ULTRA-THIN ABSORBENT ARTICLE

• US 20110166540A1
• Filed: 01/06/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edgewell Personal Care Brands, LLC (Edgewell Personal Care Company)
• Original Assignee: Edgewell Personal Care Brands, LLC (Edgewell Personal Care Company)
• Inventors: Yang, Ching-Yun Morris
• Granted Patent: US 9,549,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/367
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15203 Properties of the article, e.g. stiffness or absorbency chemical aspects A61L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15739 Sealing, e.g. involving cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/472 specially adapted for female use A61F13/474, A61F13/475, A61F13/476 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5323 having absorbent material located in discrete regions, e.g. pockets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53713 the layer having a promotional function on liquid propagation in the vertical direction
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53747 the layer is facing the topsheet layer is part of the topsheet A61F13/511
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530226 with polymeric fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530299 being hydrophilic fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530343 being natural fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530489 being randomly mixed in with other material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/53721 with capillary means
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/225 Mixtures of macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/58 Adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/60 Liquid-swellable gel-forming materials, e.g. super-absorbents

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to sanitary absorbent articles and in particular to disposable feminine sanitary absorbent articles that are extremely thin, highly absorbent and have superior structural integrity properties.

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising:

a liquid permeable cover layer;

a liquid impermeable barrier layer;

an absorbent core arranged between the cover layer and barrier layer comprising a mixture of superabsorbent polymer and adhesive, wherein the superabsorbent polymer is present in an amount of between about 50% to about 98% by weight and the adhesive is present in an amount between about 50% to about 2% by weight;

wherein the mixture extends continuously over a surface area of an adjacent layer in amount greater than 80% of a total surface area of the adjacent layer; and

wherein the mixture has a vertical delamination strength of greater than 9 N.

2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the mixture has a vertical delamination strength of greater than 11 N.

3. The absorbent article according to claim 2, wherein the mixture has a vertical delamination strength of greater than 13 N.

4. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive forms a three dimensional lattice structure formed from a plurality of interconnected lattice segments.

5. The absorbent article according to claim 4, wherein each of the lattice segments has a diameter in the range of about 0.02 mm to about 0.08 mm.

6. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the mixture extends over a surface area that is greater than 90% of a surface area of an adjacent layer.

7. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the mixture extends over a surface area that is 100% of a surface area of an adjacent layer.

8. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the mixture is free of fibrous material.

9. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein an entire portion of the mixture is applied in a continuous layer.

10. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the mixture extends over a surface area of greater than 2500 mm².

11. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the mixture extends over a surface area in the range of about 3000 mm² to about 15000 mm².

12. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent core comprises:

a first substrate layer;

a second substrate layer; and

wherein the mixture is arranged between the first and second substrate layers.

13. The absorbent article according to claim 12, wherein the first and second substrate layers are formed from a wet laid tissue material.

14. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent article has a thickness less than 3.0 mm.

15. The absorbent article according to claim 14, wherein the absorbent article has a thickness less than 2.0 mm.

16. The absorbent article according to claim 15, wherein the absorbent article has a thickness less than 1.5 mm.

17. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent article has a fluid penetration time of less than 40 seconds.

18. The absorbent article according to claim 17, wherein the absorbent article has a fluid penetration time of less than 30 seconds.

19. The absorbent article according to claim 18, wherein the absorbent article has a fluid penetration time of less than 15 seconds.

20. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent article has a rewet of less than 0.80 g.

21. The absorbent article according to claim 20, wherein the absorbent article has a rewet of less than 0.65 g.

22. The absorbent article according to claim 21, wherein the absorbent article has a rewet of less than 0.50 g.

23. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent article has an MCB stiffness of less than 150 g.

24. The absorbent article according to claim 23, wherein the absorbent article has an MCB stiffness of less than 100 g.

25. The absorbent article according to claim 24, wherein the absorbent article has an MCB stiffness less than 50 g.

26. An absorbent article comprising:

a liquid permeable cover layer;

a liquid impermeable barrier layer;

an absorbent core arranged between the cover layer and barrier layer comprising a mixture of superabsorbent polymer and adhesive, wherein the superabsorbent polymer is present in an amount between about 50% to about 98% by weight and the adhesive is present in an amount between about 50% to about 2% by weight;

wherein the mixture extends continuously over a surface area of an adjacent layer in amount greater than 80% of a total surface area of the adjacent layer;

wherein the article has a thickness less than 3.0 mm, a fluid penetration time less than 40 seconds and a rewet less than 0.80 g; and

wherein the mixture has a vertical delamination strength of greater than 9 N.

27. The absorbent article according to claim 26, wherein the mixture extends over a surface area of an adjacent layer in amount greater than 80% of a total surface area of the adjacent layer.

28. The absorbent article according to claim 27, wherein the mixture has a vertical delamination strength of greater than 11 N.

29. The absorbent article according to claim 28, wherein the mixture has a vertical delamination strength of greater than 13 N.

30. The absorbent article according to claim 26, wherein the mixture extends over a surface area that is greater than 90% of a surface area of the adjacent layer.

31. The absorbent article according to claim 30, wherein the mixture extends over a surface area that is 100% of a surface area of the adjacent layer.

32. The absorbent article according to claim 26, wherein the mixture is free of fibrous material.

33. The absorbent article according to claim 26, wherein an entire portion of the mixture is applied in a continuous layer.

34. The absorbent article according to claim 26, wherein the mixture extends over a surface area of greater than 2500 mm².

35. The absorbent article according to claim 34, wherein the mixture extends over a surface area in the range of 3000 mm² to about 15000 mm².

36. The absorbent article according to claim 26, wherein the absorbent core comprises:

a first substrate layer;

a second substrate layer; and

wherein the mixture is arranged between the first and second substrate layers.

37. The absorbent article according to claim 36, wherein the first and second substrate layers are formed from a wet laid tissue material.

38. The absorbent article according to claim 26, wherein the absorbent article has a thickness less than 2.0 mm.

39. The absorbent article according to claim 38, wherein the absorbent article has a thickness less than 1.5 mm.

40. The absorbent article according to claim 26, wherein the absorbent article has a fluid penetration time of less than 30 seconds.

41. The absorbent article according to claim 40, wherein the absorbent article has a fluid penetration time of less than 15 seconds.

42. The absorbent article according to claim 26, wherein the absorbent article has a rewet of less than 0.65 g.

43. The absorbent article according to claim 42, wherein the absorbent article has a rewet of less than 0.50 g.

44. The absorbent article according to claim 26, wherein the absorbent article has an MCB stiffness of less than 150 g.

45. The absorbent article according to claim 44, wherein the absorbent article has an MCB stiffness of less than 100 g.

46. The absorbent article according to claim 45, wherein the absorbent article has an MCB stiffness less than 50 g.

47. The absorbent article according to claim 26, wherein the adhesive forms a three dimensional lattice structure formed from a plurality of interconnected lattice segments.

48. The absorbent article according to claim 47, wherein each of the lattice segments has a diameter in the range of about 0.02 mm to about 0.08 mm.