# US 9,241,842 B2 · Absorbent article with improved garment-like character

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- Number: US 9,241,842 B2
- Document ID: US9241842B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/034,816
- Filed: 2011-02-25
- Published: 2011-08-25
- Granted: 2016-01-26
- Earliest claimed: 2010-02-25
- Assignees: The Procter & Gamble Company
- Applicants: Donald Carroll Roe; Mark James Kline
- Inventors: Donald Carroll Roe; Mark James Kline
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9241842B2

## CPC

- A61F 13/496: in the form of pants or briefs
- A61F 13/49014: {the elastic means is located at the side panels}
- A61F 13/4906: {the diaper having an outer chassis forming the diaper and an independent absorbent structure attached to the chassis}
- 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 13/51464: {being stretchable or elastomeric}
- A61F 13/539: characterised by the connection of the absorbent layers with each other or with the outer layers
- A61F 13/5622: {specially adapted for diapers or the like}
- A61F 13/5633: {open type diaper}
- A61F 13/58: Adhesive tab fastener elements ({A61F13/5611, A61F13/5616}, A61F13/66 take precedence)
- A61F 2013/15146: {for urine collection}
- A61F 2013/530131: {being made in fibre but being not pulp}
- A61F 2013/530518: {the maximum being at the crotch}
- A61F 2013/530525: {the maximum being at front or rear}
- A61F 2013/530554: {and being fixed to a web}
- A61F 2013/530963: {being maximum at the crotch}
- A61F 2013/5395: {with thermoplastic agent, i.e. softened by heat}
- 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

A disposable absorbent article may include a chassis, an absorbent core, a pair of elastically elongatable ears and a pair of fastening tabs. The elastically elongatable ears and the fastening tabs have a transverse axis. The ears are connected to the chassis such that the transverse axis of the fastening tabs is located in specific portions of the article. The absorbent core is free of cellulosic fibers.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A disposable absorbent article comprising:
a) a chassis having a front region with a front edge, a rear region with a back edge, a crotch region between the front region and the rear region, and a pair of opposing longitudinal edges, said chassis comprising an absorbent core having front and back edges;
b) first and second elastically elongatable ears, each of said first and second elastically elongatable ears having upper and lower edges and a transverse axis, each of said upper and lower edges having proximal and distal ends, said first and second elastically elongatable ears defining a back section of said absorbent article that is present between said back edge of said chassis and a line connecting the respective proximal ends of the lower edge of said first and second elastically elongatable ears wherein the upper and lower edges of said first and second elongatable ears are asymmetric relative to the transverse axis of the elastically elongatable ears; and
c) first and second fastening tabs respectively connected to a distal portion of said first and second elastically elongatable ears, each of said first and second fastening tabs having upper and lower edges and a transverse axis, wherein said upper and lower edges of said fastening tabs are asymmetric relative to the transverse axis of the fastening tabs, wherein the first fastening tab is outboard of the first elastically elongatable ear and the second fastening tab is outboard of the second elastically elongatable ear,
wherein the transverse axis of the first and second fastening tabs overlap substantially with the transverse axis of the first and second elongatable ears respectively and wherein the back section of the chassis has an Average Peak Bending Force of less than 0.08N; and
wherein the transverse axis of the fastening tabs and the back edge of the absorbent core are separated by a longitudinal distance of less than 20 mm,
wherein the distance between the upper and lower proximal ends of the first elastically elongatable ear is at least 50% greater than the distance between the upper and lower distal ends of the first elastically elongatable ear, and
wherein the distance between the upper and lower proximal ends of the second elastically elongatable ear is at least 50% greater than the distance between the upper and lower distal ends of the second elastically elongatable ear.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the back edge of the chassis and the back edge of the absorbent core are separated by a longitudinal distance of less than 100 mm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The disposable absorbent article of claim 1 wherein said absorbent core is disposed between a liquid pervious topsheet and a liquid impervious backsheet.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The disposable absorbent article of claim 3 wherein said absorbent core is substantially cellulose free.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The disposable absorbent article of claim 3 wherein said absorbent core comprises a first layer of a nonwoven fibrous material having upper and lower surfaces, a layer of a thermoplastic adhesive material and an absorbent material between the upper surface of the first layer of the nonwoven fibrous material and the layer of thermoplastic adhesive material.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The disposable absorbent article of claim 5 wherein the upper surface of the first layer of nonwoven material comprises a plurality of regions that are each in direct facial relationship with a significant amount of said absorbent material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The disposable absorbent article of claim 6 wherein said upper surface of said first layer of nonwoven fibrous material comprises a plurality of regions that are each in facial relationship with an insignificant amount of said absorbent material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The disposable absorbent article of claim 7 wherein said absorbent core further comprises a second layer of a nonwoven fibrous material having upper and lower surfaces such that said absorbent material and said layer of thermoplastic adhesive material are between said upper surface of said first layer of nonwoven fibrous material and said second layer of said nonwoven fibrous material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The disposable absorbent article of claim 8 wherein the lower surface of the second layer of nonwoven material comprises a plurality of regions that are each in direct facial relationship with a significant amount of additional absorbent material.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The disposable absorbent article of claim 9 wherein said lower surface of said second layer of nonwoven fibrous material comprises a plurality of region that are each in facial relationship with an insignificant amount of said additional absorbent material.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The disposable absorbent article of claim 10 wherein at least some of the regions of said upper surface of the first nonwoven fibrous material that are in direct facial relationship with an absorbent material are in direct facial relationship with at least corresponding regions of the lower surface of the second nonwoven fibrous material that are in facial relationship with an insignificant amount of absorbent material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The disposable absorbent article of claim 8 wherein said first layer of nonwoven fibrous material and said second layer of nonwoven fibrous material are made of different nonwoven materials.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The disposable absorbent article of claim 8 wherein said first layer of nonwoven fibrous material and said second layer of nonwoven fibrous material each have a surface energy and wherein the surface energy of said first layer is different from the surface energy of said second layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The disposable absorbent article of claim 13 wherein said second layer of nonwoven fibrous material comprises a surfactant.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The disposable absorbent article of claim 14 wherein said article comprises a middle section having an average caliper that is greater than the average caliper of said back section.