Absorbent article with fluid acquisition layer having channels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017151104-A1
Application number	US-201415309658-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 29, 2014
Priority date	May 29, 2014
Publication date	Jun 1, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An absorbent article can include a body facing liner, a back-sheet coupled to the body facing liner, and an absorbent body. The absorbent article can also include a fluid acquisition layer. The fluid acquisition layer can include a plurality of apertures and at least one channel. The channel can include a length and a depth. The length can be defined in a horizontal plane by a distance between a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end can be connected to a first aperture and the depth can extend from a body facing surface of the fluid acquisition layer to a garment facing surface of the fluid acquisition layer.

First claim

1 . An absorbent article including a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis being defined in a horizontal plane parallel to the absorbent article in a laid flat configuration, the absorbent article also including a vertical axis perpendicular to the horizontal plane, the absorbent article comprising:
a body facing liner; a backsheet coupled to the body facing liner; an absorbent body positioned between the body facing liner and the backsheet; and a fluid acquisition layer comprising a body facing surface and a garment facing surface, the fluid acquisition layer being positioned between the body facing liner and the backsheet, the fluid acquisition layer further comprising a plurality of apertures and at least one channel including a length and a depth, the length being defined in the horizontal plane by a distance between a proximal end and a distal end of the channel and the depth being defined in a vertical direction parallel to the vertical axis, the proximal end being connected to a first aperture of the plurality of apertures, the at least one channel configured such that the depth extends from the body facing surface to the garment facing surface, and wherein the depth of the at least one channel is greater than half of a thickness of the fluid acquisition layer along at least a portion of the at least one channel, the thickness of the fluid acquisition layer being defined in the vertical direction.

2 . An absorbent article including a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis being defined in a horizontal plane parallel to the absorbent article in a laid flat configuration, the absorbent article also including a vertical axis perpendicular to the horizontal plane, the absorbent article comprising:
a body facing liner; a backsheet coupled to the body facing liner; an absorbent body positioned between the body facing liner and the backsheet; and a fluid acquisition layer positioned between the body facing liner and the absorbent body, the fluid acquisition layer comprising a first layer and a second layer, the first layer including a top surface providing a body facing surface of the fluid acquisition layer and an opposing bottom surface, the second layer including a bottom surface providing a garment facing surface of the fluid acquisition layer and an opposing top surface, the fluid acquisition layer further comprising a plurality of apertures and at least one channel including a length and a depth, the length being defined in the horizontal plane by a distance between a proximal end and a distal end of the channel and the depth being defined in a vertical direction parallel to the vertical axis, the proximal end being connected to a first aperture of the plurality of apertures, the at least one channel configured such that the depth extends through at least one of the first layer and the second layer, and wherein the depth of the at least one channel is greater than half of a thickness of the fluid acquisition layer along at least a portion of the at least one channel, the thickness of the fluid acquisition layer being defined in the vertical direction.

3 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the at least one channel is connected to a second aperture of the plurality of apertures.

4 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the fluid acquisition layer further comprises a plurality of channels.

5 . The absorbent article of claim 4 , wherein at least one aperture is connected to at least two channels of the plurality of channels.

6 . The absorbent article of claim 4 , wherein a majority of the plurality of channels include a proximal end that is connected to at least one aperture of the plurality of apertures and a distal end that is connected to a different aperture of the plurality of apertures.

7 . The absorbent article of claim 2 , wherein the fluid acquisition layer further comprises a plurality of channels, at least one of the plurality of channels being in the first layer and at least one of the plurality of channels being in the second layer.

8 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the depth of the at least one channel is the same along the length of the at least one channel.

9 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the depth of the at least one channel varies along the length of the at least one channel.

10 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the body facing liner includes a plurality of intersecting slit formations.

11 . The absorbent article of claim 10 , wherein a majority of the plurality of intersecting slit formations of the body facing liner include a potential open area that at least partially overlap with corresponding apertures of the plurality of apertures of the fluid acquisition layer.

12 . The absorbent article of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of intersecting slit formations of the body facing liner include an intersection point and each of the apertures defines an open area in the fluid acquisition layer, and wherein the intersection point for a majority of the plurality of intersecting slit formations is within corresponding open areas of the plurality of apertures of the fluid acquisition layer.

13 . The absorbent article of claim 2 , wherein the at least one channel extends all the way through the first layer from the body facing surface of the fluid acquisition layer to the bottom surface of the first layer.

14 . The absorbent article of claim 2 , wherein the at least one channel extends all the way through the second layer from the top surface of the second layer to the garment facing surface of the fluid acquisition layer.

15 . The absorbent article of claim 2 , wherein the at least one channel extends all the way through the first layer and the second layer from the body facing surface of the fluid acquisition layer to the garment facing surface of the fluid acquisition layer.

16 . The absorbent article of claim 2 , wherein the bottom surface of the first layer is bonded directly to the top surface of the second layer.

17 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures extend through the fluid acquisition layer from the body facing surface of the fluid acquisition layer to the garment facing surface of the fluid acquisition layer.

18 . The absorbent article of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of apertures extend completely through the one of the first layer and the second layer having the at least one channel.

19 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the fluid acquisition layer includes a channeled region including a plurality of channels and a non-channeled region free from channels.

20 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , further comprising:
a front waist region, a rear waist region, a crotch region, the crotch region being disposed between the front waist region and the rear waist region; and a front waist edge in the front waist region, a rear waist edge in the rear waist region, a first longitudinal side edge and a second longitudinal side edge, the first longitudinal side edge and the second longitudinal side edge each extending from the front waist edge to the rear waist edge.

Assignees

• Kimberly Clark Co

Inventors

• Yu Lisha
• Huang Yung
• Hammond Andrew T
• Brumm Russell J

Classifications

• A61F13/53717

  the layer having a promotional function on liquid propagation in the horizontal direction · CPC title

• A61F2013/53782

  with holes · CPC title

• A61F13/53747 Primary

  the layer is facing the topsheet (layer is part of the topsheet A61F13/511) · CPC title

• A61F13/512 Primary

  characterised by its apertures, e.g. perforations · CPC title

• A61F13/537 Primary

  characterised by a layer facilitating or inhibiting flow in one direction or plane, e.g. a wicking layer {(A61F13/538 takes precedence)} · CPC title