Absorbent article with high absorbent material content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9375358-B2
Application number	US-201414540079-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2014
Priority date	Dec 10, 2012
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

An absorbent article comprising a pair of leg cuffs ( 32 ) with an raised section ( 34 ) and an absorbent core ( 28 ) comprising at least one channel ( 26, 26 ′) at least partially oriented in the longitudinal direction ( 80 ) of the article. The article has crotch width (Wd) before use as measured between the proximal edges of the leg cuffs at the level of the crotch point of from to 70 mm to 200 mm, and a Relative Crotch Width Reduction (RCWR) of at least 30 mm/kg.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An absorbent article comprising a front edge, a back edge, a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the article, a length L as measured along the longitudinal axis from the front edge to the back edge, and a crotch point defined as the point placed at a distance two fifths of L from the front edge of the article on the longitudinal axis, the absorbent article comprising:
a liquid permeable topsheet;
a liquid impermeable backsheet;
a pair of barrier leg cuffs extending at least partially between the front edge and the back edge of the absorbent article on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis and present at least at the longitudinal position of the crotch point, each barrier leg cuff being delimited by a proximal edge joined directly or indirectly to the topsheet or the backsheet and a free terminal edge;
an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and backsheet and comprising a core wrap enclosing an absorbent material, wherein the absorbent material comprises at least 80% of superabsorbent polymers by weight of the absorbent material, wherein the absorbent core comprises at least one channel at least partially oriented in the longitudinal direction of the article;
wherein the at least one channel remains or becomes visible at least through the backsheet when the absorbent article is loaded with a fluid as disclosed in the Wet Channel Integrity Test herein.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the at least one channel is substantially free of absorbent material.

3. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the at least one channel has a percentage of integrity of at least about 20%, as disclosed in the Wet Channel Integrity Test herein.

4. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the article has a Relative Crotch Width Reduction (RCWR) of from about 30 mm/kg to about 51 mm/kg, wherein the RCWR is calculated according to the formula:

RCWR
=

Wd
-
Ww

Mw
-
Md

wherein Wd is the dry crotch width, wherein Ww is the wet crotch width at the crotch point, wherein Mw is the wet mass of the article, wherein Md is the dry mass of the article, wherein the measurements are made as indicated according to RCWR Test, and wherein the article has a dry crotch width Wd of from about 70 mm to about 200 mm.

5. The absorbent article of claim 1 , comprising at least a pair of channels.

6. The absorbent article of claim 5 , wherein the channels of the pair of channels are symmetrically disposed relative to the longitudinal axis.

7. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the at least one channel has a length projected on the longitudinal axis of the article which is at least about 10% of the length L of the absorbent article.

8. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the core wrap comprises a first nonwoven and a second nonwoven, and wherein the first nonwoven forms a C-wrap around the second non-woven.

9. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent article comprises an acquisition-distribution system comprising one or more layers, and wherein the acquisition-distribution system is at least partially disposed between the absorbent core and the topsheet.

10. The absorbent article of claim 9 , wherein the acquisition-distribution system comprises at least one layer comprising at least about 50% by weight of the layer of cross-linked cellulose fibers.

11. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the periphery of the absorbent material within the core wrap defines an absorbent material deposition area, and wherein the absorbent material deposition area is rectangular or is shaped with a width narrower at the crotch point than the maximum width of the absorbent material deposition area.

12. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent core comprises a first absorbent layer and a second absorbent layer, wherein the first absorbent layer comprises a first substrate and a first layer of superabsorbent polymers, wherein the second absorbent layer comprises a second substrate and a second layer of superabsorbent polymers, wherein the absorbent core comprises a fibrous thermoplastic adhesive material at least partially bonding the layers of superabsorbent polymers to their respective substrates, and wherein the first substrate and the second substrate form the core wrap.

13. The absorbent core of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent material of the absorbent core comprises at least about 90% of superabsorbent polymers by total weight of the absorbent material.

14. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent material of the absorbent core comprises less than about 10% of natural or synthetic fibers by total weight of the absorbent material.

15. The absorbent article of claim 14 , wherein the absorbent material of the absorbent core is substantially free of natural or synthetic fibers.

16. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the core wrap comprises a top side and a bottom side, and wherein the top side and the bottom side are bonded to each other through at least a portion of the at least one channel.

17. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the basis weight of the superabsorbent polymers is not homogenously distributed along the longitudinal axis of the core.

18. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent core comprises from about 5 g to about 60 g of superabsorbent polymers.

19. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the caliper of the article, as measured at the crotch point according to the Caliper Test, is from about 5 mm to about 12 mm.

20. An absorbent article comprising a front edge, a back edge, a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the article, a length L as measured along the longitudinal axis from the front edge to the back edge, and a crotch point defined as the point placed at a distance two fifths of L from the front edge of the article on the longitudinal axis, the absorbent article comprising:
a liquid permeable topsheet;
a liquid impermeable backsheet;
a pair of barrier leg cuffs extending at least partially between the front edge and the back edge of the absorbent article on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis and present at least at the longitudinal position of the crotch point, each barrier leg cuff being delimited by a proximal edge joined directly or indirectly to the topsheet or the backsheet and a free terminal edge;
an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and backsheet and comprising a core wrap enclosing an absorbent material, wherein the absorbent core comprises two or more channels at least partially oriented in the longitudinal direction of the article;

wherein the two or more channels remains or becomes visible at least through the topsheet and/or backsheet when the absorbent article is loaded with a fluid as disclosed in the Wet Channel Integrity Test herein; and
wherein a majority of the two or more channels is disposed inboard of the free edges of the barrier leg cuffs when the article is in a flattened state.

21. The absorbent article of claim 20 , wherein the absorbent material comprises at least 80% of superabsorbent polymers by weight of the absorbent material.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Ehrnsperger Bruno Johannes
• Arizti Blanca
• Bianchi Ernesto
• Jackels Hans Adolf
• Kreuzer Carsten Heinrich
• Rosati Rodrigo

Classifications

• A61F2013/53765

  characterized by its geometry · CPC title

• A61F13/539

  characterised by the connection of the absorbent layers with each other or with the outer layers · CPC title

• A61F13/4753 Primary

  the barrier being not integral with the topsheet or backsheet · CPC title

• A61F13/5323 Primary

  having absorbent material located in discrete regions, e.g. pockets · CPC title

• A61F13/537

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