MXPA97000490A - Absorbed article predoblado that has better adjustment - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to absorbent articles comprising a plurality of fold lines that are predisposed on either or both ends of the article to bend when finding lateral compression forces caused by the wearer's thighs, the fold lines comprising a main line rear fold arranged centrally and longitudinally in the article starting at a point about one eighth to about half the distance away from the leading edge and extending towards the trailing edge of the article; a line or main lines of frontal doubles arranged centrally and longitudinally in the article starting approximately from the front edge and extending to the starting point of the main back fold line, or comprising two parallel lines of folds longitudinally arranged in the article, beginning at approximately the front edge and extending to approximate The beginning of the main back fold line, or comprising two parallel fold lines disposed longitudinally in the article, beginning at approximately the front edge extends for approximately one quarter to two thirds of the total length of the article from the front edge and two backwardly diverging fold lines starting at approximately the starting point of the main fold line diverging rearwardly extending towards each side of the longitudinal edges of the article, each of the fold lines diverging backwardly forming an angle with the longitudinal center line from approximately 10øa approximately 80øwhere the surface facing the body is of a "V" or "U" shape in the frontal region and a "V" or "U" shape inverted in the posterior region of the article.

Description

ABSORBED ARTICLE PREDOBLADO THAT HAS ADJUSTMENT IMPROVED FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to absorbent articles having a plurality of fold lines, specifically feminine sanitary napkins. Particularly, the present invention relates to sanitary napkins that offer increased fit and potentially reduced leakage through a distinct pattern of raised channels, folds, or pleats that are activated through compression by the wearer's thighs to generate a configuration of specific pad.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With respect to sanitary napkins, at least three general classes of designs exist. One such design includes those sanitary napkins that are generally in the form of a boat or cupped, and that are intended to capture mestruo as it exits or drips from the vaginal orifice. Sanitary napkins of this type are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,655,759, entitled "Reduced Run-off Menstrual Pad with Bending Lines Made Therefrom", Romans-Hess et al., Issued April 7, 1987.

A second design class includes those that are raised up or humpbacked in their middle portions so that it is close to or in contact with the pudendal region when it is used. Sanitary napkins of this kind are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,701,177, entitled "Three-dimensional Feminine Pad Shaped with Narrow Absorbing Center and Winged Edges", Ellis et al., Issued October 20, 1987. The third class of Sanitary towel design includes those that are not predisposed to have a trough shape or a curved shape when used, but instead have a more or less rope-like shape when used. Said sanitary napkins typically have an absorbent core of fluff pulp surrounded by flexible outer wrappings. When the sanitary napkin is subjected to compression forces from the wearer's thighs, the puffed pulp core is simply compacted or grouped in an arbitrary manner, but generally in a rope-like manner. Sanitary napkins of this kind are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,687,478, entitled "Flanged Towel", Van Tilburg, issued August 18, 1987. Attempts have been made to avoid the effect of grouping or stacking said type of compaction of sanitary napkins by providing them with a shape retention member. Said sanitary napkins are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,195,634, entitled • _ "Sanitary Towel with elastic reinforcement means", DiSalvo et al., Issued April 1, 1980. All the above references are incorporated in the present by reference in its entirety. Although the sanitary napkins and other devices discussed above provide some measures of success in the absorption and containment of body exudates, they fail to provide a sanitary napkin that closely conforms to and conforms to the cross-sectional contour of the pudendal region as soon as it is applied. , without requiring the usual bending, twisting or other adjustments or manipulations. Also, they fail to provide a sanitary napkin that will always keep such a match only because of its conversion and elasticity characteristics. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article that closely conforms to and conforms to the cross section of the contour of the outer surfaces of the pudendal region. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article, preferably an ultra-thin towel for panties, with a plurality of fold lines (i.e., raised channels, folds and / or folds), with a surface that gives to the body where the surface facing the body has both a convex configuration upwardly and a convex configuration downwardly when the sanitary towel is subjected to the lateral compression forces of the wearer's thighs. Preferably, the absorbent article has a plurality of predisposed fold regions. Another object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article, preferably an ultra-thin towel, with a plurality of fold lines (i.e., raised channels, folds and / or folds), with a surface facing the body, wherein the surface facing the body is in the form of "V" or "U" in the frontal region and in the form of "V" or "U" inverted in the posterior region, when the sanitary towel is subjected to lateral forces of compression of the thighs of the user. Preferably, the absorbent article has a plurality of preset fold lines, has a uniform thickness of from about 1 mm to about 13 mm, preferably from about 2 mm to about 8 mm and is substantially rectangular, with rounded corners.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sanitary absorbent article, i.e., a sanitary napkin and / or a pant lining, which is structurally predisposed to form a transverse line of flexion that discharges and controls the tension of the posterior folding upwards and the coupling front down. Specifically, the present invention relates to absorbent articles comprising: A. a liquid-permeable topsheet; B. a backing sheet impermeable to the liquid joined with the topsheet; C. an absorbent member between the topsheet and the backsheet; wherein the article has a body surface, a garment surface, a front edge, a trailing edge, two longitudinal edges, a longitudinal center line within the plane of the sanitary napkin which is aligned with a vertical plane that divides the a user standing in left and right halves when the article is used, and where the article has a plurality of fold lines that are predisposed to form a different configuration with the lateral compression forces caused by the wearer's thighs, the lines of bending comprising: a main back fold line disposed centrally and longitudinally in the article starting at a point from approximately one eighth to approximately one half, preferably approximately 2 inches or a quarter to about half, more preferably one third to about one-half, of the distance away from the front edge and extending toward the trailing edge of the article, preferably extending at least about two-thirds of the distance or over the front edge toward the trailing edge of the article; a front fold line or lines arranged centrally and longitudinally in the article starting at the point of the front edge and extending to approximately the beginning point of the main back fold line, or comprising two parallel lines of folds arranged longitudinally in the article, starting at approximately the front edge and extending to approximately the beginning of the main back fold line, or comprising two parallel fold lines arranged longitudinally in the article, beginning at approximately the front edge and extending for approximately one quarter to approximately two thirds of the total length of the article from the front edge; and two backwardly diverging fold lines starting at approximately the starting point of the main back fold line, the fold lines diverging backward extending to each side of the longitudinal edges of the article, each of the fold lines diverging backward forming an angle with the longitudinal center line of from about 10 ° to about 80 °, preferably from about 15 ° to about 60 °, and most preferably from about 20 ° to about 45 °; and wherein the main back fold line is folded outwardly such that the portions of the garment facing surface on opposite sides of the main back fold line are brought closely together; and the front fold line or main lines and the two backwardly diverging fold lines are folded inward such that portions of the body surface on opposite sides of the front fold main line and the two fold lines diverging backwards are brought closely together. Preferably, the article has signals located on the side of the body surface of the article (described later) towards the front edge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a plan view of the sanitary napkin 20 of the present invention in its flattened state with the body contacting surface, 20a, facing the viewer. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the sanitary napkin 20, taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a plan view of the sanitary napkin with the fold lines illustrated.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the sanitary napkin with the fold lines illustrated. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the pad under lateral understanding to show the configuration formed by the pad. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the pad under lateral understanding to show the configuration formed by the pad.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The articles of the present invention can be made by constituents that are well known in the art. Also, methods and apparatus for assembling catamenial products are well known in the art. Not intending to be limited, the following examples of articles of the present invention. The present invention relates to a sanitary absorbent article, i.e., a sanitary napkin and / or a pant lining, which is structurally predisposed to form a transverse line of flexion that discharges and controls the tension of the posterior folding upwards and the coupling front down. Specifically, the present invention relates to absorbent articles comprising: A. a liquid-permeable upper sheet; B. a backing sheet impermeable to the liquid attached to the topsheet; C. an absorbent member between the topsheet and the backsheet; wherein the article has a body surface, a garment surface, a front edge, a trailing edge, two longitudinal edges, a longitudinal centerline within the plane of the sanitary napkin which is aligned with a vertical plane that divides the a user standing in left and right halves when the article is used, and where the article has a plurality of fold lines that are predisposed to form a different configuration with the lateral compression forces caused by the wearer's thighs, the lines of bending comprising: a main back fold line disposed centrally and longitudinally in the article starting at a point from about one eighth to about one-half, preferably about 2 inches or one quarter to about one-half, more preferably one-third to about one-half half of the distance away from the front edge and extending to the edge the back of the article, preferably extending at least about two thirds of the distance or more from the front edge towards the trailing edge of the article; a front fold line or lines arranged centrally and longitudinally in the article starting at the point of the front edge and extending to approximately the beginning point of the main back fold line, or comprising two parallel lines of folds arranged longitudinally in the article, starting at approximately the front edge and extending to approximately the beginning of the main back fold line, or comprising two parallel fold lines arranged longitudinally in the article, beginning at approximately the front edge and extending for approximately one quarter to approximately two thirds of the total length of the article from the front edge; and two backwardly diverging fold lines starting at approximately the starting point of the main back fold line, the fold lines diverging backward extending to each side of the longitudinal edges of the article, each of the fold lines diverging backward forming an angle with the longitudinal center line of from about 10 ° to about 80 °, preferably from about 15 ° to about 60 °, and most preferably from about 20 ° to about 45 °; and where the main back fold line is folded outwardly so that the portions of the garment facing surface on opposite sides of the main back fold line are worn closely together; and the front fold line or main lines and the two backwardly diverging fold lines are folded inward such that portions of the body surface on opposite sides of the front fold main line and the two fold lines diverging backwards are brought closely together. Preferably, the article has signals located on the side of the body surface of the article (described later) towards the front edge. As used herein, the term "absorbent article" refers to devices, which absorb and contain body exudates, and, more specifically, refer to devices, which are placed against or close to the body of the user to absorb. and contain the various exudates discarded from the body. A "unitary" absorbent article refers to absorbent articles, which are formed of separate parts joined together to form a coordinated entity, so that they do not require separate handling parts, such as a separate support and liner. A preferred embodiment of an absorbent article of the present invention is the catamenial pad, sanitary napkin 20, as shown in Figure 1. As used herein, the term herein, the term "sanitary napkin" refers to an absorbent article that is worn by women adjacent to the pudendal region, generally outside the urogenital region, and which is intended to absorb and contain menstrual fluids and other vaginal discharges from the wearer's body (e.g., blood, menstruation, and urine) ). As used herein, the term "pudendal" refers to the externally visible female genital organs. However, it should be understood that the present invention is also applicable to other catamenial pads or for feminine hygiene, such as panty liners, or other absorbent articles such as incontinent pads and the like. Figure 1 is a top plan view of the sanitary napkin 20 of the present invention in its flattened state, with portions of the structure cut to show more clearly the construction of the sanitary napkin 20 and with the portion of the sanitary napkin 20 that look at or make contact with the user, oriented towards the observer. As shown in Figure 1, the sanitary napkin 20 preferably comprises a liquid-permeable top sheet 22, a liquid-impermeable backsheet 23 attached to the topsheet 22, an absorbent core 24 positioned between the topsheet 22 and the backsheet 23. The sanitary napkin 20 has two surfaces, a surface that makes contact with the body, or "body surface" 20a and a surface facing the garment 20b. The sanitary napkin 20 is shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 and Figure 4, as viewed from its surface that makes contact with the body 20a. The surface contacting the body 20a is intended to be used adjacent to the wearer's body, while the garment surface 20b is on the opposite side and is intended to be placed adjacent to the wearer's undergarments when the sanitary napkin 20 is used. The sanitary napkin 20 has two centerlines, a longitudinal centerline L and a transverse centerline T. The term "longitudinal", as used herein, refers to a line, axis, or direction in the plane of the sanitary napkin 20 which is generally aligned with (ie, it is approximately parallel to) a vertical plane bisecting a user standing on the left and right body halves when the sanitary napkin 20 is used. The terms "transverse" or "lateral", as used herein, they are interchangeable and refer to a line, axis or direction that lies within the plane of the sanitary napkin 20 which is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Figure 1 also shows that the sanitary napkin 20 has a periphery 30 which is defined by the outer edges of the sanitary napkin 20 where the longitudinal edges are designated 31 and the end edges are designated 32, the leading edge being 32a and the back edge being 32b. A signal 32c is located on the body surface 20a in the area on any part of the front edge at a quarter of the length of the article away from the front edge. The signal 32c is of any type to mark or designate (ie, any small shape or design allows the user to know which end edge is the leading edge such that they can properly place the initial article and appropriately use the article. While the topsheet, the backsheet, and the absorbent core can be assembled in a variety of well-known configurations (including so-called "tube" products), the preferred sanitary napkin configuration is generally described in the U.S. Pat. 4,950,264, "Thin, Flexible Sanitary Nap in" (Sanitary Flexible Towel, Thin) issued to Osborn on August 21, 1990; United States Patent 4,425,130, "Compound Sanitary Napkin" (Compound Sanitary Towel) issued to DesMarais on May 10, 1990; January 1984; U.S. Patent 4,321,924, "Bordered Disposable Absorbent Article" (Article Disposable Disposable Absorbent) issued to Ahr March 30, 1982; U.S. Patent 4,589,876, "Shaped Sanitary Napkin With Flaps" issued to Van Tilburg on August 18, 1987. Each of these patents is incorporated herein by reference. Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the sanitary napkin 20 in which the topsheet 22 and the backsheet 23 have length and width dimensions generally larger than those of the absorbent core 24.

The topsheet 22 and the backsheet 23 extend beyond the edges of the absorbent core 24 to thereby form not only the portions of the periphery, but also the side wings or fins 34. Figure 2 is a sectional view of the sanitary napkin 20 taken along the line of section 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 2 shows the upper secondary sheet 27, just below the upper sheet 22. The wing 34 is an extension of the sheet upper 22. The fastening means 36 together with the release liner 37 hold the article in place, so that it can carry out its intended function. Figure 3 and Figure 4 are also plan views of the sanitary napkin 20 of the present invention, with the portion of the sanitary napkin 20 facing towards or making contact with the wearer, facing the viewer. The main front bend line 25 starts at the front edge 32a and extends to approximately the starting point of the rear main bend line 26. The two backward diverging fold lines 28 also start at approximately the starting point of the main back fold line, extending towards the trailing edge 32b. Each of the backwardly diverging fold lines form an angle with the longitudinal center line L of from about 10 °, the angle represented by B, at about 80 °, the angle represented by < , in Figures 3 and 4. Figure 4 depicts a sanitary napkin 20 in which the main front bend line 25 comprises two parallel lines of longitudinally disposed pleats disposed in the article. Figure 5 and Figure 6 are side views of a preferred folded sanitary towel 20, which is eight inches long with rounded corners, where B is approximately 20 °. The upper sheet 22 is deformable, of soft feeling, and non-irritating to the wearer's skin. In addition, the topsheet 22 is permeable to liquids, allowing liquids (eg, menstruation and / or urine) to easily penetrate through its thickness. A suitable top sheet 22 can be manufactured from a wide range of materials such as woven and non-woven materials; polymeric materials such as formed thermoplastic films, with apertures, plastic films with apertures, and hydroformed thermoplastic films; porous foams; cross-linked foams; crosslinked thermoplastic films; and thermoplastic meshes. Suitable woven and nonwoven materials may comprise natural fibers (e.g., wood or cotton fibers), synthetic fibers (e.g., polymeric fibers such as polyester, polypropylene or polyethylene fibers) or a combination of natural fibers and synthetic Preferred top sheets of the present invention are described in detail in U.S. Patent 4,342,314, entitled "Resilient Plástic Web Exhibiting Fiber-Like Properties" (Elastic Plastic Weft Showing Fiber-like Properties) granted to Radel et al. August 1982, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, especially column 4, line 41, to column 6, line 44. The preferred method for making the top sheets of the present invention is described in the United States No. 4,637,819, Ouellette et al., issued January 20, 1987, which is incorporated herein by reference. The upper sheets with preferred openings of the present invention are permeable to body exudates but at the same time non-absorbent and have a reduced tendency to allow liquids to pass back through and re-wet the skin of the wearer. In this way, the surface of the upper sheet with openings that is in contact with the body remains dry, thereby reducing the staining of the body and creating a more comfortable feeling to the wearer. Other films formed are described in U.S. Pat. 3, 929, 135, entitled "Absorptive Structures Having Tapered Capillaries" granted to Thompson on December 30, 1975; U.S. Patent 4, 324, 246, entitled "Disposable Absorbent Article Having A Stain Resistant Topsheet" (Disposable Absorbent Article having a Top Sheet Resistant to Staining) granted to Mullane et al. on April 13, 1982; U.S. Patent 4,463,045, entitled "Macroscopically Expanded Three-Dimensional Plástic Web Exhibiting Non-Glossy Visible Surface and Cloth-Like Tactile Impression" (Macroscopically Expanded Three-dimensional Plastic Weft Exhibiting a Non-Shimmer Visible Surface and Touch Printing Similar to Clothes ) granted to Ahr and others on July 31, 1984; and U.S. Patent 5,006,394, entitled "Multilayer Polymeric Film" granted to Baird on April 9, 1991. Each of these patents is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Other preferred top sheets for the present invention are the formed films described in one or more of the above patents and marketed in sanitary napkins by The Procter & Gamble Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, as "DRI-WEAVE". In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the body surface of the topsheet is hydrophilic, so as to assist liquids to transfer through the topsheet more rapidly than if the body surface were not hydrophilic. This reduces the possibility of menstrual fluid and sweat coming out of the upper sheet instead of flowing into and being absorbed by the absorbent core. In a preferred embodiment, a surfactant is incorporated into the polymeric materials of the top sheet of film formed as described in United States Patent Application Serial No. 07 / 794,745, "Absorbent Article having a Cover Sheet non-woven and with openings ", Aziz et al., presented on November 19, 1991, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Alternatively, the body surface of the topsheet can be made hydrophilic by treating it with a surfactant such as described in the aforementioned US Patent No. 4,950,264, incorporated herein by reference. The absorbent core 24 may be any absorbent means that is capable of absorbing or retaining liquids (e.g., menstruation or urine). The absorbent core 24 can be manufactured in a wide variety of sizes and shapes(for example, rectangular, oval, hourglass, dog bone, asymmetric, etc.) and a wide variety of liquid absorbent materials commonly used in sanitary napkins and other absorbent articles such as shredded wood pulp, which it is generally referred to as air felt (airfelt). An example of other suitable absorbent materials includes folded cellulose wadding; polymers insufflated in the melted state, including coform; chemically stiffened, modified or crosslinked cellulosic fibers; synthetic fibers such as entangled polyester fibers; peat moss; paper, including paper wrappers and paper laminates; absorbent foams; absorbent sponges; superabsorbent polymers; absorbent gelation materials; or any equivalent material or combinations of materials or mixtures thereof. The configuration and construction of the absorbent core may also be varied (eg, the absorbent core may have zones of varying gauge) (eg, profiled to be thicker in the center), hydrophilic gradients, superabsorbent gradients; or lower or lower density base weight acquisition zones, or may comprise one or more layers or structures. The total absorbent capacity of the absorbent core, however, must be compatible with the design load and intended use of the sanitary napkin. In addition, the size and absorbent capacity of the absorbent core can be varied to accommodate different uses, such as incontinent pads, panty liners, regular sanitary napkins, or nighttime sanitary napkins. Preferably, the absorbent articles of the present invention are sanitary napkins that are of uniform thickness. Exemplary absorbent structures for use as the absorbent core of the present invention are described in U.S. Patent 4,950,264 entitled "Thin, Flexible Sanitary Napkin" issued to Osborn on August 21, 1990; U.S. Patent 4,610,678, entitled "High-Density Absorbent Structures" granted to Weisman et al. on September 9, 1986; U.S. Patent 4,834,735, entitled "High Density Absorbing Members Having Lower Density and Lower Basis Weight Acquisition Zones" (High Density Absorbing Members Having Lower Base Weight and Lower Density Acquisition Zones) granted to Alemany et al. May 1989; and European Patent Application No. 0 198 683, from The Procter & Gamble Company, Duenk and others, published on October 22, 1986, are all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The backsheet 23 and the topsheet 22 are positioned adjacent the garment surface 20a and the body surface 20b, respectively, of the absorbent core 24 and are preferably bonded thereto and to each other by attachment means (not shown) such as those well known in the art. For example, the backsheet 23 and / or the topsheet 22 can be secured to the absorbent core 24 or to each other by a uniform, continuous layer of adhesive, a patterned layer of adhesive, or an arrangement of lines, spirals or dots separated from adhesive. The adhesives that have been found satisfactory are manufactured by H. B. Fuller Company of St. Paul, Minnesota, under the designation HL-1258 or H-2031. The attachment means preferably will comprise an open-pattern network of filaments of adhesive as described in U.S. Patent 4,573,986, entitled "Disposable Waste-Containment Garment" (Disposable Waste Containment, Disposable) issued to Minetola and others. , March 4, 1986, and which is incorporated herein by reference. Exemplary bonding means of an open-pattern filament network comprises several lines of adhesive filaments wound in a spiral pattern as illustrated by the apparatus and methods shown in United States Patent 3,911,173 issued to Sprague, Jr. 7 October 1975; U.S. Patent 4,785,996 issued to Ziecker et al. on November 22, 1978; and U.S. Patent 4,842,666 issued to Werenicz on June 27, 1989. Each of these patents is incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the joining means may comprise heat bonds, pressure joints, ultrasonic joints, dynamic mechanical joints, or any other joining means or combinations of these joining means as are known in the art. The back sheet 23 is impervious to liquids (eg, menstruation and / or urine) and preferably manufactured from a thin plastic film, although other flexible, liquid impervious materials may also be used. As used herein, the term "flexible" refers to materials that are deformable and will readily conform to the general shape and contour of the human body. The backsheet 23 prevents the exudates absorbed and contained in the absorbent core 24 from wetting articles that contact the sanitary napkin 20, such as pants, pajamas and undergarments. The backsheet 23 can thus comprise a woven or non-woven material, polymeric films such as thermoplastic films of polyethylene or polypropylene, or composite materials such as a nonwoven material coated with film. Preferably, the backsheet 23 is a polyethylene film having a thickness of about 0.012 mm (0.5 thousandths of an inch) to about 0.051 mm (2.0 thousandths of an inch). Exemplary polyethylene films are manufactured by Clopay Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, under the designation P18-0401, and by Ethyl Corporation, Visqueen Division, of Terre Haute, Indiana, United States, under the designation XP-39385. The backsheet is preferably highlighted or embossed and / or finished in matte to provide a fabric-like appearance. In addition, the backsheet 23 can allow vapors to escape from the absorbent core 24 (ie, breathable) but at the same time prevent the exudates from passing through the backsheet 23. In use, the sanitary napkin 20 can be held in place. by any means of support, fastening means or joining means well known for such purposes. Preferably, the sanitary napkin is placed in the wearer's undergarments or panties and secured to them by a fastener, such as an adhesive. The adhesive provides means for securing the sanitary napkin in the crotch portion of the panty. In this manner, a portion or all of the outer surface of the backsheet 23 is coated with adhesive. Any adhesive or glue used in the art for such purposes can be used for the adhesive herein, with pressure sensitive adhesives being preferred. Suitable adhesives include Century A-305 -IV, manufactured by Century Adhesives Corporation of Columbus, Ohio, United States; and Instant Lock 34-2826, manufactured by National Starch and Chemical Company of Bridgewater, New Jersey, United States. Suitable adhesive fasteners are also disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,917,697, incorporated herein by reference. Before the sanitary napkin in use is placed, the pressure sensitive adhesive is typically covered with a removable release liner 37, in order to prevent the adhesive from drying or adhering to a surface other than the crotch portion of the sanitary napkin. Prenta inside before use. Suitable release liners are also described in the aforementioned US Pat. No. 4,917.97. Any commercially available release liners used for such purposes may be used herein. Non-limiting examples of suitable release liners are BL30MG-A Silox El / O and BL30MG-A Silox 4P / 0, both manufactured by Akrosil Corporation, of Menasha, Wisconsin, United States. The sanitary napkin 20 of the present invention is used by removing the release liner and subsequently placing the sanitary napkin in a pantyhose such that the adhesive makes contact with the panty. The adhesive holds the sanitary napkin in its position inside the pant during use. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sanitary napkin has two fins 34, each of which are adjacent to and extend laterally from the side edges of the absorbent core. The flaps are configured to hang over the edges of the wearer's underwear in the crotch region such that the flaps are arranged between the edges of the wearer's underwear and the thighs. The fins will serve at least two purposes. First, the fins help prevent staining of the wearer's body and underwear by the menstrual fluid, preferably forming a double-walled barrier along the edges of the underwear. Second, the fins are preferably provided with a portion of the attachment means on their garment surface in such a manner that the fins can be folded under the undergarment and attached to the garment-facing side of the panty. In this way, the fins serve to keep the sanitary napkin properly placed in the pantyhose.

The fins can be constructed of various materials including materials similar to the topsheet, the topsheet, woven, or combinations of these materials, but is preferably constructed from the materials of the topsheet. In addition, the flaps can be a separate element attached to the main body of the towel or can comprise extensions of the upper sheet and the back sheet (ie, unitary). A number of sanitary napkins having suitable or adaptable fins for use with the sanitary napkins of the present invention are described in U.S. Patent 4,687,478 entitled "Shaped Sanitary Npakin With Flaps," which was issued to Van Tilburg on August 18. of 1987; U.S. Patent 4,589,876 entitled "Sanitary Napkin", which was issued to Van Tilburg on May 20, 1986; and U.S. Patent No. 4,608,047 entitled "Sanitary Napkin Attachment Means" which was issued to Mattingly on August 26, 1986, all are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an acquisition layer or layers 27 can be placed between the topsheet and the absorbent core. The acquisition layer 27 can serve several functions, including improving the passage of exudates on and towards the absorbent core. There are several reasons why improving the passage of exudates is important, including providing a more even distribution of the exudates throughout the entire absorbent core, and allowing the sanitary napkin 20 to be made relatively thin. (The fluid passage referred to herein, may include the transportation of liquids in one, two or all directions, that is, in the x-y plane and / or in the z-direction). The acquisition layer may be comprised of several different materials including woven or non-woven webs of synthetic fibers, including polyester, polypropylene, or polyethylene, natural fibers including cotton or cellulose; mixtures of such fibers, or any equivalent material or combinations of materials. Examples of sanitary napkins having an acquisition layer and a topsheet are fully described in U.S. Patent 4,950,264, issued to Osborn. All of the above references are incorporated herein by reference. In a preferred embodiment, the acquisition layer may be joined to the topsheet by any of the conventional means for joining together webs, most preferably by fusion bonds. Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications may be made, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended to cover in the appended claims all those changes and modifications, which are within the scope of this invention.

Claims (10)

1. A pre-bent absorbent article having improved fit, comprising a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet bonded to the top sheet; an absorbent element between the top sheet and the back sheet; wherein the article has a body surface, a garment surface, a front edge, a trailing edge, two longitudinal edges, a longitudinal center line within the plane of the sanitary napkin which is aligned with a vertical plane that divides the a user standing in halves when the article is used, and where the article has a plurality of fold lines that are predisposed on either or both ends of the article to bend when finding the lateral compression forces caused by the wearer's thighs, the fold lines, in at least one end of the article, characterized in that: (A) a main back fold line disposed centrally and longitudinally in the article beginning at a point about one eighth to about half the distance away of the front edge and extending towards the trailing edge of the article; (B) a front fold line or lines disposed centrally and longitudinally in the article starting at the front edge and extending to the beginning of the main back fold line, or comprising two parallel lines of folds longitudinally arranged in the article, which begin at the front edge and extend at the beginning of the main back fold line, or comprising two parallel fold lines arranged longitudinally on the article, beginning at the front edge and extending from one quarter to two thirds of the length total of the article from the front edge; and (C) two backward diverging fold lines starting at the beginning of the main back fold line, the fold lines diverging backward extending to each side of the longitudinal edges of the article, each of the fold lines diverging towards back forming an angle with the longitudinal center line of from about 10 ° to about 80 °; wherein the main back fold line is folded outwardly so that the portions of the garment surface on the opposite sides of the back fold main line are brought closely together; and the front fold line or main lines and the two backwardly diverging fold lines are folded inward such that portions of the body surface on opposite sides of the front fold main line and the two fold lines diverging backwards are brought closely together.

2. The pre-bent absorbent article having improved fit, according to claim 1, further characterized in that the fold lines are pre-established fold lines.

3. The pre-bent absorbent article having improved fit, according to claim 2, further characterized in that the fold lines form a "V" or "U" shape with the main front fold line and a "V" shape. or "U" inverted with the main back fold line.

4. The pre-bent absorbent article having improved fit, according to claim 2, further characterized in that the main back fold line starts at a point of two inches or a quarter at half distance away from the front edge and extends toward the back edge of the article; the main front fold line starts at the front edge and extends to the starting point of the main back fold line; and wherein the two backward diverging fold lines start at the starting point of the main back fold line, each of the fold lines diverging backward at an angle to the longitudinal centerline of from about 15 ° to about 60 °.

5. The pre-bent absorbent article having improved fit, according to claim 2, further characterized in that the main back fold line starts at a point about one third to about half the distance away from the front edge and extends to "" '"' roughly the back edge of the article; the main front fold line begins at approximately the front edge and extends to the starting point of the main back fold line; and wherein the two backward diverging fold lines begin at approximately the starting point of the main back fold line, each of the fold lines diverging backward at an angle to the longitudinal center line of from about 15 ° to approximately 60 °.

6. The pre-bent absorbent article having improved fit, according to any of claims 4 or 5, further characterized in that the main front fold line comprises two parallel fold lines.

7. The pre-folded absorbent article having improved fit, in accordance with any of the claims 4 to 6, further characterized in that each of the fold lines diverging backwards form an angle with the longitudinal center line of from 20 ° to 45 °.

8. The pre-bent absorbent article having improved fit, according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the thickness of the article is from 1 mm to 13 mm.

The pre-bent absorbent article having improved fit, according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the thickness of the article is uniform throughout its length.

10. The pre-bent absorbent article having improved fit, according to claim 1, further characterized in that the fold lines are preset raised channels. SUMMARY The present invention relates to absorbent articles comprising a plurality of fold lines that are biased at either or both ends of the article to bend when lateral compression forces are encountered caused by the thighs of the wearer, the fold lines comprising a line main bending back disposed centrally and longitudinally in the article starting at a point about one eighth to about half the distance away from the leading edge and extending towards the trailing edge of the article; a front fold line or lines arranged centrally and longitudinally in the article starting approximately from the front edge and extending to the beginning point of the main back fold line, or comprising two parallel lines of folds longitudinally arranged in the article, beginning at approximately the front edge and extending to approximately the beginning of the main back fold line, or comprising two parallel fold lines arranged longitudinally in the article, beginning at approximately the front edge and extending for approximately one quarter to two thirds of the total length of the article from the front edge; and two backwardly diverging fold lines starting at approximately the starting point of the main back fold line, the fold lines diverging backward extending to each side of the longitudinal edges of the article, each of the fold lines diverging towards back forming an angle with the longitudinal center line of from about 10 ° to about 80 °; where the surface facing the body is of a "V" or "U" shape in the frontal region and a "V" or "U" shape inverted in the posterior region of the article.