Absorbent article

• US 7,982,091 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2005
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DAIO Paper Corporation
• Original Assignee: DAIO Paper Corporation
• Inventors: Konawa, Satoko
• Primary Examiner(s): HAND, MELANIE JO
• Application Number:
  US11/791,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20080065037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• Field of Search: 60438524-38527, 604/380, 424/156
• US Class Current: 604/380
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/47245 with asymmetry around the x or y axis
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4752 the means being an upstanding barrier
• 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: Y10T 428/24479 including variation in thickness

Abstract

An absorptive article includes a centrally high portion formed in the widthwise central portion of a napkin and made high on the side of a using face and a pair of left and right embosses formed individually on the two sides of the centrally high portion and extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of the napkin. The paired left and right embosses include a first bulging emboss having its individual emboss lines so formed of curves having centers of curvature on the center side of the napkin as to form an enlarged area of the emboss spacing width and a second bulging emboss having its individual emboss lines so formed of curves having centers of curvature on the center side of the napkin as to continue to the rear portion of the first bulging emboss through an intermediate arcuate emboss formed of curves having centers of curvature on the outer side of the napkin.

Claims

1. An absorptive article comprising an absorber sandwiched between a liquid-permeable top sheet and a back sheet,

wherein said absorber includes a pair of left and right embosses formed individually and extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of said absorptive article, the absorber having an area between the pair of left and right embosses including a first area of a first thickness and at least one second area of a second thickness thicker than said first thickness, said at least one second area located in a widthwise central portion of the absorbent article;

wherein said pair of left and right embosses define a first bulging emboss portion, the left emboss having a first bulge with a center of curvature to the article'"'"'s center side of the left emboss, the right emboss having a first bulge with a center of curvature to the article'"'"'s center side of the right emboss, the first bulging emboss portion defining an area of enlarged emboss spacing width;

wherein said pair of left and right embosses further define a second bulging emboss portion, the left emboss having a second bulge with a center of curvature to the article'"'"'s center side of the left emboss, the right emboss having a second bulge with a center of curvature to the article'"'"'s center side of the right emboss, the second bulging emboss portion defining an area of enlarged emboss pair spacing width, the second bulging emboss portion defined to continue to rearward of said first bulging emboss portion through an intermediate arcuate emboss, the intermediate arcuate emboss including a left side portion having a center of curvature to the article'"'"'s outward side of the left emboss and a right side portion having a center of curvature to the article'"'"'s outward side of the right emboss; and

wherein said pair of left and right embosses further define a reduced shape emboss longitudinally frontal to the first bulging emboss portion in an area with reduced spacing width between the left and right embosses, the reduced shape emboss portion including a left side portion formed by a portion of the left emboss and having a center of curvature to the article'"'"'s outward side of the left emboss and a right side portion formed by a portion of the right emboss and having a center of curvature to the article'"'"'s outward side of the right emboss.

2. An absorptive article as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pair of left and right embosses further define:

a rear side emboss portion, formed as a continuation to the rear side from said second bulging emboss portion and extending substantially along the longitudinal direction of the absorptive article, and

a third bulging emboss portion formed toward a rear side along the rear side emboss portion, the left emboss having a third bulge with a center of curvature to the article'"'"'s center side of the left emboss, the right emboss having a third bulge with a center of curvature to the article'"'"'s center side of the right emboss, the third bulging emboss portion defining an area of enlarged emboss pair spacing width.

3. An absorptive article as set forth in claim 1 wherein the absorber further includes an auxiliary emboss extending in a widthwise direction and located central to said pair of left and right embosses in an area adjacent to said intermediate arcuate emboss.

4. An absorptive article as set forth in claim 2, wherein the absorber further includes second left and right rear side embosses extending in the longitudinal direction of the absorptive article and formed on the outer sides of and at a spacing from said paired right and left embosses in a vicinity of said rear side emboss.

5. An absorptive article as set forth in claim 3, wherein the absorber further includes second left and right rear side embosses extending in the longitudinal direction of the absorptive article and formed on the outer sides of and at a spacing from said paired right and left embosses.

6. An absorptive article as set forth in claim 1, wherein a first one of said at least one second area is located in the widthwise central portion of the absorbent article adjacent to the first bulging emboss portion.