Bicomponent material

Claim 2

A bicomponent film laminate which transmits liquids deposited thereon in one direction and which exposes an active to malodors attempting to pass through said laminate in the opposite direction, said laminate comprising: (a) a first polymeric lamina exhibiting a pattern of discrete apertures therein, said first lamina having an outwardly oriented face and an inwardly oriented face opposed thereto; and (b) a second active lamina comprising an odor control means, said second lamina having an inwardly oriented face associated with said inwardly oriented face of said polyolefinic lamina and an outwardly oriented face opposed thereto, said second lamina also exhibiting a pattern of discrete apertures substantially coinciding with said discrete apertures of said first lamina, whereby said laminate permits liquids deposited on the outwardly oriented face of said first lamina to pass through said discrete apertures in said laminate without substantially wetting said second lamina, said laminate also substantially preventing gaseous malodors from passing through said laminate in a direction opposite to the direction of liquid transmission without substantial exposure of the gaseous malodors to said outwardly oriented face of said second lamina.

Claim 3

A disposable absorbent article for collecting liquids discharged from a source and substantially containing malodors generated by the collected liquids, said article comprising: (a) an absorbent core means for absorbing liquids, said core means having a first face and a second face opposed thereto; (b) a liquid impermeable backsheet overlaying said first opposed face of said absorbent core means; and (c) A bicomponent film laminate topsheet overlaying said second opposed face of said core means and comprising a first polymeric lamina exhibiting a pattern of discrete apertures therein, said first lamina having an outwardly oriented face and an inwardly oriented face opposed thereto; said laminate further comprising a second active lamina comprising an odor control means, said second lamina having an inwardly oriented face associated with said inwardly oriented face of said first lamina and an outwardly oriented face opposed thereto and oriented towards said core means, said second lamina also exhibiting a pattern of discrete apertures substantially coinciding with said discrete apertures of said first lamina, whereby said laminate permits liquids deposited on said outwardly oriented face of said first lamina to pass through said discrete apertures in said laminate to said core means without substantially wetting said second lamina, said laminate also substantially preventing gaseous malodors generated by the absorbed liquids from passing through said laminate in a direction opposite to the direction of transmission of deposited liquids without substantial exposure of the gaseous malodors to said outwardly oriented face of said second lamina.

Claim 4

A disposable absorbent article for collecting liquids discharged from a source and substantially containing malodors generated by the collected liquids, said article comprising: (a) an absorbent core means for absorbing liquids, said core means having a first face and a second face opposed thereto; (b) a liquid impermeable backsheet overlaying said first opposed face of said absorbent core means; and (c) A bicomponent film laminate topsheet overlaying said second opposed face of said core means and comprising a first polymeric lamina exhibiting a pattern of discrete apertures therein, said first lamina having an outwardly oriented face and an inwardly oriented face opposed thereto; said laminate further comprising a second active lamina comprising an odor control means, said second lamina having an inwardly oriented face associated with said inwardly oriented face of said first lamina and an outwardly oriented face opposed thereto and oriented towards said core means, said second lamina also exhibiting a pattern of discrete apertures substantially coinciding with said discrete apertures of said first lamina, whereby said laminate permits liquids deposited on said outwardly oriented face of said first lamina to pass through said discrete apertures in said laminate to said core means without substantially wetting said second lamina, said laminate also substantially preventing gaseous malodors generated by the absorbed liquids from passing through said laminate in a direction opposite to the direction of transmission of deposited liquids without substantial exposure of the gaseous malodors to said outwardly oriented face of said second lamina.

Claim 5

A disposable absorbent article for collecting liquids discharged from a source and substantially containing malodors generated by the collected liquids, said article comprising: (a) an absorbent core means for absorbing liquids, said core means having a first face and a second face opposed thereto; (b) a liquid impermeable backsheet overlaying said first face of said absorbent core means; (c) a liquid permeable topsheet overlaying said second opposed face of said core means; and (d) at least one tube disposed between said backsheet and said topsheet, said tube having a first lamina adapted to prevent entry of liquids deposited thereon into said tube and to permit entry of gaseous malodors into said tube, said tube further having a second lamina adapted to substantially prevent gaseous malodors from exiting said tube without substantial exposure of the gaseous malodors to an active agent.

Claim 6

A disposable absorbent article for collecting liquids discharged from a source and substantially containing malodors generated by the collected liquids, said article comprising: (a) an absorbent core means for absorbing liquids, said core means having a first face and a second face opposed thereto; (b) a liquid impermeable backsheet overlaying said first face of said absorbent core means; (c) a liquid permeable topsheet overlaying said second opposed face of said core means; and (d) at least one tube disposed between said backsheet and said topsheet, said tube having a first lamina adapted to prevent entry of liquids deposited thereon into said tube and to permit entry of gaseous malodors into said tube, said tube further having a second lamina adapted to substantially prevent gaseous malodors from exiting said tube without substantial exposure of the gaseous malodors to an active agent.

Claim 7

A disposable absorbent article for collecting liquids discharged from a source and substantially containing malodors generated by the collected liquids, said article comprising: (a) an absorbent core means for absorbing liquids, said core means having a first face and a second face opposed thereto; (b) a liquid impermeable backsheet overlaying said first opposed face of said core means; (c) a liquid permeable topsheet overlaying said second opposed face of said core means; and (d) a bicomponent film laminate disposed between said topsheet and said backsheet, said laminate comprising a first polymeric lamina exhibiting a pattern of discrete apertures therein, said first lamina having an outwardly oriented face and an inwardly oriented face opposed thereto; said laminate further comprising a second active lamina comprising an odor control means, said second lamina having an inwardly oriented face associated with said inwardly oriented face of said first lamina and an outwardly oriented face opposed thereto and oriented towards said core means, said second lamina also exhibiting a pattern of discrete apertures substantially coinciding with said discrete apertures of said first lamina, whereby said laminate permits liquids deposited on said outwardly oriented face of said first lamina to pass through said discrete apertures in said laminate to said core means without substantially wetting said second lamina, said laminate also substantially preventing gaseous malodors generated by the absorbed liquids from passing through such laminate in a direction opposite to the direction of transmission of deposited liquids without substantial exposure of the gaseous malodors to said outwardly oriented face of said second lamina.

Claim 8

A disposable absorbent article for collecting liquids discharged from a source and substantially containing malodors generated by the collected liquids, said article comprising: (a) an absorbent core means for absorbing liquids, said core means having a first face and a second face opposed thereto; (b) a liquid impermeable backsheet overlaying said first opposed face of said core means; (c) a liquid permeable topsheet overlaying said second opposed face of said core means; and (d) a bicomponent film laminate disposed between said topsheet and said backsheet, said laminate comprising a first polymeric lamina exhibiting a pattern of discrete apertures therein, said first lamina having an outwardly oriented face and an inwardly oriented face opposed thereto; said laminate further comprising a second active lamina comprising an odor control means, said second lamina having an inwardly oriented face associated with said inwardly oriented face of said first lamina and an outwardly oriented face opposed thereto and oriented towards said core means, said second lamina also exhibiting a pattern of discrete apertures substantially coinciding with said discrete apertures of said first lamina, whereby said laminate permits liquids deposited on said outwardly oriented face of said first lamina to pass through said discrete apertures in said laminate to said core means without substantially wetting said second lamina, said laminate also substantially preventing gaseous malodors generated by the absorbed liquids from passing through such laminate in a direction opposite to the direction of transmission of deposited liquids without substantial exposure of the gaseous malodors to said outwardly oriented face of said second lamina.

Claim 9

A laminate according to Claim 1 associated with a means for collecting liquids which pass therethrough, said means being disposed adjacent the outwardly oriented face of said second lamina and preferably further comprising a means for collecting gases which are prevented from passing therethrough.

Claim 10

A laminate according to any of the foregoing claims characterized in that said first lamina is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polyester, polypropylene, nylon, rayon, open cell foam and combinations thereof.

Claim 11

A laminate according to any of the foregoing claims characterized in that said laminate further comprises from about 1 to about 15 weight percent of a whitener disposed in said first lamina.

Claim 12

A laminate according to Claims 1, 2, 3 and 4 characterized in that said second lamina is selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, zeolites, molecular sieves, metal salts and combinations thereof, and preferably further characterized in that said second lamina prevents malodors from passing through said laminate or said tube by means of adsorption, absorption, chemical reaction or combinations thereof.

Claim 13

A disposable absorbent article according to Claims 2, 3 and 4 characterized in that said first lamina is selected from the group consisting of formed film and nonwoven materials.

Claim 14

A laminate according to any of the foregoing claims characterized in that said lamina imparts increased opacity to said laminate.