WO2010071511A1

WO2010071511A1 - Absorbent article with integrated loop

Info

Publication number: WO2010071511A1
Application number: PCT/SE2008/051481
Authority: WO
Inventors: Solgun Drevik
Original assignee: Sca Hygiene Products Ab
Priority date: 2008-12-17
Filing date: 2008-12-17
Publication date: 2010-06-24

Abstract

The present invention provides a sanitary napkin which can be secured in a folded configuration for safe, hygienic disposal, as well as a method for hygienic disposal of a soiled sanitary napkin. At least one slit is provided in a portion of the peripheral region of the sanitary napkin, through which at least a portion of the sanitary napkin can be inserted once the napkin has been rolled up or folded for disposal.

Description

ABSORBENT ARTICLE WITH INTEGRATED LOOP

TECHNICAL FIELD

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Absorbent articles such as incontinence guards, sanitary napkins and panty liners are used for the absorption of bodily exudates, such as blood and urine. Such articles are usually disposable; i.e. the articles are not intended to be cleaned or reused, but are rather discarded after use.

After a sanitary napkin has been used and soiled, a user or caregiver is faced with the problem of safe, hygienic disposal of the absorbent article and its contents. Usually, the sanitary napkin is folded or rolled with the contents facing inwards, and disposed of. This technique tends to keep the exudate within the napkin, and is more aesthetically pleasing, as exudate such as blood is not visible from the outside of the article. This is a particular problem for incontinence guards, sanitary napkins and panty liners, as the bodily exudate is present on one face of such products, and is therefore exposed to the environment and particularly susceptible to leakage. In addition, such products do not generally have fastening means as diapers do, which would allow them to be fastened in a rolled-up or folded state.

However, without specific means to prevent unfolding or rolling, folded or rolled sanitary napkins are free to open up again, thus soiling waste receptacles and allowing the exudate to be released into the surrounding environment. Indeed, as bodily exudate may slowly be redistributed within a sanitary napkin after use, it is common that a redistribution of the forces within a sanitary napkin cause it to unfold or unroll. A number of solutions are known in the art for securing a sanitary napkin in a rolled or folded configuration for disposal.

Certain sanitary napkin can be secured in a rolled or folded configuration for disposal using existing fastening means on the article. For example, a sanitary napkin having wings comprising adhesive can be maintained in a folded configuration by adhering the wings to each other or to the body of the napkin (see e.g. US 5,358,499). However, particularly in small sanitary napkins and panty liners, adhesive wings are not always present.

A disposal tab (of adhesive or hook material) may be present on absorbent articles to assist with disposal. After the absorbent article has been folded up, the disposal tab is deployed to fix the absorbent article in the folded configuration. Such a solution is illustrated in US 4,380,450, and similarly, US 5,484,636. However, the inclusion of a disposal tab involves extra materials and manufacturing costs, and introduces the risk that the disposal tab may fall off or become attached to the wearer's clothing during use. Disposal tape may contact the wearer's skin, causing abrasion, and can make a product less discrete.

US2007/0129942 discloses an expandable disposal tape for use in a disposable absorbent article. EP 1 205 170 discloses a disposable pull-on diaper with disposable securing means.

Another method for securing a soiled absorbent article in a rolled or folded configuration is by providing a pocket on the article into which the folded absorbent article is inserted. However, this solution requires the formation of the pocket from extra materials.

There remains a need for a sanitary napkin which can be maintained in a rolled or folded configuration for disposal, in a simple, effective manner, without the requirement for extra components, and with minimal changes to the manufacturing process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a sanitary napkin having a peripheral region and a central region. At least one slit is located in a portion of said peripheral region. The slit is arranged such that the sanitary napkin may be rolled and/or folded and at least a portion of the sanitary napkin inserted at least partly through said at least one slit to secure the sanitary napkin in a rolled and/or folded configuration.

The central region may be defined by an absorbent core; and the peripheral region extends about at least a portion of the absorbent core.

The slit may be arranged such that a portion of the absorbent core (as opposed to the sanitary napkin itself) may be inserted at least partly through said slit to secure the absorbent article in a rolled and/or folded configuration.

Suitably, the sanitary napkin comprises a liquid-permeable topsheet and/or a liquid- impermeable backsheet, and the peripheral region is defined by the portion of said topsheet and/or backsheet which extends beyond the main part of the absorbent core, preferably the entire absorbent core.

The napkin is preferably elongate, with front and rear regions, and wherein the slit is located substantially in one of said front or said rear regions of the napkin, preferably the front region.

In one embodiment, the napkin has a middle region located between said front and rear regions of the napkin in the longitudinal direction thereof, said middle region having a minimum transverse extension (T1) which is less than the maximum transverse extension (12) of the rear region, said slit being located in the peripheral region in the front region of the sanitary napkin, said slit having an extension in the transverse direction (T) which is less than the transverse extension (T2) of the rear region.

Suitably, the slit comprises perforations which hold the slit substantially closed when the sanitary napkin is being worn, but which may be broken to open the slit. Preferably, the ends, of the slit are reinforced. The material of the peripheral region surrounding said slit is preferably extensible.

The invention also provides a method for disposal of a sanitary napkin after use, said method comprising the steps of: a. providing a sanitary napkin as described herein; b. if required, breaking perforations to open the at least one slit; c. rolling and/or folding the sanitary napkin; d. inserting at least a portion of the rolled and/or folded sanitary napkin at least partly through said at least one slit to secure the sanitary napkin in a rolled and/or folded configuration.

DEFINITIONS

The term "sanitary napkin" is used in the following to include sanitary napkins for use during menstruation, as well as incontinence guards for male and female use, and panty liners, including articles designed for use with "string" or "thong"-type underwear. Common to all these absorbent articles is that they are essentially planar, have two opposing faces, and are generally not meant to fasten around the wearer's waist. Instead, they are usually fastened to a wearer's underwear.

As used herein, the term "elastic", refers to any material which, upon application of a biasing force, is stretchable, that is, elongatable, to at least about 60 percent (i.e., to a stretched, biased length which is at least about 160 percent of its relaxed unbiased length), and which, will recover at least 55 percent of its elongation upon release of the stretching, elongation force.

As used herein, the term "extensible" refers to any material which, upon application of a biasing force, is stretchable, that is, elongatable, to at least about 60 percent without suffering catastrophic failure (i.e., to a stretched, biased length which is at least about 160 percent of its relaxed unbiased length), but does not recover more than 55 percent of its elongation upon release of the stretching, elongation force.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be more closely described with reference to the enclosed schematic figures, in which; Figure 1 shows a sanitary napkin according to the invention prior to opening the slit, seen from the wearer-facing side.

Figure 2 shows the sanitary napkin of Figure 1 after opening the slit. Figures 3A and 3B show how the sanitary napkin of Figure 2 may be rolled and retained in a rolled configuration. Figures 4A and 4B show how the sanitary napkin of Figure 2 may be folded and retained in a folded configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention relates to sanitary napkins, which should be understood to include sanitary napkins for use during menstruation, as well as light urine incontinence guards and panty liners. All such articles have a generally elongate planar form, and are designed to be worn in the genital region of a wearer to absorb bodily fluids. They therefore have two faces - one of which faces the body of the wearer and acts to receive exudate, and the other of which faces the wearer's clothes.

Figure 1 shows a sanitary napkin 10. Sanitary napkins have longitudinal (L) and transverse (T) extensions as shown, and are symmetric about a longitudinal centre line. They may also be symmetric about a transverse centre line, although this is less common. Sanitary napkins 10 have a variety of shapes in the L-T plane, including oval, "dog-bone", "race-track" and "mermaid". Certain sanitary napkins may be triangular. Sanitary napkins are usually planar, which allows for easier transport and packaging, but may even have a three-dimensional form, provided e.g. by extra components or elastics in certain regions. The napkin 10 has a middle region 13 and front 1 1 and rear 12 regions, said middle region 13 being located between said front 1 1 and rear 12 regions in the longitudinal direction. A typical sanitary napkin may have an extension in the longitudinal direction L of between circa 200 and 300cm, and an extension in the transverse direction T of between circa 50 and 90cm.

The sanitary napkin 10 shown in Figure 1 comprises a liquid-permeable topsheet 50, a liquid-impermeable backsheet 60 and an absorbent core 31 located therebetween. However, not all sanitary napkins comprise all of these components. Certain small panty liners do not comprise an absorbent core 31 as such, but instead comprise additional layers of material, e.g. nonwoven material, in the certain regions thereof. Certain sanitary napkins do not comprise a traditional combination of fluff pulp and superabsorbent material, but instead comprise foam material or NW laminate material. If a slit 40 is made through a fluff pulp core, the absorbent core 31 will not maintain its structure and performance, which is undesirable. However, if the absorbent core 31 comprises other materials which can retain their shape and performance (e.g. foams or NW laminates), the slit 40 may be located through the core 31. Additionally, certain sanitary napkins do not comprise separate topsheets 50 or backsheets 60. Sanitary napkins according to the invention may also comprise one or more elastic members (not shown) which are arranged so that the napkin adopts the appropriate form when in use.

The topsheet 50 of the article 10 is the layer which lies in contact with the wearer's body when the article is in use. As such, it should be soft, non-irritating and comfortable against the skin, and bodily fluid should be able to pass through it without hindrance. The topsheet 50 can consist of a nonwoven material, e.g. spunbond, meltblown, carded, hydroentangled, wetlaid etc. Suitable nonwoven materials can be composed of natural fibers, such as woodpulp or cotton fibres, manmade fibres, such as polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, viscose etc. or from a mixture of natural and manmade fibres. The topsheet may further be composed of tow fibres, which may be bonded to each other in a bonding pattern, as e.g. disclosed in EP-A- 1 035 818. Further examples of materials suitable for topsheets are porous foams, apertured plastic films etc. Combinations or laminates of the above products are also possible in the topsheet 50. The topsheet 50 may be different in different parts of the absorbent article 10. The topsheet 50 is preferably extensible (it can be stretched without significant elastic forces being present which return it to its original dimensions).

The backsheet 60 of the article 10 is the layer which lies furthest from the wearer's body when the article is in use. To protect the wearer's garments from soiling, it should be liquid-impermeable, but is desirably gas-permeable (i.e. breathable) to allow air and vapour to pass in and out of the article so that the warm, damp conditions which can arise in an article are reduced. Typically, the backsheet 60 is of a liquid impervious material, such as a thin plastic film, e.g. a polyethylene or polypropylene film, a nonwoven material coated with a liquid impervious material, a hydrophobic nonwoven material, which resists liquid penetration or a laminate comprising plastic films and nonwoven materials. Examples of breathable backsheet materials are porous polymeric films, nonwoven laminates from spunbond and meltblown layers, laminates from porous polymeric films and nonwovens. The backsheet 60 may also comprise foam material, alone or in combination with one or more of the above-mentioned materials. The backsheet 60 is preferably extensible. The backsheet 60 may be different in different parts of the absorbent article 10. The absorbent core 31 of the article 10 acts to receive and contain liquid and other bodily exudates and can be of any conventional kind. As such, it typically comprises absorbent material. Examples of commonly-occurring absorbent materials are cellulosic fluff pulp, tissue layers, highly-absorbent polymers (so called superabsorbents), absorbent foam materials, absorbent nonwoven materials or the like. It is common to combine cellulosic fluff pulp with superabsorbents in an absorbent body. It is also common to have absorbent cores comprising layers of different material with different properties with respect to liquid receiving capacity, liquid distribution capacity and storage capacity. The thin absorbent cores, which are common in for example baby diapers and incontinence guards, often comprise a compressed mixed or layered structure of cellulosic fluff pulp and superabsorbent. The size and absorbent capacity of the absorbent core 31 may be varied to be suited for different uses such as for infants or for incontinent adults.

The absorbent core 31 may comprise one or more layers which are designed to improve the handling of bodily waste. Such layers are designed to receive a large amount of liquid in a short space of time and distribute it evenly across the absorbent core 31. They may include so-called transfer, distribution, surge or acquisition layers, and are usually located between the topsheet 50 and the absorbent core 31. So-called "all-in-one" absorbent cores comprise substantially the same material throughout the core, but at least one property (e.g. density or porosity) of the material varies within said core.

The topsheet 50 and backsheet 60 generally have a similar extension in the plane of the article, while the absorbent core 31 has an extension which is somewhat smaller. The topsheet 50 and backsheet 60 are joined to one another around the periphery of the absorbent core 31 , so that the core 31 is enclosed within the envelope formed by the topsheet 50 and the backsheet 60. The absorbent core 31 is at least located in the middle region 13 of the article 10, and may also extend somewhat into the front 11 and rear 12 regions. The topsheet 50 and backsheet 60 may be joined to one another by any means common in the art, e.g. ultrasonic welding, thermal welding or gluing.

Seen in plan view, the sanitary napkin 10 of Figure 1 has a central region 30 surrounded by a peripheral region 20. The central region 30 is centred about the longitudinal axis of the napkin 10, and may optionally be centred about the transverse axis of the napkin 10. The boundaries of the central region 30 are defined by the peripheral region 20. The peripheral region 20 is defined by that region of the sanitary napkin 10 which surrounds the central region 30, and typically defines the outer 3cm, preferably the outer 2cm, more preferably the outer 1 cm of the sanitary napkin 10. Suitably, the peripheral region 20 surrounds the entire central region 30 of the sanitary napkin 10 (in the L-T plane).

Small sanitary napkins 10, such as panty liners do not necessarily possess an absorbent core 31 , but instead may comprise alternative layers of material, e.g. nonwoven material, in the central region 30. In such cases, the central region 30 is defined by such alternative layers of material (i.e. the edges of the central region 30 and the alternative layers of material coincide).

When the sanitary napkin 10 comprises an absorbent core 31 , the central region 30 may be defined by the absorbent core 31 (i.e. the edges of the central region 30 and the absorbent core 31 coincide), and the peripheral region 20 extends about at least a portion of the absorbent core 31 , preferably about the entire absorbent core 31. The sanitary napkin 10 may comprise a liquid-permeable topsheet 50 and/or a liquid-impermeable backsheet 60, as described above, and thus, the peripheral region 20 is defined by the portion of said topsheet 50 and/or backsheet 60 which extends beyond the absorbent core 31 (i.e. the fringe 21 of the napkin 10). Typically, therefore the peripheral region 20 comprises only topsheet 50 and/or backsheet 60, preferably both topsheet 50 and backsheet 60.

The absorbent core 31 of the sanitary napkin 10 may be three-dimensional, with e.g. humps, cut-outs or other features which contribute to favourable liquid flow and good fit.

At least one slit 40 is located in a portion of said peripheral region 20. The slit 40 extends completely through the entire sanitary napkin 40, from one face to the other. The slit preferably takes the form of a single line, e.g. a straight line, but it may also be curved so as to follow the edges and/or contours of the sanitary napkin 10. The slit 40 may also take the form of one or more adjoining lines. For example, the slit 40 may be formed of a single line, which is joined to one or more shorter lines (e.g. in a T-shape, or a Y-shape). In this way, the slit 40 can open to a greater extent than if it had been a single line. Preferably, only one slit 40 is present in the peripheral region 20, although two slits 40 may be present. The slit 40 does not extend to the edge of the sanitary napkin 10 - it is entirely contained within the sanitary napkin 10. In this way, a loop 45 is formed.

Similarly, the slit 40 is preferably not located in the region of the absorbent core 31 , as - in those napkins 10 which have an absorbent core 31 - the absorbent core 31 defines the central region 30. This has the advantage that the core remains intact, and core material cannot escape from the napkin 10 via said slit 40. However, for some types of core material (e.g. foam or NW laminates), it may be possible that the slit 40 is located in the region of the absorbent core 31.

The slit 40 is located in a portion of (i.e. not the entire) peripheral region 20. The slit 40 may be located adjacent one transverse edge (14, 15), or one longitudinal edge (16, 17) of the napkin 10. If the sanitary napkin 10 is elongate, with front 1 1 and rear 12 regions, the slit 40 is located substantially in one of said front 11 or said rear 12 regions of the napkin 10, preferably the front region 11. The slit 40 may also be located on a corner of the sanitary napkin 10, i.e. the slit 40 is located adjacent both a transverse edge (14, 15) and a longitudinal edge (16, 17) of the napkin. Placing the slit 40 on the corner of the sanitary napkin 10 allows the slit 40 to open further than it would if it were only placed adjacent one edge.

The slit 40 is preferably located within 2.5cm from an edge of the sanitary napkin 10, more preferably within 1.5cm, most preferably within 1 cm. However, placing the slit 40 too close to the edge of the sanitary napkin 10 makes the loop 45 too thin, and the risk of breakage arises. The slit 40 is therefore preferably located at least 0.3, more preferably at least 0.5 from the edge of the sanitary napkin.

The slit 40 suitably has a length of between 20 and 100mm, preferably between 30 and 80mm, more preferably circa 50mm. If the slit 40 is branched, or comprises more than one line, this length should be considered as the longest length of a single line comprised in said slit 40.

Suitably, the ends 42, 43 of the slit 40 are reinforced. Reinforcement reduces the risk of the loop 45 breaking and/or the slit 40 tearing beyond the required distance. Reinforcement can be carried out by e.g. addition of adhesive at the ends 42, 43 of the slit 40, addition of extra material at least at the ends 42, 43 of the slit 40, and/or welding/melting the material of the peripheral region 20 located at said ends 42, 43.

The slit 40 may comprise perforations 41 so that the slit 40 is held substantially closed when the sanitary napkin 10 is being worn, but which may be broken (i.e. interconnected) to open the slit 40. Perforations 41 are typically spaced at regular intervals along the length of the slit 40 (e.g. 1-15mm intervals), and have a typical extension in the direction of the slit of between 1 and 15mm. The provision of perforations 41 reduces the likelihood of bodily exudates leaking through the slit 40 in the peripheral region 20, and provides the wearer with visual reassurance of a "complete" product. Preferably, the perforations 41 are easier to break towards the middle of the slit 40 than at the ends 42, 43 thereof. This provides a similar effect to reinforcement of the ends, in that opening the slit 40 becomes more difficult closer to the ends 42, 43. Figure 2 shows how perforations 41 may be broken to form the loop 45.

As well as perforations 41 , the sanitary napkin 10 may comprise indications 42, which indicate to a user how and where the slit 40 should be opened. For instance, indications 42 may comprise one or more dotted or dashed lines printed on the sanitary napkin 10. Alternatively, the indications 42 may comprise e.g. arrows, colour, printed text or icons which indicate in which direction and where or how a user should pull the sanitary napkin 10 to open the slit 40.

The slit 40 is arranged such that the sanitary napkin 10 may be rolled and/or folded and at least a portion of the sanitary napkin 10 inserted at least partly through said at least one slit 40 to secure the sanitary napkin 10 in a rolled and/or folded configuration. Rolling and/or folding for disposal takes place with the topsheet 50 is located on the inside. Most commonly, the sanitary napkin 10 is rolled.

The absorbent core 31 of the napkin 10 is more resilient than the fringe 21. Suitably, therefore - in those sanitary napkins 10 which comprise an absorbent core 31 - the slit 40 is arranged such that a portion of the absorbent core 31 may be inserted at least partly through the slit 40 to secure the absorbent article in a rolled and/or folded configuration.

Figure 3A illustrates how a sanitary napkin 10 may be rolled up, and Figure 3B shows how it may be secured in the rolled configuration by wrapping the loop 45 about the rolled- up article. Preferably, the entire sanitary napkin 10 is inserted through the slit 40, as shown. However, a variety of ways of rolling and securing the sanitary napkin 10 are conceivable, depending on the dimensions of the sanitary napkin 10 and the size and location of the slit 40.

An alternative way of securing the sanitary napkin 10 for disposal is shown in Figure 4. This method is relevant when the sanitary napkin 10 has the relative dimensions T1 , T2 and T3 illustrated. In this embodiment, the slit 40 is located in the peripheral region 20 in the front 11 region of the sanitary napkin 10. The napkin 10 has a middle region 13 located between said front 11 and rear 12 regions of the napkin 10 in the longitudinal direction thereof. The middle region 13 has a minimum transverse extension (T1) which is less than the maximum transverse extension (T2) of the rear 12 region, as shown. The slit 40 is located in the peripheral region 20 in the front 11 region of the sanitary napkin 10, and has an extension in the transverse direction (T3) which is less than the transverse extension (T2) of the rear 12 region. Preferably, the slit 40 has an extension in the transverse direction (T3) which is greater than the extension in the transverse direction (T1 ) of the middle region 13.

In this embodiment, the sanitary napkin 10 can be folded and the rear region 12 inserted through the slit 40. Due to the differences in transverse extensions (T1 , T2, T3), the rear region 12 cannot easily be removed from the slit 40 and the napkin 10 is retained in its folded state by the wider rear region 12.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the slit 40 may be located in the rear region 13, and the front region 1 1 may be inserted through the slit 40 in the folded configuration. In this case, all references to "front" and "rear" should be reversed in the above text.

In addition to the rolled and folded configurations shown in Figures 3A₁ 3B, 4A and 4B, a variety of other rolled and/or folded configurations exist, which can be retained in place by inserting at least a portion of the rolled and/or folded sanitary napkin 10 through the slit 40. For instance, the sanitary napkin 10 could be folded along two or more fold lines, to form a triple-fold or quadruple-fold, instead of the double-fold shown in Figure 4. The napkin 10 could be folded in two or more different directions, e.g. folded into quarters. A combination of folding and rolling could be used: e.g. by folding the napkin 10 in half in one direction, then folding in half again in the same or a perpendicular direction, or folding in one direction and the rolling the folded napkin.

Rolling and folding takes place so that the slit 40 is not incorporated into the folded or rolled napkin 10, but rather remains outside the folds/rolls, so that it can be used as per the invention.

Preferably, the material of the peripheral region 20 surrounding said slit 40 is extensible. As mentioned above, "extensible" means that a material can be stretched without significant elastic forces which act to return it to its original dimensions. The material of the peripheral region 20 surrounding said slit may also be elastic. By "elastic" is meant that a recovery force acts to return the material to its original dimensions upon extension.

The present invention also provides a method for disposal of a sanitary napkin 10 after use. The method comprising the steps of: a. providing a sanitary napkin 10 according to the invention; b. if required, breaking perforations 41 to open the at least one slit 40; c. rolling and/or folding the sanitary napkin 10; d. inserting at least a portion of the rolled and/or folded sanitary napkin 10 at least partly through said at least one slit 40 to secure the sanitary napkin 10 in a rolled and/or folded configuration.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a number of embodiments and Figures, it should not be considered as being limited thereto. Variations of materials, components, elements and their locations will be readily understood by persons skilled in the art. The scope of protection should therefore be defined by the enclosed claims.

Claims

1. A sanitary napkin (10) having a peripheral region (20) and a central region (30), characterised in that at least one slit (40) is located in a portion of said peripheral region (20), wherein said slit (40) is arranged such that the sanitary napkin (10) may be rolled and/or folded and at least a portion of the sanitary napkin (10) inserted at least partly through said at least one slit (40) to secure the sanitary napkin (10) in a rolled and/or folded configuration.

2. A sanitary napkin (10) according to claim 1 , wherein the peripheral region (20) surrounds the central region (30), and comprises the outer 3cm, preferably the outer 2cm, more preferably the outer 1cm of the sanitary napkin (10).

3. A sanitary napkin (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the slit (40) is arranged such that a portion of the absorbent core (31) may be inserted at least partly through said slit (40) to secure the absorbent article in a rolled and/or folded configuration

4. A sanitary napkin (10) according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a liquid-permeable topsheet (50) and/or a liquid-impermeable backsheet (60), and wherein the peripheral region (20) is defined by the portion of said topsheet (50) and/or backsheet (60) which extends beyond the absorbent core (31).

5. A sanitary napkin (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the napkin (10) is elongate, with front (11 ) and rear (12) regions, and wherein the slit (40) is located substantially in one of said front (11) or said rear (12) regions of the napkin (10), preferably the front (1 1 ) region.

6. A sanitary napkin (10) according to claim 5, wherein the napkin (10) has a middle region (13) located between said front (1 1 ) and rear (12) regions of the napkin (10) in the longitudinal direction thereof, said middle region (13) having a minimum transverse extension (T1 ) which is less than the maximum transverse extension (T2) of the rear (12) region, said slit (40) being located in the peripheral region (20) in the front (1 1) region of the sanitary napkin (10), said slit (40) having an extension in the transverse direction (T) which is less than the transverse extension (T2) of the rear (12) region.

7. A sanitary napkin (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the slit (40) comprises perforations (41 ) which hold the slit (40) substantially closed when the sanitary napkin (10) is being worn, but which may be broken to open the slit (40).

8. A sanitary napkin (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the ends (42, 43) of the slit (40) are reinforced.

9. A sanitary napkin (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the material of the peripheral region (20) surrounding said slit (40) is extensible.

10. A method for disposal of a sanitary napkin (10) after use, said method comprising the steps of: a. providing a sanitary napkin (10) according to any of claims 1-9; b. if required, breaking perforations (41) to open the at least one slit (40); c. rolling and/or folding the sanitary napkin (10); d. inserting at least a portion of the rolled and/or folded sanitary napkin (10) at least partly through said at least one slit (40) to secure the sanitary napkin (10) in a rolled and/or folded configuration.