Absorbent article with high absorbent material content

• US 9,375,358 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Ehrnsperger, Bruno Johannes, Arizti, Blanca, Bianchi, Ernesto, Jackels, Hans Adolf, Kreuzer, Carsten Heinrich, Rosati, Rodrigo
• Primary Examiner(s): STEPHENS, JACQUELINE F
• Application Number:
  US14/540,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20150073366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 604/378, 604/380, 604/385.101, 604/379
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4753 the barrier being not integral with the topsheet or backsheet
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49 Absorbent articles specially adapted to be worn around the waist, e.g. diapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49001 having preferential bending zones, e.g. fold lines or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49017 the elastic means being located at the crotch region
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5323 having absorbent material located in discrete regions, e.g. pockets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/534 having an inhomogeneous composition through the thickness of the pad A61F13/538, A61F13/539 take precedence; homogeneous cores with tissue wrapping A61F13/53
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/537 characterised by a layer facilitating or inhibiting flow in one direction or plane, e.g. a wicking layer A61F13/538 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/539 characterised by the connection of the absorbent layers with each other or with the outer layers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/49092 comprising leg cuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/49093 having multiple barriers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530226 with polymeric fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530481 having superabsorbent materials, i.e. highly absorbent polymer gel materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530489 being randomly mixed in with other material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530897 having capillary means, e.g. pore or fibre size gradient
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/5315 with a tissue-wrapped core
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/53765 characterized by its geometry
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/53778 with grooves

Abstract

An absorbent article comprising a pair of leg cuffs (32) with an raised section (34) and an absorbent core (28) comprising at least one channel (26, 26′) at least partially oriented in the longitudinal direction (80) of the article. The article has crotch width (Wd) before use as measured between the proximal edges of the leg cuffs at the level of the crotch point of from to 70 mm to 200 mm, and a Relative Crotch Width Reduction (RCWR) of at least 30 mm/kg.

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising a front edge, a back edge, a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the article, a length L as measured along the longitudinal axis from the front edge to the back edge, and a crotch point defined as the point placed at a distance two fifths of L from the front edge of the article on the longitudinal axis, the absorbent article comprising:

a liquid permeable topsheet;

a liquid impermeable backsheet;

a pair of barrier leg cuffs extending at least partially between the front edge and the back edge of the absorbent article on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis and present at least at the longitudinal position of the crotch point, each barrier leg cuff being delimited by a proximal edge joined directly or indirectly to the topsheet or the backsheet and a free terminal edge;

an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and backsheet and comprising a core wrap enclosing an absorbent material, wherein the absorbent material comprises at least 80% of superabsorbent polymers by weight of the absorbent material, wherein the absorbent core comprises at least one channel at least partially oriented in the longitudinal direction of the article;

wherein the at least one channel remains or becomes visible at least through the backsheet when the absorbent article is loaded with a fluid as disclosed in the Wet Channel Integrity Test herein.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the at least one channel is substantially free of absorbent material.

3. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the at least one channel has a percentage of integrity of at least about 20%, as disclosed in the Wet Channel Integrity Test herein.

4. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the article has a Relative Crotch Width Reduction (RCWR) of from about 30 mm/kg to about 51 mm/kg, wherein the RCWR is calculated according to the formula:

5. The absorbent article of claim 1, comprising at least a pair of channels.

6. The absorbent article of claim 5, wherein the channels of the pair of channels are symmetrically disposed relative to the longitudinal axis.

7. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the at least one channel has a length projected on the longitudinal axis of the article which is at least about 10% of the length L of the absorbent article.

8. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the core wrap comprises a first nonwoven and a second nonwoven, and wherein the first nonwoven forms a C-wrap around the second non-woven.

9. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent article comprises an acquisition-distribution system comprising one or more layers, and wherein the acquisition-distribution system is at least partially disposed between the absorbent core and the topsheet.

10. The absorbent article of claim 9, wherein the acquisition-distribution system comprises at least one layer comprising at least about 50% by weight of the layer of cross-linked cellulose fibers.

11. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the periphery of the absorbent material within the core wrap defines an absorbent material deposition area, and wherein the absorbent material deposition area is rectangular or is shaped with a width narrower at the crotch point than the maximum width of the absorbent material deposition area.

12. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core comprises a first absorbent layer and a second absorbent layer, wherein the first absorbent layer comprises a first substrate and a first layer of superabsorbent polymers, wherein the second absorbent layer comprises a second substrate and a second layer of superabsorbent polymers, wherein the absorbent core comprises a fibrous thermoplastic adhesive material at least partially bonding the layers of superabsorbent polymers to their respective substrates, and wherein the first substrate and the second substrate form the core wrap.

13. The absorbent core of claim 1, wherein the absorbent material of the absorbent core comprises at least about 90% of superabsorbent polymers by total weight of the absorbent material.

14. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent material of the absorbent core comprises less than about 10% of natural or synthetic fibers by total weight of the absorbent material.

15. The absorbent article of claim 14, wherein the absorbent material of the absorbent core is substantially free of natural or synthetic fibers.

16. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the core wrap comprises a top side and a bottom side, and wherein the top side and the bottom side are bonded to each other through at least a portion of the at least one channel.

17. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the basis weight of the superabsorbent polymers is not homogenously distributed along the longitudinal axis of the core.

18. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core comprises from about 5 g to about 60 g of superabsorbent polymers.

19. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the caliper of the article, as measured at the crotch point according to the Caliper Test, is from about 5 mm to about 12 mm.

20. An absorbent article comprising a front edge, a back edge, a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the article, a length L as measured along the longitudinal axis from the front edge to the back edge, and a crotch point defined as the point placed at a distance two fifths of L from the front edge of the article on the longitudinal axis, the absorbent article comprising:

a liquid permeable topsheet;

a liquid impermeable backsheet;

a pair of barrier leg cuffs extending at least partially between the front edge and the back edge of the absorbent article on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis and present at least at the longitudinal position of the crotch point, each barrier leg cuff being delimited by a proximal edge joined directly or indirectly to the topsheet or the backsheet and a free terminal edge;

an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and backsheet and comprising a core wrap enclosing an absorbent material, wherein the absorbent core comprises two or more channels at least partially oriented in the longitudinal direction of the article;

wherein the two or more channels remains or becomes visible at least through the topsheet and/or backsheet when the absorbent article is loaded with a fluid as disclosed in the Wet Channel Integrity Test herein; and

wherein a majority of the two or more channels is disposed inboard of the free edges of the barrier leg cuffs when the article is in a flattened state.

21. The absorbent article of claim 20, wherein the absorbent material comprises at least 80% of superabsorbent polymers by weight of the absorbent material.

22. The absorbent article of claim 20, wherein the at least one channel is substantially free of absorbent material.

23. An absorbent article comprising a front edge, a back edge, a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the article, a length L as measured along the longitudinal axis from the front edge to the back edge, and a crotch point defined as the point placed at a distance two fifths of L from the front edge of the article on the longitudinal axis, the absorbent article comprising:

a liquid permeable topsheet;

a liquid impermeable backsheet;

a pair of barrier leg cuffs extending at least partially between the front edge and the back edge of the absorbent article on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis and present at least at the longitudinal position of the crotch point, each barrier leg cuff being delimited by a proximal edge joined directly or indirectly to the topsheet or the backsheet and a free terminal edge;

an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and backsheet and comprising a core wrap enclosing an absorbent material, wherein the absorbent core comprises at least one channel at least partially oriented in the longitudinal direction of the article wherein the at least one channel is defined by continuous side portions;

wherein the at least one channel remains or becomes visible at least through the topsheet and/or backsheet when the absorbent article is loaded with a fluid as disclosed in the Wet Channel Integrity Test herein;

wherein the article has a Relative Crotch Width Reduction (RCWR) of from about 30 mm/kg to about 51 mm/kg, wherein the RCWR is calculated according to the formula;

24. The absorbent article of claim 23, wherein the absorbent material comprises at least 80% of superabsorbent polymers by weight of the absorbent material.

25. The absorbent article of claim 23, wherein the at least one channel is substantially free of absorbent material.

26. The absorbent article of claim 23, wherein the at least one channel has a percentage of integrity of at least about 20%, as disclosed in the Wet Channel Integrity Test herein.

27. An absorbent article comprising a front edge, a back edge, a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the article, a length L as measured along the longitudinal axis from the front edge to the back edge, and a crotch point defined as the point placed at a distance two fifths of L from the front edge of the article on the longitudinal axis, the absorbent article comprising:

a liquid permeable topsheet;

a liquid impermeable backsheet;

a pair of barrier leg cuffs extending at least partially between the front edge and the back edge of the absorbent article on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis and present at least at the longitudinal position of the crotch point, each barrier leg cuff being delimited by a proximal edge joined directly or indirectly to the topsheet or the backsheet and a free terminal edge;

an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and backsheet and comprising a core wrap enclosing an absorbent material, wherein the absorbent core comprises at least one channel at least partially oriented in the longitudinal direction of the article;

wherein the at least one channel remains or becomes visible at least through the topsheet and/or backsheet when the absorbent article is loaded with a fluid as disclosed in the Wet Channel Integrity Test herein;

wherein the absorbent article comprises an acquisition-distribution system comprising one or more layers, and wherein the acquisition-distribution system is at least partially disposed between the absorbent core and the topsheet wherein the acquisition-distribution system comprises at least one layer comprising at least about 50% by weight of the layer of cross-linked cellulose fibers.

28. The absorbent article of claim 27, wherein the absorbent material comprises at least 80% of superabsorbent polymers by weight of the absorbent material.

29. The absorbent article of claim 27, wherein the at least one channel is substantially free of absorbent material.

30. The absorbent article of claim 27, wherein the at least one channel has a percentage of integrity of at least about 20%, as disclosed in the Wet Channel Integrity Test herein.