Absorbent product with improved instantaneous liquid adsorption, and improved fit

• US 6,605,752 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Issued: 08/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Essity Hygiene and Health Aktiebolag
• Original Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB (Industrivärden AB)
• Inventors: Nilsson, Lennart, Magnusson, Ing-Britt
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanatta, A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Grayson, Angela J
• Application Number:
  US09/984,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20020052587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 604/359, 604/367, 604/368, 604/378, 604/379, 604/385.01, 604/385.23
• US Class Current: 604/379
• 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 13/5323 having absorbent material located in discrete regions, e.g. pockets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/535 inhomogeneous in the plane of the pad, e.g. core absorbent layers being of different sizes A61F13/5323, A61F13/537 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/536 having discontinuous areas of compression

Abstract

An absorbent product which possesses two longitudinal side edges (12,13), two transverse end edges (10,11), a longitudinal centre line and a transverse centre line, and which comprises a liquid-permeable outer layer (2), a liquid-impermeable backing layer (3) and an absorption core (4) which is located between the outer layer (2) and the backing layer (3), with the absorption core (4) comprising a first and a second absorption layer (14,15), with the first absorption layer (14) being arranged behind the liquid-permeable outer layer (2) and the second absorption layer (15) being arranged between the first absorption layer (14) and the liquid-impermeable backing layer (3), with the first absorption layer (14) having two longitudinal channels (16,17), with each of the channels having an outer edge (20) closest to the corresponding longitudinal side edge (12,13) of the product and an inner edge (21) closest to the longitudinal centre line of the product. The two longitudinal channels (16,17) extend through the whole of the thickness of the first absorption layer (14), and a compressed area (22) is arranged between the longitudinal sides (12,13) of the absorbent product, wherein the distance between the side edges (24) of the compressed area (22) is smaller than or equal to the distance between the outer side edges (20) of the longitudinal channels (16,17).

Claims

1. An absorbent product having two longitudinal side edges (12,13), two transverse end edges (10,11), a longitudinal centre line and a transverse centre line, and which comprises a liquid-permeable outer layer (2), a liquid-impermeable backing layer (3) and an absorption core (4) which is located between said outer layer (2) and said backing layer (3), with said absorption core (4) comprising a first and a second absorption layer (14,15), with the first absorption layer (14) being arranged inside of the liquid-permeable outer layer (2) and the second absorption layer (15) being arranged between the first absorption layer (14) and the liquid-impermeable backing layer (3), with the first absorption layer (14) having two longitudinal channels (16,17), with each of the channels having an outer edge (20) closest to the corresponding longitudinal side edge (12,13) of the product and an inner edge (21) closest to the longitudinal centre line of the product, characterized in that the two longitudinal channels (16,17) extend through the whole of the thickness of the first absorption layer (14), in that a compressed area (22) is arranged between the longitudinal sides (12,13) of the absorbent product, and in that the distance between the side edges (24) of the compressed area (22) is smaller than or equal to the distance between the outer side edges (20) of the longitudinal channels (16,17).

2. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that the first absorption layer (14) consists of chemical thermomechanical pulp and in that the second absorption layer (15) consists of chemical pulp.

3. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that the first absorption layer (14) consists of chemical pulp and in that the second absorption layer (15) consists of chemical thermomechanical pulp.

4. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that the first absorption layer (14) is shorter in the longitudinal direction than is the second absorption layer (15).

5. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that the first absorption layer (14) is shorter in the transverse direction than is the second absorption layer (15).

6. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that the first absorption layer (14) is compressed between the outer edges (20) of the two longitudinal channels (16,17).

7. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that the second absorption layer (15) is compressed and in that the width of the compressed area (22) is smaller than or equal to the distance between the outer edges (20) of the two longitudinal channels (16,17).

8. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that the compressed area (22) consists of a separate layer.

9. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that the density of the area (22) of the compressed absorption layer is 0.1-0.5 g/cm³.

10. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the absorption layers (14,15) contains superabsorbents.

11. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that the longitudinal channels (16,17) are arcuate.

12. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that the length of each of the longitudinal channels (16,17) is 10-22 cm.

13. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the inner edges (21) of each of the longitudinal channels (16,17) is 1.0-9.0 cm.

14. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the outer and inner edge (20,21) of each of the longitudinal channels (16,17) is 0.1-1.0 cm.

15. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the absorption layers (14,15) contains odour-inhibiting substrates.

16. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that the length of the compressed area (22) is 13-22 cm.

17. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the side edges (24) of the compressed area (22) is 1-8 cm.

18. Product according to claim 1, characterized in that the second absorption layer (15) has two longitudinal arcuate channels and in that the channels extend through the whole of the thickness of the second absorption layer (15).