Disposable absorbent article

Abstract

A three dimensional disposable panty for holding a sanitary pad. The panty may have elasticized leg and waist openings and be stretchable about the hip and stomach regions of a user. The panty provides backup leakage protection to the sanitary pad. The panty includes an absorbent barrier composite positioned in the crotch area and extending into the body of the disposable panty front and back and over the leg elastics to trap pad leakage inside the pant and prevent liquid strike through onto outer clothing and bed linen.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A disposable panty adapted to receive a primary absorbent, said primary absorbent having a liquid permeable inner sheet, a liquid impermeable outer sheet and an absorbent member disposed therebetween, said disposable panty comprising: 
 a) an outer cover having front and back body portions connected by a crotch portion, said front and back body portions connected together to form a waist opening and two leg openings; and    b) an absorbent barrier composite associated with said crotch portion, to which said primary absorbent is fastened and which, in use, holds said primary absorbent against the body of a user, said absorbent barrier composite having an impervious layer and an secondary absorbent.    
     
     
         2 . The disposable panty of  claim 1  wherein said absorbent barrier composite is essentially coterminous with the edge of the crotch portion.  
     
     
         3 . The disposable panty of  claim 1  wherein said secondary absorbent is associated with the liquid impermeable outer sheet of said primary absorbent.  
     
     
         4 . The disposable panty of  claim 1  wherein said secondary absorbent comprises a support layer and an absorbent rich layer.  
     
     
         5 . The disposable panty of  claim 3  wherein said absorbent rich layer comprises pulp.  
     
     
         6 . The disposable panty of  claim 1  wherein said absorbent barrier composite covers a portion of said front and back body portions.  
     
     
         7 . The disposable panty of  claim 1  wherein said secondary absorbent has a total absorbent capacity of less than about one half of the capacity of said primary absorbent.  
     
     
         8 . The disposable panty of  claim 6  wherein said secondary absorbent has a total absorbent capacity of less than about 6 grams.  
     
     
         9 . The disposable panty of  claim 7  wherein said secondary absorbent has a total absorbent capacity of from about 3 grams to about 6 grams.  
     
     
         10 . The disposable panty of  claim 3  wherein said primary absorbent may be refastenably attached to said absorbent barrier composite.  
     
     
         11 . The disposable panty of  claim 1  wherein said primary absorbent has a total absorbent capacity of at least about 10 grams.  
     
     
         12 . The disposable panty of  claim 10  wherein said primary absorbent has a total absorbent capacity of at least about 20 grams.  
     
     
         13 . The disposable panty of  claim 1  wherein said edge of said leg opening toward said back portion of said disposable panty is essentially linear and forms a 60° angle with the longitudinal centerline of said panty.  
     
     
         14 . The disposable panty of  claim 12  wherein said leg opening facing said front portion of said disposable panty is essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of said disposable panty.  
     
     
         15 . The disposable panty of  claim 13  wherein said outer cover carries at least one elastic around each of said leg openings which forms a gather around each of said leg openings.  
     
     
         16 . The disposable panty of  claim 14  wherein said outer cover carries at least one elastic around said waist opening which forms a gather around the waist.  
     
     
         17 . The disposable panty of  claim 16  wherein said outer cover carries at least one elastic around said front and back body portions and forms a gather around the body of said disposable panty.  
     
     
         18 . The disposable panty of  claim 17  wherein said body elastic about said disposable panty extends from said waist opening to said leg openings.  
     
     
         19 . The disposable panty of  claim 18  wherein said waist elastic has a stress which is greater than the stress per unit width in said body elastic.  
     
     
         20 . The disposable panty of  claim 19  wherein said leg elastic comprises multiple individual elastic threads, and said waist elastic comprises multiple individual elastic threads, said leg and waist elastic threads being spaced from about 4 mm to about 17 mm apart.  
     
     
         21 . The disposable panty of  claim 1  wherein said crotch region is wider than said primary absorbent.  
     
     
         22 . The disposable panty of  claim 21  wherein width of said crotch portion is sized to be about 13 mm wider than the width of said primary absorbent selected for use by the user.  
     
     
         23 . The disposable panty of  claim 22  wherein said crotch portion is at least about 102 mm in width.  
     
     
         24 . A disposable panty adapted to receive a primary absorbent, said primary absorbent having a liquid permeable inner sheet, a liquid impermeable outer sheet and an absorbent member disposed therebetween, said panty comprising: 
 a) an outer cover having front and back body portions connected by a crotch portion, said front and back body portions connected together to form a waist opening and two leg openings; and    b) an absorbent barrier composite associated with said crotch portion, to which said primary absorbent is fastened and which, in use, holds said primary absorbent against the body of a user, said barrier composite having an impervious layer and a secondary absorbent,    c) said outer cover includes a leg elastic positioned around each of said leg openings to form a gather around each said leg opening, a waist elastic positioned around said waist opening to form a gather around said waist opening and a body elastic positioned around said front and back body portions to form a gather of said front and back body portions.    
     
     
         25 . The disposable panty of  claim 24  wherein said waist elastic tension is from about 380 g to about 1000 g.  
     
     
         26 . The disposable panty of  claim 24  wherein said leg elastic tension is from about 375 g to about 1000 g.  
     
     
         27 . The disposable panty of  claim 24  wherein said body elastic tension is from about 500 g to about 850 g.  
     
     
         28 . A disposable panty adapted to receive a primary absorbent, said primary absorbent having a liquid permeable inner sheet, a liquid impermeable outer sheet and an absorbent member disposed therebetween, said disposable panty comprising: 
 a) an outer cover having front and back body portions connected by a crotch portion, said front and back body portions connected together to form a waist opening and two leg openings;    b) an absorbent barrier composite associated with said crotch portion, to which said primary absorbent is fastened and which, in use, holds said primary absorbent against the body of a user, said barrier composite having impervious layer and an secondary absorbent;    c) a majority of the length of the back half of the edge of said leg opening is linear, said linear portion forming an angle with the longitudinal centerline A-A of said panty of from about 50° to about 65°; and    d) a majority of the length of front half of the edge of said leg opening is linear, said linear portion forming an angle with the longitudinal centerline A-A of said panty of from about 75° to about 110°.    
     
     
         29 . The disposable panty of  claim 28  wherein said edge of said leg opening toward said back body portion of said disposable panty essentially forms a 60° angle with the longitudinal centerline A-A of said panty.  
     
     
         30 . The disposable panty of  claim 29  wherein said leg opening facing the front body portion of said disposable panty is essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline A-A of said disposable panty.  
     
     
         31 . The disposable panty of  claim 1  wherein said absorbent barrier composite has a stiffness of less than about 400 grams.  
     
     
         32 . The disposable panty of  claim 1  wherein said secondary absorbent has a stiffness of less than about 250 grams.