CA2209156A1

CA2209156A1 - Absorbent article with leg cuffs

Info

Publication number: CA2209156A1
Application number: CA002209156A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Lynn Kirkpatrick Lemahieu; David Arthur Kuen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Kimberly Clark Worldwide Inc
Priority date: 1994-12-30
Filing date: 1995-12-21
Publication date: 1996-07-11
Also published as: EP0800372A1; JPH10511870A; BR9510120A; CZ294949B6; EP0800372B1; MX9704875A; AR000599A1; AU698491B2; ZA9510974B; CZ204397A3; US5620431A; ES2181810T3; DE69527653T2; KR980700831A; AU4642996A; WO1996020680A1; KR100393861B1; DE69527653D1

Abstract

Disclosed is an absorbent article (20) including an outer cover (22), a bodyside liner (24), and an absorbent assembly (23) disposed between the bodyside liner and outer cover. At least one of the bodyside liner (24) and outer cover (22) form side marginal portions (40) which extend beyond the absorbent assembly (23). Elastic members (25) of the absorbent article (20) have a width dimension extending between opposite inner and outer edges (52, 54), an inner zone adjacent the inner edge (52), and an outer zone (64) adjacent the outer edge (54). The elastic members (25) are elasticized over substantially the entire width dimension. The outer zone (64) of each of the elastic members (25) is bonded to one of the side marginal portions (40), and the inner zone (62) of each of the elastic members (25) forms a freestanding leg cuff (29).

Description

CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 W O 96/20680 PCTrUS95/1669 ABSORBENT ARTICLE WITH LEG CUFFS

The present invention is directed to an absorbent article for containing and absorbing discharged body wastes.

Dispos~l~le absorbent articles in fields such as infant care child care feminine care and adult inco"linency have been constructed in an effort to contain and absorb urine and other body Pxuda~s. Most of these absorbent articles have several cGrr,r"on cor"ponents including a liquid pervious bodyside liner a iiquid impervious backing sheet an absorbent rlldlt:lial ~ posed between the bodyside liner and the backing sheet and some form of attachment system for securing the product about the body of the wearer.

In an alle"~pt to improve the containment and absorption abilities of such products special co",ponents have been developed and added to the common components listed above. Leg el~-stics are one such special component. Leg elastics typically comprise several elastic strands positioned along the sides of the absorbent material and stretch bonded to the liner and backing sheet. The function of the elastic strands is to gather the side pGilions of th article and form seals or gaskets about the legs of the wearer.

While leg el~ctics of the foregoing type can provide a demohsl, :le improvement in waste conlain",ent absorbent articles incorporating such leg elastics may still be subject to failures in the form of leakage around the legs. In part this may be attributable to the fact that leg elastics are unable to fully confo"" to the contours of the wearer. Further existing leg el~stics are believed to be a potential source of diiconlroll to the wearer. It is hypothesized that the galhe, ~le ",ale,ials to which the elastic strands are attached tend to form multiple pleats along the length of the strands when the elastic strands are in a semi-,ela,ced state.
During movements the pleats may rub against the wearer leading to i"ilalion or chafing.
Rec~u~e increased tension may simply increase the formation of pleats and exace,6ate skin i"ilalion in.;,t:asi,)g the tension of conventional leg elastics to improve conrol"~ily about the wearer is not presently a viable altemative.

Therefore it is the object of the present invention to overcome the above described o problems and to provide an improved absorbent article that provides enhanced conlai,)n,ent of wastes while ",ai, ll~i. ,i"g the comrol I of the wearer.

CA 02209l~6 l997-06-27 This object is solved by the absorbent article accGrding to independent claims 1 and 21.
Further advantageous features, aspects and details of the invention are evident from the dependent claims, the descnp~ion and the drawings. The claims are intended to beu"der~lood as a first, non-limiting appr~ach to defining the invention in general terms.
In response to the ~liscllcsed deficiencies in the prior art, a new dispcs?~'e absorbent article has been developed. The absorbent article functions to contain and absorb clischarged body wastes while also being comro,lable to wear. More particularly, the invention provides a disposable absorbent article having el~sli~ ed leg cuffs for enhanced waste containment.

One aspect of the invention pertains to an absorbent article including an outer cover having longitudinal end edges and longitudinal side edges exlel1di,)g between the end edges. The absorbent articie also includes a bodyside liner bonded to the outer cover and an absorbent assembly disposed betwecn the bodyside liner and outer cover. At least one of the bodyside liner and outer cover form side marginal portions which p,t:ferably extend beyond the absorbent asser"bly. Elastic members of the absorbent article have opposile end edges, opposil~ inner and outer edges extending between the end edges and defining a width dil"ension, an inner zone ;;djacenl the inner edge, and an outer zone adjacenl the outer edge. Advant~geously, the outer zone of each of the elastic members is bonded to one of the side marginal po,lior,s, and the inner zone of each of the elastic members forms a freestanding leg cuff. Pleferdbly, the elastic members are el~sti~i~ed over substantially the entire width dil"ension and the absorbent article prt:ferdbly has a leg cuff tension of at least about 0.2 l~ glam.

This aspect of the invention provides an absorbent article with outer leg cuffs and inner freestanding leg cuffs. A substantial amount of elastic "~dl~,ial is in contact with the wearer to conro"" to the Lopoy,dphy of the wearer and form seals about the legs of the wearer.
Tension of the elastic members is ~I;ssip~led over a relatively large area to provide a particularly co,,,rulldble and noni"ildli"g fit. Further, these relatively high degrees of tension 3 o are obtained without high degrees of elongation of the elastic members.

In other aspects of the invention, at least a portion of the outer zone of each of the elastic members e,~lends transversely outward from side edges of the outer cover, and the elastic members CGmplise a breathable material, pre~e(dbly having an air porosity value of at least 35 about 150 cubic feet per minute per square foot in a relaxed state. This aspect of the invention provides a path of air permeability through the absorbent article to allow ~deguate air flow adjacent the body of the wearer. Further in this regard, the elastic members may be ~ CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 W 096/20680 pcTrus95ll6693 formed of a suLsldnlially liquid-impermeable ",alerial or treated to be subslanlially liquid impermeable in order to resist leakage.

Numerous features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following 5 desc,iption. In the desc,i~,lion, reference is made to the accG",panying drawings which illustrate p~fell~d embodiments of the invention. Such embodiments do not represent the full scope of the invention. Reference should therefore be made to the claims herein for inl~".rt:li"g the full scope of the invention.

10 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a disposab'e abso,L,ent article accorcl;"g to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plari view of several col"ponents of the disposable absorbent article shown in Fig. 1 in a flat and sl,etched condilion and with pollions broken away for purposes of 15 illu~l,dlion.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section view taken generally from the plane of the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section view taken generally from the plane of the line 4-4 in Fig. 2.
20 - .
Fig. 5 is a section view taken generally from the plane of the line 5-5 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section view similar to Fig. 5, but illustrating components of an alternative ~~ispos~'e absorbent article accGldillg to the present invention.
. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a templale used in a Product Tensile Test.

Fig. 8 is a section view similar to Fig. 5 but illustrating cGr"ponenla of another allel"ali-/e di~posa~le absorbent article according to the present invention.
Fig. 9 is a section view similar to Fig. 5, but illustrating components of a further alle",dti~/e ~ispos-~le absorbent article accor.Ji"g to the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of portions of several cGr"ponents of a still further allel"ali~/e 35 dispos~l~le absorbent article according to the present invention in a flat and sl,~lched condi~ion and with po.Lions brQken away for purposes of i!!us~ on . CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 W 096/20680 ~ PCTAUS95/16693 Fig. 11 is an enlarged section view of the absorbent article of Fig. 10 taken generally from the plane of the line 11-11 in Fig. 10, although not in a flat and stretched CGIIdilion.

Within the context of this speciricalion, each temm or phrase below will include the following 5 meaning or meanings:

(a) "bonded" refers to the joining, adhering, connecting, 2Llaclli.l9, or the like, of two elements. Two elements will be considered to be bonded together when they are bonded directly to one another or indirectly to one another, such as when each is directly bonded to 10 intermediate elements.

(b) "disposable" includes being disposed of after use, and not intended to be washed and reused.

15 (c) "disposed", "disposed on", "disposed with", "disposed at", "disposed nea~', and valiaLions thereof are intended to mean that one element can be integral with another element, or that one element can be a separate structure bonded to or placed with or placed near another element.

20 ~d) "elastic", 'lel~c~ ed~ and "elasticity" mean that property of a ",al~rial by virtue of which it tends to recover its original size and shape after removal of a force causing a defommation.

(e) "elongalion" means the ratio of the extension of a ,oalerial to the length of a material 25 priorto stretching, expressed in percent.
.
(f) "exlension", "extend" and "extended" mean the change in length of a malelial due to stretching, ex~ ssed in units of length.

3 0 (9) "force" includes a physical influence exerted by one body on another which produces accelerdlion of bodies that are free to move and defo""alion of bodies that are not free to move. Force is expressed in grams per unit area.

(h) "freestanding" refers to a particular portion of a first element, which portion is not 35 bonded to a second element and is ~ 'e of moving relative to the second element.

CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 W 096/20680 PCTrUS95/16693 (i) "inley~dl is used to refer to various pollions of a single unitary element rather than separate structures bonded to or placed with or placed near one another.

a) "liquid impermeable", when used to describe a layer or laminate means that liquid 5 such as urine wi!! not pass hhrough the layer or 1~iiii;.i31e under or d;.i3n; use wl,d;l;ur,s ir, a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the layer or lall,inale at the point of liquid contact.

(k) "member" when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single ele.llenl 10 or a plurality of elements.

(I) "operatively joined", with refer~nce to the attachment of an elastic member to another element, means that the elastic member when attached to or connected to the element, or treated with heat or chemicals, by stretching, or the like, gives the element elastic properties;
15 and with ~fer~nce to the attachment of a non-elastic member to another element, means that the member and element can be attached in any suitable manner that permits or allows them to perform the intended or descliLed function of the joinder. The joining, attaching, connecting or the like can be either directly, such as joining either member directly to an element, or can be indirectly by means of another member (J;sposed bel~ecn the first member and the first element.

(m) "outward" refers to a position relative to the center of an absGIbenl gdllllenl, and particularly transversely and/or longitudinally away from the longitudinal and transverse center of the absorbent gdllllenl.

~ (n) "stretch bonded" refers to an elastic member being bonded to another me,llber while the elastic member is extended at least about 25 pel~enl of its relaxed length. Desirably, the term "slleLch bonded" refers to the situation wherein the elastic member is exlended at least about 100 per~;enl, and more desirably at least about 300 percent, of its relaxed length when 3 o it is bonded to the other member.

(o) "stretch bonded laminate" refers to a composile ",alelial having at least two layers in which one layer is a gdll,er ~l~ layer and the other layer is an elastic layer. The layers are joined together when the elastic layer is in an extended condition so that upon relaxing the 35 layers, the gdll ,er~ble layer is gathered.

CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 W 096/20680 PCTrUS95/16693 These terms may be defined with addilional language in the rer"ain;,)g portion of the speciricalion.

With ,t:rer~l)ce to Figs. 1-4, a di~posable absorbent article formed accor.Ji"g to the invention 5 is shown for purposes of illual,dlion as an adult inconli"ence garment 20. The invention may also be embodied in other types of absorbent articles such as diapers, diaper pants, feminine napkins, cl l;l~l en's training pants, or the like.

The i"conlinence garment 20 generally includes an outer cover 22, an absorbent assembly 23, a bodyside liner 24, and elastic members 25. These components are maintained in posilion about the wearer with an allacl,l"ent system 26 (Fig. 1). The elastic members 25 are disposed at the longitudinal sides of the garment 20 and form both outer leg cuffs 28 and inner freestanding leg cuffs 29. The elastic members 25 provide relatively high levels of tension so that the absorbent article 20 tends to maintain a close fit to the body of the wearer. Due to the nature of the elastic members 25 employed and their integration with the other cor"ponenls of the garment 20, the garment readily conrol",s to the wearer while minimizing the occurrences of skin marking. As a resuit, the ga""enl 20 provides enhanced containment of wastes while ",a;"lziuing the co",ro,l of the wearer. The components of the inconli,)ence garment 20 and their method of assel"bly will now be described in more detail.

For purposes of identifying positional relationships of various con,ponents, the shape of the garment 20 will be considered to define a longitudinal axis, represented by arrow 98, and a transverse axis, represented by arrow 99 (Fig. 2). The longitudinal axis 98 intersects the ends of the garment, and the transverse axis 99 is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal 25. axis and located midway between the ends.

The outer cover 22 has opposite longitudinal end edges 30 (Fig. 1) and opposil~ longitudinal side edges 31 (Figs. 1-4) that extend between the end edges. Desirably, the outer cover 22 is generally l-shaped or hourglass-shaped whereby each side edge 31 of the outer cover 30 defines a recessed portion 32 (Figs. 2 and 4) appr~kill,ately midway between the end edges 30. The recessed portions 32 may also be skewed toward one end edge 30 of the outer cover (not shown). The ,~cessed pollions 32 may constitute, for example, from about 15 to about 75 percent of the longitudinal length di,nension of the outer cover. Altematively, the outer cover 22 can be rectangular, T-shaped or irregularly-shaped. The outer cover 22 also has opposite major surfaces, designated interior surface 33 and ga""enl-facing surface 34.

CA 02209l~6 l997-06-27 The outer cover 22 desirably comprises a material that is formed or treated to be liquid impel",eable. Alternatively the outer cover 22 may cG",prise a liquid permeable ",alerial and other 5~it~l~le means (not shown) such as a liquid impermeable layer associaled with the absGIL,enl assembly23 may be provided to impede liquid movement away from the absoll,ent assel"bly. The outer cover 22 may also be gas permeable such that gases encountered during use of the absorbent garment are able to pass through the ",ale~ial under ordinary use concli~iol~s, over either all or part of its surface area.

The outer cover 22 may cGmprise a single layer of ",alerial or a lar"inale of two or more separate layers of malelial. Su ~ outer cover materials include films wovens, nonwovens laminates of films wovens and/or nonwovens or the like. For exam~'e the outer cover 22 may cGmprise a thin substantially liquid impermeable web or sheet of plastic film such as polyethylene polypropylene polyvinyl chloride or similar material. The outer cover material may be transparent or op~que and have an emhossed or matte surface. One particular malelial for the outer cover 22 is a polyethylene film that has a nominal thickness ~ of about 0.025 millimeter and a syslel"alic matte embossed pattem and that has been corona treated on both sides. Another 5~it~1Q outer cover material is an adhesive or thermal laminate col"prising a cast or blown film formed of polypropylene polyethylene or the like, and a spunbond web formed of polypropylene fibers or polypropylene andpolyethylene medium-crimped bicomponent fibers in a 50/50 side-by-side configuration.

The absolbent assembly 23 which is .iisrosed on the interior surface 33 of the outer cover 22 c~",prises male,i31s adapled to absorb and retain liquid waste. The absorbent assembly 23 may be rectangular as illustrated, or T-shaped I-shaped or irregularly-shaped, and is narrower and desirably also shorter than the outer cover 22. The absorbent asser"bly 23 may be bonded to the outer cover 22 using adhesives, ull,dson;c bonds, ll,e""al bonds, or other s~ hlc means.
.
The abso,L,enl assembly 23 may cor"p,ise various absorbent ",ale,ials such as an air-formed batt of cellulosic fibers (i.e., wood pulp fluff) or a coform material cGn,posed of a mixture of cellulosic fibers and synthetic polymer fibers. The absorbent asser"bly 23 may ~ also include compounds to i".;,t:ase its absorbency, such as 0 - 95 weight per~;enl of olyan ~
or i"oryanic high-absorbency ",alelials which are typically ~p~'e of abs~,bi"g at least about 15 and desirably more than 25 times their weight in water. Suitable high-absolL.er,~y ~"alerials are described in U.S. Patents 4,699 823 issued October 13 1987 to Kellenberger et al. and 5147,343 issued S~ple",ber 15 1992 to Kellenberger which are incol,uor~led herein by reference. High-absorbency l"alerials are available from various commercial CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 W O 96/20680 PCT~US95/16693 vendors, such as Dow Chemical Company, Hoechst Celanese Co, ~Grdlion, and Allied~c"oids, Inc. The absorbent assembly 23 may also include tissue layers or ~cq~isition or distribution layers to help maintain the integrity of fibrous absorbents or trdnspo,l liquids (not shown).
The bodyside liner 24 has opposite longitudinal end edges 36 (Figs. 1 and 2) and opposile longitudinal side edges 37 ~Figs. 1-4) that extend between the end edges. The bodyside liner 24 may be generally rectangular as illustrated, or alle",ali~/ely l-shaped, T-shaped or irregularly-shaped. The bodyside liner 24 has opposite major surfaces, designated bodyside surface 38 and interior surface 39. The bodyside liner 24 is desirably coextensive with the outer cover 22, except in the area of the recessed po,lions 32 where the bodyside liner 24 may extend transversely outward beyond the side edges 31 of the outer cover.

With particular r~ference to Figs. 2-4, the outer cover 22 and bodyside liner 24 desirably extend transversely and longitudinally beyond absorbent assembly 23 to form side "~d~y;na po,lions 40 and end marginal portions 41, respectively. The absorbent assembly 23 is disposed between the interior surface 33 of the outer cover 22 and the interior surface 39 of the bodyside liner 24, and the outer cover and bodyside liner are desirably bonded together in these "~a,y;l,al portions 40 and 41 using adhesives, ll,e""al bonds, ulllasonic bonds or other suitable means. The bodyside liner 24 may also be bonded directly to the absorbent asse" ,bly 23.

The bodyside liner 24 is formed of a liquid permeable ."dlerial so that liquid waste, and possibly semi-solid waste as well, can pass through the liner and be absorbed by the absorbent assen,bly 23. Suitable bodyside liners 24 may co",prise a nonwoven web or sheet of wet strength tissue paper, a spunbonded, meltblown or bonded-carded webcG",posed of synthetic polymer filaments or fibers, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyesters or the like, or a web of natural polymer filaments or fibers such as rayon or cotton.
In adclilion, the bodyside liner 24 is desirably nonelastic and may be treated with a surfactant to aid in liquid l,~nsrer.

As illustrated, the elastic members 25 are separate elements bonded to the bodyside surface 38 of the bodyside liner 24. The elastic members 25 are shown in a relaxed condition in Figs. 1 and 5 and in a flat and stretched condition in Figs. 2-4. Each of the elastic members 25 has opposite longitudinal end edges 50 and opposile inner and outer edges 52 and 54 which extend between the end edges.

CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 The clislance between the end edges 50 of an elastic member 25 defines a length dimension. The elastic members 25 are elasli~ ed in the direction of their length dimension.
The length dimension is measured while the elastic member25 is in a generally stretched colldilion, so that the ",ale,ial to which it is attached, in this case the bodyside liner 24, is generally ungathered. The length dimension is desirably greater than the longitudinal extent of the recessed po,lions 32 and less than the full length of the garment 20. In particular embodiments, the length dimension represents from about 30 to about 70 percent of the length of the garment20, for example from about 20 to about 50 centimeters, and more desirably from about 30 to about 40 centimeters.
The distance between the inner and outer edges 52 and 54 of an elastic member 25 defines a width dimension, which can be measured with the elastic member in a relaxed condition.
The width dimension is desirably greater than the transverse depth of the recessed portions 32. In particular embodiments, the width dimension is from about 15 to about 70 millimeters, and more desirably from about 20 to about 60 millimeters for improved pelrG""ance.

The elastic members 25 desirably comp,ise ",ale,ials that enable the elastic members to be e~stici~.od over substantially the entire width dimension. With additional reference to Fig. 5, each elastic member 25 can be viewed as an integral element Co"~plisi"g an inner zone 62 adjacent the inner edge 52 and an outer zone 64 adjacent the outer edge 54 and abutting the inner zone 62. The elastic members 25 are desirably el~cli~ ;~Pd in the direction of their Iength dimension in both of the inner and outer zones 62 and 64.

The elasli-~.;ly of an elastic member 25 over its width dimension can be cl)aracl~ ed by one panel, three panel, and eight panel tension values. The elastic mer"bera 25 desirably have a one panel tension value of at least about 800 grams, and more desirably at least about 1080 grams. In particular embodiments, the elastic members 25 have a three panel tension ~ value of at least about 100 grams, and more desirably a three panel tension value of at least about 170 grams, such as 187 grams. Moreover, the elastic mer"bera25 in particular embodiments have an eight panel tension value of at least about 15 grams, and more desirably a eight panel tension value of at least about 25 grams, such as 58 grams.

The re"~w;"g "Material Tension Test" is a s~ 'e techn.~ue for deLe""ining the one, three and eight panel tension values of the elastic ",alelial used to rab,icdle the elastic members 25. In general, the test determines the stress/strain curve and measures the Lension of elastic fabrics at the stress-strain inflection point. The Material Tension Test employs the equipment listed below.

CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 W 096/20680 PCTrUS95/16693 1. A ~t:~angulartempiate measuring 7.62 cm by 17.78 cm.

2. A Constant Rate of E~lension (CRE) type tensile testing machine ~p~hl~ of being cor,l,.l'ed by testing software. One sl ~ le device is a Sintech System 2 tensile tester available from Sintech, Inc., of Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA.

3. Control software for the tensile testing machine. One company versed in such software is Sintech, Inc.

4. Pneumatic action grips identified as Series 2712, 200 pound capacily, available from Instron Corporation, of Canton, Massachusetts, USA.

5. Rubber-coated grip faces measuring 2.54 cm by 7.62 cm, which are inserted into the pneumatic action grips to hold the test material in the tensile testing machine. Suitable grip faces are available from Instron Coi~,o,dlion.

6. A 4.5 kg (10 pound) load cell available from Sintech, Inc. or a 50 kilogram load cell available from Instron CG" ordlion.

7. A printer which is cor"palible with the control software.

. 8. Scissors 2 5 9. Marker . .
The equipment is set up according to the f~ ;. ,g procedure.
.

1. Insert the rubber coated grip faces into the pneumatic action grips and install the 3 o pneumatic action grips on the tensile testing machine.

2. Verify that the apprup,iale load cell is in the tensile tester and allow the load cell to warm up for a minimum of 30 minutes.

CA 02209l~6 l997-06-27 3. Boot up the control software, and then follow the menu selecliol1 to designate the r~"~w;ng parameters:
1. Crosshead Speed 500 mm/MlN
2. Full Scale Load 4540Grams 3. Gage Length 50 mm 4. Stop Load 2000 Grams 5. Segment Length 10 %
6. SlopeTolerance 5 %

Note that the Full Scale Load setting may vary depending on the load cell.

4. Calibrate the ioad cell. Note that the load cell is to be cal;brated whenever the load cell or a data disk is changed.

5. ~;et the gage length to 50 mm.

The elastic material to be tested is conditioned in a ~Landard-condilion atmosphere of 23 +
1~C (73.4 + 1.8~F) ter"peralure and 50 + 2% relative humidity for 4 hours. The material to be tested is placed on a flat surface and the direction of elasticity is noted. Using the template marker and scisso~:" a rectangular specimen measuring 7.62 cm by 17.78 cm is cut so that the long dimension of the specimen is parallel to the direction of el~-sticity. All the edges of the specimen must be clean cut and straight. The specimen can then be tested by the fo"~w;ng procedure.

25 1. Insert a test specimen between the grips so that it is hanging vertically without twisting.
Note that the specimen must be inserted such that the load cell registers a pre-load of more than 2 grams and less than 10 grams.
.
2. Start the crosshead in motion so that it elongales the test specimen to the 2000 gram stop load.

3. Observe the y,dphics display during the test. Abno"nalities caused by slippage or inCGIl~Cl clamping may be apparent in the curve or slope line which could result in a negative or zero slope. Discard negative or zero slope results and sample. Adhesive on the grip faces can create a c'ipp~ge p,.blen,. Note and record slippage or any other abno~ alities.

CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 W 096/20680 PCTrUS95/16693 4. When the test is coi,.rle~te remove the specimen. Dete"";.,e the tension of the specimen in grams at the stress-strain inflection point. This tension value is the one panel tension value.

5 To determine a three panel tension value for a ",ale~ial the procedure for determining the one panel tension value is modified as follows. One 3.175 by 17.78 centimeter rectangular test specimen which is smaller than the specimen used in the one panel procedure is cut into three strips designated A, B and C of equal width which is appr~i"~alely 10.58 millimeters. One of the three strips is placed between the grips of the tensile tester. The 10 tension in grams at the stress-strain inflection point is recorded. The stop load is incrementally changed from 2000 grams to 333 grams to account for the change in specimen size and sample distortion such as neckdown. The test is repeated for the other two strips from the test specimen. The lowest tension value among strips A, B and C is recorded as the three panel tension value.
~
To determine an eight panel tension value for a material the procedure for determining the one panel tension value is modified as follows. One 3.175 by 17.78 ce"li",eter rectangular test specimen is cut into eight strips designated A, B C D E F G and H of equal. width, which is approAi",dlely 3.97 millimeters. One of the eight strips is placed between the grips 20 of the tensile tester. The tension in grams at the stress-strain inflection point is recorded.
The stop load is incrementally changed from 2000 grams to 125 grams to account for the change in specimen size and sample distortion such as neckdown. The test is repeated for the other seven strips from the test specimen. The lowest tension value among strips A B, C D E F, G and H is recorded as the eight panel tension value.
In one particular embodiment the elastic members 25 co",p,ise an elastic, cloth-like . nonwoven fibrous ",alerial, such as an elastic stretch bonded laminate web or an elastic me'l~ ~wn web. Examples of s~ 'e elastic meltblown fibrous webs for forming elastic members 25 are described in U.S. Patent 4 663 220 issued May 5 1987 to T. Wisneski et 30 al., which is i"ccs"uordled herein by refert:nce. Exd",r es of suitable composite fabrics colllprisi"g at least one layer of nonwoven textile fabric secured to a fibrous elastic layer are described in European Patent App' ~ -tion EP 0 110 010 published on April 8, 1987, with the inventors listed as J. Taylor et al. which is inco"~ordled herein by ,~ference.

35 In yet another aspect of the invention the elastic members 25 can col"prise an elastic sl,e:lcl,able cor"posile web comptising a suitable number of individual, c~i-c,t:te strips of elastic ",aleiial secured to one or more nonwoven fibrous layers. Such a cGmposile web . CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 may, for example, co",prise a selected pattem of individual elastic strips operably secured to a nonwoven fibrous layer or between two nonwoven layers. The elastic strips may, for example, be composed of a thellllopl~clic~ melt extrudable material. Examples of sl-it~h~
elastic male,ials include polyether-polyamide block copolymers, polyurethanes, synthetic 5 iinear A-B-A and A-B block copolymers, ci.l2ri"alad rubber/EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) blends, EPDM (ethylene-propylene diene n,onGr"er) rubbers, EPM (ethylene-propylene monomer) rubbers, blends of EPDM/EPM/EVA, and the like. Examples of such composile webs are ~lis~losed in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 316,185 filed September 30, 1994, by Yeo et al. and titled "Perimeter Barrier For Personal Care Absorbent Articles And The Like" (Attomey Docket No. 11,501), which is inco",orated herein by reference.

Altematively, the elastic members 25 may compnse a neck bonded laminate material, an elastic film, an elaslol"eric foam material, or the like. Examples of neck bonded laminate materials are described in U.S. Patent 5,226,992 issued July 13, 1993, to Mol"-an, the 15 ~isrlQsllre of which is i"cGI~oraled herein by rerere,)ce. The elastic members 25 may also cGr",u, ise combinations of several elastic materials.

In one aspect of the invention, the elastic members 25 coi"p,ise an elastic web which is subslanlially air-permeable so as to provide breall ,ability to the outer leg cuffs 28 and inner 2 0 freestanding leg cuffs 29. The elastic members 25 may have an air porosity value of at least about 45.7 m3/(min-m2) (about 150 cubic feet per minute per square foot (cfm/ft2)) in the relaxed state, and at least about 61.0 m3/(min-m2) (about 200 cfm/ft2) at the maximum nondestnuctive elongation (stretch to stop). In particular embodi",enls, the elastic ",e",ber~
25 have an air porosity value of at least about 76.2 m3/(min-m2) (about 250 cfm/ft2) in a 25 relaxed state.

A s~;t~le tech~ ue for determining the air porosity value is the following "Porusily Test", which employs a Frazier Air-Permeability Tester, manufactured by Frazier Precision Instnument Co. of Silver Springs, Maryland, USA, or its equivalent. For the purposes of the 30 present Porosity Test, the Frazier instrument is configured with its 11 millimeter (mm) or 16 mm diameter top attachment orifice, and an app,u~ liale air orifice in the air tank. A sample is cut from the material used to form the elastic members 25. The test sample measures 12.7 by 12.7 cm and can be placed over the all~ch",ent orifice in either its relaxed state or its elongaled state. The orifice should be completely and securely covered with no gaps and 35 no wrinkles in the sample. The test sample is then clamped in posilion employing the clamping device on the Frazier apparatus. The Frazier instrument has a Powerstat control, an inclined manometer and a vertical ."ano",eter. The Powerstat is adjusted until the oil , CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 W 096/20680 PCT~US95/16693 column in the inclined manometer reaches the 0.5 value. At this point, the pressure drop indicated by the vertical manometer should read at least about 7.6 cm (3 inches). If this pressure drop is less than about 7.6 cm (3 inches), the Frazier instrument should be configured with a smaller flow nozle orifice in order to provide the desired about 7.6 cm (3 inch) pressure drop, if posSi'~'E. The procedure for changing the appr~piiaLe nozle is described in the instructions s~rFlied with the Frazier instrument. After the inclined manometer oil column has steadied at the proper level, the level of the oil in the vertical manometer is read and recorded. The vertical manometer reading is then converted to a flow rate in units of cubic feet of air per minute per square foot of sample by employing the 10 calibration/conversion table supplied with the Frazier instrument. It should be noted that the Frazier instrument has a lower measurement limit of about 0.91 m3/(min-m2) (3 cfm/ft2).

In another aspect of the invention, the elastic members 25 are composed of an elastic web which is suL3sld,1lially liquid-impermeable. Desirably, the elastic members 25 have a resislance to water penel,dlion of at least about 30 centimeters, and more particularly at least about 90 centimeters, as determined using Method 5514 of Federal Test Aletllods Standard No. 191A, which is i"co,~oraled herein by rererence.

The elastic members 25 may ccsmp,ise a subslanlially liquid-impermeable material or be.
treated to be sul.sldnlially liquid impermeable. For example, an altemate construction of an elastic member 25iS illustrated in Fig. 6. The elastic member 25 cor"p,ises a stretch bonded laminate of an elastic layer 66 and a liquid impermeable layer 67. The liquid impermeable layer 67 may con,prise a polyethylene film or the like.
.

The elastic members 25 may be operatively joined to the side ,"arg;nal po,lions 40 using . adhesives, ull,dsonic bonds, thermal bonds, or other suit~hle means. The elastic members 25 may be stretch bonded to the side marginal po,lions 40 or bonded in a relaxed state to a gathered portion of the side marg;nal portions. As one illusl,alion of stretch bonding, each elastic member 25 may be stretched to at least about 1.6 times its relaxed length and bonded to the bodyside surface 38 of the bodyside liner 24 using a hot melt adhesive. The adhesive may ccr"prise a hot melt adhesive applied by various techniques, such as spraying, slot-coating extrusion, printing or the like. S~it~hle adhesives are available from Findley Adhesives, Inc., Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Application of the elastic members 25 may allel"dli-/ely be accon r' ~'ned by other methods known in the art.

As illustrated best in Figs. 2-4, the elastic members 25 are desirably posilioned in the side marginal portions 405O that the elastic members span the recessed portions 32 of the outer CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 cover 22. In this way, the elastic members 25 can be bonded to the side marginal portions 40 longitudinally between the recessed portions 32 and the end edges 36 of the bodyside liner24. Specifically in regard to the transverse dire-,lion, the elastic members 25 are desirably posilioned so that at least a portion of the outer zone 64 of each elastic member 25 is located transversely outward from the side edge 31 of the outer cover 22. With particular reference to Fig. 4, at least a portion of the outer zone 64 of the elastic member 25 is located transversely outward from the side edge 31 of the outer cover, at least over the extent of the recessed pOI lions 32.

The inner zones 62 of the elastic members 25 are desirably not bonded to the side marginal portions 40. When the elastic members 25 are allowed to cor,l,acl as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5, the inner zones 62 tend to stand up from the bodyside liner 24 and form the inner freestanding leg cuffs29. The inner zone 62, defined as that portion of the elastic member25 that is contiguous with the inner edge 52 and not bonded to the bodyside liner 24, desirably has a width dimension measured between the inner edge 52 and the abutting outer zone 64 of at least about 4 millimeters, such as from about 4 to about 50 miliimeters, and more particularly from about 8to about 38 millimeters for improved pe,l~l",ance.
Correspondingly, the outer zone 64 is defined as that portion of the elastic member 25 between the inner zone 62 and the outer edge 54. The outer zone 64 suitably has a width dimension measured between the inner zone 62 and the outer edge 54 of at least about 6 milli,neter:" and desirably from about 8 to about 50 millimeters.

The inconlinence garment 20 is held in place about the wearer with the ~llacl,l"ent system 26. The illustrated dllacl""ent system 26 includes a pair of elastic straps 70, hook members 72 at each end of each strap, and loop mer"bera 74 bonded to the outer cover 22 for r~le~c~hly engaging the hook members. As an all~l"dli-/e to hook-and-loop fasteners, the elastic straps 70 could be attached to the outer cover 22 using other types of fasteners (not shown), such as buttons, buckles, snaps or the like. Still alle",dli~/ely, the garment 20 could be maintained about the body of the wearer with other allacl""ent systems (not shown), such as tapes, a belt, cohesive strips orthe like. ~S~it~h'e ~llaclllllelll systems are disrlosed in U.S. Patent 4,315,508 issued November 8, 1988, to Bolick, which is illcG,~ordled herein - by r~rerence.

- In use, the incor,linence garment 20 is positioned about the wearer to receive solid and liquid 3 5 waste and secured with the dllachment system 26. The outer leg cuffs 28 tend to form seals about the legs of the wearer to minimize lea';age. The inner freestanding leg cuffs 29 are CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 W 096/20680 PCTAUS9~/16693 raised from the top surface of the bodyside liner 24 and act as a first impediment to lateral movement of body wastes toward the outer leg cuffs 28 thus assisting in conlainr,~ent.

Due to the nature of the elastic members 25 and their incorporation in the garment 20, a suL.slar,lial amount of elastic ",alerial in terms of surface area is in contact with the wearer.
It is hypothesized that the outer leg cuffs 28 in particular are especi-"y suited to forming seals about the legs as the wide elastic is able to conro"" over two-dir"ensions to the analom-- I topog~aphy. The tension of the elastic members 25 is also dissipated over a greater area making the fit particularly cor"foilable and noni"ildli"g. The select~d elastic 10 members 25 advantageously tend to form smaller more uniform pleats which are less abrasive than those formed by conventional strand elastic leg gathers having only a relatively small number of strands.

The i"conli"ence garment 20 illustrated in Figs. 1-5 is particularly adapted to allow air flow acljace"l the body of the wearer. Specifically where the elastic members 25 are formed of breathable Illdleiials and posilioned to span the recessed portions 32, a path of air permeability is established. The elastic members 25 may be formed of a sub:,lanlially liquid-impermeable material or treated to be sub~lal,lially liquid impermeable to resist le~k~ge.
Further it is hypothesized that the elastic members 25 spanning the recessed portions 32 add to the CGI l ,ful l of the wearer.

~ In one aspect of the invention the garment 20 can provide relatively high degrees of tension without creating locali~ed regions of high tension that contribute to skin i"ildlion. Also the relatively high degrees of tension can be obtained with relatively low elongation of the elastic members 25. In particular, the leg cuff region of the gc""er,l 20 desirably possesses a leg cuff tension of at least about 0.2 kilogram and more desirably at least about 0.25 kilogram.
With the elastic members 25 bonded to the side ",d,yi"al portions 40 at less than about 75 percent elongalion, the leg cuff region of the garment 20 desirably possesses a leg cuff tension of at least about 0.20 kilogram.

A suit~le techn-~ue for determining the ~l~stici~-od leg cuff tension value is the following "Product Tension Test" which determines the tension of the leg cuff region of the ga""enl 20 at a predetermined amount of stretch. The leg cuff regions of the garment 20 include portions of the side marginal po,lions 40 and include the elastic members 25. The Product Tension Test uses the following equipment and ",ale,ials;

1. A !igl llL,ox mounted in a vertical position with clamps along the top edge.

CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 2. A double clamp weight weighing 1000 + 5 grams.
= =
3. A te"lplale 77 with a cenle,line reference 78 as illustrated in Fig. 7. The tei"plale has a length of 64.4 cm. Along each side of the template, a pair of apertures 79 arecentert:d along the length of the template. The apertures in each pair are separdled so that pen marks on a.product made through the apertures are separated by 25.4 cm.This dialance may need to be modified for example to 17.78 cm when smaller products such as diapers or training pants are tested. The apertures are spaced from the centerline reference a sufficient distance so that the marks cG"eapond to the lateral locdlion of the elastic members 25.

4. An elastic tension tester such as a Chatillon DFG2 force gauge available from John Chatillon & Sons Inc. Iocated in New York New York USA. The force gauge has upper and lower clamps such as 3 inch Bulldog clamps.

5. An aluminum gage rod measuring 20.3 cm (8 inches) long. The length may be adjusted to 16 cm for smaller products as noted above.

2 0 6. Pen with black ink.

7. Weights for calibration 50 100, 200, 500 grams tr~ceah'e to the National Bureau of Sta,-da,ds (NBS).

8. Scissors 9. Ruler A garment 20 should be tested no sooner than 4 hours after it is produced. The garment 20 to be tested is condilioned in a standard-condilion almGsphere of 23 + 1~C
(73.4 + 1.8~F) temperature and 50 + 2% relative humidity for 4 hours. The equipment is set up in the following manner:

1. Tum on the Chatillon force gauge and allow 10 minutes for the unit to warm-up.
35 2. Calibrate the Cl,dlillon force gauge using the calibrdliol- w_igllla accor~,ing to the manufacture~s instructions.

CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 W 096120680 PCT~US95116693 3. While suppo.li"g the force gage assembly loosen the locking knob on the back of the force gage asser"bly. Position the force gage asser"bly to give appruxi,,,alely 20.3 cm (16 cm for smaller products) of space between the upper and lower clamps. Religl,len the locking knob to hold the force gage assembly in place.
4. Hold the gage rod between the upper and lower clamps. Use the fine adjustment knob located above the force gage to adjust the dislance until both ciamps just touch the rod.

10 5. Verify that the units of measure on the force gage is set to kilograms. If required push the "zero" button to zero the display.

The test specimens are prepared in the following manner. The garment20 is centered beneath the lightbox clamps and hung with the outer cover 22 against the lightbox. If possible the clamps are attached to avoid the absorbent assembly 23 of the garment 22.
- The double clamp weight is attached to the lower end of the garment and gently lowered.
Next, the te",plale is centered on the ga""ent 20 and each elastic member 25 is marked with the pen through the apertures. The procedure is repeated until a total of 5 garments are marked. Each sd""enl has two leg cuff regions so there are a total of 10 test specimens.
2û
Each of the 10 test specimens can then be tested by the r~ wing procedure.

1. Cut the leg CUff regions from each garment while it is hanging. Use the scissora to make a crosswise cut to the absorbent batt (about 13 mm (about 1/2 inch)) beyond the black ink mark. Cut lengthwise between the elastic and the absorbent batt extending to 13 mm (1/2 inch) beyond the black ink mark on the other end of the elastic member.
Then make a crosswise cut to free the elastic member from the gd,."enL. If the absorbent batt must be cut to remove the elastic members, the absorbent batt should be cut to remove as much absoiL,enl ",ale~ial from the test specimen as possiLle.
3û
2. Wait 30 minutes but no more than 60 minutes from the time of cutting before testing the specimen.

3. Place one end of the specimen into the upper clamp so the black line coincides with the leading edge of the clamp. Take care so a foldover in the liner does not gettrapped in the clamp, as this may give erroneously high results.

-CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 W O 96/20680 PCTrUS95/16693 4. Press the "ZERO" button to tare the weight of the specimen.

5. Unhook the lower slider raise it up and place the bottom of the specimen in the lower clamp so the marked line coincides with the leading edge of the clamp. The smallreading showing on the display should have no effect on the final value.

6. Gently, lower the "Sample" sleeve over a three second time interval until it touches and latches to the bottom latch.

lO 7. Wait 5 seconds then check the alignment of the black lines with the clamps. If no slippage has occurred record the reading on the force gauge. If slippage has occurred replace the clamps as needed and test a new specimen.

The leg cuff tension is the average of the 10 measured values.
An all~,l,ali~/e inconli"ence garment 80 accorc~i.,g to the present invention is partially shown in Fig. 8 where con,ponents similar to those previously described have been given the same r~rer~nce numeral. The outer cover 22 and bodyside liner 24 of the gar",enl 80 are coextensive about their entire peripheries. As a result no recessed portions are formed similar to the recessed pollio"s 32 of the garment 20 of Figs. 1-5. Also the side marginal poi lions 40 of the garment 80 are wider than in the previous embodiment so that the elastic members 25 are spaced a greater di~tance in the transverse di,t:~lion from the absorbent assernbly 23.

In cont,dsl to the embodiment of Fig. 8 an alternative incorilil ,ence gamment 82 shown in Fig.
9 includes an outer cover 22 and bodyside liner24 that together define a recessed portion 83. Desirably both the outer cover 22 and the bodyside liner 24 are generally l-shaped so that their side edges together define the recessed portions 83 appr~,~i",alely midway between the end edges 30. The elastic members 25 are bonded to the bodyside liner 24 to span the recessed portion 83 and at least a portion of the outer zone 64 of each of the elastic members 25 extends transversely outward from the side edges of the outer cover 22 and bodyside liner. The recessed portions 83 desirably constitute from about 15 to about 75 percent of the longitudinal length dimension of the g~.",e"l 82 but could altematively extend the full length.
With reference to Fi9s. 10 and 11, a further altemative inconti~ence garment 86 accord;"9 to the present invention includes an outer cover 22 with side edges 31 shaped to define guard CA 022091~6 1997-06-27 po, liGns 88, only one of which is shown. The guard po, lions 88 may be formed by slitting the outer cover 22 at spaced locations so that the portion resulting between the slits, the guard portion, can be folded over the side edges of the absorbent asse,l,bly23. The guard po, lions 88 are then posilioned on the absorbent assembly 23 beneath the bodyside liner 24 5 and may be adhesively bonded to the absorbent assembly 23. The guard po, lions 88 can also be formed by folding the entire side marginal portions 40 over the absorbent assembly 23.

Desirably, the guard portion 88 has a length dimension measured parallel to the longitudinal axis of the garment 86 of from about 10 to about 40 centimeters, and more particularly from about 15 to about 35 centimeters. The guard portion 88 also has a width dimension defined by the transverse extent of the slits of from about 10 to about 50 millimeters, and more desirably from about 20 to about 40 millimeters.

The garment 86 is assembled by forming the guard portions 88 in the outer cover 22 and folding the guard portions over the side edges of the absorbent assembly 23. The folded over guard portions 88 define recessed portions 32 of the side edges 31 of the outer cover 22. The bodyside liner 24 is then bonded to the guard po, lions 88 and side edges 31 of the outer cover 22. The elastic members 25 are then bonded to the bodyside liner 24 so that 20 they span the recessed portions 32. In this way, the guard portions 88 serve to minimize side leakage while the recessed portions 32 enhance co"~fo,l and e~l-' I s'n a path of air permeability.

~ The foregoing det~ d des.;,iption has been for the purpose of illustration. Thus, a number 25 of modiri~lions and changes may be made without depa,ling from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For i"slance, altemative or oplional features described as part of one embodiment can be used to yield another embodiment. Thererure, the invention should not be limited by the specific embodiments described, but only by the claims.

Claims

21

1. An absorbent article, (20; 80; 82; 86) comprising:
an outer cover (22) having longitudinal end edges (30) and longitudinal side edges (31) extending between the end edges (30);
a bodyside liner (24) bonded to the outer cover (22);
an absorbent assembly (23) disposed between the bodyside liner (24) and the outer cover (22), at least one of the bodyside liner (24) and outer cover (22) forming side marginal portions (40) which extend beyond the absorbent assembly (23); and elastic members (25) having opposite end edges (50) opposite inner and outer edges (52, 54), an inner zone (62) adjacent the inner edge (52) and an outer zone (64) adjacent the outer edge (54);
wherein the outer zone (64) of each of the elastic members (25) is bonded to one of the side marginal portions (40), and the inner zone (62) of each of the elastic members (25) forms a freestanding cuff (29).

2. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the opposite inner and outer edges are extending between the end edges (50) and define a width dimension, and wherein the elastic members (25) are elasticized over substantially the entire width dimension.

3. The absorbent article of claim 1 or 2, wherein the absorbent article (20) has a leg cuff tension of at least about 0.2 kg, preferably at least about 0.25 kg.

4. The absorbent article of one of the preceding claims wherein the side edges (31) of the outer cover (22) are positioned at locations transversely inward from the outer edges (54) of the elastic members (25).

5. The absorbent article of one of the preceding claims, wherein the elastic members (25) comprise an air-permeable and/or liquid-impermeable material.

6. The absorbent article of one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner zone (62) has a width dimension between the inner edge (52) and the outer zone (64) of at least about 4 millimeters and the outer zone (64) has a width dimension between the outer edge (54) and the inner zone (62) of at least about 6 millimeters.

7. The absorbent article of one of the preceding claims, wherein the elastic members (25) comprise a breathable material having an air porosity value of at least about 45m3/(min-m2) (about 150 cubic feet per minute per square foot) in a relaxed state.

8. The absorbent article of one of the preceding claims wherein the outer zone (64) of each of the elastic members (25) is bonded to one of the side marginal portions (40) with at least a portion of the outer zone (64) located transversely outward from the side edges (31) of the outer cover (22).

9. The absorbent article of one of the preceding claims, wherein said elastic members (25) have a length dimension extending between said opposite end edges (50) of from about 20 to about 50 centimeters.

10. The absorbent article of one of the preceding claims, wherein said outer zone (64) is abutting said inner zone (62).

11. The absorbent article of one of the preceding claims, wherein said elastic members (25) comprise an elastomeric nonwoven fibrous web material composed of at least one layer of nonwoven fabric secured to an elastic layer.

12. The absorbent article of one of the preceding claims, wherein said elastic members (25) have an air porosity value of at least about 45 m3/(min m2) (about 150 cubic feet per minute per square foot) in a relaxed state.

13. The absorbent article of one of the preceding claims, wherein at least a portion of the outer zone (64) of each of the elastic members (25) is positioned transversely outward from the side edges (31) of the outer cover (22).

14. The absorbent article of one of the preceding claims, wherein the elastic members (25) have a width dimension between the inner and outer edges of from about 15 to about 70 millimeters, preferably of from about 20 to about 60 millimeters.

15. The absorbent article of one of the preceding claims, wherein at least a portion of the outer zone (64) of each of the elastic members (25) extends transversely outward from the side edges (31) of the outer cover (22).

16. The absorbent article of one of the preceding claims, wherein the elastic members (25) have a three panel tension value of at least about 100 grams, preferably at least about 170 grams.

17. The absorbent article of one of the preceding claims, wherein the elastic members (25) have an eight panel tension value of at least about 15 grams, preferably at least about 25 grams.

18. The absorbent article of one of the preceding claims, wherein the side edges (31) of the outer cover (22) are each shaped to define a recessed portion (32) approximately midway between the longitudinal end edges (30), and the elastic members span therecessed portions (32).

19. The absorbent article of claim 18, wherein the side edges (31) of the outer cover (22) are shaped to define a guard portion (88) and the guard portion (88) is folded onto the absorbent assembly (23) to define the recessed portion (32).

20. The absorbent article of one of the preceding claims, wherein at least a portion of the outer zone (64) of each of the elastic members (25) extends transversely outward from side edges of the bodyside liner (24).

21. An absorbent article (20; 80; 82; 86) especially according to one of the preceding claims, comprising:
an outer cover (22) having longitudinal end edges (30) and longitudinal side edges (31) extending between the end edges (30);
a bodyside liner (24) bonded to the outer cover (22) and having longitudinal end edges and longitudinal side edges extending between the end edges;

an absorbent assembly (23) disposed between the bodyside liner (24) and outer cover (22), at least one of the bodyside liner (24) and outer cover (22) forming side marginal portions (40) which extend beyond the absorbent assembly (23); and elastic members (25) having a length dimension extending between opposite end edges (50), a width dimension extending between opposite inner and outer edges (52, 54), an inner zone (62) adjacent the inner edge (52), and the outer zone (64) adjacent the outer edge (54) and abutting the inner zone (62);
wherein the outer zone (64) of each of the elastic members (25) is bonded to one of the side marginal portions (40) with at least a portion of the outer zone (64) of each of the elastic members (25) extending transversely outward from the side edges (31) of the outer cover (22), the inner zone (62) of each of the elastic members (25) forms a freestanding cuff (29), the width dimension measures from about 15 to about 70 millimeters, the elastic members (25) are elasticized over substantially the entire width dimension, and the absorbent assembly (23) has a leg cuff tension of at least about 0.2 kilogram.

22. An absorbent article, comprising:
an outer cover having longitudinal end edges and longitudinal side edges extending between the end edges, each side edge being shaped to define a recessed portion approximately midway between the longitudinal end edges;
a bodyside liner bonded to the outer cover;
an absorbent assembly disposed between the bodyside liner and the outer cover, at least one of the bodyside liner and outer cover forming side marginal portions which extend beyond the absorbent assembly; and elastic members comprising an air-permeable material and having opposite end edges, opposite inner and outer edges extending between the end edges and defining a width dimension, an inner zone adjacent the inner edge, and an outer zone adjacent the outer edge, wherein the outer zone of each of the elastic members is bonded to one of the side marginal portions such that the elastic members span the recessed portions and at least a portion of the outer zone of each elastic member is positioned transversely outward from the side edge of the outer cover, the inner zone of each of the elastic members forms a freestanding cuff, and the elastic members are elasticized over substantially the entire width dimension.

23. The absorbent article of claim 22, wherein the absorbent article has a leg cuff tension of at least about 0.2 kilogram.

24. The absorbent article of claim 22, wherein the absorbent article has a leg cuff tension of at least about 0.25 kilogram.

25. The absorbent article of claim 22, wherein the elastic members comprise a liquid-impermeable material.

26. The absorbent article of claim 22, wherein the inner zone has a width dimension between the inner edge and the outer zone of at least about 4 millimeters and the outer zone has a width dimension between the outer edge and the inner zone of at least about 6 millimeters.

27. The absorbent article of claim 22, wherein the elastic members have a width dimension between the inner and outer edges of from about 15 to about 70 millimeters.

28. The absorbent article of claim 22, wherein at least a portion of the outer zone of each of the elastic members extends transversely outward from the side edges of the bodyside liner.

29. The absorbent article of claim 22, wherein the elastic members have a three panel tension value of at least about 100 grams.

30. The absorbent article of claim 22, wherein the elastic members have an eight panel tension value of at least about 15 grams.

31. The absorbent article of claim 22, wherein the side edges of the outer coverare shaped to define a guard portion and the guard portion is folded onto the absorbent assembly to define the recessed portion.