Body Fluid Absorbent Wearing Article

Abstract

A body fluid absorbent wearing article includes a liquid-absorbent panel. The panel is composed of a first fibrous assembly panel lying on the side of a topsheet and a second fibrous assembly panel underlying the first sub-panel. The first sub-panel has a flat portion, a plurality of protuberant portions and a plurality of wall portions. The first fibrous assembly sub-panel has a fiber density lower than that of the second fibrous assembly sub-panel whereas the fiber density of the first fibrous assembly sub-panel is higher in the protuberant portions and the wall portions than in the flat portion. The panel thus formed is capable of rapidly spreading body fluids and preventing the body fluids from flowing back to a top surface of the article.

1 . A body fluid absorbent wearing article, comprising: 
 a liquid-pervious topsheet;    a liquid-impervious backsheet;    a liquid-absorbent panel disposed between said topsheet and said backsheet;    said panel comprising a first fibrous assembly sub-panel lying on a side of said topsheet and having a compressive restoring elasticity, and a substantially flat second fibrous assembly sub-panel underlying said first fibrous assembly sub-panel;    said first fibrous assembly sub-panel having opposite upper and lower sides, the upper side being opposed to said topsheet, the lower side being opposed to said second fibrous assembly sub-panel;    said first fibrous assembly sub-panel comprising 
 a substantially flat portion adjacent said topsheet,  
 a plurality of protuberant portions extending from said flat portion on the lower side of said first fibrous assembly sub-panel toward said second fibrous assembly panel so as to bear against said second fibrous assembly sub-panel, and  
 a plurality of wall portions each extending from said flat portion on the lower side of said first fibrous assembly sub-panel toward said second fibrous assembly sub-panel and connecting one pair of the adjacent protuberant portions with each other,  
 wherein a dimension of said wall portions extending from said flat portion on the lower side of said first fibrous assembly sub-panel toward said second fibrous assembly sub-panel is smaller than that of said protuberant portions; and  
   said first fibrous assembly sub-panel having a fiber density lower than that of said second fibrous assembly sub-panel, and the fiber density of said first fibrous assembly sub-panel is higher in said protuberant portions and said wall portions than in said flat portion.    
     
     
         2 . (canceled)  
     
     
         3 . The body fluid absorbent wearing article according to  claim 1 , wherein said first fibrous assembly sub-panel has a fiber density of 0.03-0.10 g/cm 3  in said flat portion and a fiber density of 0.05-0.15 g/cm 3  in said protuberant portions as well as in said wall portions, and said second fibrous assembly sub-panel has a fiber density of 0.0-0.50 g/cm 3 .  
     
     
         4 . The body fluid absorbent wearing article according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said first fibrous assembly sub-panel comprises hydrophilic thermoplastic synthetic resin fiber which constitutes from 70 to less than 100 wt % of said first fibrous assembly sub-panel and cellulose fiber which constitutes no more than 30 wt % of said first fibrous assembly sub-panel; and    said second fibrous assembly sub-panel comprises said synthetic resin fiber which constitutes no more than 50 wt % of said second fibrous assembly sub-panel and said cellulose fiber which constitutes from 50 to less than 100 wt % of said second fibrous assembly sub-panel.    
     
     
         5 . The body fluid absorbent wearing article according to  claim 1 , wherein said second fibrous assembly sub-panel comprises at least one of fibrous or granular super-absorptive polymer which constitutes no more than 50 wt % of said second fibrous assembly sub-panel.  
     
     
         6 . The body fluid absorbent wearing article according to  claim 1 , wherein the fiber density of said protuberant portions is higher than that of said wall portions.  
     
     
         7 . The body fluid absorbent wearing article according to  claim 1 , wherein the substantially flat portion on the lower side of said first fibrous assembly sub-panel comprises a plurality of substantially flat areas each being surrounded by a plurality of said protuberant portions and said wall portions.  
     
     
         8 . A body fluid absorbent wearing article, comprising: 
 a liquid-pervious topsheet;    a liquid-impervious backsheet;    a liquid-absorbent panel disposed between said topsheet and said backsheet;    said panel comprising a first fibrous assembly sub-panel lying on a side of said topsheet and having a compressive restoring elasticity, and a substantially flat second fibrous assembly sub-panel underlying said first fibrous assembly sub-panel;    said first fibrous assembly sub-panel comprising 
 a substantially flat portion having opposite upper and lower sides, the upper side being adjacent said topsheet, the lower side being further from said topsheet than the upper side, the lower side being spaced from said second fibrous assembly sub-panel by a first given dimension,  
 a plurality of protuberant portions extending from the lower side of said flat portion toward said second fibrous assembly panel so as to bear against said second fibrous assembly sub-panel, and  
 a plurality of wall portions each extending from the lower side of said flat portion toward said second fibrous assembly sub-panel, being spaced from said second fibrous assembly sub-panel by a second given dimension smaller than said first dimension, and connecting one pair of the adjacent protuberant portions with each other; and  
   said first fibrous assembly sub-panel having a fiber density lower than that of said second fibrous assembly sub-panel, and the fiber density of said first fibrous assembly sub-panel is higher in said protuberant portions and said wall portions than in said flat portion.    
     
     
         9 . The body fluid absorbent wearing article according to  claim 8 , wherein the fiber density of said protuberant portions is higher than that of said wall portions.  
     
     
         10 . The body fluid absorbent wearing article according to  claim 8 , wherein the lower side of the substantially flat portion comprises a plurality of substantially flat areas each being surrounded by a plurality of said protuberant portions and said wall portions.  
     
     
         11 . The body fluid absorbent wearing article according to  claim 8 , wherein the upper side of said substantially flat portion is flat throughout an entire area thereof, said entire area being encompassed by the periphery of said first fibrous assembly sub-panel.  
     
     
         12 . The body fluid absorbent wearing article according to  claim 8 , wherein an entire thickness of fiber material of said flat portion is less than in the protuberant portions.  
     
     
         13 . The body fluid absorbent wearing article according to  claim 8 , wherein the fiber density of said protuberant portions is lower than the fiber density at any point of said second fibrous assembly sub-panel.  
     
     
         14 . The body fluid absorbent wearing article according to  claim 8 , wherein said second fibrous assembly sub-panel contacts said first fibrous assembly sub-panel only at lower ends of said protuberant portions, thereby preventing bodily discharge that has been transferred to said second fibrous assembly sub-panel from flowing back to the first fibrous assembly sub-panel.  
     
     
         15 . The body fluid absorbent wearing article according to  claim 8 , wherein said panel consists of said first and second fibrous assembly sub-panels.  
     
     
         16 . A body fluid absorbent wearing article, comprising: 
 a liquid-pervious topsheet;    a liquid-impervious backsheet;    a liquid-absorbent panel disposed between said topsheet and said backsheet;    said panel comprising a first fibrous assembly sub-panel lying on a side of said topsheet and having a compressive restoring elasticity, and a substantially flat second fibrous assembly sub-panel underlying said first fibrous assembly sub-panel;    said first fibrous assembly sub-panel comprising 
 a substantially flat portion having opposite upper and lower sides, the upper side being adjacent said topsheet, the lower side being further from said topsheet than the upper side, the lower side being spaced from said second fibrous assembly sub-panel by a first given dimension, and  
 a plurality of protuberant portions extending from the lower side of said flat portion toward said second fibrous assembly panel so as to bear against said second fibrous assembly sub-panel; and  
   said first fibrous assembly sub-panel having a fiber density lower than that of said second fibrous assembly sub-panel, and the fiber density of said first fibrous assembly sub-panel is higher in said protuberant portions than in said flat portion;    wherein    the upper side of said substantially flat portion is flat throughout an entire area thereof, said entire area being encompassed by the periphery of said first fibrous assembly sub-panel; and    the fiber density at any point of said protuberant portions is lower than the fiber density at any point of said second fibrous assembly sub-panel.    
     
     
         17 . The body fluid absorbent wearing article according to  claim 16 , wherein 
 the fiber density of said flat portion is in a range of 0.03-0.10 g/cm 3 ;    the fiber density of said protuberant portions is in a range of 0.05-0.15 g/cm 3 ; and    the fiber density of said second fibrous assembly sub-panel is in a range of 0.10-0.50 g/cm 3 .    
     
     
         18 . A body fluid absorbent wearing article, comprising: 
 a liquid-pervious topsheet;    a liquid-impervious backsheet;    a liquid-absorbent panel disposed between said topsheet and said backsheet;    said panel comprising a first fibrous assembly sub-panel lying on a side of said topsheet and having a compressive restoring elasticity, and a substantially flat second fibrous assembly sub-panel underlying said first fibrous assembly sub-panel;    said first fibrous assembly sub-panel having opposite upper and lower sides, the upper side being adjacent said topsheet, the lower side being further from said topsheet than the upper side, said first fibrous assembly sub-panel comprising, on the lower side thereof: 
 multiple flat areas spaced from said second fibrous assembly sub-panel by a first given dimension,  
 a plurality of protuberant portions extending from said flat areas toward said second fibrous assembly panel so as to bear against said second fibrous assembly sub-panel,  
 a plurality of wall portions each extending from said flat areas toward said second fibrous assembly sub-panel, being spaced from said second fibrous assembly sub-panel by a second given dimension smaller than said first dimension, and serving to connect one pair of the adjacent protuberant portions with each other,  
 each of said flat areas being completely surrounded by a number of said protuberant portions and said wall portions, wherein each pair of adjacent said areas are unconnected and separated by at least one said protuberant portion or at least one said wall portion; and  
   said first fibrous assembly sub-panel having a fiber density increasing progressively toward said second fibrous assembly sub-panel which has a fiber density higher than that of said first fibrous assembly sub-panel.