Absorbent article with improved liquid-handling ability

• US 7,147,628 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB (Essity AB)
• Original Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB (Essity AB)
• Inventors: Drevik, Solgun
• Primary Examiner(s): KIDWELL, MICHELE M
• Application Number:
  US09/967,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20020040211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,897 Days
• Field of Search: 604378-379, 604/384, 604/385.01, 604/385.101, 604/385.23, 604/385.24, 604/385.27, 604/385.28
• US Class Current: 604/385.101
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4755 the means being a flat barrier on or inside the absorbent article, e.g. backsheet wrapped around the edges
• 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 13/51108 the top sheet having corrugations or embossments having one axis relatively longer than the other axis, e.g. forming channels or grooves in a longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/515 characterised by the interconnection of the topsheet and the backsheet
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53436 having an undulated or corrugated cross-section

Abstract

An absorbent article (10) such as a sanitary napkin includes an elongate absorbent core (12) delimited by an upper surface (14) and a lower surface (16). A pair of opposed longitudinal edge portions (18, 20) terminates in longitudinal edges (22, 24) and a pair of opposed transverse edges (26, 28). The core has a first end portion (30), a second end portion (32) and a central portion (34) located between the end portions. A liquid permeable topsheet (36) extends over the upper surface (14), and a liquid barrier backsheet (42) covers the lower surface (16) of the absorbent core (12). Leakage barriers (68, 70), each barrier covering a longitudinal edge portion (18, 20) in a respective longitudinal edge portion (18, 20), forms liquid-retaining pockets along each longitudinal edge portion. First spacers are arranged between the absorbent core (12) and each of the leakage barriers (68, 70), and the first spacers are arranged at a distance from each other along the length of the leakage barriers (68, 70) and defines fluid conducting first channels (62), that extends generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal edge portions (18, 20), between the leakage barriers (68, 70) and the absorbent core (12).

Claims

1. An absorbent article, comprising:

an elongate absorbent core having an upper surface and a lower surface, a pair of opposed longitudinal edge portions terminating in longitudinal edges, and a pair of opposed transverse edges, the core having a first end portion, a second end portion and a central portion located between the end portions;

a liquid permeable topsheet extending over the upper surface;

a liquid barrier backsheet covering the lower surface of the absorbent core,

leakage barriers, a respective one of the leakage barriers covering each of the longitudinal edge portions and forming a liquid-retaining pocket along each longitudinal edge portion, wherein the leakage barriers each have an extension transversely across the absorbent core, the extension being between 5% and 25% of the total width of the sanitary napkin at the wetting area; and

first spacers arranged between the absorbent core and each of the leakage barriers, the first spacers being arranged at a distance from each other along a length of the leakage barriers so as to form fluid conducting first channels between the leakage barriers and the absorbent core,

wherein the first spacers have a length and a width, wherein the width is the dimension between two adjacent first channels and the length is the dimension perpendicular to the width,

wherein the first spacers extend, in the length-wise direction of the first spacers, generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal edge portions,

wherein the first channels have a length and a width, wherein the width is the dimension between two adjacent first spacers and the length is the dimension perpendicular to the width,

wherein the first channels extend, in the length-wise direction of the first channels, generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal edge portions.

2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein each longitudinal edge portion of the absorbent core is profiled.

3. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface is profiled.

4. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the topsheet is profiled by groove compressions, and the first spacers comprise uncompressed parts of the topsheet.

5. The absorbent article according to claim 3, wherein the first spacers comprise uncompressed parts of the absorbent core.

6. The absorbent article according to claim 3, wherein both the topsheet and the upper surface of the absorbent core are profiled by groove compression, and the first spacers comprise uncompressed parts of the topsheet and the upper surface of the absorbent core.

7. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the first spacers comprise a distance material in the form of cylinders, that are placed in the topsheet in a direction from a center of the absorbent article to the longitudinal edges of the absorbent article.

8. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the first spacers comprise a distance material in the form of cylinders, that are placed in the upper surface in a direction from a center of the absorbent article to the longitudinal edges of the absorbent article.

9. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the leakage barriers comprise barrier strips, each barrier strip covering a respective longitudinal edge portion and forming liquid-retaining pockets along each longitudinal edge portion, a pair of longitudinal elastic members are arranged along the barrier strips that are placed along each longitudinal edge portion of the absorbent core in at least the central portion of the absorbent core.

10. The absorbent article according to claim 9, wherein the elastic members are in the shape of a string of beads, and the beads form second spacers.

11. The absorbent article according to claim 9, wherein the elastic members are in the shape of a string of cylinders having a length less than a cylinder diameter, and the cylinders form second spacers.

12. The absorbent article according to claim 9, wherein the elastic members are in the shape of a string of cylinders having a length longer than a cylinder diameter, and that the cylinders form second spacers.

13. The absorbent article according to claim 12, wherein a thickness of the second spacers is at least 1 mm.

14. The absorbent article according to claim 9, wherein a distance material in the form of cylinders are placed within the barrier strips in a direction from a center of the absorbent article to the longitudinal edges of the absorbent article.

15. The absorbent article according to claim 9, wherein the barrier strips are primarily hydrophobic.

16. The absorbent article according to claim 9, wherein the longitudinal elastic members are a three dimensional non-woven fibrous plastic wadding or a foamed plastic.

17. The absorbent article according to claim 1, further comprising a liquid impermeable sheet covering the longitudinal edge portions of the absorbent core and each of the leakage barriers comprises a strip of resilient material that is placed between the liquid impermeable sheet and the absorbent core along each longitudinal edge portion of the absorbent core in at least the mid portion of the absorbent core to thereby increase the flexure resistance of the article.

18. The absorbent article according to claim 17, wherein a side of the strip of resilient material that faces the upper side of the absorbent core is profiled by groove compression.

19. The absorbent article according to claim 18, wherein uncompressed profiled parts of the strip of resilient material form third spacers.

20. The absorbent article according to claim 19, wherein a thickness of the third spacers is at least 1 mm.

21. The absorbent article according to claim 17, wherein the strip of resilient material is a three dimensional nonwoven fibrous plastic wadding or a foamed plastic.

22. The absorbent article according to claim 17, wherein the strip of resilient material is placed between the liquid impermeable sheet and the lower surface of the absorbent core.

23. The absorbent article according to claim 17, further comprising a pair of liquid impermeable sheets, each sheet covering a respective longitudinal edge portion and forming liquid-retaining pockets along each longitudinal edge portion.

24. The absorbent article according to claim 19, wherein the liquid barrier backsheet and the topsheet are joined to form a peripheral margin around the absorbent core to thereby enclose the liquid-retaining pockets along the edge portions.

25. The absorbent article according to claim 23, wherein the pockets extend along an entire length of the absorbent core.

26. The absorbent article according to claim 23, wherein the pockets extend along only the central portion of the absorbent core.

27. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the central portion of the absorbent core comprises between 20% and 60% of the absorbent core.

28. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the first spacers is at least 1 mm.

29. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent article is a sanitary napkin.

30. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the central portion of the absorbent core comprises between 30% and 45% of the absorbent core.

31. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the central portion of the absorbent core comprises about one-third of the absorbent core.

32. An absorbent article, comprising:

an elongate absorbent core having an upper surface and a lower surface, a pair of opposed longitudinal edge portions terminating in longitudinal edges, and a pair of opposed transverse edges, the core having a first end portion, a second end portion and a central portion located between the end portions;

a liquid permeable topsheet extending over the upper surface;

a liquid barrier backsheet covering the lower surface of the absorbent core,

leakage barriers, a respective one of the leakage barriers covering each of the longitudinal edge portions and forming a liquid-retaining pocket along each longitudinal edge portion, wherein the leakage barriers each have an extension transversely across the absorbent core, the extension being between 5% and 25% of the total width of the sanitary napkin at the wetting area; and

channels arranged between the absorbent core and each of the leakage barriers, the channels being arranged at a distance from each other along a length of the leakage barriers so as to conduct fluid between the leakage barriers and the absorbent core,

wherein the channels have a length and a width, wherein the width is the dimension between two adjacent first spacers and the length is the dimension perpendicular to the width,

wherein the channels extend, in the length-wise direction of the channels, generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal edge portions.

33. The absorbent article according to claim 32, further comprising a liquid impermeable sheet covering the longitudinal edge portions of the absorbent core and each of the leakage barriers comprises a strip of resilient material that is placed between the liquid impermeable sheet and the absorbent core along each longitudinal edge portion of the absorbent core in at least the mid portion of the absorbent core to thereby increase the flexure resistance of the article.

34. The absorbent article according to claim 33, wherein the strip of resilient material is a three dimensional nonwoven fibrous plastic wadding or a foamed plastic.

35. The absorbent article according to claim 33, wherein the strip of resilient material is placed between the liquid impermeable sheet and the lower surface of the absorbent core.

36. The absorbent article according to claim 33, wherein the liquid impermeable sheets form liquid-retaining pockets along each longitudinal edge portion.