FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This application generally relates to absorbent articles comprising perfume and cyclodextrin complexes. The invention also relates to methods of making and using said absorbent articles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Perfumes are utilized to help make products more delightful to consumers. This delight can result when the perfumes mask or reduce odor as well as impart pleasant odors to products that are consumed or used by consumed by consumers.

Products like absorbent articles according to the present invention are articles which can be used to absorb any type of fluid. These articles include absorbent hygienic articles (like for example sanitary napkins, panty liners, tampons, inter labial articles, adult incontinence articles such as adult incontinence pads, pants and diapers, baby pants and diapers, pessaries, breast pads and hemorrhoid pads). Other absorbent articles according to the present invention can be for example absorbent paper towels, wipes, toilet paper, or facial tissues as well as absorbent articles used in the medical field, such as wound dressings and surgical articles, and absorbent articles used in food technology and conservation (such as fluid pads for meat, fish and so on). Absorbent articles according to the present invention include absorbent materials used industrially to absorb fluids, for example, those used to contain spillage of chemicals.

Absorbent articles are commonly used to absorb and retain bodily fluids and other exudates excreted by the human or animal body, such as urine, menses, blood, fecal materials or mucus or chemicals or any type of fluid waste. Paper towels, wipes, facial tissues and toilet paper may be used also to absorb kitchen and food residues and/or any kind of dirt or waste. In many cases the absorbed materials, can be malodorous or capable of generating malodors over time while the article is still being used or after it has been disposed.

As one would imagine, once such absorbent articles have been acted on by a consumer, i.e., a fluid has contacted it, the articles tend to give off a malodor. As a result, materials for controlling and reducing malodors in absorbent articles have been identified in the art. Among them conventional perfumes have been commonly used. Conventional perfumes, however, are typically not completely satisfactory in absorbent articles where it is necessary that the perfume express and maintains a defined perfume character for a long time. Absorbent hygienic articles are worn for many hours and also absorbent articles after disposal may still have an unpleasant odor so that a perfume should desirably continue to be perceived even after disposal of the article. Cyclodextrins have been to be employed in such absorbent articles to assist in the management of malodor. Currently, however, perfumes are not optimized for release from a cyclodextrin complex and some components can remain within the complex and unexpressed. As such, there is a need for absorbent articles that include a perfume which is optimized for release from a cyclodextrin and cyclodextrin complexes made from such optimized perfumes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An absorbent article comprising a perfume which comprises perfume raw materials, wherein 10% or more, by weight of the perfume, of the perfume raw materials have: a cyclodextrin complex stability constant (log k) of less than about 3.0, a ClogP of about 2.5 or less, and a weight average molecular weight of about 200 Daltons or less.

An absorbent article comprising a cyclodextrin complex which further comprises a cyclodextrin and a perfume, wherein the wherein 10% or more, by weight of the perfume, of the perfume raw materials have: a cyclodextrin complex stability constant is about 3.0 or less, a ClogP of about 2.5 or less, and a weight average molecular weight of about 200 Daltons or less.

These and other combinations are possible and are described in more detail below.

