Sanitary napkin having components capable of separation in use

An absorbent article having a principal longitudinal centerline and a principal transverse centerline, said absorbent article comprising:

• a liquid pervious topsheet;
• a liquid impervious backsheet;
• an absorbent core positioned between said topsheet and said backsheet;
• a liquid pervious spacing structure for moving said topsheet away from said core, said spacing structure being positioned between said topsheet and said absorbent core, and having an uncompressed configuration, a compressed configuration, a longitudinal centerline, a transverse centerline, and comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, and opposed lateral sides, wherein
• said upper portion is positioned between said topsheet and said lower portion, and at least parts of said upper portion overlay parts of said lower portion when said spacing structure is in its uncompressed configuration,
• said lower portion is adjacent said core when said spacing structure is in its uncompressed configuration, and at least two sections of said lower portion of said spacing structure are positioned on opposite sides of said principal longitudinal centerline and connected to at least part of said core by a spacing structure securement means that is oriented in a direction generally parallel to the principal longitudinal centerline to define attached sections of said lower portion, and
• when said spacing structure is compressed from the sides, said opposed lateral sides may move inwardly toward said principal longitudinal centerline, resulting in at least some of said upper portion moving said topsheet away from said absorbent core.

An absorbent article having a longitudinal centerline oriented in a longitudinal direction, a transverse centerline oriented in a transverse direction, two spaced apart longitudinal edges, and two spaced apart end edges, said absorbent article comprising:

• a liquid pervious topsheet;
• a liquid impervious backsheet;
• an absorbent core positioned between said topsheet and said backsheet, said absorbent core having two spaced apart longitudinal edges and two spaced apart end edges, said absorbent core being joined to said backsheet along said longitudinal edges of said absorbent core and along at least one transverse juncture, the remainder of said core, including at least one end edge being unattached to said backsheet to provide an unattached portion of said core that may move apart and separate from said backsheet;
• a means for controlling the separation of said unattached portion of said core from said backsheet;
• and
• a liquid pervious spacing structure for moving said topsheet apart from said core, said spacing structure positioned between said topsheet and said core and being secured to said core, said spacing structure having opposed lateral sides which may move inwardly toward said longitudinal centerline resulting in at least a portion of said spacing structure moving said topsheet apart from said absorbent core.

An absorbent article comprising:

• a liquid pervious topsheet;
• a liquid impervious backsheet;
• an absorbent core positioned between said topsheet and said backsheet, said core having longitudinal edges and transverse edges;
• a liquid pervious spacing structure for moving said topsheet away from said core, said spacing structure positioned between said topsheet and said core, said spacing structure comprising a sheet having a body-facing side, a garment-facing side, said sheet being folded to have two pairs of longitudinal folds comprising a first and a second pair of longitudinal folds, said second pair of longitudinal folds being positioned under and inboard of said first pair of longitudinal folds, wherein
• said first pair of longitudinal folds comprises one fold on each side of the longitudinal centerline of said spacing structure where said sheet has been folded inward under the garment-facing side of said sheet,
• said second pair of longitudinal folds comprises two opposed folds where said sheet has been folded in opposite directions outward under the garment-facing side of said sheet,
• said longitudinal edges of the folded sheet extend outward away from the principal longitudinal centerline toward the longitudinal edges of said absorbent core, and
• when said spacing structure is compressed from the sides, said opposed lateral sides may move inwardly toward said longitudinal centerline, resulting in at least some of said upper portion moving said topsheet away from said absorbent core.

An absorbent article having a principal longitudinal centerline and a principal transverse centerline, said absorbent article comprising:

• a liquid pervious topsheet;
• a liquid impervious backsheet;
• an absorbent core positioned between said topsheet and said backsheet;
• a liquid pervious spacing structure for moving said topsheet away from said absorbent core, said spacing structure being positioned between said topsheet and said absorbent core, and having an uncompressed configuration, a compressed configuration, a longitudinal centerline, a transverse centerline, and comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, and opposed lateral sides, wherein
• said upper portion is positioned between said topsheet and said lower portion, and at least parts of said upper portion overlay parts of said lower portion when said spacing structure is in its uncompressed configuration,
• said lower portion is adjacent said absorbent core when said spacing structure is in its uncompressed configuration, the width of said lower portion is less than or equal to the width of said upper portion, and at least a section of said lower portion is connected to at least part of said absorbent core to define an attached section of said lower portion, and
• when said spacing structure is compressed from the sides, said opposed lateral sides may move inwardly toward said principal longitudinal centerline, resulting in at least some of said upper portion moving said topsheet away from said absorbent core.

An absorbent article having a principal longitudinal centerline oriented in a longitudinal direction and a principal transverse centerline oriented in a transverse direction, said absorbent article comprising:

• a liquid pervious topsheet;
• a liquid impervious backsheet;
• an absorbent core positioned between said topsheet and said backsheet;
• a liquid pervious spacing structure for moving said topsheet away from said absorbent core, said spacing structure being positioned between said topsheet and said absorbent core, and having an uncompressed configuration, a compressed configuration, a longitudinal centerline, a transverse centerline, and comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, and opposed lateral sides, wherein
• said upper portion is positioned between said topsheet and said lower portion, and at least parts of said upper portion overlay parts of said lower portion when said spacing structure is in its uncompressed configuration,
• said lower portion is adjacent said absorbent core when said spacing structure is in its uncompressed configuration, and at least a section of said lower portion is connected to at least part of said absorbent core to define an attached section of said lower portion, wherein
• when said spacing structure is viewed along a transverse cross-section, said spacing structure is generally in the configuration of a closed structure which has a perimeter, wherein said spacing structure forms at least part of the perimeter of said closed structure;
• and
• when said spacing structure is compressed from the sides, said opposed lateral sides may move inwardly toward said principal longitudinal centerline, resulting in at least some of said upper portion moving said topsheet away from said absorbent core.

An absorbent article having a principal longitudinal centerline oriented in a longitudinal direction and a principal transverse centerline oriented in a transverse direction, said absorbent article comprising:

• a liquid pervious topsheet;
• a liquid impervious backsheet;
• an absorbent core positioned between said topsheet and said backsheet;
• a liquid pervious spacing structure for moving said topsheet away from said absorbent core, said spacing structure having two longitudinal edges, two transverse edges and comprising a sheet with two sides that is folded about at least two longitudinal axes so that said longitudinal edges of said sheet are each folded under one side of said sheet, said spacing structure being positioned between said topsheet and said absorbent core, and having an uncompressed configuration, a compressed configuration, a longitudinal centerline, a transverse centerline, and comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, and opposed lateral sides, wherein
• said upper portion is positioned between said topsheet and said lower portion, and at least parts of said upper portion overlay parts of said lower portion when said spacing structure is in its uncompressed configuration,
• said lower portion is adjacent said absorbent core when said spacing structure is in its uncompressed configuration, and at least a section of said lower portion is connected to at least part of said absorbent core to define an attached section of said lower portion, and
• when said spacing structure is compressed from the sides, said opposed lateral sides may move inwardly toward said principal longitudinal centerline, resulting in at least some of said upper portion moving said topsheet away from said absorbent core.

An absorbent article having a principal longitudinal centerline oriented in a longitudinal direction and a principal transverse centerline oriented in a transverse direction, said absorbent article comprising:

• a liquid pervious topsheet;
• a liquid impervious backsheet;
• an absorbent core positioned between said topsheet and said backsheet;
• a liquid pervious spacing structure for moving said topsheet away from said absorbent core, said spacing structure having two longitudinal edges, two transverse edges and comprising a sheet with two sides that is folded about at least two longitudinal axes so that said longitudinal edges of said sheet are each folded over one side of said sheet, said spacing structure positioned between said topsheet and said absorbent core, and having an uncompressed configuration, a compressed configuration, a longitudinal centerline, a transverse centerline, and comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, and opposed lateral sides, wherein
• said upper portion is positioned between said topsheet and said lower portion, and at least parts of said upper portion overlay parts of said lower portion when said spacing structure is in its uncompressed configuration,
• said lower portion is adjacent said absorbent core when said spacing structure is in its uncompressed configuration, and at least a section of said lower portion is connected to at least part of said absorbent core to define an attached section of said lower portion, and
• when said spacing structure is compressed from the sides, said opposed lateral sides may move inwardly toward said principal longitudinal centerline, resulting in at least some of said upper portion moving said topsheet away from said absorbent core.