Incorporation of apertured area into an absorbent article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020030161-A1
Application number	US-201716497626-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 30, 2017
Priority date	Mar 30, 2017
Publication date	Jan 30, 2020
Grant date	—

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. The benefits of the absorbent article are achieved, in part, by a body facing material having features that help minimize contact of body exudates with the wearer's skin while also being constructed so that the body facing material does not stick to the wearer's skin in use. The body facing material includes a plurality of hollow projections, a plurality of apertures and bonded areas. The bonded areas may be formed with adhesive or by mechanical bonds.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An absorbent article including a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction and having a front waist region, a back waist region and a crotch region between the front waist region and the back waist region, the absorbent article comprising:
a) a fluid-entangled body facing material comprising:
i) a support layer comprising a plurality of fibers and opposed first and second surfaces;
ii) a projection layer comprising a 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, fibers of at least one of the support layer and the projection layer being fluid-entangled with fibers of the other of the support layer and the projection layer;
iii) a plurality of hollow projections formed from a first plurality of the plurality of fibers in the projection layer, the plurality of hollow projections extending from the outer surface of the projection layer in a direction away from the support layer;
iv) a plurality of apertures formed through the support layer and the projection layer, wherein the plurality of apertures define an aperture area on the body facing material; and
v) a land area, wherein the plurality of hollow projections and the plurality of apertures are surrounded by the land area;
b) an outer cover; and c) an absorbent body positioned between the body facing material and the outer cover, the absorbent body having a width in the lateral direction and a length in the longitudinal direction; and d) a secondary liner including a width in the lateral direction and a length in the longitudinal direction, the width of the secondary liner being greater than the width of the absorbent body and the length of the secondary liner being greater than the length of the absorbent body, wherein the body facing material is attached to the secondary liner by a bonded area that is discrete from the aperture area.

2 . The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the body facing material includes a width in the lateral direction and a length in the longitudinal direction; the body facing material further includes opposed first and second lateral edges extending along the length in the longitudinal direction and includes a front edge and a back edge, both extending along the length in the lateral direction, wherein the bonded area extends along at least a portion of the first and second lateral edges.

3 . The absorbent article of claim 2 wherein the aperture area has a length in the longitudinal direction and a width in the lateral direction; wherein the width of the aperture area is less than the width of the body facing material; and wherein the length of the aperture area is equal to the length of the body facing material.

4 . The absorbent article of claim 2 wherein the aperture area has a length in the longitudinal direction and a width in the lateral direction; wherein the width of the aperture area is less than the width of the body facing material; and wherein the length of the aperture area is less than the length of the body facing material.

5 . The absorbent article of claim 3 , wherein the bonded area extends from the first and second lateral edges of the body facing material in the lateral direction and ends at the aperture area.

6 . The absorbent article of claim 3 , wherein the body facing material further includes a second aperture area separated from the aperture area by a land area and wherein the land area separating the aperture area from the second aperture area is attached to the secondary liner.

7 . The absorbent article of claim 4 , wherein the bonded area extends from the first and second lateral edges of the body facing material in the lateral direction; extends from the front and back edges of the body facing material in the longitudinal direction; and ends at the aperture area.

8 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the bonded area that attaches the body facing material to the secondary liner is formed with an adhesive material.

9 . The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the bonded area that attaches the body facing material to the secondary liner is formed with mechanical bonds.

10 . An absorbent article including a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction and having a front waist region, a back waist region and a crotch region between the front waist region and the back waist region, the absorbent article comprising:
a) a fluid-entangled body facing material comprising:
i) a support layer comprising a plurality of fibers and opposed first and second surfaces;
ii) a projection layer comprising a 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, fibers of at least one of the support layer and the projection layer being fluid-entangled with fibers of the other of the support layer and the projection layer;
iii) a plurality of hollow projections formed from a first plurality of the plurality of fibers in the projection layer, the plurality of hollow projections extending from the outer surface of the projection layer in a direction away from the support layer;
iv) a plurality of apertures formed through the support layer and the projection layer, wherein the plurality of apertures define an aperture area on the body facing material; and
v) a land area, wherein the plurality of hollow projections and the plurality of apertures are surrounded by the land area;
b) an outer cover; and c) an absorbent body positioned between the body facing material and the outer cover, the absorbent body having a width in the lateral direction and a length in the longitudinal direction; and d) a secondary liner including a width in the lateral direction and a length in the longitudinal direction, the width of the secondary liner being greater than the width of the absorbent body and the length of the secondary liner being greater than the length of the absorbent body, wherein the body facing material is attached to the secondary liner by an adhesive bonded area that is discrete from the aperture area and by a mechanical bonded area.

11 . The absorbent article of claim 10 wherein the body facing material includes a width in the lateral direction and a length in the longitudinal direction; the body facing material further includes opposed first and second lateral edges extending along the length in the longitudinal direction and includes a front edge and a back edge, both extending along the length in the lateral direction, wherein the adhesive bonded area extends along at least a portion of the first and second lateral edges.

12 . The absorbent article of claim 11 wherein the aperture area has a length in the longitudinal direction and a width in the lateral direction; wherein the width of the aperture area is less than the width of the body facing material; and wherein the length of the aperture area is equal to the length of the body facing material.

13 . The absorbent article of claim 11 wherein the aperture area has a length in the longitudinal direction and a width in the lateral direction; wherein the width of the aperture area is less than the width of the body facing material; and wherein the length of the aperture area is less than the length of the body facing material.

14 . The absorbent article of claim 12 , wherein the mechanical bonded area extends from the first lateral edge of the body facing material to the second lateral edge at the front edge of the body facing material.

15 . The absorbent article of claim 14 further includ

Assignees

• Kimberly Clark Co

Inventors

• Beitz Mark J
• Evenson Stacy E
• Hammond Andrew T
• Kleuskens Sarah
• Abney Patrick D

Classifications

• A61F13/51104 Primary

  the top sheet having a three-dimensional cross-section, e.g. corrugations, embossments, recesses or projections · CPC title

• A61F13/5116 Primary

  being formed of multiple layers (A61F13/5123 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61F2013/51182

  with non-continuous bonding · CPC title

• A61F13/49007

  Form-fitting, self-adjusting disposable diapers · CPC title

• A61F13/51121

  characterised by the material · CPC title