03.04.08
An absorbent article has been issued a patent. It comprises a back sheet including a front portion, a rear portion, a crotch portion and a pair of leg fitting portions formed at opposite sides of the crotch portion between the front portion and the rear portion. An absorbent member is bonded to the crotch portion of the back sheet on a skin-side surface of the back sheet. A pair of raisable flaps is secured to the crotch portion of the back sheet at opposite sides of the absorbent member. A pair of elastic members is respectively bonded to the raisable flaps along front and rear directions of the back sheet in an expanded state. Each of the raisable flaps has multiple layers including a base end layer and a free end layer. Each of the raisable flaps has an adhesive portion provided on an underside of the base end layer to bond the base end layer relative to the absorbent member. Each of the elastic members is bonded to a respective one of the free end layers of the raisable flaps. The base end layer of each of the raisable flaps has a base end layer inner edge and a base end layer outer edge facing outward from the base end layer inner edge. The free end layer of each of the raisable flaps has a free end layer inner edge and a free end layer outer edge faces outward from the free end layer inner edge. The multiple layers of each of the raisable flaps are configured in an accordion form so as to be movable between a folded condition in which the multiple layers are collapsed toward one another and in which the free end layer and the based end layer are both generally parallel with the back sheet. The multiple layers are separated relative to one another. For each of the raisable flaps when in the folded condition, the free end layer inner edge faces outside away from the base end layer inner edge. For each of the raisable flaps when in the folded condition, an innermost edge of the adhesive portion faces outside away from the base end layer inner edge.