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US006394989B2
(12) United States Patent (io) Patent No.: US 6,394,989 B2
Mizutani (45) Date of Patent: *May 28,2002
(54) ABSORBENT ARTICLE HAVING
DEFORMATION INDUCING MEANS
(75) Inventor: Satoshi Mizutani, Kagawa-ken (JP)
(73) Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation (JP)
( * ) Notice: This patent issued on a continued prosecution application filed under 37 CFR 1.53(d), and is subject to the twenty year patent term provisions ol 35 U.S.C. 154(a)(2).
Subject to any disclaimer, the term ol this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
(21) Appl. No.: 09/161,022
(22) Filed: Sep. 25, 1998
(30) Foreign Application Priority Data
Sep. 29, 1997 (JP) 9-264654
Sep. 29, 1997 (JP) 9-264655
(51) Int. CI. A61F 13/15
(52) U.S. CI 604/385.01; 604/385.201;
604/385.27; 604/385.26; 604/383
(58) Field of Search 604/347, 354,
604/385.1, 386, 385.2, 387, 378, 109, 49.4, 385.01, 385.201, 385.27, 385.26, 383
(56) References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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4,804,380 A * 2/1989 Lassen et al 604/385.1
4,822,350 A * 4/1989 Ito et al 604/372
4,846,824 A * 7/1989 Lassen et al 604/385.1
4,897,084 A * 1/1990 Ternstrom et al 604/385.2
4,911,701 A * 3/1990 Mavinkurve 604/385.2
5,080,658 A * 1/1992 Igaue et al 604/385.2
5,129,893 A * 7/1992 Thoren 604/385.2
5,197,959 A * 3/1993 Buell 604/385.1
5,295,987 A * 3/1994 Widlund et al 604/385.2
5,354,400 A * 10/1994 Lavash et al 156/227
5,545,156 A * 8/1996 DiPalma et al 604/385.1
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6,210,385 Bl * 4/2001 Mizutani 604/385.01
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
EP 0 214 636 * 3/1987 604/385.1
EP 0 360 285 3/1990
EP 0 572 033 12/1993
GB 2 296 437 7/1996
JP A-2-7958 1/1990
JP A-2-11138 1/1990
JP U-5-62228 8/1993
JP B2-6-40888 6/1994
JP A-9-507033 7/1997
WO 93/01783 * 2/1993 604/385.1
WO 95/00095 * 1/1995 604/385.1
WO WO 95/07674 3/1995
WO WO 95/17148 6/1995
WO WO 97/07764 3/1997
* cited by examiner
Primary Examiner—John G. Weiss
Assistant Examiner—Michael Bogart
(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Baker & Daniels
(57) ABSTRACT
An absorbent article such as sanitary napkin having an absorbent laminate is provided on a skin-noncontactable side ol the laminate with deformation inducing means. The deformation inducing means include a hydrophobic panel member and an elastically stretchable member adapted to pull the panel member toward its middle under contractile force ol the elastically stretchable member and thereby to convexly deform the panel member toward a skincontactable side ol the laminate. Convex deformation ol the panel member by the deformation inducing means allows the laminate to be convexly deformed.
14 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
