MXPA00010520A - Apertured laminate web - Google Patents

Abstract

An apertured laminate web which may be used as a topsheet on a disposable absorbent article, such as a diaper. The laminate web is formed of a liquid pervious first material and a liquid pervious second material attached to the first material. The first material has an effective open area of at least about 10%and a plurality of apertures with an effective size of at least than 0.2 square millimeters. The second material has an effective open area of at least about 10%and a plurality of apertures with an effective size of at least 0.2 square millimeters. The apertures of the second material are aligned with the apertures of the first material. The second material preferably has a hydrophilicity which is greater than the hydrophilicity of the first material.

Description

LAMINATED PLATE WITH OPENINGS FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apertured laminated web, and more particularly to an apertured laminated web suitable for use as a top web in a disposable absorbent article.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Disposable absorbent articles such as diapers and adult incontinence products are well known in the art. These disposable absorbent articles collect and retain urine and fecal material deposited therein by the user. To date, the majority of attempts in the art to handle urine and faecal material collected and retained within the disposable absorbent article have been directed to the management of urine. Facing the fecal material collected by the disposable absorbent article is simply more difficult than dealing with urine, due to the complex rheology of low viscosity fecal material. Exemplary of urine handling of the prior art are various attempts to provide disposable absorbent articles having a first topsheet that faces toward and is in contact with the user's body and a secondary topsheet beneath the first topsheet, which already either absorbs urine, or transfers the urine to an underlying core for storage until the user's disposable absorbent article is removed.

Typically, the first top sheet and the second top sheet have different material properties. The secondary upper sheet may have a pore size smaller than the first upper sheet, to aid in the transfer of urine through the upper sheet. The primary topsheet may be hydrophobic and more elastic when wet than the secondary topsheet, so that the fluids pass through the first topsheet towards the topsheet. In yet another attempt in the prior art, the disposable absorbent article has a first topsheet, a topsheet and a core. The secondary topsheet consists essentially of hydrophilic fibers blown in the molten state and has a pore size greater than the pore size of the core. This arrangement is intended to allow the secondary upper sheet to quickly receive multiple insults of liquid and distribute the liquid in the X-Y plane before absorption by the core. In yet another attempt, the improved vertical capillary action capacity for urine has been allegedly achieved by using inflated cellulose fibers which are free of a surface finish or are bonded to one another. In another attempt of the prior art, an absorbent core suitable for acquiring and containing liquids such as urine in a particularly effective and efficient manner comprises multiple layers. The first layer, which is closer to the user, comprises a hydrophilic fibrous material and has an acquisition zone of relatively lower average density than other parts of this layer, in order to quickly acquire the discharged liquids. Beneath the first layer is a liquid handling layer comprising an elastic material, with high hollow volume, low density that is not sensitive to moisture in order to quickly acquire insults of the liquid towards itself through the acquisition zone and distribute these liquids through the liquid handling layer to a storage layer. The storage layer comprises a combination of fibrous material and discrete particles of gelling absorbent material, and allows the liquid handling layer to be drained of the liquids it has acquired, so that the liquid handling layer can have a capacity of enough to acquire and distribute subsequent liquid loads. Examples of these prior art attempts include U.S. Patent Nos. 4,047,531 issued September 13, 1977 to Karami.; 4,798,603 issued January 17, 1989 to Meyer et al .; 5,037,409 issued August 6, 1991 to Chen et al .; 5,124,197 issued June 23, 1992 to Bernardin et al .; and 5,134,007 issued on July 28, 1992 to Reising and others. Of course, gelling absorbent materials are also well known in the prior art for their urinary handling ability. The gelling absorbent materials are polymeric materials capable of absorbing large quantities of fluids, such as urine, and retaining these absorbed fluids under moderate pressure. The effectiveness of the gelling absorbent materials is very dependent on the shape, placement and percentage by weight of the gelling absorbent materials that are incorporated in the core of the disposable absorbent article. Recent attempts have been made in the art to provide gelling absorbent materials that have the ability to swell against pressure. These teachings are intended to provide the advantage that the absorbent gelling materials absorb fluids under real pressures exerted by the body during use. Still other teachings in the art provide gelling absorbent materials having a particular regime of free swelling and absorbency under load. The alleged advantages of these gelling absorbent materials are lower volume and mass with approximately the same absorptive capacity, the ability to rapidly absorb a liquid discharged under pressures typically encountered during use, and the ability to retain the liquid absorbed under pressures typically encountered during the use.

In another prior attempt, U.S. Patent No. 4,704,122 issued to Suzuki et al. Discloses a face comprising a nonwoven fabric having two different layers of different fiber compositions. The upper layer has a pattern of openings in it and is made from hydrophobic fibers and the lower layer has no openings and is made from hydrophilic fibers. Examples of these prior art attempts include U.S. Patent Nos. 5,147,343 issued September 15, 1992 to Kellenberger and 5,149,335 issued September 22 to Kellenberger et al. However, all of these attempts to handle the urine do little, if anything, to improve the handling of the low viscosity faecal material that may also be present in the disposable absorbent article. Attempts to treat fecal material include providing a first top sheet that closely conforms to the user and has an opening. The opening is successfully registered with the anal opening, in such a way that the fecal material passes through it into the hollow space. The first top sheet may comprise several elastic panels in order to closely conform to the wearer's skin, and / or may have linear elastic threads. Improvements have been made in this area of the prior art, such as optimizing the material properties of the first top sheet. This optimization makes the first top sheet more comfortable for the user and allows a simple disposable absorbent article to fit a larger range of user sizes. Still other attempts have been made in this area of the prior art to provide an absorbent core with a hole therein, in order to receive the fecal material. The hole may be flattened by the poles, in such a way that it is larger and narrower than the opening in the first upper sheet, or it may be diamond-shaped. The hole in the core can be placed under an opening that has elastic strips around its edge.

Improvements to this genre of disposable absorbent articles of the prior art also include the addition of spacers. The spacers can be interposed between the first top sheet and the core, in order to ensure a hollow space that is present to receive the fecal material. Still other attempts have been made in this prior art art to provide barriers that limit movement of the fecal material to particular parts of the disposable absorbent article. The barriers limit the contact of the fecal matter to a smaller portion of the user's skin, than a comparable disposable absorbent article which has no barriers. Still other attempts in the prior art provide barrier cuffs for the leg that are vertical from the plane of the topsheet. The barrier cuffs for the leg prevent the fecal material from breaching the perimeter of the disposable absorbent article. Examples of these attempts to handle fecal material include U.S. Patent No. 4,892,536 issued January 9, 1990 to DesMarais et al .; U.S. Patent No. 4,909,803 issued March 20, 1990 to Aziz et al .; U.S. Patent No. 4,968,313 issued November 6, 1990 to Khan; the commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. 4,990,147 issued February 5, 1991 to Freeland; the commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. 5,037,416 issued August 6, 1991 to Alien et al .; U.S. Patent No. 5,062,840 issued November 5, 1991 to Holt et al .; the commonly assigned United States Patent No. 5,171, 236 issued December 15, 1992 to Dreier et al .; and European Patent Application No. 0,335,740 A2 published on February 28, 1990 to Enloe. However, none of these attempts to handle fecal material solve the problem of low viscosity fecal material that is predominantly prevalent in younger children., particularly those who are breast fed. The low viscosity faecal material easily migrates into the disposable absorbent article under the influence of gravity and movement or pressure by the user. The migration of the fecal material often moves it towards the perimeter of the disposable absorbent article, increasing the probability of leaks. The migration of fecal material also smears against the user's skin, making cleaning more difficult. In order to clean the user, the caregiver should rub the entire area of the skin that has found the fecal material and typically deal with a relatively large spotted area. An attempt in the art to handle low viscosity faecal material is found in United States Patent Application No. 08 / 076,713 filed June 11, 1993 in the name of Roe. This application is a disposable absorbent article having a first top sheet with a penetration through the raised top sheet covering a secondary top sheet having a penetration through the lower top sheet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention is a laminated screen with openings that can be used as a topsheet in a disposable absorbent article, such as a diaper. The laminated size comprises a first liquid-permeable material and a second liquid-permeable material fixed to the first material. The first material has an effective open area of at least about 10% and a plurality of openings with an effective size of at least 0.2 mm2. The second material has an effective open area of at least about 10% and a plurality of openings with an effective size of at least 0.1 mm2. The openings of the second material are aligned with the openings of the first material. The second material preferably has a hydrophilic capacity that is greater than the hydrophilic capacity of the first material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Although the description concludes with the claims singling out and claiming the present invention differently, it is believed that it will be better understood by the following drawings taken in conjunction with the accompanying description in which similar components are given the same reference number. Figure 1 is a top plan view, shown partially in section, of a disposable diaper having a topsheet constructed of a laminated weft of the present invention. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the laminated weft top sheet shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the laminated weft of the present invention. Figure 4 is a top plan view of a disposable diaper having a topsheet constructed from another embodiment of the laminated weft of the present invention. Figure 5 is a simplified schematic illustration of a process for forming the laminated weft of the present invention. Figure 6 is a simplified schematic illustration of another process for forming the laminated weft of the present invention illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a simplified plan view on top of a part of the process for simultaneously forming multiple laminated webs of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As used herein, the term "absorbent article" refers to devices that absorb and contain exudates from the body, and, more specifically, refers to devices that are placed against or close to the user's body to absorb and contain the different exudates discharged from the body. The term "disposable" is used herein to describe absorbent articles that are not intended to be washed or restored or reused in another way as an absorbent article (ie, they are intended to be disposed of after a single use and, preferably, to be recycled, composted or otherwise disposed of in an environmentally compatible manner). A "unitary" absorbent article refers to absorbent articles that are formed of separate parts joined together to form a coordinated entity in such a way that they do not require separate manipulated parts such as a fastener and separate liners. An absorbent article using the laminated weft of the present invention as a topsheet thereon is the unitary disposable absorbent article, diaper 20, shown in Figure 1. As used herein, the term "diaper" refers to an article absorbent generally worn by incontinent babies and adults and worn around the user's lower torso. The laminated weft of the present invention can also be used as a topsheet in other absorbent articles such as incontinence briefs, incontinence undergarments, absorbent inserts, diaper liners and liners, feminine hygiene garments, and the like. Although the present invention will be described in the context of providing a laminated web suitable for use as a topsheet in a disposable absorbent article, the present invention is in no way limited to this application. The description of the laminated web and its use as a top web will enable one skilled in the art to easily adapt the invention to other devices and for other uses. Figure 1 is a plan view of the diaper 20 of the present invention in its flattened state, without contracting (i.e., with the elastic-induced contraction pulled outward) with parts of the structure that are cut out to more clearly show the construction of the diaper 20 and with the part of the diaper 20 that gives or is in contact with the user, the inner surface, facing the observer. As shown in Figure 1, the diaper 20 preferably comprises an upper sheet 24 permeable to liquid; a back sheet 26 impervious to the liquid attached to the topsheet 24; and an intermediate absorbent core 28 between the sheet 24 and the back sheet 26. The diaper 20 may further comprise elasticized side panels (not shown); elastic folds for the leg (not shown); an elastic waist feature (not shown); and a fastening system with generally multiple tape tabs designated 36. The diaper 20 is shown in Figure 1 to have a first waist region 27 juxtaposed with the front of the wearer while the diaper 20 is worn, a second region. at waist 29 opposite the first waist region 27 and juxtaposed with the user's back while the diaper 20 is worn, a crotch region 31 positioned between the first waist region 27 and the second waist region 29, and a periphery which is defined by the outer edges of the diaper 20 in which the longitudinal edges are designated 33 and the end edges are designated 35 .. The inner surface of the diaper 20 comprises that part of the diaper 20 that is adjacent to the wearer's body during use (i.e., the inner surface is generally formed by at least a portion of the upper sheet 24 and other components attached to the upper sheet 24). The outer surface comprises that part of the diaper 20 that is placed away from the wearer's body (i.e., the outer surface is generally formed by at least a portion of the back sheet 26 and other components attached to the back sheet 26) during the use. Figure 1 shows a modality of the diaper 20 in which the topsheet 24 and backsheet 26 have length and width dimensions generally greater than those of the absorbent core 28. The topsheet 24 and the backsheet 26 extend beyond the edges of absorbent core 28 to thereby form the periphery of diaper 20. Although top sheet 24, backsheet 26 and absorbent core 28 can be assembled in a variety of well-known configurations, preferred configurations are generally described. of diaper in U.S. Patent No. 3,860,003 entitled "Shrinkable side portions for disposable diaper" which was issued to Kenneth B. Buell on January 14, 1975; and in U.S. Patent No. 5,151, 092, "Absorbent article having elastic dynamic waist feature having a predisposed elastic flexure joint", issued to Kenneth B. Buell on September 29, 1992; each of which is incorporated herein by reference. The absorbent core 28 may be any absorbent means that is generally compressible, capable of shaping, non-irritating to the user's skin, and capable of absorbing and retaining liquids such as urine and other certain exudates from the body. As shown in Figure 1, the absorbent core 28 has a garment surface, a body surface, side edges, and waist edges. The absorbent core 28 can be manufactured in a wide variety of sizes and shapes (eg, rectangular, hourglass, "T", asymmetrical, etc.) and from a wide variety of commonly used liquid absorbent materials in disposable diapers and other absorbent articles, such as crushed wood pulp which is generally referred to as air felt Examples of other suitable absorbent materials include creped cellulose wadding, melt blown polymers including coform, chemically hardened cellulosic fibers , modified or crosslinked, tissue including tissue wraps and tissue laminates, absorbent foams, absorbent sponges, superabsorbent polymers, gelling absorbent materials, or any equivalent material or combinations of materials, the configuration and construction of the absorbent core can also be varied. (for example, the absorbent core 28 can have variable zones of caliber, a hydrophilic gradient, a superabsorbent gradient, or acquisition zones with lower average density and lower average weight; and may comprise one or more layers or structures). However, the total absorbent capacity of the absorbent core 28 must be compatible with the design load and intended use of the diaper 20. In addition, the size and absorbent capacity of the absorbent core 28 can be varied to encompass users ranging from babies to Adults. Exemplary absorbent structures are described for use as the absorbent core 28 in U.S. Patent No. 4,610,678 entitled "High Density Absorbing Structures" issued to Weisman et al. On September 9, 1986; U.S. Patent No. 4,673,402 entitled "Absorbent articles with cores in double layers" issued to Weisman et al. on June 16, 1987; U.S. Patent No. 4,888,231 entitled "Absorbent Core Having A Dust Cap" issued to Angstadt on December 19, 1989; and in U.S. Patent No. 4,834,735 entitled "High density absorbent members having acquisition zones of lower density and lower basis weight", issued to Alemany et al. on May 30, 1989. Each of these patents is Incorporate here by reference. The backsheet 26 is positioned adjacent the garment surface of the absorbent core 28 and is preferably attached thereto by attachment means (not shown) such as those well known in the art. As used herein, the term "attached" encompasses configurations by means of which one element is directly secured to the other element by fixing the element directly to the other element, and configurations by means of which the element is indirectly secured to the other element by fix the element to a member or intermediate members which in turn are fixed to the other element. For example, the backsheet 26 can be secured to the absorbent core 28 by a uniform, continuous adhesive layer, a patterned adhesive layer, or an array of separate lines, coils, or spots of adhesive. The adhesives that have been found to be satisfactory are manufactured by H.B. Fuller Company of St. Paul, Minnesota and are marketed as HL-1258. The attachment or attachment means will preferably comprise a network of open-pattern adhesive filaments as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,573,986 entitled "Disposable Garment for Waste Containment", which was issued to Minetola et al. March 1986, most preferably several lines of adhesive filaments twisted in a spiral pattern as illustrated by the apparatus and methods shown in United States Patent No. 3,911,173 issued to Sprague, Jr. October 1975; U.S. Patent No. 4,785,996 issued to Ziecker, and others on November 22, 1978; and in U.S. Patent No. 4,842,666 issued to Werenicz on June 27, 1989. Each of these patents are incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the joining means may comprise heat bonds, pressure joints, ultrasonic joints, mechanical dynamic joints, or any other suitable joining means or combinations of these joining means as are known in the art. The topsheet 26 is impervious to liquids (eg, urine) and is preferably manufactured from a thin plastic film, although other flexible liquid impervious materials may also be used. As used herein, the term "flexible" refers to materials that are docile and that will easily conform to the figure and general contour of the human body. The backsheet 26 prevents the exudates absorbed and contained in the absorbent core 28 from wetting the articles that are in contact with the diaper 20 such as sheets and undergarments. The backsheet 26 can thus comprise a woven or non-woven material, polymeric films such as polyethylene or polypropylene thermoplastic films., or composite materials such as a nonwoven material coated with film. Preferably, the backsheet 26 is a thermoplastic film having a thickness of about 0.012 mm to about 0.051 mm. Particularly preferred materials for the backsheet 26 include the RR8220 blown films and the RR5475 cast films as manufactured by Tredegar Industries, Inc. of Terre Haute, Indiana. The backsheet 26 is preferably finished in highlight and / or dull to provide a more fabric-like appearance. In addition, the backsheet 26 can allow the vapors of the absorbent core 28 to escape (ie, be breathable) while still preventing the exudates from passing through the backsheet 26. Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, the sheet upper 24 is juxtaposed with, but not necessarily adjacent to the body surface of absorbent core 28, and is preferably attached to backsheet 26 or absorbent core 28 by means such as those well known in the art. Suitable attachment means were described above with respect to the attachment of the backsheet 26 to the absorbent core 28. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the topsheet 24 and the backsheet 26 are directly bonded together at the periphery of the diaper. The topsheet 24 comprises a laminated weft 40 constructed of two different and different liquid-permeable materials 42 and 44. The first material 42 is docile, soft-feeling, and non-irritating to the wearer's skin. The first material 42 is preferably a non-woven web permeable to liquid. The non-woven web is a fibrous material formed from polymeric fibers or filaments capable of melting. The non-woven web may be formed from any of the following polymers: polyamides, polypropylene, polypropylene copolymers, two-component polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, combinations thereof, and the like. Suitable materials include dry-laid and carded webs, air-laid and random webs, spin-linked webs, melt-blown extruded webs, spunbonded webs, and webs joined by continuous air or calendering. Alternatively, the nonwoven web can be joined by latex through saturation bonding, gravure printing, screen printing, spray bonding or foam. Still further, the nonwoven web can be joined with combinations of the prior art, such as latex bonded and calendered webs or other suitable combinations. The fibers can be of various sizes with fibers having a denier of between about 1 and 18 which is preferred. The first material 42 preferably has a basis weight of about 5 grams / square meter to 100 grams / square meter, more preferably about 5 grams / square meter to about 60 grams / square meter. The first material 42 preferably has a caliper from about 0.1 mm to 5.0 mm, and more preferably from about 0.1 mm to about 2.0 mm. The first material 42 has a plurality of apertures 46 with an effective aperture size of at least 0.2 mm square, more preferably, the plurality of apertures has an effective aperture size of at least 0.5 square millimeters, even so more preferably, the plurality of apertures have an effective aperture size of at least 1.0 square millimeters, and most preferably, the plurality of apertures have an effective aperture size of at least 2.0 square millimeters. Effective openings are those that have a gray level of 18 or less on a gray scale standard scale from 0 to 255, below the image acquisition parameters described below. The first material 42 preferably has an open effective area of at least 10 percent, more preferably the first material 42 has an open effective area of at least 15 percent, even more preferably, the first material 42 has an open effective area of at least 20 percent, and most preferably the first material 42 has an open effective area of at least 25 percent. The effective aperture size and the effective open area are determined by the following procedure using the image analysis described below. The procedure has three main steps: acquisition of the image, that is, obtaining representative images of areas on the surface of the first material 42; measurement of the image, that is, measuring the percentage of open area of an image and of the individual openings and their perimeters; and data analysis, that is, export the percentage of open area, the individual opening area, and perimeter measurements to a spreadsheet where the frequency distributions are made, the sum of the area distributions and the calculations of the hydraulic radio. An image analysis system is used that has a frame taking card, a microscope, a camera and an image analysis program. A DT2855 checkout card model available from Data Translation of Marlboro, Mass. Is also provided. A VH5900 monitor microscope, a video camera, is also provided, which has a VH50 lens with a contact-type lighting head available from Keyence Company of Fair Lawn, NJ, and is used to acquire an image that will be saved in the computer file. The Keyence microscope acquires the image and the picture taking card converts the analog signal of this image into the digital format readable by the computer. The image is saved in the computer file and measured using the appropriate program such as the Optima image analysis program, version 3.1, available from BioScan Company of Edmaons, Wash. In order to use the Optimus image analysis program, the computer must have the Windows program, version 3.0 or later, available from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. and also have a central processing unit at least equivalent to the Intel 80386. Any suitable desktop computer can be used, with a type 486 DX33 PC that has been found to be particularly suitable. The images were saved and re-called from the file that were displayed on a Sony Trinitron monitor model PVM-1343MO with a final amplification of approximately 50X. The image acquisition step, noted above, requires 10 different regions of a sample of representative material to be tested. Each region is rectangular, measuring approximately 5.8 mm by 4.2 mm. The sample is placed on a black mat board to increase the contrast between the openings and the part of the sample that defines the openings. The average gray level and the standard deviation of the black mat board was 16 and 4, respectively. The images are acquired with the room lights off using the Keyence monitor microscope mounted on a copying platform directly above the sample. The Keyence light source illuminating the sample is adjusted and monitored with the Optima program to measure the average gray level and the standard deviation of a 0.3 density prism on a Kodak gray scale available from Eastman Kodak Company of Rochester, New York The control of the Keyence light source is adjusted in such a way that the average gray level of the illuminated prism is 111 + 1 and the standard deviation is 10 + 1. All the images were acquired during a simple period of time, and the source of Keyence light is monitored by measuring the average gray level and the standard deviation of the prism through the image acquisition process. When measuring an individual opening, only the effective size of the opening is of interest. The measurement of the effective size of the aperture quantifies the size of the aperture intended to contribute to the porosity of the material, and take into account the contributions of the fibers and bundles of fiber passing through an area intended to be an aperture. An effective aperture is any hole through the material that has a gray level less than or equal to 18 using the image acquisition parameters as described herein. Therefore an attempted opening can be divided into plural effective openings by the transverse fibers. The image analysis program is calibrated in millimeters by means of a rule image acquired from the sample images. A filter that averages 3 x 3 pixels found in the Optima 3.1 image menu is applied to each saved image to reduce noise. The openings are detected on the gray level scale from 0 to 18. An aperture that is not fully contained within the 5.8 x 4.2 view area is not considered within the individual area and perimeter measurements. Thus, the averages of the area and perimeter and the distributions are not affected by the openings that are not totally contained within the field of vision. However, individual openings that can not be fully seen in the image are included in the percentage calculation of the open area. This difference occurs because the percentage of open area is simply the image of the pixel ratios from 0 to 18 for the total number of pixels in the image. The areas that have a level of gray 19 or greater were not counted in the calculation of the open area. The percentage of open area for the average of 10 images for each material is measured using the Optima image analysis program. The percentage of the open area is defined as the ratio of the number of pixels that have a gray level from 0 to 18 to the total number of pixels for the image. The percentage of open area is measured for each image that represents a particular region of the sample. The percentage of the open area from each of the 10 individual images is then averaged to produce a percentage of open area for the total sample. The data analysis is conducted using an Excel spreadsheet, also available from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington. The Excel spreadsheet organized the measurements of the percentage of open area, the opening area and the opening perimeter obtained from the Optimums program. The sample averages and standard deviations, the size and frequency distributions of the individual aperture areas, and the hydraulic radius calculations (area divided by perimeter) for the individual apertures are obtained using the spreadsheet. The distributions of the individual areas of opening are also computed using the Excel spreadsheet. The openings are drawn in binaries of certain size ranges. The number of opening areas that fall in certain ranges of interest size is determined as well as the sum of the areas within each range. The ranges are fixed in increments of 0.05 square millimeters. These areas are expressed as a percentage of the total open area of the sample. The frequency and the sum of the area distributions are obtained by combining the individual aperture measurements from all 10 images for each sample. The openings 46 in the first material 42 can vary in size, shape and pattern. Examples of some possible forms include but are not limited to circular, square, rectangular, oval, triangular, dog bone, star, oblong, etc. The openings 46 may be exposed in any of a systematic, uniform or random pattern. A systematic pattern is preferred with similarly sized openings. The second material 44 is docile, gentle in feeling, and non-irritating to the wearer's skin. The second material 44 is preferably a non-woven web permeable to the liquid. The non-woven web is a fibrous material formed from melt-capable polymer fibers or filaments. The non-woven web can be formed from any of the following polymers: polyamides, polypropylene, polypropylene copolymers, two components, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, combinations thereof, and the like. Suitable materials include dry-laid and carded webs, random and air-laid webs, spunbonded webs, meltblown webs, spin-linked webs, and webs joined by continuous or calendered air. Alternatively, the non-woven web may be joined by latex through saturation bonding, gravure printing, screen printing, spraying or bonding with foam. The fibers may be of various sizes with fibers having a denier of between about 1 and about 18 which is preferred. The second material 44 preferably has a basis weight of about 5 grams / square meter to 100 grams / square meter, more preferably from about 5 grams / square meter to about 60 grams / square meter. The second material 44 preferably has a caliper from about 0.1 mm to 5.0 mm, and more preferably from about 0.1 mm to about 2.0 mm. The second material 44 has a plurality of apertures 48 with an effective aperture size of at least 0.2 mm square, more preferably, the plurality of apertures has an effective aperture size of at least 0.5 square millimeters, even in a manner more preferably, the plurality of apertures have an effective aperture size of at least 1.0 square millimeters, and most preferably, the plurality of apertures have an effective aperture size of at least 2.0 square millimeters. Effective openings are those that have a gray level of 18 or less on a gray scale standard scale from 0 to 255, below the image acquisition parameters described below. The second material 44 preferably has an open effective area of at least 10 percent, more preferably the second material 44 has an open effective area of at least 15 percent, even more preferably, the second material 44 has a effective open area of at least 20 percent, and most preferably second material 44 has an open effective area of at least 25 percent. The effective aperture size and the effective open area are determined by the procedure described above. The openings 48 in the second material 44 can vary in size, shape and pattern. Examples of some possible forms include but are not limited to circular, square, rectangular, oval, triangular, dog bone, star, oblong, etc. The openings 48 may be exposed in any systematic, uniform or random pattern. A systematic pattern is preferred with similarly sized openings. Preferably, the openings 46 in the first material 42 are directly aligned with the openings 48 in the second material 44. Aligning the openings in the first and second materials allows the urine fecal material to easily penetrate the laminated web. The second material 44 preferably has a hydrophilic capacity that is greater than the hydrophilic capacity of the first material 42. In this way, a relatively hydrophobic material, the first material, is placed adjacent to the skin of the users and a relatively hydrophilic material is placed adjacent to the absorbent core providing rapid urine acquisition and skin isolation of the users of the liquids contained in the absorbent core. Having the relatively hydrophobic material adjacent to the user's skin prevents the fecal material from dehydrating prematurely thereby immobilizing the fecal material on the outer surface facing the skin of the upper sheet preventing it from penetrating. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the second material 44 has a width greater than that of the first material 42. Although the width of the first material 42 is less than the width of the second material 44, the first material 42 has preferably a width at least equal to that of the underlying absorbent core, and more preferably, the first material 42 has a width greater than that of the underlying absorbent core. In addition, the second material 44 is preferably perforated only in the part that is bordering the first material 42. However, the portion of the second material 44 extending beyond the edges of the first material may also be punctured if desired. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the laminated web 60 comprises a first material 62 and a second material 64 having equal widths. The laminated web 60 comprises a central zone 70 and a pair of external zones 72. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the laminated web is perforated within the central zone 70 but is not perforated within the outer zones 72. However, the laminated web 60 can be perforated in the outer areas 72 if desired. Referring now to Figure 4, the topsheet 124 in the diaper 120 comprises the laminated weft 140. The laminated weave 140 comprises a first material 142 and a second material 144 secured to the first material 142. As can be seen in Figure 4, the laminated web 140 is only perforated in the back waist or back 120 region of the diaper 120. The laminated web 140 can be perforated in any suitable manner to provide the desired benefits in certain parts of the diaper 120. For example, the laminated web 140 it can be pierced in only the crotch region 131 or only in the front waist region 127, any combination of two regions, parts of any region, or parts of several regions. Since the first material will be the material adjacent to the user's skin in use, the first material is preferably smooth. With the thermally bonded nonwoven webs, the amount of the bound area of the web is a factor in determining the softness and also the tensile strength of the web. Since it increases the united area of the weft, the softness decreases and the tensile strength increases. In contrast, since the united area of the weave decreases, the softness increases and the tensile strength decreases. In order to provide a laminated web which is both soft and durable, it is preferred that the first material have a relatively smaller bonded area to provide softness and the second material have a relatively higher bonded area to provide strength. The first material preferably has a bonded area of from about 0% to about 25%, more preferably from about 5% to about 15%. The second material preferably has a bonded area of from about 0% to about 35%, more preferably from about 10% to about 20%. Another factor in determining the softness and strength of the weft is the type of fibers. In this way, the first material can be composed of a fiber that provides the desired softness and the second material can be composed of a fiber that provides the desired strength. Referring now to Figure 5 there is shown a schematic illustration of a process 200 for forming the laminated weft of the present invention. A first material 242 is unwound from a supply roll 210 and travels in the direction indicated by the arrows associated therewith as the supply roll 210 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrows associated therewith. A second material 244 is unwound from a supply roll 212 and travels in the direction indicated by the arrows associated therewith as the supply roll 212 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrows associated therewith. Instead of being unwound from a supply roll the first and second materials can be fed directly from a forming apparatus, for example, a carding apparatus, a carding and calendering apparatus, a spinning apparatus, an apparatus of glued and calendered yarn, a meltblown extrusion apparatus, a melt blown and calendered extrusion apparatus, to the gripping space 250. The first material 242 and the second material 244 are fed through the gripping space 250 of the perforated apparatus 252 formed by the rollers 254 and 260. The roller 260 has a smooth external surface 262. The roller 260 is preferably constructed of steel. The roller 260 can be constructed of other materials, for example, rubber. The roller 254 includes a plurality of projections 258 extending around its total external surface 256. The roller 252 is preferably constructed of steel. The rollers 254 and 260 have the same speed. The rolls 254 and 260 are heated. Preferably, the roller 254 is heated to have a higher temperature than the roller 260. As the first and second materials 242 and 244 pass through the grip 250 these are simultaneously joined together and perforated. As the wefts are perforated, the first and second materials are heated above their melting points in such a way that at least a part of the perimeter of the openings is melted. After the first and second materials have been perforated and joined together by the apparatus 252, the laminated web 240 is then cooled to fix the laminated web after it leaves the apparatus 252. In Fig. 5, the laminated web shown in Fig. 5 is shown. It will be cooled by blowing cold air over the web 240 from the fan 270. Of course other known techniques for cooling the web 240 can be used. The cooling of the laminated web also solidifies the molten material extending around the perimeter of the openings. After cooling, the web is fed through the gripping space 280 formed with the rollers 282 and 284. The rollers 282 and 284 have the same speed. The rollers 282 and 284 have smooth outer surfaces. Preferably the rollers 282 and 284 are constructed of steel. However, other suitable materials can also be used to build the rollers 282 and 284. The rollers 282 and 284 break the molten solid material that extends around the perimeter of the openings. The breaking of the molten solid material increases the softness of the laminated web. The peripheral linear speed of the rollers 282 and 284 is preferably greater than the peripheral linear speed of the rollers 254 and 260 by tensioning the material between the two sets of rollers. By adjusting the speeds of the rollers, the material is tensioned in such a way that it achieves a desired amount. From the grip space 280 the laminate 240 is wound on a winding roll 290. Referring now to Figure 6, there is illustrated a process 300 for forming the laminated web 140 illustrated in Figure 4. The process 330 is identical to process 200 except that the projections 358 extend around only a portion of the outer surface 356 of the roller 254. This process pierces only a portion of the laminated web. Of course, any pattern of projections can be selected to create the desired perforation configuration. Referring now to Figure 7, there is illustrated a process 400 for simultaneously forming the multiple laminated webs of the present invention. A first material 442 and a second material 444 are fed into the gripping space of the perforating apparatus 452 formed by the rollers 454 and 460. The first material 442 is cut into multiple strips 443 by the blades 490. In the embodiment shown in the Figure 7, the multiple strips 445 of the second material 444 are also fed into the gripping space of the drilling apparatus 452. The multiple strips 445 of the second material 444 can be cut by the blades similar to the first material 442 or they can be fed from the multiple supply rollers. In addition to the processes described above, the laminated web can be formed by other processes. For example, the laminated web can be formed by needle punching, hydro perforation or other known processes. The diaper 20 may further comprise elasticized leg cuffs (not shown) which provide improved containment of liquids and other exudates from the body. Each elasticized leg cuff can comprise several different modalities to reduce leakage of body exudates in the leg regions. (The leg fold may be and is sometimes also referred to as leg bands, side flaps, barrier folds or elastic folds.) U.S. Patent No. 3,860,003 describes a disposable diaper 20 that provides a collapsible leg opening. having a lateral flap and one or more elastic members to provide an elasticized leg fold (packing fold). The commonly assigned patent of the United States No. 4, 909,803 entitled "Disposable absorbent article having elasticised fins" issued to Aziz et al. On March 20, 1990, discloses a disposable diaper 20 having "vertical" elastified fins (barrier folds) to improve containment of the regions. of the leg. The commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. 4,695,278 entitled "Absorbent Article Having Double Folds" issued to Lawson on September 22, 1987, discloses a disposable diaper 20 having double folds that include a gusset fold and a barrier fold. .

The diaper 20 further preferably comprises an elastic waist feature (not shown) that provides for improved fit and containment. The elastic waist feature is that part or area of the diaper 20 that is intended to elastically expand and contract to dynamically adjust the wearer's waist. The elastic waist feature extends at least longitudinally outwardly from at least one of the waist edges of the absorbent core 28 and generally forms at least a portion of the end edge of the diaper 20. Disposable diapers are generally constructed to have two elastic waist features, one placed in the first waist region 27 and one positioned in the second waist region 29, although diapers can be constructed with a simple elastic waist feature. Further, while the elastic waist feature or any of its constituent elements may comprise a separate element secured to the diaper 20, the elastic waist feature is preferably constructed as an extension of other diaper elements 20 such as the back sheet 26 or the top sheet 24, preferably both top sheet 24 and back sheet 26. Elastic waistband 34 can be constructed in a number of different configurations including those described in U.S. Patent No. 4,515,595 issued to Kievit and others on 7 May 1985 and in the aforementioned U.S. patent application serial number 07 / 715,152, each of these references being incorporated herein by reference. The diaper 20 also comprises a fastening system 36 that forms a lateral closure that maintains the first waist region 27 and the second waist region 29 in an overlapping configuration such that lateral stresses are maintained around the circumference of the waist. diaper 20 to maintain the diaper 20 on the wearer. Exemplary fastening systems are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,846,815 entitled "Disposable diaper having an improved fastening device" issued to Scripps on July 11, 1989; U.S. Patent No. 4,894,060 entitled "Disposable diaper with improved hook fastener portion" issued to Nestegard on January 16, 1990; the commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. 4,946,527 entitled "Pressure sensitive adhesive fastener and method for making same" issued to Battrell on August 7, 1990; the commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. 3,848,594 entitled "Disposable diaper tape fastening system" issued to Buell on November 19, 1974; the commonly assigned United States Patent No. B1 4,662,875 entitled "Absorbing Article" issued to Hirotsu et al. on May 5, 1987; and the aforementioned above-referenced U.S. patent application 07 / 715,152; each of which are incorporated herein by reference. The diaper 20 is preferably applied to a wearer by placing one of the waist regions, preferably the second waist region 29, under the user's back and pulling the rest the diaper 20 between the user's legs in such a way that the other waist region, preferably the first waist region 27 is placed across the front of the user. The tape tabs 36 of the fastening system are then released from the release portion. The person placing the diaper then wraps the elasticized side panel around the wearer, while still holding the tongue portion. The fastening system is secured to the outer surface of the diaper 20 to effect two lateral closures. Although the 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 may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, attempts are made in the appended claims to protect all these changes and modifications that are within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (12)

1. A laminated web comprising a first liquid-permeable material and a second liquid-permeable material bonded to said first material, characterized by: said first material having an open effective area of at least about 10% and a plurality of openings with a size effective at least 0.2 mm square, said second material having an effective open area of at least about 10% and a plurality of openings with an effective size of at least 0.2 mm square, with the openings of the second material aligned with the openings of the first material.

2. The laminated web according to claim 1, wherein the second material has a hydrophilic capacity that is greater than the hydrophilic capacity of the first material.

3. The laminated web according to any of claims 1 or 2, wherein the first material is a non-woven web.

4. The laminated web according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second material is a non-woven web.

5. The laminated web according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second material has a bonded area greater than the bonded area of the first material.

6. The laminated web according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said first and second materials each have an open effective area of at least about 15 percent.

7. The laminated web according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said first and second materials each have an open effective area of at least about 20 percent.

8. The laminated web according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said first and second materials each have a plurality of openings with a size of at least 1.0 mm square. The laminated web according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said first and second materials each have a plurality of openings with a size of at least 2.0 mm square. 10. The laminated web according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said second material has a width greater than that of said first material. 11. A disposable absorbent article comprising a liquid pervious top sheet comprising the laminated web according to any of the preceding claims. The disposable absorbent article according to claim 10, further comprising a backsheet attached to the topsheet, and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet and the backsheet.