WO1994028845B1

WO1994028845B1 - Absorbent article and method of manufacturing article

Info

Publication number: WO1994028845B1
Application number: PCT/US1994/006230
Authority: WO
Filing date: 1994-06-03
Publication date: 1995-02-16

Abstract

This invention is an absorbent article comprising a main body (1) having a waist hole (3) and a pair of leg holes (4), an elastic waist portion (5) disposed along the waist hole (3), and a leg gather (6) disposed along each of the leg holes (4). The main body comprises a front section (1A) and a rear section (1B) joined to each other in a crotch region (2b) and side regions (2a) of the main body (1). The front section (1A) has at least one constituent element whose property is different from that of the corresponding element of the rear section (1B). The absorbent article is fully responsive to a variety of article configurations or constructions which require the front (1A) and rear (1B) sections to function differently or individually. A method for manufacturing such an absorbent article is also disclosed.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS[received by the International Bureau on 21 December 1994 (21.12.94); original claims 1, 2, 6-10, 12, 13 and 15-17 amended; remaining claims unchanged (3 pages)]

1. An absorbent article comprising a main body having a waist hole and a pair of leg holes, an elastic waist portion disposed along said waist hole and a leg gather disposed along each of said leg holes; said main body comprising independently produced front and rear sections each of said front and rear sections comprising a backsheet, a topsheet, an absorbent body interposed between said topsheet and said backsheet and a leg gather, said front and rear sections being disposed with their respective topsheets facing each other and being bonded to each other in the crotch region and opposite side regions of the article.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein said front and rear sections respectively have portions extending outwardly from the absorbent body and secured in facing relation to each other in said crotch and opposite side regions of the article.

3. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein said leg gather comprises a member disposed on a top surface of each of said front section and said rear section, said member having a proximal end disposed adjacent to said top surface and a distal end spaced away from said top surface, said member being secured onto itself at a location adjacent to a securement region of said front section and rear section.

4. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein said backsheet of the rear section comprises an elastically stretchable and contractible material.

5. The absorbent article of claim 4, wherein said elastically stretchable and contractible material is an elastic composite formed of a liquid impermeable, elastic material and a non-woven fabric.

6. The absorbent article of claim 2, wherein said portions are secured to each other by hotmelt adhesives.

7. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein said front section and rear section have tabs at their crotch ends, respectively, and said tabs are secured to each other by hotmelt adhesives, said article further having a tape-like reinforcing member disposed in a crotch region and extending along a boundary line between said front section and said rear section.

8. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein a projecting separator petal is disposed along a boundary line between said front section and said rear section in said crotch region for separating solid exudates from liquid exudates.

9. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein said front section and said rear section are joined to each other by elastic side panels attached to respective opposite sides of the front and rear sections.

10. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein said rear section further comprises a barrier cuff spaced away from the topsheet to define a space therebetween, said barrier cuff having an opening for receiving exudates into said space.

11. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein an absorbent pad is disposed between said front section and said rear section, said absorbent pad is joined at one end to a securement region of said front and rear sections so that the absorbent pad is movable between a first position on the topsheet of the front section and a second position on the topsheet of the rear section.

12. An absorbent article comprising a main body having a waist hole and a pair of leg holes, an elastic waist portion disposed along said waist hole and a leg gather disposed along each of said leg holes; said main body comprising independently produced front and rear sections, each of said front and rear sections comprising a backsheet, a topsheet, an absorbent body interposed between said topsheet and said backsheet and a leg gather, said front and rear sections being disposed with their respective topsheets facing each other and being bonded to each other in the crotch region and opposite side regions of the article, said front section having at least one constituent element whose property is different from that of the corresponding element of the rear section, and said leg gather of each of said front and rear sections being at an end secured onto itself in the crotch region of the main body to define a cross-over flap of substantially triangular shape extending inwardly of said leg gather so that said leg gather stands up from the topsheet.

13. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article which comprises a main body having a waist hole and a pair of leg holes, an elastic waist portion disposed along said waist hole and a leg gather disposed along each of said leg holes; said method comprising the steps of: providing a topsheet, an absorbent body and a backsheet and assembling them into a front section with the absorbent body between the topsheet and backsheet; providing a topsheet, an absorbent body and a backsheet and assembling them into a rear section with the absorbent body between the topsheet and backsheet; and placing said front section upon said rear section with their respective topsheets facing each other and bonding selected facing portions of said front and rear sections together to form a crotch region and opposite side regions of said main body.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein prior to the placing step, waist elastic materials are provided along respective waist hole peripheries of said front and rear sections for forming said elastic waist portion, and leg elastic materials are provided along respective leg hole peripheries of said front and rear sections for forming said leg gather.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein during said placing step, the leg and waist elastic materials are provided upon the front and rear sections in their stretched state for forming said leg gather and said elastic waist portion, respectively.

16. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article which comprises a main body having a waist hole and a pair of leg holes, an elastic waist portion disposed along said waist hole and a leg gather disposed along each of said leg holes; said method comprising the steps of: providing absorbent bodies in predetermined intervals between a longitudinally moving first continuous web and a longitudinally moving second continuous web t __o form a first assembly; providing absorbent bodies in predetermined intervals between a longitudinally moving third continuous web and a longitudinally moving fourth continuous web to form a second assembly; moving said first assembly and said second assembly in the same direction and placing the first assembly in facing relationship upon the second assembly; bonding said first and second assemblies in selected areas to form the crotch region and side regions of said main body; and cutting said first, second, third and fourth continuous webs in said bonded regions.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein prior to the bonding step, waist elastic materials and leg elastic materials are provided between said first and second continuous webs and between said third and fourth continuous webs along areas which will become the peripheries of said waist hole and peripheries of said leg holes, respectively for forming said elastic waist portion and said leg gather.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the moving step includes placing elastic sheets for side panels between the first assembly and the second assembly.

STATEMENT UNDER ARTICLE 19

In response to the International Search Report, mailed 26 October 1994, submitted herewith is an amendment to the claims as permitted under Article 19.

Attached are new pages 16-18 of the above-noted application which contain revised claims. The claims remain in the same numeric order as originally filed. The claims have been revised to more clearly define the invention.

It is respectfully submitted that the amendments to the claims do not go beyond the disclosure of the International Application as filed.

Claim 1 has been amended to more clearly recite that independently produced front and rear sections are disposed with their respective top sheets facing each other and are bonded to each other in the crotch region and opposite side regions of the article.

Claim 12 has been similarly revised.

Claim 13 has been amended to more clearly recite that a topsheet, absorbent body and back sheet are assembled into a front section, and that another topsheet, absorbent body and backsheet are assembled into a rear section, and that the front section and rear section are placed with their topsheets facing each other and facing portions are bonded together to form a crotch region and opposite side regions of the main body.

Others of the claims have more minor amendments made therein, each being done to clarify the claimed invention.