## WETNESS INDICATOR WITH PERMANENT COLORANT 

[0001] Disclosed are wetness indicating compositions comprising a permanent colorant, for use in absorbent articles. 

## BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 

[0002] Many disposable absorbent articles comprise a wet› ness indicator. Wetness indicator compositions may comprise a colorant adapted to change in appearance, i.e., appear, dis› appear, change color, etc., upon contact with liquids such as urine, runny bowel movements, menses, etc., in the article. The color changing active used in many wetness indicator compositions are pH indicators such as bromocresol green or the like, which changes color from yellow to blue in the pH range of3.8 to 5.4. Upon contact with a liquid, such as urine, the pH indicator will change colors to indicate the presence of the liquid, due to the higher pH of the urine. 

[0003] However, current pH-based wetness indicators may be unreliable, having issues such as premature triggering and/or leaching, plus there are limits as to the variety of color options available. Therefore, there is a continuing need for simple wetness/fluid indicators. There is also a continuing need for ways to expand on the color options used in such wetness/fluid indicator systems, and ways to incorporate such wetness/fluid indicators into absorbent articles. 

## SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 

[0004] A wetness indicating composition is provided, com› prising a liquid-activated colorant, a permanent colorant, and a binding matrix. 

## BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 

[0005] FIG.1 is a top view ofanabsorbent article according to an aspect of the invention. 

## DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 

[0006] "Absorbent 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. Absorbent articles may include diapers, training pants, adult incontinence undergarments, feminine hygiene products, breast pads, care mats, bibs, wound dressing products, and the like. As used herein, the term "body fluids" or "body exudates" includes, but is not limited to, urine, blood, vaginal discharges, breast milk, sweat and fecal matter. 

[0007] "Absorbent core" means a structure typically dis› posed between a topsheet and backsheet of an absorbent article for absorbing and containing liquid received by the absorbent article and may comprise one or more substrates, absorbent polymer material disposed on the one or more substrates, and a thermoplastic composition on the absorbent particulate polymer material and at least a portion of the one or more substrates for immobilizing the absorbent particulate polymer material on the one or more substrates. 

## FIELD OF INVENTION 

## Definitions 

[0008] "Absorbent polymer material," "absorbent gelling material," "AGM," "superabsorbent," and "superabsorbent material" are used herein interchangeably and refer to cross linked polymeric materials that can absorb at least 5 times their weight of an aqueous 0.9% saline solution as measured using the Centrifuge Retention Capacity test (Edana 441.2- 01). 

[0009] "Comprise," "comprising," and "comprises" are open ended terms, each specifies the presence of what fol› lows, e.g., a component, but does not preclude the presence of other features, e.g., elements, steps, components known in the art, or disclosed herein. 

[001 OJ "Consisting essentially of’ is used herein to limit the scope of subject matter, such as that in a claim, to the specified materials or steps and those that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the subject matter. 

[0011] "Diaper" refers to an absorbent article generally worn by infants and incontinent persons about the lower torso so as to encircle the waist and legs of the wearer and that is specifically adapted to receive and contain urinary and fecal waste. As used herein, term "diaper" also includes "pants" which is defined below. 

[0012] "Fiber" and "filament" are used interchangeably. 

[0013] A "nonwoven" is a manufactured sheet, web, or batt of directionally or randomly orientated fibers, bonded by friction, and/or cohesion and/or adhesion, excluding paper and products which are woven, knitted, tufted, stitch-bonded incorporating binding yarns or filaments, or felted by wet› milling, whether or not additionally needled. The fibers may be of natural or man-made origin and may be staple or con› tinuous filaments or be formed in situ. Commercially avail› able fibers have diameters ranging from less than about 0.001 mm to more than about 0.2 mm and they come in several different forms: short fibers (known as staple, or chopped), continuous single fibers (filaments or monofilaments), untwisted bundles of continuous filaments (tow), and twisted bundles of continuous filaments (yarn). Nonwoven fabrics can be formed by many processes such as meltblowing, spun› bonding, solvent spinning, electro spinning, and carding. The basis weight of nonwoven fabrics is usually expressed in grams per square meter (gsm). 

[0014] "Pant" or "training pant", as used herein, refer to disposable garments having a waist opening and leg openings designed for infant or adult wearers. A pant may be placed in position on the wearer by inserting the wearer’s legs into the leg openings and sliding the pant into position about a wear› er’s lower torso. A pant may be preformed by any suitable technique including, but not limited to, joining together por› tions of the article using refastenable and/or non-refastenable bonds ( e.g., seam, weld, adhesive, cohesive bond, fastener, etc.). A pant may be preformed anywhere along the circum› ference of the article ( e.g., side fastened, front waist fastened). While the terms "pant" or "pants" are used herein, pants are also commonly referred to as "closed diapers," "prefastened diapers," "pull-on diapers," "training pants," and "diaper› pants." Suitable pants are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,246, 433, issued to Hasse, et al. on Sep. 21, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,234, issued to Buell et al. on Oct. 29, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,487, issued to Ashton on Sep. 19, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,489, issued to Johnson eta!. on Sep. 19, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,464, issued to Van Gompel et al. on Jul. 10, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,861, issued to Nomura et al. on Mar. 3, 1992. 

