US5550167A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Absorbent foams made from high internal phase emulsions useful for acquiring aqueous fluids
Assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
•
Filing: 1995-08-30
•
Granted: 1996-08-27
•
Expires: 2015-08-30
Abstract
Abstract Absorbent foam materials that are capable of acquiring and distributing aqueous fluids, especially discharged body fluids such as urine. These absorbent foams combine relatively high capillary absorption pressures and capacity-per-weight properties that allow them to acquire fluid, with or without the aid of gravity. These absorbent foams also give up this fluid efficiently to higher absorption pressure storage materials, including foam-based absorbent fluid storage components, without collapsing. These absorbent foams are made by polymerizing high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs).
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas A. DesMarais
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 06:03
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61L; A61L15/00; A61L15/16; A61L15/42; A61L15/425; C; C08; C08F; C08F2/00; C08F2/32; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/249921; Y10T428/249953; Y10T428/249975; Y10T428/249978; Y10T428/249979; Y10T428/24998; Y10T442/00; Y10T442/60; Y10T442/647; Y10T442/651
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
113 words
A polymeric foam material which is capable of acquiring and distributing fluids, said polymeric foam material comprising a hydrophilic, flexible, nonionic polymeric foam structure of interconnected open cells, which foam structure has: A) a capacity after desorption at 30 cm of less than about 10% of the foam's free absorbent capacity; B) a capillary absorption pressure of from about 3 to about 20 cm; C) a capillary desorption pressure of from about 8 to about 25 cm; D) a resistance to compression deflection of from about 5 to about 85% when measured under a confining pressure of 0.74 psi; and E) a free absorbent capacity of from about 12 to about 125 g/g.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
113 words
A polymeric foam material which is capable of acquiring and distributing fluids, said polymeric foam material comprising a hydrophilic, flexible, nonionic polymeric foam structure of interconnected open cells, which foam structure has: A) a capacity after desorption at 30 cm of less than about 10% of the foam's free absorbent capacity; B) a capillary absorption pressure of from about 3 to about 20 cm; C) a capillary desorption pressure of from about 8 to about 25 cm; D) a resistance to compression deflection of from about 5 to about 85% when measured under a confining pressure of 0.74 psi; and E) a free absorbent capacity of from about 12 to about 125 g/g.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
84 words
The foam material of claim 1 wherein said foam structure has: A) a capillary absorption pressure of from about 3 to about 15 cm; B) a capillary desorption pressure of from about 8 to about 20 cm; c) a resistance to compression deflection of from about 5 to about 65% when measured under a confining pressure of 0.74 psi; D) a free absorbent capacity of from about 20 to about 90 g/g; and E) a recovery from wet compression of at least about 75%.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The foam material of claim 2 wherein said foam structure has a free absorbent capacity of from about 25 to about 75 g/g, and a recovery from wet compression of at least about 90%.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The foam material of claim 2 wherein said foam structure has a resistance to compression deflection of from about 5 to about 50% when measured under a confining pressure of 0.74 psi.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The foam material of claim 1 which has a number average cell size of from about 20 to about 200 μm and a number average hole size of from about 5 to about 45 μm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The foam material of claim 5 wherein said cell size is from about 30 to about 190 μm and wherein said hole size is from about 8 to about 40 μm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The foam material of claim 1 wherein said foam structure has a specific surface area per foam volume of from about 0.0075 to about 0.06 m 2 /cc.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The foam material of claim 2 wherein said foam structure has a specific surface area per foam volume of from about 0.0075 to about 0.04 m 2 /cc.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
125 words
A polymeric foam material which is capable of acquiring and distributing aqueous fluids, said polymeric foam material comprising a hydrophilic, flexible, nonionic polymeric foam structure of interconnected open cells, which foam structure has: A) a capacity after desorption at 28 cm of less than about 10% of the foam's free absorbent capacity; B) a capillary absorption pressure of from about 3 to about 20 cm; C) a capillary desorption pressure of from about 8 to about 25 cm; D) a resistance to compression deflection of from about 5 to about 65% when measured under a confining pressure of 0.74 psi; E) a free absorbent capacity of from about 25 to about 75 g/g; and F) a recovery from wet compression of at least about 75%.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
125 words
A polymeric foam material which is capable of acquiring and distributing aqueous fluids, said polymeric foam material comprising a hydrophilic, flexible, nonionic polymeric foam structure of interconnected open cells, which foam structure has: A) a capacity after desorption at 28 cm of less than about 10% of the foam's free absorbent capacity; B) a capillary absorption pressure of from about 3 to about 20 cm; C) a capillary desorption pressure of from about 8 to about 25 cm; D) a resistance to compression deflection of from about 5 to about 65% when measured under a confining pressure of 0.74 psi; E) a free absorbent capacity of from about 25 to about 75 g/g; and F) a recovery from wet compression of at least about 75%.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
103 words
The foam material of claim 9 wherein said foam structure has: A) a capacity after desorption at 28 cm of less than about 10% of the foam's free absorbent capacity; B) a capillary absorption pressure of from about 2 to about 15 cm; C) a capillary desorption pressure of from about 8 to about 20 cm; D) a resistance to compression deflection of from about 5 to about 65% when measured under a confining pressure of 0.74 psi; E) a free absorbent capacity of from about 25 to about 75 g/g; and F) a recovery from wet compression of at least about 75%.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
The foam material of claim 9 wherein said foam structure has a free absorbent capacity of from about 30 to about 55 g/g, and a recovery from wet compression of at least about 90%.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
The foam material of claim 9 wherein said foam structure has a resistance to compression deflection of from about 5 to about 50% when measured under a confining pressure of 0.74 psi.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
The foam material of claim 9 which has a number average cell size of from about 30 to about 190 μm and a number average hole size of from about 5 to about 45 μm.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
The foam material of claim 13 wherein said cell size is from about 80 to about 180 μm and wherein said hole size is from about 20 to about 35 μm.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
The foam material of claim 1 wherein said foam structure has a specific surface area per foam volume of from about 0.0075 to about 0.04 m 2 /cc.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
The foam material of claim 2 wherein said foam structure has a specific surface area per foam volume of from about 0.008 to about 0.02 m 2 /cc.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3256219A
Cited
US3255127A
Cited
US3431911A
Cited
US3563243A
Cited
US3565817A
Cited
US3640753A
Cited
US3806474A
Cited
US3763056A
Cited
US3734867A
Cited
US3778390A
Cited
US3988508A
Cited
GB1493356A
Cited
US3994298A
Cited
US4093570A
Cited
US3993074A
Cited
US4049592A
Cited
US4061145A
Cited
US4029100A
Cited
US4067832A
Cited
US4132839A
Cited
US4110276A
Cited
US4262052A
Cited
EP0017672A1
Cited
EP0017671A1
Cited
US4540717A
Cited
DE3109929A1
Cited
US4376440A
Cited
EP0049768A1
Cited
US4522953A
Cited
US4394930A
Cited
US4425130A
Cited
EP0068830A1
Cited
US4797310A
Cited
US4536521A
Cited
US4473611A
Cited
US4603069A
Cited
US4554297A
Cited
US4606958A
Cited
US4612334A
Cited
US4668709A
Cited
US4611014A
Cited
US4613543A
Cited
US4724242A
Cited
US4839395A
Cited
US4775655A
Cited
GB2188055A
Cited
US4788225A
Cited
US4731391A
Cited
US4725628A
Cited
US4740528A
Cited
US4961982A
Cited
US5021462A
Cited
US5066784A
Cited
US4985468A
Cited
US4965289A
Cited
EP0299762A2
Cited
US5065752A
Cited
US5134007A
Cited
US4959341A
Cited
JPH02239863A
Cited
US4985467A
Cited
US4957810A
Cited
JPH02289608A
Cited
US5037859A
Cited
US4966919A
Cited
JPH0349759A
Cited
US4990541A
Cited
US5047225A
Cited
US4992254A
Cited
US5116880A
Cited
US5110838A
Cited
US5066684A
Cited
US5116883A
Cited
US5134171A
Cited
EP0480379A2
Cited
US5221726A
Cited
US5336208A
Cited
US5336695A
Cited
US5149720A
Cited
US5198472A
Cited
US5318554A
Cited
US5387207A
Cited
US5147345A
Cited
US5250576A
Cited
US5331015A
Cited
US5260345A
Cited
US5268224A
Cited
US5352711A
Cited
US5128382A
Cited
US5200433A
Cited
US5252619A
Cited
US5189070A
Cited
US5210108A
Cited
US5210104A
Cited
WO1994028839A1
Cited
US5290820A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-08-27 | 2000-02-26 | 2000-08-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-08-27 | 2004-02-26 | 2004-08-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-08-27 | 2008-02-26 | 2008-08-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |