Elongated absorbent article

• US 7,078,583 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2005
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Inventors: Kudo, Jun, Miyama, Takuya, Kuroda, Kenichiro, Kinoshita, Masataka
• Primary Examiner(s): Zalukaeva, Tatyana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bogart, Michael G.
• Application Number:
  US11/038,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20050124951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 604/379, 604/380, 604/385.01, 604/385.03, 604/385.201, 604/385.23, 604/385.24, 604/386, 604/387
• 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 13/47218 with a raised crotch region, e.g. hump
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/47227 for interlabial use
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/47272 with a longitudinal raised end, e.g. cup-shaped gluteal groove for edge leakage prevention A61F13/494
• 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 13/4758 the means preventing fluid flow in a longitudinal direction

Abstract

Disclosed is an elongated absorbent article including: rear inner compressed grooves disposed in a rear half of the absorbent article and extending symmetrically about a longitudinal centerline of the absorbent article, defining therebetween a rear central region; and a rear connecting compressed groove connecting rear ends of the rear inner compressed grooves, defining a rear end of the rear central region. A liquid absorbent layer is recessed in the rear central region from the side of the garment surface toward the skin surface to have a backside compressed portion extending along the longitudinal centerline. The backside compressed portion has a rear end positioned forward of the rear connecting compressed groove.

Claims

1. An elongated absorbent article comprising:

a liquid-permeable topsheet appearing on a skin surface;

a backsheet appearing on a garment surface; and

a liquid absorbent layer disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the absorbent article having compressed groove where the skin surface is recessed toward the garment surface with the liquid absorbent layer compressed together with the topsheet,

wherein the compressed groove includes;

rear inner compressed grooves disposed in a rear half of the absorbent article and extending symmetrically about a longitudinal centerline of the absorbent article, defining therebetween a rear central region; and

a rear connecting compressed groove connecting rear ends of the rear inner compressed grooves, defining a rear end of the rear central region,

wherein the liquid absorbent layer is recessed in the rear central region from the side of the garment surface toward the skin surface to have a backside compressed portion extending along the longitudinal centerline, the backside compressed portion having a rear end positioned forward of the rear connecting compressed groove, and

wherein rear outer compressed grooves are disposed laterally outside the rear inner compressed grooves to extend longitudinally of the absorbent article, and

wherein density of the liquid absorbent layer is higher in regions positioned between the rear inner compressed grooves and the rear outer compressed grooves than in the rear central region.

2. An elongated absorbent article as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rear inner compressed grooves are formed to gradually decrease a separation distance therebetween rearwardly of the absorbent article.

3. An elongated absorbent article as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rear outer compressed grooves are connected with each other at a position spaced rearwardly apart from the rear connected compressed groove.

4. An elongated absorbent article as set forth in claim 1, wherein the compressed groove further includes:

front inner compressed grooves extending forwardly from the rear inner compressed grooves without interruption; and

front outer compressed grooves disposed laterally outside the front inner compressed grooves to extend longitudinally of the absorbent article, wherein

inflected portions are provided at boundaries between the rear inner compressed grooves and the front inner compressed grooves to increase a separation distance between laterally opposed compressed grooves, the rear outer compressed grooves being spaced apart from the front outer compressed grooves in portions laterally outside the inflected portions.

5. An elongated absorbent article as set forth in claim 1, wherein elastically extensible members for exerting an elastic shrinkage force on the skin surface in the longitudinal direction are disposed so that rear action ends of the elastically extensible members are positioned forward of or in the vicinities of front ends of the rear outer compressed grooves.

6. An elongated absorbent article as set forth in claim 1, wherein the backsheet is bonded to the backside compressed portion of the liquid absorbent layer so that the backsheet fits in the recess of the backside compressed portion.

7. An elongated absorbent article as set forth in claim 1, wherein a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is disposed on an exterior surface of the backsheet in a region elongated longitudinally of the absorbent article to cover the backside compressed portion.

8. An elongated absorbent article comprising:

a liquid-permeable topsheet appearing on a skin surface;

a backsheet appearing on a garment surface; and

a liquid absorbent layer disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the absorbent article having compressed groove where the skin surface is recessed toward the garment surface with the liquid absorbent layer compressed together with the topsheet,

wherein the compressed groove includes;

rear inner compressed grooves disposed in a rear half of the absorbent article and extending symmetrically about a longitudinal centerline of the absorbent article, defining therebetween a rear central region; and

a rear connecting compressed groove connecting rear ends of the rear inner compressed grooves, defining a rear end of the rear central region,

wherein the liquid absorbent layer is recessed in the rear central region from the side of the garment surface toward the skin surface to have a backside compressed portion extending along the longitudinal centerline, the backside compressed portion having a rear end positioned forward of the rear connecting compressed groove,

wherein the outer compressed grooves are disposed laterally outside the rear inner compressed grooves to extend longitudinally of the absorbent article,

wherein the compressed groove further includes;

front inner compressed grooves extending forwardly from the rear inner compressed grooves without interruption; and

front outer compressed grooves disposed laterally outside the front inner compressed grooves to extend longitudinally of the absorbent article, and

wherein inflected portions are provided at boundaries between the rear inner compressed grooves and the front inner compressed grooves to increase a separation distance between laterally opposed compressed grooves, the rear outer compressed grooves being spaced apart from the front outer compressed grooves in portions laterally outside the inflected portions.

9. An elongated absorbent article as set forth in claim 8, wherein the rear inner compressed grooves are formed to gradually decrease a separation distance therebetween rearwardly of the absorbent article.

10. An elongated absorbent article as set forth in claim 8, wherein the rear outer compressed grooves are connected with each other at a position spaced forwardly apart from the rear connecting compressed groove.

11. An elongated absorbent article as set forth in claim 8, wherein elastically extensible members for exerting an elastic shrinkage force on the skin surface in the longitudinal direction are disposed so that rear action ends of the elastically extensible members are positioned forward of or in the vicinities of front ends of the rear outer compressed grooves.

12. An elongated absorbent article as set forth in claim 8, wherein the backsheet is bonded to the backside compressed portion of the liquid absorbent layer so that the backsheet fits in the recess of the backside compressed portion.

13. An elongated absorbent article as set forth in claim 8, wherein a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is disposed on an exterior surface of the backsheet in a region elongated longitudinally of the absorbent article to cover the backside compressed portion.

14. An elongated absorbent article comprising:

a liquid-permeable topsheet appearing on a skin surface;

a backsheet appearing on a garment surface; and

liquid absorbent layer disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the absorbent article having compressed groove where the skin surface is recessed toward the garment surface with the liquid absorbent layer compressed together with the topsheet,

wherein the compressed groove includes;

rear inner compressed groove disposed in a rear half of the absorbent article and extending symmetrically about a longitudinal centerline of the absorbent article, defining therebetween a rear central region; and

a rear connecting compressed groove connecting rear ends of the rear inner compressed grooves, defining a rear end of the rear central region, wherein rear outer compressed grooves are disposed laterally outside the rear inner compressed grooves to extend longitudinally of the absorbent article,

wherein the liquid absorbent layer is recessed in the rear central region from the side of the garment surface toward the skin surface to have a backside compressed portion extending along the longitudinal centerline, the backside compressed portion having a rear end positioned forward of the rear connecting compressed groove, and

wherein elastically extensible member for exerting an elastic shrinkage force on the skin surface in the longitudinal direction are disposed so that rear action ends at the elastically extensible members are positioned forward of or in the vicinities of front ends of the rear outer compressed grooves.

15. An elongated absorbent article as set forth in claim 14, wherein the rear inner compressed grooves art formed to gradually decrease a separation distance therebetween rearwardly of the absorbent article.

16. An elongated absorbent article as set forth in claim 14, wherein the rear outer compressed grooves are connected with each other at a position spaced rearwardly apart from the rear connecting compressed groove.

17. An elongated absorbent article as set forth in claim 14, wherein the backsheet is bonded to the backside compressed portion of the liquid absorbent layer so that the backsheet fits in the recess of the backside compressed portion.

18. An elongated absorbent article as set forth in claim 14, wherein a pressure-sensitive layer is disposed on an exterior surface of the backsheet in a region elongated longitudinally of the absorbent article to cover the backside compressed portion.