Absorbent article with absorbent core structure having a shaped inner core layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025057704-A1
Application number	US-202418804459-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 14, 2024
Priority date	Aug 14, 2023
Publication date	Feb 20, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A disposable absorbent article having a topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent core structure disposed between the topsheet and backsheet, and a flex bond channel region. The absorbent core structure includes an upper nonwoven layer having polymer fibers, a lower nonwoven layer having polymer fibers, and an inner core layer disposed between the upper and lower nonwoven layers. The flex bond channel region has a dry channel depth of from about 1.0 mm to about 4.5 mm and a channel width of from about 1.0 mm to about 3.0 mm. The flex bond channel region has a Dry MD Bending Resistance of less than about 0.04 N/mm. The inner core layer comprises an outer absorbent zone that substantially surrounds a central absorbent zone. The basis weight of the central absorbent zone is greater than the basis weight of the outer absorbent zone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A disposable absorbent article comprising:
a topsheet; a backsheet; an absorbent core structure disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, wherein the absorbent core structure comprises: i. an upper nonwoven layer comprising polymer fibers and having a basis weight of from about 30 gsm to about 85 gsm; ii. a lower nonwoven layer comprising polymer fibers; and iii. an inner core layer disposed between the upper nonwoven layer and the lower nonwoven layer, wherein the inner core layer comprises cellulosic fibers and superabsorbent particles; and a flex bond channel region, wherein the flex bond channel region has a dry channel depth of from about 1.0 mm to about 4.5 mm and a channel width of from about 1.0 mm to about 3.0 mm, wherein the flex bond channel region has a Dry MD Bending Resistance of less than about 0.04 N/mm as measured according to Flex Bond Channel MD Bending Resistance Method; wherein the inner core layer further comprises a central absorbent zone having a first basis weight and an outer absorbent zone having a second basis weight; wherein the outer absorbent zone substantially surrounds the central absorbent zone; wherein the first basis weight is greater than the second basis weight.

2 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the central absorbent zone comprises a transition zone, wherein the flex bond channel region is positioned outboard of the transition zone.

3 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 2 , wherein the flex bond channel region is positioned from about 1 mm to about 10 mm outboard of the transition zone.

4 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent article has a first caliper measured in the central absorbent zone and a second caliper measured in the outer absorbent zone, wherein a ratio of the first caliper to the second caliper is from about 1.2 to about 2.5.

5 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the flex bond channel region has a minimum channel length of at least about 50 mm.

6 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent article has a first average density measured in the central absorbent zone and a second average density measured in the outer absorbent zone, wherein the second average density is within about 0 to about 20% of the first density.

7 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent article has a first average density measured in the central absorbent zone and a second average density measured in the outer absorbent zone, wherein the first and second average density are between about 0.045 g/cm 3 and about 0.150 g/cm 3 .

8 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the lower nonwoven has a basis weight of from about 10 gsm to about 40 gsm.

9 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein absorbent article has a caliper measured in the central absorbent zone of from about 2.5 mm to about 6 mm.

10 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the central absorbent zone comprises a front region having a first lateral width W 1 , a rear region having a third lateral width W 3 , and a middle region disposed therebetween having a second lateral width W 2 , wherein the second lateral width W 2 is less than at least one of the first lateral width W 1 and the third lateral width W 3 .

11 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the inner core layer is a unitary structure.

12 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the central absorbent zone has a longitudinal length of from about 50% to about 75% of an inner core layer longitudinal length.

13 . A disposable absorbent article comprising:
a topsheet; a backsheet; an absorbent core structure disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet; wherein the topsheet forms a wearer facing surface of the absorbent article and the backsheet forms an outward facing surface of the absorbent article; wherein the absorbent core structure comprises: i. an upper nonwoven layer comprising polymer fibers having a basis weight of from about 35 gsm to about 85 gsm; ii. a lower nonwoven layer comprising polymer fibers; and iii. an inner core layer disposed between the upper nonwoven layer and the lower nonwoven layer; wherein the inner core layer comprises cellulosic fibers and superabsorbent particles; wherein the wearer facing surface of the absorbent article comprises a flex bond channel region having a Dry MD Bending Resistance of less than about 0.04 N/mm as measured according to Flex Bond Channel MD Bending Resistance Method; wherein the inner core layer further comprises a central absorbent zone and an outer absorbent zone substantially surrounding the central absorbent zone, wherein the central absorbent zone has a first basis weight and the outer absorbent zone has a second basis weight, wherein the first basis weight is about 20% to about 100% greater than the second basis weight; wherein the flex bond channel region separates the central absorbent zone from the outer absorbent zone; wherein the inner core layer is a unitary structure.

14 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 13 , wherein the flex bond channel region has a channel depth of at least 1 mm.

15 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 14 , wherein the flex bond channel region has a minimum channel length of about 50 mm.

16 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 13 , wherein the absorbent article has a first average density measured in the central absorbent zone and a second average density measured in the outer absorbent zone, wherein the second average density is within about 0 to about 20% of the first density.

17 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 13 , wherein absorbent article has a caliper measured in the central absorbent zone of from about 2.5 mm to about 6 mm.

18 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 13 , wherein the central absorbent zone has a first caliper and the outer absorbent zone has a second caliper, wherein a ratio of the first caliper to the second caliper is from about 1.2 to about 2.5.

19 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 13 , wherein the polymer fibers of the upper nonwoven layer have a fiber diameter of from about 2.0 Dtex to about 10 Dtex.

20 . The disposable absorbent article of claim 19 , wherein the polymer fibers of the lower nonwoven layer have a fiber diameter of from about 1.7 Dtex to about 5 Dtex.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Bewick-Sonntag Christopher Philip
• Norcom John David
• Deng Rong
• Morrow Clint Adams
• Robles Miguel Alvaro
• Page Michael Joseph

Classifications

• A61F2013/530868

  characterized by the liquid distribution or transport means other than wicking layer (A61F13/537 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61F2013/530489

  being randomly mixed in with other material · CPC title

• A61F2013/530343

  being natural fibres · CPC title

• A61F2013/530226

  with polymeric fibres · CPC title

• A61F2013/15447

  Fibre dimension, e.g. denier or tex · CPC title