Claims
- 1. An absorbent article for fitting about a wearer to contain body exudates, the wearer having a low motion zone, the absorbent article comprising a containment assembly having a front waist region, a back waist region opposed to said front waist region, a front end edge, a back end edge, longitudinal edges, a longitudinal axis, a longitudinal direction defined as the direction parallel to said longitudinal axis, a lateral axis, a lateral direction defined as the direction parallel to said lateral axis, said containment assembly comprising an absorbent core and an outer covering layer joined with said absorbent core, said front edge having, when the absorbent article is in its flat-out, uncontracted state, a planar substantially arcuate concave shape, and said back end edge having, when the absorbent article is in its flat-out, uncontracted state, a planar substantially arcuate convex shape.
- 2. The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein the substantially arcuate convex shape of said back end edge is continuous from one said longitudinal edge to the other said longitudinal edge.
- 3. The absorbent article of claim 1 wherein said back end edge has a central region and back side panels extending laterally outward from said central region, said central region having a substantially arcuate convex shape.
- 4. The absorbent article of claim 3 wherein each said back side panel has a separate substantially arcuate convex shape to form two inflection points.
- 5. The absorbent article of claim 4 wherein said front end edge has a central region and front side panels extending laterally outward from said central region, said central region having a substantially arcuate concave shape and each said front side panels has a separate substantially arcuate concave shape to form two inflection points.
- 6. The absorbent article of claim 5 wherein the curvature of said front end edge matches the curvature of said back end edge.
- 7. The absorbent article of claim 1 additionally comprising a front elastic waist feature disposed in said front waist region, said front elastic waist feature having, when the absorbent article is in its flat-out, uncontracted state, a planar substantially arcuate concave shape so that forces are transmitted through the front elastic waist feature along a line at an angle to said lateral direction.
- 8. The absorbent article of claim 7 wherein said outer covering layer comprises a topsheet and a backsheet joined with said topsheet, said absorbent core being positioned between said topsheet and said backsheet; and wherein said front elastic waist feature comprises an elasticized waistband comprising a portion of said topsheet, a portion of said backsheet, and an elastic member operatively joined with between said topsheet and said backsheet.
- 9. The absorbent article of claim 8 wherein said elastic member comprises one or more strands of elastic material disposed in a planar arcuate configuration.
- 10. The absorbent article of claim 7 additionally comprising a back elastic waist feature disposed in said back waist region, said back elastic waist feature having, when the absorbent article is in its flat-out, uncontracted state, a planar substantially arcuate convex shape so that forces are transmitted through the back elastic waist feature along a line at an angle to said lateral direction.
- 11. The absorbent article of claim 10 wherein said outer covering layer comprises a topsheet and a backsheet joined with said topsheet, said absorbent core being positioned between said topsheet and said backsheet; wherein said back elastic waist feature comprises an elasticized waistband comprising a portion of said topsheet, a portion of said backsheet, and an elastic member operatively joined with said topsheet and said backsheet; and wherein said front elastic waist feature comprises an elasticized waistband comprising a portion of said topsheet, a portion of said backsheet, and a second elastic member operatively joined with said topsheet and said backsheet.
- 12. The absorbent article of claim 11 wherein said elastic member and said second elastic member each comprises one or more strands of elastic material disposed in a planar arcuate configuration.
- 13. The absorbent article of claim 1 additionally comprising a back elastic waist feature disposed in said back waist region, said back elastic waist feature having, when the absorbent article is in its flat-out, uncontracted state, a planar substantially arcuate convex shape so that forces are transmitted through said back elastic waist feature at an angle to said lateral direction.
- 14. The absorbent article of claim 13 wherein said outer covering layer comprises a topsheet and a backsheet joined with said topsheet; said absorbent core being positioned between said topsheet and said backsheet; and wherein said back elastic waist feature comprises an elasticized waistband comprising a portion of said topsheet, a portion of said backsheet, and an elastic member operatively joined with said topsheet and said backsheet.
- 15. The absorbent article of claim 14 wherein said elastic member comprises one or more strands of elastic material disposed in a planar arcuate configuration.
- 16. An unitary disposable pant-type garment comprising:
- a containment assembly having a front waist region, a back waist region opposed to said front waist region, a front end edge, a back end edge, longitudinal edges, a longitudinal axis, a longitudinal direction defined as the direction parallel to said longitudinal axis, a lateral axis, a lateral direction defined as the direction parallel to said lateral axis, said containment assembly comprising:
- an outer covering layer comprising an elastomeric member; and
- an anatomically low motion zone-fitting absorbent core joined with said outer covering layer, said absorbent core having a longitudinal centerline, side edges, a front waist edge having an abdominal point oriented on said longitudinal centerline and hip points, and a back waist edge, said front waist edge of said absorbent core having a planar substantially concave arcuate shape, each said side edge having a leg segment and buttocks segment, each said leg segment having a planar substantially concave arcuate shape so as to provide a narrowed crotch portion to fit between the legs of the wearer which defines a crotch point, said absorbent core being positioned within said containment assembly such that a ratio of the longitudinal distance from said crotch points to said back end edge of said containment assembly to the longitudinal distance from said abdominal point to said crotch points is at least about 1.5:1, and wherein a ratio of the lateral distance between said hip points to the longitudinal distance from said hip points to said abdominal point is between about 6:1 to about 9:1; and
- closed side seams.
- 17. The garment of claim 16 wherein said outer covering layer comprises a nonwoven fabric which is elastically extensible.
- 18. The garment of claim 16 wherein said outer covering layer comprises a laminate of an elastomeric material and a nonwoven fabric.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 08/322,633, filed on Oct. 13, 1994, now abandoned; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/072,300, filed on Jun. 3, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,500.
US Referenced Citations (23)
Foreign Referenced Citations (7)
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0323634A2 |
Aug 1989 |
EPX |
323634 |
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Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
322633 |
Oct 1994 |
|
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
72300 |
Jun 1993 |
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