Absorbent article

Details Absorbent article Absorbent article

1996-11-20

2001-10-09

Weiss, John G. (Department: 3761)

Surgery

Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material

Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...

C604S372000, C604S378000, C604S385101, C604S385240, C604S385250, C604S385310

Reexamination Certificate

active

06300538

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an absorbent article, such as a sanitary napkin.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional hygienic absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, incontinence pads and the like are provided with an absorbent core which, in theory, is capable of absorbing all the fluid normally discharged by the wearer over an intended exposure time of the article. However, leakage can arise if the absorbent article is not maintained in proper relation with the wearer. One attempt to overcome this problem is to provide a sanitary napkin with so called wings. However, winged sanitary napkins also suffer from certain drawbacks. For example, if a particularly heavy discharge occurs, fluid may spread over the topsheet of the napkin and escape over the wings to thereby stain adjacent clothing. In addition, many wearers regard winged sanitary napkins as being too indiscrete.
Due to their relative narrowness, when sanitary napkins do leak this generally occurs at the side edges. Many attempts have been made to overcome the problem of edge leakage, including that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,439. In said document, a sanitary napkin is disclosed which comprises an elongate absorbent core having a liquid pervious sheet over its front face and a liquid impervious barrier sheet over its back face. The liquid impervious barrier sheet has edge portions which cover the longitudinal sides and the side margins at the front face of the absorbent core. In an effort to inhibit leakage of body fluids from the front surface of the absorbent pad to the sides thereof, said document teaches providing a layer of water absorbing polymer in contact with a surface of the barrier sheet in the longitudinal edge portions.
Whilst the sanitary napkin according to said U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,439 may exhibit improved side edge leakage protection when compared to a conventional sanitary napkin, a need still exists for a sanitary which reduces further the risk of side edge leakage whilst still being sufficiently discrete to satisfy the majority of wearers. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an absorbent article which meets these requirements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above-stated object is achieved in accordance with the present invention by an absorbent article comprising:
an elongate absorbent core delimited by an upper surface and a lower surface, a pair of opposed longitudinal edge portions terminating in longitudinal edges, and a pair of opposed transverse edges, said core having a first end portion, a second end portion and a mid portion located between said end portions;
a liquid permeable topsheet extending over said upper surface, and
a liquid impermeable sheet covering said longitudinal edge portions of said absorbent core, wherein a strip of substantially hydrophobic resilient material is arranged between said liquid impermeable sheet and said absorbent core along each longitudinal edge portion of said absorbent core in at least said mid portion of said absorbent core to thereby increase the flexure resistance of the article.
The provision of strips of resilient material in at least the mid portion of the absorbent article according to the invention increases the shape stability of the article in the strike zone, i.e. that region of the absorbent article which is first contacted by discharged bodily fluid. In this manner, the risk of bunching of the absorbent article is significantly reduced. In addition, the resilient strips press the longitudinal edges of the absorbent article towards the wearer, thereby causing the article to more readily mould to the body of the wearer. Since the strips need not extend along the entire length of the article, the article may be worn discretely. Advantageously, the remote ends of the strips may serve to impart a bowl-shape to the article to further conform the article to the shape of the wearer.


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