Absorbent article

• US 20030144644A1
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Original Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Inventors: Murai, Atsushi, Hamajima, Mitsugu, Kondo, Miyuki, Kusagawa, Tetsuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,641,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/385.27
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4753 the barrier being not integral with the topsheet or backsheet
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4756 the means consisting of grooves, e.g. channels, depressions or embossments, resulting in a heterogeneous surface level
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/551 Packaging before or after use general packaging of absorbent pads B65D85/00

Abstract

An absorbent article 1 comprising a liquid retentive absorbent layer and a liquid impermeable leak preventive layer and including, in its longitudinal direction, an excretion portion facing section A which is placed opposite a wearer'"'"'s liquid excretion portion, when in wear, and a rear section B which is placed more on the back side than the excretion portion facing section A, when in wear, wherein a leak preventive wall 5 is disposed on opposite side portions in the longitudinal direction, the leak preventive wall 5 comprising a basal wall portion and a planar elastic expansible/contractible portion connected to an upper end portion of the basal wall portion and being raised in the excretion portion facing section A and in the rear section B, and wherein a distance from an upper end portion of the basal wall portion to the leak preventive layer in the rear section is shorter than a comparable distance in the excretion portion facing section A.

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising a liquid retentive absorbent layer and a liquid impermeable leak preventive layer and including, in its longitudinal direction, an excretion portion facing section which is placed opposite a wearer'"'"'s liquid excretion portion, when in wear, and a rear section which is placed more on the back side than said excretion portion facing section, when in wear,

wherein a leak preventive wall is disposed on opposite side portions in the longitudinal direction, said leak preventive wall comprising a basal wall portion and a planar elastic expansible/contractible portion connected to an upper end portion of said basal wall portion and being raised in said excretion portion facing section and in said rear section, and

wherein a distance from an upper end portion of said basal wall portion to said leak preventive layer in said rear section is shorter than a comparable distance in said excretion portion facing section.

2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said leak preventive wall includes a central fixed portion where no leak preventive wall is raised, between said excretion portion facing section and said rear section.

3. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said elastic expansible/contractible portion in said rear section is fixed, at a widthwise outer side edge portion of said absorbent article, onto a component member of said absorbent article.

4. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said elastic expansible/contractible portion comprises an inward extension which extends inwardly in the widthwise direction of said absorbent article from an upper end portion of said basal wall portion and an outward extension which extends outwardly in the widthwise direction of said absorbent article from said upper end portion.

5. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said leak preventive wall is formed by fixing an elastic expansible/contractible member, which comprises a basal wall portion forming sheet portion having a constant width in the longitudinal direction and said elastic expansible/contractible portion connected to widthwise one end portion of said basal wall portion forming sheet portion, to another component member of said absorbent article, and a distance from the upper end portion of said basal wall portion to said leak preventive layer in said rear section is made shorter than a comparable distance in said excretion portion facing section by differentiating a fixed position in the widthwise direction of said basal wall portion forming sheet portion in said excretion portion facing section from a fixed position in the widthwise direction of said basal wall portion forming sheet portion in said rear section, thereby making the distance from a lower end portion of said basal wall portion to the upper end portion in said rear section shorter than a comparable distance in said excretion portion facing section.

6. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said leak preventive wall is formed by fixing an elastic expansible/contractible member, which comprises a basal wall portion forming sheet portion having a constant width in the longitudinal direction and said elastic expansible/contractible portion connected to widthwise one end portion of said basal wall portion forming sheet portion, to another component member of said absorbent article, and a distance from the upper end portion of said basal wall portion to said leak preventive layer in said rear section is made shorter than a comparable distance in said excretion portion facing section by providing a multilayer portion on a part of said basal end portion forming sheet portion in said rear section.

7. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein a leak preventive sheet is disposed on a skin contact surface side of said front end section and/or rear end section in the longitudinal direction of said absorbent article, said leak preventive sheet is fixed to said elastic expansible/contractible portion of raised said leak preventive wall so that an edge portion of said leak preventive sheet located on the longitudinal central portion side of said absorbent article is spaced apart from said absorbent layer.

8. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article comprising a liquid retentive absorbent layer, a liquid impermeable leak preventive layer and a leak preventive wall disposed along opposite side edges of said absorbent layer, said leak preventive wall comprising a basal wall portion and a planar elastic expansible/contractible portion connected to an upper end portion of said basal wall portion and being raised in an excretion portion facing section which is placed opposite a wearer'"'"'s liquid excretion portion, when in wear, and a rear section which is placed more on the back side than said excretion portion facing section, when in wear, and a distance from an upper end portion of said basal wall portion to said leak preventive layer in said rear section is shorter than a comparable distance in said excretion portion facing section,

said method for manufacturing an absorbent article comprising a step of manufacturing a main body which comprises said absorbent layer or said absorbent layer and said leak preventive layer, a step of manufacturing an elastic expansible/contractible member which comprises a basal wall portion forming sheet portion having a constant width in the longitudinal direction and said elastic expansible/contractible portion connected to widthwise one end portion of said basal wall portion forming sheet portion, and a step of fixing said basal wall portion forming sheet portion of said elastic expansible/contractible member to opposite side portions of said main body so that a fixed position in the widthwise direction of said basal wall portion forming sheet portion in said excretion portion facing section and a fixed position in the widthwise direction of said basal wall portion forming sheet portion in said rear section are differentiated.

9. The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 8, wherein in the step for manufacturing said elastic expansible/contractible member, a multilayer is formed on that part of said basal wall portion forming sheet portion which is disposed in said rear section.

10. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article comprising a liquid retentive absorbent layer, a liquid impermeable leak preventive layer and a leak preventive wall disposed along opposite side edges of said absorbent layer, said leak preventive wall comprising a basal wall portion and a planar elastic expansible/contractible portion connected to an upper end portion of said basal wall portion and being raised in an excretion portion facing section which is placed opposite a wearer'"'"'s liquid excretion portion, when in wear, and a rear section which is placed more on the back side than said excretion portion facing section, when in wear, and a distance from an upper end portion of said basal wall portion to said leak preventive layer in said rear section is shorter than a comparable distance in said excretion portion facing section,

said method for manufacturing an absorbent article comprising a step of manufacturing a main body which comprises said absorbent layer or said absorbent layer and said leak preventive layer, a step of manufacturing an elastic expansible/contractible member which comprises a basal wall portion forming sheet portion having a constant width in the longitudinal direction and said elastic expansible/contractible portion connected to widthwise one end portion of said basal wall portion forming sheet portion, a step of fixing said elastic expansible/contractible member to opposite side portions of said main body at the other end portion of said basal wall portion forming sheet portion or in the nearby area thereof, a step of forming a multilayer portion having a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of said elastic expansible/contractible member on that area of said basal wall portion forming sheet portion of said elastic expansible/contractible member which is disposed in said rear section, and a step of fixing longitudinal opposite end portions of said elastic expansible/contractible member onto said main body.