Sanitary napkin

• US 6,673,985 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2001
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Inventors: Mizutani, Satoshi, Nishitani, Kazuya, Suekane, Makoto, Tagami, Etsuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stephens, Jacqueline F
• Application Number:
  US10/021,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20020062116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 604/385.01, 604/379, 604/380, 604/385.101, 604/385.28, 604/378, 604/385.04
• US Class Current: 604/380
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4704 having preferential bending zones, e.g. fold lines or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4752 the means being an upstanding barrier
• 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 13/5323 having absorbent material located in discrete regions, e.g. pockets

Abstract

Disclosed is a sanitary napkin having a longitudinal rear portion. The sanitary napkin includes: a main absorbent region having a main absorbent core between a back sheet and a surface sheet; side regions on both sides of the main absorbent region; and boundary regions having leakage-preventing side walls and positioned between the main absorbent region and the side regions. In the rear portion, the main absorbent region has a stiff portion, and the side regions are protruded laterally to form rear flaps each having an auxiliary absorbent core between the back sheet and another sheet. In the rear portion, a portion of the main absorbent region having the stiff portion therein, the boundary region and the rear flap have different longitudinal stiffnesses according to the following relationship: the portion having the stiff portion therein>the boundary region>the rear flap.

Claims

1. A sanitary napkin having a longitudinal rear portion to be applied to the buttocks of a wearer, comprising:

a longitudinally extending main absorbent region in which a longitudinally extending main absorbent core is disposed between a liquid-impermeable back sheet and a liquid-permeable surface sheet;

side regions positioned on both sides of said main absorbent region; and

boundary regions between said main absorbent region and said side regions, each boundary region being provided with a longitudinally extending leakage-preventing side wall,

wherein in said rear portion, at least a portion of said main absorbent region is formed into a stiff portion having a stiffness higher than that of the remaining portion of said main absorbent region, and in said rear portion, said side regions are protruded laterally to form rear flaps, in each of which an auxiliary absorbent core is disposed between said back sheet and a sheet positioned on a surface side opposite to said back sheet with respect to said auxiliary absorbent core,

wherein in said rear portion, a portion of said main absorbent region having said stiff portion therein, said boundary region and said rear flap have different longitudinal stiffnesses according to the following relationship;

said portion of said main absorbent region having said stiff portion therein>

said boundary region>

said rear flap.

2. The sanitary napkin as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said portion of said main absorbent region having said stiff portion therein has a stiffness of 9.8 to 29.4 mN; said boundary region has a stiffness of 3.94 to 8.8 mN; and

said rear flap has a stiffness of 0.49 to 3.43 mN.

3. The sanitary napkin as set forth in claim 1,

wherein in said rear portion, said main absorbent core is compressed at least partially to form said stiff portion.

4. The sanitary napkin as set forth in claim 3,

wherein in said rear portion, said main absorbent core is partially compressed so that said stiff portion extends linearly in the longitudinal direction.

5. The sanitary napkin as set forth in claim 1,

wherein each leakage-preventing side wall is folded and secured in said rear portion so as not to allow of rising thereof, but is allowed to rise from said surface side in a portion forwardly of said rear portion.

6. The sanitary napkin as set forth in claim 1,

wherein folding portions for facilitating folding of said rear flaps are formed on boundary lines between said boundary regions and said rear flaps.

7. The sanitary napkin as set forth in claim 6,

wherein said main absorbent core and said auxiliary absorbent cores are separated from one another at said folding portions.

8. The sanitary napkin as set forth in claim 1,

wherein each auxiliary absorbent core is split into a plurality of segments.