to ensure that the topsheet stays in about the same contact or close proximity with the wearer's anal and/or genital region when the backsheet and core sag, compared to just after application of the article to the wearer, when the backsheet and core do not yet sag. Typically, the topsheet is sag-tolerant to such an extent that when the geometrical centre point of the backsheet is pulled down 4 cm, the topsheet does not move down more than 0.5 cm, or even not more than 0.25 cm, or typically the topsheet does not move down at all, and/or such that the longitudinal side edges of the opening do not move in the x and y direction more than 0.5 cm, or preferably not more than 0.25 cm, or do not move at all.
Preferably, the average width of the topsheet, including the width of the opening, is larger than the average distance between the longitudinal attachment areas of the topsheet to the backsheet, mentioned above. Also it is preferred that the average width of the topsheet, including the width of the opening, is larger than the average width of the backsheet. The topsheet may for example have one or more transverse and/or, more preferably, longitudinal folds, which can unfold in use and allow sagging of the core and backsheet, while the topsheet remains in place.
The topsheet material may be liquid or urine-pervious or impervious. It may be preferred that the topsheet material is liquid or urine-pervious in one direction, but liquid or urine-impervious in the opposite direction, i.e., that body fluids may penetrate through the topsheet to the remaining part of the diaper, but that no or limited amounts of liquid (urine) can penetrate in the reverse direction, toward the wearer's skin.
However, in a highly preferred embodiment, the topsheet or at least more than 50% of its surface area (that faces the wearer in use) is hydrophobic. It is preferred that the topsheet is urine-impermeable and feces-impermeable, except for the opening. The topsheet is for example made of a material having a Strike Through time for the first gush of more than 120 seconds, as determined by the test method described above. Preferred topsheet materials are considered urine-impermeable feces-impermeable and thus suitable, when they have a low surface energy and a uniform pore size distribution, preferably with the low surface energy values, pore sizes and air permeability values described in EP 1 417 945. Preferred are materials with an alcohol repellency of at least 7 or more preferably at least 8 or even more preferably at least 9, or even more preferably at least 10; preferably having a surface energy of less than 25 mN/m; preferably having a contact angle with water of above 130°; and preferably having a mean pore size of less than 20 microns, preferably less than 17 microns, or most preferably less than 13 microns, but preferably at least 2 microns, or preferably at least 5 microns. Preferably, the topsheet has an air permeability of at least 3 Darcy, or preferably at least 10 Darcy, or even more preferably at least 20 Darcy, or even more preferably at least 30 Darcy, or most preferably at least 50 Darcy.
Preferred topsheets are made of hydrophobic material or are treated to be hydrophobic (in order to isolate the wearer's skin from liquids contained in the remaining part of the diaper), with for example a hydrophobic surface coating. Preferred hydrophobic surface coatings are for example described in co-pending application U.S. 60/543,785, filed Feb. 11, 2004. Preferably, the hydrophobic surface coating comprises one or more silicone polymers or fluorinated polymers. Suitable silicone polymers are for example selected from the group consisting of silicone MQ resins, polydimethysiloxanes, crosslinked silicones, silicone liquid elastomers, and combinations thereof. Typically, the molecular weight of such silicone polymers should be at least about 4000 MW, preferably at least about 10,000 MW, more preferably at least about 15,000 MW, even more preferably at least about 20,000 MW, and most preferably at least about 25,000 MW. Preferred polydimethylsiloxanes are selected from the group consisting of vinyl-terminated polydimethsiloxanes, methyl hydrogen dimethylsiloxanes, hydroxyl-terminated polydimethysiloxanes, organo-modified polydimethylsiloxanes, and combinations thereof. Suitable fluorinated polymers are selected from the group consisting of telomers and polymers containing tetrafluoroethylene and/or perfluorinated alkyl chains. For instance, fluorinated surfactants, which are commercially available from DuPont, Wilmington, Del., USA under the trade name ZONYL, are suitable for use. In particular, ZONYL 321, 329, 8740, 9027, and 9360 are well suited for use in the present invention. Additionally, other ZONYL materials include fluoradditives like micro-powders may be useful. These include, but are not limited to ZONYL MP1100, MP1200, MP1400, MP1500J, MP1600N, TE-3667N (which is a water dispersion). Preferably, the coating is free of aminosilicones.
These materials are preferably deposited onto the topsheet in amounts of at least about 0.01 gsm (gram of material/square meter of topsheet), more preferably at least about 0.05 gsm, and most preferably at least about 0.1 gsm.
A suitable topsheet may be manufactured from a wide range of materials, including woven or nonwoven webs of natural fibers (e.g., wood or cotton fibers) or synthetic fibers (e.g., polyester, polyethylene and/or polypropylene fibers), or a combination of natural and synthetic fibers. If the topsheet includes fibers, the fibers may be for example spunbond, carded, wet-laid, meltblown, hydroentangled, or otherwise processed as is known in the art.
Preferred are materials that are compliant, soft feeling, and non-irritating to the wearer's skin.
Highly preferred are webs comprising spunbond layers (S) and one or more meltblown layer(s) (M), wherein the surfaces of the web are formed by spunbond layer(s). Preferred are such webs with a relatively high basis weight, for example more than 25 gram/m2 (gsm), for example 34 gsm SMMS (two 12 gsm meltblown layers and two 5 gsm spunbond layers); 34 gsm SMMS (two 10 gsm meltblown layers and two 7 gsm spunbond layers); 30 gsm SMMS (two 10 gsm meltblown layers and two 5 gsm spunbond layers); 30 gsm SMMS (two 8 gsm meltblown layers and two 7 gsm spunbond layers); 34 gsm SMS (one 20 gsm meltblown layer and two 7 gsm spunbond layers), or for example webs comprising two layers of 17 gsm SMMS, as described above.
Any portion of the topsheet may be coated with a lotion or powder, known in the art. It may be preferred that at least lotion is present on the primary elasticated areas, and even preferably on the secondary elasticated areas. The lotion used on one elasticated area may be different from the lotion used on another elasticated area, or on the remaining part of the topsheet. Examples of lotions include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,760, U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,587, U.S. Pat. No. 5,635,191, U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,588, and WO 95/24173, provided the lotion is compatible with the elastic material, and does not destroy the elastic material or reduce its elasticity.
The absorbent article also comprises a typically liquid-impervious backsheet, as known in the art. In preferred embodiments, the liquid-impervious backsheet comprises a thin plastic film such as a thermoplastic film having a thickness of about 0.01 mm to about 0.05 mm. Suitable backsheet materials comprise typically breathable material, which permit vapors to escape from the diaper while still preventing exudates from passing through the backsheet. Suitable backsheet films include those manufactured by Tredegar Industries Inc. of Terre Haute, Ind., USA and sold under the trade names X15306, X10962 and X10964. The backsheet, or any portion thereof, may be elastically extendable in one or more directions.
The backsheet may be attached or joined to the topsheet, the absorbent core, or any other element of the diaper by any attachment means known in the art. It may be highly preferred that the longitudinal side edges of the topsheet and backsheet are directly attached to one another, but that the longitudinal edges of the topsheet and the core are not attached to one another.
The attachment means to attach the topsheet and the backsheet, and also the genital coversheet may include a uniform continuous layer of adhesive, a patterned layer of adhesive, or an array of separate lines, spirals, or spots of adhesive, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,986. Adhesives that have been found to be satisfactory are manufactured by H. B. Fuller Company of St. Paul, Minn., USA and marketed as HL-1620 and HL-1358-XZP. Alternatively, the attachment means may comprise heat bonds, pressure bonds, ultrasonic bonds, dynamic mechanical bonds, or any other suitable attachment means or combinations of these attachment means as are known in the art.
The absorbent core may comprise any absorbent material which is generally compressible, conformable, non-irritating to the wearer's skin, and capable of absorbing and retaining urine, such as: comminuted wood pulp; creped cellulose wadding; meltblown polymers, including coform; chemically stiffened, modified or cross-linked cellulosic fibers; tissue, including tissue wraps and tissue laminates; absorbent foams; absorbent sponges; super absorbent polymers; absorbent gelling materials; or any other known absorbent material or combinations of materials; absorbent cores may be preferred which have an absorbent storage layer which comprises more than 80% by weight of the absorbent core content (e.g., excluding core wrap) of absorbent gelling material, and which is preferably free of airfelt.
The absorbent article may also include a sub-layer (which may be the same as the body-facing liner described above) disposed between the topsheet and the absorbent core, capable of accepting, and/or immobilizing bodily exudates, typically such as fecal material. Suitable materials for use as the sub-layer may include large cell open foams, macro-porous compression resistant highloft nonwovens, large size particulate forms of open and closed cell foams (macro and/or microporous), highloft nonwovens, polyolefin, polystyrene, polyurethane foams or particles, structures comprising a multiplicity of vertically oriented, preferably looped, strands of fibers, or preferably apertured formed films, as described above with respect to the genital coversheet.
The absorbent article is preferably a disposable adult or infant diaper or training pants/pull-on pants. Diapers or training pants of the invention may have side panels, and/or more preferably one or more pairs of elasticated leg cuffs that provide improved containment of liquids and other body exudates. Leg cuffs may also be referred to as leg bands, side flaps, barrier cuffs, or elastic cuffs, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,003, U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,178, U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,278 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,454.
The diapers preferably have a fastening system, typically joined to the waistband, as known in the art. Preferred fastening systems comprise fastening tabs and landing zones, wherein the fastening tabs are attached or joined to the back region of the diaper and the landing zones are part of the front region of the diaper.
It may be preferred that the articles of the invention (e.g., diapers) when packed in their packaging material, comprise two transverse folds, so that when unfolded for use by the user or care taker, the article (e.g., diaper) is in a U-shape and easier to apply.
Preferred Processes to Make a Diaper of the Invention
A topsheet with an opening, typically along its longitudinal axis, and primary elasticated areas and a genital coversheet is obtained as follows.
A longitudinally extending (slit) opening may be formed (cut) in the topsheet material first and a pair of primary elastic bands may then be attached, in a stretched state, to the topsheet, so that an elastic band is present adjacent or in close proximity to each longitudinal edge of the opening. Alternatively, the primary elastic bands may be first attached to the topsheet in a stretched state, extending longitudinally over the topsheet, for example in an X-shape, after which a longitudinally extending (slit) opening is formed (cut) through part of the topsheet material and part of the elastic bands, typically along the longitudinal axis of the topsheet material and the strands or bands.
Preferred adhesives for attaching the primary elastic strands or bands include H2031, available from Bostik (Greenville, S.C., USA) and HL-1620 available from H.B. Fuller (St. Paul, Minn., USA).
In a non-limiting example, two elastic bands of L-89 elastic material, available from Fulflex, with (in relaxed state) a thickness of about 0.1 mm, a width of 20 mm and a length of 17 cm, are obtained and also a sheet of a polypropylene nonwoven material, which is 20-25 cm wide and 50-55 cm long, such as available from BBA, Fibertex or Pegas.
In the stretched state, a slit opening with a length of between 25 cm and 35 cm, typically about 31 cm to 33 cm is cut in the nonwoven. This may be cut as a slit, whereby the slit opening obtains its width due to the spreading elasticated areas, or the slit opening may be cut with a width dimension, for example up to 4.0 cm. Typically, the slit opening is cut as a slit without a width dimension, but in the front region of the topsheet, at the front point of the slit opening, an additional diamond-shaped cut is made, as can be seen in
If the elasticated areas are present on the surface of the topsheet which is in contact with the skin of the user, it may be preferred that an additional layer, e.g., nonwoven material, is placed on the elastic areas, to avoid direct contact by the elastic areas with the skin.
One elastic band is glued in a partially stretched state to each longitudinal edge of the opening of the nonwoven. This is for example done such that the centre 9 cm of the elastic band is stretched 336%, and the end portions of each 4 cm are maintained in an unstretched state. Each elastic band is then glued on the nonwoven in a manner that the front end region of one elastic band bends away from the front end region of the opposing elastic band, and the back end region of one elastic band bends away from the back end region of the opposing elastic band, in the shape of an X. This is done such that, after application, the transverse distance between the inner two edges of the front end regions and of the back end regions is for example 80 mm in the stretched state. The distance between the centre points of the elasticated areas is for example only 40 mm.
The angle of the front end region with the line through the centre portion and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the topsheet, as described above and identified in
The genital coversheet is attached to the topsheet in a stretched state, such that the front 15% to 30% of the maximum length of the opening is covered by the longest part of the genital coversheet. The genital coversheet has preferably a curved or V-shaped edge above the opening. The genital coversheet may for example have the shape shown in
The genital coversheet is for example attached to the surface of the topsheet which is not in contact with the skin of the user, with at least two longitudinal areas (lines, spirals, dots) of adhesive, each being between a longitudinal edge of the topsheet and an elastic band, e.g., spaced about 0.5 to 1.5 cm away from said elastic band, and with a V-shaped attachment area, as shown in
The topsheet may be used on a Pampers Premium Size 4 diaper available from The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, designed for a baby weight range of 21-37 pounds (approximately 9.5 kg-16.8 kg), or it may replace the layer of a Pampers premium Size 4 diaper which is on the absorbent core and in use is in contact with the skin of the baby. In the latter case, the topsheet with the elastic bands is attached to the front and back waistbands, and typically to the longitudinal side edges of the backsheet.
The diaper (10) typically comprises also a back waist band with preferably ears with fasteners (18) and a front waist band (19) with receiving areas for the fasteners. Typically, the fasteners comprise hooks and/or adhesive and the receiving areas are preferably formed from loop-containing material.
As described above, the topsheet (11) is typically sag-tolerant and non-elastically extendable and it preferably has one or more transverse folds and/or longitudinal folds (17) to make it sag-tolerant.
The topsheet (11) is elasticated, having primary elasticated areas (31) positioned along the longitudinal side edges (16) of the opening (14). The topsheet (11) may also have secondary elasticated areas (32), or even tertiary elasticated areas (not shown). The primary elasticated areas (31) have each a centre region with a length L2, the centre regions being substantially parallel to one another, whereby L2 is typically about 30% to 70% of the total length L1 of the primary elasticated areas (31), and preferably about 40% to 80% of the maximum length of the opening (14). The primary elasticated areas (31) are preferably arranged in an X-shape, whereby the front end portions (36) bend away from one another and the back end portions (38) bend away from one another.
The diaper (10) typically also comprises elasticated bands along the longitudinal side edges of the diaper (10), so called leg cuffs (20).
As shown in
The genital coversheet (41) is typically urine-permeable, as described herein and it may comprise or consist of a material with micropores, such as the apertured webs or films described herein, or for example the carded webs described herein.
The topsheet (11) shown in
Preferably, the front cut-out section (55) is ‘diamond-shaped’, although it is preferred that the diamond-shaped cut-out section (55) has a front edge (56) which is curved. The side edges (57), extending directly from the slit (58) toward the front edge of the diaper (10) and connecting the curved front edge (56) with the slit (58), preferably intersect at an angle γ, which is preferably between 40° and 140°, more preferably between 55° and 110°.
All documents cited are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications are within the scope of this invention.
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|GB2268073A||Title not available|
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|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US9000254||Jun 24, 2011||Apr 7, 2015||The Procter & Gamble Company||Disposable diaper with reduced bulk|
|US9066837||Oct 29, 2010||Jun 30, 2015||Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.||Absorbent article with annular absorbent member|
|US9078792||Oct 18, 2011||Jul 14, 2015||The Procter & Gamble Company||Two-piece wearable absorbent article having advantageous front waist region and landing zone configuration|
|WO2014138273A1||Mar 5, 2014||Sep 12, 2014||The Procter & Gamble Company||Outer covers and disposable absorbent inserts for pants|
|WO2014138274A1||Mar 5, 2014||Sep 12, 2014||The Procter & Gamble Company||Outer covers and disposable absorbent inserts for pants|
|WO2014138276A1||Mar 5, 2014||Sep 12, 2014||The Procter & Gamble Company||Outer covers and disposable absorbent inserts for pants|
|U.S. Classification||604/385.08, 604/382, 604/385.24, 604/385.101, 604/385.23, 604/385.19, 604/378, 604/385.09|
|Cooperative Classification||A61F13/49473, A61F13/495, A61F2013/4956|
|European Classification||A61F13/494C, A61F13/495|
|Nov 8, 2005||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY, THE, OHIO
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:MUELLER, JOERG;MARTYNUS, CORNELIA;GEILICH, RALF;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:016985/0303;SIGNING DATES FROM 20041020 TO 20041104
Owner name: PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY, THE, OHIO
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:MUELLER, JOERG;MARTYNUS, CORNELIA;GEILICH, RALF;AND OTHERS;SIGNING DATES FROM 20041020 TO 20041104;REEL/FRAME:016985/0303
|Dec 8, 2005||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY, THE, OHIO
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:MUELLER, JOERG;MARTYNUS, CORNELIA;GEILICH, RALF;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:017107/0643;SIGNING DATES FROM 20041020 TO 20041104
Owner name: PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY, THE, OHIO
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:MUELLER, JOERG;MARTYNUS, CORNELIA;GEILICH, RALF;AND OTHERS;SIGNING DATES FROM 20041020 TO 20041104;REEL/FRAME:017107/0643
|Feb 25, 2015||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4


text:
Black and white wallpaper
Black and white wallpaper is increasingly being used for interior decoration. Indeed, this most contrasting combination looks at the same time strict, stylish and modern. What appearance your room will take after the repair depends on the balance of black and white in the wallpaper pattern, on which of these colors will prevail.
Black wallpaper with white pattern
Perhaps the most difficult combination, although one cannot argue, such wallpapers look unusually stylish. If the option you like is dominated by black, then you need to carefully consider what size your room has, what furniture is in it. After all, in order to balance such walls, you need to try, otherwise there is a risk of getting an oppressive and depressing environment.
Most often, black and white wallpapers are used in living rooms, which boast a fairly large size. A large amount of black in the picture is balanced by light furniture or the ceiling, as well as other elements of the room decoration. Also, such contrasting wallpapers can be used in offices.
Another way to use black and white wallpaper in a room is to pair it with a companion wallpaper in a lighter shade. In this case, one wall or half of all the walls in the room, covered with wallpaper with a predominance of black, will be balanced by other, lighter parts of the finish, which will negate the pressing and negative effect.
Finally, the last option in which wallpaper with a predominance of black will look advantageous is bright, good lighting. In this case, the patterns on the walls will not be perceived as wallpaper, but will become one beautiful large picture that comes to the fore and becomes the main element of the room’s decor.
White wallpaper with black pattern
Applying such wallpaper is much easier. It is suitable for decoration of any premises. Even in the bedroom, such black and white wallpapers will look appropriate. For small rooms, it is better to choose wallpaper with a small black pattern, but if the room is large enough, then you can experiment with large-sized patterns. In black and white, any patterns, even seemingly far from the concept of «style», look extraordinarily appropriate. So, a variety of floral ornaments and flowers look beautiful. White wallpaper with a black pattern can be a great backdrop for bright interior and decor items, rare, intricate gizmos. Furniture at the same time can be both light and dark. Such options look good even in the interior of the hallway, which usually does not differ in large sizes and good lighting.
Equal amounts of black and white
The design of black and white wallpaper, in which the colors are used approximately equally, is the rarest. The most famous version of such wallpaper is a black and white stripe. However, you can find similar wallpapers with floral prints, patterns that resemble lace or photographs of famous places.
It is better to use a similar version of the wallpaper in doses, since white and black in equal proportions can create a feeling of ripples in the eyes. It is good to paste only one wall in the room with such wallpaper or use them to highlight certain sections of the walls. In fact, any ways to use such wallpapers as companions will do. Such wallpapers will be an excellent ending if you want to choose a second option for gray wallpaper.
This type of wallpaper is also closely adjacent to various photo wallpapers, which are made in black and white shooting mode. Despite the minimum color, they look very bright and expressive in the interior, and the details on them often look even more prominent than on realistic wall murals with color photographs.

domain: design