IP Library Granted Patent US 8,598,407
Granted Patent B2
US 8,598,407 · App. 12/879,309 · Granted Dec 3, 2013

Disposable absorbent articles being adaptable to wearer's anatomy

Inventors: Donald Carroll Roe (West Chester, OH); Pankaj Nigam (Mason, OH); Mark James Kline (Okeana, OH); Jeromy Thomas Raycheck (Lebanon, OH); Carl Louis Bergman (Loveland, OH)
Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,598,407
App. No.
12/879,309
Granted
Dec 3, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

Absorbent articles having a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between said topsheet and said backsheet are disclosed. The backsheet has a physical variation along at least one axis, wherein said physical variation defines a first backsheet zone and a second backsheet zone, and at least one elastomeric element having at least one primary direction of stretch, said elastomeric element at least partially overlapping and joined to first and/or second backsheet zone, wherein a relaxed pathlength of said elastomeric element in the primary direction of stretch is less than a total pathlength of said backsheet in the region of overlap. The physical variation is a measurable difference as measured by a physical property selected from the group consisting of basis weight, thickness and density.

Claims (52)

1. A disposable wearable absorbent article, comprising:

a longitudinal axis;

a lateral axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;

a liquid permeable topsheet; and

a liquid impermeable backsheet, including a first backsheet zone and a second backsheet zone, wherein:

the first backsheet zone overlaps the longitudinal axis and includes a physical property selected from the group consisting of basis weight, thickness and density;

the second backsheet zone overlaps the longitudinal axis and does not overlap the lateral axis, wherein a first portion of the second backsheet zone extends laterally outwardly from a first side of the longitudinal axis, wherein a second portion of the second backsheet zone extends laterally outwardly from a second side of the longitudinal axis, and wherein the second backsheet zone includes the physical property; and

there is a physical variation between the physical property of the first backsheet zone and the physical property of the second backsheet zone.

2. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the physical property of the first backsheet zone has a first value, wherein the physical property of the second backsheet zone has a second value, and wherein the second value is less than the first value.

3. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 2 , wherein a ratio of the second value to the first value is less than or equal to 0.8.

4. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 2 , wherein a ratio of the second value to the first value is less than or equal to 0.7.

5. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 2 , wherein the first backsheet zone is disposed in a laterally central portion of the article, and wherein the second backsheet zone is disposed in a laterally central portion of the article.

6. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 2 , comprising:

a front waist region;

a back waist region; and

a crotch region disposed between the front waist region and the back waist region;

wherein:

the first backsheet zone is disposed at least partially in the front waist region; and

the second backsheet zone is disposed at least partially in the back waist region.

7. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 6 , wherein the first backsheet zone is disposed at least partially in the crotch region.

8. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 6 , wherein the first backsheet zone is disposed at least partially in the back waist region.

9. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 6 , comprising an absorbent core, wherein the second backsheet zone at least partially overlaps the absorbent core.

10. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 6 , wherein the second backsheet zone is disposed at least partially in the crotch region.

11. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 6 , wherein the back waist region comprises a buttocks region disposed at a proximal end of the back waist region, and wherein the second backsheet zone is disposed at least partially in the buttocks region.

12. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 6 , wherein the back waist region includes a buttocks region disposed at a proximal end of the back waist region, and wherein the second backsheet zone is disposed outside of the buttocks region.

13. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 6 , wherein the physical property is basis weight.

14. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 6 , wherein the physical property is thickness.

15. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 6 , wherein the physical property is density.

16. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 6 , configured to be front-fastening.

17. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 6 , configured to be side-fastening.

18. The disposable wearable absorbent article of claim 6 , configured to be non-refastenable.

19. A disposable wearable absorbent article, comprising:

a longitudinal axis;

a lateral axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;

a front waist region;

a crotch region;

a back waist region;

a liquid permeable topsheet; and

a liquid impermeable backsheet, including a first backsheet zone and a second backsheet zone, wherein:

the first backsheet zone overlaps the longitudinal axis and includes a physical property selected from the group consisting of basis weight, thickness and density;

the second backsheet zone overlaps the longitudinal axis and does not overlap the lateral axis, wherein the second backsheet zone has a portion positioned in the back waist region or in the crotch region, wherein the second backsheet zone extends laterally outwardly from a first side of the longitudinal axis and extends laterally outwardly from a second side of the longitudinal axis, wherein the second backsheet zone is disposed in a laterally central portion of the article, and wherein the second backsheet zone includes the physical property; and

there is a physical variation between the physical property of the first backsheet zone and the physical property of the second backsheet zone.

20. A disposable wearable absorbent article, comprising:

a longitudinal axis;

a lateral axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;

a front waist region;

a back waist region;

a liquid permeable topsheet; and

a liquid impermeable backsheet, including a first backsheet zone and a second backsheet zone, wherein:

the first backsheet zone overlaps the longitudinal axis, wherein a portion of the first backsheet zone is positioned in the front waist region, and wherein the first backsheet zone includes a physical property selected from the group consisting of basis weight, thickness and density;

the second backsheet zone overlaps the longitudinal axis and does not overlap the lateral axis, wherein the second backsheet zone has a portion positioned in the back waist region, wherein the second backsheet zone is laterally symmetrical about the longitudinal axis and is disposed in a laterally central portion of the article, and wherein the second backsheet zone includes the physical property; and

there is a physical variation between the physical property of the first backsheet zone and the physical property of the second backsheet zone.

Continuity (2)
Division 10811696 · Mar 29, 2004
Related Publication 20110004177A1 · Jan 6, 2011