Absorbent article

• US 7,048,726 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2002
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Original Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Inventors: Murai, Atsushi, Hamajima, Mitsugu, Kusagawa, Tetsuya, Noguchi, Jinko
• Primary Examiner(s): REICHLE, KARIN M
• Application Number:
  US10/056,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20020157771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 604/380, 604/385.22, 60438524-38529, 604/FOR.104, 604/385.03, 604/387
• US Class Current: 604/385.28
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4753 the barrier being not integral with the topsheet or backsheet

Abstract

An absorbent article (1) having a liquid-retentive absorbing layer (2), a liquid-impermeable leakproof layer (3), and standing gathers (4) on each side. The gathers have an elastically extensible portion (40) coming into planar contact with the wearer'"'"'s skin while worn. The elastically extensible portion (40) is made of a sheet (44) and at least one elastic member (45), the elastic member (45) being fixed to the sheet (44) discretely in the longitudinal direction in its stretched state, and the parts of the sheet where the elastic member (45) is not fixed are raised by contraction of the elastic member (45) to form a plurality of hollow ridges (43) on the side of the elastically extensible portion (40) to be brought into contact with the wearer'"'"'s skin.

Claims

1. An absorbent article having a liquid-retentive absorbing layer, a liquid-impermeable leakproof layer, and standing gathers on each side of said article which have an upright portion and an elastically extensible portion coming into planar contact with a wearer'"'"'s skin while worn, each elastically extensible portion being substantially parallel to said absorbing layer and each upright portion extending between a portion near a corresponding longer side edge of said absorbing layer and a corresponding one of said elastically extensible portions before being worn, wherein each elastically extensible portion is made of a sheet and at least one elastic member, said elastic member being fixed to said sheet, while such is planar, discretely in the longitudinal direction thereof in its stretched state, and the parts of said sheet where said elastic member is not fixed are raised by contraction of said elastic member to form a plurality of hollow ridges parallel to each other on a side of said elastically extensible portion to be brought into contact with the wearer'"'"'s skin in a linear manner along the contraction direction of said elastic member, said hollow ridges each extending across the contraction direction of said elastic member;

wherein said absorbent article is substantially oblong, said standing gathers are provided along the respective longer sides of said absorbent article, and said plurality of ridges are a large number of ridges formed across a width of a corresponding one of said elastically extensible portions;

wherein each upright portion is directly attached to a middle in a width direction of a corresponding one of said elastically extensible portions.

2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein said absorbent article is fixable to underwear in use.