Sanitary napkin

• US 7,549,981 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2006
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshimasa, Wataru, Tanio, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): KIDWELL, MICHELE M
• Application Number:
  US11/401,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20060271008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 604/385.01, 604/367, 604/385.101, 604/385.17
• US Class Current: 604/385.17
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/47218 with a raised crotch region, e.g. hump
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/47263 with activating means, e.g. elastic, heat or chemical activatable means

Abstract

A sanitary napkin includes a main body having a liquid-absorbent layer for absorbing and retaining liquid and a projection disposed on a body surface of the main body. The projection has a resistive portion provided with a resistive member for resisting compressive deformation of the projection toward the main body and a flexible portion not provided with the resistive member. The flexible portion is longitudinally stretchable and subjected to a longitudinal elastic contractive force.

Claims

1. A sanitary napkin comprising:

a main body having a liquid-absorbent layer for absorbing and retaining liquid; and

a projection separately provided on a body surface of the main body, the projection having a liquid-permeable projection topsheet and a projection interior sheet,

wherein the projection comprises

a stiffening member comprising a folded sheet, the stiffening member being located fully behind-a vagina-facing reference position and in front of or on an anus-facing reference position, the vagina-facing reference position being selected to correspond to the center of a vaginal opening of a wearer of the sanitary napkin, and the anus-facing reference position being selected to face the anus;

a flexible portion including front and rear flexible portions respectively located in front of and behind the stiffening member, the flexible portion being subjected to a longitudinal elastic contractive force;

a plurality of longitudinal elastic members for exerting the longitudinal elastic contractive force, spaced apart from each other along the projection interior sheet, wherein the elastic members are held between confronting faces of the projection interior sheet, and

a hollow space,

wherein the main body is concavely curved by the longitudinal elastic contractive force,

wherein the stiffening member comprises a plurality of compression lines each having a first portion that extends perpendicularly from a longitudinal direction of the main body and a second portion that extends upwardly from the main body, and

wherein the flexible portion is further secured to a convex part of the main body and unsecured to the main body in front of and behind the convex part.

2. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein a bending stiffness in a direction of the curvature is higher in an area provided with the resistive member than in the other area.

3. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the stiffening member is disposed on rising walls of the projection.

4. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the stiffening member is a hump bulging from the body surface of the main body.

5. The sanitary napkin of claim 4, wherein the flexible portion is secured to the hump and unsecured to the main body in front of and behind the hump.

6. The sanitary napkin of claim 4, wherein the hump includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced humps.

7. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the liquid permeable projection topsheet covers the entire body surface area of the projection.

8. The sanitary napkin of claim 1, wherein the stiffening member is a fulcrum;

the stiffening member providing increased bending stiffness of the sanitary napkin such that the sanitary napkin can be curved, and the front and rear flexible portions can conform to the contour of the wearer'"'"'s body.