An absorbent article has a back sheet with an absorbent core disposed on a body side of the back sheet. On a back side of the back sheet, there is provided a substrate carrying a conductive pattern as a liquid discharge detection circuit that is able to be connected to an electric potential generato
An absorbent article has a back sheet with an absorbent core disposed on a body side of the back sheet. On a back side of the back sheet, there is provided a substrate carrying a conductive pattern as a liquid discharge detection circuit that is able to be connected to an electric potential generator for performing liquid discharge detection. At least one or a plurality of holes is formed through the back sheet to communicate portions of the conductive pattern with the absorbent core. Longitudinally adjacent pairs of the revealed portions of the conductive pattern form liquid discharge detection zones for detecting liquid discharge in the absorbent core. The detection zones are longitudinally distributed with respect to the absorbent core.
대표청구항▼
1. An absorbent article comprising: an electrically insulating back sheet;an absorbent core on a body side of the back sheet;at least one liquid discharge sensor on a back side of the back sheet; andat least one hole through the back sheet communicating the at least one liquid discharge sensor with
1. An absorbent article comprising: an electrically insulating back sheet;an absorbent core on a body side of the back sheet;at least one liquid discharge sensor on a back side of the back sheet; andat least one hole through the back sheet communicating the at least one liquid discharge sensor with the absorbent core, so that the liquid discharge sensor exhibits a changed electrical property when a part of the absorbent core associated with the liquid discharge sensor through the at least one hole changes from a dry state to a wet state,wherein the at least one liquid discharge sensor comprises conductive material that is partly communicated with the absorbent core by the at least one hole,wherein the at least one liquid discharge sensor comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending conductive lines and a plurality of laterally extending conductive lines, wherein each of the laterally extending lines are partly revealed by the at least one hole, andwherein the at least one liquid discharge sensor is disposed on a carrier sheet or substrate. 2. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the liquid discharge sensor is arranged to have first and second spaced conductive paths communicating with the absorbent core through the at least one hole so that when the portion of the absorbent core positioned between the first and second conductive paths changes from a dry state to a wet state, a conductive bridge is formed between the first and second conductive paths that passes through the wet absorbent core. 3. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the liquid discharge sensor is arranged to have first and second conductive paths communicating with the absorbent core through a common hole in the back sheet so that when the portion of the absorbent core positioned between the first and second conductive paths changes from a dry state to a wet state, a conductive bridge is formed between the first and second conductive paths that passes through the wet absorbent core in the hole. 4. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the liquid discharge sensor is arranged to have first and second conductive paths communicating with the absorbent core through respective holes in the back sheet so that when the portion of the absorbent core positioned between the first and second conductive paths changes from a dry state to a wet state, a conductive bridge is formed between the first and second conductive paths that passes through the wet absorbent core between the holes. 5. The absorbent article of claim 1, comprising a plurality of liquid discharge sensors each capable of determining the presence of a liquid discharge in a respective zone of the absorbent core, and comprising a plurality of holes in the back sheet, each liquid discharge sensor communicating with the absorbent core through at least one hole in the back sheet. 6. The absorbent article of claim 1, comprising a plurality of holes in the back sheet, each hole revealing to the absorbent core an underlying conductive portion of a liquid discharge sensor. 7. The absorbent article of claim 6, wherein a plurality of the holes, or each of the holes, are longitudinally spaced, wherein a longitudinal axis extends in a front to rear direction of the absorbent article. 8. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein there is a plurality of holes in the back sheet and a plurality of electrically conductive paths that are electrically isolated from one another to form the at least one liquid discharge sensor, wherein each of the holes communicate a respective conductive path with the absorbent core so that current is able to flow from the conductive path in one hole to another conductive path in another hole when the absorbent core is wet. 9. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the back sheet, apart from at the at least one hole, otherwise electrically insulates conductive paths forming the at least one liquid discharge sensor from the absorbent core. 10. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the total area of the at least one hole is less than 50% of the total area of the absorbent core when the absorbent article is laid out flat and a plan view of the absorbent core is taken. 11. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the total area exposed to the absorbent core of conductive paths or lines making up the at least one liquid discharge sensor is less than 50% of the total area of the conductive paths or lines when the absorbent article is laid out flat and the absorbent core is viewed in plan. 12. The absorbent article of claim 11, wherein there is a plurality of longitudinally extending conductive lines that are laterally spaced from one another, wherein a longitudinal axis is in a front to back direction of the absorbent article. 13. The absorbent article of claim 12, wherein there is a respective hole for each of the longitudinal conductive lines. 14. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of spaced longitudinal conductive lines connected to a respective lateral conductive line, the lateral conductive lines being longitudinally spaced from one another, the at least one hole revealing part of each of the lateral conductive lines to the absorbent core in order to form the at least one liquid discharge sensor. 15. The absorbent article of claim 14, wherein there is a respective hole revealing a part of the lateral lines. 16. An absorbent article comprising: an electrically insulating back sheet;an absorbent core on a body side of the back sheet;at least one liquid discharge sensor on a back side of the back sheet; andat least one hole through the back sheet communicating the at least one liquid discharge sensor with the absorbent core, so that the liquid discharge sensor exhibits a changed electrical property when a part of the absorbent core associated with the liquid discharge sensor through the at least one hole changes from a dry state to a wet state,wherein the at least one liquid discharge sensor comprises conductive material that is partly communicated with the absorbent core by the at least one hole,wherein there is a plurality of conductive lines forming the at least one liquid discharge sensor, each of which lines are partly revealed by the at least one hole,wherein the at least one liquid discharge sensor is disposed on a carrier sheet or substrate,wherein the at least one liquid discharge sensor comprises at least one conductive path formed in the shape of an open loop that is able to carry a current around the loop,wherein the at least one hole reveals to the absorbent core part of an outward leg and part of a return leg, andwherein if the absorbent core is wet between the exposed part of the legs, then a short circuit will form between the exposed part of the legs as opposed to current flow around the full open loop shaped conductive path. 17. The absorbent article of claim 16, wherein the exposed parts of the outward and return leg are laterally spaced apart. 18. The absorbent article of claim 16, comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes in the back sheet, the holes revealing at least one of the outward leg and the return leg to the absorbent core at longitudinally spaced locations along the loop. 19. The absorbent article of claim 16, comprising first and second such conductive paths that are reverse arranged relative to one another in the longitudinal direction. 20. The absorbent article of claim 19, comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes in the back sheet, the holes revealing at least one of the outward leg and the return leg to the absorbent core at longitudinally spaced locations along the loop, wherein the longitudinally spaced holes respectively reveal to the absorbent core part of the outward leg and the return leg of the first and the second conductive loops. 21. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein a part of each of a plurality of conductive lines is communicated with the absorbent core by a respective hole in the back sheet. 22. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the carrier sheet is attached to the back side or a back face of the back sheet and the absorbent core is disposed on a front face or body side of the back sheet. 23. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the combination of the carrier sheet and the back sheet is part of a liquid impermeable back liner, which is liquid impermeable, disposed over a back side of the carrier sheet to prevent liquid discharge passing therethrough. 24. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the back sheet is made of a liquid impermeable material, and wherein the back sheet is at least part of a back liner of a diaper. 25. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent article also includes a liquid permeable body side liner, wherein the absorbent core is sandwiched between the back sheet and the body side liner. 26. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the at least one liquid discharge sensor is made up of a plurality of conductive members printed, coated or adhered to a body side surface of a substrate. 27. The absorbent article of claim 1, including a plurality of conductive leads extending from the at least one liquid discharge sensor to a common contact area, wherein the leads are covered by the back sheet. 28. An absorbent article comprising: an electrically insulating back sheet;an absorbent core on a body side of the back sheet;at least one liquid discharge sensor on a back side of the back sheet; andat least one hole through the back sheet communicating the at least one liquid discharge sensor with the absorbent core, so that the liquid discharge sensor exhibits a changed electrical property when a part of the absorbent core associated with the liquid discharge sensor through the at least one hole changes from a dry state to a wet state,wherein the at least one liquid discharge sensor comprises conductive material that is partly communicated with the absorbent core by the at least one hole,wherein there is a plurality of conductive lines forming the at least one liquid discharge sensor, each of which lines are partly revealed by the at least one hole,wherein the at least one liquid discharge sensor is disposed on a carrier sheet or substrate,wherein a plurality of conductive lines are disposed on a first electrically insulating layer forming the carrier sheet or substrate that are partially covered by the back sheet,wherein portions of the conductive lines exposed by the at least one hole in the back sheet are in electrical communication with the absorbent core, thereby providing electrodes of the at least one liquid discharge sensor, andwherein portions of the conductive lines covered by the back sheet include leads extending between each electrode and a control unit attachment area, the back sheet ensuring the leads are electrically insulated from the absorbent core, wherein the electrodes are arranged so that a plurality of longitudinally spaced liquid detection zones are provided, each detection zone defined between a pair of electrodes that are electrically isolated from one another when the absorbent core is dry and which are arranged so that when the control unit connects an electric potential to corresponding leads and when the absorbent core is wet, a conductive bridge is formed between the pair of electrodes by the wet absorbent core, wherein a longitudinal axis extends in a front to rear direction of the absorbent article when worn. 29. The absorbent article of claim 28, wherein the electrodes are elongate and laterally oriented, the leads are elongate and longitudinally oriented, and the at least one hole in the back sheet includes a plurality of laterally oriented elongate holes forming windows exposing the conductive lines to form each of the electrodes. 30. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the back sheet provides a frame of insulating material around a conductive portion of the liquid discharge sensor exposed by the at least one hole. 31. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the at least one hole in the back sheet includes a plurality of holes in the back sheet that form windows exposing portions of conductive lines or members to the absorbent core to form a plurality of liquid discharge sensors, wherein the windows are longitudinally spaced so as to form respective liquid discharge sensors between longitudinally spaced pairs of exposed portions of the conductive lines or members. 32. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein conductive lines or members making up the at least one liquid discharge sensor extend to the at least one hole on one side of the at least one hole, bridge the at least one hole and continue to extend from the at least one hole on an opposed side of the at least one hole. 33. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the at least one liquid discharge sensor comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced conductive members that are in communication with the absorbent core through the at least one hole, wherein the front most conductive member communicating with the absorbent core and the rear most conductive member communicating with the absorbent core along the front to rear longitudinal axis of the absorbent core are located a distance apart of at least 0.1 L, wherein L is a total longitudinal length of the absorbent core when the absorbent article is laid out flat and viewed in plan. 34. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the at least one liquid discharge sensor comprises at least one pair of longitudinally adjacent conductive members communicating with the absorbent core through the at least one hole, wherein the pair of adjacent conductive members are located a distance apart of less than or equal to 0.8 L, wherein L is a total longitudinal length of the absorbent core when the absorbent article is laid out flat and viewed in plan. 35. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the at least one liquid discharge sensor comprises a plurality of liquid discharge sensors that are longitudinally distributed over at least 0.5 L, wherein L is a total length of the absorbent core when viewed in plan when the absorbent article is laid out flat. 36. An absorbent article comprising: an electrically insulating back sheet;an absorbent core on a body side of the back sheet;at least one liquid discharge sensor on a back side of the back sheet, anda plurality of holes through the back sheet communicating the at least one liquid discharge sensor with the absorbent core, so that the liquid discharge sensor exhibits a changed electrical property when a part of the absorbent core associated with the liquid discharge sensor through at least one of the plurality of holes changes from a dry state to a wet state,wherein the at least one liquid discharge sensor comprises conductive material that is partly communicated with the absorbent core by at least one of the plurality of holes,wherein the at least one liquid discharge sensor comprises a plurality of conductive lines, each of which lines are partly revealed by at least one of the plurality of holes,wherein the at least one liquid discharge sensor is disposed on a carrier sheet or substrate, andwherein each of the holes of the plurality of holes is longitudinally spaced along a longitudinal axis from each of the other of the plurality of holes, the longitudinal axis extending in a front to rear direction of the absorbent article.
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