# US 7,744,578 B2 · Absorbent article > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,744,578 B2 - Document ID: US7744578B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/847,823 - Filed: 2004-05-17 - Published: 2004-12-09 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2003-06-09 - Assignees: Uni-Charm Corporation - Inventors: Toshiyuki Tanio; Masataka Kinoshita; Kazuya Nishitani; Noritatsu Tamagawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7744578B2 ## CPC - A61F 13/47272: {with a longitudinal raised end, e.g. cup-shaped gluteal groove (for edge leakage prevention A61F13/494)} - A61F 13/4753: {the barrier being not integral with the topsheet or backsheet} - A61F 13/476: characterised by encircling the crotch region of the undergarment, e.g. with flaps - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract An absorbent article having leakage preventing walls that longitudinally exert an elastic contractive force to bend a main body. Each leakage preventing wall is provided, between front and rear ends, with a constraint portion so as to locally constrain an allowable rising height of the leakage preventing wall. Thus, the leakage preventing wall takes a shape that can easily conform to a curved surface of the wearer's body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An absorbent article comprising: an elongated main body having a skin-side surface and a garment-side surface and including a liquid absorbent layer intended to absorb liquid applied to the skin-side surface and a backsheet appearing on the garment-side surface; and leakage preventing walls disposed at equal distances on each side of a longitudinal centerline of the main body and extending longitudinally of the main body, the leakage preventing walls being fixed at longitudinally opposing front and rear ends to the main body and subjected to a longitudinal elastic contractive force between the front and rear ends so as to rise between the front and rear ends with longitudinally extending tops moved away from the skin-side surface; wherein each leakage preventing wall is provided, between the front and rear ends, with a constraint portion in which the leakage preventing wall is capable to rise to an allowable rising height from the skin-side surface, the allowable rising height within the constraint portion being constrained to be smaller than the allowable rising heights in portions forward and rearward of the constraint portion; wherein each leakage preventing wall comprises a rising base extending longitudinally along an entire length of the leakage preventing wall along the skin side surface of the main body; wherein each leakage preventing wall comprises a first inclined panel extending obliquely upward from the rising base, a second inclined panel extending obliquely upward from the first inclined panel in an opposing direction to the first inclined panel, and a skin-contacting panel extending obliquely upward from the second inclined panel in an opposing direction to the second inclined panel; wherein said skin-contacting panel comprises a fold line, said fold line forming a top of the leakage preventing wall; wherein the allowable rising height is a distance between the rising base of the leakage preventing wall and the fold line of the skin contacting panel when the leakage preventing wall is forcibly developed; wherein in the constraint portion, one of the inclined panels is at least partially joined to an adjacent panel comprising the leakage preventing wall, thereby constraining the allowable rising height within the constraint portion; and wherein in the constraint portion, the leakage preventing wall is joined to itself so as to constrain the allowable rising height within the constraint portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the constraint portion is located rearward of a portion that is intended to face an excretory part of a wearer's body. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the constraint portion is located at a midpoint between the front and rear ends of the leakage preventing wall or rearward of the midpoint. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the constraint portion is located forward of a midpoint between the front and rear ends of the leakage preventing wall. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the constraint portion is spaced at least ¼ of L0 apart from both the front and rear ends of the leakage preventing wall, where L0 represent a length between the front and rear ends when the main body is developed flat. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein in the constraint portion, the leakage preventing wall is additionally joined to the skin-side surface of the main body. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) An absorbent article according to claim 1, further comprising: fold-back flaps projecting outwardly from transversely opposite sides of the main body and configured to be folded back against an outer surface of an undergarment at a crotch part thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) An absorbent article according to claim 7, further comprising: rear flaps located rearward of the fold-back flaps, projecting outwardly from the transversely opposite sides of the main body and configured to be placed on an inner surface of the undergarment in an unfolded state, providing the article with a narrow portion that is located between the fold-back flaps and the rear flaps and has a smaller width than a portion including the fold-back flaps. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) An absorbent article according to claim 8, wherein the constraint portion is positioned within the narrow portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) An absorbent article according to claim 8, wherein the liquid absorbent layer is recessed together with the topsheet to have a pair of longitudinal compressed grooves, a pair of first outside compressed grooves, and a pair of second outside compressed grooves on the skin-side surface of the main body, the longitudinal compressed grooves defining a main absorbent region therebetween, the first outside compressed grooves being disposed on both sides of the main absorbent region at a forward side from a line connecting the constraint portions, and the second outside compressed grooves being disposed on both sides of the main absorbent region at a rear side from the line connecting the constraint portions, and wherein first and second outside compressed grooves on each side of the main absorbent region are discontinuous with respect to one another in the narrow portion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) An absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein each leakage preventing wall has a free end disposed laterally outward, extending perpendicularly away from the longitudinal centerline of the main body. ### Claim 12 An absorbent article comprising: an elongated main body having a skin-side surface and a garment-side surface and including a liquid absorbent layer intended to absorb liquid applied to the skin-side surface and a backsheet appearing on the garment-side surface; and leakage preventing walls disposed at equal distances on each side of a longitudinal centerline of the main body and extending longitudinally of the main body, the leakage preventing walls being fixed at longitudinally opposing front and rear ends to the main body and subjected to a longitudinal elastic contractive force between the front and rear ends so as to rise between the front and rear ends with longitudinally extending tops moved away from the skin-side surface; wherein each leakage preventing wall is provided, between the front and rear ends, with a constraint portion in which the leakage preventing wall is capable to rise to an allowable rising height from the skin-side surface, the allowable rising height within the constraint portion being constrained to be smaller than the allowable rising heights in portions forward and rearward of the constraint portion; wherein each leakage preventing wall comprises a rising base extending longitudinally along an entire length of the leakage preventing wall along the skin side surface of the main body; wherein each leakage preventing wall comprises a first inclined panel extending obliquely upward from the rising base, a second inclined panel extending obliquely upward from the first inclined panel in an opposing direction to the first inclined panel, and a skin-contacting panel extending obliquely upward from the second inclined panel in an opposing direction to the second inclined panel; wherein said skin-contacting panel comprises a fold line, said fold line forming a top of the leakage preventing wall; wherein the allowable rising height is a distance between the rising base of the leakage preventing wall and the fold line of the skin contacting panel when the leakage preventing wall is forcibly developed; wherein in the constraint portion, one of the inclined panels is at least partially joined to an adjacent panel comprising the leakage preventing wall, thereby constraining the allowable rising height within the constraint portion; and wherein the constraint portion is located at a midpoint between the front and rear ends of the leakage preventing wall or rearward of the midpoint. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) An absorbent article according to claim 12, wherein in the constraint portion, the leakage preventing wall is joined to itself so as to constrain the allowable rising height within the constraint portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) An absorbent article according to claim 12, wherein in the constraint portion, the leakage preventing wall is additionally joined to the skin-side surface of the main body. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) An absorbent article according to claim 12, further comprising: fold-back flaps projecting outwardly from transversely opposite sides of the main body and configured to be folded back against an outer surface of an undergarment at a crotch part thereof. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) An absorbent article according to claim 15, further comprising: rear flaps located rearward of the fold-back flaps, projecting outwardly from the transversely opposite sides of the main body and configured to be placed on an inner surface of the undergarment in an unfolded state, providing the article with a narrow portion that is located between the fold-back flaps and the rear flaps and has a smaller width than a portion including the fold-back flaps. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) An absorbent article according to claim 16, wherein the liquid absorbent layer is recessed together with the topsheet to have a pair of longitudinal compressed grooves, a pair of first outside compressed grooves, and a pair of second outside compressed grooves on the skin-side surface of the main body, the longitudinal compressed grooves defining a main absorbent region therebetween, the first outside compressed grooves being disposed on both sides of the main absorbent region at a forward side from a line connecting the constraint portions, and the second outside compressed grooves being disposed on both sides of the main absorbent region at a rear side from the line connecting the constraint portions, and wherein first and second outside compressed grooves on each side of the main absorbent region are discontinuous with respect to one another in the narrow portion. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) An absorbent article according to claim 12, wherein each leakage preventing wall has a free end disposed laterally outward, extending perpendicularly away from the longitudinal centerline of the main body.