Apertured absorbent pads for use in absorbent articles

An absorbent pad for use in an absorbent article, said absorbent pad having a length and a width, opposing first and second surfaces, a thickness between the first and second surfaces, and an outer layer of said absorbent pad at the first surface, said outer layer being permeable to fluid, the first surface of said absorbent pad having apertures extending from the first surface inwardly of said absorbent pad, substantially all of said apertures terminating in bottoms of the respective said apertures, said apertures having lengths and widths, defining corresponding elongate shapes, the orientations of the lengths of said elongate apertures corresponding to the length of said absorbent pad, said apertures forming a longitudinal pattern spaced sufficiently close to each other that an aqueous liquid is transferred from aperture to aperture by capillary effect to increase longitudinal fluid distribution, relative to distribution of fluid transverse to the length of said absorbent pad.

An absorbent article having a front portion, a rear portion, a crotch portion connecting said front and rear portions, and a longitudinal axis extending through said front, rear and crotch portions, said absorbent article comprising:

• (a) an absorbent pad having opposing first and second surfaces and a thickness between the first and second surfaces, said absorbent pad having a multiplicity of apertures therein, said multiplicity of apertures forming a longitudinal pattern, said longitudinal pattern of said apertures spaced sufficiently close to each other that an aqueous liquid is transferred from aperture to aperture by capillary effect to increase the distribution of fluid along the length of said absorbent pad relative to distribution of fluid transverse to the length of said absorbent pad;
• and
• (b) a bodyside liner mounted in surface-to-surface relationship to the first surface of said absorbent pad, said bodyside liner being spaced from absorbent material located inwardly in said absorbent pad from the first surface.

An absorbent pad for use in an absorbent article, said absorbent pad having a length and a width, having opposing first and second surfaces, a thickness between the first and second surfaces, and apertures extending from the first surface inwardly into said absorbent pad, said apertures forming a longitudinal aperture pattern promoting wicking of fluid along the length of said absorbent pad relative to wicking of fluid transverse to the length of said absorbent pad, a first said aperture being longitudinally spaced close enough to a second said aperture to preferentially pass liquid from said first aperture, along the length of said absorbent pad, to said second aperture by a capillary effect, thus preferentially drawing liquid along the length of said absorbent pad.

An absorbent pad for use in an absorbent article, said absorbent pad having a length and a width, a first surface, an opposing second reference surface, and a thickness between the first surface and the second reference surface, the first surface of said absorbent pad having an array of apertures therein, said apertures extending from the first surface inwardly of said absorbent pad, said apertures terminating in bottoms of the respective said apertures, each said bottom comprising an inner bottom surface thereof facing generally toward the first surface, an outer bottom surface thereof facing away from the first surface, said outer bottom surfaces extending outwardly in said absorbent pad from the second reference surface, said array of apertures forming a longitudinal pattern spaced sufficiently close to each other that an aqueous liquid is transferred from aperture to aperture by capillary effect to increase longitudinal fluid distribution, relative to distribution of fluid transverse to the length of said absorbent pad.