US5124188A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Porous, absorbent, polymeric macrostructures and methods of making the same
Assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
•
Filing: 1990-04-02
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Granted: 1992-06-23
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Expires: 2010-04-02
Abstract
Abstract Absorbent polymeric macrostructures that are porous and comprise an interparticle crosslinked aggregate having a circumscribed dry volume greater than about 10.0 mm 3 . The interparticle crosslinked aggregrate comprises a multiplicity of precursor particles of substantially water-soluble, absorbent, hydrogel-forming, polymer material; and an interparticle crosslinking agent reacted with the polymer material of the precursor particles to form crosslink bonds between the precursor particles. Because of the particulate nature of the precursor particles, the macrostructure has pores between adjacent precursor particles. The pores are interconnected by intercommunicating channels such that the macrostructure is liquid permeable.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald C. Roe
- 👤 Frank H. Lahrman
- 👤 Charles J. Berg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 17:21
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B3/00; B32B3/10; A; A61; A61F; A61F13/00; A61F13/15; A61F13/15577; A61F13/15617; A61F13/15626; A61F13/53; A61F13/534; A61F13/537; A61L; A61L15/00; A61L15/16; A61L15/42; A61L15/425; A61L15/60; C; C08; C08J; C08J9/00; C08J9/28; A61F13/51; A61F13/45; A61F13/49; A61F13/49007; A61F13/49009; A61F13/4902; A61F2013/49031; A61F2013/49068; A61F2013/49076; A61F13/514; A61F13/51401; A61F2013/51409; A61F2013/530007; A61F2013/530481; A61F2013/530569; A61F2013/530583; A61F2013/530591; A61F2013/530598; A61F2013/530635; A61F2013/530642; A61F2013/5307; A61F2013/530708; A61F2013/530737; A61F2013/530766; A61F13/84; A61F2013/8488; A61F2013/8491; B32B2305/00; B32B2305/02; B32B2305/026; B32B2307/00; B32B2307/70; B32B2307/726; B32B2307/7265; C08J2201/00; C08J2201/04; C08J2201/05; C08J2207/00; C08J2207/12; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S521/00; Y10S521/919; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/23; Y10T428/234; Y10T428/239; Y10T428/249921; Y10T428/249953; Y10T428/249962; Y10T428/249964; Y10T428/249986
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
105 words
A porous, absorbent, polymeric macrostructure comprising an interparticle crosslinked aggregate comprising (i) a multiplicity of precursor particles of substantially water-insoluble, absorbent, hydrogel-forming, polymer material and (ii) from 0.01 to 30 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the precursor particles of an interparticle crosslinking agent reacted with said polymer material of said precursor particles to form covalent crosslink bonds between said precursor particles; said interparticle crosslinked aggregate having pores between adjacent of said precursor particles, said pores being interconnected by intercommunicating channels thus forming a liquid permeable macrostructure, the circumscribed dry volume of the macrostructure being greater than about 10.0 mm 3 .
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
105 words
A porous, absorbent, polymeric macrostructure comprising an interparticle crosslinked aggregate comprising (i) a multiplicity of precursor particles of substantially water-insoluble, absorbent, hydrogel-forming, polymer material and (ii) from 0.01 to 30 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the precursor particles of an interparticle crosslinking agent reacted with said polymer material of said precursor particles to form covalent crosslink bonds between said precursor particles; said interparticle crosslinked aggregate having pores between adjacent of said precursor particles, said pores being interconnected by intercommunicating channels thus forming a liquid permeable macrostructure, the circumscribed dry volume of the macrostructure being greater than about 10.0 mm 3 .
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The macrostructure of claim 1 wherein said precursor particles have a mass average particle size less than about 600 microns.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The macrostructure of claim 1 wherein said precursor particles have a mass average particle size less than about 300 microns.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
11 words
The macrostructure of claim 1 wherein said precursor particles comprise fibers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The macrostructure of claim 1 wherein said interparticle crosslinking agent comprises a monomer that is polymerized to form covalent polymeric crosslink bonds between said precursor particles.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
The macrostructure of claim 1 wherein said polymer material possesses a carboxyl group and said interparticle covalent crosslinking agent has at least two functional groups per molecule capable of reacting with said carboxyl group of said polymer material of said precursor particles.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The macrostructure of claim 6 wherein said interparticle crosslinking agent is mixed with water, an organic solvent, or mixtures thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
The macrostructure of claim 1 wherein said interparticle crosslinked aggregate is surface crosslinked.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
The macrostructure of claim 1 additionally comprising reinforcing members embedded in the macrostructure.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The macrostructure of claim 1 comprising a sheet having a thickness greater than about 250 microns.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
184 words
A porous, absorbent, polymeric macrostructure comprising an interparticle crosslinked aggregate comprising (i) a multiplicity of substantially dry precursor particles of substantially water-insoluble, absorbent, hydrogel-forming, polymer material, said polymer material of said precursor particles being selected from the group consisting of hydrolyzed starch-acrylonitrile graft copolymer; partially neutralized starch-acrylonitrile graft copolymer; starch-acrylic acid graft copolymer; partially neutralized starch-acrylic acid graft copolymer; saponified vinyl acetate-acrylic ester copolymers; hydrolyzed arylonitcrile or acrylamide copolymers; slightly network crosslinked products of any of the foregoing copolymers; partially neutralized polyacrylic acid; or slightly network crosslinked products of partially neutralized polyacrylic acid; and (ii) an interparticle crosslinking agent reacted with said polymer material of said precursor particles to form crosslink bonds between said precursor particles, said interparticle crosslinking agent being selected from the group consisting of polyhydric alcohol compounds, polyglycidyl ether compounds, polyfunctional aziridine compounds, polyfunctional amine compounds, and polyfunctional isocyanate compounds; said interparticle crosslinked aggregate having pores between adjacent of said precursor particles, said pores being interconnected by intercommunicating channels so that the macrostructure is liquid permeable, the circumscribed dry volume of the macrostructure being greater than about 100.0 mm 3 .
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
184 words
A porous, absorbent, polymeric macrostructure comprising an interparticle crosslinked aggregate comprising (i) a multiplicity of substantially dry precursor particles of substantially water-insoluble, absorbent, hydrogel-forming, polymer material, said polymer material of said precursor particles being selected from the group consisting of hydrolyzed starch-acrylonitrile graft copolymer; partially neutralized starch-acrylonitrile graft copolymer; starch-acrylic acid graft copolymer; partially neutralized starch-acrylic acid graft copolymer; saponified vinyl acetate-acrylic ester copolymers; hydrolyzed arylonitcrile or acrylamide copolymers; slightly network crosslinked products of any of the foregoing copolymers; partially neutralized polyacrylic acid; or slightly network crosslinked products of partially neutralized polyacrylic acid; and (ii) an interparticle crosslinking agent reacted with said polymer material of said precursor particles to form crosslink bonds between said precursor particles, said interparticle crosslinking agent being selected from the group consisting of polyhydric alcohol compounds, polyglycidyl ether compounds, polyfunctional aziridine compounds, polyfunctional amine compounds, and polyfunctional isocyanate compounds; said interparticle crosslinked aggregate having pores between adjacent of said precursor particles, said pores being interconnected by intercommunicating channels so that the macrostructure is liquid permeable, the circumscribed dry volume of the macrostructure being greater than about 100.0 mm 3 .
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
11 words
The macrostructure of claim 11 wherein said precursor particles comprise fibers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The macrostructure of claim 11 wherein the mass average particle size of said precursor particles is less than about 500 microns.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
The macrostructure of claim 11 wherein said precursor particles have a mass average particle size less than about 300 microns.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The macrostructure of claim 14 wherein said interparticle crosslinking agent is mixed with water, a hydrophilic organic solvent, or mixtures thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
45 words
The macrostructure of claim 15 wherein said polymer material of said precursor particles consists essentially of slightly network crosslinked products of partially neutralized polyacrylic acid; and said interparticle crosslinking agent is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, glycerol, trimethylol propane, 1,2-propanediol, or 1,3-propanediol.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The macrostructure of claim 16 wherein at least about 95% by weight of said precursor particles have a particle size between about 150 microns and about 300 microns.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
The macrostructure of claim 17 comprising a sheet having a thickness greater than about 250 microns.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
44 words
The macrostructure of claim 16 wherein the mass average particle size of said precursor particles is less than about 180 microns; and at least about 95% by weight of said precursor particles have a particle size between about 90 microns and about 180 microns.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
16 words
The macrostructure of claim 19 comprising a sheet having a thickness greater than about 250 microns.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
The macrostructure of claim 11, 12, 14, 18, or 20 wherein said interparticle crosslinked aggregate is surface crosslinked.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
18 words
The macrostructure of claim 11, 12, 14, 18, or 20 additionally comprising reinforcing fibers embedded in the macrostructure.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
12 words
The macrostructure of claim 22 wherein said reinforcing fibers comprise synthetic fibers.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
The macrostructure of claim 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, or 20 comprising a sheet having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and about 3.0 mm.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
23 words
An absorbent product comprising a substrate and the macrostructure according to claim 1, 11, 12, 14, 18, or 20 joined to said substrate.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
47 words
An absorbent article comprising a liquid pervious topsheet; a liquid impervious backsheet joined with said topsheet; and an absorbent core positioned between said topsheet and said backsheet, said absorbent core comprising one or more of the macrostructures of claim 1, 5, 11, 12, 14, 18, or 20.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
18 words
The absorbent article of claim 26 wherein said absorbent core additionally comprises an envelope web encasing said macrostructure.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
24 words
The absorbent article of claim 27 wherein said envelope web comprises a nonwoven web of hydrophilized synthetic fibers that is sealed about its periphery.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
22 words
The absorbent article of claim 26 wherein said absorbent core additionally comprises an absorbent member positioned between said topsheet and said macrostructure.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
17 words
The absorbent article of claim 26 wherein said macrostructure additionally comprises reinforcing fibers embedded in said macrostructure.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-06-23 | 1995-12-23 | 1996-06-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-06-23 | 1999-12-23 | 2000-06-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-06-23 | 2003-12-23 | 2004-06-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |