Nonwoven and absorbent articles having the same
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional nonwoven comprising a first side, a second side, a protruded first area comprising an upper portion formed in the first side and a lower portion formed in the second side, and a second area comprising a plurality of deformations, wherein the upper portion has a shape memory index higher than a shape memory index of the lower portion, an absorbent article comprising the three-dimensional nonwoven, and a process for producing the three-dimensional nonwoven.
1 . An absorbent article comprising a skin-facing surface, a garment-facing surface, a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, an absorbent structure disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, and a three-dimensional nonwoven,
wherein the three-dimensional nonwoven comprises:
a plurality of shape memory polymer fibers,
a first side,
a second side,
a protruded first area comprising an upper portion in the first side and a lower portion in the second side, and
a second area comprising a plurality of deformations,
wherein at least one deformation has at least three adjacent deformations,
wherein an edge to edge space is no greater than about 3 mm between the at least one deformation and each of the at least three adjacent deformations,
wherein the upper portion comprises an upper portion height,
wherein the lower portion comprises a lower portion height,
wherein the lower portion height is less than the upper portion height as measured according to Height Test,
wherein a shape memory index of the upper portion is higher than a shape memory index of the lower portion, and
wherein the first area is filled with fibers.
2 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional nonwoven comprises a plurality of the first areas, each of the first areas being substantially surrounded by the second area.
3 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion has a shape memory index no less than about 120% as measured according to Shape Memory Index Test.
4 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the lower portion has a shape memory index less than about 120% as measured according to Shape Memory Index Test.
5 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion height is no smaller than about 0.80 mm as measured according to Height Test.
6 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the lower portion height is no greater than about 0.2 mm.
7 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the deformations are apertures, recesses or a combination thereof, and formed from the first side toward the second side.
8 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion comprises a fiber comprising a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polybutylene, polyethylene terephthalate copolymer, poly(tetramethylene ether) glycol, and combinations thereof.
9 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the topsheet comprises the three-dimensional nonwoven such that the first side of the three-dimensional nonwoven forms at least part of the skin-facing surface.
10 . The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1-5, or 6-7 , wherein the absorbent article comprises an outermost layer comprising the three-dimensional nonwoven such that the first side of the three-dimensional nonwoven forms at least part of the garment-facing surface.
11 . A three-dimensional nonwoven comprising:
a plurality of shape memory polymer fibers, a first side, a second side, a protruded first area comprising an upper portion in the first side and a lower portion in the second side, and a second area comprising a plurality of deformations,
wherein the upper portion has a shape memory index higher than a shape memory index of the lower portion, and
wherein the first area is filled with fibers.
12 . The three-dimensional nonwoven of claim 11 , wherein the three-dimensional nonwoven comprises a plurality of the first areas, each of the first areas being substantially surrounded by the second area.
13 . The three-dimensional nonwoven of claim 11 , wherein the upper portion has a shape memory index no less than about 120% as measured according to Shape Memory Index Test.
14 . The three-dimensional nonwoven of claim 11 , wherein the lower portion has a shape memory index less than about 120% as measured according to Shape Memory Index Test.
15 . The three-dimensional nonwoven of claim 12 , wherein the first area has an upper portion height no smaller than about 0.80 mm as measured according to Height Test.
16 . The three-dimensional nonwoven of claim 11 , wherein the lower portion height is no greater than about 0.2 mm.
17 . The three-dimensional nonwoven of claim 11 , wherein the deformations are apertures, recesses or a combination thereof, and formed from the first side toward the second side.
18 . The three-dimensional nonwoven of claim 11 , wherein the second area comprises at least one deformation having at least three adjacent deformations, wherein the one deformation and each of the at least three adjacent deformations has an edge to edge space no greater than about 3 mm.
19 . The three-dimensional nonwoven according to any of claims 11-18 , wherein the upper portion comprises a fiber comprising a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate and a combinations thereof.
20 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion is less dense than the lower portion.
21 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion has a lower capillary pressure than the lower portion.