Absorbent article and process for manufacturing the same

Abstract

There is disclosed an absorbent article including an absorbent layer and a liquid-permeable surface sheet placed on a liquid-receiving side of the absorbent layer for introducing excreted liquid from the human body to the absorbent layer. The surface sheet is of a corrugated configuration to have valleys and peaks extending in a longitudinal direction of the article and alternately arranged in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Each valley has a connecting part raised to connect between two adjacent peaks.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An absorbent article comprising an absorbent layer and a liquid-permeable surface sheet placed on a liquid-receiving side of the absorbent layer for introducing excreted liquid from the human body to the absorbent layer, wherein 
 the surface sheet is of a corrugated configuration to have valleys and peaks extending in a longitudinal direction of the article and alternately arranged in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and wherein 
 each valley has a connecting part raised to connect between two adjacent peaks.  
   
     
     
         2 . The absorbent article as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the connecting part connects side slopes of the two peaks.  
     
     
         3 . The absorbent article as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein each valley has a plurality of connecting parts arranged at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction.  
     
     
         4 . The absorbent article as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the interval of the connecting parts in the longitudinal direction is from 5 mm to 30 mm.  
     
     
         5 . The absorbent article as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the connecting parts are staggered in the longitudinal direction, between two adjacent valleys.  
     
     
         6 . The absorbent article as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the length in the transverse direction of the top of the connecting part is from 1 mm to 10 mm.  
     
     
         7 . The absorbent article as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the height size (h) from the bottom of the valley to the top of the connecting part falls within a range of 20% to 80% the height size (H) from the bottom of the valley to the top of the peak.  
     
     
         8 . The absorbent article as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the surface sheet has a lower fiber density in the connecting part than in the valley exclusive of the connecting part.  
     
     
         9 . The absorbent article as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the surface sheet has a higher fiber density in the bottom of the valley than in the top of the peak.  
     
     
         10 . The absorbent article as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the surface sheet has a higher fiber density in the top of the peak than in the side of the peak.  
     
     
         11 . The absorbent article as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein the surface sheet has a higher fiber density in the top of the peak than in the connecting part and in the side of the peak, and the fiber density in the connecting part is equal to or higher than that in the side of the peak.  
     
     
         12 . The absorbent article as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the back of the surface sheet is fixed to the absorbent layer at the bottom of the valley.  
     
     
         13 . The absorbent article as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the surface sheet is a laminate of a plurality of nonwoven fabrics containing hydrophobic fibers.  
     
     
         14 . A process for manufacturing an absorbent article, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) pressing a nonwoven fabric, which is supplied in a predetermined direction, between a first shaping means and a second shaping means to form a surface sheet, and    (b) placing and fixing the surface sheet on a liquid-receiving side of an absorbent layer, wherein 
 the first shaping means has ribs and grooves extending in the supplying direction of nonwoven fabric and alternately arranged in a transverse direction perpendicular to the supplying direction;  
 the second shaping means has ribs and grooves extending in the supplying direction and alternately arranged in the transverse direction, each rib of which has a plurality of recesses formed at intervals in the supplying direction; and  
 the surface sheet formed in the step (a) has peaks each compressed between the rib of the first shaping means and the groove of the second shaping means, valleys each compressed between the groove of the first shaping means and the rib of the second shaping means, and connecting parts raised from the valleys to connect between two adjacent peaks at the part corresponding to the recesses of the second shaping means.