US 12,138,146 B2
Fluid management layer for an absorbent article
Gerard A. Viens, Wyoming, OH (US); Carlos Domingo Naranjo Martin, Frankfurt (DE); and Paul Dominic Mellor, Kelkheim (DE)
Assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed by The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed on Mar. 27, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/831,862.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/946,738, filed on Dec. 11, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/946,725, filed on Dec. 11, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/829,280, filed on Apr. 4, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0315870 A1, Oct. 8, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61F 13/15 (2006.01); A61F 13/511 (2006.01); A61F 13/512 (2006.01); A61F 13/513 (2006.01); A61F 13/514 (2006.01); A61F 13/53 (2006.01); A61F 13/534 (2006.01); A61F 13/535 (2006.01); A61F 13/537 (2006.01); A61F 13/47 (2006.01); A61F 13/84 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 13/535 (2013.01) [A61F 13/15203 (2013.01); A61F 13/15747 (2013.01); A61F 13/511 (2013.01); A61F 13/512 (2013.01); A61F 13/513 (2013.01); A61F 13/514 (2013.01); A61F 13/53 (2013.01); A61F 13/534 (2013.01); A61F 13/53708 (2013.01); A61F 13/5376 (2013.01); A61F 2013/15292 (2013.01); A61F 2013/15325 (2013.01); A61F 2013/15357 (2013.01); A61F 2013/15373 (2013.01); A61F 2013/15406 (2013.01); A61F 2013/15422 (2013.01); A61F 2013/15447 (2013.01); A61F 2013/15959 (2013.01); A61F 2013/4708 (2013.01); A61F 2013/51169 (2013.01); A61F 2013/51178 (2013.01); A61F 2013/530233 (2013.01); A61F 2013/53024 (2013.01); A61F 2013/530452 (2013.01); A61F 2013/53062 (2013.01); A61F 2013/53791 (2013.01); A61F 2013/8402 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fluid management layer comprising an integrated, carded, nonwoven having a caliper of greater than 0.20 mm per 10 gsm for a basis weight of between about 40 grams per square meter (gsm) and about 75 gsm, the fluid management layer comprising a plurality of absorbent fibers, a plurality of stiffening fibers and a plurality of resilient fibers, as determined by the Material Compositional Analysis specified herein, the stiffening fibers comprising sheath-core bicomponent fibers having a core component comprising polyethylene terephthalate and a sheath component comprising polyethylene; wherein a plurality of heat-formed bonds are present between adjacent stiffening fibers; wherein the fluid management layer exhibits a total compression of greater than 0.40 mm and has a total recovery of at least 0.35 mm, as determined by the Compression Caliper method specified herein and wherein the fluid management layer has a density of less than or equal to 0.08 g/cc, as determined by the Density method specified herein.