Patent ID: 7078583

Claim:
An elongated absorbent article comprising: a liquid-permeable topsheet appearing on a skin surface; a backsheet appearing on a garment surface; and a liquid absorbent layer disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the absorbent article having compressed groove where the skin surface is recessed toward the garment surface with the liquid absorbent layer compressed together with the topsheet, wherein the compressed groove includes: rear inner compressed grooves disposed in a rear half of the absorbent article and extending symmetrically about a longitudinal centerline of the absorbent article, defining therebetween a rear central region; and a rear connecting compressed groove connecting rear ends of the rear inner compressed grooves, defining a rear end of the rear central region, wherein the liquid absorbent layer is recessed in the rear central region from the side of the garment surface toward the skin surface to have a backside compressed portion extending along the longitudinal centerline, the backside compressed portion having a rear end positioned forward of the rear connecting compressed groove, and wherein rear outer compressed grooves are disposed laterally outside the rear inner compressed grooves to extend longitudinally of the absorbent article, and wherein density of the liquid absorbent layer is higher in regions positioned between the rear inner compressed grooves and the rear outer compressed grooves than in the rear central region.