US Patent No.: 8,633,347 B2
Inventor(s): Carlo Bianco, Pescara, Italy; Domenico Polidori, Pescara, Italy; and Tonino De Angelis, Pescara, Italy
Company: Fameccanica.Data S.p.A., Sambuceto di San Giovanni Teatino, Italy.
Filed: 12/3/07
Issued: 1/21/14

An absorbent element for the absorption of body fluids in sanitary articles, comprising: a first layer of sheet material presenting an array of hollowed formations with respective mouth parts; masses of superabsorbent material arranged in the hollowed formations and expandable as a result of the absorption of body fluid; and a second layer of sheet material, applied on said first layer of sheet material covering the mouth parts of said hollowed formations, wherein at least one of said first and second layers of sheet material is permeable to body fluids to enable the body fluids themselves to penetrate into said hollowed formations and be absorbed by said masses of superabsorbent material that expand in said hollowed formations; said second layer of sheet material is compliant in an area corresponding to the mouth parts of said hollowed formations, enabling the further expansion of said masses of superabsorbent material beyond said hollowed formations; and said first and second layers of sheet material are connected to one another by adhesive formations that extend in an area where said hollowed formations are located, said adhesive formations leaving at least partially free the mouth parts of said hollowed formations, and wherein said adhesive formations include both stable adhesive formations that leave the mouth parts of said hollowed formations at least partially free and hydrosoluble adhesive formations that connect said first and second layers of sheet material so as to separate hollowed formations set adjacent to one another, said hydrosoluble adhesive formations being soluble by said body fluids to enable said further expansion of said masses of superabsorbent material beyond said hollowed formations.