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EP-4547186-B1 - ABSORBENT ARTICLES WITH FRANGIBLE PATHWAYS AND DISPOSAL FEATURES

EP4547186B1EP 4547186 B1EP4547186 B1EP 4547186B1EP-4547186-B1

Inventors

  • WILLHAUS, KEITH RICHARD
  • RAYCHECK, JEROMY THOMAS
  • ROSIAK, Jeffry
  • NAYLOR, JASON EDWARD
  • CHATTERJEE, Kumardipti
  • LONG, MICHAEL DEVIN
  • TAYLOR, NICHOLAS ALEXANDER

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230627

Claims (15)

  1. An absorbent article comprising: a first belt (106) comprising an inner wearer facing surface (115b) and an outer garment facing surface (115a), the first belt further comprising a laterally extending inner edge (107b) and a laterally extending outer edge (107a), the outer edge (107a) positioned longitudinally outward of the inner edge (107b); a second belt (108), wherein laterally opposing end portions of the second belt (108) are connected with laterally opposing end portions of the first belt (106) at a first side seam (178) and a second side seam (180) to form a waist opening (110); and a chassis (102) comprising a topsheet (138), a backsheet (136), and an absorbent core (140) positioned between the topsheet (138) and the backsheet (136), the chassis (102) comprising a longitudinally extending first side edge (128) and a longitudinally extending second side edge (130) laterally separated from the first side edge (128) by a first end edge (144) and a second end edge (146) longitudinally separate from the first end edge (144), wherein the chassis (102) comprises a chassis width W CH between the first side edge (128) and the second side edge (130), and wherein longitudinally opposing end regions (116a, 118a) of the chassis (102) are connected with the first belt (106) and the second belt (108); wherein the absorbent article is characterised in that it further comprises: a frangible pathway (700) in the first belt (106) extending between the inner edge (107b) and the outer edge (107a) of the first belt (106); a fastener component (707) positioned on the inner wearer facing surface (115b) of the first belt (106) and laterally between the frangible pathway (700) and the first side seam (178); wherein the first belt (106) is separable along the frangible pathway (700) to define a first belt zone (831) and a second belt zone (833), wherein the first belt zone (831) comprises a portion of the fist belt (106) positioned laterally between the first side seam (178) and the second belt zone (833), wherein the first belt zone (831) defines an extended first belt zone width W FBZE in a fully extended state from the first side seam (178) to an outer edge (707E) of the fastener component (707) located furthest from the first side seam (178); wherein the fastener component (707) is adapted to refastenably connect the first belt zone (831) with at least one other component of the absorbent article in a disposal configuration; wherein the second belt (108) defines a second belt extension (108E1) that extends between the first side edge (128) of the chassis (102) and the side seam (178) in a fully extended state to define an extended second belt extension width W SBEE1 wherein extended the first belt zone width W FBZE is greater than the second belt extension width W SBEE1 and less than a sum of the extended second belt extension width W SBEE1 and the chassis width W CH ; and wherein the absorbent article further comprises a disposal wrap (835) defined by a combination of the second belt extension (108E1) and the first belt zone (831), wherein in a fully extended state, the disposal wrap (835) defines a disposal wrap width W DWE1 extending between the first side edge (178) of the chassis (102) and the outer edge (707E) of the fastener component (707), and wherein the disposal wrap width W DWE1 is greater than the chassis width W CH .
  2. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the first belt zone width W FBZE is less than the sum of the second belt extension width W SBEE1 and a half of the chassis width W CH .
  3. The absorbent article of claims 1 or 2, wherein in a relaxed state, the disposal wrap (835) defines a relaxed disposal wrap width W DWR1 extending between the first side edge (178) of the chassis (102) and the outer edge (707E) of the fastener component (707); and wherein the relaxed disposal wrap width W DWR1 is less than the chassis width W CH .
  4. The absorbent article of claim 3, wherein a tensile force required to extend the disposal wrap (835) from the relaxed state to the fully extended state is greater than about 1N and less than about 10N.
  5. The absorbent article of any or the preceding claims, wherein the first belt (106) comprises a longitudinal length L1 extending between the outer edge (107a) and the inner edge (107b), and the fastener component (707) comprises longitudinal length L FC , wherein L FC is less than about 0.80 times L1.
  6. The absorbent article of claim 5, wherein L FC is less than about 0.50 times L1.
  7. The absorbent article of any or the preceding claims, further comprising an accessibility opening (802) in the first belt (106) positioned between the outer edge (107a) and the inner edge (107b).
  8. The absorbent article of claim 7, wherein frangible pathway (700) in the first belt (106) extends between a proximal terminus (810) on the inner edge (107b) of the first belt (106) and a distal terminus (808) on the outer edge (107a) of the first belt (106), and wherein the proximal terminus (810) and the distal terminus (808) are positioned laterally between the accessibility opening (802) and the first side seam (178).
  9. The absorbent article of claim 7, wherein the accessibility opening (802) comprises a slit in the first belt (106).
  10. The absorbent article of claim 7, wherein both the accessibility opening (802) and frangible pathway (700) extend through the fastener component (707) and divide the fastener component (707) into at least two parts.
  11. The absorbent article of claim 7, wherein the accessibility opening (802) is curved and extends in a longitudinal direction.
  12. The absorbent article of claim 7, wherein the accessibility opening (802) extends through the fastener component (707) and divides the fastener component (707) into at least two parts.
  13. The absorbent article of any of the preceding claims, wherein the frangible pathway (700) comprises lines of weakness (704).
  14. The absorbent article of any of the preceding claims, wherein the fastener component (707) is positioned between the inner wearer facing surface (115b) of the first belt (106) and the backsheet (136).
  15. The absorbent article of any of the preceding claims, wherein the fastener component (707) comprises hooks, and wherein the hooks extend toward the backsheet (136).

Description

FIELD The present disclosure relates to absorbent articles, and more particularly, to absorbent articles having front and/or back waist regions including one or more frangible pathways configured to define disposal features. BACKGROUND Some absorbent articles have components that include elastomeric laminates. Such elastomeric laminates may include an elastic material bonded to one or more nonwovens. The elastic material may include an elastic film and/or elastic strands. In some laminates, a plurality of elastic strands are j oined to a nonwoven while the plurality of strands are in a stretched condition so that when the elastic strands relax, the nonwoven gathers, and in turn, forms corrugations and rugosities. The resulting elastomeric laminate is stretchable to the extent that the corrugations allow the elastic strands to elongate. Absorbent articles in the form of diaper pants may also be configured with an absorbent chassis connected with front and back elastic belts, wherein opposing end regions of the front and back belts are connected with each other at side seams. In some instances, the elasticity of the front and back belts is removed in regions where the chassis connects with the belts. Thus, in some converting configurations adapted to assemble such diaper pants, stretched elastic strands are glued between two continuous nonwoven webs to form an elastic laminate. Regions of the elastic strands may then be intermittently deactivated along the length of the elastic laminate by cutting the elastic strands in areas to be connected with the chassis, sometimes referred to as tummy elastic cutting. Some caregivers of older incontinent babies or toddlers may prefer a closed, pant-style disposable absorbent article to enable application to, and removal from, a child while the child is in a standing position. One disadvantage of this product form is that the removal and disposal of feces-containing products may be unhygienic and inconvenient. For example, pulling the product down could cause feces to smear down the legs of a user. In other examples, a caregiver may tear open the bonded sides using force. In turn, the force used can lead to a rapid release of energy from the diaper, causing the caregiver to lose control of the product and allowing feces to spill out. In contrast, removal and disposal of traditional open or taped diaper forms with fasteners may be readily accomplished while the child is laying on their back. In this case, the fasteners are opened, the diaper is removed from under the child, rolled into a roughly cylindrical shape, and then the fasteners are secured around the rolled, soiled diaper, closing the leg openings for hygienic disposal. In order to avoid having to remove soiled diaper pants from a wearer by sliding the soiled diaper pant down the wearer's legs or tearing bonded side seams, some diaper pants may be configured with tear lines in the front belt or back belt. Such tear lines may include perforations that allow a caregiver to more easily separate the belt along the perforation lines. Once the belt is separated, the diaper pant can be more easily removed from the wearer without having to slide the diaper pant down the wearer's legs, in a similar manner as a traditional open taped diaper form. In addition, pant diapers may include some sort of disposal feature, such as a hook or tape, that allows a caregiver to maintain a soiled diaper in rolled up disposal configuration. Some currently disposal features may not provide a user the ability to more fully wrap and/or enclose a soiled diaper pant. Consequently, it would be beneficial to diaper pants with tear lines in one or more belts to help ensure a comfortable diaper fit on a user while also helping to ensure a user's ability to more fully wrap and/or more fully enclose a bundled soiled diaper pant for disposal, which in turn may help protect against undesired leaks of urine and/or BM and/or may help reduce odors associated therewith. Pant-type articles with weakness lines are known from the prior art. Similarly, articles with a disposable wrap system are also known from the prior art. Reference is made to: US 5575784 A; US 2008/103470 A1; and WO 2020/062132 A1. SUMMARY The invention provides an absorbent article according to claim 1. Optional features of the invention are set out in the dependent claims. In one form, an absorbent article comprises: a first belt comprising an inner wearer facing surface and an outer garment facing surface, the first belt further comprising a laterally extending inner edge and a laterally extending outer edge, the outer edge positioned longitudinally outward of the inner edge; a second belt, wherein laterally opposing end portions of the second belt are connected with laterally opposing end portions of the first belt at a first side seam and a second side seam to form a waist opening; a chassis comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet and t