Patent ID: 7893314

Claim:
A breathable backsheet for an absorbent article, the backsheet comprising: a first layer adjacent to an absorbent body arranged in the absorbent article to face toward the user during use, said first layer being water vapor permeable and liquid impermeable; a second layer adjacent the first layer, said second layer being water vapor permeable and liquid impermeable; a condensation zone between the first layer and the second layer; and a three dimensional hydrophobic distance layer placed in the condensation zone creating a space between the first layer and the second layer, said distance layer comprising topographical features with raised portions and depressions on a first side of the distance layer and corresponding depressions and raised portions on a second side of the distance layer, the raised portions on the first side of the distance layer being in contact with the first layer, the raised portions of the second side of the distance layer being in contact with the second layer, and the raised portions creating a distance between the first layer and the second layer such that the space between the depressions and the layers creates the condensation zone, wherein, the backsheet is water vapor permeable in a Z-direction from the absorbent body to the outside of the backsheet, the first layer is adapted to allow a first amount of mass flow water vapor (m 1 ) to pass through the first layer in the Z-direction, the second layer is adapted to allow a second amount of mass flow water vapor (m 2 ) to pass through the second layer in the Z-direction, m 2 is less than or equal to m 1 , m 1 is a maximum 10,000 g/(m 2 ·24 hours) and m 2 is a maximum 2700 g/(m 2 ·24 hours) when the outside air has a relative humidity of about 90% and a temperature of about 23° C., the condensation zone comprises an open volume between the first layer and the second layer and the minimum distance between the first layer and the second layer is 0.1 mm, the hydrophobic distance layer is arranged to condense water vapor within the condensation zone, and the condensation zone is adapted to temporarily condense and store an amount of water vapor (t·m c ), where m c is the difference between m 1 and m 2 , and t is the time period during which the condensed water vapor m c is stored, m 2 is less than a maximum amount of mass flow water vapor (m x ) allowed to pass through the second layer without forming any condensation of water vapor on the outside of the backsheet.