Corrugated sanitary napkin

• US 6,500,159 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2000
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Industria E Comercio Ltda.
• Original Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Industria E Comercio LTDA I 3170
• Inventors: Carvalho, Antonio Carlos Ribeiro
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN, JEANETTE E
• Application Number:
  US09/713,465
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 604/385.02, 604/385.01, 604/385.04, 604/385.16, 604/317-402, 240/0-4-6, 226/7, 226/8
• US Class Current: 604/385.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4704 having preferential bending zones, e.g. fold lines or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/53436 having an undulated or corrugated cross-section

Abstract

The present invention is related to a women'"'"'s disposable sanitary napkin for external use. More specifically, a women'"'"'s disposable sanitary napkin is provided with corrugations conformable in its whole structure, which makes it possible to adapt the sanitary napkin to the wearer'"'"'s undergarment.

Claims

1. A disposable women'"'"'s sanitary napkin having a length and a width and comprising an absorbent core disposed between a top sheet and a lining sheet, the napkin further including a plurality of longitudinally extending corrugations that extend along the entire length and thickness of the sanitary napkin, the corrugations being adapted to allow the sanitary napkin to extend and/or contract to a wearer'"'"'s undergarment in use.

2. A disposable women'"'"'s sanitary napkin according to claim 1, wherein the sanitary napkin has an initial width when the corrugations are in an unstressed condition and an extended width when a laterally extending force is applied to the napkin and wherein the extended width is up to about five times the initial width of the sanitary napkin.

3. A disposable women'"'"'s sanitary napkin according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent core, top sheet and lining sheet have a combined thickness, the napkin has an apparent thickness of up to about five times the combined thickness of the absorbent core, top sheet and lining sheet.

4. A disposable women'"'"'s sanitary napkin according to claim 1, wherein the sanitary napkin has a pair of opposite longitudinally extending sides and a flexible wing extending laterally outward from each longitudinally extending side in a central region of the napkin.

5. A disposable women'"'"'s sanitary napkin according to claim 1, wherein each corrugation includes at least one cavity and at least one protuberance, the cavity having an adhesive region and wherein a smooth surface contacts the adhesive region on the cavity.

6. A disposable women'"'"'s sanitary napkin according to claim 1, wherein each corrugation includes at least one cavity and at least one protuberance, the protuberance having an adhesive line extending along a substantial portion of the corrugation.

7. A disposable women'"'"'s sanitary napkin according to claim 6, wherein the adhesive lines disposed between the protuberances and cavities.