Disposable absorbent article with high collection capacity

• US 6,402,729 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2000
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Essity Hygiene and Health Aktiebolag
• Original Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB (Industrivärden AB)
• Inventors: Hedlund, Carina, Boberg, Fredrik, Hermansson, Kent, Nilsson, Lennart
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEPHENS, JACQUELINE F
• Application Number:
  US09/508,600
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 604/378, 604/385.05, 604/385.19, 604/385.26, 604/385.28, 604/385.24, 604/385.27
• US Class Current: 604/385.28
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/47 Sanitary towels, incontinence pads or napkins A61F13/49 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4752 the means being an upstanding barrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4753 the barrier being not integral with the topsheet or backsheet
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4758 the means preventing fluid flow in a longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49413 the edge leakage prevention means being an upstanding barrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49446 the edge leakage prevention means being an impermeable sheet or impermeable part of a sheet placed on or under the top sheet A61F13/49413 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49466 the edge leakage prevention means being at the waist region
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49473 the edge leakage prevention means having a continuous closed form, e.g. circle, ellipse, rectangle
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/495 with faecal cavity

Abstract

An absorbent article having two side edges (9, 10) and two end edges (11, 12), and comprising a liquid-permeable cover layer (2), a liquid-impermeable cover layer (3), and an absorption body (4) enclosed between the two cover layers (2, 3). The article further comprises a barrier layer (15) arranged outside the liquid-permeable cover layer (2). At least one elastic member (22, 23) is arranged with prestressing in direct contact with the absorption body (4) and extends in an arched curve across the absorption body (4) between the side edges (9, 10). The barrier layer (15) partly covers the liquid-permeable cover layer and is anchored in the liquid-permeable cover layer (2) only within areas of the barrier layer (15) which are situated along the edges (9-12) of the article. At least one elastic member (21) is arranged in direct connection with the barrier layer (15), as a result of which the elastic member (21) cooperates with the elastic member (22, 23) arranged in contact with the absorption body (4) so as to form a constantly basin-shaped space (26) between the barrier layer (15) and the liquid-permeable cover layer (2).

Claims

1. An absorbent article having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction and having a front portion, a rear portion and an intermediate crotch portion, and moreover having two side edges extending in the longitudinal direction and two end edges extending in the transverse direction, and comprising a liquid-permeable cover layer, a liquid-impermeable cover layer and an absorption body enclosed between the two cover layers, and moreover comprising a barrier layer, with at least one absorption body elastic member being arranged with prestressing anchored to the absorption body, and extending in an arched curve across the absorption body from one of the side edges to another of the side edges of the article, and moreover that the barrier layer is arranged outside the liquid-permeable cover layer, the barrier layer partly covering the liquid-permeable cover layer and being anchored in the liquid-permeable cover layer only within areas of the barrier layer which are situated along the edges of the article, and that at least one barrier layer elastic member is arranged in direct connection with the barrier layer, as a result of which the barrier layer elastic member cooperates with the absorption body elastic member arranged in contact with the absorption body so as to form a constantly basin-shaped space between the barrier layer and the liquid-permeable cover layer.

2. An article according to claim 1, wherein the absorption body elastic member arranged in contact with the absorption body is arranged in the front portion of the article and extends in a curved arch directed towards the front edge of the article.

3. An article according to claim 1, wherein the absorption body elastic member arranged in contact with the absorption body is arranged in the rear portion of the article and runs in a curved arch directed towards the rear edge of the article.

4. An article according to claim 1, further comprising a second absorption body elastic member arranged in the rear portion of the article and runs in a curved arch towards the rear edge of the article, said curved absorption body elastic members together forming an essentially closed perimeter around a cup-shaped space between the liquid-permeable cover layer and the barrier layer.

5. An article according to claim 4, wherein the absorption body elastic members are arranged along at least portions of the side edges of the article.

6. An article according to claim 5, wherein the absorption body narrows in the crotch portion so that the cover layers form flexible flaps outside the absorption body at the crotch portion, and the flexible flaps, under the influence of the absorption body elastic members arranged along the side edges, form raised basin walls on both sides of the absorption body.

7. An article according to claim 1 in which the absorption body is essentially made of cellulose fluff pulp.

8. An article according to claim 1 wherein the absorption material comprises superabsorbent material.

9. An article according to claim 1 in which the absorption material comprises a foam.

10. An article according to claim 1 wherein curved elastic members are arranged to form a first closed area offset towards the front portion and intended for receiving urine, and to form a second closed area offset towards the rear portion and intended for receiving faeces.

11. An article according to claim 1, wherein the barrier layer has essentially the same planar extension as the article itself and is fixed to the liquid-permeable cover layer along the side edges of the article and also along its end edges, and the barrier layer has an elongate opening extending in the longitudinal direction of the article.

12. An article according to claim 11, wherein there are two barrier layer elastic members extending in the transverse direction arranged on both sides of the opening.

13. An article according to claim 1, wherein the barrier layer is arranged as a pocket on at least one end portion of the article.

14. An article according to claim 1, wherein the barrier layer comprises two parts arranged in the longitudinal direction of the article, along the longitudinal side edges of the article.

15. An article according to claim 1, wherein the barrier layer has at least one area which is treated with means for reducing the liquid permeability.

16. An article according to claim 1, in which the liquid-permeable cover layer has at least one area which is treated with means for reducing the liquid permeability.