Vacuum formed topsheets having a silky tactile impression

Abstract

An apertured vacuum formed film for use as a topsheet in an absorbent article has raised lands in a stroking direction to impart a silky tactile impression. The stroking direction lands are raised between 15μ and 145μ relative to the transverse lands. The stroking direction lands may also include a microtexture to enhance the silky tactile impression. Also, the apertures may form boat shape cells to enhance the silky tactile impression.

1 . An absorbent article having a stroking direction, a body facing surface, and an opposite clothing facing surface, the article comprising: a topsheet on the body facing surface; a backsheet on the clothing facing surface; and an absorbent core between the topsheet and the backsheet; wherein the topsheet is a three-dimensional vacuum formed film having a plurality of apertures extending from the body facing surface towards the absorbent core, the apertures defining stroking direction lands aligned with the stroking direction and transverse lands on the body facing surface aligned transverse to the stroking direction, the stroking direction lands being raised from the transverse lands by a distance of about 15μ to about 145μ.  
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the transverse lands are recessed by a distance of about 20μ, to about 451μ.  
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the stroking direction lands include a microtexture on the body facing surface.  
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 3  wherein the microtexture is a plurality of elongated microridges having a length and width, and the length is greater than the width.  
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 4  wherein the lengths are generally aligned with the stroking direction.  
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1  wherein a plurality of the apertures define a boat shape cell near the body facing surface.  
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 1  having a Silky Tactile Impression Rating of about 5 or less.  
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 2  having a Silky Tactile Impression Rating of about 5 or less.  
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 3  having a Silky Tactile Impression Rating of about 5 or less.  
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 4  having a Silky Tactile Impression Rating of about 5 or less.  
     
     
         11 . The article of  claim 5  having a Silky Tactile Impression Rating of about 5 or less.  
     
     
         12 . The article of  claim 6  having a Silky Tactile Impression Rating of about 5 or less.  
     
     
         13 . A vacuum formed film topsheet for an abosrbent article, the topsheet comprising: an upper, body facing, surface and an opposite lower surface; apertures defining lands on the upper surface and tips on the lower surface, the apertures extending from lands on the upper surface to the tips on the lower surface; the lands comprising stroking direction lands aligned substantially with a stroking direction and transverse lands aligned substantially transverse to a stroking direction, the stroking direction lands being raised relative to the transverse direction land by a distance greater than about 15μ and less than about 145μ to create a silky tactile impression.  
     
     
         14 . The topsheet of  claim 13  wherein the stroking direction lands are raised by a distance greater than about 20μ and less than about 45μ.  
     
     
         15 . The topsheet of  claim 13  wherein the stroking direction lands have a microtexture to increase the silky tactile impression.  
     
     
         16 . The topsheet of  claim 15  wherein the microtexture comprises a plurality of microridges having a length and a width, the length being greater than the width.  
     
     
         17 . The topsheet of  claim 16  wherein the lengths are generally aligned with the stroking direction.  
     
     
         18 . The topsheet of  claim 13  wherein the apertures define a boat shape cell near the body facing surface.  
     
     
         19 . The topsheet of  claim 13  having a Silky Tactile Impression Rating of about 5 or less.  
     
     
         20 . The topsheet of  claim 15  having a Silky Tactile Impression Rating of about 5 or less.