Feb. 11, 2016  US 2016/0038628 Al  1  WETNESS INDICATOR WITH PERMANENT  COLORANT  FIELD OF INVENTION  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  Definitions  [0001]  Disclosed are wetness indicating compositions  comprising a permanent colorant, for use in absorbent  articles.  [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.  [0004]  A wetness indicating composition is provided, com› prising a liquid-activated colorant, a permanent colorant, and  a binding matrix.  [0005]  FIG.1  is a top view ofanabsorbent article according  to an aspect 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.  [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. 