Absorbent articles having distribution materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016136011-A1
Application number	US-201414543967-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 18, 2014
Priority date	Nov 18, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An absorbent article comprises a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, an absorbent core positioned at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet, and a distribution material comprising a wet-laid, three-dimensional fibrous substrate comprising at least 80% pulp fibers by weight of the wet-laid, three-dimensional fibrous substrate. The wet-laid, three-dimensional fibrous substrate comprises a continuous network region and a plurality of discrete zones that are dispersed throughout the continuous network region. The continuous network region comprises a first average density and the plurality of discrete zones comprise a second average density. The discrete zones are dispersed throughout the continuous network region. The first average density and the second average density are different.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An absorbent article, comprising:
a liquid permeable topsheet; a liquid impermeable backsheet; an absorbent core positioned at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet; and a distribution material comprising a wet-laid, three-dimensional fibrous substrate comprising at least 80% pulp fibers by weight of the three-dimensional fibrous substrate, wherein the three-dimensional fibrous substrate comprises:
a continuous network region, wherein the continuous network region comprises a first average density; and
a plurality of discrete zones comprising a second average density, wherein the discrete zones are dispersed throughout the continuous network region, and wherein the first average density and the second average density are different.

2 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional fibrous substrate is creped, and wherein the three-dimensional aspects of the three-dimensional fibrous substrate are wet-formed.

3 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the distribution material is at least partially positioned intermediate the topsheet and the absorbent core.

4 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the distribution material is at least partially positioned intermediate the backsheet and the absorbent core.

5 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the distribution material comprises two or more substrates, and wherein a plurality of the substrates comprise wet-laid, three-dimensional fibrous substrates comprising at least 80% pulp fibers by weight of the wet-laid, three-dimensional fibrous substrates.

6 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , comprising an acquisition material positioned at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the absorbent core.

7 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , comprising an acquisition material positioned at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the distribution material.

8 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the wet-laid, three-dimensional fibrous substrate comprises at least 90% pulp fibers by weight of the three-dimensional fibrous substrate.

9 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the wet-laid, three-dimensional fibrous substrate comprises discrete embossments.

10 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent core comprises an absorbent material comprising at least 85% of superabsorbent polymers, by total weight of the absorbent material.

11 . The absorbent article of claim 10 , wherein the absorbent core comprises an adhesive configured to aid in immobilizing the absorbent material.

12 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent core comprises an absorbent material comprising at least 95% of superabsorbent polymers, by total weight of the absorbent material, and wherein the absorbent material is encapsulated in a core bag comprising a nonwoven substrate.

13 . The absorbent article of claim 12 , wherein the absorbent material comprises a substantially absorbent material free area.

14 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the wet-laid, three-dimensional fibrous substrate is uncreped.

15 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , comprising:
leg cuffs; and a waist edge.

16 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , comprising:
a front region; a crotch region; and a rear region, wherein the crotch region is positioned intermediate the front region and the rear region, wherein the distribution material has a first profile in the front region, the crotch region, or the rear region, and wherein the distribution material has a second, different profile in another of the regions.

17 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the distribution material comprises two or more substrates.

18 . The absorbent article of claim 17 , wherein the two or more substrates are formed by folding the wet-laid, three-dimensional fibrous substrate at least partially over itself.

19 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent article is a sanitary napkin.

20 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the wet-laid, three-dimensional fibrous substrate has a Geometric Mean TEA of about 100 g*in/in 2 to about 500 g*in/in 2 , according to the Tensile Test herein.

21 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the wet-laid, three-dimensional fibrous substrate has a Geometric Mean Tensile of about 700 g/in to about 1,100 g/in, according to the Tensile Test herein.

22 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the wet-laid, three-dimensional fibrous substrate has a Geometric Mean Modulus of about 1,000 g/cm to about 3,000 g/cm, according to the Tensile Test herein.

23 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the wet-laid, three-dimensional fibrous substrate has a Geometric Mean Peak Elongation of about 10% to about 23%, according to the Tensile Test herein.

24 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the wet-laid, three-dimensional fibrous substrates has a Wet Burst Strength of about 50 g to about 500 g, according to the Wet Burst Strength Test herein.

25 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the wet-laid, three dimensional fibrous substrate comprises a wet strength resin.

26 . The absorbent article of claim 24 , wherein the wet-laid, three dimensional fibrous substrate comprises a wet strength resin.

27 . A package comprising a plurality of the absorbent articles of claim 1 , wherein the package has an in-bag stack height of less than about 80 mm, according to the In-Bag Stack Height Test herein.

28 . An absorbent article, comprising:
a liquid permeable topsheet; a liquid impermeable backsheet; an absorbent core positioned at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet; and a distribution material comprising a wet-formed, three-dimensional fibrous substrate comprising at least 80% pulp fibers by weight of the wet-formed, three-dimensional fibrous substrates, wherein the wet-formed, three-dimensional fibrous substrate comprises:
a wet strength resin;
a continuous network region, wherein the continuous network region comprises a first average density; and
a plurality of discrete zones comprising a second average density, wherein the discrete zones are dispersed throughout the continuous network region, and wherein the first average density is different than the second average density.

29 . The absorbent article of claim 28 wherein the wet-formed, three-dimensional fibrous substrate is creped, wherein the continuous network region has a first basis weight, wherein the plurality of discrete zones have a second basis weight, wherein the first and second basis weights are different, wherein the continuous network region has a first dry caliper, wherein the plurality of discrete zones have a second dry caliper, and wherein the first and second dry calipers are different.

30 . A package comprising:
a plurality of absorbent articles, wherein each of the absorbent articles comprises:
a liquid permeable topsheet;
a liquid impermeable backsheet;
an absorbent core positioned at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet, wherein the absorbent core comprises an absorbent material comprising at least 80% superabsorbent polymers by weight of the absorbent material; and
a distribution material comprising a wet-formed, three-dimensional fibrous substrate

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Peri Andrea
• Hamall Kenneth Michael
• Chatterjee Aniruddha
• Endres Jörg
• Schmidt Mattias
• Sautter Sandra
• Huang Gene Xiaoqing
• Brown Darrell Ian
• Ostendorf Ward William
• Weisman Paul Thomas

Classifications

• A61F2013/53778

  with grooves · CPC title

• A61F2013/15487

  Capillary properties, e.g. wicking · CPC title

• A61F13/55105

  packaging of diapers · CPC title

• A61F2013/530007

  being made from pulp · CPC title

• A61F2013/53739

  with compressed points · CPC title