# US 10,369,061 B2 · Absorbent product comprising inlet material

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- Number: US 10,369,061 B2
- Document ID: US10369061B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/580,883
- Filed: 2015-06-10
- Published: 2018-06-14
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-06-10
- Assignees: Essity Hygiene and Health Aktiebolag
- Applicants: SCA Hygiene Products AB
- Inventors: Åsa Jönegren; Pia Kalentun; Susanna Edrud; Morgan Hansson; Susanne Andersson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369061B2

## CPC

- A61F 13/53713: {the layer having a promotional function on liquid propagation in the vertical direction}
- A61F 13/4704: {having preferential bending zones, e.g. fold lines or grooves}
- A61F 13/4755: {the means being a flat barrier on or inside the absorbent article, e.g. backsheet wrapped around the edges}
- A61F 13/476: characterised by encircling the crotch region of the undergarment, e.g. with flaps
- A61F 13/49017: {the elastic means being located at the crotch region}
- B32B 3/10: characterised by a discontinuous layer, i.e. formed of separate pieces of material
- B32B 3/266: {characterised by an apertured layer, the apertures going through the whole thickness of the layer, e.g. expanded metal, perforated layer, slit layer regular cells B32B3/12}
- B32B 5/022: {Non-woven fabric}
- B32B 5/04: characterised by a layer being specifically extensible by reason of its structure or arrangement {, e.g. by reason of the chemical nature of the fibres or filaments}
- B32B 5/18: characterised by features of a layer {of} foamed material
- B32B 5/245: {another layer next to it being a foam layer}
- A61F 2013/4587: {with channels or deep spot depressions on the upper surface (A61F13/4704 and A61F13/49001 take precedence)}
- A61F 2013/4708: {Panty-liner}
- B32B 5/24: one layer being a fibrous or filamentary layer
- B32B 37/1292: {selectively, e.g. in stripes, in patterns (B32B37/0076 takes precedence)}
- B32B 2307/726: Permeability to liquids, absorption
- B32B 2307/7265: Non-permeable
- B32B 2307/73: Hydrophobic
- B32B 2437/02: Gloves, shoes
- B32B 2555/02: Diapers or napkins
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM

## Abstract

An absorbent product includes a liquid pervious topsheet, a liquid impervious backsheet and an absorbent core enclosed between the liquid pervious topsheet and liquid impervious backsheet. The absorbent product has in its longitudinal direction a crotch part and two end parts. The absorbent product includes at least in its crotch part an inlet material having a plurality of openings. The plurality of openings in the inlet material are formed from a plurality of slits extending in the transversal direction of the absorbent product by expanding the continuous inlet material in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent product. The liquid inlet material has in its transversal direction of the absorbent product a central region and two edge regions. The openings are located in the central region so that the central region of the material with the plurality of openings has a lesser degree of elasticity than the edge regions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An absorbent product having in its longitudinal
direction a crotch part and two end parts comprising:
a liquid pervious topsheet;
a liquid impervious backsheet;
an absorbent core enclosed between the liquid pervious topsheet and liquid impervious backsheet; and
an inlet material having a plurality of openings located in at least the crotch part,
wherein the plurality of openings in the inlet material are formed from a plurality of slits extending in the transversal direction of the absorbent product by expanding the continuous inlet material in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent product, and
wherein the liquid inlet material in the transversal direction of the absorbent product has a central region and two edge regions and the plurality of openings are located in the central region, wherein both edge regions are free of openings so that the central region of the inlet material with the plurality of openings has a lesser degree of elasticity than the edge regions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The absorbent product according to claim 1, wherein the edge regions of the inlet material has a greater elasticity than the central region of the inlet material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The absorbent product according to claim 2, wherein the crotch part has a bowl shape.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The absorbent product according to claim 1, wherein the inlet material is located in the crotch part only.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The absorbent product according to claim 1, wherein the inlet material is located between the top sheet and the absorbent core.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The absorbent product according to claim 1, wherein the inlet material is the liquid permeable top sheet or part thereof.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The absorbent product according to claim 5, wherein the inlet material, at least in the crotch part, has a greater width than the absorbent core.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The absorbent product according to claim 7, wherein the central region of the inlet material, at least in the crotch part, also has a greater width than the absorbent core.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The absorbent product according to claim 5, wherein the liquid pervious topsheet and the liquid impervious backsheet have substantially same or greater width in the crotch part than the inlet material.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The absorbent product according to claim 1, wherein the edge regions have a width that is of least 5.0 mm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The absorbent product according to claim 1, wherein the length of the openings in the transversal direction of the absorbent product are 5.0 to 20.0 mm.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The absorbent product according to claim 1, wherein the width of the openings in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent product is 0.2 to 3.0 of the length of the opening in the transversal direction.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The absorbent product according to claim 1, wherein the inlet material has been extended 30% to 200% from the original length of the unexpanded inlet material.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The absorbent product according to claim 1, wherein the inlet material is hydrophobic.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The absorbent product according to claim 1, wherein the inlet material is a foam material.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The absorbent product according to claim 1, wherein the inlet material is a nonwoven.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The absorbent product according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the openings are 1.5 to 5.0 mm.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The absorbent product according to claim 1, wherein the total open area in the horizontal plane of the product formed by the plurality openings in the central region is 40% to 70% of the total area in the horizontal plane in the central region.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The absorbent product according to claim 1, wherein the inlet material and a layer directly below the inlet material have different colors.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

An incontinence shield comprises the absorbent product according to claim 1.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The incontinence shield according to claim 20, wherein the length of the inlet material in the longitudinal direction of the incontinence shield is 20 to 80% of the total length of the incontinence shield in the longitudinal direction.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The incontinence shield according to claim 20, wherein the incontinence shield is less than 50 cm in its longitudinal direction.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The absorbent product according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings are not present in the two edge regions.