Absorbent article with stabilized absorbent structure

Abstract

An absorbent article having a liner, an outer cover, and an absorbent body disposed therebetween. The absorbent body includes a non-woven absorbent structure having a length, a thickness, a width and opposite side edges generally defining the width of the structure. The thickness of the absorbent structure is non-uniform along at least one of the length and the width of the absorbent structure and the opposite side edges of the absorbent structure are substantially uncut along the length of the absorbent structure. The absorbent structure is of unitary construction of absorbent fibers and binder fibers activated to form inter-fiber bonds within the absorbent structure. In another embodiment, the width of the absorbent structure is non-uniform along the length of the absorbent structure and the opposite side edges of the absorbent structure are substantially uncut along the length of the absorbent structure.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An absorbent article comprising: 
 a liner adapted for contiguous relationship with the wearer's body;    an outer cover in generally opposed relationship with the liner; and    an absorbent body disposed between the liner and the outer cover and comprising a non-woven absorbent structure having a length, a thickness, a width and opposite side edges generally defining the width of the structure, the thickness of the absorbent structure being non-uniform along at least one of the length and the width of the absorbent structure, the opposite side edges of the absorbent structure being substantially uncut along the length of the absorbent structure, said absorbent structure being of unitary construction and comprising absorbent fibers and binder fibers activated to form inter-fiber bonds within the absorbent structure.    
     
     
         2 . An absorbent article as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the absorbent structure is airformed.  
     
     
         3 . An absorbent article as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the absorbent structure has an outer surface and a core, said absorbent structure having less than about 5 times more oxidation at its outer surface than at its core.  
     
     
         4 . An absorbent article as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the binder fibers of the absorbent structure have a melting point equal to or less than about 110° C.  
     
     
         5 . An absorbent article as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the binder fibers of the absorbent structure have an energy receptive additive having a dielectric loss equal to or greater than about 0.5.  
     
     
         6 . An absorbent article as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the concentration of binder fibers in the absorbent structure is non-uniform along at least one of the length, the width and the thickness of the structure.  
     
     
         7 . An absorbent article as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the absorbent structure has a density, said density being non-uniform along at least one of the length, the width and the thickness of the absorbent structure.  
     
     
         8 . An absorbent article as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the binder fibers are multi-component fibers in which at least one binder fiber component has a melt temperature that is lower than a melt temperature of at least one other binder fiber component.  
     
     
         9 . An absorbent article as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the width of the absorbent structure is non-uniform along the length of the non-woven structure.  
     
     
         10 . An absorbent article as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the absorbent structure has a permeability throughout said absorbent structure of greater than about 20 square microns.  
     
     
         11 . An absorbent article as set forth in  claim 10  wherein the permeability of at least a portion of the absorbent structure is greater than or equal to about 40 square microns.  
     
     
         12 . An absorbent article as set forth in  claim 11  wherein the permeability of said portion of the absorbent structure is greater than or equal to about 60 square microns.  
     
     
         13 . An absorbent article comprising: 
 a liner adapted for contiguous relationship with the wearer's body;    an outer cover in generally opposed relationship with the liner; and    an absorbent body disposed between the liner and the outer cover and comprising a non-woven absorbent structure comprising absorbent fibers and binder fibers activated to form inter-fiber bonds within the absorbent structure, the binder fibers being multi-component fibers in which at least one binder fiber component has a melt temperature that is lower than a melt temperature of at least one other binder fiber component, the absorbent structure having a length, a thickness, a width and opposite side edges generally defining the width of the structure, the width of the absorbent structure being non-uniform along the length of the absorbent structure, the opposite side edges of the absorbent structure being substantially uncut along the length of the absorbent structure.    
     
     
         14 . An absorbent article as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the non-woven structure is of unitary construction.  
     
     
         15 . An absorbent article as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the non-woven structure is airformed.  
     
     
         16 . An absorbent article comprising: 
 a liner adapted for contiguous relationship with the wearer's body;    an outer cover in generally opposed relationship with the liner; and    an absorbent body disposed between the liner and the outer cover and comprising a non-woven absorbent structure having a length, a thickness, and a width, the thickness of the absorbent structure being non-uniform along at least one of the length and the width of the absorbent structure, said absorbent structure being of unitary construction and comprising absorbent fibers and binder fibers activated to form inter-fiber bonds within the absorbent structure, said absorbent structure being unmolded during and after activation of the binder fibers.    
     
     
         17 . An absorbent article as set forth in  claim 16  wherein the width of the absorbent structure is non-uniform along the length of the non-woven structure.  
     
     
         18 . An absorbent article comprising: 
 a liner adapted for contiguous relationship with the wearer's body;    an outer cover in generally opposed relationship with the liner; and    an absorbent body disposed between the liner and the outer cover and comprising a non-woven absorbent structure having a length, a width, and a basis weight, the width of the absorbent structure being non-uniform along the length of the non-woven structure, the basis weight of the absorbent structure being non-uniform along at least one of the length and the width of the absorbent structure, said absorbent structure being of unitary construction and comprising absorbent fibers and binder fibers activated to form inter-fiber bonds within the absorbent structure, the absorbent structure having opposite major faces which are substantially unmolded during and after activation of the binder fibers.    
     
     
         19 . An absorbent article comprising: 
 a liner adapted for contiguous relationship with the wearer's body;    an outer cover in generally opposed relationship with the liner; and    an absorbent body disposed between the liner and the outer cover and comprising a non-woven absorbent structure comprising absorbent fibers and binder fibers activated to form inter-fiber bonds within the absorbent structure, the binder fibers being multi-component fibers in which at least one binder fiber component has a melt temperature that is lower than a melt temperature of at least one other binder fiber component, the absorbent structure having a length, a thickness, a width and opposite side edges generally defining the width of the structure, the width of the absorbent structure being non-uniform along the length of the absorbent structure, the side edges each having a surface contour no portion of which is concave.    
     
     
         20 . An absorbent article as set forth in  claim 19  wherein each side edge of the non-woven structure has a surface contour which is generally convex.  
     
     
         21 . An absorbent article comprising: 
 a liner adapted for contiguous relationship with the wearer's body;    an outer cover in generally opposed relationship with the liner; and    an absorbent body disposed between the liner and the outer cover and comprising a non-woven absorbent structure having a length, a thickness, a width, opposite side edges generally defining the width of the structure, and opposite major surfaces, the thickness of the absorbent structure being non-uniform across the width of the structure along at least a portion of the length of said structure, said absorbent structure having a brightness gradient across its width at said portion in the range of about 0.5 to about 3.0 gray units/mm as determined by an absorbent structure brightness test.    
     
     
         22 . An absorbent article comprising: 
 a liner adapted for contiguous relationship with the wearer's body;    an outer cover in generally opposed relationship with the liner; and    an absorbent body disposed between the liner and the outer cover and comprising a non-woven absorbent structure having a length, a thickness, a width and opposite side edges generally defining the width of the structure, the width of the absorbent structure being non-uniform along the length of the absorbent structure, the side edges of the absorbent structure having an edge brightness profile defined by a second order polynomial function as determined by an edge brightness test, said function having a coefficient “a” of the X 2  term in the range of about −15 to about 20 and a coefficient “b” of the X term in the range of about 10 to about 40.