Absorbent article

• US 20030125693A1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB (Essity AB)
• Original Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB (Essity AB)
• Inventors: Hermansson, Kent, Porso, Berith
• Granted Patent: US 7,799,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/385.3
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4915 specially adapted for male use
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/496 in the form of pants or briefs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/49077 as "T"-shaped

Abstract

An absorbent article of pants shape includes an elastic waist portion, an absorbent element (5), and a liquid-impermeable outer layer (3). The elastic waist portion is made from an elastic first piece (1) which is rectangular and is intended to form the rear portion (8) and side portions (9, 10) of the article. A second piece (2) forms the front portion (11) and crotch portion (12) of the pants-like article. The second piece (2) is elongate, and the width thereof is, at least in the crotch portion (12), smaller than the length of the first piece (1). The absorbent element (5) is in its entirety arranged on the second piece (2).

Claims

1. An absorbent article of pants shape, comprising:

an elastic waist portion,

an absorbent element which has a length and a width and is adapted to at least cover genitals of a wearer when the article is worn, and

a liquid-impermeable outer layer which is adapted to enclose the absorbent element on at least a side thereof which faces away from the wearer when the article is worn,

the elastic waist portion is made from an elastic first piece which is elongate in an extended state and is adapted to partly surround the trunk of the wearer when the article is worn and to form a rear portion and side portions of the absorbent article,

a second piece of material forms a front portion and a crotch portion of the absorbent article,

said second piece is elongate with two opposite end edges and two opposite longitudinal edges, the width of the second piece is, at least in the crotch portion, smaller than a length of the first piece,

the second piece is arranged with its longitudinal direction at right angles in a relation to a longitudinal direction of the first piece and is connected by a first end portion of the second piece to one longitudinal edge portion of the first piece centrally thereon,

one end portion of the first piece is connected to a first longitudinal edge of the second piece, and another end portion of the first piece is connected in a corresponding manner to a second longitudinal edge of the second piece,

the absorbent element is in its entirety arranged on the second piece, a width of the absorbent element is narrowest in an area in the crotch portion, which area is situated substantially in front of the genitals of the wearer when the article is worn,

the absorbent element is narrowing in a direction towards said area, and

an absorption capacity of the absorbent element per unit area is greatest in a narrowest area of the absorbent element.

2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said absorption capacity per unit area of the absorbent element increases in a direction towards the narrowest area.

3. The absorbent article according to claim 2, wherein said absorption capacity per unit area for the absorbent element increases continuously in said direction.

4. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent element comprises superabsorbent material, and the absorption capacity of the absorbent element is controlled by the content of the superabsorbent material.

5. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein a length of the second piece is greater than a width of the first piece, and a projecting portion of the second piece formed by the length difference is in its entirety located below a side edge of the first piece which is lower during use of the article, and the projecting portion forms the crotch portion.

6. The absorbent article according to claim 5, wherein said projecting portion has a smaller width than a remainder of the second piece.

7. The absorbent element according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent element extends in its longitudinal direction over the entire crotch portion and a part way up over the front portion in the direction of the end edge of the second piece which is the upper one during use of the article.

8. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent element is arranged so as to extend with its lower end portion only part way over the crotch portion and over less than half the extent of said projecting portion.

9. The absorbent article according to claim 7, wherein the absorbent element forms a concave shape with its side edge portions in the crotch portion.

10. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said connected end portions of the first piece and said longitudinal edges of the second piece are, before connection, arranged in an overlapping manner, with an inside of an overlapping portion being arranged against an outside of an overlapped portion.

11. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the second piece includes a liquid-permeable inner layer and said liquid-impermeable outer layer, and the absorbent element is arranged between said inner and outer layers, the inner and outer layers extending in a lateral direction and a longitudinal direction outside the absorbent element and being interconnected there.

12. The absorbent article according to claim 11, wherein the liquid-impermeable outer layer primarily covers only the absorbent element.

13. The absorbent article according to claim 12, wherein a remainder of the second piece is breathable and vapor-permeable.

14. The absorbent article according to claim 11, wherein the liquid-impermeable outer layer is breathable and vapor-permeable and the remainder of the article, over its entire area, is breathable and vapor-permeable.

15. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the first piece is rectangular.

16. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the second piece has a concave portion between the front portion and the rear portion, wherein the concave portion forms cut-outs for the legs of the wearer.

17. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the second piece has a narrowing portion, at least along a part of its length, narrowing towards the first piece, wherein the narrowing portion forms cut-outs for the legs of the wearer.

18. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the second piece is essentially inelastic.

19. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein elastic members are arranged along the longitudinal edges of the second piece, along at least the crotch portion for the forming of leg elastics, intended to lie in sealing contact with legs of the wearer.

20. The absorbent article according to claim 19, wherein the elastic members extend in and from an area in the rear portion where the first and the second piece overlap each other and further along the crotch portion along the edges of the second piece in a direction towards the front portion.

21. The absorbent article according to claim 4, wherein said absorbent element comprises a pH regulating material for regulation of pH in the environment around the skin of the wearer, wherein the pH regulating material is arranged to accomplish a pH in the interval of 3.5-4.9.

22. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent article is incontinence pants, a pants diaper, or a sanitary towel pants.

23. An absorbent article, comprising:

an elastically stretchable first piece having first and second longitudinal edges and first and second ends, wherein the first and second ends of the first piece are shorter than the first and second longitudinal edges of the first piece;

a second piece having first and second longitudinal edges and first and second ends, wherein the first and second ends of the second piece are shorter than the first and second longitudinal edges of the second piece;

the second piece includes an absorbent element having first and second ends, wherein the first end of the absorbent element is narrower than the second end of the absorbent element, and an absorption capacity of the absorbent element per unit area is greater at the first end than at the second end;

the first end of the second piece is secured to a middle portion of the second longitudinal edge of the first piece so that the first piece extends substantially perpendicular to the second piece; and

the first end of the first piece is secured to the first longitudinal edge of the second piece and the second end of the first piece is secured to the second longitudinal edge of the second piece.

24. The absorbent article of claim 23, wherein the first piece is substantially rectangular.

25. The absorbent article of claim 23, wherein the second piece is substantially rectangular.

26. The absorbent article of claim 24, wherein the second piece is substantially rectangular.

27. The absorbent article of claim 23, wherein a portion of the absorbent element is between the first and second ends of the first piece and a portion of the absorbent element is not between the first and second ends of the first piece.

28. The absorbent article of claim 23, wherein the absorbent element includes superabsorbent materials.

29. The absorbent article of claim 23, wherein the absorbent element is hourglass shaped.

30. The absorbent article of claim 23, wherein one portion of the second piece is narrower than a remainder of the second piece.

31. The absorbent article of claim 30, wherein the one portion is concave in shape and the one portion includes the first end.

32. The absorbent article of claim 23, wherein the first end of the absorbent element is closer to the first end of the second piece than the second end of the absorbent element.

33. A method of manufacturing an absorbent article of pants shape, the absorbent article comprising an elastic waist portion, an absorbent element which has a length and a width and which covers the genitals of a wearer of the article when the article is worn, and a liquid-impermeable outer layer which encloses the absorbent element on at least a side thereof which faces away from the wearer of the article, the method comprising:

forming said elastic waist portion from an elastic first piece which is essentially rectangular in an extended state and is adapted to partly surround the trunk of the wearer when the article is worn and to form a rear portion and side portions of the article,

forming a front portion and a crotch portion of the article from a second piece, said second piece is elongate with two opposite end edges and two opposite longitudinal edges, a width of the second piece is, at least in the crotch portion, smaller than a length of the first piece,

arranging the second piece with its longitudinal direction at right angles in relation to a longitudinal direction of the first piece;

connecting a first end edge of the first piece to one longitudinal edge portion of the first piece, centrally thereon,

connecting one end portion of the first piece to a first longitudinal edge of the second piece, and

connecting another end portion of the first piece in a corresponding manner to a second longitudinal edge portion of the second piece, and in addition to which superabsorbent material is arranged in the absorbent element,

the absorbent element is shaped with a width which is narrowest in an area in the crotch portion, which area during use of the article is situated substantially in front of the genitals of the wearer, the absorbent element is continuously narrowing in a direction towards said area, and superabsorbent material is arranged in the absorbent element with a continuously increasing concentration in the same direction.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the absorbent element in its entirety is arranged on the second piece forming part of the article before said piece is connected to said first piece.

35. A method of manufacturing an absorbent article, comprising:

providing an elastically stretchable first piece having first and second longitudinal edges and first and second ends, wherein the first and second ends are shorter than the first and second longitudinal edges;

securing a first end of a second piece of material to a middle portion of the second longitudinal edge of the first piece so that the first piece extends substantially perpendicular to the second piece, wherein the second piece has first and second longitudinal edges that are substantially perpendicular to the first end of the second piece and the first end of the second piece is shorter than the first and second longitudinal edges of the second piece, and wherein the second piece includes an absorbent element having first and second ends, wherein the first end of the absorbent element is narrower than the second end of the absorbent element, and an absorption capacity of the absorbent element per unit area is greater at the first end than at the second end;

securing the first end of the first piece to the first longitudinal edge of the second piece and securing the second end of the first piece to the second longitudinal edge of the second piece.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the first piece is substantially rectangular.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the second piece is substantially rectangular.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the second piece is substantially rectangular.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein a portion of the absorbent element is between the first and second ends of the first piece and a portion of the absorbent element is not between the first and second ends of the first piece.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein the absorbent element includes superabsorbent materials.

41. The method of claim 35, wherein the absorbent element is hourglass shaped.

42. The method of claim 35, wherein one portion of the second piece is narrower than a remainder of the second piece.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the one portion is concave in shape and the one portion includes the first end.

44. The method of claim 35, wherein the first end of the absorbent element is closer to the first end of the second piece than the second end of the absorbent element.