Patent 7504553 was granted and assigned to Kao Corporation on March, 2009 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
An absorbent article having a topsheet 2, a backsheet 3, and an absorbent member 4 interposed between the topsheet 2 and the backsheet 3 is disclosed. The absorbent member 4 has a number of compressed parts 7 which are discrete from one another and concave on the backsheet facing side and/or the topsheet facing side. The compressed part is configured to increase in thickness on absorbing liquid. The compressed part is made up of a thinnest portion 8 and a sloping portion 9. The sloping portion a gradually changes in thickness to connect to the thinnest portion 8.