Curved sanitary napkin with garment attachment panels

Abstract

An elongated, curved sanitary napkin having elasticized, raised side edges along the opposite sides of an absorbent. A garment attachment panel is secured to the underside of each raised side edge. A fixed portion of the garment attachment panel is bonded flat against each raised side edge so that a free portion of each of the garment attachment panels, extending from the fixed portion, is directed generally inward and downward. During use, the garment attachment panels are fastened together beneath an undergarment crotch by hook and loop type fastener. The fastener and the garment attachment panels are dimensioned so that, when fastened, the garment attachment panels exert a pull on the raised side edges and control their deflection, thereby preventing them from folding in over the absorbent. The garment attachment panels confine the crotch portion of the undergarment under the absorbent so that the elasticized edges of the panty crotch are prevented from pulling up and onto the absorbent.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A sanitary napkin for mounting onto the bodyside of the crotch portion of an undergarment and, during use, absorbing bodily excretions, comprising: 
 a) an elongated absorbent pad having a longitudinal axis, a longitudinally central portion and opposite longitudinal side edges, said side edges being deflectable with respect to said central portion and including an absorbent contained between a bodyside, liquid-permeable cover and a garment side, liquid-impermeable baffle, said absorbent pad being normally curved upward with respect to its longitudinal axis; and    b) control means for selectively controlling deflection of at least one of said side edges during use.    
     
     
         2 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 1  wherein said control means comprises a garment attachment panel normally extending generally downward and inward from said absorbent pad adjacent to at least one said side edge and, in use, anchorable under said crotch portion of said undergarment so as to confine said crotch portion and substantially define its lateral disposition.  
     
     
         3 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 2  wherein said undergarment has leg openings and said crotch portion has generally longitudinally oriented side edges defined by said leg openings and said garment attachment panel includes a fixed portion attached to an underside of said pad toward at least one side edge, and a free portion diverging from the underside of said pad for, during use, extending under said crotch portion of said undergarment, the lateral disposition of said fixed portion of said garment attachment panel with respect to said pad defining an outer lateral limit for disposition of said side edge of said crotch portion of said undergarment.  
     
     
         4 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 3  further comprising a second garment attachment panel, normally extending generally downward and inward from said pad and adjacent the other side edge of said pad and, during use, anchorable under said crotch portion of said undergarment, said second garment attachment panel comprising a fixed portion attached to an underside of said pad toward the said second side edge of said pad and a free portion diverging from said underside of said pad for, during use, extending under said crotch portion of said undergarment and including means for anchoring said free portions of said garment attachment panels to establish a predetermined deflection of said side edges and to facilitate accurate mounting of said sanitary napkin on said undergarment.  
     
     
         5 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 4  wherein said means for anchoring said free ends of said garment attachment panels comprises mating fastener elements, one on each garment attachment panel, so configured as to provide substantially only a single, predetermined lateral relationship of one garment attachment to the other.  
     
     
         6 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 4  wherein said predetermined deflection of said side edges biases said absorbent into an upwardly convex form closely fitting the body.  
     
     
         7 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 3  wherein said absorbent is longitudinally extending and has opposite longitudinal side edges and said deflectable side edges of said pad normally extend generally laterally with respect to said absorbent and, during use, the anchoring of said garment attachment panel configures said sanitary napkin so that said side edge of said crotch portion of said undergarment is supported approximately no higher than a side edge of said absorbent.  
     
     
         8 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 3  wherein at least one of said side edges of said pad has a lateral periphery and said absorbent has a longitudinally extending lateral side contiguous with said side edge and the attachment of said garment attachment panel has an inner lateral limit from which said free portion of said garment attachment panel diverges, and the lateral limit is disposed between the lateral side of said absorbent and the lateral periphery of said side edge of said pad.  
     
     
         9 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 8  wherein said lateral limit of said panel attachment is disposed toward but spaced from the lateral side of said absorbent.  
     
     
         10 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 8  wherein said baffle extends laterally to approximately the lateral periphery of at least one of said side edges and said garment attachment panel is secured to said baffle.  
     
     
         11 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 1  further including tension means included in at least one of said deflectable side edges of said pad, said tension means contributing to said upward curving of said absorbent pad and wherein said side edge normally extends generally laterally outward and upward with respect to said absorbent and said control means tends to pull said side edge outward and downward and prevent said side edge from being folded in over said absorbent by said tension means when the curvature of said pad is altered during use.  
     
     
         12 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 1  wherein said tension means comprises an elastic member extending longitudinally in at least one of said side edges.  
     
     
         13 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 1  wherein said tension means comprises a laminar element which shrinks upon exposure to a source of heat.  
     
     
         14 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said side edges extends laterally beyond said absorbent and further including means for elevating said side edge relative to said absorbent to form a raised edge.  
     
     
         15 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 14  wherein said control means comprises a garment attachment panel normally extending generally downward and inward from said raised edge and said garment attachment panel is integral with said raised edge.  
     
     
         16 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 15  wherein said raised edge comprises opposite inner and outer walls and said walls and said garment attachment panel are formed from a single sheet of material and said walls are bonded together.  
     
     
         17 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 16  wherein said walls are bonded together only in lower portions so that unbonded upper portions are free to define a rolled edge.  
     
     
         18 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 1  further including a longitudinally extending elastic member wherein said cover and baffle extend laterally beyond said absorbent and said cover, baffle, and elastic member are bonded together to define at least one of said side edges, said elastic member contributing to an upward curving of said pad and tending to elevate said side edge to form an elasticized raised edge.  
     
     
         19 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 18  wherein said control means comprises a garment attachment panel which is secured to said baffle outwardly of said absorbent and normally extends generally downward and inward.  
     
     
         20 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 1  wherein said control means comprises a garment attachment panel, said panel including a fixed portion carried by at least one of said side edges and a free portion extending from said fixed portion and foldable with respect to said fixed portion so as to, during use, extend inward and be anchorable under said crotch portion of said undergarment so as to confine said crotch portion and substantially define its lateral disposition.  
     
     
         21 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 20  wherein said crotch portion has generally longitudinally oriented side edges and said fixed portion of said garment attachment panel extends over an underside of at least one of said side edges of said absorbent pad, the lateral disposition of said fixed portion with respect to said pad defining an outer lateral limit for disposition of one of said side edges of said crotch portion of said undergarment.  
     
     
         22 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 21  wherein at least one of said side edges has an outer lateral periphery and said absorbent has a longitudinally extending lateral side contiguous with said side edge and said fixed portion of said garment attachment panel has a lateral limit from which said free portion of the panel extends and said lateral limit is disposed between said lateral side of said absorbent and said lateral periphery of said side edge of said absorbent pad.  
     
     
         23 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 22  wherein said lateral limit of said fixed portion of said garment attachment panel comprises an outer lateral limit of said fixed portion.  
     
     
         24 . The sanitary napkin of  claim 22  wherein said lateral limit of said fixed portion of said garment attachment panel comprises an inner lateral limit of said fixed portion.  
     
     
         25 . A sanitary napkin for mounting onto the bodyside of the crotch portion of an undergarment and, during use, absorbing bodily excretions comprising: 
 a) an elongated absorbent pad having a longitudinal axis, a longitudinally central portion and opposite longitudinal side edges, said side edges being deflectable with respect to said central portion and including an absorbent contained between a bodyside, liquid-permeable cover and a garment side, liquid-impermeable baffle, at least one of said cover and said baffle extending laterally beyond said absorbent to define said side edges, and said absorbent pad being normally curved upward with respect to its longitudinal axis;    b) means for curving said pad upwardly and raising said side edges with respect to said absorbent; and    c) at least one garment attachment panel carried by one of said opposite side edges and normally extending generally downward and inward and, during use, anchorable under the crotch portion of said undergarment, said anchoring at least potentially establishing a generally downward pull on one of said side edges and preventing said side edge from folding in toward said absorbent.    
     
     
         26 . A sanitary napkin for mounting onto the bodyside of the crotch portion of an undergarment and, during use, absorbing bodily excretions, said undergarment having leg openings and said crotch portion having generally longitudinally oriented side edges defined by said leg openings comprising: 
 a) an elongated absorbent pad having a longitudinal axis, a longitudinally central portion and opposite longitudinal side edges, said edges being deflectable with respect to said central portion, and including an absorbent contained between a bodyside, liquid-permeable cover and a garment side, liquid-impermeable baffle, said absorbent pad being normally curved upward with respect to its longitudinal axis;    b) means for longitudinally curving said absorbent pad upwardly; and    c) at least one garment attachment panel carried by one of said opposite side edges and normally extending downward and inward and, during use, being anchorable under said crotch portion of said undergarment, said garment attachment panel comprising a fixed portion attached to an underside of said one of said side edges and a free portion diverging from said side edge for, during use, extending under said crotch portion of said undergarment, the lateral disposition of said fixed portion of said garment attachment panel with respect to said pad defining an outer lateral limit for disposition of said side edge of said crotch portion of said undergarment.    
     
     
         27 . A sanitary napkin for mounting onto the bodyside of the crotch portion of an undergarment and, during use, absorbing bodily excretions comprising: 
 a) an elongated absorbent pad having a longitudinal axis, a longitudinally central portion and opposite longitudinal side edges, said edges being deflectable with respect to said central portion, and including an absorbent contained between a bodyside, liquid-permeable cover and a garment side, liquid-impermeable baffle, said absorbent pad being normally curved upward with respect to its longitudinal axis;    b) means for longitudinally curving said absorbent pad upwardly and elevating at least a portion of each of said side edges to define a pair of opposite raised side edges, said edges each having an inner and an outer wall; and    c) at least one garment attachment panel normally extending downward and inward and, during use, being anchorable under said crotch portion of said undergarment, said panel being integral with one of said raised side edges, and said panel and the inner and outer walls of said raised side edges being formed from a single sheet of material.