Patent ID: 7465297

Claim:
A sanitary napkin comprising: a napkin body having a liquid-absorbent layer for absorbing and retaining liquid; and a projection projecting from a body surface of the napkin body, the projection having an apex and a pair of side wall portions formed of a liquid-permeable material, the apex being spaced apart from the body surface of the napkin body and extending along a longitudinal centerline of the napkin body, the side wall portions connecting at the apex and diverging toward the body surface of the napkin body, wherein the apex and the side wall portions are different in stiffness, and the side wall portions have a space therebetween and are permitted to deform and approach each other, wherein the side wall portions first diverge and subsequently converge from the apex toward the body surface of the napkin body, wherein the apex of the projection includes a longitudinally-extending central elastic member whose both ends are secured on the napkin body to exert a tension for causing deformation of the napkin body, wherein the projection further includes longitudinally-extending side elastic members on both sides of the central elastic member, wherein the central elastic member exerts a greater elastic tension than each side elastic members, and wherein the individual central and side elastic members have front and rear connection points between which the elastic member remains unsecured on the napkin body, the front connection point of each side elastic member is located behind the front connection point of the central elastic member, and the rear connection point of each side elastic member is located forward of the rear connection point of the central elastic member.