High density absorbent members having lower density and lower basis weight acquisition zones
First Claim
1. An absorbent member having a back section and a front section contiguous with said back section, said front section having an end region and a deposition region contiguous with said end region and said back section so that said deposition region is positioned between said end region and said back section, the absorbent member comprising:
- a mixture of hydrophilic fibrous material and discrete particles of absorbent gelling material;
a storage zone positioned in at least said deposition region of the absorbent member; and
an acquisition zone positioned in at least said deposition region of the absorbent member, said acquisition zone having a density and basis weight per unit area greater than zero, said acquisition zone having a lower average density and a lower average basis weight per unit area than said storage zone, said storage zone at least partially laterally surrrounding the perimeter of said acquisition zone so as to be in liquid communication with at least a portion of the lateral area of said acquisition zone.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An absorbent article wherein the deposition region of its absorbent member comprises a storage zone and an acquistion zone having a lower average density and a lower average basis weight per unit area than the storage zone. The acquisition zone is positioned toward the front of either the absorbent member or the absorbent article so that the acquistion zone may most effectively and efficiently rapidly acquire discharged liquids. The absorbent member also comprises a mixture of hydrophilic fibrous material and discrete particles of absorbent gelling material to enhance the absorbent capacity of the absorbent member.
1292 Citations
78 Claims
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1. An absorbent member having a back section and a front section contiguous with said back section, said front section having an end region and a deposition region contiguous with said end region and said back section so that said deposition region is positioned between said end region and said back section, the absorbent member comprising:
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a mixture of hydrophilic fibrous material and discrete particles of absorbent gelling material; a storage zone positioned in at least said deposition region of the absorbent member; and an acquisition zone positioned in at least said deposition region of the absorbent member, said acquisition zone having a density and basis weight per unit area greater than zero, said acquisition zone having a lower average density and a lower average basis weight per unit area than said storage zone, said storage zone at least partially laterally surrrounding the perimeter of said acquisition zone so as to be in liquid communication with at least a portion of the lateral area of said acquisition zone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 76)
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37. An absorbent member having a back section and a front section contiguous with said back section, said front section having an end region and a deposition region contiguous with said end region and said back section so that said deposition region is positioned between said end region and said back section, the absorbent member comprising:
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a mixture of hydrophilic fibrous material and discrete particles of absorbent gelling material; a storage zone positioned in at least said deposition region of the absorbent member; and an acquisition zone positioned in at least said deposition region of the absorbent member, said acquisition zone having a larger average pore size of the fibers than said storage zone, said storage zone at least partially laterally surrounding the perimeter of said acquisition zone so as to be in liquid communication with at least a portion of the lateral area of said acquisition zone.
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38. An absorbent article having a front waistband region, a back waistband region, and a crotch region disposed between said front waistband region and said back waistband region, said absorbent article comprising:
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a liquid pervious topsheet; a liquid impervious backsheet associated with said topsheet; and an absorbent member positioned between said topsheet and said backsheet, said absorbent member comprising a mixture of hydrophilic fibrous material and discrete particles of absorbent gelling material;
a storage zone positioned in at least said crotch region of said absorbent article; and
an acquisition zone positioned in at least said crotch region of said absorbent article, said acquisition zone having a density of from about 0.05 g/cm3 to about 0.41 g/cm3, said acquisition zone having a lower average density and a lower average basis weight per unit area than said storage zone, said acquisition zone extending from the top surface of the absorbent member through at least a fraction of the total thickness of the absorbent member, the top surface area of said acquisition zone comprising less than about 35% of the top surface area of said absorbent member, said storage zone laterally surrounding the perimeter of said acquisition zone so as to be in liquid communication with the lateral area of said acquisition zone. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. An absorbent core comprising:
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an absorbent member comprising a mixture of hydrophilic fibrous material and discrete particles of absorbent gelling material, a storage zone, and an acquisition zone having a lower average density and a lower average basis weight per unit area than said storage zone, said acquisition zone having a density of from about 0.05 to about 0.41 g/cm3, said storage zone at least partially laterally surrounding the perimeter of said acquisition zone so as to be in liquid communication with at least a portion of the lateral area of said acquisition zone; and an absorbent acquisition core positioned adjacent said absorbent member, said absorbent acquisition core comprising hydrophilic fibers that are substantially free of absorbent gelling material, said absorbent acquisition core having a core acquisition zone having a lower average density and a lower average basis weight per unit area than the remainder of said absorbent acquisition core, said core acquisition zone being positioned with respect to said acquisition zone of said absorbent member so as to provide an overall acquisition zone throughout the entire thickness of the absorbent core. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. An absorbent member having a back section and a front section contiguous with said back section, said front section having an end region and a deposition region contiguous with said end region and said back section so that said deposition region is positioned between said end region and said back section, the absorbent member comprising:
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a mixture of hydrophilic fibrous material and discrete particles of absorbent gelling material; a storage zone positioned in at least said deposition region of the absorbent member; and an acquisition zone positioned in said deposition region of the absorbent member, said acquisition zone having a density of from about 0.03 to about 0.15 g/cm3 ;
said acquisition zone having a lower average density and a lower average basis weight per unit area than said storage zone, said acquisition zone extending from the top surface of the absorbent member through the entire thickness of the absorbent member, the top surface area of said acquisition zone being completely positioned within said deposition region and comprising less than about 35% of the top surface area of said deposition region, said storage zone laterally surrounding the perimeter of said acquisition zone so as to be in liquid communication with the lateral area of said acquisition zone. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. An absorbent member having a back section and a front section contiguous with said back section, said front section having an end region and a deposition region contiguous with said end region and said back section so that said deposition region is positioned between said end region and said back section, the absorbent member comprising:
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a mixture of hydrophilic fibrous material and discrete particles of absorbent gelling material; a storage zone positioned in at least said deposition region of the absorbent member; and an acquisition zone positioned in said deposition region of the absorbent member, said acquisition zone having a density of from about 0.05 to about 0.41 g/cm3, said acquisition zone having a lower average density and a lower average basis weight per unit area than said storage zone, said acquisition zone extending from the top surface of the absorbent member through a fraction of the total thickness of the absorbent member, the top surface area of said acquisition zone being completely positioned within said deposition region and comprising less than about 35% of the top surface area of said deposition region, said storage zone laterally surrounding the perimeter of said acquisition zone so as to be in liquid communication with the lateral area of said acquisition zone. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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77. An absorbent core comprising:
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an absorbent member comprising a mixture of hydrophilic fibrous material and discrete particles of absorbent gelling material; and an absorbent acquisition core positioned adjacent said absorbent member, said absorbent acquisition core comprising a mixture of hydrophilic fibrous material and up to about 8% by weight of said absorbent acquisition core of discrete particles of absorbent gelling material;
a storage zone positioned in at least a portion of said absorbent acquisition core; and
a core acquisition zone positioned in said absorbent acquisition core, said core acquisition zone having a density and basis weight per unit area greater than zero, said core acquisition zone having a lower average density and a lower average basis weight per unit area than said storage zone, said core acquisition zone extending from the top surface of the absorbent member through the entire thickness of the absorbent acquisition core, the top surface area of said core acquisition zone comprising less than about 35% of the top surface area of said absorbent acquisition core, said storage zone laterally surrounding the perimeter of said core acquisition zone so as to be in liquid communication with the lateral area of said core acquisition zone.
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78. An absorbent article having a front region, a back region, and a crotch region disposed between said front region and said back region, said absorbent article comprising:
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a liquid pervious topsheet; a liquid impervious backsheet associated with said topsheet; an absorbent member comprising a mixture of hydrophilic fibrous material and discrete particles of absorbent gelling material; and an absorbent acquisition core positioned between said topsheet and said absorbent member, said absorbent acquisition core comprising a mixture of hydrophilic fibrous material and up to about 8% by weight of said absorbent acquisition core of discrete particles of absorbent gelling material;
a storage zone positioned in at least said crotch region of said absorbent article; and
a core acquisition zone positioned in said crotch region of said absorbent article, said core acquisition zone having a density and basis weight per unit area greater than zero, said core acquisition zone having a lower average density and a lower average basis weight per unit area than said storage zone, said core acquisition zone extending from the top surface of the absorbent member through the entire thickness of the absorbent member, the top surface area of said core acquisition zone comprising less than about 35% of the top surface area of said absorbent member, said storage zone laterally surrounding the perimeter of said core acquisition zone so as to be in liquid communication with the lateral area of said core acquisition zone.
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Specification