Absorbent cores for absorbent articles

Abstract

An absorbent core comprising a core wrap having a top layer and a bottom layer enclosing an absorbent layer comprising superabsorbent polymer, wherein the absorbent core is substantially free of cellulose fibers. The absorbent layer comprises a non-rectangular central portion having a front edge, a back edge and two longitudinally-extending side edges, wherein each side edge defines a recess along a portion of its length; a first side portion present in one of the recess and a second side portion present in the other recess, wherein each side portion comprises a proximal edge relative to the central portion and a distal edge further away from the central portion. The distal edges of the side portions are curved. The absorbent core further comprises a first folding guide between the first side portion and the central portion, and a second folding guide, and when the absorbent core is folded along the folding guides, the central portion and the side portions form a three-dimensional basin.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable topsheet, a liquid-impermeable backsheet and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, and a liquid management layer disposed between the topsheet and the absorbent core,
 wherein the absorbent core comprises a core wrap having a top layer and a bottom layer enclosing an absorbent layer having absorbent material, the absorbent layer further comprising:
 a non-rectangular central portion having a maximum width a front edge, a back edge and two longitudinally-extending side edges, wherein each side edge defines a recess along a portion of its length; 
 a first side portion present in one of the recess and a second side portion present in the other recess, wherein each side portion comprises a proximal edge relative to the central portion and a curved distal edge further away from the central portion; 
   wherein a distance between the two closest points of the curved distal edges of the side portions is 50% to 90% of the maximum width of the nonrectangular central portion;   wherein the absorbent core further comprises a first folding guide between the first side portion and the central portion, and a second folding guide between the second side portion and the central portion, and when the absorbent core is folded along the folding guides, the central portion and the side portions form a three dimensional basin; and   wherein the liquid management layer comprises folding guides partially superposed with the folding guides of the absorbent core; and wherein the liquid management layer is disposed between the topsheet and the top layer of the core wrap.   
     
     
         2 . The absorbent core of  claim 1 , wherein the folding guides are areas of the absorbent core substantially free from absorbent material. 
     
     
         3 . The absorbent core of  claim 2 , wherein the top layer of the core wrap is attached to the bottom layer of the core wrap by one or more bonds disposed in the first and/or second folding guides. 
     
     
         4 . The absorbent core of  claim 1 , comprising an auxiliary glue between the top layer and the absorbent layer and/or between the bottom layer and the absorbent layer. 
     
     
         5 . The absorbent core of  claim 1 , wherein the top layer and the bottom layer are longitudinally bonded by a C-wrap seal. 
     
     
         6 . The absorbent core of  claim 1 , wherein each of the side portions has a length as projected on a longitudinal axis of the core which is at least two-tenths of the length of the central portion of the absorbent layer. 
     
     
         7 . The absorbent core of  claim 1 , wherein the folding guides extend to the longitudinally-extending side edges of the central portion of the absorbent layer. 
     
     
         8 . The absorbent article of  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent core is substantially free of cellulose fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The absorbent article of  claim 8 , wherein the absorbent material consists essentially of superabsorbent polymer particles. 
     
     
         10 . The absorbent article of  claim 1 , wherein the folding guides of the absorbent core are inwardly curved towards the absorbent layer's central portion. 
     
     
         11 . The absorbent article of  claim 1  further comprising having a longitudinal axis, a front region, a back region and an intermediate crotch region, each region measuring a third of the length of the article as measured along the longitudinal axis, and wherein the central portion of the absorbent layer extends longitudinally across the front region, crotch region and back region of the article, and the first and second side portions of the absorbent layer are at least partially disposed within the crotch region of the article. 
     
     
         12 . The absorbent article of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid management layer comprises:
 a liquid distribution layer comprising unbound or loosely bound hydrophilic fibers; or   an acquisition layer comprising a nonwoven material, or   a combination of both.   
     
     
         13 . The absorbent article of  claim 1 , wherein the folding guides of the liquid management layer are formed by at least one of:
 grooves having a lower basis weight than surrounding areas of the liquid management layer, wherein the folding guides are areas substantially free of liquid management layer material;   grooves having a higher degree of compression than the surrounding areas of the liquid management layer; and   slits in the liquid management layer.   
     
     
         14 . The absorbent article of  claim 1 , wherein the topsheet is directly or indirectly bonded to the folding guides of the absorbent core. 
     
     
         15 . The absorbent article of  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent article further comprises one or more elasticized components selected from:
 a pair of elasticized leg cuffs, each cuff having a proximal edge attached to the topsheet and a free-standing distal edge;   a pair of elasticized gasketing cuffs placed transversally outward from the absorbent layer; and   a longitudinally extending elasticized element at least partially placed between the side portions of the absorbent layer and the backsheet, and   wherein the one or more elasticized components exert a contraction force on the absorbent core that brings the absorbent core into the three-dimensional basin shape along the folding guides.