Nursing pad

Abstract

A nursing pad is disclosed having a liquid permeable body facing layer of a polyethylene/polypropylene bicomponent fiber web, an absorbent core comprising a composite fabric of thermoplastic fibers and an absorbent material, and a barrier laminate, such as a spunbond/meltblown/spunbond laminate or a spunbond/film laminate. The nursing pad can have a substantially concave shape, a thermally sealed edge and autogenous bonding to impart additional integrity to the three-dimensional shape.

We claim:  
     
       1. An absorbent nursing pad, comprising: 
       an inner layer comprising a liquid pervious nonwoven web of continuous multicomponent thermoplastic fibers having a cross-section and a length formed from at least two polymers, said polymers are arranged in substantially constantly positioned distinct zones across the cross-section of the fibers and extend continuously along the length of the fibers; wherein said continuous multicomponent fibers are point bonded and at least one of said polymers is a polyolefin polymer;  
       an absorbent core comprising a stabilized matrix of polyolefin polymer fibers and absorbent material; and  
       a liquid impervious multilayer laminate comprising a liquid barrier layer and an outermost layer, said outermost layer comprising a nonwoven web of thermoplastic polyolefin spunbond fibers and wherein said absorbent core is positioned between said inner layer and said liquid impervious multilayer laminate and further wherein said pad has a three-dimensional substantially concave shape and is peripherally bonded.  
     
     
       2. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 1  wherein said liquid pervious nonwoven web of multicomponent fibers comprises a web of bicomponent fibers. 
     
     
       3. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 2  wherein said bicomponent fibers comprise an ethylene polymer component and a propylene polymer component. 
     
     
       4. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 1  wherein the liquid impervious multilayer laminate comprises a spunbond/meltblown laminate. 
     
     
       5. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 1  wherein said liquid impervious multilayer laminate comprises a spunbond/meltblown/spunbond laminate. 
     
     
       6. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 5  wherein the outermost layer of the liquid impervious multilayer laminate comprises a nonwoven web of multicomponent spunbond fibers. 
     
     
       7. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 1  wherein said inner layer and said liquid impervious multilayer laminate are continously bonded together along the edge of said absorbent pad. 
     
     
       8. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 1  wherein the pad has a sealed edge. 
     
     
       9. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 2  wherein said absorbent pad has a flexible concave disc shape having a diameter between about 5 cm and 15 cm and a height less than about 7 cm. 
     
     
       10. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 1  wherein said absorbent material comprises pulp and superabsorbent. 
     
     
       11. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 1  wherein at least one component of the multicomponent fibers of said liquid pervious nonwoven web is hydrophilic. 
     
     
       12. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 2  wherein one component of the bicomponent fibers of said liquid pervious nonwoven web is hydrophilic and wherein the second component of the bicomponent fibers of said liquid pervious nonwoven web is hyrophobic. 
     
     
       13. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 2  wherein said bicomponent fibers comprise continuous spunbond fibers. 
     
     
       14. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 1  wherein said inner layer is point bonded. 
     
     
       15. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 13  wherein said bicomponent fibers are autogenously bonded. 
     
     
       16. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 1  wherein said absorbent pad has an edge and a substantially concave shape and further wherein said absorbent pad has autogenously bonded thermoplastic multicomponent fibers. 
     
     
       17. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 16  wherein said pad has a continuous bond proximate said edge. 
     
     
       18. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 17  wherein said continuous bond is contiguous with the edge of said pad. 
     
     
       19. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 16  having a diameter of between about 5 cm and about 15 cm and a height of less than about 7 cm. 
     
     
       20. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 1  wherein said multilayer laminate comprises a microporous film and a nonwoven web. 
     
     
       21. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 1  wherein said barrier laminate comprises a microporous film bonded on at least one side to a spunbond fiber web and further wherein the microporous film faces said absorbent core. 
     
     
       22. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 21  wherein said microporous film comprises a breathable filled polyolefin film. 
     
     
       23. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 20  wherein said microporous film comprises a filled polyolefin film having a basis weight less than 50 g/m 2 . 
     
     
       24. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 20  wherein said pad has a sealed edge. 
     
     
       25. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 20  wherein said pad has a continuous bond proximate said edge. 
     
     
       26. The absorbent nursing pad of  claim 20  wherein the fibers of said liquid pervious nonwoven web are autogenously bonded. 
     
     
       27. An absorbent nursing pad, comprising: 
       an inner layer comprising a liquid pervious nonwoven web of continuous multicomponent thermoplastic fibers having a cross-section and a length formed from at least two polymers, said polymers are arranged in substantially constantly positioned distinct zones across the cross-section of the fibers and extend continuously along the length of the fibers; wherein said continuous multicomponent fibers are point bonded, and at least one of said polymers is a polyolefin polymer; and the nonwoven web has a basis weight of less than about 50 g/m 2 ;  
       an absorbent core comprising a stabilized matrix of polyolefin polymer fibers and absorbent material having a basis weight from about 68 g/m 2  to about 340 g/m 2 ; and  
       a liquid impervious multilayer laminate comprising a liquid barrier layer and an outermost layer, said outermost layer comprising a nonwoven web of thermoplastic polyolefin spunbond fibers having a basis weight of about 15 g/m 2  to about 34 g/m 2  and wherein said absorbent core is positioned between said inner layer and said liquid impervious multilayer laminate and further wherein said pad has a three-dimensional substantially concave shape and is peripherally bonded.  
     
     
       28. The nursing pad of  claim 27 , wherein the barrier layer comprises a nonwoven web of meltbown fibers having a basis weight of about 10 g/m 2  to about 25 g/m 2 . 
     
     
       29. An absorbent nursing pad, comprising: 
       an inner layer comprising a liquid pervious nonwoven web of continuous multicomponent thermoplastic fibers having a cross-section and a length formed from at least two polymers, said polymers are arranged in substantially constantly positioned distinct zones across the cross-section of the fibers and extend continuously along the length of the fibers; wherein said continuous multicomponent fibers are point bonded, at least one of said polymers is a polyolefin polymer and said polymers are hydrophobic;  
       an absorbent core comprising a stabilized matrix of polyolefin polymer fibers and absorbent material; and  
       a liquid impervious multilayer laminate comprising a liquid barrier layer and an outermost layer, said outermost layer comprising a nonwoven web of thermoplastic polyolefin spunbond fibers and wherein said absorbent core is positioned between said inner layer and said liquid impervious multilayer laminate and further wherein said pad has a three-dimensional substantially concave shape and is peripherally bonded.