Absorbent Articles Bearing Graphics Visually Coordinated To Clothing
Contents
1. giraffe spots coordinated pattern of arranged giraffe spots coordinated color and a further visual characteristic that is US 2012 0029457 Al similar to the previous elements depictions of giraffes The clothing and the absorbent article are coordinated even though they are of different sizes and notwithstanding that an additional elements the giraffes are also present on the printed diaper Stated another way in the present invention clothing and an absorbent article are considered coordinated if they have the same or similar visual characteristics whether the visual characteristics are matched identically or similarly matched It is further noted that patterns are considered coor dinated if there are pattern elements which are the same or similar even if additional pattern elements are present 0054 In one embodiment there are at least two different types of visual characteristics One particular combination is the use of color and pattern As set forth above the more shared visual characteristics there are the more coordinated the absorbent article and article of clothing and or line of clothing will appear 0055 In order to obtain a better understanding of the present invention attention is directed to FIGS 6 7A and 7B In FIG 6 an article of clothing a child s sweater is shown Certain visual characteristics exhibited on the sweater include an owl white as a coordinating color a flower pattern on the owl2. using design software inspired by a creator who views the graphics embodied in an article of clothing 0012 FIG 5 is a perspective view of a graphic printed on a diaper that is inspired by the design shown in either of FIG 3 or 4 0013 FIG 6 is a perspective view of a design embodied in an article of clothing 0014 FIGS 7A and 7B are perspective views of graphics printed on diapers that are inspired by the design shown in FIG 6 0015 FIG 8isa perspective view of a design embodied in an article of clothing 0016 FIGS 9A and 9B are perspective views of graphics printed on diapers that are inspired by the design shown in FIG 8 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 0017 In one aspect the invention is intended primarily for use with absorbent articles As used herein the term absor bent article refers to devices which absorb and contain body exudates and more specifically refers to devices which are placed against or in proximity to the body of the wearer to absorb and contain the various exudates discharged from the body As used herein the term diaper refers to an absorbent article generally worn by infants and incontinent persons that is worn about the lower torso of the wearer It should be understood however that the invention is also applicable to other absorbent articles such as incontinence briefs inconti nence undergarments incontinence pads diaper holders and liners feminine hygiene ga
3. impact on other decision factors such as price and absorbency 0004 Although absorbent articles bearing graphics are known these graphics are not designed to be visually coor dinated to a particular article of clothing or to a particular line of clothing Purchasers increasingly prefer absorbent articles with graphics and it is believed that some purchasers would prefer absorbent articles with graphics that have a similar appearance to particular articles of clothing and or lines of clothing It is known for an absorbent article to bear a graphic that generically looks like a type of clothing e g blue jeans however it is not known to coordinate the graphics on an absorbent article to the graphics on actual articles of cloth ing e g a particularly patterned and or colored outfit that is sold as a clothing item or a series of related clothing items that constitute a line of clothing e g the Jane Doe collection sold by a particular retailer Accordingly there is a need for such absorbent articles SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 0005 In one aspect the invention relates generally to absorbent articles having graphics disposed upon them The graphics are visually coordinated to clothing The clothing may be an article of clothing and or a line of clothing 0006 Itis an object of this invention to provide an absor bent article bearing at least one graphic wherein at least one visual characteristic of the at least one graphic i
4. of clothing 3 An absorbent article bearing at least one graphic wherein at least one visual characteristic of the at least one graphic matches at least one visual characteristic of an article of clothing 4 An absorbent article bearing at least one graphic wherein at least one visual characteristic of the at least one graphic matches at least one visual characteristic of an article of a line of clothing
5. shading and a coordinated texture the owl being embroidered and further visual characteristic that are similar to the previous elements substantially similar flower pattern being printed on the fasteners of the diaper in FIG 7A or of a branch upon which the owl appears to be sitting The clothing and the absorbent article are coordinated even though they are of different sizes and notwithstanding that an additional elements the flower pattern and the branch are also present on the printed diaper 0056 In order to obtain a better understanding of the present invention attention is directed to FIGS 8 9A and 9B In FIG 8 an article of clothing a child s dress is shown Certain visual characteristics exhibited on the dress include a monkey a bow on the monkey s ear the color of the monkey s body having light colored paws depicted by gray shading the monkey being embroidered and the torso arms and legs of the monkey being dotted In FIGS 9A and 9B diapers with graphics printed on them are shown The diapers show a Feb 2 2012 monkey as does the dress a bow on the monkey s ear the color of the monkey s body having light colored paws de picted by gray shading the monkey being embroidered and the torso arms and legs of the monkey being dotted and the additional visual characteristics of the monkey appearing to be partially inserted into a pocket in FIG 9A These several visual characteristics ar
6. 029457 Al Fie 7B Patent Application Publication Feb 2 2012 Sheet 10 of 11 US 2012 0029457 Al co Patent Application Publication Feb 2 2012 Sheet 11 of 11 US 2012 0029457 Al Fig 9A US 2012 0029457 Al ABSORBENT ARTICLES BEARING GRAPHICS VISUALLY COORDINATED TO CLOTHING CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 0001 This application claims the benefit of U S Provi sional Application No 61 368 252 filed Jul 27 2010 FIELD OF THE INVENTION 0002 In one aspect the invention relates generally to absorbent articles having graphics disposed upon them The graphics are visually coordinated to clothing The clothing may be an article of clothing and or a line of clothing BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 0003 Absorbent articles are used commonly In many cases e g diapers the purchaser of the absorbent article is not the end user of the article Many factors influence the pur chaser s decision to purchase particular absorbent articles non limiting examples of which include price and product performance e g absorbency ease of fastening refastening tactile feel against the skin etc The aesthetics of an absorbent article have become an increasingly important factor in driv ing purchase decision making Many purchasers prefer to have colors patterns and or other designs employed by the absorbent article This creates a need to provide desirable graphics without having an unacceptably negative
7. US 20120029457A1 as United States a2 Patent Application Publication o Pub No US 2012 0029457 A1 Mason et al 43 Pub Date Feb 2 2012 54 ABSORBENT ARTICLES BEARING Publication Classification GRAPHICS VISUALLY COORDINATED TO CLOTHING 51 Int Cl A61F 13 49 2006 01 76 Inventors Beth Goldman Mason Cincinnati OH US George Christopher Dobrin Mason OH US Rachel 52 USE 604 385 01 Eden Walther Union KY US 21 Appl No 13 156 594 i 57 ABSTRACT 22 Filed Jun 9 2011 In one aspect the invention relates generally to absorbent articles having graphics disposed upon them The graphics 60 Provisional application No 61 368 252 filed on Jul are visually coordinated to clothing The clothing may be an 27 2010 article of clothing and or a line of clothing Related U S Application Data Feb 2 2012 Sheet 1 of 11 US 2012 0029457 Al Patent Application Publication uld sai 9Jem3jos ubIsap Bulsn 31891 ubIsap Buns xa uge ojoyud jeubiq VI SH 318115qns y UO gt 1ydelb ay UL UO pajulid ag 0 SI ag JUaquosqe ay JO ease y HJ Y AYEW 0 31yde 6 ay Jo noAe pue azis dy sYejjnd ueyy UO JUL 0 3 e1I5qns e pajas Patent Application Publication Feb 2 2012 Sheet 2 of 11 US 2012 0029457 Al Select Inspiration Theme Scan Available Design Elements into Computer Create a Layout Adobe Creative Suite or similar program Create Vector Images based on Scanned or
8. atte finishes tend to diffuse or scatter light compared to a gloss finish which is specular 0041 Two colors are considered coordinated if they have first and second hues that are the same Colors of different hues are also considered coordinated if they have a value luminosity difference of less than 5 of maximum alter natively less than 3 of maximum or alternatively less than 1 of maximum Colors of different hues are also considered coordinated if they have a saturation difference of less than 5 of maximum alternatively less than 3 of maximum or alternatively less than 2 5 of maximum 0042 In an embodiment color matching of visible sur faces is determined by the color ofan absorbent article and the Feb 2 2012 corresponding color of the clothing and or line of clothing having a specified CIELab color space hue difference AH Characterizing color matching by the hue difference is desir able in that hue difference accounts for and considers all three dimensions within CIELab While not being limited to this theory such a three dimensional measurement is believed to more fully characterize the difference in two colors 0043 CIELAB is a conventional color model used to describe colors visible to the human eye FIG 2 is an illus tration of three axes respectively for the L a and b value of a given color used with the CIELAB color scale When a color is defined according to the CIELAB color scale L represents l
9. cs exhibited on the sleeper include the giraffe spots the pattern of giraffe spots and the color depicted by gray shading In FIG 4 a print out of a graphic design file showing the graphic being developed for printing on an absorbent article is shown The graphic design file shows giraffe spots as the sleeper the same pattern of giraffe spots as the sleeper and the same color depicted by gray shading as the sleeper with the addition of a visual characteristic of four giraffes that appear to be standing or walking FIG 5 an absorbent article a diaper with a graphic printed on it is shown The diaper shows giraffe spots as does the sleeper a portion of the same pattern of giraffe spots as the sleeper and the same color depicted by gray shading as the sleeper and the additional visual characteristic of giraffes that appear to be standing or walking as does the graphic design file These several visual characteristics are coordinated e g substantially the same shape even though they are of differ ent sizes and the graphic design file and printed diaper share acommon visual characteristic that is not shared by the origi nal sleeper Summarily referring to FIGS 3 to 5 elements of the clothing article a sleeper is configured with a shape the giraffe spots a pattern the particular arrangement of giraffe spots and a certain color of spots while the absorbent article a printed diaper is configured with a coordinated shape of
10. d In yet other embodiments there are at least 8 preferably at least 9 visual characteristics that are matched 0020 In an embodiment an absorbent article appears visually coordinated to an article of clothing and or a line of clothing to a consumer An absorbent article will be visually coordinated when one or more its visual characteristics are matched with the corresponding visual characteristics of the article of clothing and or line of clothing These visual char acteristics may be visible patterns of color The color of these patterns can be described by the value of the hue saturation and luminosity This color will be determined from the visible spectral and angular distribution of light coming from an object The patterns can be described by their location extent shape and orientation These patterns may have smaller pat terns contained within them The pattern may be the result of the non uniform chemical composition of the element like the printing of a pattern of a dye or from the texture of the element like the embossing of a pattern The pattern will be deter mined from the visible spatial spectral and angular distribu tion of light coming from an object 0021 As used herein the term visual characteristic is intended to mean a visible distinguishing or recognizable feature or attribute of a visible aspect of one or more elements of an absorbent article and or an article of clothing and or a line of clothin
11. dditional elements the pocket and the different background color are present on the printed diaper 0057 In various embodiments the first visual character istic may be a color and the second visual characteristic may be different colors embodied in an article of clothing and or a line of clothing with both of the colors applied to the absor bent article In another embodiment the first visual charac teristic may be a color and the second visual characteristic may be an embossment pattern or shape e g fastening element In yet another embodiment the first visual charac teristic may be a first embossment printing or dyeing pattern and the second visual characteristic may be a second emboss ment printing or dyeing pattern 0058 Embossing is an effective way to impart texture and pattern visual characteristics to an absorbent article The embossing pattern may be a high density embossing pattern or a low density embossing pattern both of which may be registered or non registered 0059 Additional examples of visual characteristics include the location and appearance of tabs fasteners bor ders junctions of materials stitching printing borders seams pockets zippers zipper flaps topstitching emboss ment quilting buttons bows ribbons straps snaps belt loops suspenders and the like 0060 In an embodiment the article of clothing to which the absorbent article is being coordinated is a stand alone or s
12. drawn images the scanned image or place maybe stepped and repeated to scanned image fill the required template space Manipulate Artwork to add 3D effects and details such as shadows stitching pockets belts belt loops snaps buttons button holes etc Graphics are rendered as a 3D image or digitally printed for consumer testing Make any desired adjustments Color separation and print suitability adaptations based on press fingerprinting information Flexographic Plates are manufactured Patent Application Publication Feb 2 2012 Sheet 3 of 11 US 2012 0029457 Al Preliminary Printing trial to check color builds and color match Make hand made absorbent articles to confirm color and layout in context of the absorbent article Check for safety Check also for ink adhesion appearance and and colorfastness Market suitability Review print trial results Make any desired adjustments Commercial print trial Ship to the plant for converting into absorbent articles Check to make sure that the printed absorbent articles are suitable for sale Make any desired adjustments Fig 1C Offer for sale Patent Application Publication Feb 2 2012 Sheet 4 of 11 US 2012 0029457 Al Fie 1D L 100 whitd L 0 black Fig 2 Patent Application Publication Feb 2 2012 Sheet 8 of 11 US 2012 0029457 Al Patent Application Publication Feb 2 2012 Sheet 9 of 11 US 2012 0
13. e coordinated e g substantially the same shape even though they are of different sizes and one of the printed diapers has a visual characteristic that is not shared with the original dress and in fact both of the printed diapers have a different background color than the original dress Summarily referring to FIGS 8 9A and 9B a clothing article a dress is configured with an animal character a monkey a pattern bow on the monkey s ear color the color of the monkey s body having light colored paws de picted by gray shading texture the monkey being embroi dered and another pattern the torso arms and legs of the monkey being dotted while the absorbent article a printed diaper is configured with a coordinated animal character a monkey a coordinated pattern bow on the monkey s ear a coordinated color the color of the monkey s body having light colored paws depicted by gray shading a coordinated texture the monkey being embroidered and another coor dinated pattern the torso arms and legs of the monkey being dotted and further visual characteristic that are similar to the previous elements the monkey appearing to be partially inserted into a pocket in FIG 9A and both of the printed diapers having a different background color than the original dress FIGS 9A and 9B The clothing and the absorbent article are coordinated even though they are of different sizes and notwithstanding that an a
14. e is generally not considered as a color is used as the coordinating feature if white is a predominate color on the element being coordinated This is because white is the predominate color of absorbent articles and thus white does not lend itself as a coordinating color However white may be a coordinating color provided that it is not used as the predominate color on the components or surfaces being coordinated Stated another way white may be a coordinating color if it is used as an accent or a non dominate color By non dominate color it is intended mean a color which encompasses less than 50 desirable less that 30 ofthe surface area of a surface 0040 In an embodiment the first and second visual char acteristics may be configured as first and second colors Each of the first and second colors may be different from one another by having a different hue One or more colors may also be different by virtue of having a different luminosity and or saturation vividness Saturation vividness is the inten sity ofthe color from pale to dark Colors of different hues can be coordinated or match by virtue of having the same lumi nosity or saturation For example pale or pastel colors of different hues tend to blend together or appear that they belong together or are matched due to the fact that the satu ration levels are similar Other factors in color differences include different finishes e g gloss finish verses a matte fin ish M
15. ereby incor porated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone or in any combination with any other reference or references teaches suggests or discloses any such invention Further to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a Feb 2 2012 document incorporated by reference the meaning or defini tion assigned to that term in this document shall govern 0063 While particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention What is claimed is 1 An absorbent article bearing at least one graphic wherein at least one visual characteristic of the at least one graphic is visually coordinated to at least one visual charac teristic of an article of clothing 2 An absorbent article bearing at least one graphic wherein at least one visual characteristic of the at least one graphic is visually coordinated to at least one visual charac teristic of a line
16. g Non limiting examples of visual character istics are color texture pattern form and the like 0022 As used herein the term visible is intended to mean attribute of feature which is visually perceived by an individual user or consumer Generally for a consumer or Feb 2 2012 user the attribute should be visible in the range of about 0 25 feet 0 075 meters to about 3 feet 0 91 meters For a non consumer or non user generally for an attribute to be visible the distance will typically be greater than about 3 feet 0 91 meters As used herein perceived or perception is the ability to recognize an attribute or feature when the visual angle that the attribute or feature subtends is greater than about 5 minutes of visual arc and less than about 45 minutes of visual arc as determined by the following equation Min utes of visual arc 3438 length of the object distance from object wherein the length of the object size of the object measured perpendicular to the line of sight the distance from object distance from the front of the eye to the object along the line of sight and a minute of visual arc is Yao of 1 degree 0023 As used herein the term color is intended to mean an individual s perception of the spectral composition of vis ible light coming from a portion of an object Color charac teristics include hue saturation and luminosity Each is a separate color characteristic Hue is the attrib
17. ightness O black 100 white a and b inde pendently each represent a two color axis a representing a red green axis a red a green while b represents a yellow blue axis b yellow b blue The maximum for L is 100 which represents a perfect reflecting diffuser and the minimum for L is zero which represents black The a and b axes have no specific numerical limits The CIELAB color scale is an approximate uniform color scale wherein the differences between points plotted in the color space corre spond to visual differences between the colors plotted Based on the L a and b values for a first color i e L a b and a second color i e La as bo the difference between the colors i e AE can be calculated using the following formula AE V AL Aa 4 Ab wherein AL L L 0044 Aa a a and 0045 Ab b b 0046 The L a b values for each zone of color in the graphic may be determined in various ways For example the L a b values of the color zones may be determined by using ink with relatively known L a b values Alternatively the L a b values in a zone can be determined from the elec tronic file that is generated when a pattern is created In such a case the L a b values may be obtained with a computer equipped with a software that can provide the L a b value of aselected area A non limiting example ofsuch software may be Adobe Photoshop In another embodiment the L a b values of variou
18. ingle item of clothing e g being sold by one or more retail ers In another embodiment the article of clothing is one article in a line of clothing being sold by one or more retailers In yet another embodiment the absorbent article is visually coordinated to a whole or portion of a whole clothing line In such an embodiment the visual characteristics being coordi nated to will be embodied in several of articles of clothing in US 2012 0029457 Al aline of clothing Such visual characteristics will be common among at least a few of the articles of clothing in the line and may be in the fashion sense consider the signature elements of the line In an embodiment such visual characteristics that are signature elements are not characters from story books nursery rhymes television shows movies comic books car toons and the like In another embodiment such visual char acteristics that are signature elements are designed by a fash ion designer 0061 The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numeri cal values recited Instead unless otherwise specified each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value For example a dimension disclosed as 40 mm is intended to mean about 40 mm 0062 Every document cited herein including any cross referenced or related patent or application is h
19. le green blue and violet Neutral color coordina tion includes using shades of black white gray and beige together Color contrast scheme include using dark and light colors together Tetradic is a four color scheme and a triad color scheme is a three color scheme both of which are known to those skilled in the art Any of these color schemes may be used in the present invention to help coordinate and harmonize two or more colors as the visual characteristics in the present invention 0052 Coordination may be created by providing a theme on the absorbent article that matches the theme embodied in an article of clothing and or line of clothing Non limiting examples of themes include sporty outdoors sophisticated professional casual cute sassy feminine e g quilted pais ley curly cues polka dots fresh seasonal e g spring sum mer fall winter patriotic weather climatic e g sunny rainy snowy ethnic soft tones earth tones pastels rock n roll western e g cowboy cowgirl animal plant food or indus trial 0053 Two patterns are considered coordinated when they have substantially the same pattern elements regardless of other factors such as orientation To gain a better understand ing of how patterns are considered to be coordinated within the scope of the present invention reference is made to FIGS 3 to 5 In FIG 3 an article of clothing a child s sleeper is shown Certain visual characteristi
20. mples of suitable methods for use with the present invention are disclosed in commonly assigned co pending U S Ser No entitled Method of Printing Fabric Inspired Designs on Absorbent Articles filed on 27 Jul 2010 and having Attorney Docket No 11825P Such methods for printing are described briefly in FIGS 1A and 1B 0036 Embossing may be accomplished for example by passing a material between a heated or non heated anvil roll and a heated or non heated embossing roll with the emboss ing roll containing a pattern Other techniques for imparting patterns or texture include for example aperturing creating layers orientation of materials bonding patterns and the like Texture can also be created by selection of materials having the same or similar visual characteristic beyond color and patterns imposed on the material 0037 Inan embodiment the invention provides an absor bent article bearing at least one graphic wherein at least one visual characteristic of the at least one graphic is visually coordinated to at least one visual characteristic of an article of clothing and or a line of clothing As an example a child s dress has a pattern of purple printed flowers thereon and an element of the absorbent article for example the backsheet of a diaper may have the same pattern of purple flowers printed US 2012 0029457 Al thereon The pattern of flowers is a first visual characteristic and the purple hue of the flo
21. n L values between the two colors and is calculated by AL L L 0049 Inan embodiment at least two visible surfaces each comprising an imparted color will have a CIELab color space hue difference of 4 in order to be considered matching In another embodiment the difference will be 3 In yet another embodiment the difference will be 2 The visible surfaces are analyzed according to the Test Method described below Upon analysis the inherent color of an element comprising a visible surface will yield L a and b coordinates Two elements are selected and the L a and b values of the elements are inserted into the formula presented above to result in a hue difference 0050 Visible surfaces are tested in a dry state and at an ambient humidity of approximately 50 2 Reflectance color is measured using the Hunter Lab LabScan XE reflec tance spectrophotometer obtained from Hunter Associates Laboratory of Reston Va The spectrophotometer is set to the CIELab color scale and with a D50 illumination The Observer is set at 10 and the Mode is set at 45 0 Area View is set to 0 125 and Port Size is set to 0 20 for films Area View is set to 1 00 and Port Size is set to 1 20 for nonwovens and other materials The spectrophotometer is calibrated prior to sample analysis utilizing the black and white reference tiles supplied from the vendor with the instrument Calibration is done according to the manufacturer s instructions a
22. n of the pattern relative to its surroundings And orientation is position of the major axis of the pattern relative to its surroundings 0027 As used herein the term match or matched is used to describe the way or degree two items visually fit together For example two items are considered matched if some aspects of one of the items are identical to similar aspects of another item In one form of match two items resemble each other are said to match 0028 As used herein the term coordinate or coordina tion is used to describe how two components or elements of the absorbent article and the article of clothing and or line of clothing visually belong together Visual characteristics are said to coordinate if one aspect of the visual characteristic is the same or falls within limits described with this specifica tion Visual characteristics are also said to coordinate ifthey match Components or elements are considered to be coordi nated if they match Graphics are considered to be coordi nated if they match An absorbent article and an article of clothing are considered to be coordinated if they match An absorbent article and a line of clothing are considered to be coordinated ifthey match Colors may be coordinated ifthey have a hue luminosity or saturation that match within limits described below 0029 As used herein the term nonwoven fabric or web means a web having a structure of individual fibers o
23. onsidered to be coordinated since they have the same proportions relative to each other Stated another way shapes are considered to be coordinated if the shapes are the same or are proportional to each other 0033 Textures can be visual effects generated by rough surfaces and or differences in the surface characteristics or visual illusions created by mere color or pattern Texture may be the result of the natural characteristics of a given material as a result of the material formation process Textures may also be imparted to a material using known techniques known to those skilled in the art including for example printing embossing bonding aperturing and the like 0034 One or more objects one or more geometric and non geometric shapes and or one or more colors having some relationship with one another may achieve patterns Patterns may be random or repeating Repeating patterns will typically have objects shapes and or colors in a given frequency or spacing Patterns can be achieved by repeating a single object or shape or can be achieved by repeating multiple objects or shapes Repeating or alternating two or more colors with a given frequency may also create patterns Patterns may be formed by using techniques including for example printing embossing bonding aperturing and the like 0035 Any known printing method may be used so long as a pattern or a texture can be imparted to the surface being printed Non limiting exa
24. ose skilled in the art includ ing for example printing embossing bonding aperturing and the like 0026 As used herein the term pattern is used to describe the individual s perception of spatial variation of visible light due to contrasts in spatial variation of light due to the color form and texture of a portion of an object incorpo rated into the object by the manufactory of the elements This contrast creates various visual distinct regions or lines some times referred to as figures within its surrounding some times referred to as ground Patterns can be formed by combinations of contrasting color form and texture relative to its surroundings An element can have more than one pattern but each pattern would be distinguishable recogniz able and separate from the other patterns on the element Pattern is also a term used to describe the observer s percep tion of combined effect of more than one color form or texture within a portion of an observer s field of view Patterns may have a length extent shape position and ori entation Each is a pattern characteristic within the scope of the present invention Length is the perceived distance along US 2012 0029457 Al the major axis of the pattern The major axis is the axis of the longest symmetry The extent of the pattern is the area of the pattern Shape is simply the shape of the pattern Position is the locatio
25. parted color region requires overlapping of sample points only six samples should be taken with the sample points selected to minimize overlap between any two sample points The readings are averaged to yield the reported L a and b values for a specified color on a visible surface of an element 0051 Coordination in the present invention may also con tain commonly used color schemes which tend to harmonize or coordinate That is the first and second visual color char acteristics may be selected to enhance the visual coordination in addition to having at least a first and second color as the first and second visual characteristics Examples of these color Feb 2 2012 schemes include for example monochromatic color complementary colors analogous colors warm and cool col ors neutral colors color contrast tetradic color scheme triad color scheme or other chord color schemes Monochromatic color scheme uses one base color but varies the color tint shade and or tone Complementary colors are colors which are opposite each other on a color wheel Analogous colors are colors which are adjacent each other on the color wheel Warm and cool color schemes use three colors two of which are warm colors and one is cool color or two cool colors and one warm color Warm colors are generally associated with fire and the sun for example red yellow and orange and cool colors are generally associated with water the sky and foliage for examp
26. r bent core disposed within an overwrap substantially covering the exterior surface of the compressed absorbent core the overwrap having a core facing surface and a bodyfacing sur face In an embodiment the graphics created by the method disclosed herein are disposed upon the core facing surface of the overwrap In another embodiment the graphics are dis posed upon the bodyfacing surface of the overwrap In yet another embodiment the graphics are disposed upon both the core facing surface of the overwrap and the bodyfacing sur face of the overwrap In an embodiment the overwrap com prises a non woven material 0019 In an embodiment the invention provides an absor bent article bearing at least one graphic wherein at least one visual characteristic of the at least one graphic is visually coordinated to at least one visual characteristic of an article of clothing and or a line of clothing The graphic and the cloth ing each has at least a first and preferably additional visual characteristics wherein the visual characteristics of the graphic are matched the corresponding visual characteristics of the clothing In other embodiments there are at least 2 preferably at least 3 visual characteristics that are matched In yet other embodiments there are at least 4 preferably at least 5 visual characteristics that are matched In still other embodiments there are at least 6 preferably at least 7 visual characteristics that are matche
27. r threads which are interlaid but not in a regular or identifiable manner as in a knitted or woven fabric The term also includes indi vidual filaments and strands yarns or tows as well as foams and films that have been fibrillated apertured or otherwise treated to impart fabric like properties Nonwoven fabrics or webs have been formed from many processes such as for example meltblowing processes spunbonding processes airlaying processes and bonded carded web processes The basis weight of nonwoven fabrics is usually expressed in ounces of material per square yard osy or grams per square meter gsm and the fiber diameters useful are usually expressed in microns 0030 Coordination may be achieved using certain combi nations of visual characteristics which unite or harmonize the appearance of an absorbent article with an article of clothing and or a line of clothing Coordination may be achieved by matching visual characteristics of the absorbent article and clothing components As described above visual character istics are features or characteristics that are discernible by sight during the normal use of the product Examples of different types of visual characteristics which may be employed in the present invention include without limitation color form texture pattern transmittance opacity gloss and sheen among others 0031 Ofthe visual characteristics color is a characteristic that is simple to quantify Colors have
28. rments feminine hygiene pads feminine hygiene pantiliners tampons and the like As used herein the term disposable refers to absorbent articles that generally are not intended to be laundered or otherwise restored or reused as absorbent articles i e they are intended to be discarded after a single use and preferably to be recycled composted or otherwise disposed of in an environ mentally compatible manner In an embodiment the absor bent articles for which the invention is primarily intended for use are disposable absorbent articles 0018 Absorbent articles may typically comprise a top sheet having a bodyfacing surface and a garment facing sur face a backsheet having a bodyfacing surface and a garment facing surface and an absorbent core disposed between the garment facing surface of the topsheet and the bodyfacing US 2012 0029457 Al surface of the backsheet In an embodiment the graphics created by the method disclosed herein are disposed upon the bodyfacing surface of the topsheet In another embodiment the graphics are disposed upon the garment facing surface of the topsheet In another embodiment the graphics are dis posed upon the garment facing surface of the backsheet In yet another embodiment the graphics are disposed upon both the bodyfacing surface of the topsheet and the garment facing surface of the backsheet Other absorbent articles e g cata menial tampons may typically comprise a compressed abso
29. s color zones on a graphic can be measured directly from the printed substrate that bears the design inspir ing the graphic A suitable procedure for measuring the L a b values of a color zone is provided below 0047 In an embodiment color measurements are per formed using a commercial flat bed scanner capable of 4800 dpi at 16 bit color depth such as an Epson Perfection V500 Photo scanner Epson America Long Beach Cal f Each scan is calibrated against Pantone standards and measure ments made using Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended Edition Adobe Systems Inc San Jose Calif The sample is mea sured on the printed side of the substrate For example if a laminate consist of a nonwoven and a film where the printing is on the film and sandwiched between the film and non woven the nonwoven is removed before the printing on the film is measured 0048 The hue difference represents the distance between two points within CIELab color space The CIELab color space hue difference AH for a first color L a b and a second color L a b is calculated according to the following formula AH V AE AC AL Within said formula AE is the CIELab color space total color difference between the two colors and is calculated as presented above US 2012 0029457 Al The AC is the CIELab color space chroma difference between the two colors and is calculated by AC Y a b Y a b The AL is the difference i
30. s set forth in LabScan XE User s Manual Manual Version 1 1 August 2001 A60 1010 862 If cleaning is required of the reference tiles or samples only tissues that do not contain embossing lotion or brighteners should be used e g Puffs tissue Any sample point on the visible surface of the element con taining the imparted color to be analyzed should be selected Typically sample points are selected so as to be close in perceived color A single ply of the element is placed over the spectrophotometer s sample port A single ply as used within the test method means that the visible surface of the element is not folded Thus a single ply of a visible surface may include the sampling of a laminate which itself is comprised of more than one lamina The sample point comprising the color to be analyzed must be larger than the sample port to ensure accurate measurements A white tile as supplied by the manufacturer is placed behind the visible surface The L a and b values are read and recorded The visible surface is removed and repositioned so that a minimum of six readings are obtained for the visible surface If possible eg the size of the imparted color on the element in question does not limit the ability to have six discretely different non overlapping sample points each of the readings is to be performed at a substantially different region on the visible surface so that no two sample points overlap Ifthe size of the im
31. s visually coordinated to at least one visual characteristic of an article of clothing and or a line of clothing It is an object of this invention to provide an absorbent article bearing at least one graphic wherein at least one visual characteristic of the at least one graphic is visually coordinated to at least one visual characteristic of a line of clothing It is an object of this invention to provide an absorbent article bearing at least one graphic wherein at least one visual characteristic of the at least one graphic is visually coordinated to at least one visual Feb 2 2012 characteristic of a particular article of clothing i e not a type of clothing or a genre of clothing These and other objects features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reading the following specification in conjunc tion with the accompanying drawing figures BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 0007 FIG 1A isa flowchart ofa method of printing graph ics on absorbent articles suitable for use with the present invention 0008 FIG 1B is a flowchart of a method of printing graph ics on absorbent articles suitable for use with the present invention 0009 FIG 2 is an illustration of three axes respectively for the L a and b value of a given color used with the CIELAB color scale 0010 FIG 3 is a perspective view of a design embodied in an article of clothing 0011 FIG 4 is a perspective view of a design created
32. s wings the color of the owl s body depicted by gray shading and the owl being embroidered In FIGS 7A and 7B diapers with graphics printed on them are shown The diapers shows an owl as does the sweater white as a coordinating color a substantially similar flower pattern on the owl s wings as the sweater the same color of the owl s body depicted by gray shading as the sweater the owl having an embroidered appearance and the additional visual characteristics of a substantially similar flower pattern being printed on the fasteners of the diaper in FIG 7A or of a branch upon which the owl appears to be sitting in FIG 7B These several visual characteristics are coordinated e g sub stantially the same shape even though they are of different sizes and printed diapers have a visual characteristic that is not shared with the original sweater Summarily referring to FIGS 6 7A and 7B elements of the clothing article a sweater is configured with a animal character an owl a coordinating color white a pattern the flower pattern on the owl s wings the color of the owl s body depicted by gray shading and a texture the owl being embroidered while the absorbent article a printed diaper is configured with a coordinated animal character an owl a coordinated coordi nating color white a coordinated pattern the flower pattern on the owl s wings a coordinated color of the owl s body depicted by gray
33. some basic character istics including hue saturation and luminosity Each of these terms is described above A given color may be varied by changing the saturation and luminosity Saturation is changed by adding a neutral color black white or gray Luminosity may be changed by adding a brightener to a given color In the present invention if two colors have the same hue whether or not they are different in saturation or luminosity the two colors are considered coordinated Likewise if two colors have the same saturation or the same luminosity the colors Feb 2 2012 are considered to be coordinated Colors which have the same hue saturation and luminosity are considered matched Color may be imparted by any means know to those skilled in the art including for example printing dyeing pigmenting and the like 0032 Form may be accomplished by techniques know to those skilled in the art Form can be construed on the simplest scale as shape Shape may be imparted to the components by known methods suchas cutting and the like By using the term shape in this context it is intended that the outline edges and the like have a shape in addition to a linear outline Generally shapes are considered the same if the aspects of one shape are proportional to another shape For example in the case of a triangle if all the angles are identical in two different triangles but the sides are different in length the two triangles are c
34. ute of a color which allows it to be classified as a given color Saturation which is sometimes referred to as vividness is the intensity of the color Saturation is the degree of freedom from gray Luminosity sometimes referred to as value is the degree of lightness paleness or darkness in a color For example a blue with white added is a pale color e g baby blue and blue with black added is a dark color e g navy blue A measure ment of hue saturation and luminosity are described in more detail below 0024 As used herein the term form is used to describe an individual s perception of the spatial variation of visible light due to the bulk shape and structure of a portion of an object in three dimensions Stated another way form is shape and structure of an item which distinguishes it from its sur rounding which causes a spatially discontinuous change in light that is transmitted through or reflected from an item 0025 As used herein the term texture is used to describe the individual s perception ofthe spatial variation of visible light due to surface structure of a portion of an object in two dimensions Textures can be visual effects generated by surface roughness and visual illusion created by mere color or pattern Texture may be the result of the natural characteristics of a given material as a result of the material formation process Textures may also be imparted to a mate rial using techniques known to th
35. wers is a second visual charac teristic As a result the absorbent article is coordinated with the article of clothing due to the presence of the pattern of purple flowers on both components Coordination of the product in the present invention is obtained by having one or more visual characteristics that match While the present specification describes the invention in terms of at least one visual characteristic this does not mean that there cannot be two or more visual characteristics creating the desired coor dination affect In fact the more shared visual characteristic there are the more the items appear to be coordinated In the present invention there may be two three four five six seven eight nine or more visual characteristic which are coordinated In one embodiment there are at least 2 prefer ably at least 3 more preferably at least 4 visual characteris tics that are coordinated 0038 In an embodiment a first and second visual charac teristic are different in some aspect from each other It is possible for the visual characteristics to be two different colors a color and a pattern a texture and a color a texture and a pattern two different patterns two different textures and the like If there are three characteristics which are dif ferent then there could be two different colors and a pattern three different colors a color a pattern and a texture among many other combinations 0039 Inanembodiment whit
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