Patent ID: 7597690
Filing Date: 2009-10-06
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
1. An elongated sanitary napkin comprising: a napkin body containing a liquid absorbent layer for absorption and retention of liquid and having a vagina-facing region and an intergluteal cleft-facing region rearward of the vagina-facing region; and a surface element comprising a front flattened portion, a rear flattened portion, and a protuberance located on a skin-side surface of the napkin body, the protuberance having a front end located in or rearward of the vagina-facing region and a rear end located in or rearward of the intergluteal cleft-facing region and being allowed to rise away from the skin-side surface of the napkin body to have an apex extending in a longitudinal direction of the napkin body between the front and rear ends, the protuberance further rising from the skin-side surface between at least two join boundary lines extending substantially in parallel to the longitudinal direction, wherein the protuberance is separated from the napkin body at a position between the front and rear ends so as to be freely movable, wherein the protuberance is hollow and comprises a liquid-permeable nonwoven sheet and an elastic member, the protuberance being positioned substantially over the liquid absorbent layer and the elastic member being configured to exert an elastic contractive force to bring the front and rear ends closer to each other for raising the liquid-permeable sheet away from the skin-side surface of the napkin body, wherein the protuberance is formed between the front flattened portion and the rear flattened portion, the front and rear flattened portions being formed by folding the liquid-permeable nonwoven sheet, bonding the overlaps and bonding said sheet to the skin-side surface of the liquid absorbent layer, wherein the sanitary napkin further comprises stiffening elements including compressed portions where the liquid absorbent layer is compressed, the stiffening elements being provided in a rear portion of the napkin body on each side of the protuberance to resist a bending force which acts to bring the front and rear ends closer to each other, wherein when no external force is exerted on the napkin body, a rising height of the protuberance from the skin-side surface of the napkin body is maximum at a position rearward of the vagina-facing region, and wherein the compressed portions comprise highly-compressed portions where the skin-side surface of the napkin body is recessed and weakly-compressed portions which have a lower density than the highly-compressed portions and alternate with the highly-compressed portions in the longitudinal direction of the napkin body.