ABSORBENT ARTICLE INCLUDING AN ABSORBENT CORE LAYER HAVING A MATERIAL FREE ZONE AND A TRANSFER LAYER ARRANGED BELOW THE ABSORBENT CORE LAYER

• US 20110060303A1
• Filed: 09/04/2009
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Ind. E Com. Ltda.
• Original Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Ind. E Com. Ltda.
• Inventors: Wiermann Paques, Fernanda, Hernandez, Francisco J.V., Bissah, Kofi, Davies, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,764,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4756 the means consisting of grooves, e.g. channels, depressions or embossments, resulting in a heterogeneous surface level
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4758 the means preventing fluid flow in a longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/513 characterised by its function or properties, e.g. stretchability, breathability, rewet, visual effect; having areas of different permeability
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/514 Backsheet, i.e. the impermeable cover or layer furthest from the skin A61F13/15211, A61F13/15252 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53 characterised by the absorbing medium A61F13/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5323 having absorbent material located in discrete regions, e.g. pockets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/533 having discontinuous areas of compression
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/536 having discontinuous areas of compression
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53717 the layer having a promotional function on liquid propagation in the horizontal direction
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53756 the layer facing the back-sheet
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/539 characterised by the connection of the absorbent layers with each other or with the outer layers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530875 having holes

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to absorbent articles and in particular to an absorbent article including a liquid permeable cover layer, a liquid impermeable barrier layer, an absorbent core arranged adjacent to the cover layer, a transfer layer arranged between the core and the barrier layer, the absorbent core including an upper surface and a lower surface and a material-free zone extending from the upper surface to the lower surface.

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising:

a longitudinally extending centerline;

a transversely extending centerline;

a liquid permeable cover layer having a body facing surface;

a liquid impermeable barrier layer;

an absorbent core arranged adjacent to the cover layer;

a transfer layer arranged between the core and the barrier layer;

wherein the absorbent core includes an upper surface and a lower surface and a material-free zone extending from the upper surface to the lower surface; and

wherein the cover layer includes a first region arranged in spaced relationship to the transfer layer and a second region arranged in surface to surface contact with the transfer layer.

2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the material-free zone is centrally aligned with respect to the longitudinally extending centerline and the transversely extending centerline.

3. The absorbent article according to claim 2, wherein the material-free zone extends over an area between about 400 mm² and about 6000 mm².

4. The absorbent article according to claim 3, wherein the material-free zone is substantially elliptical in shape and preferably has a length as measured along the longitudinally extending centerline in the range of about 40 mm to about 250 mm and a width as measured along the transversely extending centerline of about 10 mm to about 60 mm.

5. The absorbent article according to claim 4, wherein the transfer layer, absorbent core and cover cooperate to define a longitudinally extending gutter in the body facing surface of the article, the gutter having a depth in the range of between about 0.5 mm and about 20 mm.

6. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent article has a LWV greater than 60.

7. The absorbent article according to claim 6, wherein the absorbent article has a TWV greater than 35.

8. The absorbent article according to claim 7, wherein the absorbent article has a FPT less than 10 seconds.

9. The absorbent article according to claim 8, wherein the absorbent article has Rewet Value less than 1 g.

10. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the transfer layer is free of superabsorbent material.

11. The absorbent article according to claim 10, wherein the absorbent core comprises a mixture of cellulosic fiber and superabsorbent polymer, the absorbent core containing from 95% to about 40% percent cellulosic fiber by weight, and about 5% to about 60% superabsorbent polymer by weight.

12. The absorbent article according to claim 1, further comprising a secondary absorbent core arranged between the absorbent core and the transfer layer, wherein the secondary absorbent core includes a material-free zone extending from an upper surface of the secondary absorbent core to a lower surface of the secondary absorbent core, and wherein the material-free zone of the secondary absorbent core corresponds in size and shape to the material-free zone of the core.

13. The absorbent article according to claim 12, wherein the transfer layer, absorbent core, secondary absorbent core, and cover cooperate to define a longitudinally extending gutter in the body facing surface of the article, the gutter having a depth in the range of between about 1.0 mm and about 40 mm.

14. An absorbent article comprising:

a longitudinally extending centerline;

a transversely extending centerline;

a liquid permeable cover layer having a body facing surface;

a liquid impermeable barrier layer;

an absorbent core arranged adjacent to the cover layer;

a transfer layer arranged between the core and the barrier layer;

wherein the absorbent core includes an upper surface and a lower surface, the absorbent core 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; and

wherein the cover layer includes a plurality of first regions arranged in spaced relationship to the transfer layer 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 transfer layer.

15. The absorbent article according to claim 14, wherein each of the material-free zones preferably has a width in the range of between about 1 mm and about 10 mm and a length in the range of between about 40 mm and about 250 mm.

16. The absorbent article according to claim 15, wherein the absorbent article includes between 2 and about 7 longitudinally extending the material-free zones and each of the material free zones is spaced from an adjacent material-free zone in the transverse direction by a distance from about 5 mm to about 30 mm.

17. The absorbent article according to claim 16, wherein each of the material-free zones extend over a surface area in the range of between 50 mm² and about 4000 mm².

18. The absorbent article according to claim 16, wherein the transfer layer, absorbent core and cover cooperate to define a plurality of longitudinally extending gutters in the body facing surface of the article, each of the gutters having a depth in the range of between about 0.5 mm and about 20 mm.

19. The absorbent article according to claim 18, wherein the absorbent article has a LWV greater than 60.

20. The absorbent article according to claim 19, wherein the absorbent article has a TWV greater than 40.

21. The absorbent article according to claim 20, wherein the absorbent article has a FPT less than 5 seconds.

22. The absorbent article according to claim 21, wherein the absorbent article has Rewet Value less than 1 g.

23. The absorbent article according to claim 14, wherein the transfer layer is free of superabsorbent material.

24. The absorbent article according to claim 23, wherein the absorbent core comprises a mixture of cellulosic fiber and superabsorbent polymer, the absorbent core containing from about 95% to about 40% percent cellulosic fiber by weight, and about 5% to about 60% superabsorbent polymer by weight.