ABSORBENT ARTICLE INCLUDING AN ABSORBENT LAYER HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED BEAM ELEMENTS

• US 20090112173A1
• Filed: 12/17/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: McNeil-PPC Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: McNeil-PPC Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Tremblay, Denis, De Oliveira, Ricardo, Bissah, Kofi Ayensu
• Application Number:
  US11/957,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20090112173A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/378
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/536 having discontinuous areas of compression
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53747 the layer is facing the topsheet layer is part of the topsheet A61F13/511
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/53778 with grooves

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to absorbent sanitary napkins and in particular to a sanitary napkin including an absorbent layer having a plurality of spaced beam elements for promoting enhanced fluid wicking within the sanitary napkin.

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising:

a longitudinally extending centerline;

a transversely extending centerline;

a cover layer having a body facing surface;

a first absorbent layer having an upper surface and a lower surface, the layer comprising a plurality of beams and a plurality of material-free zones, each of the beams arranged in a spaced relationship to an adjacent beam and each of the beams being separated from an adjacent beam by a material-free zone, each of the material-free zones extending from the upper surface to the lower surface;

a second absorbent structure arranged below the first absorbent layer;

wherein the cover layer includes a plurality of first regions arranged in spaced relationship to the second absorbent structure and a plurality of second regions, each of the second regions located between two adjacent beams and arranged in surface to surface contact with the second absorbent structure;

wherein the first absorbent layer, second absorbent layer and cover cooperate to define a plurality of longitudinally extending gutters in the body facing surface of the article;

wherein the absorbent article has a thickness of less than 4.0 mm; and

wherein the absorbent article has an RIF value greater than 2.6.

2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the material-free zones extend over a surface area in the range of between about 50 mm² and about 4000 mm².

3. The absorbent article according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of material-free zones comprise between about 1 and about 7 longitudinally extending material-free zones.

4. The absorbent article according to claim 3, wherein each one of the longitudinally extending material-free zones has a length as measured along a path of the material-free zone in the range of about 5 cm to about 40 cm and a width in the range of between about 1 mm and about 10 mm.

5. The absorbent article according to claim 4, wherein said gutters have a depth relative to body facing surface of about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm.

6. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent article has a thickness in the range of about 1.5 mm to about 3.0 mm.

7. The absorbent article according to claim 6, wherein the absorbent article has an MCB value less than 400 g.

8. The absorbent article according to claim 7, wherein the absorbent article has an MCB value less than 350 g.

9. The absorbent article according to claim 8, wherein the absorbent article has an MCB value less than 300 g.

10. The absorbent article according to claim 9, wherein the absorbent article has a LTWR value greater than 1.5.

11. The absorbent article according to claim 10, wherein the absorbent article has a LTWR value greater than 2.0.

12. The absorbent article according to claim 11, wherein the absorbent article has a LTWR value greater than 2.4.

13. The absorbent article according to claim 12, wherein the absorbent article has an RIF value greater than 2.75.

14. The absorbent article according to claim 13, wherein the absorbent article has an RIF value greater than 2.85.

15. The absorbent article according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer layer, the transfer layer comprising a plurality of beams and a plurality of material-free zones, each one of the material-free zones being arranged between adjacent beams, wherein each of the beams of the transfer layer are arranged in vertical alignment with a corresponding beam of the first absorbent layer and wherein each of the material-free zones of the of the transfer layer is arranged in vertical alignment with a corresponding material-free zone of the first absorbent layer.

16. An absorbent article comprising:

a cover layer having a body facing surface;

a first absorbent layer having an upper surface and a lower surface, the layer comprising a plurality of material-free zones, each of the material-free zones extending from the upper surface to the lower surface;

a second absorbent structure arranged below the first absorbent system;

wherein the cover layer includes a plurality of first regions arranged in spaced relationship to the second absorbent structure and a plurality of second regions, each of the second regions arranged in surface to surface contact with the second absorbent structure;

wherein the absorbent article has a thickness of less than 4.0 mm; and

wherein the absorbent article has an LTWR value greater than 2.4.