Claims
- 1. An absorbent article having longitudinal and transverse directions, the absorbent article comprising:
two waist portions in the form of a front and a rear portion, and between said two waist portions a crotch portion; an absorbent core including at least one fluid storage layer, at least one fluid distribution layer overlapping and being in fluid contact with the fluid storage layer, a fluid receiving layer being arranged in at least the crotch area of the article in direct or indirect fluid contact with the fluid distribution layer and the fluid storage layer, said fluid storage layer, said fluid distribution layer and said fluid receiving layer each having longitudinal and transverse end edges; at least one fluid barrier arranged to extend in the transverse direction of the absorbent article; wherein the fluid distribution layer is arranged so as to extend in the crotch portion and in at least a substantial portion of one of the waist portions of the article and is absent in at least a substantial part of the opposite waist portion of the article so as to promote fluid flow from the crotch portion towards said one waist portion, and the fluid barrier is arranged at or in close proximity to one transverse end edge of the fluid distribution layer, located in or adjacent the crotch portion of the article, said fluid barrier extending through at least a substantial part of the thickness of said layer.
- 2. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one fluid storage layer is disposed in at least a substantial part of the front and rear portions of the article, said fluid distribution layer is disposed in the crotch portion and at least a substantial part of rear portion of the article and is absent in at least a substantial part of the front portion of the article, and the fluid barrier is arranged at or in close proximity to the transverse end edge of the fluid distribution layer facing the front portion of the article.
- 3. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the article is a diaper or pant diaper adapted to be used by babies lying on their stomach.
- 4. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one fluid storage layer is disposed in at least a substantial part of the front and rear portions of the article, said fluid distribution layer is disposed in at least a substantial part of the crotch and front portions of the article and is absent in at least a substantial part of the rear portion of the article and the fluid barrier is arranged at or in close proximity to the transverse end edge of the fluid distribution layer facing the rear portion of the article.
- 5. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid distribution layer is located between the fluid receiving layer and the fluid storage layer and the fluid barrier is arranged to extend a certain distance in between the fluid receiving layer and the fluid distribution layer.
- 6. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid barrier member is arranged also to extend through at least a substantial part of the thickness of the fluid distribution layer at or in close proximity to one transverse end edge of said layer.
- 7. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 6, wherein the fluid distribution layer is located between the fluid receiving layer and the fluid storage layer and the fluid barrier is arranged to extend a certain distance in between the fluid distribution layer and the fluid storage layer.
- 8. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 6, wherein the fluid distribution layer is located between the fluid receiving layer and the fluid storage layer and the fluid barrier is arranged to extend also through the fluid storage layer.
- 9. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid receiving layer is arranged in a recess between front and rear portions of a fluid storage layer, the fluid distribution layer is arranged under the fluid receiving layer and the rear or the front portion of the fluid storage layer, and the fluid barrier is arranged between the fluid receiving layer and the rear or the front portion of the fluid storage layer and to substantially cover the edge of the fluid distribution layer facing the front or the rear portion of the article.
- 10. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material in the fluid distribution layer has a higher liquid affinity than the material in the liquid receiving layer so as to promote liquid transport from the liquid receiving layer to the fluid distribution layer.
- 11. The absorbent article as claimed in claim 10, wherein the material in the fluid storage layer has a higher liquid affinity than the material in the fluid receiving layer and the fluid distribution layer so as to promote liquid transport from the fluid receiving layer and the fluid distribution layer to the fluid storage layer.
- 12. The absorbent article as claimed claim 1, wherein the fluid barrier is made from a hydrophobic nonwoven material, a plastic film material, laminates thereof, a coating of a hydrophobic or liquid tight material on a carrier material or is constituted by an edge portion of the fluid distribution layer or the fluid receiving layer respectively that has been modified by thermal, mechanical, chemical or other treatment so as to make it prevent or at least delay liquid penetration.
- 13. The absorbent article as claimed claim 1, wherein the fluid barrier is made from a hydrophobic nonwoven material, a plastic film material, laminates thereof, a coating of a hydrophobic and liquid tight material on a carrier material or is constituted by an edge portion of the fluid distribution layer or the fluid receiving layer respectively that has been modified by thermal, mechanical, chemical or other treatment so as to make it prevent or at least delay liquid penetration.
- 14. The absorbent article as claimed claim 1, wherein the fluid barrier is constituted by an edge portion of the fluid distribution layer or the fluid receiving layer respectively that has been modified by thermal, mechanical, chemical or other treatment so as to make it prevent or at least delay liquid penetration.
- 15. The absorbent article as claimed claim 1, wherein the fluid barrier is constituted by an edge portion of the fluid distribution layer and the fluid receiving layer that has been modified by thermal, mechanical, chemical or other treatment so as to make it prevent or at least delay liquid penetration.
- 16. The absorbent article as claimed claim 1, wherein the absorbent article is a diaper, pant diaper, incontinence guard, or sanitary napkin.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. provisional application No. 60/413,764 filed on Sep. 27, 2002, the entire content of which is incorporated by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60413764 |
Sep 2002 |
US |