Absorbent article

• US 7,744,578 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2004
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Inventors: Tamagawa, Noritatsu, Nishitani, Kazuya, Tanio, Toshiyuki, Kinoshita, Masataka
• Primary Examiner(s): HAND, MELANIE JO
• Application Number:
  US10/847,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20040249355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,234 Days
• Field of Search: 604379-380, 604/385.12, 60438524-38528
• US Class Current: 604/385.27
• 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 13/4753 the barrier being not integral with the topsheet or backsheet
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/476 characterised by encircling the crotch region of the undergarment

Abstract

An absorbent article having leakage preventing walls that longitudinally exert an elastic contractive force to bend a main body. Each leakage preventing wall is provided, between front and rear ends, with a constraint portion so as to locally constrain an allowable rising height of the leakage preventing wall. Thus, the leakage preventing wall takes a shape that can easily conform to a curved surface of the wearer'"'"'s body.

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising:

an elongated main body having a skin-side surface and a garment-side surface and including a liquid absorbent layer intended to absorb liquid applied to the skin-side surface and a backsheet appearing on the garment-side surface; and

leakage preventing walls disposed at equal distances on each side of a longitudinal centerline of the main body and extending longitudinally of the main body, the leakage preventing walls being fixed at longitudinally opposing front and rear ends to the main body and subjected to a longitudinal elastic contractive force between the front and rear ends so as to rise between the front and rear ends with longitudinally extending tops moved away from the skin-side surface;

wherein each leakage preventing wall is provided, between the front and rear ends, with a constraint portion in which the leakage preventing wall is capable to rise to an allowable rising height from the skin-side surface,

the allowable rising height within the constraint portion being constrained to be smaller than the allowable rising heights in portions forward and rearward of the constraint portion;

wherein each leakage preventing wall comprises a rising base extending longitudinally along an entire length of the leakage preventing wall along the skin side surface of the main body;

wherein each leakage preventing wall comprises a first inclined panel extending obliquely upward from the rising base, a second inclined panel extending obliquely upward from the first inclined panel in an opposing direction to the first inclined panel, and a skin-contacting panel extending obliquely upward from the second inclined panel in an opposing direction to the second inclined panel;

wherein said skin-contacting panel comprises a fold line, said fold line forming a top of the leakage preventing wall;

wherein the allowable rising height is a distance between the rising base of the leakage preventing wall and the fold line of the skin contacting panel when the leakage preventing wall is forcibly developed;

wherein in the constraint portion, one of the inclined panels is at least partially joined to an adjacent panel comprising the leakage preventing wall, thereby constraining the allowable rising height within the constraint portion; and

wherein in the constraint portion, the leakage preventing wall is joined to itself so as to constrain the allowable rising height within the constraint portion.

2. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the constraint portion is located rearward of a portion that is intended to face an excretory part of a wearer'"'"'s body.

3. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the constraint portion is located at a midpoint between the front and rear ends of the leakage preventing wall or rearward of the midpoint.

4. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the constraint portion is located forward of a midpoint between the front and rear ends of the leakage preventing wall.

5. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the constraint portion is spaced at least ¼

of L0 apart from both the front and rear ends of the leakage preventing wall, where L0 represent a length between the front and rear ends when the main body is developed flat.

6. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein in the constraint portion, the leakage preventing wall is additionally joined to the skin-side surface of the main body.

7. An absorbent article according to claim 1, further comprising:

fold-back flaps projecting outwardly from transversely opposite sides of the main body and configured to be folded back against an outer surface of an undergarment at a crotch part thereof.

8. An absorbent article according to claim 7, further comprising:

rear flaps located rearward of the fold-back flaps, projecting outwardly from the transversely opposite sides of the main body and configured to be placed on an inner surface of the undergarment in an unfolded state, providing the article with a narrow portion that is located between the fold-back flaps and the rear flaps and has a smaller width than a portion including the fold-back flaps.

9. An absorbent article according to claim 8, wherein the constraint portion is positioned within the narrow portion.

10. An absorbent article according to claim 8,

wherein the liquid absorbent layer is recessed together with the topsheet to have a pair of longitudinal compressed grooves, a pair of first outside compressed grooves, and a pair of second outside compressed grooves on the skin-side surface of the main body, the longitudinal compressed grooves defining a main absorbent region therebetween, the first outside compressed grooves being disposed on both sides of the main absorbent region at a forward side from a line connecting the constraint portions, and the second outside compressed grooves being disposed on both sides of the main absorbent region at a rear side from the line connecting the constraint portions, and

wherein first and second outside compressed grooves on each side of the main absorbent region are discontinuous with respect to one another in the narrow portion.

11. An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein each leakage preventing wall has a free end disposed laterally outward, extending perpendicularly away from the longitudinal centerline of the main body.

12. An absorbent article comprising:

an elongated main body having a skin-side surface and a garment-side surface and including a liquid absorbent layer intended to absorb liquid applied to the skin-side surface and a backsheet appearing on the garment-side surface; and

leakage preventing walls disposed at equal distances on each side of a longitudinal centerline of the main body and extending longitudinally of the main body, the leakage preventing walls being fixed at longitudinally opposing front and rear ends to the main body and subjected to a longitudinal elastic contractive force between the front and rear ends so as to rise between the front and rear ends with longitudinally extending tops moved away from the skin-side surface;

wherein each leakage preventing wall is provided, between the front and rear ends, with a constraint portion in which the leakage preventing wall is capable to rise to an allowable rising height from the skin-side surface,

the allowable rising height within the constraint portion being constrained to be smaller than the allowable rising heights in portions forward and rearward of the constraint portion;

wherein each leakage preventing wall comprises a rising base extending longitudinally along an entire length of the leakage preventing wall along the skin side surface of the main body;

wherein each leakage preventing wall comprises a first inclined panel extending obliquely upward from the rising base, a second inclined panel extending obliquely upward from the first inclined panel in an opposing direction to the first inclined panel, and a skin-contacting panel extending obliquely upward from the second inclined panel in an opposing direction to the second inclined panel;

wherein said skin-contacting panel comprises a fold line, said fold line forming a top of the leakage preventing wall;

wherein the allowable rising height is a distance between the rising base of the leakage preventing wall and the fold line of the skin contacting panel when the leakage preventing wall is forcibly developed;

wherein in the constraint portion, one of the inclined panels is at least partially joined to an adjacent panel comprising the leakage preventing wall, thereby constraining the allowable rising height within the constraint portion; and

wherein the constraint portion is located at a midpoint between the front and rear ends of the leakage preventing wall or rearward of the midpoint.

13. An absorbent article according to claim 12, wherein in the constraint portion, the leakage preventing wall is joined to itself so as to constrain the allowable rising height within the constraint portion.

14. An absorbent article according to claim 12, wherein in the constraint portion, the leakage preventing wall is additionally joined to the skin-side surface of the main body.

15. An absorbent article according to claim 12, further comprising:

fold-back flaps projecting outwardly from transversely opposite sides of the main body and configured to be folded back against an outer surface of an undergarment at a crotch part thereof.

16. An absorbent article according to claim 15, further comprising:

rear flaps located rearward of the fold-back flaps, projecting outwardly from the transversely opposite sides of the main body and configured to be placed on an inner surface of the undergarment in an unfolded state, providing the article with a narrow portion that is located between the fold-back flaps and the rear flaps and has a smaller width than a portion including the fold-back flaps.

17. An absorbent article according to claim 16,

wherein the liquid absorbent layer is recessed together with the topsheet to have a pair of longitudinal compressed grooves, a pair of first outside compressed grooves, and a pair of second outside compressed grooves on the skin-side surface of the main body, the longitudinal compressed grooves defining a main absorbent region therebetween, the first outside compressed grooves being disposed on both sides of the main absorbent region at a forward side from a line connecting the constraint portions, and the second outside compressed grooves being disposed on both sides of the main absorbent region at a rear side from the line connecting the constraint portions, and

wherein first and second outside compressed grooves on each side of the main absorbent region are discontinuous with respect to one another in the narrow portion.

18. An absorbent article according to claim 12, wherein each leakage preventing wall has a free end disposed laterally outward, extending perpendicularly away from the longitudinal centerline of the main body.