Method for producing an absorption body, notably for use in cases of urinary incontinence in women

Claim 4

A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the core material mixture consists of 40-50% by weight of a pulverulent, cross-linked acrylic polymer, 10-14% by weight of thermoplastic fibers and 30-50% by weight of cellulose fluff.

Claim 5

A method as claimed in claim 2, comprising the further step of placing a flat, highly absorbent layer of fibers and pulverulent cross-linked polymer between the core and the casing, on the side of the fibrous sheet turned away from the channels, said layer having a smaller thickness than the core.

Claim 6

A method as claimed in claim 1, further including the step of incorporating fluff into the fibrous material.

Claim 7

A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the fibrous material defined in claim 1 (a) (i) consists of a mixture of thermoplastic fibers and cellulose fluff in a weight ratio of about 1:2.5.

Claim 8

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amount of core material removed by the cutting or milling operation is at least 25% of the entire volume of core material.

Claim 9

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amount of core material removed is 30% of the volume of core material.

Claim 10

In a method for producing an absorption body for use in cases of female urinary incontinence and containing a core in the form of one flat absorbent pad provided with channels, comprising the steps of (a) dry-depositing on a thin, coherent, porous sheet material a core material mixture of (i) a fibrous material substantially consisting of fibers of which at least a part is selected from the class consisting of hot-meltable thermoplastic material and fibers of another material but provided with a hot-meltable thermoplastic surface coating, and (ii) a highly absorbent, pulverulent material, (b) subjecting the sheet material with the deposited layer of the mixture of fibrous material and pulverulent material to heat treatment at a temperature just sufficient to soften the thermoplastic surface of the said fibers and within the range of 90° to 175° C. so as to cause the fibers of which at least the surface is thermoplastic to adhere to each other at the spots of contact and to the sheet material, thereby forming a pad comprising a three-dimensional network in which the particles of the pulverulent material are evenly distributed and (c) forming a plurality of longitudinal channels in the surface of the thus-formed pad opposite the sheet material, the channels having a depth of 65-95% of the thickness of the pad, a width of each at least 4 mm and leaving at least 4 mm of core material between each two neighboring channels, the improvement which comprises forming the longitudinal channels by cutting and recovering the cut surface portions.

Claim 11

In a method for producing an absorption body for use in cases of female urinary incontinence and containing a core in the form of one flat absorbent pad provided with channels, comprising the steps of (a) dry-depositing on a thin, coherent, porous sheet material a core material mixture of (i) a fibrous material substantially consisting of fibers of which at least a part is selected from the class consisting of hot-meltable thermoplastic material and fibers of another material but provided with a hot-meltable thermoplastic surface coating, and (ii) a highly absorbent, pulverulent material, (b) subjecting the sheet material with the deposited layer of the mixture of fibrous material and pulverulent material to heat treatment at a temperature just sufficient to soften the thermoplastic surface of the said fibers and within the range of 90° to 175° C. so as to cause the fibers of which at least the surface is thermoplastic to adhere to each other at the spots of contact and to the sheet material, thereby forming a pad comprising a three-dimensional network in which the particles of the pulverulent material are evenly distributed and (c) forming a plurality of longitudinal channels in the surface of the thus-formed pad opposite the sheet material, the channels having a depth of 65-95% of the thickness of the pad, a width of each at least 4 mm and leaving at least 4 mm of core material between each two neighboring channels, the improvement which comprises forming the longitudinal channels by cutting and recovering the cut surface portions.

Claim 12

A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the amount of core material removed by the cutting is at least 25% of the entire volume of core material.

Claim 13

A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the amount of core material removed is 30% of the volume of core material.

Claim 14

In a method for producing an absorption body for use in cases of female urinary incontinence and containing a core in the form of one flat absorbent pad provided with channels, comprising the steps of (a) dry-depositing on a thin, coherent, porous sheet material a core material mixture of (i) a fibrous material substantially consisting of fibers of which at least a part is selected from the class consisting o hot-meltable thermoplastic material an fibers of another material but provided with a hot-meltable thermoplastic surface coating, and (ii) a highly absorbent, pulverulent material, (b) subjecting the sheet material with the deposited layer of the mixture of fibrous material and pulverulent material to a heat treatment at a temperature just sufficient to soften the thermoplastic surface of the said fibers and within the range of 90° to 175° C. so as to cause the fibers of which at least the surface is thermoplastic to adhere to each other at the spots of contact and to the sheet material, thereby forming a pad comprising a three-dimensional network in which the particles of the pulverulent material are evenly distributed, and (c) forming a plurality of longitudinal channels in the surface of the thus-formed pad opposite the sheet material, the channels having a depth of 65-95% of the thickness of the pad, a width of each at least 4 mm and leaving at least 4 mm of core material between each two neighboring channels, the improvement which comprises forming the longitudinal channels by cut milling and recovering the cut surface portions.

Claim 15

In a method for producing an absorption body for use in cases of female urinary incontinence and containing a core in the form of one flat absorbent pad provided with channels, comprising the steps of (a) dry-depositing on a thin, coherent, porous sheet material a core material mixture of (i) a fibrous material substantially consisting of fibers of which at least a part is selected from the class consisting o hot-meltable thermoplastic material an fibers of another material but provided with a hot-meltable thermoplastic surface coating, and (ii) a highly absorbent, pulverulent material, (b) subjecting the sheet material with the deposited layer of the mixture of fibrous material and pulverulent material to a heat treatment at a temperature just sufficient to soften the thermoplastic surface of the said fibers and within the range of 90° to 175° C. so as to cause the fibers of which at least the surface is thermoplastic to adhere to each other at the spots of contact and to the sheet material, thereby forming a pad comprising a three-dimensional network in which the particles of the pulverulent material are evenly distributed, and (c) forming a plurality of longitudinal channels in the surface of the thus-formed pad opposite the sheet material, the channels having a depth of 65-95% of the thickness of the pad, a width of each at least 4 mm and leaving at least 4 mm of core material between each two neighboring channels, the improvement which comprises forming the longitudinal channels by cut milling and recovering the cut surface portions.

Claim 16

A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the amount of core material removed by the milling is at least 25% of the entire volume of core material.

Claim 17

A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the amount of core material removed is 30% of the volume of core material.