Claims
- 1. An absorbent article for wearing in a supporting garment, said absorbent article comprising:a liquid pervious side; a liquid impervious side opposite said liquid pervious side; and an absorbent component between said liquid pervious side and said liquid impervious side, wherein said liquid pervious side and said liquid impervious side are arranged to form a unitary structure wherein said liquid pervious side comprises a liquid pervious topsheet comprising a fibrous nonwoven web having a maximum caliper measured under a pressure of 0.005 psi of greater than or equal to ⅛ inch (3.2 mm), and a basis weight of less than or equal to 5 oz./yd2 (142 g/m); wherein said absorbent article is characterized in that it has a flexure resistance of less than or equal to 100 grams and is capable of substantially maintaining sustained contact with and covering at least a portion of the inside surfaces of the wearer's labia, at least a portion of the exterior surfaces of the wearer's labia, and at least a portion of the supporting garment.
- 2. The absorbent article of claim 1 which has a longitudinal central region that is capable of being positioned in the space between the wearer's labia, said longitudinal central region being capable of residing in said space between the wearer's labia at an elevation that is higher than at least some portions of the absorbent article that are located laterally outboard of said longitudinal central region.
- 3. An absorbent article according to claim 2 wherein said absorbent article is capable of assuming such a configuration without compression by the inner portion of a wearer's thighs.
- 4. An absorbent article according to claim 1 which is generally planar prior to use.
- 5. An absorbent article according to claim 1 which has a body-facing side with a raised portion thereon.
- 6. The absorbent article of claim 5 wherein said raised portion comprises a tube of absorbent material joined to said liquid pervious side of said absorbent article.
- 7. The absorbent article of claim 5 wherein said raised portion comprises a hump-forming element, and said liquid pervious side comprises a liquid pervious topsheet, wherein said hump-forming element underlies said liquid pervious topsheet.
- 8. The absorbent article of claim 2 wherein portions of said absorbent article outside said longitudinal central region are capable of cupping the wearer's labia from the front of the labia to the back of the labia.
- 9. An absorbent article according to any of the preceding claims which has a cup-shaped configuration prior to use.
- 10. An absorbent article according to claim 1 wherein the supporting garment has a crotch region in which said absorbent article is worn assumes a modified cusp-shaped configuration when worn, wherein the cusp-shaped configuration is modified in that the supporting garment assumes a rounded convex upward shape in the longitudinally-oriented area centered about the space between the wearer's labia which lies between two convex downwardly curved portions, and said absorbent article assumes a similar configuration as the crotch region of the supporting garment.
- 11. An absorbent article according to claim 1 at least some of the portions of said absorbent article that are capable of maintaining contact with and covering at least a portion of the inside surfaces of the wearer's labia and the exterior surfaces of the wearer's labia will flex under a pressure of less than or equal to 20 g/cm2.
- 12. An absorbent article according to claim 1 which is of a size and configuration to only cover a female wearer's vaginal pudendal region and perineum, and does not extend forward beyond the wearer's mons pubis or rearward to the wearer's anus.
- 13. An absorbent article according to claim 1 which is less than or equal to 7 inches (18 cm) in length.
- 14. An absorbent article according to claim 1 which has a capacity of greater than or equal to 10 grams of liquid in an area measuring 2 inches in width by 5 inches in length (5 cm by 13 cm) that will be centered under the vaginal orifice when the absorbent article is worn.
- 15. An absorbent article according to claim 14 having a capacity in said area of greater than or equal to 20 grams of liquid.
- 16. An absorbent article according to claim 1 which is capable of covering substantially all of the interior surfaces of the wearer's labia up to and including the floor of the wearer's vestibule.
- 17. An absorbent article according to claim 1 which is capable of covering substantially all of the exterior surfaces of the wearer's labia.
- 18. An absorbent article according to claim 1 which has a surface area of less than or equal to 20 in2 (130 cm2).
- 19. An absorbent article according to claim 1 which has a ratio of total capacity to surface area of greater than or equal to 2 g/in2 (0.3 g/cm2).
- 20. An absorbent article according to claim 1 having a flexure resistance of between 20 and 75 grams.
- 21. An absorbent article according to claim 1 wherein said absorbent article is of a size and configuration that is resistant to being contacted by the insides of the upper portions of a wearer's thighs and does not shift more than 1.5 inch (3.8 cm) from its position relative to the wearer's vaginal introitus when the absorbent article is worn in a supporting garment.
- 22. An absorbent article according to claim 1 wherein the liquid pervious side of said absorbent article comprises a plurality of elements extending outward from the body-contacting surface of said liquid pervious side.
- 23. The absorbent article of claim 22 wherein said elements are capable of penetrating the wearer's pubic hairs.
- 24. The absorbent article of claims 22 or 23 wherein said elements comprise fibers.
- 25. The absorbent article of claim 22 wherein said liquid pervious side comprises an apertured nonwoven web, which is generally planar, said apertured nonwoven web having apertures and unapertured portions, and said elements comprise a plurality of fibrils on said unapertured portions of said nonwoven web that extend outward from the plane of said nonwoven web.
- 26. The absorbent article of claim 2 wherein said topsheet has a maximum caliper of between ¼ inch (6.4 mm) and ½ inch (13 mm).
- 27. An absorbent article according to claim 1 further comprising a mechanical fastening material on said garment-facing surface for engaging at least a portion of the supporting garment, said mechanical fastening material comprising an array of prongs, each of said prongs comprising a base joined to a substrate, an engaging means, and a shank comprising a proximal end joined to said base and a distal end joined to said engaging means.
- 28. The absorbent article of claim 27 wherein said mechanical fastening material is arranged in a pattern on said garment-facing side that corresponds with a pre-selected portion of said supporting garment.
Parent Case Info
This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/065,294 filed Nov. 13, 1997.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/US98/23861 |
|
WO |
00 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO99/25290 |
5/27/1999 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (4)
Foreign Referenced Citations (7)
Number |
Date |
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0 302 523 |
Feb 1989 |
EP |
0 597 498 |
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Dec 1995 |
EP |
2 282 054 |
Mar 1995 |
GB |
WO 9321879 |
Nov 1993 |
WO |
WO 9620670 |
Jul 1996 |
WO |
WO 9833463 |
Aug 1998 |
WO |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/065294 |
Nov 1997 |
US |