Absorbent article

Abstract

The present invention provides an absorbent article (1), which has a longitudinal direction (X) and a transverse direction (Y) orthogonal thereto, and a pair of leak-proof cuffs (3) extending in the longitudinal direction are provided on the skin-opposite surface. Each leak-proof cuff (3) has a base end (31) and a free end (32), and a bending portion (35) located between them and extending in the longitudinal direction. Each leak-proof cuff (3) is divided into a lower portion (3A) located between the base end (31) and the bending portion (35), and an outer extension portion (3B) located between the bending portion (35) and the free end (32). The outer extension portion (3B) has a plurality of elastic components (37) extending in the longitudinal direction. In a natural state, in the outer extension portion (3B), the transverse width of the longitudinal central region is smaller than the transverse width of the longitudinal front region and the longitudinal rear region. Each elastic component (37) is arranged in parallel in its fixed position with adjacent elastic components (37) spaced apart from each other along the transverse direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to absorbent articles. Background Art

[0002] In absorbent articles such as disposable diapers, a structure is known in which a side leakage prevention member such as a leakage prevention flange, a three-dimensional wrinkle, or a three-dimensional protection part is provided on the skin facing side. Typically, a pair of the side leakage prevention members are arranged on both side portions along a direction corresponding to the front-back direction of the wearer, and stand up toward the skin side of the wearer when the absorbent article is worn, blocking excreta such as urine or feces to prevent side leakage.

[0003] The present applicant has proposed a disposable diaper including a leakage prevention flange having a plurality of elastic members (Patent Document 1). The leakage prevention flange has a structure in which it is bent and folded at bent portions at least at two positions between a free end and a fixed end. Thereby, it is possible to suppress a decrease in leakage prevention performance and narrow the width of the crotch portion.

[0004] In addition, in Patent Document 2, for the purpose of improving the close contact property of the leakage prevention flange, an absorbent article is disclosed in which an elastic contraction mechanism is provided in the leakage prevention flange, and a contraction action line that approaches from the base end side to the free end side as it goes from both end sides in the length direction to the middle position in this direction is formed.

[0005] In addition, in Patent Document 3, a diaper is disclosed, and for the purpose of preventing leakage of excreta in both the lateral direction and the rear part of the article, in the unfolded state of the article, the interval in the width direction of the elastic member in the first leakage prevention flange and the elastic member in the second leakage prevention flange becomes narrower as it goes from the rear part of the article to the front direction of the article.

[0006] Prior Art Documents

[0007] Patent Documents

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-198802

[0009] Patent Document 2: U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2001 / 023343

[0010] Patent Document 3: European Patent Application Publication No. 1603505 Summary of the Invention

[0011] The present invention provides an absorbent article having a longitudinal direction corresponding to the front-back direction of the wearer and a lateral direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and a pair of leakage prevention flanges extending in the longitudinal direction are provided on the skin facing side.

[0012] Each of the above leak-proof flanges has: a base end portion that forms the upright end of the leak-proof flange; a free end portion; and a bent portion that is located between the base end portion and the free end portion and extends in the above longitudinal direction.

[0013] Each of the above leak-proof flanges is divided into: a lower portion located between the base end portion and the bent portion; and an outer protruding portion located between the bent portion and the free end portion and protruding outward in the above lateral direction.

[0014] The above outer protruding portion has a plurality of elastic members that extend in the longitudinal direction and are arranged in an elongated state.

[0015] In the natural state, in the above outer protruding portion, the width along the above lateral direction in the longitudinal central region is smaller than the widths along the above lateral direction in the longitudinal front region and the longitudinal rear region.

[0016] At least in the above longitudinal central region, at least a longitudinal part of each of the above elastic members is fixed to the above outer protruding portion, and in the portions where the elastic members are fixed, the above elastic members adjacent to each other along the above lateral direction are arranged in parallel at intervals. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a disposable diaper in a natural state as an embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 is in Figure 1 a schematic diagram of a cross-section along the lateral direction in the longitudinal central region of the diaper in the natural state shown (corresponding to the I-I line in the figure).

[0019] Figure 3 is in Figure 1 a schematic diagram of a cross-section along the lateral direction in the longitudinal rear region of the diaper in the natural state shown (corresponding to the II-II line in the figure).

[0020] Figure 4 (a) of Figure 1 is a main part enlarged view of a cross-section along the lateral direction of an embodiment of the leak-proof flange of the diaper in the natural state shown, Figure 4 and (b) of Figure 1 is a main part enlarged view of a cross-section along the lateral direction of an embodiment of the leak-proof flange of the diaper in the natural state shown.

[0021] Figure 5 is a schematic top view of the design dimensions of the outer protruding portion of the leak-proof flange.

[0022] Figure 6 is showing Figure 2An enlarged view of a main part of a cross-section along the transverse direction of an example of an embodiment of a leakage-preventing flange of a diaper shown. Detailed Embodiment

[0023] Absorbent articles such as disposable diapers sometimes slip downward during wearing due to the quality of the article itself or the quality of the excrement absorbed by excretion, and the leakage-preventing flange disposed around the crotch of the wearer does not sufficiently adhere to the body of the wearer, impairing the fit. As a result, side leakage of excrement may occur.

[0024] Although the leakage-preventing flanges disposed around the crotch of the absorbent articles of Patent Documents 1 to 3 have good adhesion to the body of the wearer, there is still room for improvement in further improving the adhesion to the body of the wearer.

[0025] Therefore, the present invention relates to an absorbent article that improves the fit of the crotch of a wearer.

[0026] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings based on its preferred embodiments. Figures 1 to 3 An unfolded disposable diaper (hereinafter simply referred to as "diaper") is shown as a preferred embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 1 The diaper 1 schematically shown therein has a longitudinal direction X corresponding to the front-back direction of the wearer and extending from the ventral side of the wearer via the crotch to the dorsal side, and a transverse direction Y orthogonal thereto. The central region of the longitudinal direction X includes an excretion portion facing portion (not shown) that is disposed opposite to the excretion portion of the wearer when the diaper 1 is worn. The central region of the longitudinal direction X is located between a front region disposed on the ventral side of the wearer relative to the excretion portion facing portion when worn and a rear region disposed on the dorsal side of the wearer relative to the excretion portion facing portion when worn. Each region extends continuously in the front-back direction of the wearer.

[0028] In the present specification, the "natural state" of the diaper means a state in which no external force is applied to the diaper (relaxed state). Specifically, it is a state in which the length of the longitudinal direction X of the elastic member of the leakage-preventing flange is the shortest.

[0029] In addition, the "skin-facing surface" is the surface that faces the skin of the wearer when the diaper or its constituent members are concerned, and the "non-skin-facing surface" is the surface that faces the opposite side of the skin of the wearer when the diaper is worn. That is, the skin-facing surface is the surface closer to the skin of the wearer, and the non-skin-facing surface is the surface farther from the skin of the wearer. "When worn" and "wearing state" mean a state in which the diaper is worn while maintaining an appropriate wearing position.

[0030] Figure 2It is a schematic cross-sectional view along the transverse direction Y in the longitudinal X central region of the diaper 1 in a natural state. Figure 3 It is a schematic cross-sectional view along the transverse direction Y in the longitudinal X rear region of the diaper 1 in a natural state. In Figure 3 For the sake of convenience of explanation, taking the cross-section along the transverse direction Y in the longitudinal X rear region of the diaper 1 as an example for explanation, the longitudinal X front region of the diaper 1 in the present embodiment has the same structure as the longitudinal X rear region of the diaper 1. Therefore, the description of the longitudinal X rear region of the diaper 1 can be appropriately applied to the longitudinal X front region of the diaper 1 unless otherwise specified.

[0031] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the diaper 1 has an absorbent main body 2. The absorbent main body 2 includes: a front sheet 21 disposed on the skin-facing side; a back sheet 22 disposed on the non-skin-facing side; and an absorbent body 23 disposed between the front sheet 21 and the back sheet 22. The front sheet 21, the back sheet 22, and the absorbent body 23 are integrally formed by a known joining method such as an adhesive. The absorbent body 23 includes a liquid-retaining absorbent core 24 containing a water-absorbing material and a cover sheet 25 covering the outer surface of the absorbent core 24. The absorbent body 23 of the present embodiment has a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and is arranged with its length direction consistent with the longitudinal X of the diaper 1.

[0032] As the front sheet 21, the back sheet 22, and the absorbent body 23, various materials that have been used in such absorbent articles can be used without particular limitation. As the front sheet 21, for example, a non-woven fabric or a perforated film having a single-layer or multi-layer structure with liquid permeability can be used. As the back sheet 22, a sheet having liquid impermeability or liquid hardly permeability can be used. For example, a moisture-permeable resin film or a laminate of a resin film and a non-woven fabric can be used. As the absorbent core 24 constituting the absorbent body 23, for example, a fibrous body formed by accumulating water-absorbing materials such as wood pulp or water-absorbing polymers, or a sheet-like absorbent structure containing the water-absorbing material can be used. As the cover sheet 25 constituting the absorbent body 23, a sheet having liquid permeability can be used. For example, paper or non-woven fabric can be used.

[0033] Figures 1 to 3 The diaper 1 shown has a pair of leak-proof flanges 3, 3 disposed at intervals in the transverse direction Y on its skin-facing side. The leak-proof flanges 3 are each arranged to extend in the longitudinal X. The leak-proof flange 3 has at least a plurality of elastic members 37 extending in the longitudinal X, and preferably includes a flange-forming sheet 30 which is a sheet for forming the leak-proof flange. The flange-forming sheet 30 is made of a non-stretchable sheet such as a non-woven fabric.

[0034] The diaper 1 of the present embodiment has a pair of wing portions 4, 4 extending outward in the transverse direction Y from both side edges of the absorbent body 23 along the longitudinal direction X. In Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the front sheet 21 covers the entire area of the skin-facing surface of the absorbent body 23, and the back sheet 22 covers the entire area of the non-skin-facing surface of the absorbent body 23. The two sheets 21, 22 extend outward in the transverse direction Y from both side edges of the absorbent body 23 along the longitudinal direction X, and together with the turned-up forming sheet 30, constitute the wing portion 4. That is, the wing portion 4 is located laterally outside the absorbent body 23 and in a portion where the absorbent body 23 is not disposed, and is constituted by the front sheet 21, the back sheet 22, and the turned-up forming sheet 30. These multiple components constituting the wing portion 4 are joined to each other by known joining methods such as adhesives, heat sealing, and ultrasonic sealing.

[0035] In each of the two side portions of the wing portion 4 of the diaper 1 along the longitudinal direction X, a plurality of leg elastic members 42 are arranged in an extended state along the longitudinal direction X. By the contraction of the leg elastic members 42, leg gathers can be formed. The leg elastic members 42 are arranged at intervals in the transverse direction Y at least in the longitudinal central region.

[0036] As Figure 1 shown, the diaper 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a pair of hook-and-loop fasteners 7, 7 in the rear region in the longitudinal direction X. Each hook-and-loop fastener 7 is arranged so as to extend from both side edges in the transverse direction Y of the wing portion 4 located in the rear region in the longitudinal direction X. One end of each hook-and-loop fastener 7 is fixed between the back sheet 22 and the turned-up forming sheet 30.

[0037] As Figure 1 shown, in the non-skin-facing surface of the front region in the longitudinal direction X of the diaper 1, there is a mating fastener 72, which is a fastening region where the fastening portion 71 of the hook-and-loop fastener 7 can be detachably fastened. The mating fastener 72 selects an appropriate material according to the material of the fastening portion 71 of the hook-and-loop fastener 7. For example, when the fastening portion 71 is a male member of a mechanical fastener, as the mating fastener 72, as a female member of a mechanical fastener, a fiber sheet that can engage with the male member, such as a knitted material or a non-woven fabric, can be used. In addition, when the fastening portion 71 is an adhesive, as the mating fastener 72, for example, a smooth film made of synthetic resin can be used.

[0038] The diaper of the present invention, as described above, has a pair of leak-proof flanges 3, 3. Each leak-proof flange 3 preferably includes the turned-up forming sheet 30. Each turned-up forming sheet 30 is arranged so as to straddle the side edges in the transverse direction Y of the absorbent body 23. Details of the constituent materials of the leak-proof flange 3 and the turned-up forming sheet 30 will be described later.

[0039] As Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the flanging-formed sheet 30 includes a base end portion 31 extending in the longitudinal direction X over substantially the entire length in the longitudinal direction X of the sheet 30 and a free end portion 32. The base end portion 31 is a fixing portion fixed to other components outside the flanging-formed sheet 30. The free end portion 32 is a non-fixing portion with respect to other components outside the flanging-formed sheet 30. The leak-proof flange 3 is configured to be able to stand up toward the wearer's skin side with the innermost position in the transverse direction Y of the base end portion 31 as the standing-up end. The base end portion 31 and the free end portion 32 are preferably arranged at least in the central region in the longitudinal direction X, and may also be arranged along the entire region in the longitudinal direction X. In addition, the entire region in the longitudinal direction X in this specification means the entire region including the front region, the central region, and the rear region, which is a different concept from the "entire length" indicating the length in the longitudinal direction X. In addition, both the base end portion 31 and the free end portion 32 may be arranged over the entire length in the longitudinal direction X. As the above-mentioned other components, typically, components are arranged on the non-skin-facing side of the flanging-formed sheet 30 so as to be able to contact the sheet 30, and the other component in this embodiment is the front sheet 21.

[0040] The base end portion 31 is typically formed by a known joining method such as an adhesive like hot melt adhesive or heat fusion. As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the base end portion 31 is located at a position outside the transverse direction Y with respect to the side edge of the absorber 23 along the longitudinal direction X.

[0041] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, each leak-proof flange 3, 3 has a bent portion 35 located between the base end portion 31 and the free end portion 32. The bent portion 35 can be located, for example, at substantially the center in the transverse direction Y of each leak-proof flange 3, 3. Or, the bent portion 35 can be located at a position offset from the transverse center of the leak-proof flange 3 toward the free end portion 32, and conversely, it can also be located at a position offset from the transverse center of the leak-proof flange 3 toward the base end portion 31. The bent portion 35 extends in the longitudinal direction X and is formed in this embodiment by bending the flanging-formed sheet 30 outward in the transverse direction Y between the base end portion 31 and the free end portion 32. By forming the bent portion 35, each leak-proof flange 3, 3 is divided into a lower portion 3A located between the base end portion 31 and the bent portion 35 and an outer protruding portion 3B located between the bent portion 35 and the free end portion 32. The outer protruding portion 3B protrudes more outward in the transverse direction Y than the position of the bent portion 35 and is formed over the entire region in the longitudinal direction X of the leak-proof flange 3.

[0042] The outer protruding portion 3B in this embodiment is configured to form a two-layer structure with two opposing surfaces by bending a continuous single flanging-formed sheet 30 in the transverse direction Y. One surface of the outer protruding portion 3B formed by bending the flanging-formed sheet 30 forms a contact surface that abuts against the wearer's skin.

[0043] In addition to forming the flanged sheet 30, the leak-proof flange 3 has a plurality of elastic members 37 extending in the longitudinal direction X and arranged in an extended state. Specifically, in the outer protruding portion 3B of the leak-proof flange 3, a plurality of linear or strip-shaped elastic members 37 are arranged. The elastic members 37 are arranged in a plurality in the transverse direction Y in a state capable of expanding and contracting in the longitudinal direction X. The elastic members 37 are arranged at least in the central region of the diaper 1 in the longitudinal direction X and are respectively fixed to the outer protruding portion 3B at least in the central region of the longitudinal direction X. Depending on the situation, the elastic members 37 extend to the central region of the longitudinal direction X, the front region, and the rear region of the longitudinal direction X. In at least the central region of the longitudinal direction X of the diaper 1, at least a longitudinal part of each of the elastic members 37 is respectively fixed to the outer protruding portion 3B. Depending on the situation, each of the elastic members 37 is respectively fixed to the outer protruding portion 3B in the central region of the longitudinal direction X, the front region, and the rear region of the longitudinal direction X.

[0044] As a fixing method of each elastic member 37, for example, it can be fixed at multiple positions at intervals in the longitudinal direction in the central region of the longitudinal direction X, or continuously fixed within a specified length range in the central region of the longitudinal direction X, and fixed at positions outside the central region of the longitudinal direction X. In the case of the former fixing method, the elastic members 37 can expand and contract in the longitudinal direction X between the fixed positions at least in the central region of the longitudinal direction X. In the case of the latter fixing method, the elastic members 37 can expand and contract in the longitudinal direction X between the fixed position in the central region of the longitudinal direction X and the fixed position outside the central region of the longitudinal direction X.

[0045] In any case, among the positions where each elastic member 37 is fixed, the elastic members 37 adjacent to each other in the transverse direction Y are arranged in a state of being parallel to each other with an interval therebetween.

[0046] In this specification, the so-called "parallel state" includes: in the position where the elastic member 37 is fixed, a first imaginary line along the extension direction of any elastic member 37 and a second imaginary line along the extension direction of the elastic member 37 adjacent to this elastic member 37 do not cross each other (strictly "parallel"); and the angle formed by the first imaginary line and the second imaginary line is within 2°, preferably within 1°.

[0047] Generally, if in the size design of absorbent articles such as diapers, each elastic member 37 is designed to be arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction X, then in the actually manufactured articles, each elastic member 37 is arranged parallel to each other. However, in actual manufacturing, there are cases where the arrangement positions of the elastic members 37 shift to a certain extent. Therefore, the so-called "parallel state" means that a shift within the range that achieves the effects of the present invention is allowed. Of course, in the portion where the elastic member 37 is fixed, the elastic member 37 is preferably in a parallel state with the imaginary line along the longitudinal direction X.

[0048] When judging and measuring the arrangement and size of the elastic member 37 based on the absorbent article as a product, it is carried out based on the design size (the size when the absorbent article is unfolded flat in a state where the elastic member is stretched to the maximum and the influences such as the expansion and contraction of the elastic member or the bending of the constituent members are completely excluded).

[0049] In the natural state of the diaper 1, the width along the transverse direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B in the leak-proof flange 3 is different in the central region of the longitudinal direction X and other regions of the longitudinal direction X. Specifically, in the outer protruding portion 3B, the width along the transverse direction Y in the central region of the longitudinal direction X of the diaper 1 is smaller than the width along the transverse direction Y in the front region of the longitudinal direction X and the rear region of the longitudinal direction X. By adopting such a structure, it is possible to more easily make the leak-proof flange close to the crotch of the wearer, and the fit of the diaper can be improved. When looking from the central portion of the longitudinal direction X along the front and rear regions of the longitudinal direction, the width along the transverse direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B can increase continuously or can increase stepwise.

[0050] In the natural state of the diaper, the length W1 along the transverse direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B in the central region of the longitudinal direction X (refer to Figure 2 ) is preferably 4 mm or more, more preferably 9 mm or more, preferably 24 mm or less, and more preferably 19 mm or less. The length W1 can be the same or different throughout the entire region of the central region of the longitudinal direction X on the condition that it satisfies the above range. The length W1 is the length when the outer protruding portion 3B in the leak-proof flange 3 is projected onto a plane in the natural state of the diaper. Here, the so-called plane projection means that when the plane formed by the outer protruding portion 3B is parallel to the plane (the placement plane of the diaper) in the natural state of the diaper, it is projected onto the plane as the literal meaning, and when the plane formed by the outer protruding portion 3B is not parallel to the plane (the placement plane of the diaper) in the natural state of the diaper, it is projected from the normal direction of the plane formed by the outer protruding portion 3B.

[0051] In addition, the length W2 along the transverse direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B in the front region of the longitudinal direction X and the rear region of the longitudinal direction X (refer to Figure 3), with the condition that it is larger than the length W1, is preferably 5 mm or more, more preferably 10 mm or more, preferably 25 mm or less, and more preferably 20 mm or less, independently and respectively. The length W2 can be the same or different throughout the entire region of the front region in the longitudinal direction X and the rear region in the longitudinal direction X, provided that it satisfies the above range. The length W2, like the length W1, is the length when the surface formed by the outer protruding portion 3B is projected onto a plane in the natural state of the diaper.

[0052] As a structure in which the width of the outer protruding portion 3B along the transverse direction Y is different in the central region in the longitudinal direction X and in other regions in the longitudinal direction X in the natural state of the diaper, for example, as Figures 2 to 4 shown, in the central region in the longitudinal direction X, one or more than one bending portion 50, 60 extending in the longitudinal direction X and different from the bending portion 35 are further formed between the free end portion 32 and the bending portion 35, and bending portions 50, 60 different from the bending portion 35 may not be formed in regions other than the central region in the longitudinal direction X.

[0053] In Figure 2 and Figure 4 (a) and (b) show an embodiment of the transverse Y cross-section of the leak-proof flange 3 in the central region in the longitudinal direction X of the diaper 1. Figure 2 and Figure 4 In the leak-proof flange 3 shown in (a) and (b) of and , each elastic member 37 disposed in the outer protruding portion 3B is disposed in a parallel state with a space therebetween along the transverse direction Y at the portion where the elastic member 37 is fixed. The leak-proof flange 3 shown in this figure is shown in such a way that the spaces along the transverse direction Y of the elastic members 37 disposed in the outer protruding portion 3B are different for the sake of convenience of explanation, but the spaces along the transverse direction Y between adjacent elastic members 37 can be different from each other at the portion where the elastic member 37 is fixed as shown in this figure, or they can be disposed in the same way instead of this structure.

[0054] Specifically, as Figure 2 shown, it is preferable that the leak-proof flange 3 has a second bending portion 50 extending in the longitudinal direction X and different from the bending portion 35 between the free end portion 32 and the bending portion 35. By providing the second bending portion 50 in the longitudinal central region of the leak-proof flange 3, the width of the outer protruding portion 3B in the longitudinal central region along the transverse direction Y can be made smaller than the width along the transverse direction Y in regions other than the longitudinal central region. The second bending portion 50 is formed in the outer protruding portion 3B.

[0055] Figure 2The second bent portion 50 of the illustrated embodiment is located between the free end portion 32 of the outer protruding portion 3B and the elastic member 37 disposed closest to the free end portion 32, and extends in the longitudinal direction X. The second bent portion 50 of the present embodiment is located at a position closer to the free end portion 32 with respect to the lateral center portion of the leak-proof flange 3 as a reference. The second bent portion 50 of the present embodiment is formed by bending the flange forming piece 30 located between the free end portion 32 and the elastic member 37 disposed on the outermost side in the lateral direction Y. The outer protruding portion 3B of the present embodiment, in its natural state, preferably stands up toward the wearer's body side or folds back toward the inner side in the lateral direction Y in the outer region 3S between the free end portion 32 and the second bent portion 50 in the central region in the longitudinal direction X of the diaper 1 with the second bent portion 50 as a flexible axis. Herein, "folding back toward the inner side in the lateral direction Y" includes both the case where the outer region 3S folds back toward the skin-facing side and the case where the outer region 3S folds back toward the non-skin-facing side.

[0056] Figure 2 In the illustrated diaper 1, the outer region 3S folds back toward the skin-facing side. By folding the outer region 3S toward the skin-facing side and toward the inner side in the lateral direction Y, a diaper with more excellent excrement leakage prevention performance is formed. In the outer protruding portions 3B in the front region and the rear region in the longitudinal direction X of the diaper 1, the outer regions 3S may be formed independently or not, provided that the relationship of the width along the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B as described above is satisfied.

[0057] In the central region in the longitudinal direction X of the diaper 1, the percentage of the length of the outer region 3S along the lateral direction Y in the central region in the longitudinal direction X with respect to the length of the design dimension along the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B including the outer region 3S (that is, the length of the design dimension along the lateral direction Y from the second bent portion 50 to the free end portion 32) is preferably 1% or more, more preferably 2% or more, and further preferably 30% or less, more preferably 20% or less. By forming within such a range, the leak-proof flange can be made to fit more closely to the crotch portion of the wearer, further improving the fit of the diaper and enabling more effective prevention of side leakage of excrement.

[0058] As another method of making the width of the outer protruding portion 3B along the lateral direction Y in the longitudinal central region smaller than the width along the lateral direction Y in the region other than the longitudinal central region, as shown in (a) of Figure 4 it is preferred that the second bent portion 50 extending in the longitudinal direction X is located between the elastic member 37 disposed closest to the free end portion 32 and the elastic member 37 disposed closest to the bent portion 35 in the outer protruding portion 3B. The second bent portion 50 of the present embodiment is formed by bending the flange forming piece 30 located between the adjacent elastic members 37 in the outer protruding portion 3B. Figure 4The second bending portion 50 shown in (a) is formed at the center of the lateral Y between the free end portion 32 and the bending portion 35. However, as long as it is formed between the elastic members 37, it may be located at a position closer to the free end portion 32 based on the lateral center of the leak-proof flange 3, or may be located at a position closer to the bending portion 35 based on the lateral center of the leak-proof flange 3.

[0059] The outer protruding portion 3B of the present embodiment preferably has, in its natural state, the second bending portion 50 as a flexible axis in the same manner as described above, and is located in the outer region 3S between the free end portion 32 and the second bending portion 50 in the longitudinal X central region of the diaper 1, and stands up toward the wearer's body side or is folded back toward the inner side of the lateral Y. Among the outer protruding portions 3B in the front region and the rear region of the longitudinal X of the diaper 1, the outer region 3S may be formed independently or not, provided that the relationship of the width along the lateral Y of the outer protruding portion 3B as described above is satisfied.

[0060] In addition, in the outer protruding portion 3B in the longitudinal X central region, if it is configured such that a plurality of elastic members 37 are present in the outer region 3S, the outer protruding portion 3B is likely to abut against the wearer's skin in a surface contact manner, and the close-fitting property is further improved, so it is preferred. Moreover, when it is configured such that a plurality of elastic members 37 are present in the region along the lateral Y between the second bending portion 50 and the bending portion 35, the outer protruding portion 3B is likely to stably abut against the wearer's skin in a surface contact manner, and the followability to the wearer's movement and the close-fitting property to the wearer's skin can be further improved, so it is preferred. Such a structure can be easily achieved, for example, as described later, by arranging a plurality of elastic members 37 such that the longitudinal X elongation stress of the elastic member 37 located inside the lateral Y of the outer protruding portion 3B is higher than the longitudinal X elongation stress of the elastic member 37 located outside the lateral Y.

[0061] As another method of making the width along the lateral Y of the outer protruding portion 3B in the longitudinal central region smaller than the width along the lateral Y of the region other than the longitudinal central region, as Figure 4As shown in (b), the leakage-preventing flange 3 preferably has, between the free end 32 of the outer protruding portion 3B and the bent portion 35, a second bent portion 50 and a third bent portion 60 that are different from the bent portion 35 and extend respectively in the longitudinal direction X. The second bent portion 50 of the present embodiment is located, in the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B, at a position closer to the free end 32 with reference to the lateral center portion of the leakage-preventing flange 3. The third bent portion 60 is located, in the lateral direction Y, at a position closer to the bent portion 35 of the outer protruding portion 3B with reference to the lateral center portion of the leakage-preventing flange 3. That is, the second bent portion 50 is located at a position outside the third bent portion 60 in the lateral direction Y. In the present embodiment, the second bent portion 50 is located at a substantially central portion between the free end 32 of the outer protruding portion 3B and the bent portion 35, and the third bent portion 60 is located at a substantially central portion between the second bent portion 50 and the bent portion 35. The formation positions of the second bent portion 50 and the third bent portion 60 are based on the position when the outer protruding portion 3B is maximally extended in the lateral direction Y.

[0062] When the second bent portion 50 and the third bent portion 60 are formed on the outer protruding portion 3B, as Figure 4 shown in (b), the outer protruding portion 3B is formed in the central region in the longitudinal direction X such that the inner region 3T located between the bent portion 35 and the second bent portion 50 is folded back inward in the lateral direction Y. Further, in the outer protruding portion 3B, the second bent portion 50 and the third bent portion 60, in which the outer region 3S located between the second bent portion 50 and the free end 32 is folded back outward in the lateral direction Y, are both formed by bending the flange forming sheet 30 located on the outer protruding portion 3B. In the outer protruding portions 3B in the front region and the rear region in the longitudinal direction X of the diaper 1, the outer region 3S and the inner region 3T may be formed independently of each other or may not be formed, provided that the width relationship of the outer protruding portion 3B described above is satisfied.

[0063] Regarding the structure of the above-described second bent portion 50 or third bent portion 60, as long as it is a structure that satisfies any one of the above-described structures, it may also be constituted by a combination of the above-described structures. To form the above-described second bent portion 50 or third bent portion 60, for example, a member having a crease formed by fixing the front end portion and the rear end portion in the longitudinal direction X in a state where the flange forming sheet 30 is pre-bent can be used, so that the above-described second bent portion 50 and third bent portion 60 can be formed at predetermined positions. Or, it may be configured such that the elongation stress in the longitudinal direction X of the elastic member 37 located inside the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B is higher than the elongation stress in the longitudinal direction X of the elastic member 37 located outside the lateral direction Y. Details of the structure for changing the elongation stress will be described later.

[0064] An absorbent article having the above structure can form an outer protruding portion on the leak-proof flange, enabling the outer protruding portion to come into contact with the wearer's skin surface, improving the tightness in the entire area in the front-back direction of the wearer, and enhancing the fit of the absorbent article.

[0065] In addition, the plurality of elastic members constituting the leak-proof flange are arranged in a parallel state at intervals along the lateral direction Y at the portion where they are fixed. Thus, in at least the central region in the longitudinal direction X, the leak-proof flange can be evenly attached to the wearer's body along the front-back direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction X, preventing leakage (side leakage) of excrement to the lateral outside at any position in the front-back direction of the wearer.

[0066] Furthermore, the outer protruding portion of the leak-proof flange is configured such that the width along the lateral direction in the longitudinal central region is smaller than the width along the lateral direction in the longitudinal front region and the longitudinal rear region. As a result, compared to the wearer's abdomen and back, the contact area between the outer protruding portion and the wearer's skin is increased, preventing side leakage of excrement from the abdomen and back. Also, for the crotch portion that is prone to sagging downward due to the self-weight of the absorbent article or the weight of excrement, the height or contraction force of the leak-proof flange can be increased to make it fit tightly, effectively preventing side leakage of excrement from the crotch portion.

[0067] In addition, as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, by forming a second bending portion, or a second bending portion and a third bending portion, in the longitudinal central region of the leak-proof flange, the flange forming sheet and the elastic member constituting the leak-proof flange overlap in the thickness direction, and in the longitudinal central region of the leak-proof flange, the thickness, height, and contraction force of the leak-proof flange can be increased. As a result, the tightness of the diaper in the wearer's crotch portion can be further improved, and side leakage of excrement can be more effectively prevented.

[0068] In particular, since the plurality of elastic members constituting the leak-proof flange have an interval along the lateral direction Y and are arranged in a parallel state at the portion where they are fixed, it is advantageous in that a second bending portion and a third bending portion are easily formed along the longitudinal direction X between adjacent elastic members, and side leakage of excrement can be effectively prevented in a relatively wide range along the front-back direction of the wearer.

[0069] As Figure 2 shown, the second bending portion 50 is located between the free end portion 32 in the outer protruding portion 3B and the elastic member 37 arranged closest to the free end portion 32. Thus, the flange forming sheet overlaps in the thickness direction, increasing the thickness, and thereby it is easy to further improve the tightness between the leak-proof flange and the wearer's skin.

[0070] In addition, as Figure 4As shown in (a), regarding the second bending portion 50, the second bending portion 50 extending in the longitudinal direction X is located between the elastic member 37 disposed closest to the free end portion 32 and the elastic member 37 disposed closest to the bending portion 35 in the outer protruding portion 3B. Due to the overlap of the flanging forming sheets in the thickness direction and the improvement of the shrinkage force, the tight adhesion between the leak-proof flange and the wearer's skin is likely to be further improved.

[0071] In addition, as Figure 4 shown in (b), not only the second bending portion 50 is formed, but also the third bending portion 60 is formed. Thus, due to the multi-layer overlap of the flanging forming sheet and the elastic member in the thickness direction and the improvement of the shrinkage force, the tight adhesion between the leak-proof flange and the wearer's skin is likely to be further improved.

[0072] Among them, by adopting Figure 4 the method shown in (b), the improvement of the tight adhesion between the leak-proof flange and the wearer's skin can be significantly effective, and thus it is advantageous.

[0073] From the viewpoint of making the effects of the present invention more remarkable, among the plurality of elastic members 37 disposed in the outer protruding portion 3B of the leak-proof flange 3, it is preferable to use at least two types of elastic members 37 having different elongation stresses. In this case, among the elastic members 37 disposed in the outer protruding portion 3B, it is preferable that the elongation stress of the elastic member 37 located inside the lateral direction Y is higher than the elongation stress of the elastic member 37 located outside the lateral direction Y. The arrangement position of the elastic member 37 is based on the position when the outer protruding portion 3B is maximally elongated in the lateral direction Y. By using such an elastic member 37, when the diaper is worn, the second bending portion and the third bending portion can be easily formed in the longitudinal central region of the leak-proof flange, the tight adhesion in the crotch portion can be further improved, and the side leakage of excrement can be further effectively prevented.

[0074] In the outer protruding portion 3B, in order to make the elongation stress of the elastic member 37 located inside the lateral direction Y higher than the elongation stress of the elastic member 37 located outside the lateral direction Y, for example, it is preferable to arrange these elastic members 37 such that the elongation ratio of the elastic member 37 located inside the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B is higher than the elongation ratio of the elastic member 37 located outside the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B. When three or more elastic members 37 are arranged, the elongation ratio of each elastic member 37 may also increase stepwise as it goes from the outside of the lateral direction Y to the inside of the outer protruding portion 3B. Alternatively, it may be that the elongation ratio of the elastic member 37 located at the innermost side of the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B is the highest, and the elongation ratios of the other elastic members 37 are the same.

[0075] The elongation ratio of each elastic member 37 can be measured, for example, by the following method. First, each elastic member 37 disposed at the outer protruding portion 3B of the leak-proof flange 3 is taken out separately to form a state in which each elastic member 37 is maximally elongated in the longitudinal direction. Two marks are made on each elastic member 37 at a certain interval L1 in the telescopic direction using an oil-based pen. Then, the length L2 of the elastic member 37 marked with the marks is measured in the non-elongated state. This measurement is performed three times for each elastic member 37, and the elongation ratio (times) is obtained by using the arithmetic mean of the values calculated by the formula represented by "L1 / L2". The interval L1 can be set to 100 mm, for example.

[0076] The elongation ratio of the elastic member 37 measured by the above measurement method is preferably 1.5 times or more, more preferably 2.0 times or more, preferably 3.5 times or less, and more preferably 3.0 times or less, respectively and independently, on the condition that the elongation ratio of the elastic member 37 located inside the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B is higher than the elongation ratio of the elastic member 37 located outside the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B.

[0077] Instead of or in addition to the above method, in the outer protruding portion 3B, in order to make the elongation stress of the elastic member 37 located inside the lateral direction Y higher than the elongation stress of the elastic member 37 located outside the lateral direction Y, for example, it is preferable to arrange these elastic members 37 in such a way that the thickness of the elastic member 37 located inside the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B is higher than the thickness of the elastic member 37 located outside the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B. When three or more elastic members 37 are arranged, the thickness of each elastic member 37 may gradually increase from the outside to the inside in the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B. Alternatively, the thickness of the elastic member 37 located at the innermost side in the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B may be the largest, and the thicknesses of the other elastic members 37 may be the same.

[0078] By using such an elastic member 37, when the diaper is worn, the second bending portion and the third bending portion can be easily formed in the longitudinal central region of the leak-proof flange, the tightness in the crotch portion can be further improved, and the side leakage of excrement can be further effectively prevented.

[0079] The thickness of each of the above elastic members 37 refers to the thickness in the non-elongated state of each elastic member. When each elastic member 37 is linear, regarding the thickness of each elastic member 37, the diameters of the cross-sections of one elastic member 37 are measured at three different positions respectively, and the arithmetic mean thereof is used to represent it. When each elastic member 37 is strip-shaped, regarding the thickness of each elastic member 37, the lengths orthogonal to the elongation direction in the main surface of the elastic member are measured at three different positions of one elastic member 37 respectively, and the arithmetic mean thereof is used to represent it. When each elastic member 37 is composed of a bundle of multiple elastic fibers, a part obtained by cutting out a certain length (e.g., 100 mm) of the elastic member from the leakage-preventing flange to be measured can be used as a specimen, and the mass of the specimen is divided by the length of the specimen to represent the thickness (fineness) of the elastic member.

[0080] The thickness D1 of the elastic member 37 in the non-elongated state measured by the above measurement method (refer to Figure 5 ), on the condition that it is arranged such that the thickness of the elastic member 37 located inside the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B is larger than the thickness of the elastic member 37 located outside the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B, represented by fineness, is preferably 150 dtex or more independently, more preferably 300 dtex or more, preferably 950 dtex or less, and more preferably 800 dtex or less.

[0081] In addition, instead of the above method, or in addition to the above method, in the outer protruding portion 3B, in order to make the elongation stress of the elastic member 37 located inside the lateral direction Y higher than the elongation stress of the elastic member 37 located outside the lateral direction Y, for example, it is preferably arranged such that the elastic modulus of the constituent resin of the elastic member 37 located inside the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B is higher than the elastic modulus of the constituent resin of the elastic member 37 located outside the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B. When three or more elastic members 37 are arranged, the elastic modulus of the constituent resin of each elastic member 37 can increase step by step from the outside of the lateral direction Y to the inside of the outer protruding portion 3B. Or, it can also be that the elastic modulus of the constituent resin of the elastic member 37 located at the innermost side of the lateral direction Y of the outer protruding portion 3B is the largest, and the elastic moduli of the constituent resins of the other elastic members 37 are the same. In addition, the above elastic modulus is premised on that each elastic member 37 is composed of the same thickness and has the same elongation ratio.

[0082] By using such an elastic member 37, when wearing the diaper, the second bending portion and the third bending portion can be easily formed in the longitudinal central region of the leakage-preventing flange, the tightness in the crotch portion can be further improved, and the side leakage of excrement can be further effectively prevented.

[0083] In any of the above-described ways, as the resin constituting the elastic member 37, synthetic rubbers such as natural rubber, EVA rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, polybutadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, and chloroprene rubber, polyurethane, and thermoplastic elastomers can be used independently of each other. As the thermoplastic elastomer, for example, styrenic elastomers such as SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene), SIS (styrene-isoprene-styrene), SEBS (styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene), and SEPS (styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene) can be cited, olefinic elastomers such as ethylene-based α-olefin elastomers and propylene-based elastomers obtained by copolymerizing ethylene, butene, octene, etc., polyester-based elastomers, and polyurethane-based elastomers. These constituent resins can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The constituent resin of the leg elastic member 42 can also be used in the same manner as the above-described resin.

[0084] As the flanging forming sheet 30, from the viewpoint of reliably exerting the function of preventing leakage of body fluids such as urine to the outside, a hydrophobic sheet material can be appropriately used. As the hydrophobic sheet material, non-woven fabric can be cited, specifically, hot air non-woven fabric, spunbond non-woven fabric, and meltblown non-woven fabric. Or a non-woven fabric having a multi-layer structure such as spunbond-meltblown-spunbond non-woven fabric can be used. In addition, as the flanging forming sheet 30, a hydrophobic resin film, a laminate of the resin film and the non-woven fabric, etc. can be used.

[0085] In addition, the leak-preventing flange 3 can use the stretchable sheet described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-179128 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-22066. In this case, as the elastic member 37, for example, thermoplastic elastomers such as the above-described styrenic elastomers, olefinic elastomers, polyester-based elastomers, and polyurethane-based elastomers, and fibers made of elastic resins such as rubber can be used. In addition, as the sheet material, various non-woven fabrics described in the flanging forming sheet 30 can be used.

[0086] As described above, the leak-preventing flange 3 preferably includes an elastic member 37 and a non-stretchable flanging forming sheet 30 made of non-woven fabric, and the ring crush resistance of the flanging forming sheet 30 constituting the leak-preventing flange 3 is preferably within a specified range. Specifically, the ring crush resistance of the flanging forming sheet 30 measured by the method described later is preferably 10.0 N / 30 mm or less, more preferably 8.0 N / 30 mm or less, further preferably 7.5 N / 30 mm or less. In addition, it is preferably that the lower limit is as low as possible, but 1.0 N / 30 mm or more is realistic.

[0087] With such physical properties, since the flanging forming sheet 30 is easily bent by an external force, the bent portion 35 and the outer protruding portion 3B can be easily formed in the entire longitudinal X region of the leak-proof flange 3, and the fit of the diaper in the entire front-back direction region of the wearer can be further improved. Moreover, the second bent portion 50 and the third bent portion 60 can be easily formed in the central longitudinal X region of the leak-proof flange, the tightness of the diaper in the crotch portion of the wearer can be further improved, and side leakage of excrement can be more effectively prevented.

[0088] The ring crush compressive strength can be measured as follows. First, cut out five rectangular pieces of the flanging forming sheet 30 that constitutes the leak-proof flange 3, each with a length of 150 mm along the longitudinal X and a length of 30 mm along the transverse Y, and use them as test pieces. Roll each test piece into a cylindrical shape in the length direction of the test piece, so that one end and the other end of the length direction of the test piece overlap by 5 mm, and the diameter is 45 mm. Fix the upper end (the upper end in the cylindrical axis direction) and the lower end of the overlapping part at both ends with staples [for example, needles manufactured by MAXCO., LTD., No. 10-1M] to obtain five cylindrical measurement specimens. In addition, the direction of the needle is parallel to the circumferential direction. Place each of the obtained measurement specimens (initial specimen width: 30 mm) on a TENSILON compression testing machine (manufactured by ORIENTEC CO., LTD., "RTA-100"), and measure the maximum load (N / 30 mm) shown when compressed at a compression speed of 10 mm / min in the axial direction of the cylinder (the transverse direction of the specimen) using a circular compression plate with a diameter of 70 mm or more. Perform the same measurement on the five measurement specimens, and take the arithmetic mean of them as the ring crush compressive strength of the flanging forming sheet 30.

[0089] In Figure 5 schematically shows the arrangement position of the elastic member 37 and an embodiment of the flanging forming sheet 30 in the design dimensions of the leak-proof flange 3. As Figure 5As shown, the flanging forming sheet 30 that constitutes the leak-proof flange 3 is preferably formed of a non-stretchable fiber sheet such as a non-woven fabric, and is preferably provided with a plurality of high fiber density portions 80 in a scattered manner. The high fiber density portion 80 is a portion where the distance between the fibers of the sheet is shorter, or a part or all of the fiber structure disappears and becomes membranous, and the fiber density becomes higher, compared to other parts in the flanging forming sheet 30. By having such a structure, it is possible to well form a wrinkled structure in the leak-proof flange 3 where the high fiber density portion 80 with a high fiber density and a higher stiffness than other parts of the sheet becomes the starting point of the bending of the sheet. As a result, the softness of the leak-proof flange becomes good, and the skin touch and fit of the leak-proof flange to the wearer's body are improved. Such a high fiber density portion 80 can be formed, for example, by pre-implementing densification processing such as embossing processing on the used non-woven fabric, or locally implementing entanglement processing by machinery such as needling or hydroentangling on the used non-woven fabric.

[0090] Figure 5 Each of the shown high fiber density portions 80 has an oval top view shape, and they are formed at intervals in both the longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction Y. The top view shape of the high fiber density portion 80 can also be an isotropic shape such as a perfect circle, a square, a regular hexagon, or a regular octagon, or an anisotropic shape such as a rectangle and an ellipse.

[0091] In addition, when the high fiber density portion 80 is formed in the flanging forming sheet 30, as Figure 5 shown, it is preferable that the interval W5 along the transverse direction Y between adjacent elastic members 37 in the leak-proof flange 3 is larger than the interval W6 between adjacent high fiber density portions 80 in the transverse direction Y. By configuring such a structure, the sheet is easily bent between adjacent elastic members 37, so that the second bending portion 50 and the third bending portion 60 can be successfully formed in the outer protruding portion 3B. As a result, the fit of the central region in the longitudinal direction X and the wearer's crotch portion is further improved, and side leakage of excrement can be prevented.

[0092] The interval W5 along the transverse direction Y between adjacent elastic members 37 (refer to Figure 5 ) is preferably 1 mm or more, more preferably 2 mm or more, preferably 9 mm or less, and more preferably 10 mm or less. In addition, the interval W6 between adjacent high fiber density portions 80 in the transverse direction Y (refer to Figure 5 ) is preferably 0.5 mm or more, more preferably 1.0 mm or more, preferably 5.0 mm or less, and more preferably 4.5 mm or less on the condition that W5 > W6.

[0093] In addition, when the leak-proof flange 3 is composed of an elastic member 37 and a flanging forming sheet 30, as Figure 6As shown, the outer protruding portion 3B in each leak - proof flange 3 preferably has a joint portion 90 that joins the flange - forming sheet 30 and the elastic member 37. The portion where the joint portion 90 is formed is the portion where the elastic member 37 is fixed to the outer protruding portion 3B. In each elastic member 37 of the present embodiment, in the formation portion of the joint portion 90 corresponding to the fixing portion of the elastic member 37, they extend in the longitudinal direction X and are arranged in a parallel state, and are arranged at intervals along the transverse direction Y between adjacent elastic members 37. At the same time, the joint portion 90 extends in the longitudinal direction X and is formed at intervals at a distance in the transverse direction Y.

[0094] In the manner shown in this figure, the joint portion 90 is formed at a position that overlaps in the thickness direction with the position where the elastic member 37 is arranged, and is not formed at the position where the elastic member 37 is not arranged. As the joint portion 90, typically, an adhesive or the like is arranged. The joint portion 90 is preferably formed at least at a position corresponding to the arrangement position of the elastic member 37 in the central region of the longitudinal direction X of the diaper 1, and more preferably formed in the entire region corresponding to the arrangement position of the elastic member 37 in the longitudinal direction X.

[0095] By configuring the structure in this way, the elastic member 37 is fixed to the flange - forming sheet 30 more strongly. Even when an external force is applied, it is possible to easily maintain the arrangement interval of the elastic member 37 along the transverse direction Y as a constant value in the central region of the longitudinal direction X, preferably in the entire region of the longitudinal direction X. As a result, the leak - proof flange can be evenly attached to the wearer's body along the front - to - back direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction X, and side leakage of excrement can be effectively prevented at any part in the front - to - back direction of the wearer.

[0096] In addition, since a portion with a lower stiffness can be formed at the portion in the outer protruding portion 3B that does not have the joint portion 90, the sheet is easily bent with the portion without the joint portion 90 as the axis of flexibility. As a result, it is possible to successfully form the second bent portion 50 or the third bent portion 60 in the outer protruding portion 3B, further improving the fitness of the central region in the longitudinal direction X and the crotch portion of the wearer, and preventing side leakage of excrement.

[0097] As an absorbent article having the above structure, an unfolded disposable diaper has been described as an example, but any absorbent article having a leak - proof flange can be applied. As such absorbent articles, in addition to the unfolded disposable diaper, short - type disposable diapers, incontinence pads, sanitary napkins, etc. can be cited, but are not limited thereto.

[0098] As described above, the present invention has been described based on its preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, in the above-described embodiments, it has been described by taking as an example that the second bent portion 50 and the third bent portion 60 are not formed in the outer protruding portions 3B located in the front region and the rear region in the longitudinal direction X of the diaper 1. However, it is also possible to form at least one of the second bent portion 50 and the third bent portion 60 in the outer protruding portions 3B located in the front region and the rear region in the longitudinal direction X of the diaper 1 on the condition that "length W1 < length W2".

[0099] In addition, in the leakage-preventing flange 3 of the present embodiment, as Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, only the outer protruding portion 3B that protrudes outward in the lateral direction Y from the bent portion 35 is formed. However, instead of this structure, in addition to the outer protruding portion 3B that protrudes outward in the lateral direction Y from the position of the bent portion 35, an inner protruding portion that protrudes inward in the lateral direction Y from the position of the bent portion 35 may also be provided.

[0100] Regarding the above-described embodiments of the present invention, the following absorbent articles are further disclosed.

[0101] <1>

[0102] An absorbent article having a longitudinal direction corresponding to the front-back direction of the wearer and a lateral direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and a pair of leakage-preventing flanges extending in the longitudinal direction are provided on the skin-facing surface. In the absorbent article, each of the leakage-preventing flanges has: a base end portion that is the erected end of the leakage-preventing flange; a free end portion; and a bent portion located between the base end portion and the free end portion and extending in the longitudinal direction. Each of the leakage-preventing flanges is divided into a lower portion located between the base end portion and the bent portion, and an outer protruding portion located between the bent portion and the free end portion and protruding outward in the lateral direction. The outer protruding portion has a plurality of elastic members extending in the longitudinal direction and arranged in an elongated state. In a natural state, in the outer protruding portion, the width along the lateral direction in the longitudinal central region is smaller than the widths along the lateral direction in the longitudinal front region and the longitudinal rear region. At least in the longitudinal central region, at least a longitudinal part of each of the elastic members is fixed to the outer protruding portion. In the portions where the elastic members are fixed, the elastic members adjacent to each other along the lateral direction are arranged in a parallel state with an interval therebetween.

[0103] <2>In the absorbent article described in <1> above,

[0104] The leak-proof flange has a second bent portion extending longitudinally between the free end portion and the bent portion, the second bent portion being located between the free end portion and the elastic member disposed closest to the free end portion, and the outer protruding portion is in the longitudinal central region, and the outer region between the free end portion and the second bent portion stands up toward the wearer's body side or folds back toward the lateral inside.

[0105] <3>In the absorbent article described in <1> above,

[0106] The leak-proof flange has a second bent portion extending longitudinally between the free end portion and the bent portion, the second bent portion being located between the elastic member disposed closest to the free end portion and the elastic member disposed closest to the bent portion, and the outer protruding portion is in the longitudinal central region, and the outer region between the free end portion and the second bent portion stands up toward the wearer's body side or folds back toward the lateral inside.

[0107] <4>In the absorbent article described in <2> or <3> above,

[0108] A plurality of the elastic members are arranged in the outer region.

[0109] <5>In the absorbent article described in any one of <2> to <4> above,

[0110] In each of the region along the lateral direction and the outer region between the second bent portion and the bent portion, a plurality of the elastic members are arranged.

[0111] <6>In the absorbent article described in <1> above,

[0112] The leak-proof flange has a second bent portion and a third bent portion extending longitudinally between the free end portion and the bent portion, the second bent portion being located closer to the free end portion, and the third bent portion being located closer to the bent portion, and the outer protruding portion is in the longitudinal central region, and the inner region between the bent portion and the second bent portion folds back toward the lateral inside, and the outer region between the second bent portion and the free end portion folds back toward the lateral outside.

[0113] <7>In the absorbent article described in any one of <1> to <6> above,

[0114] Each of the leakage-preventing flanges includes the elastic member and a flange-forming sheet made of non-woven fabric. The flange-forming sheet has a plurality of high fiber density portions in a scattered manner, and the interval between adjacent elastic members in the transverse direction is larger than the interval between adjacent high fiber density portions in the transverse direction.

[0115] <8>In the absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <7> above,

[0116] At least two kinds of the elastic members having different elongation stresses are arranged.

[0117] <9>In the absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <8> above,

[0118] Each of the leakage-preventing flanges includes the elastic member and a flange-forming sheet. Each of the leakage-preventing flanges has a joint portion that joins the flange-forming sheet and the elastic member. The joint portion extends in the longitudinal direction and is formed at intervals in the transverse direction.

[0119] <10>In the absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <9> above,

[0120] Each of the leakage-preventing flanges includes the elastic member and a flange-forming sheet,

[0121] The ring crush compression strength of the flange-forming sheet is 10.0 N / 30 mm or less.

[0122] <11>In the absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <10> above,

[0123] The bent portion is located at a position biased from the transverse center of the leakage-preventing flange toward the free end portion.

[0124] <12>In the absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <10> above,

[0125] The bent portion is located at a position biased from the transverse center of the leakage-preventing flange toward the base end portion.

[0126] <13>In the absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <12> above,

[0127] The outer protruding portion protrudes outward in the transverse direction compared to the position of the bent portion.

[0128] <14>In the absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <13> above,

[0129] The outer protruding portion is formed in the entire longitudinal region of the leakage-preventing flange.

[0130] In the absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <14> above,

[0131] The elastic member extends in the longitudinal central region and extends to the front region and the rear region in the longitudinal direction.

[0132] In the absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <15> above,

[0133] The width of the outer protruding portion along the transverse direction continuously increases when viewed from the central portion in the longitudinal direction along the longitudinal front region and the longitudinal rear region.

[0134] In the absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <16> above,

[0135] In the natural state of the absorbent article, the length W1 of the outer protruding portion in the longitudinal central region along the transverse direction is 4 mm or more and 24 mm or less, preferably 9 mm or more and 19 mm or less.

[0136] In the absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <17> above,

[0137] The length W2 of the outer protruding portion in the longitudinal front region and the longitudinal rear region along the transverse direction is 5 mm or more and 25 mm or less, preferably 10 mm or more and 20 mm or less.

[0138] In the absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <18> above,

[0139] At the portion where the elastic member is fixed, a first imaginary line along the extending direction of any one of the elastic members and a second imaginary line along the extending direction of the elastic member adjacent to the elastic member do not cross each other, and the angle formed by the first imaginary line and the second imaginary line is within 2°.

[0140] In the absorbent article according to <19> above,

[0141] The angle formed by the first imaginary line and the second imaginary line is within 1°.

[0142] Industrial applicability

[0143] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an absorbent article having excellent fit in the crotch portion of a wearer.

Claims

1. An absorbent article having a longitudinal direction corresponding to the front-back direction of the wearer and a lateral direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and a pair of leak-proof flanges extending in the longitudinal direction are provided on the skin-facing surface, wherein the absorbent article is characterized in that: each of the leak-proof flanges has a base end portion that becomes the erected end of the leak-proof flange; a free end portion; and a first bending portion located between the base end portion and the free end portion and extending in the longitudinal direction, each of the leak-proof flanges is divided into a lower portion located between the base end portion and the first bending portion, and an outer extending portion located between the first bending portion and the free end portion and extending outward in the lateral direction, the outer extending portion has a plurality of elastic members extending in the longitudinal direction and arranged in an elongated state, in a natural state, in the outer extending portion, the width along the lateral direction of the longitudinal central region is smaller than the width along the lateral direction of the longitudinal front region and the longitudinal rear region, at least in the longitudinal central region, at least a longitudinal part of each of the elastic members is fixed to the outer extending portion, and in the portions where the elastic members are fixed, the elastic members adjacent to each other along the lateral direction are arranged in a parallel state with an interval therebetween, each of the leak-proof flanges includes the elastic members and a flange forming sheet made of a non-woven fabric, the flange forming sheet has a plurality of high fiber density portions in a scattered state, the interval along the lateral direction between adjacent elastic members is larger than the interval between adjacent high fiber density portions in the lateral direction.

2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein: the leak-proof flange has a second bending portion extending in the longitudinal direction between the free end portion and the first bending portion, the second bending portion is located between the free end portion and the elastic member arranged closest to the free end portion, in the longitudinal central region, the outer region located between the free end portion and the second bending portion of the outer extending portion stands up toward the wearer's body side or folds back toward the inner side in the lateral direction.

3. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein: the leak-proof flange has a second bending portion extending in the longitudinal direction between the free end portion and the first bending portion, the second bending portion is located between the elastic member arranged closest to the free end portion and the elastic member arranged closest to the first bending portion, in the longitudinal central region, the outer region located between the free end portion and the second bending portion of the outer extending portion stands up toward the wearer's body side or folds back toward the inner side in the lateral direction.

4. The absorbent article according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: a plurality of the elastic members are arranged in the outer region.

5. The absorbent article according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: a plurality of the elastic members are arranged in each of the region along the lateral direction between the second bending portion and the first bending portion and the outer region.

6. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein: The leak-proof flange is between the free end portion and the first bent portion, and has a second bent portion and a third bent portion that respectively extend in the longitudinal direction. The second bent portion is located closer to the free end portion, and the third bent portion is located closer to the first bent portion. The outer protruding portion is in the longitudinal central region, and the inner region between the first bent portion and the second bent portion is folded back toward the lateral inside, and the outer region between the second bent portion and the free end portion is folded back toward the lateral outside.

7. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: At least two kinds of the elastic members with different elongation stresses are arranged.

8. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Each of the leak-proof flanges includes the elastic member and a flange forming sheet. Each of the leak-proof flanges has a joint portion that joins the flange forming sheet and the elastic member. The joint portion extends in the longitudinal direction and is formed at intervals in the lateral direction.

9. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Each of the leak-proof flanges includes the elastic member and a flange forming sheet. The ring crush compressive strength of the flange forming sheet is 10.0 N / 30 mm or less.

10. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first bent portion is located at a position biased from the lateral center of the leak-proof flange toward the free end portion.

11. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first bent portion is located at a position biased from the lateral center of the leak-proof flange toward the base end portion.

12. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The outer protruding portion protrudes toward the lateral outside compared with the position of the first bent portion.

13. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The outer protruding portion is formed in the entire longitudinal region of the leak-proof flange.

14. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The elastic member extends in the longitudinal central region and extends to the front region and the rear region in the longitudinal direction.

15. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The width of the outer protruding portion along the lateral direction continuously increases when viewed from the longitudinal central portion along the longitudinal front region and the longitudinal rear region.

16. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: In the natural state of the absorbent article, the length W1 of the outer protruding portion in the longitudinal central region along the lateral direction is 4 mm or more and 24 mm or less.

17. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The length W2 of the outer protruding portion in the longitudinal front region and the longitudinal rear region along the lateral direction is 5 mm or more and 25 mm or less.

18. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: At the portion where the elastic member is fixed, a first imaginary line along the extending direction of any one of the elastic members and a second imaginary line along the extending direction of the elastic member adjacent to the elastic member do not cross each other, and the angle formed by the first imaginary line and the second imaginary line is within 2°.

19. The absorbent article according to claim 18, characterized in that: The angle formed by the first imaginary line and the second imaginary line is within 1°.

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