ABSORBENT ARTICLE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20080119810A1
• Filed: 11/20/2007
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Inventors: Noda, Yuki, Kuroda, Kenichiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,998,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/379
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15707 Mechanical treatment, e.g. notching, twisting, compressing, shaping
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4704 having preferential bending zones, e.g. fold lines or grooves
• 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 13/533 having discontinuous areas of compression

Abstract

An absorbent article is provided that improves adhesion to the skin and reduces leaks of bodily fluids by ensuring stable deformation thereof.

An absorbent article has at least a portion thereof provided with a liquid-permeable top sheet disposed on a side of the absorbent article that contacts a wearer'"'"'s skin; a liquid-impermeable back sheet disposed on a side of the absorbent article that contacts the wearer'"'"'s clothing; and a liquid-retainable absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet. The absorbent body has compressed channels formed into concave shapes in the side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s skin at the side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s body by compressing from the side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s skin to the side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s clothing; and spaces formed into convex shapes in the side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s skin at the side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s clothing by compressing from the side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s clothing to the side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s skin. The spaces are formed on both sides or on one side of channel backsides that are on an opposite side of the compressed portions on the side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s skin.

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising:

a top sheet having at least a portion thereof being liquid-permeable and disposed on a surface side that contacts a wearer'"'"'s skin;

a liquid-impermeable back sheet disposed on a surface side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s clothing; and

a liquid-retainable absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, wherein

the absorbent body has;

compressed channel portions formed to be concave shapes in the surface side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s clothing by compressing from the surface side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s skin to the surface side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s clothing; and

spaces formed into convex shapes in the surface side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s skin by compressing from the surface side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s clothing to the surface side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s skin;

wherein

the spaces are formed on at least a channel backside located on opposing sides of the compressed channels in the surface side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s clothing.

2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent body has a central core in substantially a center thereof;

and

the spaces are formed in at least a central core side of the opposing sides of channel backside.

3. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the channel backside is formed to project to the surface side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s clothing.

4. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the top sheet is formed to enable stretching in a width direction that is perpendicular to a length direction of the absorbent article.

5. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the surface side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s skin in the absorbent body is formed to enable stretching in a width direction of the absorbent article.

6. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the channel backside is bonded to the back sheet.

7. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein adhesive portions are disposed on the back sheet at a side of the channel backside opposite to a surface side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s clothing.

8. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent body is configured to be pushed upward by the channel backside fitting into the spaces.

9. A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing the absorbent article according to claim 1, comprising:

a compressed channel forming means that forms the compressed channels formed into concave shapes in the surface side that contacts that wearer'"'"'s clothing, and spaces formed into convex shapes in the surface side that contacts that wearer'"'"'s skin by compressing the absorbent body from the surface side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s skin and the surface side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s clothing, wherein

the compressed channel forming means has an upper die roller unit having a convex portion formed with a predetermined pattern on a surface thereof, and a lower die roller unit having a concave portion formed on a surface thereof with a pattern that meshes with the convex portion; and

the manufacturing apparatus of the absorbent article forms the compressed channels and spaces by compressing the absorbent body using the upper die roller and the lower die roller with at least the absorbent body in a clamped state.

10. A manufacturing method for manufacturing the absorbent article according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

forming the compressed channels formed into concave shapes in the surface side that contacts that wearer'"'"'s clothing, and spaces formed into convex shapes in the surface side that contacts that wearer'"'"'s skin by compressing the absorbent body from the surface side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s skin and the surface side that contacts the wearer'"'"'s clothing;

wherein

the compressing step is performed by an upper die roller unit having a convex portion formed with a predetermined pattern on a surface thereof, and a lower die roller unit having a concave portion formed on a surface thereof with a pattern that meshes with the convex portion; and

the compressed channels and spaces are formed by compressing the absorbent body using the upper die roller and the lower die roller with at least the absorbent body in a clamped state.