1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an absorbent article which includes containment gaskets. The invention more particularly relates to an absorbent article which uses a composite material to provide containment gaskets which provide a seal against the body of a wearer to prevent leakage of body exudates. The invention also relates to an absorbent article which includes such containment gaskets and at least one waist flap to provide a barrier and additional void volume to contain body exudates.
1. Description of the Related Art
It is desired that absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants or incontinence garments both provide a close, comfortable fit about the wearer and contain body exudates. Absorbent articles typically have elasticized portions at the leg and waist openings to provide an improved fit about the wearer and contain body exudates. For example, conventional absorbent articles generally utilize elastic strands positioned at the leg and waist opening regions to gather the absorbent article and hold it against the body of the wearer. However, absorbent articles having such elasticized portions have commonly failed or leaked at the legs and waist when the wearer has exerted compressive forces on the absorbent article.
Typically, the leakage at the legs and waist is due to a variety of reasons. For example, conventional absorbent articles generally have a relatively small absorbent capacity and a relatively small void volume capacity in the crotch portion. As used herein, the term "void volume" refers to the void volume created between the absorbent article and the wearer when in use. Such void volume is desirable to provide containment of body exudates and, in particular, containment of solid and semi-solid body exudates. The crotch portion of such conventional absorbent articles having a relatively small absorbent capacity and small void volume has become saturated and resulted in excessive pooling of body exudates on the bodyfacing surface of the absorbent article. The pooled exudates can then leak from the leg openings of the absorbent article when compressive forces are exerted by the wearer. Such leakage undesirably soils the outer clothing or bedding of the wearer.
Moreover, insufficient torsional rigidity or stiffness of the leg and waist opening regions of the absorbent articles has resulted in leakage around the leg and waist openings when the wearer has exerted compressive forces on the absorbent article. Elasticized portions which are typically used at the leg and waist opening regions have not had sufficient rigidity and have tended to provide only a relatively small area of contact with the body of the wearer. Such low rigidity and minimal contact has also resulted in an undesirable amount of leakage.
Attempts to alleviate the leakage of fluid have included providing physical barriers such as containment flaps in combination with elastic leg and waist gathers. High-absorbency particles have also been included in the absorbent structure to increase the fluid holding capacity in various regions of the absorbent article.
However, such attempts have not sufficiently reduced the amount of leakage in absorbent articles and, in particular, in absorbent articles which include an absorbent core which has a narrow crotch width. The addition of containment flaps and elastic leg and waist gathers has helped reduce leakage but such absorbent articles have still had an undesirable amount of leakage. Moreover, typical elastic leg and waist gathers have not been sufficiently soft and have tended to irritate the skin of the wearer. Further, many of the containment flaps used have not been sufficiently rigid and have tended to collapse in use. The containment flaps also have not remained sufficiently spaced away from the bodyside surface of the absorbent article to efficiently provide void volume capacity to contain solid body exudates such as feces.
Despite the attempts to develop improved absorbent articles, there remains a need for absorbent articles which better contain bodily exudates when under compressive forces. There is a need for an absorbent article that can effectively provide a soft, conformable seal about the legs and waist of the wearer to better contain body exudates. Moreover, there is a need for an absorbent article which is capable of maintaining sufficient void volume under typical loading conditions.