US 5,672,164 AGranted

Disposable absorbent article having an extended sublayer

OwnerPatrick L. Craneinventor

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Abstract

An absorbent article includes a topsheet, a backsheet and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet. A sublayer is disposed between the topsheet and the absorbent core. The sublayer includes sides edges which extend past the side edges of the absorbent core and end edges which extend to the front and rear waist regions of the absorbent article. The side edges of the sublayer are secured to the backsheet in the area between the side edges of the absorbent core and the leg elastics. The attachment of the side edges of the absorbent core improves the liquid take-up by ensuring contact between the absorbent core and the sublayer even after the bond between the sublayer and the absorbent core may have failed. In addition, the attachment of the side edges to the backsheet ensures that the absorbent core maintains its shape even after it is saturated with liquid.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A disposable absorbent article having a front waist region, a rear waist region and a crotch region, said absorbent article comprising:

a backsheet;
a topsheet associated with said backsheet;
an absorbent core disposed between said backsheet and said topsheet, said absorbent core having spaced side edges and end edges;
a front waist region;
a rear waist region;
a crotch region between said front and rear waist regions;
a pair of leg openings intermediate the front and rear waist regions;
leg elastics positioned adjacent said leg openings;
said topsheet further comprising a central panel and a pair of outboard panels, each of said outboard topsheet panels having a first portion and a second portion integrally formed with and extending from said first portion, said second portion comprising an upstanding waste containment flap attached to said central topsheet panel above said absorbent core;
and
a sublayer positioned between said topsheet and said absorbent core, said sublayer having side edges extending beyond said side edges of said absorbent core, said side edges of said sublayer bonded to said backsheet between said side edges of said absorbent core and said leg elastics.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.