阅读说明：本技术 吸收制品 (Absorbent article ) 是由 龚沛 苗霖 李巧萍 于 2019-04-17 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种吸收制品(10)具有前区(20)、后区(30)和在前区(20)和后区(30)之间延伸并连接前区(20)和后区(30)的裆区(40)。吸收制品(10)可具有在前区(20)和后区(30)之间延伸并连接前区(20)和后区(30)的非线性腿部边缘(82、84)。吸收制品(10)可具有位于前区(20)的腰部边缘(22)和吸收制品(10)的横向轴线(14)之间的吸收制品(10)最窄宽度(80)。非线性腿部弹性件(140)可从后区(30)的一个侧边缘(34)延伸至后区(30)的另一个侧边缘(36),并且可以具有位于吸收制品(10)最窄宽度(80)和横向轴线(14)之间的顶点(142)。(An absorbent article (10) has a front region (20), a back region (30), and a crotch region (40) extending between and connecting the front region (20) and the back region (30). The absorbent article (10) may have non-linear leg edges (82, 84) extending between and connecting the front region (20) and the back region (30). The absorbent article (10) may have an absorbent article (10) narrowest width (80) located between the waist edge (22) of the front region (20) and the transverse axis (14) of the absorbent article (10). The nonlinear leg elastic (140) may extend from one side edge (34) of the back region (30) to the other side edge (36) of the back region (30) and may have an apex (142) located between the narrowest width (80) of the absorbent article (10) and the lateral axis (14).)

1. An absorbent article comprising:

a. longitudinal and transverse;

b. a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis;

c. a front region comprising a first waist edge, a first longitudinal side edge, a second longitudinal side edge laterally opposite the first longitudinal side edge;

d. a back region comprising a second waist edge, a third longitudinal side edge, a fourth longitudinal side edge laterally opposite the third longitudinal side edge;

e. a crotch region located between the front region and the back region and comprising an absorbent article narrowest width in a transverse direction, wherein the absorbent article narrowest width is located between the transverse axis and the first waist edge;

f. an absorbent article length measured from the first waist edge to the second waist edge;

g. a first non-linear leg edge extending between and connecting the first longitudinal side edge of the front region to the third longitudinal side edge of the back region;

h. a second non-linear leg edge extending between and connecting the second longitudinal side edge of the front region and the fourth longitudinal side edge of the back region to the fourth longitudinal side edge of the back region;

i. a first configuration in which, in a deployed and laid flat configuration, the first longitudinal side edge of the front region is aligned with the third longitudinal side edge of the back region, and a first longitudinal plane is formed between the first and third longitudinal side edges;

j. a first transverse distance measured from a first location on the first longitudinal plane to a first location on the first nonlinear leg edge at the narrowest width of the absorbent article;

k. a second transverse distance measured from a second location on the first longitudinal plane of the absorbent article length one quarter from the first waist edge to a second location on the first nonlinear leg edge, wherein the second transverse distance is greater than 75% of the first transverse distance;

a first nonlinear leg elastic extending from the third longitudinal side edge of the back region to the fourth longitudinal side edge of the back region and having an apex between the narrowest width of the absorbent article and the transverse axis.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1, comprising a third transverse distance measured from a third location on the first longitudinal plane of the absorbent article length five-eighths of the first waist edge to a third location on the first nonlinear edge, wherein the third transverse distance is less than 70% of the first transverse distance.

3. The absorbent article of claim 1, comprising a second configuration wherein a first side seam is formed by joining the first longitudinal side edge of the front region to the third longitudinal side edge of the back region and a second side seam is formed by joining the second longitudinal side edge of the front region to the fourth longitudinal side edge of the back region.

4. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein a tangent to the first nonlinear leg edge is not parallel to the lateral axis of the absorbent article along the entire length of the first nonlinear leg edge.

5. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the second lateral distance is longer than 80% of the first lateral distance.

6. The absorbent article of claim 2, wherein the third lateral distance is less than 65% of the first lateral distance.

7. The absorbent article of claim 1, further comprising a chassis, wherein the chassis comprises a first nonwoven layer and a second nonwoven layer.

8. The absorbent article of claim 7, wherein the first nonwoven layer of the chassis and the second nonwoven layer of the chassis extend continuously from the first waist edge of the absorbent article to the second waist edge of the absorbent article.

9. The absorbent article of claim 7, comprising a first elastic material sandwiched between the first and second nonwoven layers in the front region and extending in the cross-direction from the first longitudinal side edge to the second longitudinal side edge in the front region, and a second elastic material sandwiched between the first and second nonwoven layers in the back region and extending in the cross-direction from the third longitudinal side edge to the fourth longitudinal side edge in the back region.

10. The absorbent article of claim 9, wherein the first elastic material and the second elastic material are a plurality of elastomeric strands.

11. The absorbent article of claim 9, wherein the first elastic material and the second elastic material are elastic polymer film layers.

12. The absorbent article of claim 7, further comprising an absorbent assembly bonded to the first nonwoven layer of the chassis, the absorbent assembly comprising a topsheet layer, a backsheet layer, and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet layer and the backsheet layer.

13. The absorbent article of claim 12, wherein the absorbent assembly comprises a first longitudinally extending containment flap and a second longitudinally extending containment flap laterally opposing the first longitudinally extending containment flap.

14. The absorbent article of claim 13, wherein each of the first longitudinally extending containment flaps and the second longitudinally extending containment flaps includes a portion located between the backsheet layer of the absorbent assembly and the first nonwoven layer of the chassis.

15. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein each of the first longitudinal side edge and the second longitudinal side edge has a longitudinal length that is less than 25% of the length of the absorbent article.

16. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein each of the third longitudinal side edge and the fourth longitudinal side edge has a longitudinal length that is less than 25% of the length of the absorbent article.

Technical Field

Child care, feminine care, and absorbent personal care articles associated with adult hygiene are commonly used to protect the outer garments of the wearer from soiling and to collect and retain bodily exudates, such as menses, blood, feces, and urine. Such articles are often presented as disposable products in the form of garments (as opposed to inserts, pads or liners) and are worn as undergarments instead of traditional undergarments. They are most commonly placed on the wearer by being pulled up around the legs of the wearer towards the lower abdomen of the wearer and placed near the crotch region of the wearer during use.

Background

Today, many wearers of absorbent garment-type articles include adults who experience various forms of incontinence. The main desirable attributes of such garments include that the garment retains body exudates, that leakage of body exudates is minimal or no, that the garment fits snugly, and that it resembles a traditional woven undergarment. Consumers are interested in this category because they wish to enhance the overall personal experience of using such products while reducing the stigma associated with incontinence. Consumers need a garment that meets their needs without signaling others that they are wearing the absorbent garment-like article. The stigma of absorbent articles is exacerbated by product designs that may be bulky, may create gaps with the wearer's body to create contours that are visible through the wearer's clothing, may be made of materials that produce relatively high noise during use (due to the particular product construction materials), and may be further exacerbated by the overall artificial visual appearance of such products when viewed by the wearer as well as by third parties.

To improve the fit of the article of clothing, many articles of clothing are formed by positioning an absorbent assembly between or otherwise bonded to at least one stretchable or elastic outer layer of the article of clothing. The stretchable or elastic outer layer may extend laterally and longitudinally beyond the dimensional boundaries of the absorbent assembly, such as into the waist region of the garment or into the region that will contact the wearer's hips when the garment is worn. However, many such garments do not provide the level of comfort desired by the consumer. The material forming the garment may be shaped so as to rub against the wearer's skin during use of the garment. The interaction between the stretchable material and the absorbent material may cause the absorbent material to protrude from the body of the wearer. Garments having active elastic material disposed over and around the absorbent material can cause the absorbent material to gather and protrude from the body of the wearer, while garments without active elastic material over and around the absorbent material may not be able to hold the absorbent material tightly against the body of the wearer and can also cause the absorbent material to protrude from the wearer. Crotch elastic materials that are too far from the absorbent material can cause the crotch region of the garment to sag away from the body of the wearer due to the weight of the absorbent material, particularly after being soiled with body exudates. This combination of non-conforming garment elements can cause the garment to deform, resulting in discomfort, irritation, and lightness. Such non-conforming garments can also increase the incidence of leakage of body exudates from the garment.

There is a need for an absorbent article having an improved fit around the lower torso of the wearer. This is desirable in order to provide a more comfortable fit in different areas of the wearer's body.

Disclosure of Invention

The absorbent article may have a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction; a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis; a front region comprising a first waist edge, a first longitudinal side edge, a second longitudinal side edge laterally opposite the first longitudinal side edge; a back region comprising a second waist edge, a third longitudinal side edge, a fourth longitudinal side edge laterally opposite the third longitudinal side edge; a crotch region located between the front region and the back region and comprising a narrowest width of the absorbent article in the transverse direction, wherein the narrowest width of the absorbent article is located between the transverse axis and the first waist edge; an absorbent article length measured from the first waist edge to the second waist edge; a first non-linear leg edge extending between and connecting the first longitudinal side edge of the front region to the third longitudinal side edge of the back region; a second non-linear leg edge extending between and connecting the second longitudinal side edge of the front region to the fourth longitudinal side edge of the back region; a first configuration in which, in the deployed and laid flat configuration, the first longitudinal side edge of the front region is aligned with the third longitudinal side edge of the back region, and a first longitudinal plane is formed between the first and third longitudinal side edges; a first transverse distance measured from a first location on the first longitudinal plane to a first location on the first nonlinear leg edge at the narrowest width of the absorbent article; a second transverse distance measured from a second location on the first longitudinal plane located at one-quarter of the length of the absorbent article from the first waist edge to a second location on the first nonlinear leg edge, wherein the second transverse distance is greater than 75% of the first transverse distance; a first nonlinear leg elastic extending from the third longitudinal side edge of the back region to the fourth longitudinal side edge of the back region and having an apex between the narrowest width of the absorbent article and the transverse axis.

In various embodiments, the absorbent article can further have a third transverse distance measured from a third location on the first longitudinal plane located at five-eighths of the absorbent article length from the first waist edge to a third location on the first nonlinear edge, wherein the third transverse distance is less than 70% of the first transverse distance.

In various embodiments, the absorbent article may also have a second configuration in which the first side seam is formed by joining the first longitudinal side edge of the front region to the third longitudinal side edge of the back region and the second side seam is formed by joining the second longitudinal side edge of the front region to the fourth longitudinal side edge of the back region.

In various embodiments, a tangent to the first nonlinear leg edge is not parallel to the lateral axis of the absorbent article along the entire length of the first nonlinear leg edge.

In various embodiments, the second lateral distance is greater than 80% of the first lateral distance.

In various embodiments, the third lateral distance is less than 65% of the first lateral distance.

In various embodiments, the absorbent article may also have a chassis, wherein the chassis includes a first nonwoven layer and a second nonwoven layer. In various embodiments, the first nonwoven layer of the chassis and the second nonwoven layer of the chassis extend continuously from the first waist edge of the absorbent article to the second waist edge of the absorbent article. In various embodiments, the first elastic material may be sandwiched between the first nonwoven layer and the second nonwoven layer in the front region and extend from the first longitudinal side edge to the second longitudinal side edge in the cross-machine direction in the front region, and the second elastic material may be sandwiched between the first nonwoven layer and the second nonwoven layer in the back region and extend from the third longitudinal side edge to the fourth longitudinal side edge in the cross-machine direction in the back region. In various embodiments, the first elastic material and the second elastic material are a plurality of elastomeric strands. In various embodiments, the first elastic material and the second elastic material are elastic polymer film layers.

In various embodiments, the absorbent article may also have an absorbent assembly of the first nonwoven layer bonded to the chassis, the absorbent assembly including a topsheet layer, a backsheet layer, and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet layer and the backsheet layer. In various embodiments, the absorbent assembly can have a first longitudinally extending containment flap and a second longitudinally extending containment flap laterally opposing the first longitudinally extending containment flap. In various embodiments, each of the first longitudinally extending containment flaps and the second longitudinally extending containment flaps includes a portion positioned between the backsheet layer of the absorbent assembly and the first nonwoven layer of the chassis.

In various embodiments, each of the first longitudinal side edge and the second longitudinal side edge has a longitudinal length that is less than 25% of the length of the absorbent article. In various embodiments, each of the third longitudinal side edge and the fourth longitudinal side edge has a longitudinal length that is less than 25% of the length of the absorbent article.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an illustration of a plan view of an embodiment of an absorbent article in a first configuration, which is a longitudinally and laterally stretched and laid flat configuration, with the surface of the absorbent article facing the wearer when the absorbent article is worn facing the viewer.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the absorbent article of FIG. 1 along line 2-2.

Figure 3 is an illustration of an embodiment of a cross-sectional view of the absorbent article of figure 1 taken along line 3-3.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of another embodiment of a cross-sectional view of the absorbent article of FIG. 1 taken along line 4-4.

Fig. 5 is an illustration of a plan view of an alternative embodiment of an absorbent article in a first configuration, which is a longitudinally and laterally stretched and laid flat configuration, with the surface of the absorbent article facing the wearer when the absorbent article is worn facing the viewer.

Fig. 6 is an illustration of a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the absorbent article of fig. 5 along line 6-6.

Fig. 7 is an illustration of a front view of an embodiment of the absorbent article of fig. 1 in a second configuration, which is a pull-on pant-like configuration.

Fig. 8 is an illustration of a rear view of the absorbent article of fig. 7.

Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent same or analogous features or elements of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The absorbent article has a front region, a back region, and a crotch region extending between and connecting the front region and the back region. The absorbent article may have a non-linear leg edge extending between and connecting the front and back regions. The absorbent article may have a narrowest width of the absorbent article located between the waist edge of the front region and the transverse axis of the absorbent article. The nonlinear leg elastic may extend from one side edge of the back region to the other side edge of the back region and may have an apex located between the narrowest width of the absorbent article and the lateral axis.

As used herein, the term "absorbent article" refers herein to articles that: which may be placed against or in close proximity to (i.e., adjacent to) the body of the wearer to absorb and contain the various liquid, solid, and semi-solid exudates discharged from the body. Such absorbent articles as described herein are intended to be discarded after a limited period of use rather than laundered or otherwise restored for reuse. It is understood that the present disclosure is applicable to a variety of disposable absorbent articles including, but not limited to, diapers, training pants, youth pants, swim pants, incontinence pants, menstrual pants, adult incontinence garments, and the like, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

As used herein, the term "airlaid" refers herein to a web made by an airlaid process. In an airlaid process, small fiber bundles having typical lengths ranging from about 3 mm to about 52 mm are separated and entrained in a gas source and then deposited onto a forming wire, typically with the aid of a vacuum source. The randomly deposited fibers are then bonded to each other using, for example, hot air to activate the binder component or latex adhesive. Airlaying is set forth, for example, in U.S. patent No.4,640,810 to Laursen et al, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

As used herein, the term "joined" refers herein to the joining, adhering, connecting, or attaching, etc., of two elements. Two elements will be considered to be joined together when they are joined, adhered, connected, attached, etc., directly or indirectly to each other, such as when joined to intermediate elements. Bonding may be by, for example, adhesive, pressure bonding, thermal bonding, ultrasonic bonding, splicing, stitching, and/or welding.

As used herein, the term "bonded carded web" refers herein to webs made from staple fibers that are conveyed through a combing or carding unit that separates or breaks apart and aligns the staple fibers in the machine direction to form a nonwoven web of fibers oriented generally in the machine direction. The materials may be bonded together by methods that may include point bonding, air bonding, ultrasonic bonding, adhesive bonding, and the like.

As used herein, the term "coform" refers herein to a composite material that includes a mixture or stabilized matrix of thermoplastic fibers and a second non-thermoplastic material. For example, coform materials may be made by a process in which at least one meltblown die head is arranged near a chute through which other materials are added to the web while it is being formed. Such other materials may include, but are not limited to, fibrous organic materials such as wood or non-wood pulp, such as cotton, rayon, recycled paper, pulp fluff, as well as superabsorbent particles, inorganic and/or organic absorbent materials, treated polymeric staple fibers, and the like. Some examples of such coform materials are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.4,100,324 to Anderson et al, U.S. Pat. No.4,818,464 to Lau, U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,703 to Everhart et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,624 to Georger et al, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

As used herein, the term "composite fiber" refers herein to a fiber formed from at least two polymeric sources extruded from separate extruders and spun together to form one fiber. Conjugate fibers are also sometimes referred to as bicomponent fibers or multicomponent fibers. The polymers are arranged in substantially constantly positioned distinct zones across the cross-section of the conjugate fibers and extend continuously along the length of the conjugate fibers. The configuration of such a combined fiber may be, for example, a sheath/core arrangement in which the one polymer is surrounded by the other polymer, or may be a side-by-side arrangement, a pie arrangement, or an "islands-in-the-sea" arrangement. Conjugate fibers are taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,820 to Kaneko et al, U.S. Pat. No.4,795,668 to Krueger et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,992 to Marcher et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,552 to Strack et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,987 to Shawver et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,400 to Pike et al, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. For bicomponent fibers, the polymers may be present in ratios of 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 or any other desired ratio. Additionally, a polymer additive, such as a processing aid, may be included in each zone.

As used herein, the term "Machine Direction (MD)" refers to the length of a fabric in the direction in which it is manufactured, rather than the "cross-machine direction (CD), which refers to the width of a fabric in a direction substantially perpendicular to the machine direction.

As used herein, the term "meltblown web" refers herein to a nonwoven web formed by a process in which a molten thermoplastic material is extruded through a plurality of fine, usually circular, die capillaries as molten fibers into converging high velocity gas (e.g. air) streams which attenuate the fibers of molten thermoplastic material to reduce their diameter, which may be to microfiber diameter. Thereafter, the molten fibers are carried by the high velocity gas stream and are deposited on a collecting surface to form a web of randomly dispersed meltblown fibers. Such a process is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,241 to Buten et al, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Generally, meltblown web fibers may be microfibers which may be substantially continuous or discontinuous, are generally smaller than 10 microns in diameter, and are generally tacky when deposited onto a collecting surface.

As used herein, the term "nonwoven fabric" or "nonwoven web" refers herein to a web having a structure of individual fibers or threads that are interlaid, but not in an identifiable manner (e.g., in a knitted fabric). Nonwoven fabrics or webs have been formed from many processes such as, for example, meltblowing processes, spunbonding processes, air bonded carded web (also known as BCW and TABCW) processes, and the like. The basis weight of the nonwoven web can generally vary from, for example, about 5gsm, 10gsm, or 20gsm to about 120gsm, 125gsm, or 150 gsm.

As used herein, the term "spunbond web" refers herein to a web comprising substantially continuous fibers of small diameter. The fibers are formed by: the molten thermoplastic material is extruded from a plurality of fine, usually circular, capillaries of a spinneret having the diameter of the extruded fibers, and then rapidly attenuated by, for example, eductive drawing (or drawing) and/or other well-known spunbonding mechanisms. The preparation of spunbond webs is described and illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.4,340,563 to Appel et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,618 to Dorschner et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,817 to Matsuki et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,338,992 to Kinney, U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,394 to Kinney, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,763 to Hartman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,538 to Levy, U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,615 to Dobo et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,400 to Pike et al, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Spunbond fibers are generally not tacky when they are deposited onto a collecting surface. Spunbond fibers can sometimes have diameters less than about 40 microns and are typically between about 5 and about 20 microns.

As used herein, the terms "superabsorbent polymer", "superabsorbent" or "SAP" shall be used interchangeably and shall refer to a polymer that can absorb and retain an extremely large amount of liquid relative to its own mass. Water-absorbing polymers are classified as crosslinkable hydrogels, which absorb aqueous solutions through hydrogen bonds and other polar forces with water molecules. The ability of an SAP to absorb water is based in part on the degree of ionization (the coefficient of ionic concentration of an aqueous solution) and the functional polar groups of the SAP that have water affinity. SAPs are typically made from the polymerization of acrylic acid blended with sodium hydroxide in the presence of an initiator to form a sodium polyacrylate salt (sometimes referred to as sodium polyacrylate). Other materials are also used to prepare superabsorbent polymers such as polyacrylamide copolymers, ethylene maleic anhydride copolymers, crosslinked carboxymethylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, crosslinked polyethylene oxide, and starch graft copolymers of polyacrylonitrile. The SAP may be present in the absorbent article in the form of particles or fibres or as a coating or another material or fibre.

Referring to fig. 1-4, illustrations of exemplary embodiments of an absorbent article 10 are shown. FIG. 1 provides an illustration of a plan view of an embodiment of an absorbent article 10 in a first configuration, which is an unfolded, longitudinally and laterally stretched, and laid flat configuration, with the surface of the absorbent article 10 facing the wearer when the absorbent article 10 is worn facing the viewer; FIG. 2 provides an illustration of a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the absorbent article 10 of FIG. 1 along line 2-2; FIG. 3 provides an illustration of a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the absorbent article 10 of FIG. 1 along line 3-3; and figure 4 provides an illustration of a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the absorbent article 10 of figure 1 taken along line 4-4. While certain features of the present disclosure may be described and illustrated with respect to adult incontinence garments for purposes of illustration, the various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure are also applicable to diapers, youth pants, swim pants, training pants, incontinence pants, menstrual pants, and the like.

The absorbent article 10 has a longitudinal direction (X), a transverse direction (Y), and a depth direction (Z). The absorbent article 10 may have a longitudinal axis 12 and a transverse axis 14. The absorbent article 10 is intended to be worn about a person's lower torso and may have a front region 20, a back region 30, and a crotch region 40 extending between and connecting the front region 20 and the back region 30. The front region 20 and the back region 30 are those regions of the absorbent article 10 that fit circumferentially around at least the lower torso of the wearer of the absorbent article 10, including, for example, the abdomen, lower back, buttocks and hips of the wearer. The crotch region 40 of the absorbent article 10 is the region of the absorbent article 10 that will be positioned between the legs of the wearer when the absorbent article 10 is worn on the wearer.

In a first configuration, which is an unfolded, stretched, and laid flat configuration, such as that shown in fig. 1, the front region 20 has a front waist edge 22, a first longitudinal side edge 24, and a second longitudinal side edge 26 laterally opposite the first longitudinal side edge 24. The back region 30 has a back waist edge 32, a first longitudinal side edge 34 and a second longitudinal side edge 36 laterally opposite the first longitudinal side edge 34. Placing the absorbent article 10 in a second configuration, which is a suitable configuration for wearing about the lower torso of a wearer, such as shown in fig. 7 and 8, the first longitudinal side edge 24 of the front region 20 may be bonded to the first longitudinal side edge 34 of the back region 30 to form a first side seam 60, and the second longitudinal side edge 26 of the front region 20 may be bonded to the second longitudinal side edge 36 of the back region 30 to form a second side seam 62. Forming the side seams 60 and 62 may form a wearable absorbent article 10 having a waist opening 64 and a pair of leg openings 66, such as shown in fig. 7 and 8.

The front region 20 can have a front region width 28 measured in the transverse direction (Y) between the first longitudinal side edge 24 and the second longitudinal side edge 26. The front region width 28 is measured with the absorbent article 10 fully extended in the cross direction (Y) when the absorbent article 10 is in the first configuration and in the longitudinally and transversely stretched and laid flat configurations as shown in fig. 1, before joining the front region 20 and the back region 30 to form the side seams 60 and 62, respectively, of the second configuration of the absorbent article 10. As used herein, the term "fully extended" describes that the absorbent article 10 extends in a given direction to any point in the direction at which further extension would result in failure (e.g., fracture or permanent deformation) of one or more materials. In various implementations, the front region width 28 may be from 520 millimeters or 540 millimeters to 850 millimeters or 900 millimeters. The back region 30 can have a back region width 38 measured in the transverse direction (Y) between the first longitudinal side edge 34 and the second longitudinal side edge 36 of the back region 30. The back region width 38 is measured with the absorbent article 10 fully extended in the transverse direction (Y) when the absorbent article 10 is in the first configuration and in the longitudinally and transversely stretched and laid flat configurations as shown in fig. 1, before joining the front region 20 and the back region 30 to form the side seams 60 and 62, respectively, of the second configuration of the absorbent article 10. In various embodiments, the rear zone width 38 may be from 520 millimeters or 540 millimeters to 850 millimeters or 900 millimeters.

As shown in fig. 1, the absorbent article 10 has an absorbent article length 70 measured in the longitudinal direction (X) from the front waist edge 22 to the back waist edge 32. The absorbent article length 70 is measured with the absorbent article 10 fully extended in the longitudinal direction (X) when the absorbent article 10 is in the first configuration and in the longitudinal and transverse stretched and laid flat configurations as shown in fig. 1, before joining the front and back regions to form the side seams 60 and 62 of the second configuration of the absorbent article 10. In various embodiments, the absorbent article length 70 may be at least 530 millimeters, 560 millimeters, 600 millimeters, 620 millimeters, 640 millimeters, 660 millimeters, 680 millimeters, 700 millimeters, 720 millimeters, 740 millimeters, 760 millimeters, 780 millimeters, 800 millimeters, or 820 millimeters. The first longitudinal side edge 24 and the second longitudinal side edge 26 of the front region 20 may each have a length 76, measured along the longitudinal direction (X) of the absorbent article 10, that is less than 25% of the absorbent article length 70. The first longitudinal side edge 34 and the second longitudinal side edge 36 of the back region 30 may each have a length 78, measured in the longitudinal direction (X) of the absorbent article 10, that is less than 25% of the absorbent article length 70.

The crotch region 40 is disposed between and interconnects the front region 20 and the back region 30 in the longitudinal direction (X) between the front region 20 and the back region 30. The absorbent article has an absorbent article narrowest width 80 located in the crotch region 40 of the absorbent article 10. The absorbent article narrowest width 80 is measured in the transverse direction (Y) as the narrowest dimension between a first nonlinear leg edge 82 and a second nonlinear leg edge 84, as shown in fig. 1. Each of the leg edges 82 and 84 is non-linear such that a tangent to each of the leg edges 82 and 84 is not parallel to the transverse axis 14 of the absorbent article 10 along the entire length of the non-linear leg edges 82 and 84. The absorbent article narrowest width 80 is measured when the absorbent article 10 is in the first configuration and the longitudinally and laterally stretched and laid flat configuration prior to joining the front and back regions to form the side seams 60 and 62 of the second configuration of the absorbent article 10. In various embodiments, the absorbent article narrowest width 80 is less than 30%, 25%, or 20% of the front region width 28. For example, in various embodiments, the absorbent article narrowest width 80 may be about 150 millimeters and the front region width 28 may be about 630 millimeters or 740 millimeters. In such embodiments, the absorbent article narrowest width 80 may be about 24% or 20% of the front region width 28, respectively. As another example, in various embodiments, the absorbent article narrowest width 80 may be about 150 millimeters and the front region width 80 may be about 750 millimeters or 880 millimeters. In such embodiments, the absorbent article narrowest width 80 may be about 20% or 17% of the front region width 28, respectively. The lower the percentage of the absorbent article narrowest width 80 relative to the front region width 28, the more absorbent article 10 will be shaped in the crotch region 40. In other words, the higher the percentage (up to 100%), the more nearly rectangular the absorbent article 10 is in the crotch region 40. An absorbent article 10 having a more nearly rectangular shape in crotch region 40 may provide excess bulk of absorbent article 10 between the legs of the wearer that cannot follow the contours of the legs of the wearer. This can result in the absorbent article 10 bunching between the legs of the wearer, protruding from the body of the wearer, and not fitting against the body of the wearer where body exudates exit the wearer's body. Providing the absorbent article 10 with a non-rectangular shape in the crotch region 40 of the absorbent article 10 may remove bulk from between the legs of the wearer and allow the absorbent article 10 to better fit and conform between the contours of the legs of the wearer. This may allow for improved fit of the absorbent article 10 to the wearer's body.

In various embodiments, the absorbent article narrowest width 80 is located between the front waist edge 22 and the lateral axis 14 of the absorbent article 10. In such embodiments, the absorbent article narrowest width 80 is not in overlapping alignment with the transverse axis 14 of the absorbent article 10. The absorbent article narrowest width 80 may divide the absorbent article length 70 into a first article sub-length 72 and a second article sub-length 74. The first article length 72 may be measured along the longitudinal direction (X) from the front waist edge 22 to the absorbent article narrowest width 80 when the absorbent article 10 is in a longitudinally and laterally stretched and laid flat configuration, prior to joining the front and back regions to form the side seams 60 and 62. The second article length 74 may be measured along the longitudinal direction (X) from the back waist edge 32 to the absorbent article narrowest width 80 when the absorbent article 10 is in a longitudinally and laterally stretched and laid flat configuration, prior to joining the front and back regions to form the side seams 60 and 62. In various embodiments, the first article sub-length 72 is less than the second article sub-length 74. In various embodiments, the first article sub-length 72 may be less than 45% or 40% of the total article length 70. In various embodiments, the second article sub-length 74 may be greater than 55% or 60% of the article total length 70. Wearers of absorbent articles 10 have body shapes of various shapes, sizes, and curvatures, and are generally asymmetric. Placing an absorbent article 10 that is symmetric about the lateral axis 14 on an asymmetric body can result in a reduction in the proper fit of the absorbent article 10 on the body of the wearer. Positioning the absorbent article narrowest width 80 closer to the front waist edge 22 and out of alignment with the lateral axis 14 can provide asymmetry about the lateral axis 14 of the absorbent article 10. As a result, when the narrowest width 80 of the absorbent article is positioned between the legs of the wearer, a greater proportion of the absorbent article 10 is positioned on the rear side of the wearer's body, thereby better covering the hips of the wearer of the absorbent article 10.

When the absorbent article 10 is in the first configuration such that the absorbent article 10 is in a longitudinally and laterally stretched and laid flat configuration, the first longitudinal side edge 24 of the front region 20 may be aligned with the first longitudinal side edge 34 of the back region 30, thereby forming a longitudinal plane 120 between the first longitudinal side edge 24 of the front region 20 and the first longitudinal side edge 34 of the back region 30. In such a configuration, the first lateral distance 122 may be measured in the lateral direction (Y) from the longitudinal plane 120 to a first location 124 on the first nonlinear leg edge 82, where the first location 124 on the first nonlinear leg edge 82 is located at the absorbent article narrowest width 80. In various embodiments, the first lateral distance 122 may be the maximum lateral distance between the longitudinal plane 120 and the first nonlinear leg edge 82. The second lateral distance 126 may be measured in the lateral direction (Y) from the longitudinal plane 120 to the first nonlinear leg edge 82. The origin of the second transverse distance 126 may be a location 128 on the longitudinal plane 120 that is located a distance of one-quarter of the absorbent article length 70 from the first waist edge 22. The second lateral distance 126 may be greater than 75% or 80% of the first lateral distance 122. The third transverse distance 130 may be measured in the transverse direction (Y) from the longitudinal plane 120 to the first nonlinear leg edge 82. The origin of the third transverse distance 130 may be a location 132 on the longitudinal plane 120 that is located a distance of five eighths of the absorbent article length 70 from the first waist edge 22. The third lateral distance 130 may be less than 70% or 65% of the first lateral distance 122.

The absorbent article 10 may comprise a chassis 100 and an absorbent assembly 50 joined to the chassis 100. The chassis 100 may extend from the front waist edge 22 of the front region 20, through the crotch region 40, and to the back waist edge 32 of the back region 30. In various embodiments, the chassis 100 can be formed from multiple layers of materials and can have a garment-facing layer 102 that provides the garment-facing surface 104 and an absorbent assembly-facing layer 106 that provides the absorbent assembly-facing surface 108. The absorbent assembly 50 may be joined to the absorbent assembly-facing surface 108 of the absorbent assembly-facing layer 106 in any manner deemed suitable, such as with adhesives, ultrasonic bonding, thermal bonding, pressure bonding, and the like.

In various embodiments, the material forming each of the garment-facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 and the absorbent assembly-facing layer 106 of the chassis 100 may be the same material. In various embodiments, the material forming each of the garment-facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 and the absorbent assembly-facing layer 106 of the chassis 100 may be different. In various embodiments, the material forming the garment-facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 and/or the absorbent assembly-facing layer 106 of the chassis 100 can be liquid permeable. In various embodiments, the material forming the garment-facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 and/or the absorbent assembly-facing layer 106 of the chassis 100 can be liquid impermeable. In various embodiments, the material forming the garment-facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 and/or the absorbent assembly-facing layer 106 of the chassis 100 can be vapor permeable. In various embodiments, the material forming the garment-facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 and/or the absorbent assembly-facing layer 106 of the chassis 100 can be vapor impermeable.

In various embodiments, the garment-facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 and/or the absorbent assembly-facing layer 106 of the chassis 100 may be formed from any suitable fibrous nonwoven web. For example, in various embodiments, the garment-facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 and/or the absorbent assembly-facing layer 106 of the chassis 100 may be formed from a nonwoven web, such as a web of staple fibers or a more continuous web of fibers or filaments, such as found in meltblown or spunbond webs. Air-bonded carded staple fiber webs may also be suitable for the garment-facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 and/or the absorbent assembly-facing layer 106 of the chassis 100 because fibers such as bicomponent fibers, which may include polyethylene-based polymers for the cover to provide a softer feel and hand, may be used, while the core of the bicomponent fibers may be made of polymers such as polypropylene and polyester to provide other properties such as stiffness and compression resiliency. In various embodiments, the garment-facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 and/or the absorbent assembly-facing layer 106 of the chassis 100 can be made from a spunbond web or a combination of spunbond and meltblown webs, which are typically made from polypropylene-based polymers. In various embodiments, the basis weight of each of the garment-facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 and the absorbent assembly-facing layer 106 of the chassis 100 may be from about 10gsm or 15gsm to about 35gsm, 50gsm, or 100 gsm.

The front region 20 of the absorbent article 10 and the back region 30 of the absorbent article 10 may comprise elastic materials such that upon application of a stretching force, they are stretchable in the cross direction (Y) and upon release of the stretching force, they contract/return at least a portion of their stretched length, returning to their original dimensions. The elastic material in each of the front region 20 and the back region 30 may be sandwiched between the garment-facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 and the absorbent assembly-facing layer 106 of the chassis 100. The elastic material may be sandwiched and held between the garment facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 and the absorbent assembly facing layer 106 of the chassis 100 by an adhesive, ultrasonic bonding, heat and pressure sealing, or any other means deemed suitable. The elastic material in the front region 20 may extend continuously between the first longitudinal side edge 24 and the second longitudinal side edge 26 of the front region 20. The elastic material in the back region 30 may extend continuously between the first longitudinal side edge 34 and the second longitudinal side edge 36 of the back region 30. The continuous extension of the elastic material in the lateral direction (Y) in each of the front region 20 and the back region 30 may provide continuous tension of the elastic material in the lateral direction (Y) in the front region 20 and the back region 30. In other words, the elastic material in each of the front region 20 and the back region 30 remains active and is capable of continuous stretch/retraction in the transverse direction (Y) of the absorbent article 10 over the entire length of the elastic material in the transverse direction (Y). In various embodiments, it may be considered suitable to deactivate a portion of the elastic material in the front region 20 and/or the back region 30. Deactivation of the elastic material may be accomplished by any method deemed suitable, such as cutting the elastic material, hot pressing the elastic material, or any other suitable method.

In various embodiments, in addition to the elastic material extending in the cross direction (Y) between each of the first and second longitudinal side edges 24, 26 of the front region 20 and between the first and second longitudinal side edges 34, 36 of the back region 30, the elastic material may also extend in the cross direction (Y) between the first and second non-linear leg edges 82, 84, such as shown in fig. 1 and 5. In various embodiments, it may be considered suitable to deactivate a portion of the elastic material extending between the first nonlinear leg edge 82 and the second nonlinear leg edge 84. Deactivation of the elastic material may be accomplished by any method deemed suitable, such as cutting the elastic material, hot pressing the elastic material, or any other suitable method. The provision of elastic material in each of the front region 20 and the back region 30 extending in the transverse direction (Y) between their respective longitudinal side edges 24, 26, 34 and 36 may provide tension to the absorbent article 10 about the waist of the wearer of the absorbent article 10 and may help retain the absorbent article 10 about the torso of the wearer of the absorbent article 10. Providing an elastic material extending in the transverse direction (Y) between the first nonlinear leg edge 82 and the second nonlinear leg edge 84 can further provide support to the absorbent article 10 and can help hold the absorbent assembly 50 closer to the body of the wearer of the absorbent article 10, thereby minimizing leakage of body exudates from the absorbent article 10 and improving the comfort of the wearer of the absorbent article 10. In various embodiments, the elastic material may extend in the transverse direction (Y) between the first and second longitudinal side edges 34, 36 and between the first and second nonlinear leg edges 82, 84 in the back region 30 and the crotch region 40 of the absorbent article 10 a length that is three-eighths of the total absorbent article length 70, measured from the back waist edge 32 of the absorbent article 10.

In various embodiments, such as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the elastic material in the absorbent article 10 may be strands of elastic material 92, such as may be preformed from, for example, LYCRA brand fibers/yarns. LYCRA is a registered trademark of e.i. dupont DeNemours co., Wilmington, DE, u.s.a. The elastic strands 92 may have a circular, semi-circular, square, rectangular, oval, or other geometric configuration. In various embodiments, such as shown in fig. 5 and 6, the elastic material in the absorbent article 10 may be an elastic polymer film layer 94. In various embodiments, a suitable elastic polymer film layer 94 may be a Stretch Bonded Laminate (SBL) in which the elastic core or intermediate layer is elongated before the two opposing outer nonwoven web layers are joined thereto. Another suitable material for the elastic polymer film layer 94 is a Neck Bonded Laminate (NBL). The NBL material is a three layer laminate but the elastic core or middle layer is not pre-stretched prior to attachment to the two outer nonwoven web layers. Instead, the opposing outer nonwoven web layers are neck stretched before the elastic core or intermediate layer is bonded to them. Other examples of such elastic materials that may be used as the elastic polymer film layer 94 include Continuous Filament Stretch Bonded Laminates (CFSBL), Vertical Filament Laminates (VFL), neck-in stretch bonded laminates (NSBL), or neck-in thermal laminates (NTL). Combinations of these materials may also be used. Such materials are described in U.S. Pat. No.4,720,415 to Vander Wielen et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,793 to Fitts et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,775 to Wright, U.S. Pat. No. 6,969,441 to Welch et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,978,486 to Zhou et al, U.S. Pat. No. 7,803,244 to Siqueira et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,992 to Morman et al, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The elastic laminate just described will generally comprise an elastic layer and at least one surface-bonded nonwoven web layer, such as a meltblown, spunbond or through-air bonded web.

Each of the front region 20 and the back region 30 may have a portion that may be a waist of the absorbent article 10. In various embodiments, the waist portion of each of the front region 20 and the back region 30 may have a length in the longitudinal direction (X) that is less than about 5%, 4%, or 3% of the absorbent article length 70. In various embodiments, the waist portion of each of the front region 20 and the back region 30 may be formed by folding a portion of the garment-facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 onto itself and forming a folded edge 96 at each of the front waist edge 22 and the back waist edge 32. The folding of a portion of the garment facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 may also encase a portion of the elastic material within the front region 20 and the back region 30 in the waist portion of each of the front region 20 and the back region 30. In the illustrative and exemplary embodiment of fig. 1 and 2, the waist portion of each of the front region 20 and the back region 30 may be illustrated as the portion where the elastic lycra strands 92 are sandwiched between the garment facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 that has been folded over onto itself to form the folded edges 96 and place the material edges 98 on the interior of the absorbent article 10. Similarly, in the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 5 and 6, the waist portion of each of the front region 20 and the back region 30 may be illustrated as the portion where the elastic polymer film layer 94 is sandwiched between the garment facing layer 102 of the chassis 100 that has been folded over onto itself to form the folded edge 96 and place the material edge 98 on the interior of the absorbent article 10.

The absorbent article 10 may also include an absorbent assembly 50. The absorbent assembly 50 may extend in the longitudinal direction (X) of the absorbent article 10 from the front region 20, through the crotch region 40 and to the back region 30. In various embodiments, the absorbent assembly 50 may have at least a topsheet layer 52, a backsheet layer 54, and an absorbent core 56 positioned between the topsheet layer 52 and the backsheet layer 54. In various embodiments, the absorbent assembly 50 may have at least a topsheet layer 52, a backsheet layer 54, an absorbent core 56 positioned between the topsheet layer 52 and the backsheet layer 54, and a surge layer 58 positioned between the absorbent core 56 and the topsheet layer 52. The topsheet layer 52 may be joined to the backsheet layer 54 beyond the outermost edges of the absorbent core 56 to form a perimeter seal for the absorbent assembly 50. The perimeter seal can contain bodily exudates within the absorbent assembly 50 of the absorbent article 10.

The topsheet layer 52 defines a body-facing surface 90 of the absorbent assembly 50 that can directly contact the body of the wearer and is liquid-permeable to receive body exudates. The topsheet layer 52 is desirably provided to provide comfort and functionality to direct bodily exudates away from the wearer's body, through its own structure, and toward the absorbent core 56. The topsheet layer 52 desirably retains little liquid in its structure so that it provides a relatively comfortable and non-irritating surface adjacent the skin of a wearer of the absorbent article 10.

The topsheet layer 52 may be a single layer of material, or may be multiple layers that have been laminated together. The topsheet layer 52 may be constructed of any material, such as one or more woven sheets, one or more fibrous nonwoven sheets, one or more apertured film sheets, such as blown or extruded films, which may themselves be single or multi-layered, one or more foam sheets, such as a web, open or closed cell foam, coated nonwoven sheets, or a combination of any of these materials. This combination may be bonded, thermally or ultrasonically laminated to a unified planar sheet structure to form the topsheet layer 52.

In various embodiments, the topsheet layer 52 can be composed of various nonwoven webs, such as meltblown webs, spunbond webs, hydroentangled webs, or air bonded carded webs. Examples of suitable topsheet layer 52 materials can include, but are not limited to, natural fiber webs (e.g., cotton), rayon, spunlace webs, bonded carded webs of polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, or other thermally-bonded fibers (e.g., bicomponent fibers), polyolefins, copolymers of polypropylene and polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, and aliphatic esters such as polylactic acid. Apertured films and web-like materials, as well as laminates and/or combinations of such materials, may also be used. An example of a suitable topsheet layer 52 may be a bonded carded web made of polypropylene and polyethylene, such as that available from Sandler corp. U.S. patent 4,801,494 to Datta et al and U.S. patent 4,908,026 to Sukiennik et al, and WO2009/062998 to Texol, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, teach various other topsheet materials that can be used as topsheet layer 52. Additional topsheet layer 52 materials may include, but are not limited to, those described in U.S. patent 4,397,644 to Matthews et al, U.S. patent 4,629,643 to Curro et al, U.S. patent 5,188,625 to Van Iten et al, U.S. patent 5,382,400 to Pike et al, U.S. patent 5,533,991 to Kirby et al, U.S. patent 6,410,823 to Daley et al, and U.S. publication 2012/0289917 to Abuto et al, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In various embodiments, the topsheet layer 52 can comprise a plurality of apertures formed therethrough to allow bodily exudates to more readily enter the absorbent core 56. The apertures may be randomly or uniformly arranged throughout the topsheet layer 52. The size, shape, diameter and number of apertures may be varied to suit the particular needs of the absorbent article 10.

In various embodiments, the topsheet layer 52 may have a basis weight ranging from about 5gsm, 10gsm, 15gsm, 20gsm, or 25gsm to about 50gsm, 100gsm, 120gsm, 125gsm, or 150 gsm. For example, in one embodiment, the topsheet layer 52 may be composed of an air-bonded carded web having a basis weight in the range of about 15gsm to about 100 gsm. In another example, the topsheet layer 52 may be composed of an air-bonded carded web having a basis weight of about 20gsm to about 50gsm, such as those readily available from nonwoven manufacturers (e.g., Xiamen Yanjiang industries, Beijing Dayu nonwovens, etc.).

In various embodiments, the topsheet layer 52 may be at least partially hydrophilic. In various embodiments, a portion of the topsheet layer 52 may be hydrophilic and a portion of the topsheet layer 52 may be hydrophobic. In various embodiments, the portions of the topsheet layer 52 that may be hydrophobic may be inherently hydrophobic materials or may be materials treated with a hydrophobic coating.

In various embodiments, the topsheet layer 52 may be a multi-component topsheet layer 52, e.g., having two or more different nonwoven or film materials, which are disposed at different locations along the transverse (Y) direction of the absorbent assembly 50. For example, the topsheet layer 52 can be a two-or multi-component material having a central portion positioned along and straddling the longitudinal axis 12 of the absorbent article 10, with lateral side portions on either side of the central portion and bonded to each side edge of the central portion. The central portion may be constructed of a first material and the side portions may be constructed of the same or different material as the central portion. In such embodiments, the central portion may be at least partially hydrophilic and the lateral portions may be inherently hydrophobic or may be treated with a hydrophobic coating. Examples of the structure of multi-component topsheet layers are generally described in U.S. patent 5,961,505 to Coe, U.S. patent 5,415,640 to Kirby, and U.S. patent 6,117,523 to Sugahara, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In various embodiments, the central portion of the topsheet layer 52 may be positioned symmetrically about the longitudinal axis 12 of the absorbent article 10. Such a central longitudinally oriented central portion may be an air bonded carded web ("TABCW") having a basis weight between about 15gsm and about 100 gsm. The previously described nonwoven, woven and apertured film topsheet materials may also be used as the central portion of the topsheet layer 52. In various embodiments, the central portion may be constructed of a TABCW material having a basis weight of about 20gsm to about 50gsm, such as available from Xiamen Yangjiang industry, Beijing Dayuan nonwoven, and the like. Alternatively, apertured films may be used, such as those available from film suppliers such as Texol, Italy and Tredegar, u.s.a. Different nonwoven, woven, or film sheets may be used as the sides of the topsheet layer 52. The selection of such topsheet layer 52 materials may vary based on the overall desired properties of the topsheet layer 52. For example, it may be desirable to have a hydrophilic material in the central portion and a hydrophobic barrier type material on the sides to prevent leakage and increase the dry feel of the side regions. Such side portions may be adhesively, thermally, ultrasonically or otherwise bonded to the central portion along or adjacent to the longitudinally oriented side edges of the central portion. Conventional absorbent article construction adhesives may be used to join the side portions to the central portion. Either the central portion and/or the lateral portions may be treated with surfactants and/or skin health benefit agents known in the art.

Such longitudinally oriented side portions may be of single or multi-layer construction. In various embodiments, the side portions may be bonded or otherwise joined laminates. In various embodiments, the side portions may be comprised of an upper fibrous nonwoven layer laminated to a bottom layer of hydrophobic barrier film material, such as a spunbond material. Such a spunbond layer can be formed from a polyolefin such as polypropylene and can include a wetting agent if desired. In various embodiments, the spunbond layer can have a basis weight of about 10gsm or 12gsm to about 30gsm or 70gsm and can be treated with a hydrophilic wetting agent. In various embodiments, the film layer may have apertures to allow fluid to penetrate to the underlying layer, and may be a single layer or a multilayer construction. In various embodiments, such a film may be a polyolefin, such as polyethylene having a basis weight of about 10gsm to about 40 gsm. The structural adhesive may be used to laminate the spunbond layer to the film layer at add-on levels of between about 0.1gsm and 15 gsm. When a film barrier layer is used throughout the topsheet layer 52 design, it may include an opacifier, such as film pigment, which may help the film mask stains along the side edges of the absorbent article 10, thereby acting as a masking element. In this manner, the film layer can serve to limit the visualization of fluid insult stains along the side edges of the absorbent assembly 50 when viewed from above the topsheet layer 52. The film layer may also serve as a barrier layer to prevent rewet of the topsheet layer 52 and to prevent fluid from escaping from the side edges of the absorbent assembly 50. In various embodiments, the side portion may be a laminate, such as a spunbond-meltblown-spunbond layer ("SMMS") laminate, a spunbond film laminate, or alternatively, other nonwoven laminate combinations.

The backsheet layer 54 of the absorbent assembly 50 is generally liquid impermeable and is the portion of the absorbent assembly 50 that faces the wearer's garment. The backsheet layer 54 may permit the passage of air or vapor through the absorbent article 10 while still preventing the passage of liquids. Any liquid impermeable material may generally be used to form the backsheet layer 54. The backsheet layer 54 may be comprised of a single layer or multiple layers, and these layer or layers may themselves comprise similar or different materials. Suitable materials that may be used may be microporous polymeric films such as polyolefin films or polyethylene or polypropylene, nonwoven materials and nonwoven laminates, and film/nonwoven laminates. The particular structure and composition of the backsheet layer 54 may be selected from a variety of known films and/or fabrics, with the particular materials being appropriately selected to provide the desired level of liquid barrier, strength, abrasion resistance, tactile properties, aesthetics, and the like. In various embodiments, polyethylene films having a thickness of about 0.2 mil or 0.5 mil to about 3.0 mil or 5.0 mil may be used. An example of backsheet layer 54 may be a polyethylene film such as that available from Pliant corp. Another example may include calcium carbonate filled polypropylene films. In yet another embodiment, the backsheet layer 54 may be a hydrophobic nonwoven material having water barrier properties, such as a nonwoven laminate, examples of which may be spunbond, meltblown, spunbond four layer laminates.

In various embodiments, the backsheet layer 54 may be a two-layer structure including an outer layer of material and an inner layer of material that may be joined together. The outer layer can be any suitable material and can be a material that provides a substantially cloth-like texture or appearance to the wearer. An example of such a material may be a 100% polypropylene bonded carded web with a diamond bond pattern, such as 30gsm Sawabond, available from Sandler A.G. GermanyOr equivalent materials. Another example of a material suitable for use as an outer layer may be a 20gsm spunbond polypropylene nonwoven web. The inner layer may be vapor permeable (i.e., "breathable") or vapor impermeable. The inner layer may be made of a thin plastic film, but other liquid impermeable materials may also be used. The inner layer can inhibit liquid bodily exudates from leaking out of the absorbent assembly 50 and wetting articles (e.g., bedsheets and clothing) as well as the wearer and caregiver. An example of a material for the inner layer may be a printed 19gsm Berry Plastics XP-8695H film or an equivalent material commercially available from Berry Plastics Corporation, Evansville, IN, U.S.

Thus, the backsheet layer 54 may be a single layer or a multi-layer structure, such as a multi-layer film layer or a laminate of a film and a nonwoven fibrous layer. Suitable backsheet layers 54 may be constructed of materials such as those described in U.S. Pat. No.4,578,069 to Whitehead et al, U.S. Pat. No.4,376,799 to Tusim et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,849 to Shawver et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,075,179 to McCormack et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,376,095 to Cheung et al, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The absorbent core 56 may be positioned between the topsheet layer 52 and the backsheet layer 54 of the absorbent article 10. In various embodiments, the absorbent core 56 may extend in the longitudinal direction (X) of the absorbent assembly 50. The absorbent core 56 may have a first portion that is located in the crotch region 40 of the absorbent article 10. In various embodiments, the absorbent core 56 may have a second portion located in a portion of at least one of the front region 20 or the back region 30. In various embodiments, absorbent core 56 may have a first portion in crotch region 40 and a second portion in a portion of front region 20. In various embodiments, the absorbent core 56 can have a first portion located in the crotch region 40 and a second portion located in a portion of the back region 30. In various embodiments, the absorbent core 56 may have a first portion in the crotch region 40, a second portion in a portion of the front region 20, and a third portion in a portion of the back region 30.

The absorbent core 56 can generally be any single-layer structure or combination of layer components that can exhibit a level of compressibility, conformability, non-irritation to the wearer's skin, and the ability to absorb and retain liquids and other body exudates. In various embodiments, the absorbent core 56 may be formed from a variety of different materials and may contain any number of desired layers. For example, the absorbent core 56 may comprise one or more layers (e.g., two layers) of an absorbent web material made from cellulosic fibers (e.g., wood pulp fibers), other natural fibers, synthetic fibers, woven or nonwoven sheets, scrim webs, or other stabilizing structures, superabsorbent material, binder materials, surfactants, selected hydrophobic and hydrophilic materials, pigments, lotions, odor control agents or the like, as well as combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the absorbent web material may comprise a matrix of cellulosic fluff and may also comprise superabsorbent material. The cellulosic fluff may comprise a mixture of wood pulp fluff. An example of wood pulp fluff is identified by the trade name NB416, available from Weyerhaeuser corp, which is a bleached, highly absorbent wood pulp containing primarily softwood fibers.

In various embodiments, the absorbent core 56 can include an optional amount of superabsorbent material, if desired. Examples of suitable superabsorbent materials can include poly (acrylic acid), poly (methacrylic acid), poly (acrylamide), poly (vinyl ether), copolymers of maleic anhydride with vinyl ether and alpha-olefins, poly (vinyl pyrrolidone), poly (vinyl morpholinone), polyvinyl alcohol, and salts and copolymers thereof. Other superabsorbent materials can include unmodified natural polymers and modified natural polymers, such as hydrolyzed acrylonitrile-grafted starch, acrylic acid grafted starch, methyl cellulose, chitosan, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, and natural gums, such as alginates, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, and the like. Mixtures of natural and wholly or partially synthetic superabsorbent polymers may also be used. The superabsorbent material can be present in the absorbent core 56 in any amount as desired.

Regardless of the combination of absorbent materials used in the absorbent core 56, the absorbent materials can be formed into a web structure by employing various conventional methods and techniques. For example, the absorbent fibrous web may be formed by techniques such as, but not limited to, dry forming techniques, air forming techniques, wet forming techniques, foam forming techniques, the like, and combinations thereof. Coform nonwovens may also be used. Methods and apparatus for implementing these techniques are well known in the art.

The shape of the absorbent core 56 can vary as desired and can include any of a variety of shapes including, but not limited to, triangular, rectangular, dog-bone, and oval. In various embodiments, the shape of the absorbent core 56 may generally correspond to the overall shape of the absorbent assembly 50. The size of the absorbent core 56 may be substantially similar to the size of the absorbent assembly 50, however, it should be understood that the size of the absorbent core 56, while similar, is generally smaller than the size of the entire absorbent assembly 50 so as to be contained therein as well.

For example, suitable materials and/or structures for the absorbent core 56 can include, but are not limited to, the materials and/or structures described in U.S. Pat. No.4,610,678 to Weisman et al, U.S. Pat. No.4,610,636 to Yahiaoui et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,610,903 to Latimer et al, U.S. Pat. No. 7,358,282 to Krueger et al, and U.S. published patent No. 2010/017426 to Di Luccio et al, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In various embodiments, the absorbent core 56 can be a single layer structure and can include, for example, a matrix of cellulosic fluff and superabsorbent material. In various embodiments, the absorbent core 56 can have at least two layers of material, such as a body facing layer and a garment facing layer. In various embodiments, the two layers may be identical to each other. In various embodiments, the two layers may be different from each other. In such embodiments, the two layers may provide the absorbent article 10 with different absorption characteristics as deemed suitable. In various embodiments, the body facing layer of the absorbent core 56 can be comprised of an airlaid material and the garment facing layer of the absorbent core 56 can be comprised of a compressed sheet comprising superabsorbent polymer. In such embodiments, the airlaid material can have a basis weight of from about 40gsm to about 200gsm and the compressed sheet comprising superabsorbent polymer can be a cellulosic fluff-based material, which can be a combination of cellulose pulp and SAP surrounded by a tissue carrier, having a basis weight of from about 40gsm to about 400 gsm.

In various embodiments, the absorbent assembly 50 may include a surge layer 58 positioned between the absorbent core 56 and the topsheet layer 52. The surge layer 58 can be adapted to absorb bodily exudates with the absorbent core 56. In various embodiments, the surge layer 58 can have a relatively high void volume and the absorbent core 56 can rapidly absorb and retain bodily exudates such that the absorbent core 56 has time to absorb the bodily exudates without leaking such bodily exudates from the absorbent article 10. The surge layer 58 may take any size and shape as desired and deemed suitable. For example, in fig. 1, the surge layer 58 is shown in a rectangular shape and has a smaller size dimension than the absorbent core 56.

The absorbent assembly 50 can be configured to contain body exudates discharged from the wearer of the absorbent article 10. For example, the containment flaps 110 are configured to provide a barrier to the lateral (Y) flow of bodily exudates. A flap elastic 112 can be operatively connected to each containment flap 110. The elasticized containment flaps 110 may have a partially unattached free edge 114 which may assume an upright configuration in at least the crotch region 40 of the absorbent article 10 to form a seal against the wearer's body during use. In various embodiments, the containment flaps 110 can extend in the longitudinal direction (X) along the entire length of the absorbent assembly 50 or can extend only partially along the length of the absorbent assembly 50.

In various embodiments, the containment flaps 110 can be constructed of a fibrous material, which can be similar to the material forming the topsheet layer 52. In various embodiments, exemplary materials forming the containment flaps 110 can include polyolefin films, microporous or other breathable formed films, breathable integral films, and hydrophobic nonwoven materials. Examples of hydrophobic nonwovens may include spunbond meltblown, spunbond-meltblown-spunbond, and spunbond-meltblown-spunbond composites. Other conventional materials including multilayer films and/or nonwoven materials may be used to form the containment flap material.

In various embodiments, the containment flaps 110 can be integrally formed with the absorbent assembly 50 and can be extensions of the material forming the topsheet layer 52 and/or the backsheet layer 54. In various embodiments, for example, as shown in fig. 3 and 4, the containment flaps 110 can be formed separately from the absorbent assembly 50 and can be joined to the absorbent assembly 50 and/or the chassis 100 of the absorbent article 10. In such an embodiment, wherein each containment flap 110 is formed separately from the absorbent assembly 50, the material forming each containment flap 110 can have a pair of longitudinally extending edges 116 and 118. In various embodiments, each containment flap 110 can be configured such that a portion of the containment flap 110 is positioned between the garment-facing surface of the backsheet layer 54 of the absorbent assembly 50 and the absorbent assembly-facing surface 108 of the absorbent assembly-facing layer 106 of the chassis 100. In such a configuration, the longitudinally extending edge 118 of the material forming the containment flap 110 can be positioned between the garment-facing surface of the backsheet layer 54 of the absorbent assembly 50 and the absorbent assembly-facing surface 108 of the absorbent assembly-facing layer 106 of the chassis 100. At least a portion of the material forming the containment flaps 110 can be folded over onto itself to wrap the flap elastic(s) 112 that are operatively connected to the containment flaps 110. The portion of the containment flaps 110 comprising the folded material can form at least a portion of the unattached free edge 114 of each containment flap 110, which can extend in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent assembly 50 and can be positioned in an overlapping configuration with the topsheet layer 52 of the absorbent assembly 50. In various embodiments, the wrapped flap elastic(s) 112 can be located adjacent to the at least partially unattached free edge 114 of each containment flap 110. In various embodiments, such as shown in FIG. 3, the longitudinally extending edges 116 of material forming the containment flaps 110 can be positioned above the topsheet layer 52 of the absorbent assembly 50. In various embodiments, such as shown in FIG. 4, the longitudinally extending edge 116 of each containment flap 110 can be positioned adjacent the garment-facing surface of the backsheet layer 54 of the absorbent assembly 50. In such embodiments, each of the longitudinally extending edges 116 and 118 of the containment flaps 110 can be positioned between the garment facing surface of the backsheet layer 54 of the absorbent assembly 50 and the absorbent assembly facing surface 108 of the absorbent assembly facing layer 106 of the chassis 100.

In various embodiments, the absorbent article 10 may also have leg elastics 140. In various embodiments, the absorbent article 10 may have 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 leg elastics 140. The leg elastic 140 may be located between the garment facing layer 102 and the absorbent assembly facing layer 106 of the chassis 100. Each leg elastic 140 may be a single strand, band, or strip of elastic material. For example, the absorbent article 10 shown in fig. 1 shows three leg elastics 140. In various embodiments, the leg elastics 140 may be located in the front region 20 of the absorbent article 10. In various embodiments, the leg elastics 140 may be located in the back region 30 of the absorbent article 10. In various embodiments, the leg elastic 140 may extend from the front region 20 or the back region 30 into the crotch region 40 of the absorbent article 10. For example, in various embodiments, such as shown in figure 1, the leg elastics 140 may extend from the first longitudinal side edge 34 of the back region 30 to the second longitudinal side edge 36 of the back region 30. The leg elastic 140 may be non-linear as it extends from the first longitudinal side edge 34 of the back region to the second longitudinal side edge 36 of the back region 30. In the non-linear configuration, the leg elastic 140 may begin at the first longitudinal side edge 34 of the back region 30, follow the contour of the first non-linear side edge 82, overlap the absorbent assembly 50, follow the contour of the second non-linear side edge 84, and terminate at the second longitudinal side edge 36 of the back region 30. In the non-linear configuration, the leg elastic 140 may have an apex 142 located between the narrowest width 80 of the absorbent article in the crotch region 40 of the absorbent article 10 and the transverse axis 14 of the absorbent article 10. The apex 142 of the leg elastic 140 may be in an overlapping configuration with the absorbent assembly 50. Providing leg elastics 140 having an apex 142 between the absorbent article narrowest width 80 and the lateral axis 14 can provide tension to the absorbent article 10 in the crotch region 40 of the absorbent article 10 and maintain the absorbent assembly 50 of the absorbent article 10 in closer contact with the wearer of the absorbent article 10. This closer contact between the absorbent assembly 50 and the body of the wearer of the absorbent article 10 can reduce or prevent leakage of bodily exudates from the absorbent article 10.

In various embodiments, it may be considered appropriate to vary the tension provided by the leg elastics 140 to reduce the amount of tension provided by the leg elastics 140. A reduction in the tension provided by the leg elastics 140 may be considered suitable because the combination of the tension provided by the elastic material 92 and the leg elastics 140 may result in bunching of the absorbent article 10 and protrusion of the absorbent article out of the body of the wearer of the absorbent article 10. In various embodiments, the tension provided by leg elastic(s) 140 may be varied by selectively weakening leg elastic 140 such that leg elastic 140 is no longer capable of exhibiting the ability to stretch and retract along its entire length. In various embodiments, the selective weakening may occur by cutting the leg elastic 140 or mechanically altering the leg elastic 140. In various embodiments in which more than one leg elastic 140 is provided, each leg elastic 140 may have a different tension, such as a different dtex or different extension stress during formation, than the other leg elastic 140.

For the sake of brevity and conciseness, any range of values set forth herein contemplates all values within that range and should be construed as supporting claims reciting any sub-ranges whose endpoints are all numbers within the specified range in question. By way of hypothetical example, a disclosure having a range of 1 to 5 should be considered to support claims to any of the following ranges: 1 to 5,1 to 4,1 to 3, 1 to 2, 2 to 5,2 to 4, 2 to 3,3 to 5,3 to 4 and 4 to 5.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Rather, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "40 millimeters" is intended to mean "about 40" millimeters.

All documents cited in the detailed description are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this written document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to the term in this written document shall govern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

When introducing elements of the present text or the preferred embodiments thereof, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Many modifications and variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Therefore, the above embodiments should not be used to limit the scope of the present invention.