Patent ID: 7858842

Claim:
An absorbent article comprising: a liquid absorbent layer for absorption and retention of liquid; and a liquid passage layer located on a liquid-receiving side of the liquid absorbent layer, the liquid passage layer including: a first passage layer; and a second passage layer disposed between the first passage layer and the liquid absorbent layer, the first passage layer and the second passage layer being resin films formed with a plurality of liquid passage apertures, each liquid passage aperture being defined by a peripheral wall projecting toward the liquid absorbent layer to provide the first passage layer and the second passage layer with thicknesses greater than a thickness of the resin film itself, the thickness of the first passage layer being the height of the peripheral wall in the first passage layer and the thickness of the second passage layer being the height of the peripheral wall in the second passage layer, and wherein under a load in a thickness direction, the second passage layer has a greater thickness variation than the first passage layer and wherein a percent open area for the second passage layer is greater than a percent open area for the first passage layer, where percent open area is determined as the ratio of a surface area open to the plurality of liquid passage apertures in the passage layer to a total surface area for the passage layer; wherein material forming the resin film of the second passage layer is softer than the material forming the resin film of the first passage layer and wherein the first passage layer is made of HDPE or MDPE and the second passage layer is made of LLDPE or LDPE.