Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Satoshi Mizutani ·
Assignee(s)	Uni-Charm Corporation ·  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Baker & Daniels ·
Primary Examiner	John G. Weiss ·
Assistant Examiner	Michael Bogart ·
Application Number	US9161022
Filing date	09/25/1998
Issue date	05/28/2002
Predicted expiration date	09/25/2018
U.S. Classifications	604/385.01  · 604/385.26  · 604/385.27  · 604/383  · 604/385.201  ·
International Classifications	--
Kind Code	B2
International Classifications	604347 · 604354 · 6043851 · 604386 · 6043852 · 604387 · 604378 · 604109 · 604 494 · 60438501 · 604385201 · 60438527 · 60438526 · 604383 ·
Foreign Priority	JP9264654 - 09/29/1997 · JP9264655 - 09/29/1997 ·

Patent Family

Abstract

An absorbent article such as sanitary napkin having an absorbent laminate is provided on a skin-noncontactable side of the laminate with deformation inducing means. The deformation inducing means include a hydrophobic panel member and an elastically stretchable member adapted to pull the panel member toward its middle under contractile force of the elastically stretchable member and thereby to convexly deform the panel member toward a skin-contactable side of the laminate. Convex deformation of the panel member by the deformation inducing means allows the laminate to be convexly deformed.

Independent Claims | See all claims (14)

1. 1. An absorbent article having a longitudinal axis, a skin-contactable side and a skin-noncontactable side, said absorbent article comprises: an absorbent laminate and deformation inducing means provided adjacent said skin-noncontactable side so as to convexly deform said absorbent laminate toward said skin-contactable side; said absorbent laminate including a convexly deformable zone which lies on both sides of said longitudinal axis so as to be contoured symmetrically with respect to said longitudinal axis, and deformation assisting means formed on both sides of said convexly deformable zone; said deformation inducing means including a panel member and an elastically stretchable member which has transverse ends thereof secured in a vicinity of said deformation assisting means to said panel member so as to convexly deform said panel member about said longitudinal axis toward said skin-contactable side as said elastically stretchable member elastically contracts, respective regions of said absorbent laminate and said deformation inducing means which have been convexly deformed are deformable to substantially flat states against a contractile force of said elastically stretchable member when a contacting pressure directed from said skin-contactable side toward said skin-noncontactable side is exerted on said article.