Absorbent article with front and rear supporting members

1. An absorbent article comprising

a main body portion having an ability to absorb and retain a liquid;

a front support member extending forward beyond a front edge of the main body portion; and

a rear support member extending rearward beyond a rear edge of the main body portion, the rear support member being separate from the front support member, wherein

the individual front and rear support members produce an elastic contractive force in a stretched state,

the individual front and rear support members are provided with means for securing each support member to the skin of a wearer, and

the front support member has a rear end which is joined to a garment surface of the main body portion, the rear support member has a front end which is joined to the garment surface of the main body portion and spaced a distance rearward from the rear end of the front support member, the rear end of the front support member and the front end of the rear support member are both located in a region ahead of a transversely extending centerline of the main body portion, and the rear support member behind the front end is not joined to the garment surface of the main body portion.

2. An absorbent article comprising:

a main body portion having an ability to absorb and retain a liquid;

a front support member extending forward beyond a front edge of the main body portion; and

a rear support member extending rearward beyond a rear edge of the main body portion, wherein

the individual front and rear support members produce an elastic contractive force in a stretched state, and

the individual front and rear support members are provided with means for securing each support member to the skin of a wearer, wherein

the front support member has a rear end which is joined to a garment surface of the main body portion, the rear support member has a front end which is joined to the garment surface of the main body portion and spaced a distance rearward from the rear end of the front support member, the rear end of the front support member and the front end of the rear support member are both located in a region ahead of a transversely extending centerline of the main body portion, and the rear support member behind the front end is not joined to the garment surface of the main body portion.

3. An absorbent article as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the main body portion has a layer for blocking passage of a liquid toward a garment surface of the main body portion.

4. An absorbent article as set forth in claim 2 , wherein a garment surface of the main body portion is permeable to liquid, at least in a central region thereof.

5. An absorbent article as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the rear support member has a width of equal to or less than 30 mm, within a region of a predetermined length extending rearward from the rear edge of the main body portion.

6. An absorbent article as set forth in claim 5 , wherein behind the region of a predetermined length, the rear support member has a region which is gradually widened and provided at a location of a maximum width with the securing means.

7. An absorbent article as set forth in claim 2 , wherein at least one of the front and rear support members comprises at least two separate parts individually extending from the main body portion.

8. An absorbent article as set forth in claim 2 , wherein when the front and rear support members are fully stretched, a distance between the securing means of the front support member and the securing means of the rear support member increases by at least 1.2 times that before stretch.

9. An absorbent article as set forth in claim 8 , wherein when the distance between the securing means of the front support member and the securing means of the rear support member is 1.2 times that before stretch, an elastic contractive force acting between the securing means of the front support member and the securing means of the rear support member is equal to or less than 1960 mN.

10. An absorbent article as set forth in claim 9 , wherein when in close contact with the human skin, each securing means has a shear strength of greater than 1960 mN.

11. An absorbent article as set forth in claim 2 , wherein each securing means has a peel strength of equal to or less than 0.49 N per 25 mm width.

12. An absorbent article comprising

a main body portion for absorbing and retaining liquid;

a front support member extending forward beyond a front edge of the main body portion; and

a rear support member extending rearward beyond a rear edge of the main body portion,

wherein the front and rear support members both produce elastic contractive force and are provided with securing members, respectively, to attach to the skin of the wearer,

the main body portion has a front region and a rear region with the rear region being wider than the front region, and the front support member is attached at the front region and the rear support member is attached at the rear region, and

the front support member has a forward edge and a rearward edge and has a solid tapered shape with decreasing width from the forward edge to the rearward edge, and the front support member is joined to the main body portion at the rearward edge.

13. An absorbent article comprising:

a main body portion for absorbing and retaining liqiuid;

a front support member extending forward beyond a front edge of the main body portion; and

a rear support member extending rearward beyond a rear edge of the main body portion,

wherein the front and rear support members both produce elastic contractive force and are provided with securing members, respectively, to attach to the skin of the wearer,

the main body portion has a front region and a rear region with the rear region being wider than the front region, and the front support member is attached at the front region and the rear support member is attached at the rear region, and

the rear support member has a fitting region of constant width extending from the rear edge of the main body portion and a region that expands in width from the fitting region; and

the expanding region is attached to a rectangular region which has one of the securing members.

14. An absorbent article comprising:

a main body portion for absorbing and retaining liquid;

a first support member extending forward beyond a front edge of the main body portion; and

a second support member extending rearward beyond a rear edge of the main body portion,

wherein the first and second support member both produce elastic contractive force and are provided with securing members, respectively, to attach to the skin of the wearer,

wherein the first support member has a first forward edge and a first rearward edge and is joined to the main body portion with the first rearward edge spaced inwardly away from the front edge of the main body portion,

wherein the first support member has a solid tapered shape with decreasing width from the first forward edge to the first rearward edge, and the first support member is joined to the main body portion at the first rearward edge,

wherein the second support member has a second forward edge and a second rearward edge and is joined to the main body portion with the second forward edge spaced inwardly away from the rear edge of the main body portion, and

wherein the second support member has a fitting region of constant width extending from the rear edge of the main body portion and has a region that expands in width from the fitting region, and the expanding region is attached to a rectangular region which has one of the securing members, and the second support member is joined to the main body portion at the second forward edge.

15. An absorbent article according to claim 14 ,

wherein the main body portion has a front region and a rear region with the rear region being wider than the front region, and the first support member is attached at the front region and the second support member is attached at the rear region.

16. An absorbent article according to claim 14 ,

wherein the main body portion has a front region and a rear region that is wider than the front region and has an hour glass shape.