# US 6,508,798 B1 · Absorbent article

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- Number: US 6,508,798 B1
- Document ID: US6508798B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 08/704,515
- Filed: 1996-09-12
- Granted: 2003-01-21
- Earliest claimed: 1994-03-18
- Assignees: Molnlycke AB
- Inventors: Urban Widlund; Anders Gustafsson; Anna Svernlöv
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6508798B1

## CPC

- A61F 13/495: with faecal cavity
- A61F 13/5323: {having absorbent material located in discrete regions, e.g. pockets}
- A61F 13/491: specially adapted for gender distinct urine discharge pattern
- A61F 13/49413: {the edge leakage prevention means being an upstanding barrier}
- A61F 13/49466: {the edge leakage prevention means being at the waist region}
- A61F 13/49473: {the edge leakage prevention means having a continuous closed form, e.g. circle, ellipse, rectangle}
- A61F 13/496: in the form of pants or briefs
- A61F 2013/15406: {Basis weight}
- A61F 2013/15422: {Density}
- A61F 2013/4581: {with absorbent core in separated pieces}
- A61F 2013/49025: {having multiple elastic strands}
- A61F 2013/49031: {being elastic in longitudinal direction}
- A61F 2013/49069: {being rectangular, i.e. parallelepiped}
- A61F 2013/4948: {the edge leakage prevention means being elastic}
- A61F 2013/4953: {with rear faecal part separate from front urinary part}
- A61F 2013/51409: {being a film}
- A61F 2013/530007: {being made from pulp}
- A61F 2013/530481: {having superabsorbent materials, i.e. highly absorbent polymer gel materials}
- A61F 2013/530941: {through the thickness}
- A61F 2013/53445: {from several sheets}
- 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)

## Abstract

An absorbent article having a front part (13; 13′), a rear part (14; 14′) and a crotch part (15; 15′) which lies therebetween. The article includes an absorbent body (1; 1′; 25) which is enclosed between an outer, liquid-impermeable casing sheet (7; 7′; 26) and an inner, liquid-permeable casing sheet (8; 8′; 27), this latter sheet lying proximal to a wearer's body in use. The article further includes on opposite sides of a longitudinal symmetry axis of the article flexible, longitudinally extending flaps (9, 10′ 9′, 10′; 28, 29), each of which is connected to the inner casing sheet along a longitudinal edge and which extends from the connected longitudinal edge in toward a longitudinal symmetry axis of the article. The flaps (9, 10; 9′, 10′; 28, 29) are joined together in the crotch part (15; 15′) of the article. The width of the flaps between the connected longitudinal edge and a free longitudinal edge of each flap is greatest in the crotch part (15; 15′) and decreases progressively from the crotch part (15; 15′) toward the respective front and rear parts (13, 14; 13′, 14′) whereby the flaps (9, 10; 9′, 10′; 28, 29) taper toward the respective front and rear parts (13, 14; 13′, 14′) from a place at which the flaps are connected together such that adjacent free longitudinal edges of the flaps approach each other most closely at that place and diverge from each other longitudinally of the adjacent free longitudinal edges in directions away from that place when the absorbent article is flattened.

## Claims

### Claim 1

In an absorbent article having a front part (13; 13′), a rear part (14; 14′) and a crotch part (15; 15′) which lies therebetween, the article further including an absorbent body (1; 1′; 25) which is enclosed between an outer, liquid-impermeable casing sheet (7; 7′; 26) and an inner, liquid-permeable casing sheet (8; 8′; 27), this latter sheet lying proximal to a wearer's body in use, and the article further including on opposite sides of a longitudinal symmetry axis of the article flexible, longitudinally extending flaps (9, 10; 9′, 10′; 28, 29), each of which is connected to the inner casing sheet along a longitudinal edge and extends from said connected longitudinal edge in toward the longitudinal symmetry axis of the article, the flaps (9, 10; 9′, 10′; 28, 29) being connected together in the crotch part (15; 15′) of the article; the improvement wherein the width of the flaps between said connected longitudinal edge and a free longitudinal edge of each flap is greatest in said crotch part (15; 15′) and decreases progressively from said crotch part in opposing directions (15; 15′) toward said front and rear parts (13, 14; 13′, 14′) wherein the flaps (9, 10; 9′, 10′; 28, 29) taper toward said front and rear parts (13, 14; 13′, 14′) from the place at which said flaps are connected together such that said free longitudinal edges approach each other most closely at said place and diverge from each other longitudinally of said free longitudinal edges in opposing directions away from said place when the absorbent article is flattened.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An article according to claim 1, wherein the connection between the flaps (9, 10) is comprised of a narrow strip (16) of liquid-permeable or liquid-impermeable material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An article according to claim 1, wherein the connection (16; 21; 24) between the flaps (9, 10; 9′, 10′; 28, 29) is located longitudinally between a wearer's wetting point in use and a wearer's fecal discharge point in use.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

An article according to claim 1, wherein the flaps (9, 10; 9′, 10′, 28, 29) extend longitudinally from a forward part of said front article part (13; 13′) to a rear part of said rear article part (14; 14′).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

An article according to claim 1, wherein the connection (21; 24) between the flaps (9′, 10′; 28, 29) is comprised of a piece of material which is attached along opposing edges to the flaps and to the inner casing sheet respectively by means of transverse connection lines (22, 23).

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

An article according to claim 5, wherein said material piece (21; 24) connecting the flaps (9′, 10′; 28, 29) extends transversely from one to the other of said longitudinal edges of the flaps connected to the inner casing sheet (8′; 27), such that the material piece (21; 24) will form a barrier between a front and a rear space defined by the flaps and the underlying absorbent body (1′; 25).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

An article according to claim 1, wherein elastic devices (17, 18; 17′, 18′; 32, 33) extend along said free longitudinal edges (11, 12; 11′, 12′) of the flaps (9, 10; 9′, 10′; 28, 29).

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

An article according to claim 7, wherein said elastic devices (17, 18; 17′, 18′; 32, 33) are comprised of elastic threads.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

An article according to claim 1, wherein the connection (16) between the flaps (9, 10) is elastic.