Absorbent articles with channels

• US 9,789,011 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Roe, Donald Carroll, Ames-Ooten, Kathy Quinlan, Arizti, Blanca, Boesel, Julia, Chatterjee, Aniruddha, Greening, II, Nelson Edward, Grenberg, Sharon Irene, Kreuzer, Carsten Heinrich, Martynus, Cornelia Beate, O'Reilly, Marie Brigid, Rosati, Rodrigo, Sautter, Sandra, Simon, Beate, Stelzig, Lutz, Walther, Rachael Eden
• Primary Examiner(s): PHILIPS, BRADLEY H
• Application Number:
  US14/467,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20150065973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/42 with wetness indicator or alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4704 having preferential bending zones, e.g. fold lines or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49001 having preferential bending zones, e.g. fold lines or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/512 characterised by its apertures, e.g. perforations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5125 the apertures not being formed through the complete thickness of the topsheet, e.g. blind holes blind holes in a single layered topsheet A61F13/51104
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/532 inhomogeneous in the plane of the pad
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5323 having absorbent material located in discrete regions, e.g. pockets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/533 having discontinuous areas of compression
• 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 13/53708 the layer having a promotional function on liquid propagation in at least one direction
• 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 2013/15243 printed or coloured, e.g. to match skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/428 for articles with superabsorbent materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51019 being cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51066 for rendering the surface hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/5113 being foams
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/530562 being arranged in discontinuous pattern
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/5307 characterized by the quantity or ratio of superabsorbent material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/5395 with thermoplastic agent, i.e. softened by heat

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed, in part, to an absorbent article comprising a liquid management system (LMS) and an absorbent core disposed at least partially intermediate a topsheet and a backsheet. The LMS defines one or more channels therein. The one or more channels of the LMS may at least partially overlap or not overlap with channels defined in the absorbent core.

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising:

a central longitudinal axis;

a longitudinal length extending in a direction parallel to the central longitudinal axis;

a front waist region;

a rear waist region;

a crotch region positioned intermediate the front waist region and the rear waist region, wherein the front waist region, the rear waist region, and the crotch region each define ⅓

of the longitudinal length of the absorbent article;

a liquid permeable material;

a liquid impermeable material;

an absorbent core disposed at least partially intermediate the liquid permeable material and the liquid impermeable material and comprising an absorbent material, wherein the absorbent material is positioned within a core wrap, wherein the core wrap forms a C-wrap, wherein the absorbent material comprises at least 85% of superabsorbent polymers by weight of the absorbent material, wherein the absorbent core defines a first channel substantially free of the superabsorbent polymers, wherein the first channel extends substantially through the thickness of the absorbent material; and

a liquid management system positioned at least partially intermediate the liquid permeable material and the core wrap, wherein the liquid management system is substantially free of any superabsorbent polymers, wherein the liquid management system defines a second channel, wherein the second channel extends substantially through the thickness of the liquid management system, and wherein the second channel extends into the crotch region and the front waist region, and wherein the second channel is free from overlap with the central longitudinal axis.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the liquid management system comprises a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer is positioned adjacent to the liquid permeable material, and wherein the second layer is positioned adjacent to the core wrap.

3. The absorbent article of claim 2, wherein the first layer or the second layer comprises a nonwoven material.

4. The absorbent article of claim 2, wherein the first or the second layer comprises cross-linked cellulose fibers.

5. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the liquid management system comprises an open-celled foam.

6. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the liquid management system comprises air-laid fibers.

7. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first channel overlaps at least a portion of the second channel.

8. The absorbent article of claim 2, wherein a portion of the first layer or the second layer of the liquid management system has a different color than the liquid permeable material or a portion of the absorbent core.

9. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein bodily exudate is at least partially visible through the liquid impermeable material when the bodily exudate is within or proximate to the first and second channels.

10. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core periphery defines a generally hour-glass shape.

11. The absorbent article of claim 1, comprising an indicator configured to transition from a first state to a second state when bodily exudate is within the first or the second channel.

12. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the absorbent core comprises:

a first material of the core wrap;

a first layer of the superabsorbent polymers;

a second material of the core wrap;

a second layer of the superabsorbent polymers; and

a fibrous thermoplastic adhesive material at least partially bonding the first material to the first layer of the superabsorbent polymers and the second material to the second layer of the superabsorbent polymers, wherein the first channel extends substantially through the thickness of the first layer of superabsorbent polymers and substantially through the thickness of the second layer of superabsorbent polymers.

13. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the liquid permeable material defines a plurality of apertures and forms a topsheet of the absorbent article.

14. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the liquid management system comprises a plurality of layers, and wherein one of the layers comprises a carded, resin bonded nonwoven material.

15. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the second channel is at least partially aligned with a visual element on the liquid permeable material, or the liquid impermeable material.

16. The absorbent article of claim 1, comprising a liquid distribution material, wherein the liquid distribution material overlaps a lateral axis of the absorbent article, and wherein the basis weight of the absorbent material in a portion of the absorbent core that overlaps, directly or indirectly, the liquid distribution material is at least 25% greater than the basis weight of non-overlapping portions of the absorbent material.

17. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the first channel has a longitudinal length, wherein the first channel has an average lateral width over the longitudinal length, and wherein the average lateral width over the longitudinal length is substantially constant.

18. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the second channel has a longitudinal length, wherein the second channel has an average lateral width over the longitudinal length, and wherein the average lateral width over the longitudinal length is substantially constant.

19. An absorbent article comprising:

a central longitudinal axis;

a longitudinal length extending a direction parallel to the central longitudinal axis;

a front waist region;

a rear waist region;

a crotch region positioned intermediate the front waist region and the rear waist region, wherein the front waist region, the rear waist region, and the crotch region each define ⅓

of the longitudinal length of the absorbent article;

a liquid permeable material;

a liquid impermeable material;

an absorbent core disposed at least partially intermediate the liquid permeable material and the liquid impermeable material and comprising an absorbent material, wherein the absorbent material is positioned within a core wrap, wherein the core wrap forms a C-wrap, wherein the absorbent material comprises at least 85% of superabsorbent polymers by weight of the absorbent material, wherein the absorbent core defines a first channel substantially free of the superabsorbent polymers, wherein the first channel extends into the front waist region, and wherein the first channel extends substantially through the thickness of the absorbent material and that is free of overlap with the central longitudinal axis; and

a liquid management system comprising a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer is positioned at least partially intermediate the liquid permeable material and the second layer, and wherein the second layer is positioned at least partially intermediate the first layer and the core wrap, wherein the first or second layer defines a second channel that is free of overlap with the central longitudinal axis, wherein the liquid management system is substantially free of any superabsorbent polymers, and wherein the second channel extends into the front waist region.

20. The absorbent article of claim 19, wherein the first layer defines the second channel.

21. The absorbent article of claim 19, wherein the second layer defines the second channel.

22. The absorbent article of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the first channel overlaps at least a portion of the second channel.

23. The absorbent article of claim 19, wherein the liquid management system defines a third channel that is free of overlap with the central longitudinal axis.

24. The absorbent article of claim 23, wherein the third channel extends into the front waist region.

25. The absorbent article of claim 19, wherein the first channel has a longitudinal length, wherein the first channel has an average lateral width over the longitudinal length, and wherein the average lateral width over the longitudinal length is substantially constant.

26. The absorbent article of claim 19, wherein the second channel extends into the crotch region.

27. The absorbent article of claim 26, wherein the second channel has a longitudinal length, wherein the second channel has an average lateral width over the longitudinal length, and wherein the average lateral width over the longitudinal length is substantially constant.