Patent ID: 7888549

Claim:
An absorbent article comprising an absorbent core and a cover enclosing the absorbent core, said absorbent core having either one layer or a plurality of layers, said cover comprising a liquid pervious inner cover on the wearer facing side of the absorbent core and a liquid impervious cover on the garment facing side of the absorbent core, said article having a longitudinal direction extending from a front portion of the article to a rear portion of the article and a transverse direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the rear portion either includes fasteners to be fastened to the front portion or is joined to the front portion at a seam, and the article further comprises, as seen in its longitudinal direction, a crotch portion between the front portion and the rear portion, said absorbent core having an elongated shape and comprises a pair of longitudinal edges extending in the longitudinal direction and a front and a back transverse edge, said core having a crotch region and at least one outer region as seen in the longitudinal direction of the article, said outer region or regions being located adjacent the respective transverse edge of the absorbent core, said absorbent core further being provided with at least two slits or grooves, each of said at least two slits or grooves having a first end and a second end and being arranged to extend starting from a location in the crotch region of the absorbent core on one side of a transverse crotch line that extends through a crotch point of the absorbent core, such that both first and second ends are on the one side of the transverse crotch line, to diverge in a direction towards one of the transverse edges that is also on the one side of the transverse crotch line, and to terminate inside the respective longitudinal edge as well as the respective transverse edge of the absorbent core, the crotch point being a point on the absorbent core corresponding to a point of intersection of an extensible filament when wrapped around the legs of a wearer in a figure eight configuration, wherein said at least two slits or grooves extend through the entire thickness of the absorbent core.