Absorbent article

• US 7,641,642 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Original Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Inventors: Murai, Atsushi, Hamajima, Mitsugu, Kondo, Miyuki, Kusagawa, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): HAND, MELANIE JO
• Application Number:
  US10/322,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20030144644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,574 Days
• Field of Search: 60438524-3853, 604/387, 604/385.03
• US Class Current: 604/385.28
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4753 the barrier being not integral with the topsheet or backsheet
• 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 13/551 Packaging before or after use general packaging of absorbent pads B65D85/00

Abstract

An absorbent article 1 having a liquid retentive absorbent layer and a liquid impermeable leak preventive layer and including, in its longitudinal direction, an excretion portion facing section A which is placed opposite a wearer'"'"'s liquid excretion portion, when in wear, and a rear section B which is placed more on the back side than the excretion portion facing section A, when in wear, wherein a leak preventive wall 5 is disposed on opposite side portions in the longitudinal direction, the leak preventive wall 5 having a basal wall portion and a planar elastic expansible/contractible portion connected to an upper end portion of the basal wall portion and being raised in the excretion portion facing section A and in the rear section B, and wherein a distance from an upper end portion of the basal wall portion to the leak preventive layer in the rear section is shorter than a comparable distance in the excretion portion facing section A.

Claims

1. A sanitary napkin comprising a liquid retentive absorbent layer and a liquid impermeable leak preventive layer and including, in its longitudinal direction, an excretion portion facing section which is placed opposite a wearer'"'"'s liquid excretion portion, when in wear, and a rear section,

wherein a leak preventive wall is disposed on opposite side portions in the longitudinal direction, said leak preventive wall comprising a basal wall portion, a basal wall forming sheet portion, and a planar elastic expansible/contractible portion, wherein said planar elastic expansible/contractible portion is connected to an upper end portion of said basal wall portion by the basal wall forming sheet portion and wherein said elastic expansible/contractible portion is raised in said excretion portion facing section and in said rear section,

wherein said elastic expansible/contractible portion in said excretion portion facing and rear sections comprises an inward extension which extends inwardly in the widthwise direction of said sanitary napkin from said upper end portion of said basal wall portion and an outward extension which extends outwardly in the widthwise direction of said sanitary napkin from said upper end portion such that in the portion where the leak preventive wall is raised in the excretion portion facing section and in the rear section, the leak preventive wall is in a shape of a T in section;

wherein a skin contacting surface of said planar elastic expansible/contractible portion is generally parallel with a skin contacting surface of the said liquid retentive absorbent layer in the leak preventive wall of the excretion portion facing section;

wherein the widthwise inner side of said elastic expansible/contractible portion is not fixed to the top of said liquid retentive absorbent; and

wherein the basal wall portion of the leak preventive wall of the rear section is multi-layered to form a multi-layered portion, said multi-layered portion is formed by folding a portion of the basal wall forming sheet into multiple layers and maintaining the folded state by joining the layered sheets with each other;

wherein a distance from an upper end portion of said basal wall portion to said leak preventive layer in said rear section having said multi-layered portion is shorter than a comparable distance in said excretion portion facing section;

wherein the basal wall portion, in the rear section, comprises a lower end portion, opposite to the upper end portion, which is sandwiched between the liquid retentive absorbent layer and the liquid impermeable leak preventive layer and wherein said lower end portion of said basal wall portion is adhered to both a lower surface side of the liquid retentive absorbent layer and an upper surface side of the liquid impermeable leak preventive layer;

wherein the basal wall portion, in the excretion portion facing section, comprises a lower end portion, opposite to the upper end portion, which is sandwiched between the liquid retentive absorbent layer and the liquid impermeable leak preventive layer and wherein said lower end portion of said basal wall portion is adhered to both a lower surface side of the liquid retentive absorbent layer and an upper surface side of the liquid impermeable leak preventive layer; and

wherein the leak preventive wall forms a pocket located only above the top surface of the absorbent layer.

2. The sanitary napkin according to claim 1, wherein the multi-layered portion is not fixed to the inward extension.

3. The sanitary napkin according to claim 1, wherein each of said inward and outward extensions of said planar elastic expansible/contractible portion comprises three elastic members.

4. The sanitary napkin according to claim 1, wherein the distance from the distal end of the inward extension to the distal end of the outward extension of said planar elastic expansible/contractible portion is 10 to 30 mm.

5. The sanitary napkin according to claim 1, wherein each of said inward and outward extensions of said planar elastic expansible/contractible portion is generally the same when extended in the widthwise direction.