Absorbent article with high absorbent material content

• US 9,713,557 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2013
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• 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): Ditmer, Kathryn E
• Application Number:
  US14/100,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20140163503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 604366, 604368, 604375, 604378, 604385101
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5323 having absorbent material located in discrete regions, e.g. pockets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/536 having discontinuous areas of compression
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53747 the layer is facing the topsheet layer is part of the topsheet A61F13/511
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/538 characterised by specific fibre orientation or weave
• 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 2013/5307 characterized by the quantity or ratio of superabsorbent material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530927 having longitudinal barriers
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/28 Polysaccharides or their derivatives A61L15/225 takes precedence

Abstract

An absorbent article having an absorbent core comprising a core wrap (16, 16′) enclosing an absorbent material (60), which comprises at least 80% of superabsorbent polymers (“SAP”) by weight. The absorbent core further comprises at least one channel (26, 26′) and an acquisition-distribution system (ADS) between the topsheet and the absorbent core, the ADS comprising one, two or more layers wherein the ADS does not comprise a layer comprising at least 50% by weight of synthetic fibers and having a basis weight above 150 gsm.

Claims

1. An absorbent article, the absorbent article having a front edge, a back edge, a front region, a back region, a crotch region, and a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the article, the article having a length L of at least about 320 mm as measured along the longitudinal axis from the front edge to the back edge, the absorbent article comprising:

a liquid permeable topsheet;

a liquid impermeable backsheet;

an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and backsheet, the absorbent core comprising a core wrap enclosing an absorbent material, wherein the absorbent material comprises at least about 80% of superabsorbent polymers by weight of the absorbent material, and wherein the absorbent core comprises at least a pair of channels symmetrically disposed relative to the longitudinal axis of the core and spaced apart by a minimum spacing distance of at least 10 mm throughout their whole longitudinal dimension, wherein the channels have a length projected on the longitudinal axis of the core which is at least 10% of the length L of the absorbent core, wherein the channels are substantially free of the absorbent material, wherein the width of a portion of the channels is at least about 2 mm, wherein the core wrap comprises a top side and a bottom side, and wherein the top side and the bottom side are bonded directly to each other through at least a portion of the channels;

wherein the absorbent core comprises no channels at the longitudinal axis;

wherein the channels are present at least at the same longitudinal level as a crotch point, C, wherein the crotch point is defined as the point placed at a distance of two fifths of L from the front edge of the absorbent article on the longitudinal axis, and wherein the channels extend from the crotch region into the back region;

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 polymer to their respective substrates, and wherein the first substrate and the second substrate form the top and bottom layers of the core wrap; and

an acquisition-distribution system between the topsheet and the absorbent core, the acquisition-distribution system comprising one or more layers, wherein the acquisition-distribution system does not comprise a layer comprising at least about 50% by weight of synthetic fibers and having a basis weight above about 150 gsm.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent article has a Relative Wet Caliper Increase value of less than about 32.0%.

3. The absorbent article of claim 2, wherein the absorbent article has a Relative Wet Caliper Increase value of from about 10.0% to about 30.0%.

4. The absorbent article of claim 2, wherein the absorbent article has a Wet Compression Force of than about 27.0 N.

5. The absorbent article of claim 4, wherein the absorbent article has a Wet Compression Force of from about 5.0 N to about 25.0 N.

6. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises a first nonwoven and the second substrate comprises a second nonwoven, and wherein the first nonwoven forms a C-wrap around the second nonwoven.

7. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the acquisition-distribution system comprises at least one distribution layer comprising at least about 50% by weight of cross-linked cellulose fibers.

8. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein a periphery of the absorbent material within the core wrap defines an absorbent material deposition area, 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.

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

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

11. The absorbent article of claim 10, wherein the absorbent material of the absorbent core is substantially free of natural or synthetic fibers.

12. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein at least one channel of the at least a pair of channels has a percentage of integrity of at least about 20%.

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

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