Absorbent article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10070999-B2
Application number	US-201314439439-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2013
Priority date	Oct 31, 2012
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

An absorbent article having improved handling of body exudates. The absorbent article can minimize the amount of body exudates in contact with a wearer's skin and can minimize the incidence of leakage of body exudates from the absorbent article.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An absorbent article extending in a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, the article comprising:
a fluid-entangled body facing material including a first major surface and a second major surface, the second major surface being opposite the first major surface;
a liquid impermeable outer cover having a longitudinal extent and a lateral extent; and
an absorbent body including a body facing surface, a garment facing surface, a first longitudinal side edge, and a second longitudinal side edge, the second longitudinal side edge being opposite the first longitudinal side edge, the fluid-entangled body facing material at least partially wrapping the absorbent body such that the fluid-entangled body facing material is positioned over at least a portion of the body facing surface of the absorbent body, extends around at least one of the first longitudinal side edge and the second longitudinal side edge of the absorbent body, and extends under at least a portion of the garment facing surface of the absorbent body and leaving at least a portion of the garment facing surface of the absorbent body uncovered by the fluid-entangled body facing material, wherein at least a portion of the fluid-entangled body facing material extending under the garment facing surface of the absorbent body contacts the body facing surface of the liquid impermeable outer cover, and
wherein the lateral extent of the liquid impermeable outer cover is greater than a lateral extent of the fluid-entangled body facing material when the fluid-entangled body facing material is partially wrapped around the absorbent body such that portions of the liquid impermeable outer cover extend outboard of the fluid-entangled body facing material when the fluid-entangled body facing material is partially wrapped around the absorbent body.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the fluid-entangled body facing material includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being separate from the second portion such that the first portion does not contact the second portion.

3. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the fluid-entangled body facing material is folded upon itself on at least one of the longitudinal side edges of the absorbent body such that a first portion of the second major surface of the fluid-entangled body facing material contacts a second portion of the second major surface of the fluid-entangled body facing material.

4. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the fluid-entangled body facing material extending under the garment facing surface of the absorbent body is bonded to the liquid impermeable outer cover.

5. The absorbent article of claim 1 , further comprising a spacer layer positioned between the garment facing surface of the absorbent body and the liquid impermeable outer cover.

6. The absorbent article of claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the spacer layer is positioned between the fluid-entangled body facing material that extends under the garment facing surface of the absorbent body and the liquid impermeable outer cover.

7. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the fluid-entangled body facing material includes a plurality of projections extending from one of the first major surface and the second major surface.

8. The absorbent article of claim 7 , wherein at least some of the plurality of projections are hollow.

9. The absorbent article of claim 8 , wherein the fluid-entangled body facing material further comprises a support layer and a projection layer, the support layer comprising a first plurality of fibers and opposed first and second surfaces, the projection layer comprising a second plurality of fibers and opposed inner and outer surfaces, the second surface of the support layer in contact with the inner surface of the projection layer and some of the first plurality of fibers being hydroentangled with the second plurality of fibers; the plurality of projections being formed from a first plurality of fibers in the projection layer, the plurality of projections extending from the outer surface of the projection layer in a direction away from the support layer.

10. The absorbent article of claim 7 , wherein the fluid-entangled body facing material further comprises a land area, the plurality of projections having less than about 1% open area and the land area having greater than about 1% open area within a chosen area of the fluid-entangled body facing material.

11. The absorbent article of claim 7 , further comprising a first containment flap and a second containment flap, wherein at least a portion of the fluid-entangled body facing material extends under a distal end of the first containment flap and a distal end of the second containment flap, the at least a portion of the fluid-entangled body facing material extending under the distal end of the first containment flap and the second containment flap including at least some of the plurality of projections.

12. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the fluid-entangled body facing material includes a front waist bonded zone, a rear waist bonded zone, and a central lateral zone, the front waist bonded zone and the rear waist bonded zone each comprising a greater surface area of coupling the fluid-entangled body facing material to the liquid impermeable outer cover than a surface area of coupling the fluid-entangled body facing material to the liquid impermeable outer cover in the central lateral zone.

13. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the fluid-entangled body facing material includes a front waist bonded zone, a rear waist bonded zone, and a central lateral zone, the central lateral zone including less adhesive for coupling the fluid-entangled body facing material to the outer cover than in the front waist bonded zone and the rear waist bonded zone.

14. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the fluid-entangled body facing material is positioned over the entire body facing surface of the absorbent body.

15. An absorbent article extending in a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, the article comprising:
a body facing material;
a liquid impermeable outer cover having a longitudinal extent and a lateral extent;
an absorbent body including a body facing surface, a garment facing surface, a first longitudinal side edge, and a second longitudinal side edge, the absorbent body disposed between the body facing material and the outer cover; and
a first fluid transfer layer including a first major surface and a second major surface and a plurality of projections extending from one of the first major surface and the second major surface, the first major surface being opposite from the second major surface, the first fluid transfer layer at least partially wrapping the absorbent body such that the first fluid transfer layer is positioned over at least a first portion of the body facing surface of the absorbent body, extends around the first longitudinal side edge of the absorbent body, and extends under at least a first portion of the garment facing surface of the absorbent body and leaving at least a portion of the garment facing surface of the absorbent body uncovered by the first fluid transfer layer, the first fluid transfer layer being fluid-entangled, and
wherein the lateral extent of the liquid impermeable outer cover is greater than a lateral extent of the first fluid transfer layer when the first fluid transfer layer is partially wrapped around the absorbent body such that portions of the liquid impermeable outer cover extend outboard of first fluid transfer layer when the first

Assignees

• Kimberly Clark Co

Inventors

• Faulks Michael J
• Bishop David F
• Diffey Heather Ann
• Hammond Andrew T
• Kirby Scott S C
• Finn Niall
• Butler Andy R

Classifications

• B32B5/06

  characterised by a fibrous {or filamentary} layer {mechanically connected, e.g. by needling} to another layer, e.g. of fibres, of paper · CPC title

• A61F2013/5349

  being a tissue-wrapped core · CPC title

• A61F2013/15829

  using pressure liquid jet · CPC title

• A61F13/515 Primary

  characterised by the interconnection of the topsheet and the backsheet · CPC title

• Y10T428/24636

  Embodying mechanically interengaged strand[s], strand-portion[s] or strand-like strip[s] [e.g., weave, knit, etc.] · CPC title