IP Library Granted Patent US 12,213,865
Granted Patent B2
US 12,213,865 · App. 17/743,838 · Granted Feb 4, 2025

Absorbent article with absorbent strips

Inventors: Amanda Tallman (Kenosha, WI); Stephen Kaidantsis (Chicago, IL)
Assignee: Medline Industries, LP
A61F13/49473A61F13/4946A61F13/534A61F2013/530007A61F2013/530489
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,213,865
App. No.
17/743,838
Granted
Feb 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An absorbent article, a portion of which is configured to absorb fluids, has a chassis with a length greater than its width. The chassis length extends in a longitudinal direction from the back to the front of a user between first and second longitudinal edges and the width extends in a lateral direction substantially perpendicular to the length and between first and second lateral edges. Absorbent strips with a length greater than their width are arranged at outer edges of the chassis for added absorbency of the article.

Claims (49)

1. An absorbent article, comprising:

a chassis, the chassis having a length greater than its width, the length extending in a longitudinal direction from the back to the front of a user between first and second longitudinal edges and the width extending in a lateral direction substantially perpendicular to the length and between first and second lateral edges, the chassis comprising:

a liquid impervious backsheet,

a liquid pervious topsheet,

a front waist region,

a back waist region,

a crotch region, and

an absorbent core positioned in the crotch region between the backsheet and the topsheet; and

two elongated edge absorbent strips, each strip having a length greater than its width and comprising a fluid absorbent material;

wherein the absorbent strips are spaced apart from a perimeter of the chassis absorbent core; and

wherein the absorbent strips are adhered to the liquid impervious backsheet layer and covered by the liquid pervious topsheet layer;

wherein the absorbent strips comprise lateral edge absorbent strips arranged in parallel spaced relation to each other and proximate and parallel to each of the first and second lateral edges; and

wherein the lateral edge absorbent strips extend substantially the length of the chassis lateral edges.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1 further comprising two elongated longitudinal edge absorbent strips arranged in parallel spaced relation to each other and proximate and parallel to each of the first and second longitudinal edges.

3. The absorbent article of claim 2 , wherein the elongated longitudinal edge absorbent strips extend in a direction that is generally normal to the lateral edge absorbent strips.

4. The absorbent article of claim 3 , wherein the lateral edge absorbent strips and longitudinal edge absorbent strips surround substantially an entire perimeter of the chassis.

5. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the absorbent strips further comprise longitudinal edge absorbent strips arranged in parallel spaced relation to each other and proximate and parallel to each of the first and second longitudinal edges.

6. The absorbent article of claim 5 , wherein the longitudinal edge absorbent strips extend substantially the length of the chassis longitudinal edges.

7. An absorbent article, comprising:

a chassis, the chassis having a length greater than its width, the length extending in a longitudinal direction from the back to the front of a user between first and second longitudinal edges and the width extending in a lateral direction substantially perpendicular to the length and between first and second lateral edges, the first and second lateral edges and first and second longitudinal edges forming a chassis perimeter, the chassis comprising:

a liquid impervious backsheet,

a liquid pervious topsheet,

a front waist region,

a back waist region,

a crotch region, and

an absorbent core positioned in the crotch region between the backsheet and the topsheet; and

an edge absorbent strip comprising one or more elongated strips, each elongated strip having a length greater than its width and comprising a fluid absorbent material;

wherein the edge absorbent strip is spaced apart from a perimeter of the absorbent core;

wherein the edge absorbent strip comprises one or more elongated lateral edge absorbent strips and one or more elongated longitudinal edge absorbent strips; and

wherein the edge absorbent strips surround substantially all of the chassis perimeter.

8. The absorbent article of claim 7 , wherein the absorbent core comprises a substantially hourglass shape.

9. The absorbent article of claim 7 further comprising a side panel that extends beyond the chassis perimeter.

10. The absorbent article of claim 9 , wherein the side panel does not overlap with the absorbent core.

11. The absorbent article of claim 10 wherein the side panel attaches to the chassis at a position that is interior of the edge absorbent strip.

12. The absorbent article of claim 10 wherein the side panel attaches to the chassis at a position that is exterior of the edge absorbent strip.

13. An absorbent article, comprising:

a chassis, the chassis having a length greater than its width, the length extending in a longitudinal direction from the back to the front of a user between first and second longitudinal edges and the width extending in a lateral direction substantially perpendicular to the length and between first and second lateral edges, the first and second lateral edges and first and second longitudinal edges forming a chassis perimeter, the chassis comprising:

a liquid impervious backsheet,

a liquid pervious topsheet,

a front waist region,

a back waist region,

a crotch region, and

an absorbent core positioned in the crotch region between the backsheet and the topsheet;

a front side panel extending from the first lateral edge in the front waist region;

a rear side panel extending from the first lateral edge in the back waist region; and

an elongated edge absorbent strip extending continuously at the first lateral edge from the front side panel to the rear side panel.

14. The absorbent article of claim 13 , wherein the elongated edge absorbent strips each have a length greater than its width.

15. The absorbent article of claim 13 , wherein the elongated edge absorbent strips each comprise a fluid absorbent material.

16. The absorbent article of claim 13 , wherein the elongated edge absorbent strips each comprise a single absorbent layer.

Assignments (5)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 28, 2026
From: MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, LP
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 075643/0462 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 12, 2026
From: MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, LP F/K/A/ MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 074331/0430 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 20, 2025
From: MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, LP
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071672/0100 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 2, 2024
From: MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, LP
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 066971/0808 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2022
From: TALLMAN, AMANDA; KAIDANTSIS, STEPHEN
To: MEDLINE INDUSTRIES, LP
Reel/Frame 059901/0269 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16117077 · Aug 30, 2018
Related Publication 20220323268A1 · Oct 13, 2022
References Cited (19)
US 4657539A · Hasse · 1987 [cited by examiner]
US 5676661A · Faulks · 1997 [cited by examiner]
US 5853405A · Suprise · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 6060638A · Paul et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6244216B1 · Ochi · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6613955B1 · Lindsay et al. · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 6652497B1 · Suprise · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 8388589B2 · Kaneko et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20030187417A1 · Kudo et al. · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 20050143703A1 · Persson · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20050182381A1 · Suzuki et al. · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20060224138A1 · Heki et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20140171898A1 · Greening et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150374568A1 · Miralles et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160074242A1 · Toro et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170172818A1 · Suzuki · 2017 [cited by applicant]
The Extended European Search Report; International Application No. PCT/US2019/048806; Medline Industries, Inc. (Tallman, et al.); Apr. 14, 2022. [cited by applicant]
Notification of Transmittal of the International Search Report and the Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority, or the Declaration; International Application No. PCT/US2019/048806; Medline Industries, I… [cited by applicant]
International Search Report; International Application No. PCT/US2019/048806; Medline Industries, Inc. (Tallman, et al.); Dec. 11, 2019. [cited by applicant]