Patent ID: 7511186

Claim:
An absorbent article, comprising: a liquid-pervious topsheet; a light transmissive and liquid-impervious backsheet; a liquid-absorbent core interposed between said topsheet and said backsheet; an indicator disposed between said backsheet and said core for allowing discharge of bodily fluids to be visible from an outside of said backsheet when said indicator is wetted with bodily fluids; and said indicator comprising a hydrophilic fibrous nonwoven fabric and a display element depicted on said hydrophilic fibrous nonwoven fabric so that said hydrophilic fibrous nonwoven fabric covers up said display element so long as said hydrophilic fibrous nonwoven fabric is in a dry state and allows said display element to be visible though said hydrophilic fibrous nonwoven fabric from the outside of said backsheet when said hydrophilic fibrous nonwoven fabric absorbs bodily fluids; wherein said hydrophilic fibrous nonwoven fabric comprises at least one of a hydrophilic melt blown nonwoven fabric layer and a hydrophilic spun bond nonwoven fabric layer, said display element being depicted on a first surface of said hydrophilic fibrous nonwoven fabric facing said core, said first surface of said hydrophilic fibrous nonwoven fabric being held together with said display element in close contact with the surface of said core, and a second surface of said hydrophilic fibrous nonwoven fabric facing said backsheet being held in close contact with an inner surface of said backsheet; wherein the hydrophilic fibrous nonwoven fabric comprises depressions on both first and second surfaces thereof, said depressions being heat-embossed spots that are depressed, in a thickness direction of the hydrophilic fibrous nonwoven fabric, from one of the first and second surfaces toward the other.