US4950264A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Thin, flexible sanitary napkin
Assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
•
Filing: 1989-01-04
•
Granted: 1990-08-21
•
Expires: 2009-01-04
Abstract
Abstract In accordance with the present invention, a sanitary napkin having a body surface and a garment surface and being comprised of an absorbent means underlayed by a liquid barrier means, wherein the sanitary napkin is relatively highly flexible and has a capacity great enough to handle medium to high menstrual flows, is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the sanitary napkin comprises, from the body surface down, an apertured formed film topsheet, an apertured nonwoven wipe acquisition sheet, a wet-laid tissue, a superabsorbent core, and a barrier sheet. Preferably, the central width of the absorbents is at least about 6.5 centimeters and the caliper of the napkin as a whole is less than about 2.6 millimeters. In a preferred embodiment, the napkin has laterally extending flaps which drape over the edges of the wearer's panties in the crotch and are attachable to the garment side of the wearer's panties.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas W. Osborn, III
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 21:13
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F13/00; A61F13/15; A61F13/45; A61F13/47; A61F13/472; A61F13/47218; A61F13/47227; A41; A41B; A41B13/00; A41B13/04; A61F13/15203; A61F13/47263; A61F13/53; A61F13/534; A61F13/537; A61F13/53708; A61F13/53717; A61F13/53743; A61F13/53747; A61F5/00; A61F5/44; A61F13/53704; A61F2013/15284; A61F2013/15365; A61F2013/15373; A61F2013/15382; A61F2013/4708; A61F13/51; A61F2013/51059; A61F2013/51066; A61F13/514; A61F13/51401; A61F2013/51409; A61F2013/51411; A61F13/51474; A61F2013/51486; A61F2013/5149; A61F2013/530481; A61F2013/530489; A61F2013/53051; A61F2013/530583; A61F2013/530613; A61F2013/53062; A61F2013/5307; A61F2013/53721; A61F2013/53726; A61F2013/53765; A61F2013/53782; A61F13/56; A61F13/58; A61F2013/586; A61F13/84; A61F2013/8488; A61F2013/8491
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
72 words
A sanitary napkin having a body surface and a garment surface, comprising: an absorbent means having a first major surface and a second major surface; and a liquid impermeable barrier means adjacent to said second major surface of said absorbent means; said sanitary napkin having a flexure-resistance of less than about 300.0 grams, a test capacity of at least about 8.0 grams, and a total capacity of at least about 20.0 grams.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
72 words
A sanitary napkin having a body surface and a garment surface, comprising: an absorbent means having a first major surface and a second major surface; and a liquid impermeable barrier means adjacent to said second major surface of said absorbent means; said sanitary napkin having a flexure-resistance of less than about 300.0 grams, a test capacity of at least about 8.0 grams, and a total capacity of at least about 20.0 grams.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sanitary napkin has a flexure-resistance of less than about 250.0 grams.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sanitary napkin has a central absorbent width of at least about 3.7 centimeters.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 3, wherein said sanitary napkin has a caliper of about 2.2 millimeters or less.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 3, wherein said sanitary napkin has a caliper of less than about 2.6 millimeters.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 5, wherein said sanitary napkin has a flexure-resistance of less than about 175.0 grams.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 5, wherein said sanitary napkin has a test capacity of at least about 15.0 grams.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 5, wherein said sanitary napkin has a flexure-resistance of less than about 130.0 grams.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 5, wherein said absorbent means further comprises a hydrogel-forming polymer gelling agent.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claims 5 or 9, wherein said barrier means comprises a barrier sheet and said absorbent means comprises a liquid permeable topsheet and an absorbent core.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
50 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claims 5 or 9, further comprising a laterally extending flap configured to drape over a side edge of a wearer's panties in the crotch portion thus being disposed between a side edge of the wearer's panties in the crotch portion and the wearer's thigh.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 11, wherein said flap has an attachment means adjacent to said garment surface for attaching said flap to the garment facing side of the wearer's panties.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 11, comprising two flaps, wherein at least one of said flaps comprises an attachment means for attaching said flaps together on the garment side of the wearer's panties.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
37 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 9, wherein said absorbent means comprises an absorbent core, and wherein said absorbent core contains from about 5% to about 85% by weight of a particulate hydrogel-forming polymer gelling agent.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 9, wherein said absorbent means comprises an absorbent core, and wherein said absorbent core contains from about 15% to about 100% by weight of a non-particulate hydrogel-forming polymer gelling agent.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 9, wherein said hydrogel-forming polymer gelling agent is distributed throughout at least about 17.0 square centimeters of said sanitary napkin.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
38 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 16, wherein said hydrogel-forming polymer gelling agent is a particulate and is distributed in an amount of from about 0.001 grams per square centimeter to about 0.009 grams per square centimeter.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 16, wherein said hydrogel-forming polymer gelling agent is a non-particulate and has a basis weight of from about 0.002 grams per square centimeter to about 0.010 grams per square centimeter.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
43 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 5, wherein said barrier means comprises a barrier sheet and said absorbent means comprises a liquid permeable polymeric topsheet overlaying a wipe acquisition sheet overlaying an absorbent core, said topsheet being associated with said barrier sheet.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
105 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 19, wherein said absorbent core further comprises a hydrogel-forming polymer gelling agent, topsheet is an apertured formed film, said wipe acquisition sheet is an apertured nonwoven sheet comprising fiber bundles and apertures, some of said apertures of said topsheet and said wipe acquisition sheet being aligned such that no fiber bundles of said wipe acquisition sheet are beneath some of said apertures of said topsheet while others of said apertures of said topsheet and said wipe acquisition sheet are not aligned such that a fiber bundle of said wipe acquisition sheet is beneath said aperture of said topsheet.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
105 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 19, wherein said absorbent core further comprises a hydrogel-forming polymer gelling agent, topsheet is an apertured nonwoven sheet, said wipe acquisition sheet is an apertured nonwoven sheet comprising fiber bundles and apertures, some of said apertures of said topsheet and said wipe acquisition sheet being aligned such that no fiber bundles of said wipe acquisition sheet are beneath some of said apertures of said topsheet while others of said apertures of said topsheet and said wipe acquisition sheet are not aligned such that a fiber bundle of said wipe acquisition sheet is beneath said aperture of said topsheet.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
38 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 5, wherein said barrier means comprises a barrier sheet and said absorbent means comprises a liquid permeable polymeric topsheet overlaying an absorbent core, said topsheet being associated with said barrier sheet.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claims 19 or 22, wherein said absorbent core further comprises a tissue layer and a hydrogel-forming polymer gelling agent.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claims 19 or 22, wherein said wipe acquisition sheet is a nonwoven sheet.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
80 words
A sanitary napkin having a body surface and a garment surface, comprising: an absorbent means having a first major surface and a second major surface; and a liquid impermeable barrier means adjacent to said second major surface of said absorbent means; said sanitary napkin having a flexure-resistance of less than about 400 grams, a test capacity of at least about 8.0 grams, a total capacity of at least about 14.0 grams and a caliper of less than about 5.0 millimeters.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
80 words
A sanitary napkin having a body surface and a garment surface, comprising: an absorbent means having a first major surface and a second major surface; and a liquid impermeable barrier means adjacent to said second major surface of said absorbent means; said sanitary napkin having a flexure-resistance of less than about 400 grams, a test capacity of at least about 8.0 grams, a total capacity of at least about 14.0 grams and a caliper of less than about 5.0 millimeters.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
25 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claims 1 or 25 wherein said sanitary napkin has a total pad width of at least about 4.3 centimeters.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
21 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 26, wherein said sanitary napkin has a total capacity greater than about 20 grams.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
21 words
The sanitary napkin as claimed in claim 26, wherein said sanitary napkin has a caliper of less than about 3.0 millimeters.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3397697A
Cited
US3455303A
Cited
US3570491A
Cited
US3881490A
Cited
US4057061A
Cited
US4846829A
Cited
US4467012A
Cited
US4500315A
Cited
US4537590A
Cited
US4540454A
Cited
US4573988A
Cited
US4610678A
Cited
US4654038A
Cited
US4560372A
Cited
US4605402A
Cited
US4596567A
Cited
US4559050A
Cited
US4681578A
Cited
US4654040A
Cited
US4701178A
Cited
EP0336578A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-08-20 | 1994-02-19 | 1994-08-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-08-20 | 1998-02-19 | 1998-08-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-08-20 | 2002-02-19 | 2002-08-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |