Absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable material layer

• US 8,039,684 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Essity Hygiene and Health Aktiebolag (Essity AB)
• Original Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB (Essity AB)
• Inventors: Guidotti, Ted, Edvardsson, Gunnar
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephens; Jacqueline F
• Application Number:
  US12/086,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20090036854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,127 Days
• Field of Search: 604/369, 604/367, 604374-380, 604/385.12
• US Class Current: 604/378
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/47218 with a raised crotch region, e.g. hump
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/47263 with activating means, e.g. elastic, heat or chemical activatable means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4751 the means preventing fluid flow in a transversal direction
• 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 13/49426 the barrier having an absorbent medium
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/536 having discontinuous areas of compression

Abstract

An absorbent article includes at least one liquid-permeable layer material (105) and an absorbent structure (106), the absorbent structure (106) having the ability to expand on wetting, which entails that the absorbent structure (106) displays a first volume in dry condition and a second volume in completely expanded wet condition, the second volume being greater than the first volume. The liquid-permeable layer material (105) encloses the absorbent structure (106) so that the absorbent structure (106) is prevented from reaching complete expansion during wetting.

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable surface layer and a liquid-impermeable surface layer and an absorption body arranged between the surface layers, the absorption body comprising a liquid-permeable material layer and an absorbent structure, the absorbent structure having the ability to expand on wetting and having a first volume in a dry condition and a second volume in a completely expanded wet condition, the second volume being greater than the first volume,

wherein the liquid-permeable material layer constitutes a volume-limiting device for the absorbent structure so that the absorbent structure is prevented from reaching the completely expanded wet condition on wetting in an excess of 0.9% NaCl solution for 5 minutes and so that the absorbent structure after wetting in an excess of 0.9% NaCl solution for 5 minutes has a greater stiffness than in the dry condition and thus forms a forming element in the absorbent article, wherein the absorbent structure expands to a mean value of 70% or less of the completely expanded wet condition on wetting in an excess of 0.9% NaCl solution for 5 minutes, based on g/g increase.

2. The absorbent article in accordance with claim 1, wherein the absorbent structure can expand when wetted to a maximum volume which is ⅔

of the second volume of the absorbent structure.

3. The absorbent article in accordance with claim 1, wherein the absorbent structure comprises a polyacrylate-based foam material.

4. The absorbent article in accordance with claim 1, wherein the absorbent structure comprises a mixture of superabsorbent materials and fibres.

5. The absorbent article in accordance with claim 4, wherein the fibres comprise absorbent fibres.

6. The absorbent article in accordance with claim 5, wherein the absorbent fibres comprise cellulose fluff pulp.

7. The absorbent article in accordance with claim 1, wherein the liquid-permeable material layer comprises a nonwoven material.

8. The absorbent article in accordance with claim 1, wherein the liquid-permeable material layer comprises a perforated plastic film.

9. The absorbent article in accordance with claim 1, the absorbent article further comprising two longitudinal side edges, and the absorbent structure forms raised liquid barriers arranged along the longitudinal side edges.

10. The absorbent article in accordance with claim 1, wherein the absorbent structure in the dry condition has a density that is at least 0.5 g/cm³.

11. The absorbent article in accordance with claim 1, wherein the absorbent structure in the dry condition has a density that is at least 0.7 g/cm³.

12. The absorbent article in accordance with claim 1, wherein the total absorption capacity per cubic centimeter of the absorbent structure in the dry condition is at least 15 g/cm³.

13. An absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable surface layer and a liquid-impermeable surface layer and an absorption body arranged between the surface layers, the absorption body comprising a liquid-permeable material layer and an absorbent structure, the absorbent structure having the ability to expand on wetting and having a first volume in a dry condition and a second volume in a completely expanded wet condition, the second volume being greater than the first volume,

wherein the liquid-permeable material layer constitutes a volume-limiting device for the absorbent structure so that the absorbent structure is prevented from reaching the completely expanded wet condition on wetting in an excess of 0.9% NaCl solution for 5 minutes and so that the absorbent structure after wetting in an excess of 0.9% NaCl solution for 5 minutes has a greater stiffness than in the dry condition and thus forms a forming element in the absorbent article,

the absorbent article further comprising a thickness direction,

wherein the absorption body comprises an acquisition area for receiving body fluid, the acquisition area comprising at least a cavity or an area with a lower density than a part of the absorption body that is adjacent to the acquisition area and is situated chiefly in a single plane, and the part that is adjacent to the acquisition area comprises the absorbent structure, wherein the absorbent structure forms a raised barrier arranged on each side of the acquisition area in a longitudinal direction of the acquisition area, the absorbent structure chiefly increases in diameter in the thickness direction of the article during wetting and the size of the acquisition area increases in the thickness direction during wetting.