Absorbent product containing absorbent articles each having different graphic

Abstract

In one aspect, the invention is directed to an absorbent product. The absorbent product includes a package and at least n absorbent articles contained in the package (n is greater than 10). Each of the absorbent articles has a body contacting surface and a garment contacting surface opposing the body contacting surface. Each of the absorbent articles includes a component material disposed between the body contacting surface and the garment contacting surface. The component material has a printed graphic which is seen through either the body contacting surface or the garment contacting surface. The n graphics of the n absorbent articles are different from each other, and preferably have a predetermined association. In another aspect, the invention is directed to a method of printing a graphic on a sheet material which will become a component material for the absorbent articles. In an yet another aspect, the invention is directed to a method of producing the absorbent product including the package and the n absorbent articles contained in the package.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An absorbent product comprising a package and at least n absorbent articles contained in the package, wherein n is greater than 10, each of the absorbent articles having a body contacting surface and a garment contacting surface opposing the body contacting surface, each of the absorbent articles comprising: 
 a component material disposed between the body contacting surface and the garment contacting surface, the component material having a printed graphic which is seen through either the body contacting surface or the garment contacting surface;    wherein the n graphics of the n absorbent articles are different from each other and have a predetermined association.    
     
     
         2 . The absorbent product of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined association includes a predetermined order, and the n absorbent articles are stacked in the package in accordance with the predetermined order.  
     
     
         3 . The absorbent product of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined association includes a common theme, and the n absorbent articles are stacked in the package in a randomly selected order.  
     
     
         4 . The absorbent product of  claim 2 , wherein the predetermined order includes an order illustrating story, an order for daily activity, an order for educational training, a sequential indication means, an order of usage instruction, an order illustrating child care tips, and an order of sales promotion.  
     
     
         5 . The absorbent product of  claim 4 , wherein the story includes a children's story, and a cartoon story.  
     
     
         6 . The absorbent product of  claim 4 , wherein the daily activities includes eating foods, wearing (or changing) a cloth, taking a bath, a toilet activity, making an object, cooking a food, sleeping, and growing a plant.  
     
     
         7 . The absorbent product of  claim 4 , wherein the educational training includes puzzles or quizzes on mathematics, characters, shapes of goods, combinations of colors, and pattern recognition for intelligence development.  
     
     
         8 . The absorbent product of  claim 4 , wherein the sequential indication means includes a sequential symbol (e.g., numbers and letters) for indicating remaining absorbent articles.  
     
     
         9 . The absorbent product of  claim 3 , wherein the common theme includes cartoon characters, transportation means, animals, fruits, vegetables, plants, and seasonal themes.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the component material is selected from the group consisting of a backsheet, a topsheet, an acquisition layer, an absorbent core, and a landing zone for waist-fastening means.  
     
     
         11 . The absorbent product of  claim 1 , wherein n is selected from 11 to 120.  
     
     
         12 . A method of printing a graphic on a sheet material which will become a component material for absorbent articles, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) storing graphic data in a graphic memory for printing n graphics, n being greater than 2;    (b) selecting graphic data stored in the graphic memory;    (c) printing a graphic based on the selected graphic data by an ink jet on the sheet material; and    (d) repeating the steps (b) and (c) so that the n graphics are printed on the sheet material.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step (b) includes a step of selecting graphic data stored in the graphic memory in accordance with a predetermined association.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step (b) includes a step of randomly selecting graphic data stored in the graphic memory.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprises a step of (e) repeating the steps of (b)-(d) so that the n graphics are periodically printed in each frame on the sheet material.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the n graphics are different from each other.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined order includes an order illustrating story, an order for daily activity, an order for educational training, a sequential indication means, an order of usage instruction, an order of how to take care of babies, and an order of sales promotion.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the sheet material is selected from the group consisting of a backsheet material, a topsheet material, an acquisition layer material, an absorbent core material, and a landing zone material for waist-fastening means.  
     
     
         19 . A method of producing an absorbent product comprising a package and at least n absorbent articles contained in the package, wherein n is greater than 10, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) supplying a sheet material having a plurality of printing frames sequentially disposed along the machine direction, each printing frame including n graphics printed sequentially in the machine direction;    (b) incorporating other component materials with the sheet material to form n absorbent articles in the machine direction, each absorbent article having a corresponding graphic of the n graphics;    (c) detecting the printing frame in the sheet material;    (d) transporting the absorbent articles which are within the detected printing frame; and    (e) packing the transported absorbent articles into one package.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the sheet material has a plurality of framing marks which define the printing frames, and the step (c) includes a step of detecting at least one of the framing marks.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the sheet material is selected from the group consisting of a backsheet material, a topsheet material, an acquisition layer material, an absorbent core material, and a landing zone material for waist-fastening means.