Absorbent article having a tufted topsheet

摘要

An absorbent article having a topsheet in facing relationship with an absorbent core. The topsheet has a pair of tuft region lateral boundaries. Each tuft region lateral boundary is defined by a line or a portion of a line separating a plurality of first tufts from a plurality of second tufts, first tufts and second tufts differing in either height or area density. The tuft region lateral boundaries are on opposing sides of the longitudinal centerline. The tuft region lateral boundaries extend longitudinally along transversely opposite sides of the topsheet and are spaced apart from each other by a distance gradually increasing or gradually decreasing from a minimum or maximum, respectively, at a parallel transverse axis towards longitudinally opposing ends of the tuft region lateral boundaries. The tufts have fibers integral with and extending from the fibrous nonwoven web.

主权项

1. An absorbent article comprising a topsheet in facing relationship with an absorbent core,
said topsheet having a longitudinal centerline, a transverse centerline orthogonal to and intersecting said longitudinal centerline, and a parallel transverse axis parallel to said transverse centerline and intersecting said longitudinal centerline, said longitudinal centerline being dividable into thirds, one third of which is a middle third, said parallel transverse axis intersecting said middle third of said longitudinal centerline; wherein said topsheet comprises a fibrous nonwoven web comprising a plurality of first tufts and a plurality of second tufts; wherein said first tufts and said second tufts comprise fibers integral with and extending from said fibrous nonwoven web, a plurality of said fibers of said first tufts and said second tufts being looped fibers; wherein said topsheet comprises a pair of tuft region lateral boundaries symmetrically disposed on opposing sides of said longitudinal centerline, each said tuft region lateral boundary having longitudinally opposing ends and each tuft region lateral boundary is defined by either a line or portion of a line extending along at least part of said longitudinal centerline and separating said first tufts from said second tufts, said first tufts having a first height and said second tufts having a second height differing from said first height, or defined by a line or portion of a line extending along at least part of said longitudinal centerline and separating said first tufts from said second tufts, said first tufts having a first area density and said second tufts having a second area density differing from said first area density; and wherein said tuft region lateral boundaries are spaced apart from each other by a distance that is a minimum at said parallel transverse axis and gradually increases towards said longitudinally opposing ends of said tuft region lateral boundaries or are spaced apart from each other by a distance that is a maximum at said parallel transverse axis and gradually decreases towards said longitudinally opposing ends of said tuft region lateral boundaries whereby the tuft region lateral boundaries are curved.