IP Library Granted Patent US 12,403,047
Granted Patent B2
US 12,403,047 · App. 18/734,121 · Granted Sep 2, 2025

Disposable absorbent articles including a first absorbent layer and a second absorbent layer

Inventors: Stephen Lebeuf Hardie (Mason, OH); Joshua Andrew Williams (Cincinnati, OH)
Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
A61F13/535A61F13/15203A61F13/15658A61F13/511A61F13/514A61F13/534A61L15/60A61F2013/15373A61F2013/15569A61F13/475A61F13/494A61F2013/53024A61F2013/530481A61F2013/530868A61F2013/530927
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 12,403,047
App. No.
18/734,121
Granted
Sep 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A disposable absorbent article having a longitudinal centerline and a lateral centerline generally perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline is described herein. The disposable absorbent article has a topsheet; a backsheet; and an absorbent system disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet. The absorbent system has a first and second absorbent core configured such that there is an overlap between the first and second absorbent core and a pair of outboard distances for the first and second absorbent cores.

Claims (40)

1. A sanitary napkin having a longitudinal centerline and a lateral centerline generally perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline, the sanitary napkin comprising:

a topsheet;

a backsheet;

a first end region, an opposing second end region and an intermediate region disposed between the first end region and the second end region;

a first absorbent layer disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the first absorbent layer having a first end region first absorbent layer width, an intermediate region first absorbent layer width measured along the lateral centerline, and a second end region first absorbent layer width;

a second absorbent layer disposed between the first absorbent layer and the backsheet, the second absorbent layer having a first end region second absorbent layer width, an intermediate region second absorbent layer width measured along the lateral centerline, and a second end region second absorbent layer width,

wherein the respective widths have the following relationships:

the first end region first absorbent layer width is greater than the second end region first absorbent layer width, and the second end region first absorbent layer width is greater than the intermediate region first absorbent layer width, and

the first end region second absorbent layer width is greater than the second end region second absorbent layer width, and the second end region second absorbent layer width is greater than the intermediate region second absorbent layer width,

wherein the first absorbent layer comprises a first end edge and an opposing second end edge, wherein the second absorbent layer comprises a first end edge and an opposing second end edge, and

wherein the first end edge of the first absorbent layer is coterminous with the first end edge of the second absorbent layer or the second end edge of the first absorbent layer is coterminous with the second end edge of the second absorbent layer.

2. The sanitary napkin of claim 1 , wherein the first end region second absorbent layer width is greater than the first end region first absorbent layer width.

3. The sanitary napkin of claim 2 , wherein the second absorbent layer in the first end region extends outboard of the first absorbent layer in the first end region by a first end region outboard distance.

4. The sanitary napkin of claim 3 , wherein the second absorbent layer in the intermediate region extends outboard of the first absorbent layer in the intermediate region by an intermediate region outboard distance.

5. The sanitary napkin of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate region first absorbent layer width is less than the intermediate region second absorbent layer width.

6. The sanitary napkin of claim 5 , wherein a first end region outboard distance is less than an intermediate region outboard distance.

7. The sanitary napkin of claim 6 , wherein the intermediate region outboard distance is between about 5 mm and about 20 mm.

8. The sanitary napkin of claim 1 , wherein the first absorbent layer comprises a first portion, a second portion, and a separation disposed between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the first portion, second portion, and separation generally extend parallel to the longitudinal centerline.

9. The sanitary napkin of claim 8 , wherein the separation is less than 2 times a caliper of at least one of the first portion and the second portion.

10. The sanitary napkin of claim 1 , wherein a second region first absorbent layer width is less than a second region second absorbent layer width.

11. The sanitary napkin of claim 1 , comprising at least one of a distribution layer and a superabsorbent layer.

12. The sanitary napkin of claim 1 , wherein the first absorbent layer comprises a first distribution layer and a first superabsorbent layer and the second absorbent layer comprises a second distribution layer and a second superabsorbent layer.

13. The sanitary napkin of claim 12 , wherein the first distribution layer is joined to the second distribution layer.

14. The sanitary napkin of claim 12 , wherein the first distribution layer is joined to the second superabsorbent layer.

15. The sanitary napkin of claim 1 , wherein the first absorbent layer comprises a first end edge and an opposing second end edge, wherein the first end edge of the first absorbent layer is convex and the second end edge of the first absorbent layer is concave.

16. The sanitary napkin of claim 1 , wherein the second absorbent layer first end edge is concave and the second absorbent layer second end edge is convex.

17. A sanitary napkin having a longitudinal centerline and a lateral centerline generally perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline, the sanitary napkin comprising:

a topsheet;

a backsheet;

a first end region, an opposing second end region and an intermediate region disposed between the first end region and the second end region;

a first absorbent layer disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the first absorbent layer having a first end region first absorbent layer width, an intermediate region first absorbent layer width measured along the lateral centerline, and a second end region first absorbent layer width;

a second absorbent layer disposed between the first absorbent layer and the backsheet, the second absorbent layer having a first end region second absorbent layer width, an intermediate region second absorbent layer width measured along the lateral centerline, and a second end region second absorbent layer width,

wherein the respective widths have the following relationships:

the first end region first absorbent layer width is greater than the second end region first absorbent layer width, and the second end region first absorbent layer width is greater than the intermediate region first absorbent layer width, and

the first end region second absorbent layer width is greater than the second end region second absorbent layer width, and the second end region second absorbent layer width is greater than the intermediate region second absorbent layer width,

wherein the first absorbent layer comprises a first end edge and an opposing second end edge, wherein the second absorbent layer comprises a first end edge and an opposing second end edge, and

wherein the first end edge of the first absorbent layer is coterminous with the first end edge of the second absorbent layer and the second end edge of the first absorbent layer is coterminous with the second end edge of the second absorbent layer.

18. The sanitary napkin of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first end edge and the second end edge of the first absorbent layer is substantially flat.

19. The sanitary napkin of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first end edge and the second end edge of the second absorbent layer is substantially flat.

20. The sanitary napkin of claim 17 , wherein the second absorbent layer extends outboard of the first absorbent layer in at least one of the first end region, the second end region, and the intermediate region.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 16381251 · Apr 11, 2019
Provisional Application 62655959 · Apr 11, 2018
Related Publication 20240315887A1 · Sep 26, 2024
References Cited (170)
US 1946626A · Jurgensen · 1934 [cited by applicant]
US 2296341A · Fourness · 1942 [cited by applicant]
US 2929379A · Vita · 1960 [cited by applicant]
US 3386442A · Reinhardt · 1968 [cited by applicant]
US 3406688A · Cubitt · 1968 [cited by applicant]
US 3431911A · Meisel, Jr. · 1969 [cited by applicant]
US 3528421A · Vaillancourt · 1970 [cited by applicant]
US 3572342A · Lindquist · 1971 [cited by applicant]
US 3604422A · Sabee · 1971 [cited by applicant]
US 3651809A · Champaigne, Jr. · 1972 [cited by applicant]
US 3695269A · Malaney · 1972 [cited by applicant]
US 3799167A · Miller et al. · 1974 [cited by applicant]
US 3805790A · Kaczmarzyk · 1974 [cited by applicant]
US 3815602A · Johns et al. · 1974 [cited by applicant]
US 3825006A · Ralph · 1974 [cited by applicant]
US 3838693A · Sherman · 1974 [cited by applicant]
US 3871037A · Willington · 1975 [cited by applicant]
US 3871378A · Duncan et al. · 1975 [cited by applicant]
US 3878283A · Jones, Sr. · 1975 [cited by applicant]
US 3954721A · Gross · 1976 [cited by applicant]
US 3983095A · Bashaw et al. · 1976 [cited by applicant]
US 3996936A · Widlund et al. · 1976 [cited by applicant]
US 4047531A · Karami · 1977 [cited by applicant]
US 4102340A · Mesek et al. · 1978 [cited by applicant]
US 4136697A · Smith · 1979 [cited by applicant]
US 4211227A · Anderson et al. · 1980 [cited by applicant]
US 4231357A · Hessner · 1980 [cited by applicant]
US 4269188A · Nishizawa et al. · 1981 [cited by applicant]
US 4285342A · Mesek · 1981 [cited by applicant]
US 4333464A · Nakano · 1982 [cited by applicant]
US 4333465A · Wiegner · 1982 [cited by applicant]
US 4335722A · Jackson · 1982 [cited by applicant]
US 4338371A · Dawn et al. · 1982 [cited by applicant]
US 4354901A · Kopolow · 1982 [cited by applicant]
US 4364992A · Jto et al. · 1982 [cited by applicant]
US 4381783A · Elias · 1983 [cited by applicant]
US 4397644A · Matthews et al. · 1983 [cited by applicant]
US 4410324A · Sabee · 1983 [cited by applicant]
US 4411660A · Dawn et al. · 1983 [cited by applicant]
US 4480000A · Hirt et al. · 1984 [cited by applicant]
US 4500315A · Iskra · 1985 [cited by applicant]
US 4536181A · Cook · 1985 [cited by applicant]
US 4537590A · Iskra · 1985 [cited by applicant]
US 4557777A · Sabee · 1985 [cited by applicant]
US 4560372A · Pieniak · 1985 [cited by applicant]
US 4560379A · Stemmler · 1985 [cited by applicant]
US 4610678A · Weisman · 1986 [cited by applicant]
US 4655757A · Mcfarland · 1987 [cited by applicant]
US 4666439A · Williams · 1987 [cited by applicant]
US 4673402A · Weisman et al. · 1987 [cited by applicant]
US 4676784A · Erdman · 1987 [cited by applicant]
US 4685914A · Holtman · 1987 [cited by applicant]
US 4699823A · Kellenberger · 1987 [cited by applicant]
US 4710187A · Boland · 1987 [cited by applicant]
US 4762521A · Roessler et al. · 1988 [cited by applicant]
US 4770656A · Proxmire · 1988 [cited by applicant]
US 4781711A · Houghton · 1988 [cited by applicant]
US 4790839A · Ahr · 1988 [cited by applicant]
US 4798603A · Meyer · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 4806408A · Pierre et al. · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 4828555A · Hermansson · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 4888093A · Dean · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 4888238A · Katz · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 4900318A · Toth · 1990 [cited by applicant]
US 4908026A · Becker et al. · 1990 [cited by applicant]
US 4911700A · Makoui · 1990 [cited by applicant]
US 4923454A · Seymour · 1990 [cited by applicant]
US 4935022A · Lash et al. · 1990 [cited by applicant]
US 4938756A · Salek · 1990 [cited by applicant]
US 4944735A · Mokry · 1990 [cited by applicant]
US 4973325A · Sherrod et al. · 1990 [cited by applicant]
US 4988344A · Reising et al. · 1991 [cited by applicant]
US 4988345A · Reising · 1991 [cited by applicant]
US 4990147A · Freeland · 1991 [cited by applicant]
US 5009650A · Bernardin · 1991 [cited by applicant]
US 5013309A · Baigas, Jr. et al. · 1991 [cited by applicant]
US 5037409A · Wisneski · 1991 [cited by applicant]
US 5057096A · Faglione · 1991 [cited by applicant]
US 5061259A · Goldman · 1991 [cited by applicant]
US 5061260A · Callahan · 1991 [cited by applicant]
US 5069676A · Ito · 1991 [cited by applicant]
US 5079004A · Blank · 1992 [cited by applicant]
US 5087506A · Palumbo · 1992 [cited by applicant]
US 5098422A · Davis · 1992 [cited by applicant]
US 5134007A · Mesek et al. · 1992 [cited by applicant]
US 5147343A · Kellenberger · 1992 [cited by applicant]
US 5147345A · Lavon · 1992 [cited by applicant]
US 5149335A · Kellenberger · 1992 [cited by applicant]
US 5176668A · Bernardin · 1993 [cited by applicant]
US 5192606A · Proxmire · 1993 [cited by applicant]
US 5294478A · Wanek et al. · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5300053A · Genaro · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5300054A · Feist · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5304161A · Noel et al. · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5387207A · Dyer · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5411497A · Tanzer · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5425725A · Tanzer · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5433715A · Tanzer · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5440061A · Gibson · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5454800A · Hirt et al. · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5466513A · Wanek · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5509915A · Hanson · 1996 [cited by applicant]
US 5830202A · Bogdanski et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5853402A · Faulks · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5910137A · Clark et al. · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 6068620A · Chmielewski et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6114597A · Romare · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6258996B1 · Goldman · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6280427B1 · Maggiulli · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6319238B1 · Sartorio et al. · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6652498B1 · Glasgow et al. · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 6740069B2 · Drevik · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 7278988B2 · Molas · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 7686792B2 · Bell et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 7744576B2 · Busam · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 9238089B2 · Chmielewski et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9308135B2 · You · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 10471620B2 · Bittner · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10807263B2 · Busch et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 11129755B2 · Hardie · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11324642B2 · Busch et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 12036104B2 · Hardie · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20030225384A1 · Zenker et al. · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 20040015142A1 · Johnston et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20040033750A1 · Everett · 2004 [cited by examiner]
US 20060018415A1 · Jung · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20060069367A1 · Widlund et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20090036854A1 · Guidotti et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20110004179A1 · Kurihara · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20110319848A1 · Mckiernan · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20120043244A1 · Hagner · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20120053547A1 · Schroeder · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20140005623A1 · Wirtz et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140163500A1 · Roe · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140213997A1 · Tsang · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150173971A1 · Johansson et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160235602A1 · Johns et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170312146A1 · Bianchi · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180098890A1 · Hardie et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180098891A1 · Hardie et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180098893A1 · Viens · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190314211A1 · Busch et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190314212A1 · Busch et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190314219A1 · Hardie et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190314220A1 · Hardie et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20210378882A1 · Hardie et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
CN 1371671A · 2002 [cited by applicant]
CN 1612803A · 2005 [cited by applicant]
CN 203417296U · 2014 [cited by applicant]
EP 0631768A1 · 1995 [cited by applicant]
EP 2594238A2 · 2013 [cited by applicant]
EP 2901992B1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
EP 3205318A1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
GB 125865A · 1919 [cited by applicant]
GB 1259865A · 1972 [cited by applicant]
GB 1259896A · 1972 [cited by applicant]
GB 2304586 · 1997 [cited by examiner]
WO 9962801A2 · 1999 [cited by applicant]
WO 0076447A1 · 2000 [cited by applicant]
WO 2005060892A1 · 2005 [cited by applicant]
WO 2013180937A1 · 2013 [cited by applicant]
WO 2014145804A1 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
WO 2015188032A1 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
WO 2016195632A1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
Extended EP Search Report and Opinion for Application No. 24192797.9; dated Oct. 17, 2024, 10 pages. [cited by applicant]
PCT Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2019/026935 dated Jul. 4, 2019, 16 pages. [cited by applicant]
All Office Actions, U.S. Appl. No. 16/381,251, filed Apr. 11, 2019. [cited by applicant]
All Office Actions, U.S. Appl. No. 16/381,084, filed Apr. 11, 2019. [cited by applicant]
All Office Actions, U.S. Appl. No. 16/381,662, filed Apr. 11, 2019. [cited by applicant]
All Office Actions; U.S. Appl. No. 16/381,075, filed Apr. 11, 2019. [cited by applicant]