# US 5,704,930 A · Absorbent article having flaps and zones of differential extensibility

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- Number: US 5,704,930 A
- Document ID: US5704930A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/708,437
- Filed: 1996-09-05
- Granted: 1998-01-06
- Earliest claimed: 1991-10-01
- Assignees: The Procter & Gamble Company
- Inventors: Bruce William Lavash; Thomas Henrich; Carl Louis Bergman; Raymond John Dirk; Kaoru Niihara; Thomas Ward Osborn III; Jeffrey Vincent Bamber
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5704930A

## CPC

- A61F 13/476: characterised by encircling the crotch region of the undergarment, e.g. with flaps
- A61F 13/472: specially adapted for female use
- A61F 13/47263: {with activating means, e.g. elastic, heat or chemical activatable means}
- A61F 13/511: Topsheet, i.e. the permeable cover or layer facing the skin
- A61F 13/514: Backsheet, i.e. the impermeable cover or layer furthest from the skin {(A61F13/15211, A61F13/15252 take precedence)}
- A61F 13/515: characterised by the interconnection of the topsheet and the backsheet
- A61F 13/535: inhomogeneous in the plane of the pad, e.g. core absorbent layers being of different sizes ({A61F13/5323,} A61F13/537 take precedence)
- A61F 13/5616: {using flaps, e.g. adhesive, for attachment to the undergarment (leakage prevention means encirculing the crotch portion A61F13/476)}
- A61F 13/49009: {with elastic means}
- A61F 13/51: characterised by the outer layers of the pads (A61F13/20 takes precedence)
- A61F 13/53: characterised by the absorbing medium (A61F13/20 takes precedence)
- A61F 13/537: characterised by a layer facilitating or inhibiting flow in one direction or plane, e.g. a wicking layer {(A61F13/538 takes precedence)}
- A61F 2013/15365: {Dimensions}
- A61F 2013/1539: {being expandable}
- A61F 2013/4708: {Panty-liner}
- A61F 2013/49031: {being elastic in longitudinal direction}
- A61F 2013/49033: {being elastic in transversal direction}
- A61F 2013/49042: {with only stretchable part, i.e. part being not elastic but only extensible with not a full recovery of its original length}
- A61F 2013/51066: {for rendering the surface hydrophilic}
- A61F 2013/51409: {being a film}
- A61F 2013/51429: {being elastomeric or stretchable sheet}
- A61F 2013/530007: {being made from pulp}
- A61F 2013/530131: {being made in fibre but being not pulp}
- A61F 2013/530226: {with polymeric fibres}
- A61F 2013/530328: {being mineral fibres, e.g. glass}
- A61F 2013/530335: {being in peat moss}
- A61F 2013/530481: {having superabsorbent materials, i.e. highly absorbent polymer gel materials}
- A61F 2013/530547: {positioned in a separate layer or layers}
- A61F 2013/530583: {characterized by the form}
- A61F 2013/530802: {characterized by the foam or sponge other than superabsorbent (A61F2013/530649 takes precedence)}
- A61F 2013/530875: {having holes}
- A61F 2013/53908: {with adhesive}
- A61F 2013/53916: {with epicyclical pattern}
- A61F 2013/53925: {with intermittent pattern, e.g. spots}
- A61F 2013/5395: {with thermoplastic agent, i.e. softened by heat}
- A61F 2013/53966: {by needling, sewing, blow-needling}
- A61F 2013/53975: {by Hydraulic entanglement}
- A61F 2013/586: {on lateral flaps}
- Y10T 156/1015: Folding
- 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)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

An absorbent article, such as a sanitary napkin, having flaps and zones of differential extensibility for relieving the stresses that develop in the flaps when the flaps are folded down along the edges of crotch of the wearer's undergarments is provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An absorbent article made by a method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing an absorbent article having a main body portion, a central region disposed between a first end region and a second end region, a principal longitudinal centerline and a principal transverse centerline, said main body portion having two spaced apart longitudinal edges and two spaced apart transverse edges, said absorbent article comprising:
(i) a pair of flaps being associated with said main body portion at a juncture and extending laterally outward beyond a longitudinal edge of said main body portion, said flaps being divided into a front half and a back half by a flap transverse centerline, said junctures each having a pair of ends;
(ii) said absorbent article having two corner regions for each flap, said corner regions being located in the regions of the ends of each juncture;
(iii) a first portion of said absorbent article complementary with each corner region, at least part of said first portion being adjacent said flap transverse centerline; and
(b) providing zones of differential extensibility in said corner regions of said absorbent article, said zones of differential extensibility being capable of greater extension outward in a generally transverse direction than said first portions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An absorbent article made by the method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises the step of stretching the material comprising at least one of said corner regions beyond its point of plastic deformation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An absorbent article made by the method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises ring rolling or corrugating said corner regions so that corrugations with generally longitudinally-oriented fold lines are formed in said corner regions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

An absorbent article made by the method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises the steps of (i) folding or pleating the portions of said flap which lie outboard of said juncture, and (ii) securing said pleated portion of said flaps in the area of said flap transverse centerline so that the material in said secured portion is unable to unfold and leaving the remaining portions of said pleated portion of said flaps unsecured so that remaining portions may unfold.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

An absorbent article made by the method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises the steps of (i) folding or pleating portions of said main body portion with longitudinally oriented fold lines along said principal longitudinal centerline, and (ii) securing said pleated portion of said main body in the area of said flap transverse centerline so that the material comprising the secured portion is unable to unfold and leaving the remaining portions of said absorbent article unsecured so these remaining portions are capable of extension in a generally transverse direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

An absorbent article made by the method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises joining at least one of said flaps to said main body portion such that at least one of said junctures is oriented so that portions of said juncture in the area of said flap transverse centerline are closer to the principal longitudinal centerline than the portions of said juncture near the ends of said juncture.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

An absorbent article made by the method of claim 6 wherein said at least one juncture is curved concave inward toward said principal longitudinal centerline in at least a portion of the central region of said absorbent article.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

An absorbent article made by the method of claim 7 wherein the absorbent article in step (a) further comprises an absorbent article having a main body portion with longitudinal side edges that are curved concave inward in said central region, said longitudinal side edges having a first radius of curvature, said flaps comprising separate elements that may be attached to said main body portion, said flap elements having proximal edges with a similar radius of curvature to said first radius of curvature, and step (b) comprises (i) providing a plurality of notches in said proximal edge of said flap elements so that the radius of curvature of said proximal edges of said flap elements approaches said first radius of curvature, and (ii) attaching said proximal edges of said flap elements on top of the longitudinal side edges of said main body portion.