Fluid management article having body-faceable protrusions

1. A fluid-management article, comprising:

a body-faceable, liquid-pervious cover having a top surface;

a garment-faceable, liquid-impervious barrier; and

an absorbent system intermediate the cover and the barrier, wherein the fluid-management article comprises a plurality of fluid-guiding channels, wherein the fluid-guiding channels entirely surround each one of a plurality of isolated protrusions, wherein the channels and the protrusions are formed through the top surface of the cover and at least a portion of the absorbent system, wherein the protrusions have an apex that extends a height above at least a portion of the plurality of channels, wherein the height is greater than about 0.5 millimeters (mm), and wherein the protrusions have a number density greater than about 0.15 protrusions/cm 2 .

2. The fluid management article of claim 1 wherein the protrusions have a sufficient resilience, when wet, of maintaining a separation between the channels and a surface of the wearer's body, when the fluid management article is worn by a user.

3. The fluid management article of claim 1 wherein the protrusions and the channels form a continuous region.

4. The fluid management article of claim 3 wherein the continuous region extends across a centerline of the article, wherein the centerline is selected from the group consisting of the longitudinally-extending centerline, the transversely extending centerline and combinations thereof.

5. The fluid management article of claim 1 wherein the channels form a continuous interconnected network that defines at least two adjacent protrusions.

6. The fluid management article of claim 3 wherein the absorbent article is bounded by a footprint boundary, and the continuous region is spaced apart from the footprint boundary.

7. The fluid management article of claim 1 wherein the channels are oblique with respect to the longitudinally-extending centerline.

8. The fluid management article of claim 1 wherein a projected area of the protrusions and a projected area of the channels has a ratio between about 3 and 7.

9. The fluid management article of claim 3 wherein the apex of each of the protrusions extends above a reference point outside of the continuous region.

10. The fluid management article of claim 3 wherein the apex of the protrusions resides above a reference point outside of the continuous region, and the channels have a lower surface that resides below the reference point.

11. The fluid management article of claim 10 wherein the lower surface of the channels is a lowermost surface within the continuous region.

12. The fluid management article of claim 1 wherein the projections are mesa-shaped.

13. The fluid-management article of claim 1 wherein the absorbent system comprises a plurality of recesses aligned with the protrusions formed in the surface of the cover.

14. The fluid-management article of claim 1 wherein the absorbent system includes an absorbent core and a transfer layer, wherein the transfer layer contacts the absorbent core, and wherein the transfer is intermediate the absorbent core and the cover layer.

15. The fluid-management article of claim 14 wherein the protrusions are formed through the absorbent core and the transfer layer.

16. The fluid-management article of claim 1 wherein the absorbent system includes portions that contact the barrier layer and portions that are detached from the barrier layer.

17. The fluid-management article of claim 1 wherein the fluid management article has a caliper less than about 3.5 mm.

18. The fluid management article of claim 1 wherein the protrusions are substantially non-elastic.

19. The fluid management article of claim 1 wherein the protrusions have an individual length less than about 70 mm.

20. The fluid management article of claim 1 wherein the protrusions have an individual length between about 2 mm and about 35 mm.

21. The fluid management article of claim 1 wherein the protrusions are present in a number density greater than about 0.15 protrusions per cm 2 .

22. The fluid-management article of claim 1 wherein the protrusions are present in a number density between about 0.25 protrusions per cm 2 and about 25 protrusions per cm 2 .

23. The fluid-management article of claim 1 wherein the protrusions are present in a number density between about 1 protrusion per centimeters squared and about 4 protrusions per cm 2 .

24. The fluid-management article of claim 3 wherein the fluid management article has a stiffness, measured within the continuous region, greater than about 300 grams.

25. The fluid-management article of claim 3 wherein the fluid management article has a stiffness, measured within the continuous region, greater than about 400 grams.

26. The fluid-management article of claim 1 wherein the height of the apex above the channels in a range from about 0.75 mm and about 1.5 mm.

27. The fluid-management article of claim 1 wherein the height of the apex above the channels in a range from about 0.5 mm and a caliper of the article.

28. A fluid management article adapted to be worn adjacent to a pudendal region of a wearer, the article comprising: a body-faceable, liquid-pervious cover having a top surface; a garment-faceable, liquid-impervious barrier; and an absorbent system intermediate the cover and the barrier, wherein the fluid management article comprises a plurality of connected fluid-guiding channels, wherein the fluid-guiding channels surround and thereby isolate a plurality of protrusions, wherein the channels and the protrusions are formed through at least a portion of the absorbent system and into the top surface of the cover, wherein the protrusions have an apex that extends a height greater than about 0.5 mm above at least a portion of a lower surface of the channels, and wherein the protrusions have a number density greater than about 0.15 protrusions/cm 2 .