Absorbent panty-type items

Abstract

To provide an underpants-type absorbent article unlikely to make a user worry about getting stuffy in a crotch part by absorbed excretory fluid, while improving a fitting property and absorbability of the excretory fluid in the crotch part.SOLUTION: An underpants-type absorbent article (1) comprises an absorbent body (10) and an exterior member (20) provided on a non-skin side with respect to the absorbent body (10) and including at least a part stretchable in a lateral direction. The absorbent body (10) includes a crotch elastic area (50A) in a crotch part (CA), the crotch elastic area including an absorber elastic member (50) provided at a center in the lateral direction and stretching along a longitudinal direction, and an aperture area (70A) having a plurality of apertures (70) in at least a part of a sheet member (21) constituting the exterior member (20). When viewed in a thickness direction, there is a part where the crotch elastic area (50A) and the aperture area (70A) overlap.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pant-type absorbent article.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in the crotch portion of a pant-type absorbent article, in order to suppress leakage of excreted fluid, an elastic member that expands and contracts along the longitudinal direction is provided at the central portion in the width direction (lateral direction) of the absorbent body, and the absorbent body is made easier to fit to the excretory opening (such as the vaginal opening) by the contraction force of the elastic member. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pant-type diaper capable of fitting the absorbent body to the wearer's body by means of an elastic member provided in the groin portion along the longitudinal direction of the absorbent body and preventing bunching in the groin portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a pant-type absorbent article provided with an elastic member in the crotch portion as in Patent Document 1, the fit of the absorbent body in the crotch portion is enhanced, and leakage of excreted fluid such as urine and menstrual blood can be made difficult. However, since excreted fluid is likely to be absorbed by the absorbent body near the excretory opening of the wearer, there is a risk of causing concern to the user that the crotch portion is likely to become stuffy due to the excreted fluid accumulated in the absorbent body.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a pant-type absorbent article that is difficult to cause concern to the user that the crotch portion is likely to become stuffy due to absorbed excreted fluid while enhancing the fit and absorbency of excreted fluid in the crotch portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The main invention for achieving the above objective is: In its unfolded state, it has intersecting longitudinal, transverse, and thickness directions. A liquid-absorbing absorbent body, An outer covering member provided on the non-skin side of the absorbent body, and at least a portion of which is expandable and contractible in the lateral direction, A pant-type absorbent article having, The absorbent body is not coated with a volatile cooling agent. The absorbent body has an elastic region in the crotch area, provided in the central part in the horizontal direction and equipped with an absorbent elastic member that expands and contracts along the vertical direction. At least a portion of the sheet member constituting the exterior member has an opening region with a plurality of openings, When viewed in the thickness direction, the portion where the crotch elastic region and the opening region overlap. They have, The absorbent body has an absorbent core, The absorbent body does not have a high-density portion in the area that overlaps with the crotch elastic region in a plan view, where the density of the absorbent core is higher than in the surrounding area. This is a pant-type absorbent article characterized by the following: Other features of the present invention will be made apparent by description in this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pant-type absorbent article that enhances the fit and absorbency of excretory fluids in the crotch area, while minimizing concerns for the user about the crotch area becoming stuffy due to the absorbed excretory fluids. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing one example of the composition of napkin 1. [Figure 2] This is a schematic plan view of napkin 1 in its unfolded and extended state, as seen from the skin side in the thickness direction. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the AA section. [Figure 4] It is a plan view and a sectional view of the absorbent body 10. [Figure 5] It is a plan view for explaining the apertures 70 and the fusion parts 80 provided on the non-skin side sheet 21. [Figure 6] It is a plan view for explaining the arrangement of the welding parts 90. [Figure 7] It is a plan view of the pants-shaped napkin 1 in the extended state. [Figure 8] FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are schematic sectional views for explaining the shape in the thickness direction of the apertures 70 formed in the non-skin side sheet 21. [Figure 9] It is a view for explaining the arrangement of the main body body of the body joining part 18 that joins the absorbent body 10 and the exterior member 20 in the thickness direction. [Figure 10] It is a view for explaining the arrangement of the back-side joining part 19 that joins the back sheet 14 and the side sheet 15 in the thickness direction. [Figure 11] It is a flow chart of each process in the production of the napkin 1. [Figure 12] It is a schematic view for explaining the production apparatus 100 for producing the napkin 1. [Figure 13] It is a view for explaining the principle of the stretching process. [Figure 14] It is a view showing an enlarged representation of the region K in FIG. 13.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] From the description in this specification and the attached drawings, at least the following matters become clear.

[0010] (Aspect 1) In the unfolded state, it has a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a thickness direction that intersect each other, and a liquid-absorbent absorbent body, and an outer member provided on the non-skin side of the absorbent body and at least partially stretchable and contractible in the horizontal direction. A pant-type absorbent article having, wherein the absorbent body has a crotch elastic region provided at a central portion in the horizontal direction in the crotch portion and provided with an absorbent body elastic member that stretches and contracts along the vertical direction, and at least a part of a sheet member constituting the outer member has a perforated region provided with a plurality of apertures, and when viewed in the thickness direction, there is a portion where the crotch elastic region and the perforated region overlap. A pant-type absorbent article characterized by this.

[0011] According to the pant-type absorbent article of Aspect 1, due to the contraction force of the crotch elastic region, the fit of the absorbent body in the vicinity of the excretion port is enhanced, and the absorbency of excretion fluids such as menstrual blood is improved. And since the perforated region is provided in the outer member of the portion overlapping with the crotch elastic region, it is easy to remind the user of good air permeability. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for the user to have a concern that the crotch portion is likely to get stuffy due to the absorbed excretion fluid.

[0012] (Aspect 2) The absorbent body has an absorbent core and a breathable sheet member that is liquid-impermeable and breathable and provided on the non-skin side of the absorbent core, and an aperture edge protruding portion that protrudes along the periphery of the aperture toward the skin side or the non-skin side in the thickness direction is provided. The pant-type absorbent article according to Aspect 1.

[0013] According to the pant-type absorbent article of Aspect 2, compared with the case where the aperture edge protruding portion is not formed, the distance between the absorbent core and the breathable sheet member and the wearer's clothes becomes farther, and when the excretion fluid evaporates to the non-skin side as water vapor, it is easy to suppress the moisture from aggregating on the clothes and the clothes getting wet. Therefore, even when the wearer moves the body and the absorbent body is deformed, the clothes are less likely to get wet, and it is possible to make it difficult for the user to feel discomfort.

[0014] (Aspect The pant-type absorbent article according to embodiment 2, wherein the opening edge protrusion protrudes toward the non-skin side in the thickness direction.

[0015] According to the pant-type absorbent article of Embodiment 3, the protruding edge of the opening is less likely to interfere with the skin-side sheet, and the protruding height of the opening edge in the thickness direction is easily maintained. Furthermore, even if the protruding edge of the opening is temporarily crushed, it is easy to return to its original shape.

[0016] (Aspect 4) The pant-type absorbent article according to embodiment 2, wherein the opening edge protrusion protrudes toward the skin side in the thickness direction.

[0017] According to the pant-type absorbent article of Embodiment 4, the non-skin-facing sheet and the skin-facing sheet are more easily brought into contact via the protruding edge of the opening. Therefore, the transfer of moisture from the skin-facing sheet to the non-skin-facing sheet is promoted near the protruding edge of the opening, and moisture can be efficiently evaporated from the opening to the non-skin side. As a result, moisture is less likely to accumulate on the skin side, and stuffiness in the crotch area and other areas can be easily suppressed.

[0018] (Aspect 5) A pant-type absorbent article according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, having a linear compression section that compresses the absorbent body in the thickness direction, wherein the length of the linear compression section in the crotch area in the vertical direction is longer than the length in the horizontal direction.

[0019] According to the pant-type absorbent article of Embodiment 5, in the crotch area of ​​the absorbent core, menstrual blood and other fluids absorbed at the part that comes into contact with the wearer's anus are more easily diffused vertically back and forth along the linear compression section, preventing the accumulation of excretory fluid around the area in contact with the anus. This makes it easier to suppress stuffiness and leakage in the crotch area.

[0020] (Aspect 6) The outer covering member comprises a first sheet having the opening and a second sheet laminated on the skin side in at least a portion of the first sheet and having elasticity in the transverse direction, wherein, when viewed in the thickness direction, the rear end in the longitudinal direction of at least one of the absorbent elastic member and the linear compression portion overlaps with the first sheet and the second sheet, as described in any of embodiments 1 to 5.

[0021] According to the pant-type absorbent article of embodiment 6, when the excretory fluid such as menstrual blood absorbed by the absorbent core diffuses forward and backward and reaches the rear end, the presence of the first and second sheets on the non-skin side makes it difficult for the excretory fluid to leak to the non-skin side. This prevents the excretory fluid from leaking out from the rear of the absorbent body when the wearer is lying on their back, for example.

[0022] (Aspect 7) The pant-type absorbent article according to embodiment 6, wherein the outer material is composed of a single first sheet in the crotch area.

[0023] According to the pant-type absorbent article of Embodiment 7, in the crotch area, moisture such as menstrual blood easily permeates the first sheet (non-skin side sheet) and moves from the skin side to the non-skin side. In addition, the perforated region provided in the first sheet (non-skin side sheet) allows moisture to efficiently evaporate from the skin side to the non-skin side, further improving breathability in the crotch area and making it less likely for stuffiness to occur.

[0024] (Pattern 8) The pant-type absorbent article according to any one of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the linear compression section is formed by a plurality of individual compression sections arranged intermittently, and the area of ​​each of the openings is larger than the area of ​​each of the individual compression sections.

[0025] In the pant-type absorbent article of embodiment 8, if the area of ​​the opening is large, the protruding part of the opening edge is more likely to be formed. Therefore, compared to the opposite case, it is easier to secure a distance between the breathable sheet member (backsheet) and the wearer's clothing, and the evaporation of moisture such as menstrual blood in the crotch area is more easily promoted. This makes it easier for the user to perceive good breathability.

[0026] (Aspect 9) The pants-type absorbent article according to any one of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the linear compression section is formed by a plurality of individual compression sections being arranged intermittently, and the area of ​​each of the openings is smaller than the area of ​​each of the individual compression sections.

[0027] In the pant-type absorbent article of embodiment 9, the area of ​​the opening is relatively small, making the opening less visible compared to the opposite case. This makes it less likely for the user to get the negative impression that menstrual blood or other fluids are likely to leak out (to the non-skin side) from the opening in the crotch area.

[0028] (Aspect 10) In its natural state, when viewed in the thickness direction, the area of ​​each of the openings provided in the portion overlapping with the crotch elastic region is smaller than the area of ​​each of the openings provided in the portion laterally outward from the absorbent body, as described in any of embodiments 1 to 9.

[0029] According to the pant-type absorbent article of embodiment 10, the opening does not appear excessively large in the area overlapping with the elastic area of ​​the crotch, making it less likely for the user to get the impression that menstrual blood, etc., is leaking outwards (to the non-skin side) from the opening around the vaginal opening. On the other hand, in the area outside the absorbent body in the left-right direction, the opening appears relatively large, giving the user the impression that the crotch area as a whole has sufficient breathability.

[0030] (Aspect 11) The absorbent body has a pair of leak-proof walls on both sides in the lateral direction, and the leak-proof walls are provided with a leak-proof elastic member that expands and contracts in the vertical direction, and the value obtained by dividing the length of the absorbent elastic member in the extended state by the length of the absorbent elastic member in the natural state is greater than the value obtained by dividing the length of the leak-proof elastic member in the extended state by the length of the leak-proof elastic member in the natural state, as described in any of embodiments 1 to 10.

[0031] According to the pant-type absorbent article of Embodiment 11, the absorbent body is more prone to contraction in the vertical direction in the central part (crotch elastic region) than in the horizontal sides (leak-proof wall portion). Therefore, the openings tend to contract more in the horizontal central part, making them less likely to appear excessively large, while the openings appear relatively larger on both outer sides in the horizontal direction. This makes it easier for the user to get the impression that waste liquid is less likely to leak around the excretory opening, and that breathability is easily ensured throughout the crotch area.

[0032] (Aspect 12) A pant-type absorbent article according to any one of embodiments 1 to 11, having a body joining portion that joins the absorbent body and the outer casing member in the thickness direction, wherein the total area of ​​the body joining portion is greater than the total area of ​​the openings.

[0033] According to the pant-type absorbent article of embodiment 12, the joint portion of the main body is formed to be relatively large, which increases the joint strength between the absorbent body and the outer material compared to the reverse case. Therefore, it is easier to suppress the outer material from tearing due to the openings provided in the outer material.

[0034] (Aspect 13) A pant-type absorbent article according to any one of embodiments 1 to 11, having a body joining portion that joins the absorbent body and the outer casing member in the thickness direction, wherein the total area of ​​the body joining portion is smaller than the total area of ​​the openings.

[0035] According to the pant-type absorbent article of embodiment 13, compared to the opposite case, the openings can be made larger or the number of openings per unit area can be increased. Therefore, the openings become more visible, and it becomes easier to give the user the impression that the product has good breathability.

[0036] (Aspect 14) The absorbent body has a top sheet and a second sheet on the skin side in the thickness direction from the absorbent core, and at least one of the top sheet and the second sheet is a sheet member having water-retaining fibers, as described in any of embodiments 1 to 13.

[0037] According to the pant-type absorbent article of embodiment 14, a sheet member with high water retention is positioned on the skin side of the absorbent core. As a result, menstrual fluids and other excretory fluids are more easily retained on the skin side than the absorbent core, thereby reducing the amount of moisture that migrates to the non-skin side of the absorbent core. This makes it easier to suppress leakage of excretory fluids when worn.

[0038] (Aspect 15) The absorbent body has a side sheet on the non-skin side of the breathable sheet member, the absorbent elastic member is provided between the breathable sheet member and the side sheet in the thickness direction, and has a portion where the breathable sheet member and the side sheet are not joined, on the longitudinal rear side of the crotch elastic region, according to any one of embodiments 1 to 14.

[0039] In the pant-type absorbent article of embodiment 15, in areas where the breathable sheet member and the side sheet are not joined, a gap is easily formed between them in the thickness direction, making it easier to suppress the transfer of moisture from the skin side to the non-skin side. Therefore, when the wearer is lying on their back, etc., it becomes easier to suppress leakage of excretory fluid in the area of ​​the buttocks behind the crotch elastic region.

[0040] (Aspect 16) The pants-type absorbent article according to any one of embodiments 1 to 15, wherein the linear compression sections are provided in pairs with a gap between them in the lateral direction, the absorbent body has one or more sheet members on the non-skin side in the thickness direction relative to the absorbent core, and the number of sheet members laminated on the non-skin side in the thickness direction relative to the absorbent core in the lateral inner region of the pair of linear compression sections is less than the number of sheet members laminated on the non-skin side in the thickness direction relative to the absorbent core in the lateral outer region of the pair of linear compression sections.

[0041] According to the pant-type absorbent article of embodiment 16, moisture is less likely to transfer from the skin side to the non-skin side on both sides in the lateral direction compared to the central part, and even if it does transfer to the non-skin side, the moisture is less likely to leak outwards in the lateral direction. This makes it easier to suppress the leakage of excretory fluids in the lateral direction when the wearer is lying on their side, for example.

[0042] ===Implementation Method=== As an example of a pant-type absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention, a shorts-type (pant-type) sanitary napkin (hereinafter also simply referred to as "napkin 1") will be described. Note that pant-type absorbent articles also include pant-type diapers and pant-type absorbent pads.

[0043] <Basic structure of napkin 1> Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing one example of the configuration of napkin 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of napkin 1 in an unfolded and extended state, viewed from the skin side in the thickness direction. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of AA of Figure 2.

[0044] The "stretched state" of napkin 1 refers to the state in which the entire napkin 1 (the entire product) is stretched without wrinkles by stretching each of the elastic components of napkin 1 (for example, the absorbent elastic component 50 described later, and the skin-side sheets 22, 23, etc.). Specifically, it refers to the state in which the napkin 1 is stretched until the dimensions of each component constituting the napkin 1 (for example, the outer packaging component 20 described later) match or are close to the dimensions of the individual component.

[0045] In the panty-like state shown in Figure 1, the napkin 1 has mutually perpendicular "up-down direction," "left-right direction," and "front-back direction." It also has a "thickness direction," which is the direction in which each component is stacked, as shown in Figure 3. In the up-down direction, the side that faces the wearer's torso when the napkin 1 is worn is called the "upper side," and the side that faces the wearer's crotch is called the "lower side." In the front-back direction, the side that faces the wearer's abdomen when worn is called the "front side," and the side that faces the wearer's back is called the "back side." In the thickness direction, the side that comes into contact with the wearer's skin when the napkin 1 is worn is called the "skin side," and the opposite side is called the "non-skin side."

[0046] Furthermore, in the unfolded state shown in Figure 2, napkin 1 has a "vertical direction" and a "horizontal direction" that are perpendicular to each other. The "vertical direction" is the direction along the up and down direction in the panty type, and the "horizontal direction" is the direction along the left and right direction in the shorts type.

[0047] The napkin 1 of this embodiment comprises an absorbent body 10 that absorbs liquids such as urine, and an outer covering member 20 that is positioned on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 10 and is positioned around the wearer's waist when the napkin 1 is worn.

[0048] The napkin 1 comprises an absorbent body 10 that absorbs excretory fluids (liquids) such as menstrual blood, and an outer covering member 20 provided on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 10, which is positioned around the wearer's waist when the napkin 1 is worn.

[0049] (Absorbent body 10) Figure 4 shows a plan view and a cross-sectional view of the absorbent body 10. As shown in Figure 2, the absorbent body 10 of this embodiment has a roughly rectangular shape in plan view, with its vertical direction (i.e., the direction of the long side of the absorbent body 10) aligned with the vertical direction of the napkin 1. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the absorbent body 10 has an absorbent core 11 aligned in the vertical direction (up and down direction), a top sheet 12 positioned on the skin side of the absorbent core 11, a second sheet 13 positioned between the top sheet 12 and the absorbent core 11, a back sheet 14 positioned on the non-skin side of the absorbent core 11, and a side sheet 15 positioned on the non-skin side of the back sheet 14.

[0050] The absorbent core 11 is a component that absorbs and retains liquids such as menstrual blood, and is formed from liquid-absorbing fibers such as pulp fibers. The absorbent core 11 may also be made of pulp fibers mixed with a superabsorbent polymer (SAP). Furthermore, its outer surface may be covered with a liquid-permeable sheet material (core wrap sheet 11b) such as tissue paper or nonwoven fabric.

[0051] The top sheet 12 is a liquid-permeable sheet material that can come into contact with the wearer's skin when worn, and is formed from, for example, a hydrophilic air-through nonwoven fabric or a spunbond nonwoven fabric.

[0052] The second sheet 13 is a sheet member having almost the same function and structure as the top sheet 12, and is laminated on the non-skin side of the top sheet 12. Note that the second sheet 13 is not necessarily required in the absorbent body 10.

[0053] The backsheet 14 is a liquid-impermeable and breathable sheet member (breathable sheet member) that prevents liquids such as menstrual blood absorbed by the absorbent core 11 from leaking out to the outside, and is formed of, for example, a resin film.

[0054] The side sheet 15 is a sheet member laminated on the non-skin side of the back sheet 14, and is made of a hydrophobic nonwoven fabric such as SMS (spunbond-meltblown-spunbond) nonwoven fabric. In this embodiment, the side sheet 15 forms a pair of leak-proof wall portions 30, 30.

[0055] The leak-proof wall portions 30 are provided in pairs on both sides of the absorbent body 10 in the lateral (left-right) direction and correspond to so-called three-dimensional gathers. When the napkin 1 is worn, the leak-proof wall portions 30 stand up on the skin side of the wearer on both sides of the absorbent body 10 in the lateral direction, thereby preventing menstrual blood and other excretory fluids from leaking out to the outside of the absorbent body 10 in the lateral direction by running down the wearer's skin.

[0056] In this embodiment, as shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 4, the side sheets 15 extend outward on both sides in the lateral (left-right) direction of the absorbent core 11, and are folded towards the skin in the thickness direction at both ends in the left-right direction of the absorbent body 10, with the ends 15t positioned closer to the skin than the absorbent core 11. Furthermore, at the ends 15t, as shown in Figure 4, the side sheets 15 are folded back and stacked in the thickness direction, and a leak-proof elastic member 31 is provided between the stacked side sheets 15, 15 in an extended state along the vertical direction. When the napkin 1 is worn, the end 15t of the leak-proof portion 30 contracts vertically (up and down direction) based on the elasticity of the leak-proof elastic member 31, making it easier for the absorbent body 10 to fit along the wearer's leg opening.

[0057] Furthermore, the absorbent body 10 is provided with a high-density section 40 in which the density of the absorbent core 11 is higher than that of the surrounding area. The high-density section 40 is formed by compressing each component constituting the absorbent body 10 in the thickness direction. In the napkin 1, as shown in Figure 4, the high-density section 40 is formed linearly by a series of intermittently arranged individual dot-shaped compression sections 41. Hereinafter, the high-density section 40 will also be referred to as the "linear compression section 40". By providing such a linear compression section 40 (high-density section 40), the liquid absorbent fibers of the absorbent core 11 are prevented from scattering and losing their shape. Also, when the napkin 1 is worn, the linear compression section 40 acts as a bending point, making it easier for the absorbent core 11 to deform three-dimensionally according to the wearer's body shape, thus making it easier to fit the wearer's body.

[0058] Furthermore, the absorbent body 10 is provided with multiple absorbent elastic members 50 that expand and contract along the vertical direction (up and down direction). The absorbent elastic members 50 are formed, for example, from elastic thread and are positioned on the non-skin side of the absorbent core 11 (specifically, between the back sheet 14 and the side sheet 15) in a state where they are stretched vertically (up and down direction) at a predetermined stretch ratio. In the napkin 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, four absorbent elastic members 50 are provided at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction. Here, the "stretch ratio" of the elastic member is the value obtained by dividing the length of the elastic member in the stretched state by the length of the elastic member in the natural state. Note that the arrangement, number, stretch ratio, etc. of the absorbent elastic members 50 can be changed as appropriate.

[0059] The elasticity exhibited by the absorbent elastic member 50 allows the absorbent body 10 to stretch along the vertical direction, making it easier for the absorbent body 10 to fit the wearer's crotch area when the napkin 1 is worn, thereby improving the absorbency of menstrual blood and other excretory fluids. Hereinafter, the area where the elasticity of the absorbent elastic member 50 is mainly exhibited in the crotch area will also be referred to as the "crotch elastic region 50A". In the napkin 1, the area surrounded by the four absorbent elastic members 50 (the area shown by the shaded area in Figure 4) is the crotch elastic region 50A. Note that the crotch elastic region 50A may have overlapping portions with areas other than the crotch area CA.

[0060] (Exterior component 20) The outer casing member 20 is a sheet member positioned on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 10, and has a non-skin side sheet 21 and skin side sheets 22 and 23. As shown in Figure 2, the portion of the outer casing member 20 that overlaps with the side joint 60 formed on the front side (front side in the front-rear direction in Figure 1) in the longitudinal direction is called the "front waist portion FA". Similarly, the portion of the outer casing member 20 that overlaps with the side joint 60 formed on the rear side (rear side in the front-rear direction in Figure 1) in the longitudinal direction is called the "rear waist portion BA". The portion between the rear end of the front waist portion FA and the front end of the rear waist portion BA in the longitudinal direction is called the "crotch area CA". The side joint 60 will be explained later.

[0061] The non-skin side sheet 21 is a non-stretchable sheet member positioned on the non-skin side of the napkin 1, and is formed from, for example, spunbond nonwoven fabric or SMS nonwoven fabric. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the non-skin side sheet 21 has a shape that is constricted inward in the left-right direction at the crotch area CA. Furthermore, multiple openings 70 and fused portions 80 are discretely provided across the entire surface of the non-skin side sheet 21. Figure 5 is a plan view illustrating the openings 70 and fused portions 80 provided on the non-skin side sheet 21.

[0062] The openings 70 are through-holes that penetrate the non-skin-facing sheet 21 in the thickness direction. In the napkin 1, the openings 70 are approximately circular in shape with a diameter of φ70 = 0.55 to 1.0 mm, and are arranged with a distance p70 (i.e., the pitch of the openings 70) of approximately 2.0 to 4.0 mm between the centers of two adjacent openings 70, 70. The area in the non-skin-facing sheet 21 where these multiple openings 70, 70... are provided is also called the "opening region 70A". In this embodiment, the opening region 70A is formed over the entire non-skin-facing sheet 21, but it is also possible for the opening region 70A to be formed in only a part of the non-skin-facing sheet 21. The openings 70 are formed in the opening formation process (S102) of the napkin 1 manufacturing process described later (see Figure 11), and the size and arrangement of the openings 70 can be adjusted as appropriate.

[0063] The fused portions 80 are areas that join the fibers constituting the non-skin sheet 21 (nonwoven fabric) to each other, thereby forming the fibers into a sheet. These are formed in the nonwoven fabric manufacturing process, for example, by embossing fibers (webs) deposited on a flat surface. The presence of these fused portions 80 ensures that the non-skin sheet 21 maintains flexibility while ensuring sufficient strength as a sheet material. In the napkin 1, the fused portions 80 are rectangular in shape with sides of approximately 0.3 to 0.5 mm, and are scattered with a distance p80 (i.e., pitch of fused portions 80) of approximately 1.0 to 2.0 mm between the centers of two adjacent fused portions 80, 80. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the fused portions 80 are scattered in a roughly grid pattern throughout the open area 70A.

[0064] The skin-side sheet 22 is an elastic sheet member laminated on the skin side of the non-skin-side sheet 21 on the longitudinal front (ventral) side, and exhibits elasticity along the left-right direction in the napkin 1. The skin-side sheet 22 is formed, for example, from an elastic nonwoven fabric. An "elastic nonwoven fabric" is a nonwoven fabric that includes elastic fibers and stretchable fibers with lower shrinkage than elastic fibers, and has been subjected to appropriate stretching treatment such as gear stretching. In this embodiment, the skin-side sheet 22 can use polyurethane elastomer fibers, which are a type of thermoplastic elastomer with elasticity, as the elastic fibers, and polypropylene (PP) fibers, which are a type of thermoplastic resin with inelasticity, as the stretchable fibers. The elastic nonwoven fabric is formed in the stretching step (S103) of the napkin 1 manufacturing process described later (see Figure 11).

[0065] The skin-side sheet 23 is an elastic sheet member laminated on the skin side of the non-skin-side sheet 21 on the rear (back) side in the longitudinal direction, and has the same configuration as the skin-side sheet 22.

[0066] The skin-facing sheets 22 and 23 are joined to the non-skin-facing sheet 21 by a plurality of scattered welded portions 90, thereby providing lateral stretchability to at least the front waist portion FA and the rear waist portion BA of the exterior member 20. In this embodiment, the welded portions 90 are formed using known joining means such as ultrasonic welding.

[0067] Figure 6 is a plan view illustrating the arrangement of the welded portion 90. Figure 6 shows the state in which the base sheets (non-skin side sheet 21 and skin side sheets 22, 23) constituting the exterior member 20 are joined in the thickness direction by the welded portion 90 when unfolded and extended. In other words, Figure 6 shows the exterior member 20 before cutting (shown by dashed lines in Figure 6) is performed to form the leg opening 1b. Furthermore, due to the manufacturing process, the welded portion 90 is also formed in areas where the skin side sheets 22, 23 and the non-skin side sheet 21 are not laminated (for example, a part of the crotch area CA).

[0068] In Figure 6, when the outer casing member 20 in its unfolded and extended state is viewed in the thickness direction, the area indicated by the shaded portion where the outer casing member 20 and the absorbent body 10 overlap is designated as region Y, and the remaining area is designated as region X. In napkin 1, the size and pattern of the welded portions 90 formed in region X and the welded portions 90 formed in region Y are different. Specifically, the welded portions 92 formed in region Y have a larger individual area and are more densely formed than the welded portions 91 formed in region X. That is, the total area of ​​the welded portions 92 provided per unit area in region Y (hereinafter also referred to as "area ratio") is larger than the total area of ​​the welded portions 91 provided per unit area in region X (area ratio).

[0069] The larger the area ratio of the welded portion 90, the stronger the bonding strength between the skin-side sheets 22, 23 and the non-skin-side sheet 21. Therefore, in region X where the outer material 20 (non-skin-side sheet 21) comes into contact with the wearer's skin when the napkin 1 is worn, reducing the area ratio of the welded portion 91 lowers the rigidity of the outer material 20, making it more prone to deformation. This prevents the outer material 20 from becoming too hard to the touch and makes it easier to fit to the wearer's body. On the other hand, in region Y, when the napkin 1 is worn, the absorbent body 10 is interposed between the outer material 20 (non-skin-side sheet 21) and the wearer's skin, making it difficult for the outer material 20 to come into direct contact with the wearer's skin. Therefore, even if the area ratio of the welded portion 92 is increased as shown in Figure 6, the feel and fit of the outer material 20 are not likely to deteriorate, and the bonding strength between the skin-side sheets 22, 23 and the non-skin-side sheet 21 can be increased.

[0070] Furthermore, the outer casing member 20 has a portion of the non-skin-facing sheet 21 folded downward at its upper end in the vertical direction. In Figure 3, the non-skin-facing sheet 21 has a folded portion 21ff at the front folding position FL20f, which is the portion folded downward in the vertical direction (rear side in the vertical direction) and towards the skin in the thickness direction. The folded portion 21ff is joined to an adjacent sheet member (skin-facing sheet 22 in Figure 3) in the thickness direction by an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive, at least in part. In addition, a waist elastic member 25f oriented in the lateral direction (left-right direction) may be provided between the folded portion 21ff and the adjacent sheet member (skin-facing sheet 22) in the thickness direction. The waist elastic member 25f can be made of, for example, elastic thread, and is fixed to the outer casing member 20 in a state that is stretched in the lateral direction. When the waist elastic member 25f contracts laterally, the fit of the waist opening 1a (described later) at the front waist portion FA of the napkin 1 is improved.

[0071] Similarly, in Figure 3, the non-skin-facing sheet 21 has a folded portion 21bf, which is folded back at the rear folding position FL20b on the lower side (front side in the vertical direction) and on the skin side in the thickness direction. In addition, a waist elastic member 25b oriented in the lateral direction (left-right direction) may be provided between the folded portion 21bf and the adjacent sheet member (skin-facing sheet 23) in the thickness direction. The waist elastic member 25b improves the fit of the waist opening 1a (described later) at the rear waist portion BA of the napkin 1.

[0072] Figure 7 is a plan view of the panty-shaped napkin 1 in its extended state. Starting from the unfolded state shown in Figure 2, the napkin 1 is folded in half lengthwise, with the central position CL in the longitudinal direction (shown as a dashed line in Figure 2), as shown in Figure 7, with the absorbent body 10 and the outer casing member 20 being folded in half lengthwise. In this folded state, the lateral sides 20fe of the front waist portion FA and the lateral sides 20be of the rear waist portion BA of the outer casing member 20, which overlap in the front-to-back direction, are joined using known joining means such as seal welding, forming a pair of side joints 60, 60. As a result, the folded outer casing member 20 is connected in a ring shape on the front (ventral side) and rear (dorsal side), forming a waist opening 1a and a pair of leg openings 1b as shown in Figures 1 and 7, resulting in the panty-shaped napkin 1.

[0073] In napkin 1, the side joint 60 is formed by multiple individual joints 61, 62 being arranged intermittently along the vertical direction. In Figure 7, multiple horizontally elongated individual joints 61, 61… are arranged at predetermined intervals along the vertical direction. In addition, multiple horizontally elongated individual joints 62, 62… are arranged at predetermined intervals along the vertical direction, inside the individual joints 61 in the left-right direction (horizontal direction). When removing used diaper 1 from the wearer's body, the front waist portion FA and the rear waist portion BA, which are connected in a ring shape, can be separated front and back by tearing the side joint 60. At that time, the multiple individual joints 61, 62 arranged intermittently along the vertical direction in the side joint 60 function like perforations, making it easy to tear the side joint 60. However, the side joint 60 may be formed by only one type of individual joint.

[0074] <Regarding the crotch elastic region 50A and the opening region 70A> In this embodiment, the napkin 1, due to the contractile force generated by the crotch elastic region 50A (absorbent elastic member 50) provided on the absorbent body 10, can easily fit the absorbent body 10 to the wearer's ostomy opening in the crotch area CA, thereby improving the absorbency of menstrual fluids and other excretions. On the other hand, because the absorbent body 10 is more likely to absorb excretions near the ostomy opening, the absorbed excretions tend to concentrate and accumulate in the crotch area, which may cause concern for the user that the crotch area may become stuffy when worn.

[0075] In contrast, the napkin 1 of this embodiment has an open area 70A consisting of multiple openings 70, 70... extending across the entire outer material 20 (non-skin side sheet 21). This open area 70A enhances the breathability of the napkin 1 and, being visible from the outside, gives the user the impression that the napkin 1 is less likely to cause stuffiness. Furthermore, when the napkin 1 is viewed in the thickness direction in the unfolded state shown in Figure 2, at least a portion of the open area 70A overlaps with the crotch elastic area 50A. That is, the open area 70A is provided in the part of the outer material 20 that overlaps with the crotch elastic area 50A, which easily fits the urinary opening. This makes it easier for the user to imagine good breathability and makes it less likely for the user to have concerns about the crotch area becoming stuffy.

[0076] Furthermore, a back sheet 14 (breathable sheet member) that is impermeable to liquid and breathable is provided on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 10, relative to the absorbent core 11 (see Figure 4). Therefore, excretory fluids such as menstrual blood absorbed by the absorbent core 11 near the excretory opening can permeate the back sheet 14 as water vapor and move to the non-skin side of the absorbent body 10. This allows the moisture (excretory fluid) absorbed by the absorbent body 10 to be discharged to the non-skin side of the absorbent body 10. At that time, since an open area 70A is provided in the outer casing member 20 on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 10, water vapor can move more easily to the non-skin side than the outer casing member 20, thereby actually improving breathability in the crotch area.

[0077] Furthermore, the elasticity of the crotch elastic region 50A causes the absorbent body 10 to be pressed against the wearer's body (crotch), making it easier to create space between the absorbent body and the wearer's clothing, thus facilitating the evaporation of excretory fluid into the atmosphere. If the crotch elastic region 50A were not provided and the absorbent body 10 were located close to the wearer's clothing, water vapor (moisture) passing through the back sheet 14 (breathable sheet member) could adhere directly to the wearer's clothing, potentially dampening it. In this case, the user might mistakenly believe that excretory fluid has leaked and adhered to their clothing.

[0078] However, as described above, if a space is secured between the wearer's clothing and the absorbent body 10 due to the elasticity of the crotch elastic region 50A, water vapor that has passed through the back sheet 14 can easily evaporate in that space, suppressing the condensation of water vapor on the clothing side and making the clothing less likely to get wet. Therefore, even if an opening region 70A is provided in the crotch area of ​​the outer material 20, it is unlikely to give the user a negative impression such as that excretory fluids are easily leaked.

[0079] Figures 8A and 8B are schematic cross-sectional diagrams illustrating the shape of the opening 70 formed in the non-skin side sheet 21 in the thickness direction. In this embodiment, the opening 70 is formed by inserting the tip of a pointed pin through the non-skin side sheet 21 from one side to the other in the thickness direction. At that time, the peripheral edge of the opening 70 protrudes toward the other side in the thickness direction (the side into which the pin was inserted). In Figure 8A, an opening edge projection 71 is formed where the peripheral edge of the opening 70 protrudes toward the non-skin side in the thickness direction. On the other hand, in Figure 8B, an opening edge projection 72 is formed where the peripheral edge of the opening 70 protrudes toward the skin side in the thickness direction.

[0080] Because the opening edge protrusions 71 and 72 that protrude in the thickness direction are formed in this way, the distance between the absorbent body 10 (absorbent core 11) and back sheet 14 (breathable sheet member) and the wearer's clothing is increased compared to when the opening edge protrusions 71 and 72 are not formed. Therefore, when the excretory fluid (moisture) absorbed by the absorbent core 11 passes through the back sheet 14 as water vapor and evaporates to the non-skin side, it is easier to suppress the aggregation of moisture on the clothing and the resulting wetting of the clothing. As a result, even if the absorbent body 10 deforms and moves closer to the clothing when the wearer moves their body, for example, the clothing is less likely to get wet, and discomfort to the user can be reduced.

[0081] In the case of Figure 8A, when the non-skin-side sheet 21 and the skin-side sheet 22(23) constituting the exterior member 20 are joined in the thickness direction, the opening edge protrusion 71 protrudes on the side opposite to the skin-side sheet 22(23). Therefore, the opening edge protrusion 71 and the skin-side sheet 22 are less likely to interfere with each other, the protrusion height of the opening edge protrusion 71 in the thickness direction is easily maintained, and even if the opening edge protrusion 71 is temporarily crushed, it is easy to return to its original shape. In addition, on the non-skin side of the exterior member 20, the way light is reflected differs between the opening edge protrusion 71 and the other parts, making the opening 70 more visible from the non-skin side and making it easier for the user to recall that it has good breathability.

[0082] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 8B, when the opening edge projection 72 protrudes towards the non-skin side in the thickness direction, the non-skin side sheet 21 and the skin side sheet 22 (23) adjacent to it on the skin side are more likely to come into contact via the opening edge projection 72. Therefore, the transfer of moisture from the skin side sheet 22 to the non-skin side sheet 21 is promoted near the opening edge projection 72, and moisture can be efficiently evaporated from the opening 70 to the non-skin side. As a result, moisture is less likely to accumulate on the skin side of the napkin 1, making it easier to suppress stuffiness in the crotch area, etc.

[0083] Furthermore, the absorbent body 10 of the napkin 1 is provided with a vertically elongated linear compression section 40 (see Figure 4), which prevents moisture such as menstrual blood absorbed by the absorbent core 11 from accumulating locally in the area near the ostomy opening. As shown in Figure 4, the linear compression section 40 is positioned to extend front to back from the central position CL in the vertical direction toward the front waist area FA and the rear waist area BA. In other words, the length of the linear compression section 40 in the vertical direction is longer than its length in the horizontal direction. Therefore, in the crotch area CA of the absorbent core 11, the liquid such as menstrual blood absorbed at the part in contact with the wearer's ostomy opening is guided along the linear compression section 40 and diffuses vertically front to back, making it easier to spread throughout the entire absorbent core 11. Consequently, the concentration of excretory fluid around the ostomy opening of the absorbent core 11 is suppressed, making it less likely for stuffiness to occur in the crotch area and preventing leakage.

[0084] Furthermore, when viewed in the thickness direction, the linear compression section 40 overlaps with the non-skin side sheet 21 and the skin side sheet 22(23) of the outer casing member 20 at its front and rear ends in the vertical direction (see Figure 2). That is, at the vertical end of the linear compression section 40, two layers of sheet members, the non-skin side sheet 21 and the skin side sheet 22(23), are laminated on the non-skin side in the thickness direction. Therefore, when menstrual blood, etc., absorbed by the absorbent core 11 diffuses back and forth along the linear compression section 40 and reaches the vertical end, leakage of menstrual blood, etc., to the non-skin side beyond the outer casing member 20(21,22) at that end is suppressed. For example, if the wearer is sitting or lying on their back, there is a risk that menstrual blood or other excretory fluids may diffuse to the rear in the vertical direction and leak out from the rear of the absorbent body 10. Even in such cases, the fact that two layers of sheet material are laminated on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 10 at the longitudinal rear end 40eb of the linear compression section 40 (see Figures 2 and 4) makes it possible to suppress the leakage of excretory fluid to the non-skin side and soil the wearer's clothes.

[0085] In the absorbent main body 10, even the absorbent elastic member 50 arranged along the front-rear direction allows excreted liquid to be guided and diffused easily in the front-rear direction, similar to the linear squeezing portion 40. In the present embodiment, even at the longitudinal end (rear end 50eb) of the absorbent elastic member 50, two-layer sheet members of the non-skin side sheet 21 and the skin side sheet 22 (23) are laminated on the non-skin side in the thickness direction (see FIGS. 2 and 4). Therefore, it is possible to suppress the leakage of excreted liquid and the soiling of the wearer's clothes.

[0086] On the other hand, near the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the napkin 1, the skin side sheets 22, 23 are not provided, and the exterior member 20 is constituted only by the non-skin side sheet 21. In other words, the exterior member 20 is constituted by a single sheet member at least in a part of the crotch portion CA. Therefore, compared with the front torso portion FA and the rear torso portion BA, in the crotch portion CA, moisture such as menstrual blood easily permeates through the non-skin side sheet 21 and moves from the skin side to the non-skin side. Further, since the non-skin side sheet 21 has the opening region 70A over the entire area thereof, it has a structure that easily evaporates moisture from the skin side to the non-skin side. Thereby, the air permeability in the crotch portion CA is improved, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of stuffiness when wearing the napkin 1.

[0087] Also, it is preferable that the openings 70 are formed such that the area S70 of each of the openings 70 is larger than the area S41 of each of the individual squeezing portions 41, 41... constituting the linear squeezing portion 40 (S70 > S41). If the area S70 of the opening 70 is large, the opening edge protrusions 71, 72 described in FIG. 8 are more likely to be formed large. Therefore, compared with the case of the reverse (S70 < S41), it is easier to secure the distance between the back sheet 14 (breathable sheet member) and the wearer's clothes, and it is easier to promote the evaporation of moisture such as menstrual blood in the crotch portion CA. Further, since the opening 70 itself is more likely to be noticeable and visually recognizable, it is easier for the user to think of good air permeability and less likely to give an impression that the crotch portion is prone to stuffiness.

[0088] Conversely, the opening 70 may be formed such that the area S41 of each of the multiple individual compression parts 41, 41… constituting the linear compression part 40 is larger than the area S70 of each of the openings 70 (S41 > S70). In this case, the area S70 of the opening 70 becomes relatively smaller, making the opening 70 less visible compared to the opposite case (S70 > S41). Therefore, it is less likely to give the user a negative impression that menstrual blood or other fluids are likely to leak out of the opening 70 to the outside (non-skin side) in the crotch area.

[0089] Furthermore, when the napkin 1 is viewed in its natural state in the thickness direction, the area of ​​each opening 70 in the portion of the opening region 70A that overlaps with the crotch elastic region 50A is smaller than the area of ​​each opening 70 in the portion of the opening region 70A that is located outside the absorbent body CA in the left-right (lateral) direction relative to the absorbent body 10. By making the openings 70 not appear excessively large in the portion that overlaps with the crotch elastic region 50A, it is possible to make it less likely for the user to get the impression that menstrual blood etc. will leak out (to the non-skin side) from the openings 70 around the vaginal opening. On the other hand, by making the openings 70 appear relatively larger outside the absorbent body 10 (crotch elastic region 50A) in the left-right direction, it is possible to make the user get the impression that the crotch CA as a whole has sufficient breathability.

[0090] The "natural state" refers to the state of the napkin 1 after being left for a predetermined period of time. For example, after removing the napkin 1 in its product state from the package, both sides (20fe, 20be) of the outer packaging member 20 are pulled outwards in the left-right direction to put the outer packaging member 20 into an "extended state." This extended state is maintained for 15 seconds, after which the tension on the napkin 1 is released and it is placed on a flat surface such as a desk. The state after 5 minutes in this flat position is considered the natural state.

[0091] In addition, the elongation ratio of the absorber elastic member 50 that constitutes the crotch elastic region 50A is set to be larger than the elongation ratio of the leakage prevention wall elastic members 31 of the pair of leakage prevention wall portions 30, 30 provided on both lateral sides in the lateral direction of the absorbent main body 10. Therefore, the absorbent main body 10 is more likely to contract in the longitudinal direction at the central portion in the lateral direction (crotch elastic region 50A) compared to both lateral portions in the lateral direction (leakage prevention wall portions 30). With such a configuration, at the central portion in the lateral direction, as the crotch elastic region 50A contracts in the longitudinal direction, the apertures 70 are also more likely to contract, so that the apertures 70 do not seem overly large. On the other hand, at both lateral portions in the lateral direction, the contraction of the absorbent main body 10 is small, and the apertures 70 seem relatively larger compared to the crotch elastic region 50A. Thereby, it is difficult for excreted liquid to leak around the excretion opening (vaginal opening), and it is possible to give the user an impression that breathability is easily ensured for the entire crotch portion.

[0092] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of the main body joining portion 18 that joins the absorbent main body 10 and the exterior member 20 in the thickness direction. The absorbent main body 10 of the present embodiment is joined to the skin side surface of the exterior member 20 in the transfer step (S105) of the manufacturing process of the napkin 1 described later. In the transfer step (S105), an adhesive material such as a hot melt adhesive is applied to the region indicated by the shaded portion in FIG. 9 on the non-skin side surface of the absorbent main body 10 or the skin side surface of the exterior member 20, thereby forming the main body joining portion 18. Then, the absorbent main body 10 and the exterior member 20 are joined via the main body joining portion 18.

[0093] In the napkin 1, the main body joining portion 18 and the apertures 70 are formed such that the total area S18 of the main body joining portion 18 is larger than the total area S70M of the plurality of apertures 70, 70... provided in the exterior member 20 (S18 > S70M). With such a configuration, compared to the case of the reverse (S18 < S70M), since the main body joining portion 18 is formed relatively large, the joining strength between the absorbent main body 10 and the exterior member 20 can be increased. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the exterior member 20 from being torn starting from the apertures 70 provided in the exterior member 20.

[0094] On one hand, the main body joint portion 18 and the apertures 70, 70… may be formed such that the total area S70M of the plurality of apertures 70, 70… provided in the exterior member 20 is larger than the total area S18 of the main body joint portion 18 (S70M > S18). With such a configuration, compared to the reverse case (S70M < S18), each aperture 70 can be made larger or the number of apertures 70 provided per unit area can be increased. Therefore, the apertures 70 can be made more visible, and an impression of having good air permeability can be given to the user.

[0095] Further, in the absorbent main body 10, at least one of the topsheet 12 and the second sheet 13 provided closer to the skin side than the absorbent core 11 is preferably a sheet member having water-retaining fibers (see FIG. 4). By arranging a sheet member with high water retention closer to the skin side than the absorbent core 11, excreted fluids such as menstrual blood are more likely to be retained closer to the skin side than the absorbent core 11, so that it is possible to suppress a large amount of moisture from moving to the non-skin side from the absorbent core 11 at once. Thereby, it is possible to more easily suppress leakage of excreted fluid when the napkin 1 is worn.

[0096] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of the back-side joint portion 19 that joins the backsheet 14 and the side sheet 15 in the thickness direction. The backsheet 14 is joined to the side sheet 15 through the back-side joint portion 19 with the absorbent body elastic member 50 sandwiched therebetween. As shown in FIG. 10, the back-side joint portion 19 is formed by applying an adhesive material such as a hot melt adhesive to an elongated strip-shaped region along the longitudinal direction. And a non-joint region S19 is formed between two adjacent strip-shaped back-side joint portions 19, 19 in the lateral direction.

[0097] In this embodiment, a non-jointed region S19 is also formed in the region behind the rear end 50eb of the crotch elastic region 50A in the longitudinal direction. That is, there is a region (non-jointed region S19) in the region behind the crotch elastic region 50A in the longitudinal direction where the back sheet 14 and the side sheet 15 are not joined. In the non-jointed region S19, a gap is easily formed between the back sheet 14 and the side sheet 15 in the thickness direction, making it easier to suppress the transfer of moisture from the skin side to the non-skin side. In other words, the napkin 1 of this embodiment has a portion behind the crotch elastic region 50A in the longitudinal direction where it is difficult for moisture to move from the skin side to the non-skin side. As a result, even when the wearer is lying on their back, leakage of excretory fluid around the buttocks can be suppressed.

[0098] Furthermore, when the absorbent body 10 is viewed in the thickness direction, the number of sheet members laminated on the non-skin side of the absorbent core 11 in the region between the pair of linear compression sections 40, 40 in the lateral direction is less than the number of sheet members laminated on the non-skin side of the absorbent core 11 in the region outside the pair of linear compression sections 40, 40 in the lateral direction. In the cross-sectional view of the absorbent body 10 shown in Figure 4, two sheet members, the back sheet 14 and the side sheet 15, are laminated on the non-skin side of the absorbent core 11 on the lateral inner side of the pair of linear compression sections 40, 40. On the other hand, on the lateral outer side of the pair of linear compression sections 40, 40, four sheet members are laminated on the non-skin side of the absorbent core 11: the back sheet 14, the side sheet 15, the portion of the side sheet 15 that is folded back on the non-skin side, and the top sheet 12 that is folded on the non-skin side. Therefore, moisture is less likely to transfer from the skin side to the non-skin side on both sides in the horizontal direction compared to the central part in the horizontal direction. Also, moisture that has transferred from the skin side to the non-skin side in the central part in the horizontal direction is less likely to leak outwards in the horizontal direction. As a result, even when the wearer is lying on their side, it is easier to suppress leakage of excretory fluid in the horizontal direction of the napkin 1.

[0099] <Method for manufacturing napkin 1> Next, the manufacturing method of napkin 1 will be described. Figure 11 is a flow chart of each step in the manufacturing of napkin 1. Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the manufacturing apparatus 100 for manufacturing napkin 1. In Figures 11 and 12, for the sake of simplicity, the absorbent body 10 is assumed to be supplied in a completed state, and the manufacturing method of the absorbent body 10 is omitted from the explanation.

[0100] The manufacturing apparatus 100 shown in Figure 12 continuously manufactures napkins 1 by sequentially carrying out each process (S101 to S108) shown in Figure 11. The manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a conveying mechanism 110, a hole opening mechanism 120, a stretching mechanism 130, an ultrasonic welding mechanism 140, an absorbent body transfer mechanism 150, a folding mechanism 160, a joining mechanism 170, and a cutting mechanism 180.

[0101] In the manufacturing process of napkin 1, a transport process is performed in which various base materials such as sheet members (21, 22, 23) that constitute the outer packaging member 20 are transported in a predetermined transport direction (S101). In the manufacturing apparatus 100, the transport direction is the direction along the left-right direction (lateral direction) of the napkin 1. Hereafter, the transport direction will also be called the "MD direction," and the intersecting direction that crosses the transport direction (the depth direction of the paper in Figure 12) will also be called the "CD direction."

[0102] In the conveying process, a continuous non-skin sheet 21a (corresponding to the first sheet), in which the non-skin sheet 21 is connected in the MD direction (left-right direction in the panty-type state), is unwound from the raw material roll and then conveyed by the conveying mechanism 110 from the upstream side to the downstream side in the MD direction at a predetermined conveying speed. Similarly, continuous skin sheet 22a and 23a (corresponding to the second sheets), in which the skin-side sheets 22 and 23 are connected in the MD direction (left-right direction), respectively, are unwound from the raw material roll and then conveyed by the conveying mechanism 110 from the upstream side to the downstream side in the MD direction at a predetermined conveying speed. While these base materials are being conveyed, each of the processes S102 to S108 is carried out to manufacture a napkin 1.

[0103] First, a hole-forming process is performed to form multiple openings 70 in the non-skin sheet continuum 21a being conveyed in the MD direction (S102). In the hole-forming process, a pin 121 of a hole-forming mechanism 120 provided at a predetermined position in the MD direction is operated, and the tip portion of the pin 121 is passed through the non-skin sheet continuum 21a in the thickness direction to form multiple openings 70. At this time, an opening edge projection 71 (72) is formed that protrudes in the direction through which the pin 121 passes. Note that the hole-forming mechanism 120 is configured independently of the manufacturing apparatus 100, and the openings 70 may be formed in the non-skin sheet continuum 21a before it is supplied to the manufacturing apparatus 100. In other words, the openings 70 may be formed in-line or offline. Furthermore, the non-skin sheet continuum 21a is assumed to have multiple fused portions 80 that were formed during the manufacturing stage of the nonwoven fabric.

[0104] Furthermore, a stretching process is performed on the skin-side sheet continuum 22a (23a) being conveyed in the MD direction to give it elasticity along the MD direction (lateral direction) (S103). The stretching process is carried out using a stretching mechanism 130 equipped with a pair of gear rolls 131 and 132. Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the stretching process. Figure 14 is an enlarged view of region K in Figure 13.

[0105] The gear rolls 131 and 132 are a pair of upper and lower roll mechanisms that rotate around a rotation axis along the CD direction with their outer circumferential surfaces facing each other. The outer circumferential surface of the gear roll 131 has multiple peaks 131m (corresponding to gear teeth) and valleys 131v alternately formed along the direction of rotation, and each peak 131m and each valley 131v extends in the CD direction. Note that the peaks 131m and valleys 131v do not need to be formed over the entire CD direction of the gear roll 131, but may be formed in a part of the outer circumferential surface of the gear roll 131 in the CD direction. Similarly, the outer circumferential surface of the gear roll 132 has alternating peaks 132m (gear teeth) and valleys 132v formed thereon. When the gear rolls 131 and 132 are rotating, the peaks 131m of one gear roll 131 engage with the valleys 132v of the other gear roll 132, so that the peaks 131m and valleys 132v mesh with a small gap between them. During this rotation, the skin-side sheet continuum 22a (23a) passes between the pair of gear rolls 131 and 132 in an extended state along the MD direction.

[0106] As the skin-side sheet continuum 22a (23a) passes between a pair of gear rolls 131 and 132, it is deformed in a three-point bending manner by the adjacent peaks 132m, 132m on one gear roll 132 and the peak 131m of the other gear roll 131 that enters the valley 132v between them (see Figure 14). At this time, the first portion Sa of the skin-side sheet continuum 22a (23a) that abuts the top surface of the peak 132m of one gear roll 132 is in contact with the top surface in a manner that is almost immovable relative to it, and is therefore difficult to stretch. On the other hand, the second portion Sb between the two adjacent first portions Sa, Sa is stretched based on the intrusion of the peak 131m. As a result, the skin-side sheet continuum 22a(23a) is processed so that the stretched second portion Sb and the first portion Sa, which is less stretchable than the second portion Sb, are alternately arranged in the MD direction, as shown in Figure 14. In the region of the second portion Sb, the stretchable fibers of the nonwoven fabric constituting the skin-side sheet continuum 22a(23a) are partially stretched. In other words, by passing between a pair of gear rolls 131 and 132, at least some of the stretchable fibers in the skin-side sheet continuum 22a(23a) are stretched. As a result, the skin-side sheet continuum 22a(23a) exhibits elasticity along the MD direction based on the elastic deformation of the stretchable fibers.

[0107] Furthermore, when stretching the skin-side sheet continuous 22a (23a), it is desirable to preheat the skin-side sheet continuous 22a (23a) using a heating device (not shown) to prevent the stretchable fibers from being cut or the nonwoven fabric itself from tearing. The heating conditions (heating temperature, heating time, etc.) are adjusted as appropriate according to the type of fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric and their melting points.

[0108] Next, an exterior member forming process is performed (S104) in which the non-skin side of the skin-side sheet continuum 22a and 23a, which are also being transported in the MD direction, are joined to the skin side of the non-skin side sheet 21, which is being transported in the MD direction, to form the exterior member 20. In the exterior member forming process, ultrasonic welding is performed by applying ultrasonic vibration and pressure to predetermined positions of the non-skin side sheet continuum 21a and the skin-side sheet continuum 22a (23a) using an ultrasonic welding mechanism 140 provided at predetermined positions in the MD direction. As a result, the non-skin side sheet continuum 21a and the skin-side sheet continuum 22a (23a) are joined by the above-mentioned multiple welding parts 90 (91, 92, see Figure 6), and the exterior member 20 becomes an exterior member continuum 20a in which the exterior member 20 is connected in the MD direction (left-right direction in the pant-type state).

[0109] Next, a transfer process is performed to transfer the absorbent body 10 to a predetermined position on the skin side of the outer casing member continuum 20a (S105). In the transfer process, the absorbent body 10 is transferred to the outer casing member continuum 20a by a transfer drum 151 provided in the absorbent body transfer mechanism 150.

[0110] Multiple absorbent bodies 10 are held on the outer surface of the transfer drum 151 at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction. Each absorbent body 10 is held so that its skin-side faces the outer surface of the transfer drum 151, and adhesive is applied to its non-skin-side. The transfer drum 151 in this state is rotated at a predetermined speed, and at the moment when the skin-side of the outer material continuum 20a and the non-skin-side of the absorbent body 10 come into contact, the transfer drum 151 releases its hold on the absorbent body 10. Then, the absorbent body 10 is pressed against the outer material continuum 20a by sandwiching it in the thickness direction between the transfer drum 151 and a transfer drum 152 provided on the non-skin side, thereby bonding the absorbent body 10 to the outer material continuum 20a.

[0111] Subsequently, cutting is performed on the exterior member continuous body 20a onto which the absorbent body 10 has been transferred, in order to form the leg opening 1b, and the folded portions 20bf and 20bn of the exterior member 20 are formed (not shown in Figures 11 and 12).

[0112] Next, a folding process is performed in which the absorbent body 10 and the outer casing member continuous 20a are folded in half at a predetermined position in the CD direction (S106). In the folding process, the folding mechanism 160 folds the absorbent body 10 and the outer casing member continuous 20a in half in the CD direction with the fold line at a position corresponding to the central position CL in the vertical direction of Figure 2, so that the folded outer casing member continuous 20a, 20a are superimposed on each other in the thickness direction.

[0113] Next, a joining process is performed (S107) in which the overlapping outer material members 20a, 20a are joined together at positions corresponding to the lateral sides 20fe, 20be of each napkin 1 (S107). In the joining process, a sealing joint is performed along the CD direction by the joining mechanism 170, and a side joint 60 is formed consisting of multiple individual joints 61, 62 that are intermittently arranged along the CD direction. As a result, multiple pant-shaped napkins 1, as shown in Figure 7, are arranged in a continuous manner along the MD direction.

[0114] Next, a cutting process is performed to cut the continuous mass of panty-type sanitary napkins 1, which is being transported in the MD direction, into individual panty-type sanitary napkins 1, 1... (S108). In the cutting process, cutter rolls 181, 182 provided on the cutting mechanism 180 cut the continuous mass of panty-type sanitary napkins 1, which is continuous in the MD direction, at predetermined positions in the MD direction (both ends of the napkin 1 in the lateral direction). This produces individual panty-type sanitary napkins 1.

[0115] The manufactured panty-type sanitary napkins 1 are each folded downstream in the MD direction from the cutting mechanism 180, packed individually or in groups using packaging material, packaged, and then shipped.

[0116] ===Other=== The embodiments described above are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit its interpretation. The present invention may be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and it goes without saying that equivalents thereof are included.

[0117] In the embodiments described above, a sanitary napkin 1 was explained as an example of a pant-type absorbent article, but the present invention is also applicable to other absorbent articles besides sanitary napkins. For example, the pant-type absorbent article may be a pant-type diaper for children or adults, or a pant-type absorbent pad, etc.

[0118] In the above-described embodiment, a napkin 1 was explained as an example of a pant-type absorbent article in which the outer casing member 20 is continuously and integrally formed from one side (front) to the other side (rear) in the vertical direction (see Figure 2, etc.). However, the outer casing member 20 may be formed as separate parts for the front and rear. That is, it may be a so-called three-piece type pant-type absorbent article consisting of three parts: a front outer casing member (front waist portion), a rear outer casing member (rear waist portion), and an absorbent body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 1. Sanitary napkins (panty-type absorbent items), 1a Opening around the torso, 1b Opening around the legs, 10 Absorbent body, 11 Absorbent core, 12 Top sheet, 13 Second sheet, 14 Back sheet, 15 Side sheet, 15t End, 18 Main body joint, 19 Back-side joint, 20 Exterior components, 20fe both sides, 20be both sides, 21 Non-skin side sheet, 21ff Folded portion, 21bf Folded portion, 22 Skin-facing sheet, 23 Skin-facing sheet, 25f Elastic member around the body, 25b Elastic member around the body, 30 Leakage prevention wall section, 31. Leak-proof wall elastic member, 40 High-density section (linear compression section), 50 Absorbing elastic member, 50A Inseam elastic region, 60 Side joint, 61 individual joints, 62 individual joints, 70 aperture, 70A aperture area, 70f Folded-over opening, 70i Non-folded-over opening, 71 Protruding edge of opening (skin side), 72 Protruding edge of opening (non-skin side), 80 fusion part, 90 Welded area, 91 Welded area, 92 Welded area, 100 manufacturing equipment, 110 Conveying mechanism, 120 hole mechanism, 121 pin, 130 Stretching mechanism, 131 gear roll, 131m mountain section, 131v valley section, 132 gear roll, 132m mountain section, 132v valley section, 140 Ultrasonic welding mechanism, 150 Absorbent main body transfer mechanism, 151 Transfer drum, 152 Transfer drum, 160 folding mechanism, 170 joining mechanism, 180 Cutting mechanism, 181 Cutter roll, 182 Cutter roll, 1a Opening around the torso, 1b Opening around the legs, CL center position, FL20f front folding position, FL20b rear folding position

Claims

1. In its unfolded state, it has intersecting longitudinal, transverse, and thickness directions. A liquid-absorbing absorbent body, An outer covering member provided on the non-skin side of the absorbent body, and at least a portion of which is expandable and contractible in the lateral direction, A pant-type absorbent article having, The absorbent body is not coated with a volatile cooling agent. The absorbent body has an elastic region in the crotch area, provided in the central part in the horizontal direction and equipped with an absorbent elastic member that expands and contracts along the vertical direction. At least a portion of the sheet member constituting the exterior member has an opening region with a plurality of openings, When viewed in the thickness direction, the crotch elastic region and the opening region have an overlapping portion. The absorbent body has an absorbent core, The absorbent body is characterized in that, in a plan view, it does not have a high-density portion in the area that overlaps with the crotch elastic region, where the density of the absorbent core is higher than that of the surrounding portion.

2. The absorbent pant-type article according to claim 1, The absorbent body has a liquid-impermeable and breathable sheet member provided on the non-skin side of the absorbent core. A pant-type absorbent article characterized in that an opening edge projection is provided along the periphery of the opening, protruding either towards the skin side or the non-skin side in the thickness direction.

3. The absorbent pant-type article according to claim 2, The pant-type absorbent article is characterized in that the opening edge protrusion protrudes toward the non-skin side in the thickness direction.

4. The absorbent pant-type article according to claim 2, The pant-type absorbent article is characterized in that the opening edge protrusion protrudes toward the skin side in the thickness direction.

5. A pant-type absorbent article according to any one of claims 2 to 4, The absorbent body has a linear compression section that compresses it in the thickness direction, A pant-type absorbent article characterized in that the length in the vertical direction of the linear compression portion in the crotch area is longer than the length in the horizontal direction.

6. The absorbent pant-type article according to claim 5, The exterior member is, The first sheet having the aforementioned opening, The first sheet comprises a second sheet which is laminated on the skin side in at least a portion of the first sheet and is stretchable in the transverse direction, A pant-type absorbent article characterized in that, when viewed in the thickness direction, the rear end of at least one of the absorbent elastic member and the linear compression portion in the longitudinal direction overlaps with the first sheet and the second sheet.

7. The absorbent pant-type article according to claim 6, The pant-type absorbent article is characterized in that the outer covering member is made up of a single first sheet in the crotch area.

8. The absorbent pant-type article according to claim 5, The linear compression section is formed by a plurality of individual compression sections being arranged intermittently. A pant-type absorbent article characterized in that the area of ​​each of the openings is larger than the area of ​​each of the individual compression sections.

9. The absorbent pant-type article according to claim 5, The linear compression section is formed by a plurality of individual compression sections being arranged intermittently. A pant-type absorbent article characterized in that the area of ​​each of the openings is smaller than the area of ​​each of the individual compression sections.

10. The absorbent pant-type article according to claim 5, In its natural state, when viewed in the thickness direction, A pant-type absorbent article characterized in that the area of ​​each of the openings provided in the portion overlapping with the crotch elastic region is smaller than the area of ​​each of the openings provided in the portion laterally outward from the absorbent body.

11. The absorbent pant-type article according to claim 5, The absorbent body has a pair of leak-proof walls on both sides in the lateral direction, The aforementioned leak-proof wall portion is provided with a leak-proof wall elastic member that expands and contracts in the vertical direction. A pant-type absorbent article characterized in that the value obtained by dividing the length of the absorbent elastic member in the stretched state by the length of the absorbent elastic member in the natural state is greater than the value obtained by dividing the length of the leak-proof wall elastic member in the stretched state by the length of the leak-proof wall elastic member in the natural state.

12. The absorbent pant-type article according to claim 5, The body has a body joining portion that joins the absorbent body and the exterior member in the thickness direction, A pant-type absorbent article characterized in that the total area of ​​the main body joints is greater than the total area of ​​the openings.

13. The absorbent pant-type article according to claim 5, The body has a body joining portion that joins the absorbent body and the exterior member in the thickness direction, A pant-type absorbent article characterized in that the total area of ​​the main body joints is smaller than the total area of ​​the openings.

14. The absorbent pant-type article according to claim 5, The absorbent body has a top sheet and a second sheet on the skin side in the thickness direction compared to the absorbent core. A pant-type absorbent article characterized in that at least one of the top sheet and the second sheet is a sheet member having water-retaining fibers.

15. The absorbent pant-type article according to claim 5, The absorbent body has a side sheet on the non-skin side of the breathable sheet member, The absorbent elastic member is provided between the breathable sheet member and the side sheet in the thickness direction, A pant-type absorbent article characterized in that, in the longitudinal direction rearward from the crotch elastic region, there is a portion where the breathable sheet member and the side sheet are not joined.

16. The absorbent pant-type article according to claim 5, The linear compression sections are provided in pairs, spaced apart in the lateral direction. The absorbent body has one or more sheet members on the non-skin side in the thickness direction relative to the absorbent core. A pant-type absorbent article characterized in that the number of sheet members laminated on the non-skin side in the thickness direction relative to the absorbent core in the lateral inner region of a pair of linear compression portions is less than the number of sheet members laminated on the non-skin side in the thickness direction relative to the absorbent core in the lateral outer region of a pair of linear compression portions.

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