The Procter Gamble Company

Cynthia Lee Alvis

Thomas Ward Osborn, Iii

Nicholas Albert Ahr

Ronald Ray McFall

John Richard Noel

Letha Margie Hines

Jerry Edward Carstens

Deborah Catherine Schmitz

Nona Jane Redwine

Diane Dunn Farris

Denise Jean Bien

Yousef Georges Aouad

Highly efficient absorbent articles for wearing by a human female such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, and adult incontinence pads. In use, the absorbent articles preferably maintain contact with and cover at least a portion of the inside surfaces of the wearer's labia, the exterior surfaces of the wearer's labia, and the supporting garment. The absorbent articles are highly flexible, having flexure resistance of less than or equal to about 100 grams. The absorbent may be flat or cup-shaped.

Highly efficient absorbent article for use with menstrual pant

Highly efficient absorbent articles for wearing by a human female such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, and adult incontinence pads. In use, the absorbent articles preferably maintain contact with and cover at least a portion of the inside surfaces of the wearer's labia, the exterior surfaces of the wearer's labia, and the supporting garment. The absorbent articles are highly flexible, having flexure resistance of less than or equal to about 100 grams. The absorbent articles may be flat or cup-shaped.

This invention discloses a substantially flat mechanically expandable pad, i.e., one positioned almost exclusively in the x-y plane, having a expandable member therein that once activated expands the mechanically expandable pad out of the x-y plane and into the z-direction. Such activation occurs when cinch members are used to contract the expandable member in the x or y-directions but cause its expansion in the z-direction. The pad is useful for cleaning, polishing, buffing, etc. and the expandable member has application in other types of absorbent articles.

Mechanically expandable pad

Absorbent structures comprising a topsheet, a backsheet with an absorbent core between the topsheet and the backsheet are described. The absorbent structures further comprise a support strip that provides a contractive force that causes at least a portion of the support strip and at least a portion of the topsheet to become decoupled from the absorbent core. Alternative embodiments of the absorbent structure include laterally extending flaps and an abbreviated undergarment.

Absorbent structures having decoupled topsheet and topsheet support strip

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Fairfield, OH, United States of America

Cynthia Lee Alvis