US-12622817-B2 - Disposable hygiene article with improved fit

US12622817B2US 12622817 B2US12622817 B2US 12622817B2US-12622817-B2

Abstract

Disclosed is a disposable hygiene article having a transverse direction, longitudinal direction and longitudinal centerline, the article having a front portion, crotch portion and rear portion, and including a liquid-permeable topsheet, a liquid-impermeable backsheet, and absorbent core arranged between the topsheet and backsheet, the topsheet and backsheet extending beyond the absorbent core to provide an outer boundary region of the article, the outer contour of the absorbent core being defined by mutually symmetrical mirror-imaged portions about the longitudinal centre line, the core including a neck region, the portion of the core forward of the neck region being defined as a head region and the portion of the core rearward of the neck being defined as the body portion, the article including at least one asymmetrical wing including an outer edge, the at least one asymmetrical wing outer edge meeting the disposable hygiene article at front and rear wing junctions.

Inventors

Oscar Lipschutz
Louise Eliasson
Sofia EKSTEDT
Josefin Sohl

Assignees

ESSITY HYGIENE AND HEALTH AKTIEBOLAG

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20201229

Claims (20)

1 . A disposable hygiene article having a transverse direction, a longitudinal direction and a longitudinal centre line dividing the article into left-hand and right-hand portions, wherein said article has a front portion, a crotch portion and a rear portion, and said article comprises a liquid-permeable topsheet, a liquid-impermeable backsheet, an absorbent core arranged between the topsheet and the backsheet, wherein the topsheet and the backsheet extend beyond the absorbent core to provide an outer boundary region of the article that surrounds the absorbent core, wherein an outer contour of the absorbent core is defined by mutually symmetrical mirror-imaged portions arranged symmetrically about the longitudinal centre line, and defined by left and right core edge lines, the core extending between a core front edge in the front portion and a core rear edge in the rear portion, wherein the core comprises a neck region at which a transverse width between the left and right core edge lines is smaller than a transverse width of the core forward of the neck region and a transverse width rearward of the neck region, wherein the portion of the core forward of the neck region is defined as a head region of the core and the portion of the core rearward of the neck is defined as the body portion, wherein the article further comprises at least one asymmetrical wing as seen along any transverse axis of the disposable hygiene article, the asymmetrical wing comprising an outer edge extending in an outward direction from the outer periphery of the disposable hygiene article, wherein the at least one asymmetrical wing outer edge meets the outer periphery of the disposable hygiene article at front and rear wing junctions connected via a wing junction line J w , wherein the outer edge of said at least one asymmetrical wing comprises a front wing distance point Df and a rear wing distance point D r , wherein the front wing distance point D r is being spaced from the junction line Jw in an outboard transverse direction by a transverse distance J 1 of 3 mm, wherein the core further comprises a first front conforming line and a second front conforming line, the first front conforming line being arranged symmetrically with the second front conforming line with respect to a longitudinal or a transverse axis, wherein the first front conforming line is a straight line that extends from an outer free end located on or adjacent to the left core edge line towards an inner end located on or adjacent to the longitudinal centre line along a first diagonal axis CL 1 extending in the plane of the disposable hygiene article, wherein the second front conforming line is a straight line that extends from an outer free end located on or adjacent to the left or right core edge line towards an inner end located on adjacent to the longitudinal centre line along a second diagonal axis CL 2 extending in the plane of the disposable hygiene article, the first and the second diagonal axis converging at a convergence point C, wherein the outer free end of the first front conforming line is closer to the left core edge line than the longitudinal centre line, and the outer free end of the second front conforming line is closer to the right core edge line than the longitudinal centre line, wherein the first front conforming line and the second front conforming line are disposed rearward of the neck region, wherein the first and second front conforming lines having a smallest transverse distance S therebetween at their closest approach, and wherein the transverse distance S is greater than 0 mm.
2 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 1 , wherein a first longitudinal distance D c between the front wing distance point D f of said at least one asymmetrical wing and the convergence point C, as measured along the longitudinal centerline, is between 5-30 mm.
3 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 1 , wherein said wing junction line J w corresponding to the wing length is between 50-110 mm.
4 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 1 , wherein the width M between the left and right core edge lines in the neck region is between 30-60 mm.
5 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 1 , wherein a front wing junction width W fwj between the left and the right front wing junctions, as seen in the transverse direction T, is between 75-95 mm.
6 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 1 , wherein a rear wing junction width W rwj between the left and the right rear wing junctions, as seen in the transverse direction T, is between 85-95 mm.
7 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 1 , wherein said second front conforming line extends from an outer end located on or adjacent to the right core edge line towards an inner end located on or adjacent to the longitudinal center line.
8 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 7 , wherein the first and second front conforming lines form at least a first front V having two arms extending from outer free ends located on or adjacent to the left and right core edge lines towards inner ends located on or adjacent to the longitudinal centerline, said inner ends separated by the distance S=0 at the closest approach V tip1 , and wherein the closest approach V tip1 is positioned forward of the outer free ends of the arms.
9 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 8 , wherein said closest approach V tip1 of said inner ends of said first front V, and said closest approach V tip2 of said inner ends of said second front V coincide.
10 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 1 , said core further comprising a first and a second rear conforming line.
11 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 10 , wherein the first and second rear conforming lines form a rear V having two arms extending from outer free ends located on or adjacent to the left and right core edge lines towards inner ends located on or adjacent to the longitudinal centerline A, separated by the distance S≥0 at the closest approach, and wherein the closest approach is positioned rearward of the outer free ends of the arms.
12 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 1 , wherein said core further comprises a third and a fourth front conforming lines forming a second front V having two arms extending from outer free ends located on or adjacent to the left and right core edge lines towards inner ends located on or adjacent to the longitudinal centerline A, separated by the distance S=0 at the closest approach V tip2 , and wherein the closest approach V tip2 is positioned rearward of the outer free ends of the arms.
13 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 12 , where a distance D v between the tip of the first front V V tip1 and the tip of the second front V V tip2 is between 0-10 mm.
14 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 1 , wherein said second front conforming line extends from an outer end located on or adjacent to the left core edge line towards an inner end located on or adjacent to the longitudinal center line.
15 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second front conforming lines are either a groove or a channel with a depth corresponding to 25% or more of a no-load thickness of the absorbent core, such as from 25% to 100% of the no-load thickness of the absorbent core, or a low density region in which the low density region has a density corresponding to 50% or less of the density of the absorbent core, the no-load thickness or the density of the absorbent core being measured in an area of the absorbent core being adjacent to first or second conforming line.
16 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one asymmetrical wing is formed with an outer edge comprising a wing positioning profile coinciding with a section of the outer edge, and wherein the wing positioning profile is formed from a wave having a baseline X wp and a longitudinal axis Y wp perpendicular to the baseline X wp , said wave starting from the front wing junction and extending outwards, the wave consisting of a concave curve having a trough and a convex curve having a peak, the wing positioning profile ending at a wing positioning profile end point where said wave no longer coincides with said outer edge.
17 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 16 , wherein the peak of the convex curve is located forward of the through of the concave curve as seen in the longitudinal direction y.
18 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 16 , wherein the baseline X wp of the wave is placed perpendicular on the longitudinal centerline A of the disposable hygiene article.
19 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 16 , wherein a distance W 2 between the front wing distance point D fr and the peak of the convex curve of the wing positioning profile, as measured along the baseline X wp , is between 8-30 mm.
20 . The disposable hygiene article according to claim 16 , wherein a distance W 1 between the front wing distance point D fr and the wing positioning profile end point, as measured along the baseline X wp , is between 13-35 mm.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a National Stage application of PCT/EP2020/087973, filed Dec. 29, 2020, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to disposable hygiene articles, such as sanitary towels, panty liners, or incontinence pads that are designed so that they adopt a particular form when in use to provide improved fit and security against leakage. BACKGROUND ART Disposable hygiene articles need to have good absorptive properties, comfort and need to provide a sense of leakage security and good fit for a user. Various designs and methods have been employed in hygiene articles so that they could follow the contours of the user's body well and do not move out of place during use. However, despite the previous efforts made in the art to improve the fit of the article, there is still a need to further improve the fit of the article and how the article conforms to the body of the user. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has been found that despite prior art solutions for disposable hygiene articles, there is still a need to improve the fit of the article, especially the manner in which the article conforms to the body of the user. There is a need to better control how the article bends and conforms to the body, especially in respect of the crotch region and the front part of the article. For comfort and security against leakage, it is important that the article deforms in a predictable manner to fit the anatomy of the user and that the wings are positioned such that they do not hinder the adaptation of the article to the user's anatomy. It is also of importance that existing manufacturing equipment and methods can be used for the manufacture of the articles with minimal modification. One of the objectives of the present disclosure is thus to provide a disposable hygiene article with improved fit of the article and an improvement in the manner and consistency with which the article conforms to the body of a user. In particular, the present invention aims to provide an improved fit in the front and crotch portion of the article. Improved leakage security due to optimal positioning of the wings around the user's underwear to obtain an optimal placement of the article is also desirable. A further objective of the present disclosure is to provide an article with improved comfort for the user, whilst maintaining absorbency that is satisfactory or improving absorbency. The disposable hygiene article may be a sanitary towel, a panty liner, an incontinence pad, or an insert provided with wings for folding around the edges of the crotch portion. The above objectives may be achieved by the present disposable hygiene article as defined in the appended claims. Further advantages provided by the present disclosure will be apparent to the skilled person in light of the following description of the invention. In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided: a disposable hygiene article having a transverse direction, a longitudinal direction and a longitudinal centre line dividing the article into left-hand and right-hand portions. The article has a front portion, a crotch portion and a rear portion, and comprises a liquid-permeable topsheet, a liquid-impermeable backsheet and an absorbent core arranged between the topsheet and the backsheet. The topsheet and the backsheet extend beyond the absorbent core to provide an outer boundary region of the article that surrounds the absorbent core. An outer contour of the absorbent core is defined by mutually symmetrical mirror-imaged portions, arranged symmetrically about the longitudinal centerline, and defined by left and right core edge lines. The absorbent core is further delimited by a core front edge in the front portion and a core rear edge in the rear portion. In some embodiments, the left and right hand portions of the disposable hygiene article (including the absorbent core, topsheet, backsheet, including the wings) are symmetrical about the longitudinal centerline. However, in other embodiments, the absorbent core can be symmetrical about the longitudinal centerline, whilst the wings may be provided in an asymmetrical manner. Moreover, by “mutually symmetrical” and “mirror-imaged” it will be understood that each portion may be substantially symmetrical, and that minor or inconsequential deviations from a perfect mirror image fall within the scope of the invention. The absorbent core comprises a neck region at which the transverse width between the left and right core edge lines is smaller than a transverse width of the core forward of the neck region, and a transverse width rearward of the neck region. The portion of the core forward of the neck region is defined as the head region of the core and the portion of the core rearward of the neck is defined as the body portion. The disposable hygiene article further comprises at least one asymmetrical wing as seen along any transverse