Self-conforming disposable personal care absorbent article
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- KIMBERLY CLARK (CHINA) CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-21
Smart Images
Figure CN2025134044_21052026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Self-adhesive disposable personal care absorbent products Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to absorbent hygiene products, and more particularly to self-adhesive disposable personal care absorbent articles. Background Technology
[0002] Currently, personal hygiene products such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, and diapers are available to absorb bodily waste. Absorbency, comfort, and fit are three key attributes of these products and are also aspects that users pay close attention to. Typically, users are more interested in whether these products can absorb large amounts of bodily waste without leakage, thus preventing stains on the wearer's clothes or bed sheets, and without sacrificing comfort.
[0003] Researchers have found that current disposable absorbent products fail to fully absorb bodily waste for several reasons, causing it to leak uncontrollably from the periphery of the topsheet, especially the back and sides. These reasons include: wearers frequently changing positions during work or exercise; maintaining a side-lying position for extended periods during rest; large amounts of bodily waste rushing to the topsheet in a short time; and chemical treatments applied to the topsheet to reduce its sticky feel, which may reduce its ability to quickly and extensively channel bodily waste to the internal absorbent core.
[0004] Consumer testing has shown that existing personal hygiene products fail to completely eliminate leakage problems. Leaks stain clothing, leading to a poor consumer experience. Therefore, there is a need in this field to further optimize the leak-proof performance of personal hygiene products. The goal is for optimized leak-proof structures to achieve skin-acceptable, durable, and self-adaptive properties, thereby improving the product's leak-proof effectiveness. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The present invention aims to provide a self-adhesive disposable personal care absorbent article that can automatically conform to the wearer's body, thereby improving fit and preventing leakage.
[0006] According to one aspect of the invention, a self-adhesive disposable personal care absorbent article is provided, the absorbent article having a longitudinal and transverse direction perpendicular to each other, and a thickness direction perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse directions, and being divided along the longitudinal direction into a front area, a back area, and a crotch area connecting the front area and the back area, the absorbent article comprising: a liquid-permeable surface layer configured to face the wearer's body; a liquid-impermeable back layer disposed opposite to the surface layer along the thickness direction and configured to face the wearer's clothing; an absorbent core layer disposed between the surface layer and the back layer; and at least one additional layer disposed between the surface layer and the back layer. Between absorbent core layers, or between the absorbent core layer and the back layer; an elastic material, sandwiched between any two adjacent layers along the thickness direction and bonded to at least one of these two layers to form an elastic region at the bond, wherein the elastic region is located at at least one of the front region, crotch region, and rear region; wherein the layer bonded to the elastic material is also intermittently bonded to another adjacent layer located on the side of that layer opposite to the elastic material along the thickness direction, thereby forming a non-bonded region between the two layers and a bonded region adjacent to the non-bonded region, and the non-bonded region corresponds to the elastic region.
[0007] According to the personal care absorbent product provided in this solution, an elastic material is added to the absorbent area. This elastic material is located between two layers of the absorbent product and is bonded to at least one of these two layers to form an elastic region. The two layers of material sandwiching the elastic material are intermittently bonded to their adjacent layers, especially the lower layer, with unbonded areas corresponding to the elastic region. This causes the elastic region to recoil, causing the unbonded areas to arch, resulting in localized bending of the absorbent product that automatically conforms to the wearer's body, particularly the hip area. This solution effectively improves the fit of the absorbent product and prevents leakage.
[0008] In some embodiments, the elastic region is located within the boundary of the non-bonding region.
[0009] In some embodiments, the length of the non-bonded region in the longitudinal direction is 1.01 to 10 times the length of the elastic region in the longitudinal direction.
[0010] In some embodiments, the width of the non-bonded region in the lateral direction is 1.01 to 10 times the width of the elastic region in the lateral direction.
[0011] In some embodiments, the elastic material includes a first elastic material extending along the longitudinal direction, a portion of which is bonded to at least one of two layers sandwiched therebetween to form an elastic region at the bond.
[0012] In some embodiments, the first elastic material is intermittently bonded to at least one of the two layers sandwiching it, thereby forming a plurality of joints spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and the elastic region is formed by these joints.
[0013] In some embodiments, the elastic material includes a second elastic material that crosses the absorbent article laterally and intersects with the first elastic material, the first elastic material being bonded to at least one of the two layers sandwiching it at the intersection, and the second elastic material being bonded to at least one of the two layers sandwiching it at the intersection, and the elastic region being formed by these joints.
[0014] In some embodiments, the second elastic material is configured as an arc shape with the apex protruding toward the rear end edge of the absorbent article, and the junction of the second elastic material is closer to the rear end edge of the absorbent article than the junction of the first elastic material.
[0015] In some embodiments, the elastic material includes a third elastic material and a fourth elastic material that extend at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction from the front region to the rear region, wherein the third elastic material and the fourth elastic material are arranged intersectingly and are bonded at the intersection to at least one of the two layers sandwiching them to form an elastic region.
[0016] In some embodiments, the absorbent article further includes two side baffle structures arranged laterally on opposite sides of the absorbent core layer, each side baffle structure extending longitudinally, and the elastic material located at the side baffle structure.
[0017] Other features and advantages of the present invention will partly become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this application, and partly will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the detailed description below. Attached Figure Description
[0018] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the flat state of the absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] Figure 2A shows an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein an elastic material is arranged between a surface layer and a flow guiding layer;
[0021] Figure 2B shows an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein an elastic material is arranged between a flow-guiding layer and an absorbent core layer;
[0022] Figure 2C shows an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein an elastic material is disposed between an absorbent core layer and a back layer;
[0023] Figures 3A to 3C show different locations of the elastic region in the absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] Figure 4 shows an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a first elastic material is bonded to the surface layer and the flow-guiding layer in a segment;
[0025] Figure 5 shows the positional relationship between the elastic region and the absorbent core layer in the absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0026] Figure 6 illustrates an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the flow guiding layer and the underlying absorbent core layer are intermittently combined.
[0027] Figure 7 shows an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a first elastic material is intermittently bonded to a surface layer and a flow-guiding layer in two segments;
[0028] Figure 8 shows an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a first elastic material and an arc-shaped second elastic material are both bonded to the surface layer and the flow-guiding layer;
[0029] Figure 9 shows an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a third elastic material and a fourth elastic material are arranged in a cross-shaped manner;
[0030] Figure 10 shows an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a fifth elastic material located at the side barrier structure is bonded to the surface layer and the flow guiding layer;
[0031] Figure 11 shows an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention in which the flow guiding layer and the underlying absorbent core layer are intermittently combined.
[0032] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1-Absorbent product; 100-Non-bonded area; 110-Bound area; 2-Top layer; 21-Center; 22-Side; 23-Side barrier structure; 3-Guiding layer; 31-Opening; 4-Absorbent core layer; 5-Back layer; 6-Elastic material; 60-Elastic area; 61-First elastic material; 611-Bound section; 612-Non-bonded section; 62-Second elastic material; 621-Bound section; 622-Non-bonded section; 63-Third elastic material; 631-Bound section; 632-Non-bonded section; 64-Fourth elastic material; 641-Bound section; 642-Non-bonded section; 65-Fifth elastic material; 651-Bound section; 652-Non-bonded section; 7-Front area; 71-Front end edge; 72-Front side edge; 8-Crotch area; 81-Crotch side edge; 9-Rear area; 91-Rear end edge; 92-Rear Edge Detailed Implementation
[0033] The schematic embodiments of the self-adhesive disposable personal care absorbent article disclosed in this invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the drawings are provided to illustrate some embodiments of the invention, they are not necessarily drawn to the dimensions of the specific embodiments, and certain features may be enlarged, removed, or partially cut to better illustrate and explain the disclosure of the invention. Some components in the drawings may be repositioned as needed without affecting the technical effect. The phrase "in the drawings" or similar expressions appearing in the specification do not necessarily refer to all drawings or examples.
[0034] Certain directional terms used in the description of the accompanying drawings below, such as “inner,” “outer,” “above,” “below,” and other directional terms, will be understood to have their normal meaning and refer to those directions as normally viewed in the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the directional terms used in this specification are generally in accordance with the conventional directions understood by those skilled in the art.
[0035] The terms “first,” “first,” “second,” “second,” and similar terms used in this invention do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are used to distinguish one component from others.
[0036] Terminology Definition
[0037] Regarding absorbent articles, “disposable” means absorbent articles that are not typically intended to be washed or otherwise restored or reused as absorbent articles (i.e., they are intended to be discarded after a single use and are preferably recyclable, compostable, or disposed of in an environmentally compatible manner).
[0038] "Absorbent articles" herein refers to articles that can be placed close to or near the wearer's body (i.e., adjacent to the body) to absorb and contain various liquid, solid, and semi-solid excretions from the body. Such absorbent articles as described herein are intended to be discarded after their limited use period, rather than washed or otherwise restored for reuse. It should be understood that this disclosure applies to a variety of disposable absorbent articles, including but not limited to feminine hygiene products such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, etc., without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
[0039] As used herein, the term "nonwoven" or "non-woven fabric" generally refers to a web with a layered structure of individual fibers or yarns, but not in a manner identifiable as a knitted fabric. Examples of suitable nonwoven or nonwoven fabrics or webs include, but are not limited to, meltblown webs, spunbond webs, bonded-carded webs, air-jet webs, co-formed webs, and hydroentangled webs.
[0040] As used herein, the term "meltblown fiber web" generally refers to a nonwoven web prepared by means of a method in which molten thermoplastic material is extruded as molten fibers through numerous, typically circular, fine die capillary pores into a stream of aggregated high-speed gas (e.g., air), thereby thinning the fibers of the molten thermoplastic material to reduce their diameter. Subsequently, the meltblown fibers are transported by a high-speed gas flow and placed on a collecting surface to form a web of randomly distributed meltblown fibers. Generally, the meltblown fibers can be continuous or discontinuous microfibers, typically less than 10 micrometers in diameter, and are usually viscous when placed on a collecting surface.
[0041] As used herein, the term "spunbond web" generally refers to a web comprising substantially continuous fibers of small diameter. These fibers are produced by extruding molten thermoplastic material through numerous, typically circular, small spinneret capillary openings, followed by a rapid reduction in the diameter of the extruded fibers by, for example, lead-out drawing and / or other known spunbonding mechanisms. "Proximal" and "distal" refer to the relative proximity or distance of an element from the longitudinal or lateral centerline of the structure, respectively (e.g., relative to the same longitudinal axis, the proximal edge of a longitudinally extending element is closer to the longitudinal axis than the distal edge of the same element).
[0042] "Facing the body" and "facing the clothing" refer to the relative positions of components or the relative positions of the surfaces of a component or group of components, respectively. "Facing the body" means that during wear, a component or surface is closer to the wearer than some other components or surfaces. "Facing the clothing" means that during wear, a component or surface is further away from the wearer than some other components or surfaces (i.e., the component or surface is closer to the wearer's clothing, which may be worn over a disposable absorbent material).
[0043] As used herein, the terms "stretchable" or "extensible" generally refer to the dimensional stretchability of a material in the direction of stress, such that the dimension in the direction of stress can be extended by at least about 25%, or at least about 50%, or at least about 75% compared to its natural relaxed state. Stretchable materials do not necessarily have restorative properties or need to have significant restorative properties. For example, elastic materials are stretchable materials with restorative properties. Meltblown fiber webs can be stretchable, but their restorative properties are significantly reduced compared to their extensibility, or even non-restorative, and therefore they are stretchable but inelastic materials.
[0044] As used herein, the terms "elastomer" or "elastic" generally refer to a material that, by applying a tensile force, is stretched in at least one direction (such as the machine direction), and by releasing the tensile force, shrinks / recovers to approximately its original size. For example, a stretched material may have an extended length of at least about 50% longer than its unstretched length in its relaxed state, and by releasing the tensile force, it may recover to a length within at least 50% of its extended length.
[0045] As used herein, the term "elastic material" includes elongated materials that are elastic, such as, but not limited to, elastic rubber bands, elastic filaments, elastic bands, elastic films, elastic fabrics (e.g., elastic fiber nonwoven sheets), and elastic composite materials. Elastic rubber bands, for example, can be made from spandex using a warp-spinning process.
[0046] As used herein, the term "bonded" refers to the joining, adhesion, connection, attachment, etc., of two elements. Two elements are considered to be bonded together when they are joined, adhered, connected, attached, etc., directly or indirectly to each other, such as when bonded to an intermediate element. Bonding can be achieved, for example, by adhesives, pressure bonding, thermal bonding, ultrasonic bonding, splicing, stitching, and / or welding.
[0047] As used herein, the term "ultrasonic welding" refers to a method, for example, by passing material through a slit between an ultrasonic generator and a support roller.
[0048] Disposable personal care absorbent products
[0049] This disclosure relates to a self-adhesive disposable absorbent article, particularly a feminine hygiene product such as a sanitary napkin or panty liner. The disposable absorbent article incorporates an elastic material in its absorbent area, sandwiched between two layers of material. The elastic material is partially bonded to either or both layers to form an elastic region. One of the layers (e.g., the lower layer along the thickness direction) is intermittently bonded to the adjacent layer, with the non-bonded area aligned with the elastic region. This allows the elastic material to retract, causing the non-bonded area to naturally arch, creating a localized bend in the absorbent article, thereby achieving an automatic conformability to the wearer's body. This self-adhesive design effectively improves the product's fit and prevents leakage. Furthermore, the disposable absorbent article of this disclosure is particularly compatible with existing absorbent article manufacturing processes, offering significant economic benefits.
[0050] Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of a self-adhesive disposable personal care absorbent article 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "absorbent article") according to the present disclosure, which is exemplarily shown as a sanitary napkin. As shown, the absorbent article 1 is shown in a laid-out configuration and is in a naturally relaxed state, without deformation or wrinkling due to external force. The absorbent article 1 has mutually perpendicular longitudinal directions MD (or "machine direction") and transverse directions CD (or "across the machine direction"), and a thickness direction H perpendicular to the MD-CD plane (shown in Figures 2A-2C). For clarity, the longitudinal centerline X is also marked in Figure 1.
[0051] Along the longitudinal direction MD, the absorbent article 1 can be divided into a front region 7, a crotch region 8, and a rear region 9, with the crotch region 8 connecting the front region 7 and the rear region 9. The front region 7 has front edges 72 on opposite sides in the transverse direction, and a front edge 71 extending along the transverse direction CD between the two front edges 72. The rear region 9 has rear edges 92 on opposite sides in the transverse direction, and a rear edge 91 extending along the transverse direction CD between the two rear edges 92. The crotch region 8 has crotch side edges 81 on opposite sides in the transverse direction. The front edge 71 and the rear edge 91 essentially define the two ends of the absorbent article 1 in the longitudinal direction MD. It is understood that the side edges and end edges of the front region 7, crotch region 8, and rear region 9 do not necessarily have to be straight edges, but can be designed with curved shapes as needed, or even the same side edge or end edge can be formed by multiple curves of different curvatures connected together, as shown in Figure 1. In addition, the crotch side edge 81 can be formed with protruding wings to facilitate fixing the absorbent article 1 to the wearer's clothing. Generally, the rear section 9 has a wider lateral width than the front section 7 and the crotch section 8 to form a large tail fin configuration.
[0052] Figure 2A shows a cross-sectional view of the absorbent article 1 along the plane perpendicular to the MD-CD plane, or in other words, along the thickness direction H. As shown in the figure, along the thickness direction H, the absorbent article 1 includes an upper and lower opposing surface layer 2 and a back layer 5, and an absorbent core layer 4 and a flow guiding layer 3 are arranged between the surface layer 2 and the back layer 5.
[0053] The surface layer 2 can be a single-layer or multi-layer laminate that defines the surface in direct contact with the wearer's skin and is hydrophilic to receive bodily excretions and guide them toward the absorbent core layer 4. Preferably, the surface layer 2 retains almost no liquid in its structure, thus providing a relatively comfortable and non-irritating feel while in close contact with the wearer's skin. In various embodiments, the surface layer 2 can be a single-layer or multi-layer composite structure, and the multi-layer composite structure itself can include similar or different materials. The surface layer 2 can be constructed from various nonwoven webs such as meltblown webs, spunbond webs, hydroentangled webs, or air-permeable bonded carded webs. Examples of suitable surface layer materials include, but are not limited to, natural fiber webs (such as cotton), rayon, hydroentangled webs, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon or other thermally bondable fibers (such as bicomponent fibers), polyolefins, copolymers of polypropylene and polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, and bonded carded webs of aliphatic esters (such as polylactic acid). Perforated membrane and web materials, as well as laminates or combinations thereof, can also be used.
[0054] Furthermore, viewed from the transverse CD direction, the surface layer 2 can be divided into a central portion 21 and side portions 22 located on either side of the central portion 21. The central portion 21 is the area that directly contacts bodily waste and can occupy a relatively large area of the surface layer 2. One feasible approach is to construct the central portion 21 of the surface layer 2 as a three-dimensional surface layer with a three-dimensional texture, for example, by using a three-dimensional composite material comprising multiple alternating protrusions and recesses to create the central portion 21 of the surface layer 2. Alternatively, the material of the central portion 21 can be surface-treated to give it a good flow guiding effect toward the absorbent core layer 4, preventing bodily waste from remaining in the surface layer 2 for an extended period. The side portions 22 can be distinguished from the central portion 21 by a significant or insignificant boundary. For example, a three-dimensional protective barrier extending longitudinally MD can be arranged at the junction of the sidewalls 22 and the central portion 21.
[0055] The backing layer 5 is typically liquid-impermeable and is the portion of the absorbent article 1 facing the wearer's clothing. The backing layer 5 can be configured to allow gas to escape from the absorbent article 1 while preventing liquid flow. Any liquid-impermeable material can generally be used to form the backing layer 5. The liquid-impermeable backing layer can consist of a single layer or multiple layers, and these single or multiple layers can themselves comprise similar or different materials. Suitable materials that can be used include microporous polymer membranes, polyolefin membranes such as polyethylene or polypropylene, nonwoven fabrics and nonwoven laminates, and membrane / nonwoven laminates. The specific structure and composition of the backing layer can be selected from a variety of known membranes and / or fabrics, and specific materials are appropriately selected to provide desired levels of liquid barrier, strength, abrasion resistance, tactile properties, aesthetics, etc.
[0056] The top layer 2 and the back layer 5 can be bonded together along their peripheries to form a seal, thereby enclosing the absorbent core layer 4 between them and trapping bodily waste that seeps through the top layer. The absorbent core layer 4 is typically located primarily in the crotch area 8, but may also extend into the front area 7 at one end and into the rear area 9 at the other end. The absorbent core layer 4 can be a composite material made of laminated liquid-absorbent raw materials, exhibiting a degree of stretchability and comfort, being non-irritating to the wearer's skin, and capable of absorbing and retaining bodily waste. The absorbent core layer 4 can be made of any suitable material and can contain any number of desired layers. For example, in one embodiment, the absorbent core layer 4 may include an outermost top layer and a bottom layer, with a core support layer and an absorbent material layer disposed therebetween. The top and bottom layers can be made of the same material, or they can be configured to have different absorption properties. For example, the top and bottom layers can both be made of liquid-permeable nonwoven sheets. The core support layer can be made, for example, of hot-air nonwoven sheets and can be a single-layer or multi-layer laminated structure. The absorbent layer can be made of any suitable absorbent material, such as superabsorbent polymers (SAPs). SAPs should refer to polymers that absorb and retain a very large amount of liquid relative to their own mass. Crosslinkable absorbent polymers classified as hydrogels absorb aqueous solutions through hydrogen bonds and other polar forces with water molecules. The absorbency of SAPs is partly based on their ionicity (an index of the ion concentration in aqueous solutions) and the hydrophilic polar functional groups of SAPs. SAPs are generally manufactured by polymerizing acrylic acid mixed with sodium hydroxide in the presence of an initiator to form sodium polyacrylate (sometimes called sodium polyacrylate). Other materials can also be used to manufacture superabsorbent polymers, such as polyacrylamide copolymers, ethylene-maleic anhydride copolymers, crosslinked carboxymethyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, and starch-grafted copolymers of crosslinked polyethylene oxide and polyacrylonitrile. SAPs can exist in absorbent articles in particulate or fibrous form.
[0057] In addition to the traditional surface layer 2, back layer 5, and absorbent core layer 4, other functional additional layers can be provided for the absorbent article 1, such as a support layer, a flow management layer, and a flow guiding layer. These functional additional layers can be arranged between the surface layer and the absorbent core layer, or between the absorbent core layer and the back layer, as needed. Figure 2A shows the flow guiding layer 3 between the surface layer 2 and the absorbent core layer 4. The flow guiding layer 3 helps to rapidly guide bodily waste, especially liquids, absorbed by the surface layer 2 to the absorbent core layer 4, and distributes the bodily waste throughout the entire area of the absorbent core layer to maximize the utilization of the absorbent core layer and prevent the local accumulation of bodily waste in the absorbent core layer, which would reduce its absorption capacity. Before being absorbed by the absorbent core layer, the flow guiding layer 3 can also act as an intermediate storage layer and as a barrier to prevent backflow. The width of the flow guiding layer 3 in the transverse direction CD is smaller than the width of the surface layer 2 in the transverse direction CD. In one example, the transverse width of the flow guiding layer 3 is substantially the same as the transverse width of the middle part 21 of the surface layer 2. Furthermore, the flow-guiding layer 3 can be constructed with structures that help guide bodily waste excretion, such as the opening 31 aligned with the absorbent core layer 4 as shown in the figure. Nonwoven fibrous materials such as spunbond webs, meltblown webs, carded webs such as air-laid webs, bonded carded webs, and co-forming materials are all suitable for manufacturing the flow-guiding layer 3. Alternatively, foam materials and loosely woven fabrics are also very suitable. Additionally, the flow-guiding layer 3 can be a multi-layered structure.
[0058] An elastic material 6 is also disposed in the absorbent article 1. The elastic material 6 is advantageously designed for comfort and fit, and serves to prevent leakage. The elastic material 6 can be sandwiched between any suitable adjacent layers in the absorbent article 1, for example, between the surface layer 2 and the flow-guiding layer 3 as shown in Figure 2A, or between the flow-guiding layer 3 and the absorbent core layer 4 as shown in Figure 2B, or between the absorbent core layer 4 and the back layer 5 as shown in Figure 2C. The elastic material can be elastic bands, elastic threads, elastic fabric, elastic membranes, elastic composite materials, or combinations thereof. The specification range of elastic threads can be, for example, 50D-1000D. The basis weight range of elastic fabric can be, for example, 10gsm-300gsm. The basis weight range of elastic membranes can be 10gsm-100gsm. The basis weight range of elastic composite materials can be 10gsm-300gsm.
[0059] When fixing the elastic material 6 between two adjacent layers, an adhesive can be applied to the surface of the elastic material 6, and then the elastic material 6 can be placed on the lower layer of the two layers, and then the upper layer can be used to cover the elastic material 6 and the lower layer. Alternatively, the adhesive can be applied to either of the two adjacent layers, and then the elastic material 6 and the other layer can be placed. Of course, it is also possible to bond the elastic material to only one of the two adjacent layers (for example, to the lower layer of the two adjacent layers), and leave the elastic material unbonded to the other layer.
[0060] The length of the elastic material can be set as needed, ranging from 1% to 100% of the entire longitudinal length of the absorbent article 1, for example, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%. After the elastic material 6 is bonded to at least one of the upper and lower layers with an adhesive, the shrinkage of the elastic material 6 at the location where the adhesive is present will cause the bonded layer to shrink together, thereby forming an effective elastic region (hereinafter referred to as "elastic region"). If the elastic material 6 is bonded to at least one of the upper and lower layers in an intermittent manner, that is, by intermittently applying adhesive, one or more spaced segments of the elastic material 6 are bonded to at least one of the upper and lower layers, while other segments can shrink freely relative to the layer, then an elastic region is formed at the location of the one or more bonded segments of the elastic material 6. The elastic region can occupy 1% to 100% of the entire longitudinal length of the absorbent article 1, for example, 60%. The longitudinal dimension of the elastic region from the starting end of the front edge 71 of the absorbent article 1 to the rear edge 92 of the absorbent article 1 can be 1% to 100% of the entire longitudinal dimension of the absorbent article 1, for example, 50%, 60%, or 70%.
[0061] The elastic region can be formed at any suitable location of the absorbent article 1. For example, Figure 3A shows an elastic region 60 formed in the middle of the front region 7 of the absorbent article 1, Figure 3B shows an elastic region 60 formed in the middle of the crotch region 8 of the absorbent article 1, and Figure 3C shows an elastic region 60 formed in the middle of the rear region 9 of the absorbent article 1.
[0062] As described above, the elastic material 6 is sandwiched between any two suitable adjacent layers of the absorbent article 1, and another layer adjacent to these two layers, such as the next adjacent layer, can be bonded to these two layers by intermittent application of adhesive. The locations where adhesive is present form bonded areas, while the locations where no adhesive is present form unbonded areas. In the scheme of this disclosure, the unbonded areas correspond to the elastic areas above them, so that when the elastic areas naturally retract, the unbonded areas freely arch upwards, forming a curved configuration that conforms to the body's curves, effectively improving the product's leak-proof capability and providing good breathability. Advantageously, the area of the unbonded areas is larger than the area of the elastic areas. For example, the longitudinal MD length of the unbonded areas is 1.01-10 times the longitudinal MD length of the elastic areas, and the transverse CD width of the unbonded areas is 1.01-10 times the transverse CD width of the elastic areas.
[0063] The elastic zone can be located within the boundary of the non-bonding zone, and at a certain distance from the boundary of the non-bonding zone, so that it does not overlap with the non-bonding zone. This is more conducive to the natural arching of the non-bonding zone and its adaptive adjustment relative to the wearer's skin, preventing the non-bonding zone from putting excessive pressure on the wearer's skin.
[0064] The self-adhesive absorbent article 1 of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.
[0065] Figure 4 illustrates an embodiment of the absorbent article 1, wherein the longitudinal length MD of the absorbent article 1 is 420 mm, and a first elastic material 61 is fixed between the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3. The first elastic material 61 is selected from rubber bands with a denier of 50D-1000D per strand. There are 1-30 rubber bands. The length of the rubber bands is the same as the longitudinal length of the absorbent article 1, and extends from the front edge 71 to the rear edge 91 along the longitudinal direction MD of the absorbent article 1, and is arranged at a transverse spacing of 1 mm-20 mm. The two ends of the rubber bands can be fixed in the bonding perimeter between the surface layer 2 and the back layer 5, respectively. One section of the rubber band is bonded with adhesive to form a bonding section 611 (shown as solid line in the figure) bonded to the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3 and a non-bonded section 612 (shown as dashed line in the figure) that can freely contract relative to the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3, wherein an elastic region 60 is formed at the bonding section 611.
[0066] Referring further to Figure 5, also in this embodiment, the relative positions of the absorbent core layer 4 and the elastic region 60 (or the section connecting it to the elastic band) are shown. As shown, the absorbent core layer 4 avoids the section connecting it to the elastic band in the longitudinal direction MD and is closer to the front edge 71 of the absorbent article 1 relative to the section connecting it to the elastic band. This prevents the elastic region 60 from forcing the absorbent core layer 4 to deform and affecting its absorbency. Advantageously, the section connecting it to the elastic band can be adjacent to the absorbent core layer 4 in the longitudinal direction MD, or the end of the absorbent core layer 4 near the rear end edge 91 is approximately the starting end of the section connecting it to the elastic band. In the illustrated embodiment, the longitudinal distance between the starting end of the section connecting it to the rear end edge 91 of the absorbent article 1 is 100 mm to 300 mm, and the longitudinal length of the elastic region is 1 mm to 200 mm.
[0067] Referring again to Figure 6, in this embodiment, a large-area adhesive is used between the flow guiding layer 3 and its adjacent next-layer absorbent core layer 4. The adhesive is applied intermittently to form a non-bonded region 100 and a bonded region 110, with the bonded region 110 surrounding the non-bonded region 100. The non-bonded region 100 corresponds to the elastic region formed by the first elastic material 61 between the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3. The length of the non-bonded region along the longitudinal direction MD is 1 mm to 100 mm, and its width along the transverse direction CD is 1 mm to 100 mm. Due to the contraction of the upper elastic region, the non-bonded region naturally arches.
[0068] Figure 7 shows another embodiment of the absorbent article 1, wherein the elastic material employs a double-bonded design. As shown, the longitudinal MD length of the absorbent article 1 is 420 mm, and a first elastic material 61 is fixed between the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3. The first elastic material 61 is selected from elastic bands with a denier of 50D-1000D. There are 1-30 elastic bands. The length of the elastic bands is the same as the longitudinal length of the absorbent article 1, and extends from the front edge 71 to the rear edge 91 of the absorbent article 1 along the longitudinal MD, and is arranged at a transverse spacing of 1-20 mm. The two ends of the elastic bands can be fixed in the bonding perimeter between the surface layer 2 and the back layer 5, respectively. Adhesive is intermittently applied to the elastic bands at two sections, thereby forming two bonding sections 611 (shown as solid lines in the figure) spaced apart along the longitudinal MD, and a non-bonded section 612 (shown as dashed lines in the figure) that can freely contract relative to the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3, wherein one section of the non-bonded section 612 is connected between the two bonding sections 611. Two connecting segments 611 form an elastic region 60. In the illustrated embodiment, one connecting segment 611 near the front edge 71 of the elastic band is designated as the first connecting segment, and another connecting segment 611 near the rear edge 91 is designated as the second connecting segment. The longitudinal distance between the starting end of the first connecting segment 611 near the front edge 71 of the absorbent article 1 and the rear edge 91 of the absorbent article 1 is 50 mm to 300 mm, and the longitudinal length of the first connecting segment 611 is 1 mm to 200 mm. The distance between the first and second connecting segments is 1 mm to 100 mm, and the longitudinal length of the second connecting segment is 1 mm to 100 mm. The non-connecting segment 612 naturally retracts, and the elastic region formed by the two connecting segments 611 retracts to form a double bond.
[0069] Similar to the previous embodiment, in this embodiment, a bonding region 110 and a non-bonding region 100 are constructed between the flow guiding layer 3 and the absorbent core layer 4 using an intermittent large-mesh adhesive. The non-bonding region 100 corresponds to the elastic region formed by the elastic band between the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3. The length of the non-bonding region along the longitudinal direction MD is 1 mm to 100 mm, and the width along the transverse direction CD is 1 mm to 100 mm. The relative positional relationship between the absorbent core layer 4 and the elastic region can be arranged with reference to the previous embodiment.
[0070] Figure 8 illustrates another embodiment of the double-bonded elastic material. The dimensions and configuration of the absorbent article 1 in this embodiment can be largely referenced to the design of the absorbent article 1 in the embodiment shown in Figure 7, except that, in addition to the first elastic material 61 extending longitudinally (MD), a second elastic material 62 is added. This second elastic material 62 extends laterally across opposite sides of the absorbent article 1 and is, for example, fixed at both ends in the bonding periphery between the surface layer 2 and the back layer 5. The second elastic material 62 is arc-shaped, with the apex of the arc facing the rear end edge 91 of the absorbent article 1. The second elastic material 62 can be selected from 1 to 30 elastic bands, where the denier of each band ranges from 50D to 1000D. The spacing of the second elastic material 62 along the longitudinal direction (MD) can be from 1 mm to 20 mm.
[0071] The first elastic material 61 is bonded with adhesive at one section to form a bonding section 611 (shown as a solid line in the figure) that bonds to the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3, and a non-bonded section 612 (shown as a dashed line in the figure) that can freely contract relative to the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3. The second elastic material 62 is bonded with adhesive at an arc-shaped location to form a bonding section 621 (shown as a solid line in the figure) that bonds to the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3, and a non-bonded section 622 (shown as a dashed line in the figure) that can freely contract relative to the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3. Advantageously, the second elastic material 62 can be bonded with adhesive at the location where it intersects with the first elastic material 61 to form an arc-shaped bonding section 621. Furthermore, the two ends of the bonding section 621 can be aligned with the lateral sides of the flow guiding layer 3.
[0072] The bonding segment 611 of the first elastic material 61 is closer to the front edge 71 of the absorbent article 1 than the bonding segment 621 of the second elastic material 62, and the longitudinal distance between the bonding segments 611 and 621 can be from 1 mm to 100 mm. The longitudinal length of the elastic region formed by the bonding segment 611 of the first elastic material and the bonding segment 621 of the second elastic material 62 can be from 1 mm to 100 mm.
[0073] Similar to the aforementioned embodiments, in this embodiment, a bonding region 110 and a non-bonding region 100 are constructed between the flow guiding layer 3 and the absorbent core layer 4 using an intermittent large-area adhesive. The non-bonding region 100 corresponds to the elastic region formed by the bonding segment 611 of the first elastic material 61 and the bonding segment 621 of the second elastic material 62 between the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3. The length of the non-bonding region along the longitudinal direction MD is 1 mm to 100 mm, and the width along the transverse direction CD is 1 mm to 100 mm. The relative positional relationship between the absorbent core layer 4 and the elastic region can be arranged with reference to the previous embodiment.
[0074] Figure 9 illustrates another embodiment of the absorbent article 1, wherein most of the dimensions and configuration of the absorbent article 1 can be referenced to the design of the absorbent article 1 in the embodiment shown in Figure 4, except that the first elastic material 61 is replaced by a third elastic material 63 and a fourth elastic material 64 between the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3. The third elastic material 63 and the fourth elastic material 64 extend obliquely relative to the longitudinal direction MD and the transverse direction CD of the absorbent article 1, and the third elastic material 63 and the fourth elastic material 64 can be arranged symmetrically relative to the longitudinal centerline X of the absorbent article 1, so that the third elastic material 63 and the fourth elastic material 64 can intersect near the longitudinal centerline X. The third elastic material 63 is bonded to the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3 at the intersection to form a bonding segment 631 and a non-bonding segment 632, while the fourth elastic material 64 is bonded to the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3 at the intersection to form a bonding segment 641 and a non-bonding segment 642. The bonding segment 631 of the third elastic material 63 and the bonding segment 641 of the fourth elastic material 64 constitute an elastic region.
[0075] Figure 10 illustrates another embodiment of the absorbent article 1, wherein most of the dimensions and configuration of the absorbent article 1 can be referenced to the design of the absorbent article 1 in the embodiment shown in Figure 4, except that the absorbent article 1 further includes two side baffle structures 23, or three-dimensional enclosures, arranged on opposite sides laterally. Each side baffle structure 23 extends along the longitudinal direction MD. The two side baffle structures 23 are located on opposite sides of the absorbent core layer 4 laterally and optionally do not overlap with the absorbent core layer 4 laterally. The side baffle structures 23 are visible from the surface layer 2 or are formed by a portion of the surface layer 2 (e.g., side portion 22). A fifth elastic material 65 extending along the longitudinal direction MD is arranged at the side baffle structures 23. In this embodiment, the fifth elastic material 65 is sandwiched between the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3. The fifth elastic material 65 may be made of rubber with a single denier of 50D-1000D. Each side of the side barrier structure 23 has 1-10 elastic bands arranged at 1 mm-20 mm spacing. The elastic bands can be the same length as the longitudinal length of the absorbent article 1 and extend longitudinally from the front edge 71 to the rear edge 91 of the absorbent article 1. The two ends of the elastic bands can be fixed in the bonding perimeter between the surface layer 2 and the back layer 5, respectively. One section of the elastic band is bonded with adhesive to form a bonding section 651 (shown as a solid line in the figure) bonded to the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3, and a non-bonded section 652 (shown as a dashed line in the figure) that can freely contract relative to the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3. An elastic region 60 is formed at the bonding section 651. The elastic region 60 is 1 mm-200 mm away from the front edge 71 of the absorbent article 1, and the longitudinal length of the elastic region is between 1 mm and 420 mm.
[0076] Referring again to Figure 11, in this embodiment, a large-area adhesive is used between the flow guiding layer 3 and its adjacent next-downward absorbent core layer 4. The adhesive is applied intermittently to form a non-bonded region 100 and a bonded region 110, where the bonded region 110 surrounds the non-bonded region 100. The non-bonded region 100 corresponds to the elastic region formed by the fifth elastic material 65 between the surface layer 2 and the flow guiding layer 3. The length of the non-bonded region along the longitudinal direction MD is between 1.01 and 10 times that of the elastic region, and the width along the transverse direction CD is between 1.01 and 10 times that of the elastic region. For example, the length of the non-bonded region along the longitudinal direction MD is between 1 mm and 100 mm, and the width along the transverse direction CD is between 1 mm and 100 mm. Due to the contraction of the upper elastic region, the non-bonded region naturally arches.
[0077] Through comparative experiments, the inventors discovered that by intermittently bonding elastic materials between the upper and lower adjacent layers of the absorbent product and intermittently applying adhesive to the adjacent lower layer of these two layers, thereby forming an upper and lower stacked elastic area and a non-bonded area, the absorbent product (especially the back area) can significantly improve its ability to conform to the body's curves, reduce leakage, and effectively improve the breathability of the absorbent product.
[0078] It should be understood that although this specification describes various embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other implementation methods that can be understood by those skilled in the art.
[0079] The above description is merely an illustrative embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Any equivalent changes, modifications, and combinations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the concept and principles of the present invention should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A self-attaching disposable personal care absorbent article having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction perpendicular thereto, and a thickness direction perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse directions, and divided into a front region, a back region and a crotch region connected between the front and back regions along the longitudinal direction, characterized in that, The absorbent product includes: A liquid-permeable surface layer, constructed to face the wearer's body; A liquid-impermeable back layer is arranged opposite to the front layer along the thickness direction and constructed for garments facing the wearer; An absorbent core layer is disposed between the surface layer and the back layer; At least one additional layer is disposed between the surface layer and the absorbent core layer, or between the absorbent core layer and the back layer; An elastic material is sandwiched between any two adjacent layers along the thickness direction and bonded to at least one of the two layers to form an elastic region at the bonding point, wherein the elastic region is located at at least one of the front region, crotch region and rear region. The elastic material layer is also intermittently bonded to another adjacent layer on the side of the layer opposite to the elastic material along the thickness direction, thereby forming a non-bonded region and a bonded region adjacent to the non-bonded region between the two layers, and the non-bonded region corresponds to the elastic region.
2. The self-charging disposable personal care absorbent article of claim 1, wherein, The elastic region is located within the boundary of the non-bonded region.
3. The self-charging disposable personal care absorbent article of claim 2, wherein, The length of the non-bonded region in the longitudinal direction is 1.01 to 10 times the length of the elastic region in the longitudinal direction.
4. The self-charging disposable personal care absorbent article of claim 2, wherein, The width of the non-bonded region in the lateral direction is 1.01 to 10 times the width of the elastic region in the lateral direction.
5. The self-charging disposable personal care absorbent article of claim 1, wherein, The elastic material includes a first elastic material extending along the longitudinal direction, a portion of which is bonded to at least one of the two layers sandwiched therebetween to form an elastic region at the bond.
6. The self-charging disposable personal care absorbent article of claim 5, wherein, The first elastic material is intermittently bonded to at least one of the two layers sandwiching it, thereby forming a plurality of joints spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and the elastic region is formed by these joints.
7. The self-charging disposable personal care absorbent article of claim 5, wherein, The elastic material includes a second elastic material that crosses the absorbent article laterally and intersects with the first elastic material. The first elastic material is bonded to at least one of the two layers sandwiching it at the intersection, and the second elastic material is bonded to at least one of the two layers sandwiching it at the intersection, forming the elastic region from these joints.
8. The self-charging disposable personal care absorbent article of claim 7, wherein, The second elastic material is configured as an arc shape with the apex protruding toward the rear end edge of the absorbent article, and the joint of the second elastic material is closer to the rear end edge of the absorbent article than the joint of the first elastic material.
9. The self-adhesive disposable personal care absorbent article according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic material includes a third elastic material and a fourth elastic material that extend at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction from the front region to the rear region, wherein the third elastic material and the fourth elastic material are arranged intersectingly and are bonded at the intersection to at least one of the two layers sandwiching them to form an elastic region.
10. The self-adhesive disposable personal care absorbent article according to claim 1, characterized in that, The absorbent article further includes two side baffle structures arranged laterally on opposite sides of the absorbent core layer, each side baffle structure extending along the longitudinal direction, and the elastic material located at the side baffle structure.