Absorbent article having shaped absorbent core formed on a substrate
View Patent ↗An absorbent article includes a stretchable substrate layer and an absorbent core formed directly on the substrate layer, and adhesively attached to the substrate layer. The absorbent core includes about 40-99% by weight superabsorbent particles and about 1-60% by weight adhesive fibers. The absorbent core does not prevent the substrate layer or absorbent article from stretching. The absorbent article can be a personal care absorbent article or a medical absorbent article, and is suitably stretchable or elastic in at least one direction.
1. An absorbent article, comprising:
a liquid-permeable bodyside liner;
a liquid-impermeable outer cover; and
a shaped absorbent core between the bodyside liner and the outer cover;
the absorbent core comprising about 40-99% by weight superabsorbent particles and about 1-60% by weight adhesive fibers, wherein the adhesive fibers include a tackifier;
the absorbent core having a front end, a rear end and two lateral sides;
wherein the lateral sides of the absorbent core have a P/EL greater than or equal to 1.25 and a MDFME greater than or equal to 0.7 mm; and
wherein the absorbent core comprises a central region and two end regions, and at least one of the end regions is wider than the central region.
2. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent core is adhesively attached to a substrate layer along substantially an entire surface of the absorbent core.
3. The absorbent article of claim 2 , wherein the substrate is stretchable.
4. The absorbent article of claim 2 , wherein the substrate is elastic.
5. The absorbent article of claim 2 , wherein the substrate comprises the outer cover.
6. The absorbent article of claim 2 , wherein the substrate comprises the bodyside liner.
7. The absorbent article of claim 2 , wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of a fibrous nonwoven web, and combinations including a fibrous nonwoven web.
8. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent core comprises about 80-98% by weight superabsorbent particles and about 2-20% by weight adhesive fibers.
9. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent core further comprises cellulose fibers.
10. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive fibers are formed of an adhesive having a viscosity less than about 10,000 centipoise at a temperature of 204° C.
11. The absorbent article of claim 10 , wherein the adhesive has a viscosity of less than about 10,000 centipoise at a temperature of 182° C.
12. The absorbent article of claim 11 , wherein the viscosity is about 1,000-8,000 centipoise.
13. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive fibers are formed of an adhesive having a storage modulus of less than or equal to about 1.0×10 dynes/cm 2 at 25° C.
14. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive fibers are formed of an adhesive having a glass transition temperature of about −25° C. to about 25° C.
15. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the superabsorbent particles comprise a cationic polymer and an anionic polymer.
16. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent core has a dumbbell shape.
17. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent core has an I-beam shape.
18. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent core has a T-shape.
19. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent core has an hour-glass shape.
20. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent core is adhesively attached to two substrate layers along substantially entire surfaces of the absorbent core.
21. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein both end regions of the absorbent core are wider than the central region.
22. An absorbent article, comprising:
a stretchable substrate layer; and
a shaped absorbent core comprising a combination of about 40-99% by weight superabsorbent material and about 1-60% by weight adhesive fibers, adhesively attached to the substrate layer along substantially an entire surface of the absorbent core, wherein the adhesive fibers include a tackifier;
the absorbent core having a length equal to a length of the substrate layer and a width less than a width of the substrate layer along the entire length of the absorbent core;
wherein the absorbent core combined with the substrate layer is stretchable;
wherein the absorbent core has lateral sides which have laterally extending peaks and valleys defining a P/EL greater than or equal to 1.25 and a MDFME greater than or equal to 0.7 mm; and
wherein the absorbent core comprises a central region and two end regions, and at least one of the end regions is wider than the central region.
23. The absorbent article of claim 22 , wherein the substrate layer is elastic.
24. The absorbent article of claim 22 , wherein the absorbent article is elastic.
25. The absorbent article of claim 22 , wherein the substrate layer comprises a bodyside liner.
26. The absorbent article of claim 22 , wherein the substrate layer is selected from the group consisting of a fibrous nonwoven web, and combinations including a fibrous nonwoven web.
27. The absorbent article of claim 22 , wherein the substrate layer comprises a spacer layer.
28. The absorbent article of claim 22 , wherein the substrate layer comprises an outer cover.
29. The absorbent article of claim 22 , wherein both end regions of the absorbent core are wider than the central region.
30. The absorbent article of claim 22 , wherein the absorbent core comprises about 40-99% by weight superabsorbent particles and about 1-60% by weight adhesive fibers.
31. The absorbent article of claim 22 , wherein the absorbent core comprises about 80-98% by weight superabsorbent particles and about 2-20% by weight adhesive fibers.
32. The absorbent article of claim 22 , wherein the absorbent core further comprises cellulose fibers.
33. The absorbent article of claim 22 , comprising two of the stretchable substrate layers adhesively attached to opposing surfaces of the absorbent core.
34. The absorbent article of claim 22 , wherein the article is a personal care absorbent article or a medical absorbent article.
35. An absorbent article, comprising:
a stretchable substrate layer; and
a shaped absorbent core adhesively attached to the substrate layer; the absorbent core comprising about 40-99% by weight superabsorbent particles and about 1-60% by weight adhesive fibers and having a front end, a rear end, and two lateral sides, wherein the adhesive fibers include a tackifier;
wherein the lateral sides of the absorbent core have a P/EL greater than or equal to 1.25 and a MDFME greater than or equal to 0.7 mm; and
wherein the absorbent core comprises a central region and two end regions, and at least one of the end regions is wider than the central region.
36. The absorbent article of claim 35 , wherein the lateral sides have laterally extending peaks and valleys defining a P/EL greater than or equal to 4.0 and a MDFME greater than or equal to 1.0 mm.
37. The absorbent article of claim 35 , wherein the lateral sides have laterally extending peaks and valleys defining a P/EL greater than 8.0 and a MDFME greater than 2.0 mm.
38. The absorbent article of claim 35 , wherein the substrate layer is elastic.
39. The absorbent article of claim 35 , wherein the absorbent article is elastic.
40. The absorbent article of claim 35 , wherein the absorbent article comprises about 80-98% by weight superabsorbent particles and about 2-20% by weight adhesive fibers.
41. The absorbent article of claim 35 , wherein the absorbent core further comprises cellulose fibers.
42. The absorbent article of claim 35 , comprising two of the stretchable substrate layers adhesively attached to opposing surfaces of the absorbent core.
43. The absorbent article of claim 35 , wherein the article is a personal care absorbent article.
44. The absorbent article of claim 35 , wherein the article is a medical absorbent article.
45. The absorbent article of claim 22 , wherein the tackifier comprises at least one of the group consisting of petroleum distillates, rosins, rosin esters, terpenes and combinations thereof.