Absorbent article having cushion layer

• US 6,432,094 B1
• Filed: 05/06/1999
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Inventors: Wada, Ichiro, Kurita, Noriyuki, Fujioka, Yoshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIDWELL, MICHELE M
• Application Number:
  US09/306,163
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 604/358, 604/365, 604/367, 604/372, 604/378, 604/380, 604/385.01, 604/385.101, 604/385.23
• US Class Current: 604/385.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4752 the means being an upstanding barrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/494 characterised by edge leakage prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/495 with faecal cavity
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/511 Topsheet, i.e. the permeable cover or layer facing the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5323 having absorbent material located in discrete regions, e.g. pockets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/51033 being hydrophilic

Abstract

An absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable top sheet, a back sheet, and an absorbent core interposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, wherein the top sheet rises upwardly from the absorbent core to have a plurality of protrusions, which extend parallel with one another in a longitudinal direction of the absorbent article, and a hydrophilic material is provided within the protrusions so as to form a cushion layer.

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising:

a liquid permeable top sheet;

a back sheet; and

an absorbent core interposed between the top sheet and the back sheet,

wherein the top sheet rises upwardly from the absorbent core to have a plurality of protrusions which extend parallel with one another in a longitudinal direction of the absorbent article, and a hydrophilic material is provided within the protrusions so as to form a cushion layer, wherein the density of the cushion layer is 0.4 g/cm³ or less and the hydrophilic material is formed by hydrophilic fibers or hydrophobic fibers subjected to hydrophilic treatment, having a fineness of 1 denier or more, and

wherein a liquid-permeable intermediate sheet is provided between the top sheet and the absorbent core, and the top sheet and the intermediate sheet are joined at valley portions between the protrusions to hold the hydrophilic material within the protrusions.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein:

joining of the top sheet and the intermediate sheet at the valley portions is carried out at intervals along the longitudinal direction.

3. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein:

the density of the cushion layer is 0.4 g/cm³ or less and the hydrophilic material is formed by hydrophilic fibers or hydrophobic fibers subjected to hydrophilic treatment, having a fineness of 1 denier or more.

4. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein:

a gap between the adjacent protrusions, at mountainsides thereof, is narrower than the width of the valley portions.

5. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein:

cross-sectional areas of the protrusions positioned near centers of the protrusions in a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction are greater than cross-sectional areas of the protrusions near sides of the protrusions in the lateral direction.

6. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein:

the back sheet is liquid-impermeable.

7. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein:

liquid barriers inferior in liquid-permeability to that of the hydrophilic material are provided inside of the protrusions along the longitudinal direction to substantially divide the hydrophilic material into two portions in the respective protrusions.

8. The absorbent article of claim 7, wherein:

each of the liquid barriers is a resinous film or a hydrophobic nonwoven fabric.

9. The absorbent article of claim 7, wherein:

the intermediate sheet upwardly rises from the absorbent core, inside the protrusions, to form the liquid barriers.

10. The absorbent article of claim 7, wherein:

the top sheet downwardly hangs from top protions of the protrusions, inside the protrusions, to form the liquid barriers.

11. The absorbent article of claim 1, which is a disposable diaper.

12. The absorbent article of claim 1, which is a sanitary napkin.

13. The absorbent article of claim 1, which is a urine absorbent pad.