Absorptive article

• US 8,251,966 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unicharm Corporation
• Inventors: Kudo, Jun, Hashino, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Zalukaeva, Tatyana
• Assistant Examiner(s): SU, SUSAN SHAN
• Application Number:
  US12/307,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20100145296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 604/385.01, 604/385.101
• US Class Current: 604/385.01
• 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 13/505 with separable parts, e.g. combination of disposable and reusable parts, A61F13/20, A61F13/49003 take precedence; supporting or fastening means A61F13/56; belts or the like A61F13/64

Abstract

Provided is an absorptive article having absorption elements capable of following the body of a user. This absorptive article (1) comprises a generally rectangular base absorption element (2), a top absorption element (3) disposed on one surface of the base absorption element (2) at substantially lateral center of the base absorption element (2) and along the longitudinal direction of the base absorption element (2), and a fixing part (4) for fixing the base absorption element (2) to the top absorption element (3) so that at least one end of the top absorption element (3) in the longitudinal direction thereof is made to be a free end (31). A temporary locking part (5) for restricting the movement of the top absorption element (3) is provided on the top absorption element (3) near a free end part (32) thereof at least before application of the absorptive article to the body of the user.

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising:

a first absorbent core;

a second absorbent core, which is provided on a skin contacting side of the first absorbent core along a longitudinal direction of the first absorbent core;

a permanent fixing portion, which permanently fixes the first absorbent core and the second absorbent core at a first end of the second absorbent core, wherein the second absorbent core has a second end opposite to the first end of the second absorbent core in the longitudinal direction and free of permanent attachment to the first absorbent core, and

at least one temporary fixing portion between the permanent fixing portion and the second end, said temporary fixing portion temporarily fixing the second absorbent core to the first absorbent core, the temporary fixing portion being on a side of the second end of the second absorbent core; and

a locking portion, which is provided on the side of the second end for temporarily fixing the second absorbent core to the first absorbent core,

wherein when the absorbent article is attached to a garment, the locking portion is adapted to be locked on the inside of the garment, or locked on the outside of the garment by folding back the second absorbent core.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1, further comprising

a front edge and a rear edge opposite to the front edge in the longitudinal direction, and

a first position adapted to be in contact with an excretion area of a wearer, the first position being arranged closer to the front edge than the rear edge,

wherein the permanent fixing portion is between the first position and the front edge.

3. The absorbent article of claim 1, further comprising a handle part at the second end of the second absorbent core and adapted to be held by a wearer.

4. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein in an attached state, the locking portion locks the second end of the second absorbent core to the first absorbent core at a position which is further from an outer edge of the first absorbent article in the longitudinal direction than a position where the second absorbent core is temporarily fixed to the first absorbent core in an approximate flat plane.

5. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein a dimension of the second absorbent core in a width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction is in a range from 40% to 90% of a dimension of the first absorbent core in the width direction.

6. The absorbent article of claim 5, further comprising leakage-preventing walls which are attached to the second absorbent core and extend in the longitudinal direction along both side portions of the second absorbent core opposite to each other in the width direction.

7. The absorbent article of claim 1, further comprising

a first absorbent portion including the first absorbent core and having front and rear edges opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction;

and

a second absorbent portion including the second absorbent core and having front and rear edges opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction,

wherein the first absorbent portion and the second absorbent portion are permanently fixed together at (i) a first position where the first absorbent core and the second absorbent core overlap and (ii) a second position where the first absorbent core and the second absorbent core do not overlap.

8. The absorbent article of claim 1, further comprising

a first absorbent portion including the first absorbent core and having front and rear edges opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction;

and

a second absorbent portion including the second absorbent core and having front and rear edges opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction,

wherein said front and rear edges of the second absorbent portion project in the longitudinal direction outwardly from said front and rear edges of the first absorbent portion, respectively.

9. The absorbent article of claim 1, further comprising an elastic member arranged between the permanent fixing portion and the temporary fixing portion in the longitudinal direction without extending into the second absorbent core.

10. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the locking portion attached to the second absorbent core is reattachably and temporarily joined to the first absorbent core and is adapted to be reattachably and temporarily joined to a wearer'"'"'s body or a garment of the wearer.

11. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein

the second absorbent core includes first and second lateral absorbent cores, and a central absorbent core between the first and second lateral absorbent cores in a width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and

the temporary fixing portion has a central temporary fixing portion on the central absorbent core at the side of the second end of the second absorbent core, and first and second temporary fixing portions on the first and second lateral absorbent cores, respectively, at a side of the first end opposite to the side of the second end in the longitudinal direction.

12. The absorbent article of claim 11, wherein the first and second lateral absorbent cores are permanently fixed to the first absorbent core at the side of the second end of the second absorbent core.