Granted Patent B2

US 12,472,111 · App. 17/072,406 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Inventors: Ernesto Gabriel Bianchi (Oberursel, DE); Bruno Johannes Ehrnsperger (Bad Soden, DE); Joerg Endres (Frankfurt am Main, DE); Julien René Garcia (Frankfurt, DE)

Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company

A61F13/5376A61F13/532A61F2013/15487A61F2013/530051A61F2013/530124A61F2013/530189A61F2013/530233A61F2013/530481A61F2013/530715

Abstract

Claims (34)

1 . An absorbent core extending in a longitudinal direction parallel to a longitudinal axis and a transversal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, wherein the absorbent core comprises:

a core wrap comprising a top side and a bottom side;

an absorbent material between the top side and the bottom side of the core wrap;

a first and second longitudinally-extending channel-forming areas substantially free of absorbent material, and wherein the first channel-forming area is on one side of the longitudinal axis and the second channel-forming area is on another side of the longitudinal axis;

a central absorbent zone comprising absorbent material and disposed between the first and the second channel-forming areas; and

a first lateral absorbent zone and a second lateral absorbent zone comprising absorbent material and disposed laterally outwardly of the first channel-forming area and the second channel-forming area respectively;

wherein:

a basis weight of the absorbent material in the central absorbent zone is higher than a basis weight of the absorbent material in each of the lateral absorbent zones for at least a first transversal section (S 1 ) of the core having a first length in the longitudinal direction of at least 10 mm;

the basis weight of the absorbent material in the central absorbent zone is lower than the basis weight of the absorbent material in each of the lateral absorbent zones for at least a second transversal section (S 2 ) of the core having a second length in the longitudinal direction of at least 10 mm; and

wherein at least one transversal folding line is formed in a transversal section (S 4 ) of the core, wherein the transversal section (S 4 ) comprises a minimum basis weight in the lateral absorbent zones relative to the neighboring regions of the lateral absorbent zones, so that the transversal section (S 4 ) of minimum basis weight acts as a folding line, wherein the transversal section (S 4 ) is oriented parallel to the transversal direction, wherein the transversal section (S 4 ) comprises a longitudinal length of 5 mm to 30 mm, and wherein the transversal section (S 4 ) extends laterally up to longitudinal side edges of the absorbent core.

2 . The absorbent core of claim 1 , wherein the at least one transversal folding line is disposed in a crotch region of the absorbent core.

3 . The absorbent core of claim 1 , wherein the basis weight of the absorbent material in the central absorbent zone is about equal to the basis weight of the absorbent material in the lateral absorbent zones along a third transversal sections (S 3 ) of the core having a length of at least 10 mm in the longitudinal direction.

4 . The absorbent core of claim 1 , wherein:

the basis weight difference between a maximum basis weight value in the central absorbent zone and a minimum basis weight value in any of the lateral absorbent zones in the first transversal section (S 1 ) is of at least 20 g/m 2 ; and

the basis weight difference between a maximum basis weight value in any of the lateral absorbent zones and a minimum basis weight value in the central absorbent zone in the second transversal section (S 2 ) is of at least 10 g/m 2 .

5 . The absorbent core of claim 4 , wherein the basis weight difference between the maximum basis weight value in the central absorbent zone and the minimum basis weight value in any of the lateral absorbent zones in the first transversal section (S 1 ) is of at least 50 g/m 2 .

6 . The absorbent core of claim 4 , wherein the basis weight difference between the maximum basis weight value in any of the lateral absorbent zones and the minimum basis weight value in the central absorbent zone in the second transversal section (S 2 ) is of at least 30 g/m 2 .

7 . The absorbent core of claim 1 , wherein the first and second channel-forming areas are at least partially curved or angled so that the width of the central absorbent zone varies along at least a portion of the length of the core.

8 . The absorbent core of claim 1 , wherein the top side of the core wrap is attached to the bottom side of the core wrap in the channel-forming areas by at least one selected from ultrasonic bonding, fusion bonding, and adhesive bonding.

9 . An absorbent core extending in a longitudinal direction parallel to a longitudinal axis and a transversal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the absorbent core comprising:

a. a first substrate;

b. a second substrate;

c. absorbent material disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate to define an absorbent material deposition area, the absorbent material comprising a mix of particulate superabsorbent polymer and cellulose fibers;

d. first and second channel-forming areas disposed within the absorbent material deposition area; and

e. a central absorbent zone disposed between the first and second channel-forming areas, a first lateral absorbent zone disposed transversally outwardly from the first channel-forming area, a second lateral absorbent zone disposed transversally outwardly from the second channel-forming area, an optional front absorbent zone disposed longitudinally outwardly from the first and second channel-forming areas to a first end of the absorbent core, and an optional back absorbent zone disposed longitudinally outwardly from the first and second channel-forming areas to an opposing second end of the absorbent core;

f. wherein a weight percentage of absorbent material within the central absorbent zone is from 15-55;

g. wherein a weight percentage of absorbent material within each of the first lateral absorbent zone and the second lateral absorbent zone is 10-40;

h. wherein a weight percentage of absorbent material within each of the optional front absorbent zone and the optional back absorbent zone is 0-25, and

i. wherein at least one transversal folding line is formed in a transversal section (S 4 ) of the core, wherein the transversal section (S 4 ) comprises a minimum basis weight in the lateral absorbent zones relative to the neighboring regions of the lateral absorbent zones, so that the transversal section (S 4 ) of minimum basis weight is configured to be a folding line to allow increased flexibility of the absorbent core in the longitudinal direction, wherein the transversal section (S 4 ) comprises a longitudinal length of 5 mm to 30 mm, and wherein the transversal section (S 4 ) is oriented parallel to the transversal direction and extends laterally up to longitudinal side edges of the absorbent core.

10 . The absorbent core of claim 9 , wherein the first substrate is bonded to the second substrate within the first and second channel-forming areas.

11 . The absorbent core of claim 10 , wherein the wherein the first substrate is adhesively bonded to the second substrate within the first and second channel-forming areas.

12 . The absorbent core of claim 10 , wherein the wherein the first substrate is ultrasonically bonded to the second substrate within the first and second channel-forming areas.

13 . The absorbent core of claim 10 , wherein the wherein the first substrate is heat bonded to the second substrate within the first and second channel-forming areas.

14 . The absorbent core of claim 9 , wherein the first substrate is at least partially wrapped around the second substrate.

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (400)

Cited By (1)

US 12,569,374