Patent ID: 6371950
Filing Date: 2002-04-16
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
An absorbent article having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, the absorbent article comprising:a. a moisture barrier including a liquid impermeable material, the moisture barrier defining a front end, a back end longitudinally spaced from the front end, a pair of side edges extending between the front and back ends, an inner surface and an opposite outer surface, the moisture barrier having a length measured between the front and back ends of less than about 46 centimeters; b. an absorbent assembly disposed on the inner surface; c. a liner including a liquid permeable material, the liner bonded to the moisture barrier and sandwiching the absorbent assembly therebetween; d. means for gathering the moisture barrier along each side edge between forward and rearward terminal points, the forward terminal points spaced from the front end by at least about 7 centimeters and the rearward terminal points spaced from the back end by less than about 5 centimeters; e. a pair of elasticized containment flaps disposed on the liner, each containment flap extending longitudinally toward the front end to a position at least about 10 centimeters from the back end; f. an elasticized back pouch member connected to at least one of the moisture barrier and the liner along a back end margin of the article, the back pouch member including an extending pouch section and an extending flange section; i. the pouch section including a substantially fixed edge portion secured to the article, an elasticized, gathered moveable edge portion, the moveable edge portion including a terminal edge, a substantially liquid impermeable pouch barrier layer, a pouch fabric layer connected in facing relation with the pouch barrier layer, and a plurality of separate, laterally extending pouch elastic members sandwiched between the pouch barrier layer and the pouch fabric layer to provide a substantially elasticized back pouch composite which is substantially laterally gathered, the pouch elastic members configured to provide a pouch contractive force; ii. the flange section including a substantially liquid impermeable flange barrier layer, a flange fabric layer connected in facing relation with the flange barrier layer, and a plurality of separate, laterally extending flange elastic members sandwiched between the flange barrier layer and the flange fabric layer to provide an elasticized flange composite which is substantially laterally gathered by the flange elastic members, the flange elastice members configured to provide a flange contractive force greater than the pouch contractive force; and g. attachment means disposded on the outer surface of the moisture barrier.