Wearable article having a wetness sensation member

Abstract

A wearable disposable absorbent article useful for facilitating toilet training. The wearable disposable absorbent article includes a wetness sensation member having a permeable body-facing layer and an impermeable layer disposed between the permeable layer and an absorbent core in a face-to-face arrangement with the permeable layer. During insults of urine, the permeable layer allows urine to penetrate in the z-direction and provides a medium for the flow of urine in the x-y plane via wicking. The impermeable layer prevents the urine from passing completely through the wetness sensation member in the z direction and supports the movement of the urine in an x-y plane to enhance the wearer's awareness that urination has occurred by increasing the wetted area contacting the wearer's skin. The wetness sensation member preferably is held in close contact with a wearer's skin during use.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A wearable disposable absorbent article for wearing about a lower torso of a wearer and having a first waist region, a second waist region, and a crotch region interposed therebetween, the wearable disposable absorbent article comprising: 
 a backsheet;    a topsheet joined to the backsheet;    an absorbent core disposed intermediate the backsheet and the topsheet; and    a wetness sensation member covering a portion of the absorbent core and including a permeable body-facing layer not formed by a portion of the topsheet and an impermeable layer disposed between the permeable body-facing layer and the absorbent core in a face-to-face arrangement with the permeable body-facing layer, no portion of the permeable body-facing layer extending longitudinally or transversely beyond the impermeable layer;    wherein urine deposited by the wearer onto the wetness sensation member can penetrate through the permeable body-facing layer in a z direction away from the wearer to the impermeable layer and the impermeable layer prevents the urine from passing completely through the wetness sensation member in the z direction and supports the movement of the urine in an x-y plane such that the wearer's awareness of urination is enhanced.    
     
     
         2 . The wearable disposable absorbent article of  claim 1  wherein the wetness sensation member is elastically foreshortened.  
     
     
         3 . The wearable disposable absorbent article of  claim 1  wherein the impermeable layer of the wetness sensation member is elastically foreshortened.  
     
     
         4 . The wearable disposable absorbent article of  claim 1  wherein the topsheet is elastically foreshortened and the wetness sensation member is attached to the topsheet.  
     
     
         5 . The wearable disposable absorbent article of  claim 1  wherein the impermeable layer is disposed in a face-to-face arrangement with the absorbent core.  
     
     
         6 . A wearable disposable absorbent article for wearing about a lower torso of a wearer and having a longitudinal axis, a first waist region, a second waist region, and a crotch region interposed therebetween, the wearable disposable absorbent article comprising: 
 a backsheet;    a topsheet joined to the backsheet;    an absorbent core disposed intermediate the backsheet and the topsheet; and    a plurality of wetness sensation members disposed parallel to and spaced apart from the longitudinal axis, each of the wetness sensation members covering a portion of the absorbent core and including a permeable body-facing layer not formed by a portion of the topsheet and an impermeable layer disposed between the permeable body-facing layer and the absorbent core in a face-to-face arrangement with the permeable body-facing layer, no portion of the permeable body-facing layer extending longitudinally or transversely beyond the impermeable layer;    wherein urine deposited by the wearer onto the wetness sensation member can penetrate through the permeable body-facing layer in a z direction away from the wearer to the impermeable layer and the impermeable layer prevents the urine from passing completely through the wetness sensation member in the z direction and supports the movement of the urine in an x-y plane such that the wearer's awareness of urination is enhanced.    
     
     
         7 . The wearable disposable absorbent article of  claim 6  wherein each of the wetness sensation members is elastically foreshortened.  
     
     
         8 . The wearable disposable absorbent article of  claim 6  wherein the impermeable layer of each of the wetness sensation members is elastically foreshortened.  
     
     
         9 . The wearable disposable absorbent article of  claim 6  wherein the topsheet is elastically foreshortened and the wetness sensation members are attached to the topsheet.  
     
     
         10 . The wearable disposable absorbent article of  claim 6  wherein the impermeable layer of each of the wetness sensation members is disposed in a face-to-face arrangement with the absorbent core.  
     
     
         11 . A wearable disposable absorbent article for wearing about a lower torso of a wearer and having a longitudinal axis, a first waist region, a second waist region, and a crotch region interposed therebetween, the wearable disposable absorbent article comprising: 
 a backsheet;    a topsheet joined to the backsheet and having a body-facing surface;    an absorbent core disposed intermediate the backsheet and the topsheet; and    at least one wetness sensation member disposed on a portion of the body-facing surface of the topsheet covering a portion of the absorbent core, the wetness sensation member including a permeable body-facing layer and an impermeable layer disposed between the permeable body-facing layer and the topsheet in a face-to-face arrangement with the permeable body-facing layer;    wherein urine deposited by the wearer onto the wetness sensation member can penetrate through the permeable body-facing layer in a z direction away from the wearer to the impermeable layer and the impermeable layer prevents the urine from passing completely through the wetness sensation member in the z direction and supports the movement of the urine in an x-y plane such that the wearer's awareness of urination is enhanced.    
     
     
         12 . The wearable disposable absorbent article of  claim 11  wherein the wetness sensation member is elastically foreshortened.  
     
     
         13 . The wearable disposable absorbent article of  claim 11  wherein the impermeable layer of the wetness sensation member is elastically foreshortened.  
     
     
         14 . The wearable disposable absorbent article of  claim 11  wherein the topsheet is elastically foreshortened and the wetness sensation member is attached to the topsheet.  
     
     
         15 . The wearable disposable absorbent article of  claim 11  wherein the wetness sensation member extends along the longitudinal axis from the first waist region to the second waist region, the wetness sensation member further comprises a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a center disposed therebetween, and the first end, second end and center of the wetness sensation member are discretely attached to the body-facing surface of the topsheet in the first waist region, the second waist region, and the crotch region, respectively.  
     
     
         16 . The wearable disposable absorbent article of  claim 11  wherein the wetness sensation member extends along the longitudinal axis from the first waist region to the second waist region, the wetness sensation member further comprises a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a center disposed therebetween, the first end is discretely attached to the body-facing surface of the topsheet in the first waist region, and a portion of the wetness sensation member between the center and the second end is uniformly attached to the body-facing surface of the topsheet.  
     
     
         17 . The wearable disposable absorbent article of  claim 11  wherein the wetness sensation member extends along the longitudinal axis from the first waist region to the crotch region, the wetness sensation member further comprises a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and the first end and the second end of the wetness sensation member are discretely attached to the body-facing surface of the topsheet in the first waist region and the crotch region, respectively.  
     
     
         18 . The wearable disposable absorbent article of  claim 11  wherein the impermeable layer is disposed in a face-to-face arrangement with the absorbent core.  
     
     
         19 . The wearable disposable absorbent article of  claim 11  wherein no additional impermeable layer is disposed between the impermeable layer and the absorbent core.  
     
     
         20 . A wearable disposable absorbent article for wearing about a lower torso of a wearer and having a longitudinal axis, a first waist region, a second waist region, and a crotch region interposed therebetween, the wearable disposable absorbent article comprising: 
 a backsheet;    a topsheet joined to the backsheet and having a body-facing surface;    an absorbent core disposed intermediate the backsheet and the topsheet;    impermeable barrier leg cuffs disposed on the body-facing surface of the topsheet parallel to the longitudinal axis; and    wetness sensation members integrated with the barrier leg cuffs such that a portion of each of the barrier leg cuffs covering a portion of the absorbent core forms an impermeable layer of each of the respective wetness sensation members, each of the wetness sensation members also including a permeable body-facing layer disposed in a face-to-face arrangement with the impermeable layer;    wherein urine deposited by the wearer onto each of the wetness sensation members can penetrate through the permeable body-facing layer in a z direction away from the wearer to the impermeable layer and the impermeable layer prevents the urine from passing completely through the wetness sensation member in the z direction and supports the movement of the urine in an x-y plane to enhance the wearer's awareness that urination has occurred.