Absorbent articles in a unitary package

Abstract

A single package containing at least two different types of disposable absorbent articles that differ from one another in terms of absorbent structures, and having an appearance that is visibly distinguished from one another. A method of providing a single package of at least two different types of disposable absorbent articles is also described. A method of forming disposable absorbent articles includes forming at least two different types of absorbent articles on a single product line, each type of absorbent article having an absorbent structure that differs from the absorbent structure of at least one other absorbent article type on the product line. The method further includes creating a visual distinction between the different types of absorbent articles, and packaging the different types of absorbent articles in a single package.

1 . A package of disposable absorbent articles, comprising: 
 a first type of disposable absorbent article having an absorbent structure;    a second type of disposable absorbent article having an absorbent structure that is different than the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article, and an appearance that is visibly distinguished from the first type of absorbent article;    wherein the first and second types of disposable absorbent articles are provided in a single package.    
     
     
         2 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , wherein the second type of absorbent article has a greater absorbent capacity than the first type of absorbent article.  
     
     
         3 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article has a crotch region width that is narrower than a crotch region width of the absorbent structure in the second type of absorbent article.  
     
     
         4 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article has a front region width that is narrower than a front region width of the absorbent structure in the second type of absorbent article.  
     
     
         5 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article has a back region width that is narrower than a back region width of the absorbent structure in the second type of absorbent article.  
     
     
         6 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article has a length that is longer than a length of the absorbent structure in the second type of absorbent article.  
     
     
         7 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent structure in the second type of absorbent article is zoned differently than the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article.  
     
     
         8 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent structure in the second type of absorbent article comprises a bonding or embossing pattern that is not present in the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article.  
     
     
         9 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article comprises a first type of superabsorbent material and the absorbent structure in the second type of absorbent article comprises a second type of superabsorbent material.  
     
     
         10 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent structure in the second type of absorbent article comprises a type of surge layer that is not present in the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article.  
     
     
         11 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , wherein the second type of absorbent article comprises an enhanced liner compared to a liner in the first type of absorbent article.  
     
     
         12 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , wherein the first type of absorbent articles and the second type of absorbent articles are present in the package in a ratio between about 12:1 and about 3:1.  
     
     
         13 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , wherein each absorbent article within the package comprises a complete absorbent article.  
     
     
         14 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , wherein each type of absorbent article within the package is designed to fit wearers of the same size.  
     
     
         15 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , wherein each type of absorbent article within the package is designed to fit wearers during a single stage of development.  
     
     
         16 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , wherein each type of absorbent article within the package has the same overall dimensions.  
     
     
         17 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , further comprising instructions for determining which type of absorbent article is most appropriate in a specific use situation.  
     
     
         18 . The package of disposable absorbent articles of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the absorbent articles within the package comprises written instructions for determining which type of absorbent article is most appropriate in a specific use situation.  
     
     
         19 . A method of providing a package of disposable absorbent articles, comprising: 
 producing a first type of disposable absorbent article having an absorbent structure;    producing a second type of disposable absorbent article having an absorbent structure that is different than the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article, and an appearance that is visibly distinguished from the first type of absorbent article; and    packaging the first type of disposable absorbent article and the second type of disposable absorbent article in a single package.    
     
     
         20 . A method of forming disposable absorbent articles, comprising: 
 forming at least two different types of absorbent articles on a single product line, each type of absorbent article having an absorbent structure that differs from the absorbent structure of at least one other absorbent article type on the product line;    creating a visual distinction between the at least two different types of absorbent articles; and    packaging the at least two different types of absorbent articles in a single package.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , comprising using a forming screen having various pocket depths along a length of the screen to form the absorbent structures of the at least two different types of absorbent articles.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , comprising using a forming drum that has variably-shaped contour rings to form the absorbent structures of the at least two different types of absorbent articles.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , comprising using a printing-based registering system to create the visual distinction between the at least two different types of absorbent articles.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , comprising using a closed-loop feedback system that identifies an absorbent article having a different absorbent structure than a preceding absorbent article as a precursor signal to activate a registering system to create the visual distinction on the absorbent article having the different absorbent structure.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article has a crotch region width that is narrower than a crotch region width of the absorbent structure in the second type of absorbent article.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article has a front region width that is narrower than a front region width of the absorbent structure in the second type of absorbent article.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article has a back region width that is narrower than a back region width of the absorbent structure in the second type of absorbent article.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article has a length that is longer than a length of the absorbent structure in the second type of absorbent article.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the absorbent structure in the second type of absorbent article is zoned differently than the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the absorbent structure in the second type of absorbent article comprises a bonding or embossing pattern that is not present in the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article comprises a first type of superabsorbent material and the absorbent structure in the second type of absorbent article comprises a second type of superabsorbent material.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the absorbent structure in the second type of absorbent article comprises a type of surge layer that is not present in the absorbent structure in the first type of absorbent article.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the second type of absorbent article comprises an enhanced liner compared to a liner in the first type of absorbent article.