Absorbent articles with channels

• US 9,216,116 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Roe, Donald Carroll, Kreuzer, Carsten Heinrich, Rosati, Rodrigo, Wciorka, Maja
• Primary Examiner(s): Flick, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAIRELL, AUNDRIA C
• Application Number:
  US13/709,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20140163511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4704 having preferential bending zones, e.g. fold lines or grooves
• 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 13/49001 having preferential bending zones, e.g. fold lines or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49007 Form-fitting, self-adjusting disposable diapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/532 inhomogeneous in the plane of the pad
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/533 having discontinuous areas of compression
• 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

The present disclosure is directed, in part, to an absorbent article comprising an absorbent core disposed at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet and comprising a core wrap enclosing an absorbent material. The core wrap comprises a first material and a second material. The first material forms a C-wrap at least partially around the second material. The absorbent material comprises at least 80% of superabsorbent polymers by weight of the absorbent material. The absorbent core comprises a channel substantially free of the superabsorbent polymers and at least partially oriented in a longitudinal direction of the article. The channel has an arcuate portion facing a longitudinal axis of the article. An angle between a tangent line of the arcuate portion and the longitudinal axis is greater than or equal to 20 degrees.

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising:

a front waist edge;

a rear waist edge longitudinally opposing the front waist edge;

a longitudinal axis extending from a midpoint of the front waist edge to a midpoint of the rear waist edge;

a liquid permeable topsheet;

a liquid impermeable backsheet;

a pair of barrier leg cuffs extending at least partially between the front waist edge and the rear waist edge on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, wherein each barrier leg cuff comprises;

a proximal edge joined to the topsheet or the backsheet; and

a free terminal edge; and

an absorbent core disposed at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet and comprising a core wrap enclosing an absorbent material, wherein the core wrap comprises a first material and a second material, wherein the first material forms a C-wrap only partially around the second material, wherein the absorbent material comprises at least 80% of superabsorbent polymers by weight of the absorbent material, wherein the absorbent core comprises a continuous channel substantially free of the superabsorbent polymers and at least partially oriented in the longitudinal direction of the article, wherein the channel has an arcuate portion facing the longitudinal axis, and wherein an angle between a tangent line of the arcuate portion and the longitudinal axis is greater than or equal to 20 degrees.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the angle is greater than or equal to 30 degrees.

3. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the angle is greater than or equal to 45 degrees.

4. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the angle is greater than or equal to 60 degrees.

5. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the angle is greater than or equal to 75 degrees.

6. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core comprises a second continuous channel substantially free of the superabsorbent polymers and at least partially oriented in the longitudinal direction of the article, wherein the second channel is positioned on an opposite side of the longitudinal axis as the channel, wherein the second channel has a second arcuate portion facing the longitudinal axis, wherein a second angle between a second tangent line taken from the second arcuate portion and the longitudinal axis is greater than or equal to 20 degrees, and wherein the second tangent line has a positive or a negative slope.

7. The absorbent article of claim 6, wherein the channel is symmetrical to the second channel about the longitudinal axis.

8. The absorbent article of claim 1, comprising a front waist region and a rear waist region separated by a lateral axis extending perpendicular to a midpoint of the longitudinal axis, wherein the arcuate portion is in the front waist region, and wherein the first tangent line has a positive slope.

9. The absorbent article of claim 8, wherein the channel comprises a second arcuate portion facing the longitudinal axis in the rear waist region, wherein a second angle between a second tangent line of the second arcuate portion and the longitudinal axis is different than the angle, and wherein the second tangent line has a negative slope.

10. The absorbent article of claim 9, wherein the second angle is greater than the angle.

11. The absorbent article of claim 9, wherein the second angle is less than the angle.

12. The absorbent article of claim 1, comprising a front waist region, a rear waist region, and a crotch region positioned intermediate the front waist region and the rear waist region, wherein each of the three regions are ⅓

of the longitudinal length of the absorbent article, wherein the arcuate portion is in the front waist region, and wherein a second angle between a second tangent line of a portion of the channel in the crotch region and the longitudinal axis is less than the angle.

13. The absorbent article of claim 12, wherein the second angle is less than about 1 degree.

14. The absorbent article of claim 12, wherein the channel comprises a second arcuate portion facing the longitudinal axis in the rear waist region, and wherein a third angle between a third tangent line of the second arcuate portion and the longitudinal axis is different than the angle and the second angle.

15. The absorbent article of claim 14, wherein the third angle is smaller than the angle and larger than the second angle.

16. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the pair of barrier leg cuffs both extend outwardly from the topsheet.

17. An absorbent article comprising:

a front waist edge;

a rear waist edge longitudinally opposing the front waist edge;

a longitudinal axis extending from a midpoint of the front waist edge to a midpoint of the rear waist edge;

a liquid permeable topsheet;

a liquid impermeable backsheet;

a pair of barrier leg cuffs extending at least partially between the front waist edge and the rear waist edge on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, wherein each barrier leg cuff comprises;

a proximal edge joined to the topsheet or the backsheet; and

a free terminal edge; and

an absorbent core disposed at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet and comprising a core wrap enclosing an absorbent material, wherein the core wrap comprises a first material and a second material, wherein the first material forms a C-wrap only partially around the second material, wherein the absorbent material comprises at least 80% of superabsorbent polymers by weight of the absorbent material, wherein the absorbent core comprises a continuous channel or a continuous pocket substantially free of the superabsorbent polymers, wherein a portion of the channel or the pocket is located on the longitudinal axis, wherein the channel or the pocket has an arcuate portion facing the rear waist edge, and wherein an angle between a tangent line of the arcuate portion and the longitudinal axis is about 80-100 degrees.

18. The absorbent article of claim 17, wherein the angle between the tangent line of the arcuate portion and the longitudinal axis is about 90 degrees.

19. The absorbent article of claim 17, wherein the pair of barrier leg cuffs both extend upwardly relative to the topsheet.

20. An absorbent article comprising:

a front waist edge;

a rear waist edge longitudinally opposing the front waist edge;

a first side edge;

a second side edge laterally opposing the first side edge;

a longitudinal axis extending from a midpoint of the front waist edge to a midpoint of the rear waist edge;

a liquid permeable topsheet;

a liquid impermeable backsheet;

a pair of barrier leg cuffs extending at least partially between the front waist edge and the rear waist edge on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, wherein each barrier leg cuff comprises;

a proximal edge joined to the topsheet or the backsheet; and

a free terminal edge; and

an absorbent core disposed at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet and comprising a core wrap enclosing an absorbent material, wherein the core wrap comprises a first material and a second material, wherein the first material forms a C-wrap only partially around the second material, wherein the absorbent material comprises at least 80% of superabsorbent polymers by weight of the absorbent material, wherein the absorbent core comprises a continuous channel or a continuous pocket substantially free of the superabsorbent polymers, wherein a portion of the channel or pocket is located on the longitudinal axis, wherein the channel or the pocket has an arcuate portion facing the first side edge, and wherein an angle between a tangent line of the arcuate portion and the longitudinal axis is about 0.1 degrees to about 10 degrees.

21. The absorbent article of claim 20, wherein the tangent line has a positive slope or a negative slope.

22. The absorbent article of claim 20, wherein the angle between the tangent line of the arcuate portion and the longitudinal axis is about 0.1 to about 5 degrees.

23. The absorbent article of claim 20, wherein the pair of barrier leg cuffs both extend upwardly relative to the topsheet.

24. A sanitary napkin comprising:

a front edge;

a rear edge longitudinally opposing the front edge;

a longitudinal axis extending from a midpoint of the front edge to a midpoint of the rear edge;

a liquid permeable topsheet;

a liquid impermeable backsheet; and

an absorbent core disposed at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet and comprising a core wrap enclosing an absorbent material, wherein the core wrap comprises a first material and a second material, wherein the first material forms a C-wrap only partially around the second material, wherein the absorbent material comprises at least 80% of superabsorbent polymers by weight of the absorbent material, wherein the absorbent core comprises a continuous channel substantially free of the superabsorbent polymers and at least partially oriented in the longitudinal direction of the article, wherein the channel has an arcuate portion facing the longitudinal axis, and wherein an angle between a tangent line of the arcuate portion and the longitudinal axis is greater than or equal to 20 degrees.

25. The absorbent article of claim 24, wherein the angle is greater than or equal to 45 degrees.

26. The absorbent article of claim 24, wherein the angle is greater than or equal to 60 degrees.