Wearable disposable absorbent article

Abstract

A wearable disposable absorbent article includes a front panel, a back panel, and a crotch panel bridging and at least partially overlapping the front and back panels. A backsheet of the crotch panel has a laminate structure including a liquid barrier sheet and a nonwoven layer arranged on top of each other. The liquid barrier sheet extends over the entire length of the crotch panel and further over at least a portion of each of the front and back panels. The nonwoven layer extends at least over the entire length of the crotch panel but not over a length of more than 40 mm over each of the front and back panels. The width of the nonwoven layer is smaller than the width of the liquid barrier sheet.

Claims

1. A wearable disposable absorbent article comprising: a front panel; a back panel; and a crotch panel bridging and at least partially overlapping the front panel and the back panel; wherein the crotch panel comprises: a topsheet; a backsheet having a laminate structure comprising a liquid barrier sheet and a nonwoven layer arranged on top of each other; and an absorbent core provided between the topsheet and the backsheet, wherein the nonwoven layer is arranged at an outer side of the crotch panel, facing away from a wearer of the absorbent article when worn, wherein the liquid barrier sheet extends over the entire length, in the direction from the front panel towards the back panel, of the portion of the crotch panel arranged between the front panel and the back panel, and the liquid barrier sheet further extends over at least a portion of the front panel and over at least a portion of the back panel, wherein the nonwoven layer extends at least over the entire length, in the direction from the front panel towards the back panel, of the portion of the crotch panel arranged between the front panel and the back panel, wherein the nonwoven layer does not extend over the front panel over a length, in the direction from the front panel towards the back panel, of more than 40 mm, wherein the nonwoven layer does not extend over the back panel over a length, in the direction from the front panel towards the back panel, of more than 40 mm, and wherein the width, in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel towards the back panel, of the nonwoven layer is smaller than the width, in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel towards the back panel, of the liquid barrier sheet, wherein the relative dimensions given for the absorbent article relate to the fully unfolded and laid out flat state of the absorbent article.

2. The wearable disposable absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the liquid barrier sheet is made of a plastic material and/or a nonwoven material.

3. The wearable disposable absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the liquid barrier sheet extends over the entire length, in the direction from the front panel towards the back panel, of the crotch panel.

4. The wearable disposable absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven layer extends over the front panel over a length, in the direction from the front panel towards the back panel, in the range of 5 mm to 40 mm and/or the nonwoven layer extends over the back panel over a length, in the direction from the front panel towards the back panel, in the range of 5 mm to 40 mm.

5. The wearable disposable absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the length, in the direction from the front panel towards the back panel, of the nonwoven layer is in the range of 40% to 70% of the length, in the direction from the front panel towards the back panel, of the liquid barrier sheet.

6. The wearable disposable absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the width, in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel towards the back panel, of the nonwoven layer is smaller than the width, in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel towards the back panel, of the liquid barrier sheet by not more than 50 mm.

7. The wearable disposable absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the crotch panel further comprises a nonwoven cuff material having inner edges at the outer side of the crotch extending along the direction from the front panel towards the back panel, wherein the inner edges of the nonwoven cuff material are spaced apart from each other by a distance in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel towards the back panel, and wherein the width, in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel towards the back panel, of the nonwoven layer is larger than the distance between the inner edges of the nonwoven cuff material, so that the nonwoven layer extends beyond each of the inner edges of the nonwoven cuff material in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel towards the back panel.

8. The wearable disposable absorbent article according to claim 7, wherein the nonwoven layer extends beyond each of the inner edges of the nonwoven cuff material in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel towards the back panel by 30 mm or less.

9. The wearable disposable absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the front panel, the back panel, the crotch panel, the nonwoven layer, and the liquid barrier sheet has a substantially rectangular shape in plain view.

10. The wearable disposable absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent article has an H-shape in plain view.

11. The wearable disposable absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the liquid barrier sheet has one or more printed areas at the portion thereof which overlaps with the front panel and/or the portion thereof which overlaps with the back panel, and the nonwoven layer does not extend into the one or more printed areas.

12. The wearable disposable absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the liquid barrier sheet and the nonwoven layer are attached to each other by thermosealing, by ultrasonic welding, or by an adhesive.

13. The wearable disposable absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the liquid barrier sheet is a breathable layer or a non-breathable layer.

14. The wearable disposable absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the liquid barrier sheet has a basis weight in the range of 8 g/m.sup.2 to 22 g/m.sup.2.

15. The wearable disposable absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent article is a diaper, an incontinence garment, or a feminine garment.

16. The wearable disposable absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven layer consists of a single piece of nonwoven material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For a better understanding of the present disclosure and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic bottom view of a wearable disposable absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in an unfolded state thereof;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic exploded cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic exploded cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

(5) A particular embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(6) FIG. 1 shows a schematic bottom view of a wearable disposable absorbent article 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The wearable disposable absorbent article 10 is a diaper. In FIG. 1, the absorbent article 10 is shown in a fully unfolded and laid out flat state. As is shown in FIG. 1, the absorbent article 10 has an H-shape in plan view.

(7) The absorbent article 10 includes a front panel 12, a back panel 14 and a crotch panel 16 bridging and partially overlapping the front panel 12 and the back panel 14. The crotch panel 16 includes a liquid permeable topsheet 18 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), a liquid impermeable backsheet 20, and an absorbent core 22 provided between the topsheet 18 and the backsheet 20, as is schematically shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The absorbent core 22 is indicated by a rectangle drawn with a dashed line in FIG. 1.

(8) The backsheet 20 has a laminate structure including a liquid barrier sheet 24 and a nonwoven layer 26 arranged on top of each other (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The nonwoven layer 26 is arranged at an outer side of the crotch panel 16 (i.e., the upper side in FIGS. 2 and 3), facing away from a wearer of the absorbent article 10 when worn. The liquid barrier sheet 24 may be, for example, made of a plastic material, e.g., a thermoplastic film material. In particular, the liquid barrier sheet 24 may be a breathable microporous film comprising a thermoplastic elastomeric polyolefin polymer and a filler.

(9) The liquid barrier sheet 24 extends over the entire length, in the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14, of the crotch panel 16. The nonwoven layer 26 extends over the entire length, in the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14, of the portion of the crotch panel 16 arranged between the front panel 12 and the back panel 14. Further, the nonwoven layer 26 partially overlaps with the front panel 12 and the back panel 14, as is shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, the nonwoven layer 26 extends over the front panel 12 over a length, in the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14, in the range of 5 mm to 40 mm, and the nonwoven layer 26 extends over the back panel 14 over a length, in the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14, in the range of 5 mm to 40 mm.

(10) The length, in the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14, of the nonwoven layer 26 is in the range of 50% to 60% of the length, in the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14, of the liquid barrier sheet 24. As is shown in FIG. 1, the width, in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14, of the nonwoven layer 26 is smaller than the width, in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14, of the liquid barrier sheet 24.

(11) The crotch panel 16 further includes a nonwoven cuff material 28. As is shown in FIG. 2, the nonwoven cuff material 28 consists of two separate pieces of material, i.e., two separate nonwoven layers, wrapped around side edges of the remainder of the crotch panel 16. Inner edges 30 of the nonwoven cuff material 28 at the outer side of the crotch panel 16 (the upper side in FIG. 2) extend along the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14, as is shown in FIG. 1 where the inner edges 30 of the nonwoven cuff material 28 are indicated by dashed lines.

(12) The inner edges 30 of the nonwoven cuff material 28 are spaced apart from each other by a distance in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The width, in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14, of the nonwoven layer 26 is larger than the distance between the inner edges 30 of the nonwoven cuff material 28, so that the nonwoven layer 26 extends beyond each of the inner edges 30 of the nonwoven cuff material 28 in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14. In particular embodiments, the nonwoven layer 26 extends beyond each of the inner edges 30 of the nonwoven cuff material 28 in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14 by 1 mm to 25 mm.

(13) As is shown in FIG. 1, the front panel 12, the back panel 14, the crotch panel 16, the liquid barrier sheet 24 and the nonwoven layer 26 each have a rectangular shape in plan view in the fully unfolded and laid out flat state. Thus, these components can be manufactured in a particularly simple manner, substantially without any material losses.

(14) The liquid barrier sheet 24 has printed areas (not shown) at the portion 32 thereof which overlaps with the front panel 12 and the portion 34 thereof which overlaps with the back panel 14 (see FIG. 1). The nonwoven layer 26 does not extend into these printed areas, as is indicated in FIG. 1. Therefore, clear and sharp prints with good visibility are provided in these printed areas.

(15) The nonwoven layer 26 is arranged relative to the liquid barrier sheet 24 so that a center line of the nonwoven layer 26 along the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14 is substantially congruent with a center line of the liquid barrier sheet 24 along the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14 (see FIG. 1).

(16) Further, the nonwoven layer 26 is arranged relative to the liquid barrier sheet 24 so that a center line of the nonwoven layer 26 along the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14 is substantially congruent with a center line of the liquid barrier sheet 24 along the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14 (see FIG. 1).

(17) The crotch panel 16 further includes an optional transfer layer 36 provided between the topsheet 18 and the absorbent core 22 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) for ensuring efficient transfer and distribution of liquids, such as urine or other bodily fluids, from the topsheet 18 to the absorbent core 22. The transfer layer 36 may be a 40 to 90 gsm thermoplastic nonwoven material, such as of PET, PE, PP.

(18) The absorbent article 10 can further include an optional tissue or nonwoven layer 38 arranged between the transfer layer 36 and the absorbent core 22, and an optional core cover layer 40 arranged between the absorbent core 22 and the liquid barrier sheet 24, as is shown in FIG. 3. The tissue layer and the nonwoven layer may be of 6 to 20 gsm. The tissue layer may be a cellulose-based material and the nonwoven layer may be a thermoplastic material, such as of PET, PE, PP.

(19) The different components of the absorbent article 10, i.e., the topsheet 18, the backsheet 20, the absorbent core 22, the liquid barrier sheet 24 and the nonwoven layer 26, may have the configurations and be made of the materials described in detail above.

(20) The different components of the absorbent article 10 may be attached to each other, for example, by thermo-mechanical bonding, such as thermosealing, ultrasonic bonding, such as ultrasonic welding, an adhesive or adhesives, stitching or the like. In particular, the liquid barrier sheet 24 and the nonwoven layer 26 may be attached to each other by thermosealing and/or by ultrasonic welding and/or by an adhesive or adhesives.

(21) The wearable disposable absorbent article 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 offers a large printable area, in particular, in the portions 32 and 34 of the liquid barrier sheet 24 which overlap with the front panel 12 and the back panel 14, respectively. This printable area allows for clear and sharp prints with good visibility to be provided. Further, the absorbent article 10 can be manufactured in a cost-efficient manner, substantially without any cutting losses.

(22) Moreover, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, the width, in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14, of the nonwoven layer 26 is smaller than the width, in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the front panel 12 towards the back panel 14, of the liquid barrier sheet 24. By providing, in this manner, a smaller amount of nonwoven material of the nonwoven layer 26 in the width direction of the nonwoven layer 26 and the liquid barrier sheet 24, a particularly soft and pliable absorbent article 10 with a high degree of leakage protection can be obtained.

(23) All of the above are fully within the scope of the present invention, and are considered to form the basis for alternative embodiments in which one or more combinations of the above-described features are applied, without limitation to the specific combinations disclosed above.

(24) In light of this, there will be many alternatives which implement the teaching of the present invention. It is expected that one skilled in the art will be able to modify and adapt the above disclosure to suit his own circumstances and requirements within the scope of the present invention, while retaining some or all technical effects of the same, either disclosed or derivable from the above, in light of his common general knowledge in this art. All such equivalents, modifications or adaptations fall within the scope of the invention hereby defined and claimed.