Wearable article container, wearable article, and absorbent pad

Abstract

A wearable article container (90) comprises: a wearable article (1) to be used in combination with an absorbent pad (100); and a housing member (70) for housing the wearable article (1). The wearable article (1) has hook members (FK) that engage the absorbent pad (100). The hook member (FK) is either a male hook member (FK1) or a female hook member (FK2). A state in which the wearable article (1) is stretched up and down from a natural state to twice the length is defined as a double stretched state. Engagement force per unit area between a male hook member (FK1) and a female hook member (FK2) in a direction along a mutual engagement surface is greater than in a region located above a lower end of a hook member (FK) and within 20 mm from an upper end of the wearable article (1), said wearable article (1) being in a region located above the lower end of the hook member (FK) and within 20 mm from the upper end of the wearable article (1) and the maximum tensile load per unit area is required by stretching from a natural state to a double-stretching state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wearable article container, a wearable article and an absorbent pad. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there are known underpants-type wearable articles that have stretchability and are used in combination with an absorbent pad for absorbing excretions such as urine by attaching the absorbent pad to the crotch portion of the wearable article. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses underpants (wearable articles) that have stretchability and can be worn with the absorbent pad used in combination by joining a hook-and-loop fastener (female member) provided on the absorbent pad to a hook-and-loop fastener (male member) provided on the inner surface of the underpants.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-24385 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] When a wearable article made of highly stretchable fabric is to be worn while the absorbent pad is engaged with the wearable article, the wearable article is pulled upward by grasping the upper end portion of the wearable article. At this time, if the force used to pull the wearable article upward is greater than the shearing force of the hook member that engages the wearable article and the absorbent pad, the engagement between the wearable article and the absorbent pad may be disengaged, making it difficult to pull up the absorbent pad.

[0008] The present invention has been achieved in view of problems such as those described above, and an object of one aspect of the present invention is to make the engagement between the absorbent pad and the wearable article less likely to be disengaged when the wearable article is pulled up in a state where the absorbent pad is engaged with the wearable article.

[0009] Solutions for solving problems

[0010] The main aspect of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is a wearable article container, comprising: a wearable article having an up-down direction, a left-right direction, and a front-back direction intersecting each other, the wearable article being stretchable in the up-down direction and the left-right direction and being intended to be used in combination with an absorbent pad; and a container member configured to accommodate the wearable article. The wearable article is reusable. The container member has an indicator portion that reminds a user that the wearable article is intended to be used in combination with the absorbent pad. The wearable article includes a hook member configured to engage with the absorbent pad, the hook member being either a male hook member or a female hook member. The state in which the wearable article is removed from the container member and stretched to twice its natural length in the up-down direction is defined as a double-stretched state. The engagement force per unit area between the male hook member and the female hook member in a direction along the mutual engagement surface of the male hook member and the female hook member is greater than the maximum tensile load per unit area when the area located above the lower end of the hook member and up to 20 mm from the upper end of the wearable article is stretched from the natural state to the twice-stretched state.

[0011] Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to make it less likely that the engagement between the absorbent pad and the wearable article will be released when the wearable article is pulled up in a state where the absorbent pad is engaged with the wearable article. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the wearable article 1 .

[0015] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 A is a plan view when the wearable article 1 in its natural state is viewed from the front side in the front-to-back direction. Figure 2 B is a plan view when the wearable article 1 in its natural state is viewed from the rear side in the front-to-rear direction.

[0016] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 A to Figure 3 C is a diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing the wearable article 1 .

[0017] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 A plan view and a cross-sectional view of the absorbent pad 100 are shown.

[0018] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5A and Figure 5 B is a diagram illustrating a method for putting on the wearable article 2 when the wearable article 2 of the comparative example is used in combination with the absorbent pad 100 .

[0019] [ Figure 6 ] Figure 6 A to Figure 6 C is a diagram illustrating a method for putting on the wearable article 1 when the wearable article 1 is used in combination with the absorbent pad 100 .

[0020] [ Figure 7 ] Figure 7 A and Figure 7 B is a diagram illustrating a method for measuring the maximum tensile load when the wearable article 1 is stretched in the up-down direction.

[0021] [ Figure 8 ] Figure 8 A to Figure 8 C is a diagram illustrating a method for measuring the engaging force between the male hook member and the female hook member.

[0022] [ Figure 9 ] Figure 9 is a table showing the results and evaluations when engagement force measurements were performed using various types of hook members.

[0023] [ Figure 10 ] Figure 10 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the hook member FK (engagement region 30 ).

[0024] [ Figure 11 ] Figure 11 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an example of a wearable article housing 90 .

[0025] [ Figure 12 ] Figure 12 1 is a schematic plan view showing that both left-right ends of the front waist region BR and the back waist region BR of the wearable article 1 are cut and the wearable article is developed in the up-down direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The description of this specification and the drawings discloses at least the following matters.

[0027] (Aspect 1)

[0028] A wearable article container includes: a wearable article having an up-down direction, a left-right direction, and a front-back direction intersecting each other, the wearable article having stretchability in the up-down direction and the left-right direction and being intended to be used in combination with an absorbent pad; and a container member configured to store the wearable article, the wearable article being reusable, the container member having an indicator portion that reminds a user that the wearable article is intended to be used in combination with the absorbent pad, the wearable article including a hook member configured to engage with the absorbent pad, the hook member being either a male hook member or a female hook member, a state in which the wearable article is removed from the container member and stretched to twice its length in the up-down direction from a natural state being defined as a twice-stretched state, and a per-unit-area engagement force between the male hook member and the female hook member in a direction along a mutually engaging surface of the male hook member and the female hook member being greater than a maximum tensile load per unit area when an area located above a lower end of the hook member and extending to 20 mm from an upper end of the wearable article is stretched from the natural state to the twice-stretched state.

[0029] According to the wearable article container of aspect 1, when putting on a wearable article that has been removed from the container, if the force per unit area in the direction along the engaging surface of the male and female hook members is greater than the force per unit area when pulling the predetermined portion (the portion grasped and pulled by hand) in the waist region in the vertical direction, the engagement between the hook members is likely to be easily maintained against the force pulling the wearable article. Therefore, when the wearable article is pulled upward with the absorbent pad attached, the engagement between the absorbent pad and the wearable article is less likely to be disengaged.

[0030] (Aspect 2)

[0031] A wearable article having an up-down direction, a left-right direction, and a front-back direction intersecting each other, the wearable article having stretchability in the up-down direction and the left-right direction and being to be used in combination with an absorbent pad, the wearable article comprising: a hook member configured to engage with the absorbent pad, the hook member being either a male hook member or a female hook member, a state in which the wearable article is stretched from a natural state in the up-down direction to twice its length being defined as a twice-stretched state, a per-unit-area engagement force between the male hook member and the female hook member in a direction along a mutual engagement surface of the male hook member and the female hook member being greater than a maximum tensile load per unit area when an area located above the lower end of the hook member and up to 20 mm from the upper end of the wearable article is stretched from the natural state to the twice-stretched state.

[0032] According to the wearable article of aspect 2, during the wearing action, if the force per unit area in the direction along the engaging surface of the male hook member and the female hook member is stronger than the force per unit area when the predetermined portion in the waist region (the portion grasped and pulled by hand) is pulled in the vertical direction, the engagement between the hook members is likely to be easily maintained against the force pulling the wearable article. Therefore, when the wearable article is pulled upward with the absorbent pad attached, the engagement between the absorbent pad and the wearable article is less likely to be disengaged.

[0033] (Aspect 3)

[0034] The wearable article according to aspect 2, wherein the engagement force per unit area in the direction along the mutual engagement surface between the male hook member and the female hook member is 13 mN / mm 2 or larger.

[0035] The wearable article according to aspect 3 has an engagement force between the male hook member and the female hook member of less than 13 mN / mm 2 Compared with the case where the absorbent pad is engaged with the wearable article, when the wearable article engaged with the absorbent pad is pulled up during the wearing action of the wearable article, the engagement between the absorbent pad and the wearable article can be made less likely to be disengaged.

[0036] (Aspect 4)

[0037] The wearable article according to aspect 2 or aspect 3, wherein the engagement force per unit area in the direction along the mutual engagement surface between the male hook member and the female hook member is 35 mN / mm 2 or larger.

[0038] The wearable article according to aspect 4 has an engagement force between the male hook member and the female hook member of less than 35 mN / mm 2 This can make the engagement between the absorbent pad and the wearable article less likely to disengage when the wearable article engaged with the absorbent pad is pulled upward during the donning action of the wearable article, compared to the case where the absorbent pad is engaged with the wearable article.

[0039] (Aspect 5)

[0040] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 4 includes a main body portion composed of a fabric having a maximum elongation of 200% or more when a 50 mm×200 mm sample piece is pulled at 5 N in the up-down direction or the left-right direction.

[0041] According to the wearable article of aspect 5, the use of such a highly stretchable fabric can improve the fit when the article is worn, and because the article can easily conform to the wearer's body shape, the size compliance can also be improved. Note that even when the wearable article is stretched in the vertical direction during the wearing action by using such a highly stretchable fabric, the use of a hook member that meets the conditions of aspects 2 to 4 makes it less likely that the absorbent pad and the wearable article will be disengaged.

[0042] (Aspect 6)

[0043] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 5, wherein the hook member is the female hook member.

[0044] According to the wearable article of aspect 6, since the female hook member does not have an engaging protrusion and is softer than the male hook member, the female hook member is less likely to damage the wearer's skin when the wearable article including the female hook member is worn. In addition, when the wearable article is washed, the female hook member is less likely to damage the fabric constituting the main body portion of the wearable article.

[0045] (Aspect 7)

[0046] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 6, wherein the female hook member is sewn to the skin side of the wearable article.

[0047] According to the wearable article of aspect 7, the female hook member can be suppressed from peeling off from the wearable article. Furthermore, even when the wearable article is washed, the female hook member is less likely to peel off. Furthermore, since the female hook member can be attached to the wearable article without using adhesives or the like, the female hook member is safe for the human body and can easily provide a soft texture even when in contact with the wearer's skin.

[0048] (Aspect 8)

[0049] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 7 comprises: a pair of leg openings; and a waist region located between the upper end of each of the leg openings and the upper end of the wearable article in the up-down direction, wherein the hook member is arranged in the waist region.

[0050] According to the wearable article of aspect 8, the distance from the upper end of the wearable article to the hook member is shorter than in the case where the hook member is arranged on the lower side of the waist region (i.e., in the crotch region), so the force for pulling up the waist region is effectively transmitted to the hook member. Therefore, the absorbent pad can be pulled up more easily.

[0051] (Aspect 9)

[0052] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 8, wherein a center position of the hook member is located below a center position of the waist region in the up-down direction.

[0053] According to the wearable article of aspect 9, by arranging the hook member below the center of the waist region, the hook member is less likely to be caught by the hand during the wearing action. Therefore, the engagement between the male hook member and the female hook member is less likely to be peeled off.

[0054] (Aspect 10)

[0055] A wearable article according to any one of Aspects 2 to 9 comprises: a waist opening; and a low-stretch waist region, wherein the magnitude of the force required to stretch the low-stretch waist region per unit length along the peripheral edge of the waist opening is greater than the magnitude of the force required to stretch other regions per unit length, and wherein in the up-down direction, the hook member is arranged on the lower side of the low-stretch waist region.

[0056] According to the wearable article of aspect 10, arranging the hook member at a position separated from the low-stretch waist region (waist fold) helps prevent the absorbent pad engaged via the hook member from being firmly pressed against the wearer's abdomen or waist due to the strong contraction force exerted by the low-stretch waist region. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the wearer from feeling uncomfortable when wearing the wearable article.

[0057] (Aspect 11)

[0058] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 10, wherein the hook member is arranged below the lower end of the waist low stretch region at a distance in the vertical direction greater than or equal to the width of the waist low stretch region in the vertical direction.

[0059] According to the wearable article of aspect 11, the hook member is less likely to be affected by the expansion and contraction of the waist low-stretch region than in a case where the distance between the hook member and the waist low-stretch region is shorter than the width of the waist low-stretch region. This helps to further suppress the absorbent pad engaged via the hook member from being pressed against the wearer's skin, thereby preventing the wearer from feeling uncomfortable.

[0060] (Aspect 12)

[0061] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 11, wherein a center position of the hook member is located above a center position between a center position of the waist region and a lower end of the waist region in the up-down direction.

[0062] According to the wearable article of aspect 12, the hook member is closer to the upper end of the wearable article than when it is located below the center between the center of the waist region and the lower end of the waist region in the vertical direction. Therefore, the force pulling the waist region upward is more easily transmitted to the hook member. Furthermore, compared to when the hook member is located above the center of the waist region in the vertical direction, the hook member is further away from the waist low-stretch zone. Therefore, the influence of the strong contraction force of the waist low-stretch zone is suppressed. As a result, the absorbent pad is easily pulled up, and discomfort to the wearer can be prevented.

[0063] (Aspect 13)

[0064] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 12 comprises: a pair of leg openings, wherein, in the natural state, the upper end of each leg opening is located above the lower end of the wearable article at a central position in the left-right direction in the up-down direction.

[0065] According to the wearable article of aspect 13, when the wearable article has a panty-like shape with the leg openings cut diagonally upward, the leg openings are less likely to become caught by the wearer's legs, compared to a wearable article shaped like boxer shorts, and the entire wearable article can be pulled up smoothly and easily. Consequently, excessive vertical stretching of the waist region is suppressed, thereby reducing the shear force acting on the portion joined to the absorbent pad. In this way, the bond between the absorbent pad and the wearable article is less likely to disengage.

[0066] (Aspect 14)

[0067] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 13, wherein in the natural state, a peripheral edge of the front side in the front-rear direction of each of the leg openings has a shape narrowing toward the inner side in the left-right direction.

[0068] According to the wearable article of aspect 14, when the wearer moves their legs forward while donning the wearable article, the leg openings are less likely to interfere with the wearer's legs, thereby reducing the discomfort that may occur when wearing the wearable article. Furthermore, when the wearer's legs are passed through the leg openings and the wearable article is pulled upward during donning, the leg openings are less likely to get caught on the wearer's legs. This suppresses vertical stretching of the waist region, thereby reducing the shear force acting on the portion in contact with the absorbent pad. In this way, the bond between the absorbent pad and the wearable article is less likely to disengage.

[0069] (Aspect 15)

[0070] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 14, wherein the length of the crotch region in the natural state in the left-right direction is 25% to 50% of the length of the wearable article in the natural state in the left-right direction.

[0071] According to the wearable article of aspect 15, the leg openings can be easily made wider than the wearer's legs during the donning operation, so the legs can be easily passed through. Therefore, the wearable article can be easily and smoothly pulled up, and the waist region is less likely to be stretched in the vertical direction. Consequently, a force (shearing force) in the direction along the engaging surface of the hook member is less likely to act, and the engagement between the absorbent pad and the wearable article is less likely to be disengaged.

[0072] (Aspect 16)

[0073] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 15 includes a stretch-reduction restraining member having a predetermined length in the up-down direction.

[0074] According to the wearable article of aspect 16, vertical stretching is suppressed in the portion where the stretch suppressing member is provided, thereby making it less likely that a force (shearing force) will act in the direction of the engaging surface of the hook member engaging the wearable article with the absorbent pad. In this way, the engagement between the absorbent pad and the wearable article can be made less likely to be released.

[0075] (Aspect 17)

[0076] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 16, wherein there is a portion in which the expansion and contraction suppressing part and the hook member overlap with each other in the up-down direction.

[0077] According to the wearable article of aspect 17, in the portion where the expansion / contraction suppressing component and the hook member overlap, the fabric constituting the wearable article is less likely to stretch in the vertical direction. Consequently, the force (shear force) acting along the engagement surface relative to the hook member is further reduced. In this manner, the engagement between the absorbent pad and the wearable article is less likely to disengage.

[0078] (Aspect 18)

[0079] A wearable article according to any one of Aspects 2 to 17, comprising: a waist opening; and a low-stretch waist region, wherein the magnitude of the force required to stretch the low-stretch waist region per unit length along the peripheral edge of the waist opening is greater than the magnitude of the force required to stretch other regions per unit length, and wherein in the up-down direction, the stretch suppression component is continuous from the low-stretch waist region to the hook member.

[0080] According to the wearable article of aspect 18, the low-elasticity waist region and the hook member are vertically coupled via the stretch-reducing component. Therefore, the coupled portion functions like a skeleton in the waist region of the wearable article and helps to suppress vertical stretching. In other words, during donning, the region that is grasped and pulled upward is less likely to extend vertically. Consequently, forces acting in a direction along the engaging surface of the hook member are less likely to act, making it less likely that the absorbent pad will disengage from the wearable article.

[0081] (Aspect 19)

[0082] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 18, wherein the stretch suppressing member includes: a central stretch suppressing portion located in the center portion in the left-right direction, and a pair of side stretch suppressing portions located on both sides of the central stretch suppressing portion in the left-right direction.

[0083] According to the wearable article of aspect 19, when the two sides of the waist region are grasped and pulled upward during donning, the side stretch-inhibiting portions reduce the likelihood of vertical stretching of both sides. Furthermore, since the central stretch-inhibiting portion is also provided in the central portion, the waist region as a whole is less likely to stretch vertically. Consequently, a force (shearing force) acting in a direction along the engaging surface of the hook member is less likely to act, and the engagement between the absorbent pad and the wearable article is less likely to disengage.

[0084] (Aspect 20)

[0085] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 19 comprises: a pair of leg openings, wherein each of the pair of leg openings includes a covering seam portion along its periphery, and there is a portion where the side stretch-reduction restraining portion and the covering seam portion intersect with each other.

[0086] According to the wearable article of aspect 20, during the donning operation, the force applied by grasping and pulling up the two sides of the waist region can be easily transmitted to the covered seams along the periphery of the leg openings via the side stretch-reduction restraining portions, allowing the leg openings to be easily pulled upward. Therefore, the leg openings are less likely to get caught on the wearer's legs, and the wearable article can be smoothly pulled up, making it less likely that the waist region will stretch in the vertical direction. In this way, forces (shearing forces) acting in the direction of the engaging surfaces of the hook members are less likely to act, and the engagement between the absorbent pad and the wearable article is less likely to disengage.

[0087] (Aspect 21)

[0088] A wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 20 comprises: a pair of leg openings; a crotch region located between the upper end of each leg opening and the lower end of the wearable article in the up-down direction and between the inner ends of each of the pair of leg openings in the left-right direction; and a waist region located between the upper end of each leg opening and the upper end of the wearable article in the up-down direction, wherein in the natural state, a first imaginary line does not have a portion overlapping with the hook member, and the first imaginary line connects the end of the upper side of the waist region on one side in the left-right direction and the end of the lower side of the crotch region on one side in the left-right direction.

[0089] According to the wearable article of aspect 21, when the two sides of the waist region are grasped and pulled upward by hand during the wearing action, the tension generated along the first imaginary line is suppressed from acting in the direction along the engaging surface of the hook member. Therefore, the engagement between the absorbent pad and the wearable article can be made less likely to be disengaged.

[0090] (Aspect 22)

[0091] The wearable article according to any one of Aspects 2 to 21 includes: a central stretch-inhibiting portion located in the central portion in the left-right direction and having a predetermined length in the up-down direction, wherein in the natural state, a second imaginary line does not have a portion overlapping with the hook member, and the second imaginary line connects an end of the upper side of the waist region located on one side in the left-right direction and a lower end of the central stretch-inhibiting portion.

[0092] According to the wearable article of aspect 22, when the two sides of the waist region are grasped and pulled upward by hand during the wearing action, the tension generated along the second imaginary line is suppressed from acting in the direction along the engaging surface of the hook member. Therefore, it is possible to make it less likely that the engagement between the absorbent pad and the wearable article will be disengaged.

[0093] (Aspect 23)

[0094] The wearable article according to any one of Aspects 2 to 22 comprises: the central stretch-inhibiting portion located in the central portion in the left-right direction and having the predetermined length in the up-down direction, wherein, in the natural state, a third imaginary line does not have a portion overlapping with the hook member, and the third imaginary line connects an end of the upper side of the waist region located on one side in the left-right direction and an end of the lower side of the crotch region located on the other side in the left-right direction.

[0095] According to the wearable article of aspect 23, when the two sides of the waist region are grasped and pulled upward by hand during the wearing action, the tension generated along the second imaginary line is suppressed from acting in the direction along the engaging surface of the hook member. Therefore, it is possible to make it less likely that the engagement between the absorbent pad and the wearable article will be disengaged.

[0096] (Aspect 24)

[0097] An absorbent pad to be used in combination with a wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 23, the absorbent pad having a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction, and a thickness direction intersecting with each other in a stretched state, the absorbent pad comprising: a liquid-absorbent absorbent body; and the other hook member of the male hook member and the female hook member.

[0098] According to the absorbent pad of aspect 24, by providing another hook member that is easily engaged with one hook member provided on the wearable article, the absorbent pad can be stably engaged with the wearable article. Therefore, even when the wearable article and the absorbent pad engaged therewith are pulled upward together, the engagement between the two is less likely to be disengaged.

[0099] (Aspect 25)

[0100] The absorbent pad according to aspect 24, wherein the hook member has a portion overlapping with the absorbent body when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0101] According to the absorbent pad of aspect 25, by overlaying the highly rigid absorbent body, deformation of the hook member in the thickness direction is suppressed, making it easier to maintain the hook member in a flat state. This facilitates engagement with the hook member of a wearable article. Furthermore, since the hook member can be easily maintained in a flat state, when the hook member engaged with the wearable article is pulled upward, the engagement can be prevented from coming loose (peeling off) due to curling of the hook member's vertical ends. In this way, the engagement between the absorbent pad and the wearable article is less likely to disengage.

[0102] (Aspect 26)

[0103] The absorbent pad according to aspect 24 or aspect 25, wherein the hook member is joined to the absorbent pad using an adhesive, and no dry edge is present along the periphery of the hook member.

[0104] According to the absorbent pad of aspect 26, the adhesive is applied to the entire engaging surface of the hook member and no dry edge is formed, thereby suppressing peeling, etc. Therefore, it is possible to make the engagement between the absorbent pad and the wearable article less likely to come off.

[0105] (Aspect 27)

[0106] The absorbent pad according to any one of aspects 24 to 26, wherein the length in the longitudinal direction is 300 mm or more, and the length in the transverse direction is 80 mm or more.

[0107] According to the absorbent pad of aspect 27, when the transverse length is 80 mm or more, the width of the hook member can be made wider than in the opposite case, so the hook member can be more firmly engaged with the wearable article. In addition, when the longitudinal length is 300 mm or more, it is easier to ensure a sufficient area to retain the liquid-absorbent fibers and the like required to achieve water absorption than in the opposite case.

[0108] (Aspect 28)

[0109] A wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 27, wherein the fabric comprising the wearable article comprises at least 90% by weight of polyester or polyethylene.

[0110] According to the wearable article of aspect 28, since polyester and polyethylene are materials with high elongation compared to cotton, the inclusion of a large amount of such materials can further promote elongation. In addition, polyester and polyethylene are materials with low water absorption and fast drying properties, thus improving the dryability of the wearable article.

[0111] (Aspect 29)

[0112] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 28, wherein the fabric comprising the wearable article does not contain any water-absorbing material.

[0113] According to the wearable article of aspect 29, since the fabric does not contain any water-absorbing material, it is less likely to absorb water. Therefore, the time required for drying after washing can be reduced, thereby improving the dryability of the wearable article.

[0114] (Aspect 30)

[0115] A wearable article according to aspect 28 or aspect 29, wherein the fabric comprising the wearable article comprises less than 10% by weight of a material having a higher stretchability than polyester or polyethylene.

[0116] According to the wearable article of aspect 30, since the fabric constituting the wearable article contains 90% by weight or more of polyester or polyethylene, by including the above-mentioned material with higher stretchability in the remaining part accounting for less than 10% by weight, the stretchability can be improved while ensuring good dryability.

[0117] (Aspect 31)

[0118] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 30, wherein the fabric comprising the wearable article includes regions comprising a material having a higher stretchability than polyester or polyethylene and regions not comprising said material.

[0119] According to the wearable article of aspect 30, by arranging the highly stretchable material in an area where fit is particularly required (i.e., by forming an area containing a material having a higher stretchability), fit can be further improved in a limited area of ​​the wearable article, thereby improving functionality. Alternatively, in addition to improving fit in a specific area by, for example, providing areas containing a material having a higher stretchability in a plurality of areas with spaces therebetween, the fit of the wearable article as a whole can also be improved.

[0120] (Aspect 31)

[0121] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 30, wherein the joining region is provided with a separate sheet member different from the knitted fabric constituting the main body portion, and the separate sheet member is composed of polyethylene or polyester.

[0122] According to the wearable article of aspect 31, since the separate sheet member is joined to the main body portion, the dryability of the wearable article is improved by making the separate sheet member of a material having quick dryability like the main body portion.

[0123] (Aspect 32)

[0124] According to the wearable article of aspect 31, the separate sheet member is joined to the fabric constituting the wearable article by sewing with a thread along a peripheral edge portion of the separate sheet member.

[0125] According to the wearable article of aspect 32, in the area inside the peripheral edge portion that has been sewn with thread, the fabric and the separate sheet member are not tightly adhered (not bonded) in the thickness direction, and a space is formed between the separate sheet member and the fabric. In other words, the entire separate sheet member is not bonded to the fabric. Therefore, compared to a case where the entire sheet member is bonded to the fabric, the surface of the separate sheet member that contacts the fabric has a wider area in contact with air, which facilitates moisture evaporation. This structure improves dryability.

[0126] (Aspect 33)

[0127] The wearable article according to aspect 31 or aspect 32, wherein there is a portion where the separate sheet member and the expansion and contraction suppressing portion overlap each other when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0128] According to the wearable article of aspect 33, by providing the stretch-reduction portion, a change in contraction force occurs in the fabric constituting the wearable article, and a space is more likely to be formed between the skin-facing side of the fabric and the non-skin-facing side of the separate sheet member. By allowing air to easily escape from such a space, dryability is improved.

[0129] (Aspect 34)

[0130] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 31 to 33, wherein, regarding the size of the separate sheet member, the length in the up-down direction is 50 mm or less and the length in the left-right direction is 150 mm or less.

[0131] According to the wearable article of aspect 34, if the individual sheet members are too large, the sheet member portion may become difficult to dry, but by adjusting the size within the above range, it becomes easier to dry while ensuring an area that can maintain sufficient bonding force with the fabric.

[0132] (Aspect 35)

[0133] The wearable article according to any one of aspects 31 to 34, wherein the thickness of the separate sheet member is 3 mm or less.

[0134] According to the wearable article of aspect 35, since the sheet member is not too thick, it is possible to maintain easy drying while ensuring a thickness capable of maintaining sufficient bonding strength with the fabric.

[0135] (Aspect 36)

[0136] A wearable article according to any one of aspects 2 to 35, wherein, when both side ends of the front waist region and the back waist region of the wearable article in the left and right directions have been cut off and the wearable article has been unfolded in the up and down directions, the area of ​​region S1 is smaller than the area of ​​the remaining region S2, wherein the region S1 is the region between the upper end of the front joining region and the upper end of the back joining region in the up and down directions and between the respective ends of the front joining region and the back joining region that are most toward one side and the respective ends of the front joining region and the back joining region that are most toward the other side in the left and right directions.

[0137] According to the wearable article of aspect 36, region S1 within the fabric constituting the wearable article is covered by the absorbent pad when the absorbent pad is attached. Therefore, if drying is insufficient after washing the wearable article, or if the wearable article becomes wet for some other reason after attaching the absorbent pad, region S1 is likely to subsequently have lower dryability due to being covered by the absorbent pad. However, by making the area of ​​region S1 in the fabric constituting the wearable article smaller than the area of ​​region S2, it is easier to suppress deterioration in the dryability of the entire wearable article than in the opposite case.

[0138] (Aspect 37)

[0139] A wearable article according to any one of Aspects 2 to 35, wherein, when both side ends of the front waist region and the back waist region of the wearable article in the left and right directions have been cut off and the wearable article has been unfolded in the up and down directions, the area of ​​region S1 is larger than the area of ​​the remaining region S2, wherein the region S1 is the region between the upper end of the front joining region and the upper end of the back joining region in the up and down directions and between the respective ends of the front joining region and the back joining region that are most toward one side and the respective ends of the front joining region and the back joining region that are most toward the other side in the left and right directions.

[0140] According to the wearable article of aspect 37, even if drying is somewhat insufficient after washing the wearable article, the region S1 will be covered by the absorbent pad, and therefore, the skin is less likely to get wet and wearing comfort is less likely to be impaired.

[0141] ===Implementation Method===

[0142] As an example of a wearable article according to an embodiment of the present invention, an underpants-type wearable article 1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as “wearable article 1”) of a type that can be used in combination with an absorbent pad 100 for absorbing excretions such as urine by attaching the pad to the inside of the wearable article is described.

[0143] <Basic Structure of Wearable Article 1>

[0144] Figure 1 : is a schematic perspective view of a wearable article 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 1In the shown panty-type state, the wearable article 1 has a "upper and lower directions", "left and right directions" and "front and back directions" that are orthogonal to each other. In the upper and lower directions, when the wearable article 1 is worn by the wearer, the "upper side (upper)" refers to the side facing the wearer's waist, and the "lower side (lower)" refers to the side facing the wearer's crotch area. In the front and back directions, when worn, the "front side" refers to the wearer's ventral side, and the "back side" refers to the wearer's back side. Each material (sheet member) constituting the wearable article 1 has a "thickness direction". In the thickness direction, when the wearable article 1 is worn by the wearer, the "skin side" refers to the side closer to the wearer's skin, and the "non-skin side" refers to the side opposite to the skin side.

[0145] The wearable article 1 of this embodiment is formed into an underpants type, which includes a waist opening BH provided on the upper side in the vertical direction and a pair of leg openings LH, LH provided on the lower side in the vertical direction and located on both sides in the left and right directions. The absorbent pad 100 can be detachably attached to the inner side of the underpants type wearable article, and by changing the absorbent pad 100, the wearable article 1 itself can be reused (worn). For example, when urine or the like is excreted while the wearer (user) is wearing the wearable article 1 with the absorbent pad 100 attached, the absorbent pad 100 that has become contaminated due to absorption of the excrement can be removed from the wearable article 1 and replaced with a new absorbent pad 100, so that the wearable article 1 can be reused. In addition, the wearable article 1 can be washed and can therefore be used hygienically for a long period of time (such as 2 weeks or longer).

[0146] Figure 2 A is a plan view when the wearable article 1 in its natural state is viewed from the front side in the front-to-back direction. Figure 2 B is a plan view when the wearable article 1 in its natural state is viewed from the rear side in the front-to-rear direction.

[0147] In this context, "natural state" refers to a state in which the wearable article 1 has been left for a predetermined period of time. For example, a folded and packaged wearable article 1 is removed from its packaging, gently unfolded to avoid deformation, and placed on a flat surface such as a table. "Natural state" refers to a state in which the wearable article 1 has been left flat on the flat surface for 5 minutes, leaving virtually no wrinkles on the surface of the wearable article 1.

[0148] The wearable article 1 includes a main body portion 10 , a stretch suppressing portion 20 , and a joining region 30 .

[0149] The main body 10 is the outer portion of the wearable article 1 and is formed from a stretchable sheet member. In this embodiment, the sheet member forming the main body 10 is made of a "woven fabric" or "knitted fabric" and is stretchable in both the vertical and horizontal directions. Note that a "woven fabric" is a fabric with a two-dimensional structure formed by orthogonally interweaving weft threads through multiple parallel warp threads, and examples thereof include fabrics called "cloth" (a type of woven fabric). In the case of a woven fabric, stretchable woven fabrics can be created by using highly stretchable yarn or by varying the yarn density. On the other hand, a "knitted fabric" is a fabric with a two-dimensional structure formed by forming loops with yarn and intertwining these loops with other loops, and examples thereof include fabrics called "knitted fabrics." Because knitted fabrics are made by intertwining multiple loops, they can significantly expand and contract even under relatively small forces by deforming the loops. The following describes an example of a main body 10 (wearable article 1) made using a knitted fabric.

[0150] The main body portion 10 is composed of a so-called circular knitted fabric knitted into a tubular shape in the up-down direction. A portion of the upper end portion of the tubular main body portion 10 is folded back from the upper side to the lower side in the up-down direction, thereby forming a waist folded back portion 11. This waist folded back portion 11 suppresses fabric wear at the upper end portion of the circular knitted fabric (i.e., the waist opening BH). In addition, a thread that tends to be less stretchable than the thread in other parts is knitted into the waist folded back portion 11. This increases the contraction force along the periphery of the waist opening BH, and therefore, when the wearable article 1 is worn, the waist opening BH can be suppressed from sagging and the fit can be improved. Note that, instead of folding back the upper end portion of the circular knitted fabric, a separate sheet member can be stacked and joined to the upper end portion to apply a larger contraction force along the periphery of the waist opening BH.

[0151] On the other hand, at the lower end portion of the main body portion 10, a crotch sewn portion 12 is formed by sewing the front and back sides of the circular knitted fabric together. By joining the lower end portion of the main body portion 10 with the crotch sewn portion 12, the tubular circular knitted fabric is formed into a panty type having a pair of leg openings LH, LH (see further description below). Figure 3 In this embodiment, the crotch sewing portion 12 is located at the lowermost position of the wearable article 1 in the vertical direction (see Figure 2 A and Figure 2 B).

[0152] The pair of leg openings LH, LH are formed by cutting off a portion of the main body 10 (see Figure 3A leg opening covering seam 13 is formed in the peripheral portion of each leg opening LH, LH. The leg opening covering seam 13 is formed by wrapping and sewing a thread around the edge of the knitted fabric along the peripheral edge of the leg opening LH. This helps to suppress fabric wear at the cut portion of the leg opening LH. In addition, by forming the leg opening covering seam 13, the fit of the leg opening LH can be improved while the wearable article is being worn, and side leakage of excrement such as urine can be easily suppressed.

[0153] like Figure 2 A and Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 2B , the upper end of the leg opening LH in the vertical direction of the wearable article 1 in its natural state is defined as LHt. The upper end LHt is located slightly inward from the outermost end in the left-right direction. Similarly, the lower end of the leg opening LH in the vertical direction of the wearable article 1 in its natural state is defined as LHb. The lower end LHb is located at the lowermost position of the wearable article 1 in the vertical direction and at the innermost position of the leg opening LH in the left-right direction.

[0154] In the wearable article 1, the "crotch region CR" is defined as the hatched area between the upper end LHt and lower end LHb of the leg opening LH (i.e., the lower end of the wearable article 1) in the vertical direction, and between the respective lower ends LHb, LHb of the pair of leg openings LH in the left-right direction (i.e., between the respective inner ends of the leg openings LH). The crotch region CR is the area primarily located in the crotch region of the wearer (user) when the wearable article 1 is worn, and is also the area that holds at least a portion of the absorbent pad 100 when attached. Furthermore, in the wearable article 1, the "waist region BR" is defined as the area located between the upper end LHt of the leg opening LH and the upper end of the wearable article 1 in the vertical direction. The waist region BR is the area primarily located in the waist (abdomen, buttocks, and hips) of the wearer (user) when the wearable article 1 is worn.

[0155] The stretch suppressing portion 20 is a portion having the function of a stretch suppressing component that is constructed to suppress the stretching of the wearable article 1 in the up-down direction. In the present embodiment, a plurality of stretch suppressing portions 20 are provided in predetermined positions of the main body portion 10 of the wearable article 1, and each stretch suppressing portion has a predetermined length in the up-down direction. More specifically, on the front side in the front-to-back direction of the wearable article 1 (main body portion 10), a front central stretch suppressing portion 21 is provided in the central portion in the left-to-right direction, and a pair of front side stretch suppressing portions 23, 23 (corresponding to the side stretch suppressing components) are provided on both sides of the front central stretch suppressing portion 21 in the left-to-right direction (see Figure 2A). Similarly, on the rear side of the wearable article 1 (main body 10) in the front-to-back direction, a rear central stretch-reduction portion 22 is provided in the center portion in the left-right direction, and a pair of rear side stretch-reduction portions 24, 24 (side stretch-reduction restraining members) are provided on both sides of the rear central stretch-reduction restraining portion 22 in the left-right direction (see Figure 2 B).

[0156] When the wearable article 1 is put on by a wearer (user), the wearer inserts their legs through the pair of leg openings LH, then grasps the waist region BR and pulls the wearable article up to the crotch region. As described above, the main body 10 is formed from a stretchable knitted fabric (or woven fabric). Therefore, if the main body 10 is excessively stretched in the vertical direction during the act of pulling up the wearable article 1, it may be difficult to pull up the wearable article 1. In contrast, in the wearable article 1 of this embodiment, the portion provided with the stretch-reduction portion 20 suppresses stretching (contraction) of the main body 10 in the vertical direction, making it easier to pull the wearable article 1 up.

[0157] The stretch-reducing portion 20 (stretch-reducing member) is implemented by applying a treatment to the knitted fabric constituting the main body portion 10 to reduce the stretchability of the knitted fabric in the vertical direction. For example, the stretchability in the vertical direction can be reduced by sewing (or "stitching") a low-stretch thread into a predetermined area of ​​the knitted fabric constituting the main body portion 10. Alternatively, the stretchability of a portion of the knitted fabric can be reduced by changing the knitting pattern in a predetermined portion or by changing the stretchability of the thread during knitting.

[0158] In addition to the above, the stretchability of the knitted fabric can be reduced by welding or press-bonding a member such as silicone or rubber, or by applying compression processing (embossing, etc.) to a predetermined portion within the knitted fabric.

[0159] The bonding area 30 is an area to which the absorbent pad 100 can be detachably attached to the wearable article 1 and is provided on the skin side of the main body portion 10 in the thickness direction. In this embodiment, the rectangular front bonding area 31 is provided on the skin side of the waist region BR on the front side in the front-back direction (see FIG. Figure 2 A), and a rectangular rear side joining area 32 is provided on the skin side of the waist region BR on the rear side in the front-back direction.

[0160] By respectively attaching the joining areas 30 provided on the wearable article 1 to the absorbent pad joining areas 120 provided on the absorbent pad 100 (see further description below), Figure 4) engagement, the absorbent pad 100 can be attached to and held on the inner side (skin side) of the wearable article 1. Furthermore, the engagement region 30 serves as a reference (i.e., a guide) when the user attaches the absorbent pad 100 to the wearable article 1; by visually confirming the engagement region 30, the user can attach the absorbent pad 100 to the correct position of the wearable article 1.

[0161] In this embodiment, a hook member FK is provided in the joining region 30. The hook member FK is either a male hook member FK1 or a female hook member FK2. The male hook member FK1 has a plurality of engaging protrusions provided on the surface of the base sheet, while the female hook member FK2 has a plurality of engaging loops provided on the surface of the base sheet. By positioning the male hook member FK1 and the female hook member FK2 relative to each other and engaging the engaging protrusions of the male hook member FK1 with the engaging loops of the female hook member FK2, the hook members can be joined. The following describes an example in which the female hook member FK2 is provided in the joining region 30 of the wearable article 1. Note that, for example, known hook-and-loop fasteners may be used as the hook members FK (FK1, FK2). Furthermore, to improve visual recognition, it is preferable that the color of the hook member FK differs from the color of the knitted fabric constituting the main body 10.

[0162] An overview of a method for manufacturing the wearable article 1 is described below. Figure 3 A to Figure 3 C is a diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing the wearable article 1 . Figure 3 An example in which the wearable article 1 is formed by the aforementioned “knitted fabric” is illustrated.

[0163] First, if Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1A , a tubular knitted fabric 10A (so-called “circular knitted fabric”) is made by knitting yarn in a circular pattern. At this time, the expansion and contraction suppressing portion 20 (21 to 24) is also formed along the direction of the central axis of the tubular circular knitted fabric 10A (corresponding to the direction of the central axis of the tubular circular knitted fabric 10A). Figure 1 As described above, the stretch suppressing portion 20 is formed by applying a process such as changing the knitting pattern or sewing in a different thread. However, it is noted that the stretch suppressing portion 20 may be formed in the same manner as the circular knitted fabric 10A ( Figure 3 For example, after the circular knitted fabric 10A is formed, a process of separately forming the stretch suppressing portion 20 (stretch suppressing member) may be performed.

[0164] Next, the circular knitted fabric 10A is cut at a predetermined position in the up-down direction (axial direction) to cut out the main body portion 10 constituting the individual wearable articles 1, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 B. In this example, the circular knitted fabric 10A is positioned at positions C1 and C2 in the vertical direction (see Figure 3A) is cut. The cutting position C1 becomes the upper side of the main body 10 in the vertical direction, and the cutting position C2 becomes the lower side of the main body 10 in the vertical direction. In addition, the portion that becomes the leg opening LH is also cut out from the main body 10. Figure 3 In B, both left-right side portions are cut obliquely at the lower end portion of the tubular main body 10 to form a pair of leg openings LH, LH.

[0165] Next, if Figure 3 As shown in C, the upper end portion of the tubular main body portion 10 in the up-down direction is folded back to form a waist folded portion 11. In addition, at the lower end portion of the tubular main body portion 10 in the up-down direction, the front lower edge 12f and the rear lower edge 12b are sewn together from the front and back to form a crotch sewing portion 12. In this way, the tubular main body portion 10 is formed into an underpants type. Then, covering stitching is performed along the periphery of the corresponding leg opening LH that has been cut out to form a leg opening covering stitching portion 13. Finally, a hook member (female hook member FK2) is attached to the inner side (skin side) surface of the main body portion 10 to form a joining area 30 (31, 32). In this way, a panty is formed. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The wearable article shown is 1. Note that the implementation can be changed Figure 3 C shows the order of processing.

[0166] <Stretchability of Wearable Article 1>

[0167] The wearable article 1 has been described above as having stretchability in both the vertical and horizontal directions. More specifically, a wearable article is defined as stretchable if a sample piece cut from the knitted fabric constituting the main body portion 10 satisfies the following conditions when subjected to a tensile test. Specifically, a wearable article is defined as stretchable if the maximum elongation when a 50 mm x 200 mm sample piece is pulled at a force of 5 N in both the vertical and horizontal directions is 200% or greater.

[0168] For example, a tensile test can be conducted as follows. First, a rectangular sample piece measuring 220 mm in length in the vertical direction and 50 mm in length in the horizontal direction is cut from the main body 10 of the wearable article 1. Note that within this 220 mm length, 10 mm of each of the vertical ends of the sample piece are the edges to be gripped by the chucks of the tensile tester. Furthermore, when cutting the sample piece, it is preferable not to include the stretch-reduction inhibitor 20 and the engagement region 30 (hook member FK). Next, the chucks of a known tensile tester (e.g., a universal material testing system from Instron) grip 10 mm of each of the vertical ends of the cut sample piece. At this point, the chuck-to-chuck distance G0 of the tensile tester is set to 200 mm. From this state, the sample piece is pulled and stretched at a rate of approximately 200 mm / min in the direction of increasing chuck-to-chuck distance. When the tensile force (magnitude of force) in the tensile test reaches 5 N, the chuck-to-chuck distance G1 (mm) is measured. The length of the sample piece after being stretched is then calculated relative to the length of the sample piece before being stretched (= G1 / G0) and recorded as the elongation. This test is repeated multiple times to find the maximum elongation (G1 / G0). Based on the results, when the maximum elongation (G1 / G0) is 200% or greater, the fabric constituting the wearable article 1 (main body 10) is found to have vertical stretchability. Note that the dimensions of the clamping edge of the chuck can be varied as appropriate.

[0169] Similarly, a rectangular sample piece measuring 220 mm in length in the left-right direction and 50 mm in length in the vertical direction was cut from the main body portion 10 of the wearable article 1, and a horizontal tensile test was performed according to the above procedure. When the elongation was 200% or greater, the fabric constituting the wearable article 1 (main body portion 10) was found to have horizontal stretchability. Note that when a horizontally long sample piece was cut from the wearable article 1, the stretch-reducing portion 20 may be included. This is because the stretch-reducing portion 20 primarily serves to reduce vertical stretchability and does not significantly affect the horizontal stretchability measurement.

[0170] <Basic Structure of Absorbent Pad 100>

[0171] Figure 4The absorbent pad 100 is shown in a plan view and a cross-sectional view. The absorbent pad 100 has a substantially rectangular plan view shape and has a longitudinal direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction that are orthogonal to each other. The longitudinal direction is the direction along the up-down direction (and the front-to-back direction) of the wearable article 1 when the absorbent pad is attached to the wearable article 1. The transverse direction is the direction along the left-right direction of the wearable article 1 when the absorbent pad is attached to the wearable article 1. The front side in the longitudinal direction is the side that is located on the wearer's ventral side (the front side of the wearable article 1 in the front-to-back direction) when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearable article 1. The rear side in the longitudinal direction is the side that is located on the wearer's back side (the rear side of the wearable article 1 in the front-to-back direction) when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearable article 1.

[0172] The absorbent pad 100 includes an absorbent body 110, a top sheet 111 disposed on the skin side of the absorbent body 110, a back sheet 112 disposed on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 110, and a pair of side sheets 115, 115 disposed more toward the skin side than the top sheet 111 and disposed on both sides in the left-right direction. The absorbent pad also includes an absorbent pad joining region 120 to be joined to the joining region 30 of the wearable article 1.

[0173] The absorbent body 110 includes a polymer absorbent (superabsorbent polymer; also referred to as "SAP") and liquid-absorbent fibers such as pulp fibers, and in this embodiment, Figure 4 As shown by the dotted line in FIG, the absorbent body 110 has a substantially hourglass shape with a central portion in the longitudinal direction narrowing inward in the left-right direction. The liquid-absorbent fibers containing SAP may be covered with a liquid-permeable core wrap sheet (not shown). In addition, the configuration of the absorbent body 110 is not limited to the above, and other examples may include a SAP sheet in which a SAP layer is attached to a hydrophilic sheet and an air-laid sheet in which liquid-absorbent fibers are formed into a sheet by air-laying.

[0174] The top sheet 111 is a liquid permeable sheet member arranged on the skin side of the absorbent body 110, and is a member that is in direct contact with the wearer's skin and / or excretion port during use of the absorbent pad 100. Therefore, it is preferred that the top sheet 111 is a sheet member that is as soft as possible and has a texture that is soft to the touch. Examples of sheet members that constitute the top sheet 111 of this embodiment may include breathable nonwoven fabrics, etc. In addition, a second sheet ( ) that is substantially liquid permeable like the top sheet 111 may be provided between the absorbent body 110 and the top sheet 111 in the thickness direction. Figure 4 not shown).

[0175] The back sheet 112 is a liquid-impermeable but air-permeable sheet member that is arranged in the thickness direction of the absorbent pad 100 so as to be closer to the non-skin side than the absorbent body 110. The provision of the back sheet 112 prevents excretion fluids, such as urine, absorbed by the absorbent pad 100 from penetrating to the non-skin side in the thickness direction. Therefore, when the absorbent pad 100 is used by being attached to the skin side of a wearable article 1, excretion fluids, such as urine, absorbed by the absorbent pad 100 can be prevented from penetrating to the wearable article 1 located on the non-skin side. Examples of the sheet member constituting the back sheet 112 of this embodiment include resin films made of polyethylene, polypropylene, and the like.

[0176] The side panels 115 are members that form both side portions in the transverse direction on the skin-facing side of the absorbent pad 100. During use of the absorbent pad 100, the side panels 115 are also very likely to come into direct contact with the wearer's skin, and therefore are preferably formed of a sheet member that is as soft as possible, like the top sheet 111. Examples of sheet members that constitute the side panels 115 of this embodiment include breathable nonwoven fabrics and the like.

[0177] In the widthwise direction inner end portion of each of the pair of side panels 115 , 115 , an absorbent pad elastic member 116 such as an elastic thread is provided in a stretched state along the longitudinal direction.

[0178] The inner end of each side panel 115 is folded back toward the outer side in the transverse direction, such as along Figure 4 As shown in the cross-sectional view taken along section AA of FIG. 1 , the absorbent pad elastic member 116 is attached in a manner sandwiched between the folded portions. During use of the absorbent pad 100, the elasticity exerted by the absorbent pad elastic member 116 causes the respective inner end portions of the pair of side panels 115, 115 to stand up toward the skin side in the thickness direction, thereby enabling the side panels to function as leakage-proof walls (three-dimensional gathers) and thus suppressing side leakage of urine or the like.

[0179] The absorbent pad joining region 120 is provided on the non-skin-facing side of the back sheet 112 and is a portion that removably joins with the joining regions 30 on the wearable article 1. The absorbent pad joining region 120 includes a front absorbent pad joining region 121, which is located at the front end in the longitudinal direction, and a rear absorbent pad joining region 122, which is located at the rear end in the longitudinal direction. The absorbent pad joining region 120 includes a male hook member FK1 that joins with the female hook member FK2 provided in the joining region 30 of the wearable article 1. For the same reason as for the female hook member FK2 (joining region 30), the male hook member FK1 is preferably a different color from the back sheet 112 to allow the user to easily visually identify the joining position.

[0180] When the absorbent pad 100 is used by attaching it to a wearable article 1, the absorbent pad 100 is folded in half at the center position CL in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent pad 100, with the skin-side surface of the absorbent pad facing inward. The folded absorbent pad 100 is then inserted from above the waist opening BH of the wearable article 1 and adjusted so that the center position CL in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent pad 100 is located at the lowest end of the wearable article 1 (the position overlapping the crotch seam 12). In this state, the front absorbent pad engaging region 121 (male hook member FK1) engages with the front engaging region 31 (female hook member FK2) of the wearable article 1, and the rear absorbent pad engaging region 122 (male hook member FK1) engages with the rear engaging region 32 (female hook member FK2) of the wearable article 1. Note that since the position of each absorbent pad joining area 120 in the longitudinal direction (up and down direction) is pre-adjusted so that it overlaps with the joining area 30 of the wearable article 1 when the absorbent pad 100 is inserted into the inside of the wearable article 1, the male hook member FK1 and the female hook member FK2 can be easily joined to each other. In this way, the absorbent pad 100 can be correctly attached to the wearable article 1.

[0181] <Actions for Wearing the Wearable Article 1 When Using the Absorbent Pad 100 in Combination>

[0182] Next, a specific action for putting on the wearable article 1 when the absorbent pad 100 is used in combination will be described.

[0183] First, as a comparative example, an operation for wearing a conventional underpants-type wearable article 2 (hereinafter also referred to as "wearable article 2") in a state where the absorbent pad 100 is used in combination will be described. Figure 5 A and Figure 5 B is a diagram illustrating a method for putting on the wearable article 2 when the wearable article 2 of the comparative example is used in combination with the absorbent pad 100 .

[0184] The wearable article 2 of the comparative example is a conventional panty-type wearable article, which is made of a fabric having the same stretchability as the wearable article 1 and includes joining areas each provided with a predetermined male hook member. Figure 4 The absorbent pad 100 shown is identical to the absorbent pad, wherein the absorbent pad includes engagement areas each provided with a male hook member that can engage with a female hook member on a side of the wearable article 1 .

[0185] In the comparative example, when the wearable article 2 is to be used in combination with the absorbent pad 100, first, as shown in FIG. Figure 5As shown in Figure A, the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearable article 2. That is, the female hook members of the wearable article 2 are engaged with the male hook members of the absorbent pad 100. Then, with the absorbent pad 100 attached, the wearer's legs are respectively passed through the leg openings LH, LH of the wearable article 2, and the wearable article 2 is pulled up above the knees. Note that the absorbent pad 100 can be attached after the wearer's legs have been inserted into the wearable article 2.

[0186] Next, if Figure 5 As shown in Figure B, the wearable article 2 is grasped near the waist opening (the upper end of the waist region) and pulled upward toward the wearer's crotch. At this point, if the force pulling upward against the wearable article 2 exceeds the engagement force of the hook members FK (male and female hook members) that connect the absorbent pad 100 to the wearable article 2, the hook members may become disengaged. In other words, a large shear force may act along the interface between the male and female hook members, and the hook members may become disengaged. If the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 2 become disengaged, it becomes difficult to apply a tensile force to the absorbent pad 100, and it becomes difficult to fit the wearable article to the wearer's crotch.

[0187] In particular, since the wearable article 2 is made of a highly stretchable fabric, if the hook member is detached, the wearable article 2 is likely to be greatly stretched in the vertical direction. Figure 5 B. In this case, in order to fit the absorbent pad 100 to the crotch area of ​​the wearer, the wearable article 2 must be pulled with even greater force or by a greater pulling distance, which may cause the wearable article 2 to be overstretched, thereby damaging or tearing the fabric. In addition, the position of the absorbent pad 100 is likely to deviate due to the stretching of the wearable article 2, and therefore, it may be difficult to fit the absorbent pad 100 properly to the crotch area of ​​the wearer.

[0188] Next, an operation for wearing the wearable article 1 of the present embodiment in a state where the absorbent pad 100 is used in combination will be described. Figure 6 A to Figure 6 C is a diagram illustrating a method for putting on the wearable article 1 when the wearable article 1 is used in combination with the absorbent pad 100 .

[0189] In this embodiment, first, the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearable article 1. As described above, the absorbent pad 100 is attached by engaging the male hook member FK1 provided in the absorbent pad engaging region 120 of the absorbent pad 100 with the female hook member FK2 provided in the engaging region 30 of the wearable article 1. Figure 6As shown in FIG. 1A , in this state where the absorbent pad 100 is attached, the wearer passes both legs through the leg openings LH, LH of the wearable article 1 , respectively, and then pulls the wearable article 1 up above the knees.

[0190] Next, an action of pulling up the wearable article 1 by gripping the waist region BR of the wearable article 1 is performed. Figure 6 In Figure B, the wearer uses both hands to grasp the left and right sides of the waist region BR and pull the wearable article upward. In this embodiment, compared to the wearable article 2 of the comparative example, hook members FK (male hook member FK1 and female hook member FK2) with sufficiently strong engagement force are used to join the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1. More specifically, the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 are joined together using the hook members FK. The hook members FK are designed so that even when the wearable article 1 is pulled upward with a force that causes the wearable article to stretch vertically to twice its natural length, the engagement between the male hook members FK1 and the female hook members FK2 does not disengage. Therefore, both the wearable article 1 and the absorbent pad 100 can be pulled upward without the absorbent pad 100 being detached from the wearable article 1. Furthermore, because the wearable article 1 is provided with a stretch-reduction member (stretch-reduction suppressor 20, etc.), excessive stretching of the waist region BR is suppressed, making it easier to pull the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 upward together.

[0191] After the wearable article 1 has been pulled up near the crotch area of ​​the wearer, the positions of the wearable article 1 and the absorbent pad 100 are adjusted, such as Figure 6 C. In the wearable article 1, the wearable article 1 and the absorbent pad 100 are firmly joined via the hook members FK1 and FK2, and therefore, by adjusting the position of the wearable article 1 by pulling the wearable article 1, the position of the absorbent pad 100 can be adjusted together with the position of the wearable article 1. Therefore, the absorbent pad 100 can be properly fitted to the crotch area of ​​the wearer.

[0192] As described above, in this embodiment, the absorbent pad 100 is joined to the wearable article 1 using hook members FK that are unlikely to disengage, allowing for smooth donning. Here, the statement that the hook members FK are "unlikely to disengage" refers to the following state. Let F1 be the engagement force per unit area between the male hook member FK1 and the female hook member FK2 in the direction along the interengaging surface of the hook members. Furthermore, let F2 be the maximum tensile load per unit area when the area located above the lower end of the engagement region 30 (female hook member FK2) in the vertical direction of the waist region BR of the wearable article 1 and extending 20 mm from the upper end of the wearable article 1 is stretched from its natural state to a state where the length of the area is stretched vertically to twice its length (double-stretched state). In this case, when F1 is greater than F2, the engagement is unlikely to disengage.

[0193] Figure 7 A and Figure 7 B is a diagram illustrating a method for measuring the maximum tensile load when the wearable article 1 is stretched in the up-down direction. Figure 7 Figure A shows the area to be subjected to the tensile test in the waist region BR of the wearable article 1. First, in the front side (also referred to as "front body piece") or the back side (also referred to as "back body piece") of the wearable article 1 in its natural state, Figure 7 The stretch area TA indicated by the hatching in A is set as the target area to be subjected to the stretch test. The stretch area TA is the portion within the waist region BR that is grasped and pulled by hand during the wearing action, and is a portion that includes the entire joining region 30. More specifically, the stretch area is a portion having a vertical length LTA and located from the upper side of the lower end position TAb of the joining region 30 to the position Tat 20 mm below the upper end of the wearable article 1 in the vertical direction. The range of the stretch area TA is set below the position Tat because Figure 6 As shown in B, when the wearable article 1 is pulled up, the portion where the wearer's fingers actually engage and apply force is at a position separated from the upper end of the wearable article 1 by at least 20 mm.

[0194] like Figure 7 As shown in Figure A, a test piece is cut out of the front piece of the wearable article 1, including a region GA having a predetermined length in both the vertical directions and located at the upper and lower ends of the hatched stretch region TA. Each region GA serves as a portion to be gripped by the chucks of the tensile testing machine. Similarly to the front piece, when cutting out a test piece from the back piece, a portion can be cut out to include the stretch region TA and the region GA located between a position TAt 20 mm below the upper end of the wearable article 1 and a position TAb at the lower end of the joining region 30, with the regions GA serving as the upper and lower gripping edges.

[0195] The cut test piece (tensile area TA) was subjected to a vertical tensile test. Figure 7B is a diagram illustrating the situation of pulling the test piece in the up and down direction. As mentioned above, a known tensile testing machine (for example, a universal material testing system made by Instron) can be used to perform a tensile test. When performing a tensile test in the up and down direction, an adapter or the like is attached to the chuck of the tensile testing machine so that the entire right area of ​​the test piece can be clamped, and in this state, the area GA (clamping edge) of the test piece is clamped from the upper and lower sides. Then, the distance G0 between the chucks is adjusted to the up and down length LTA (G0=LTA) of the stretching area TA in such a way that no wrinkles are formed in the test piece. From this state, the test piece is stretched toward the upper and lower sides at a speed of about 200mm / min in the direction in which the distance between the chucks increases, and the maximum tensile load (N) detected when the distance G1 between the chucks reaches 2LTA is recorded. The test is repeated many times to obtain the average value of the maximum tensile load (N). In this way, the maximum tensile load when the stretching area TA is stretched from the natural state to the state in which it is stretched to twice the length in the up and down direction (double stretched state) can be obtained. By dividing the maximum tensile load by the area of ​​the stretched region TA, the maximum tensile load per unit area from the natural state to the state stretched to twice the length in the vertical direction can be obtained (corresponding to F2 described above).

[0196] Figure 8 A to Figure 8 C is a diagram illustrating a method for measuring the engagement force between a male hook member and a female hook member. The engagement force is measured by preparing a sample piece 501 of a male hook member and a sample piece 502 of a female hook member, engaging the two sample pieces together, and measuring the maximum load until the engagement between them is disengaged while pulling the sample pieces in opposite directions along their engaging surfaces.

[0197] Figure 8 A is a diagram illustrating a sample piece 501 of a male hook member for bonding force measurement. The sample piece 501 is made by attaching the male hook member 125 to be measured to a substrate that has been cut into a predetermined size. The substrate is made of a peeling film or a non-woven fabric and is 50 mm in the MD direction, which is the direction along the up-down direction of the wearable article 1, and 50 mm in the CD direction, which is the direction along the left-right direction of the wearable article 1. However, it is noted that the size of the substrate can be changed as appropriate. The length of the male hook member 125 to be attached to the substrate in the MD direction is defined as L125, and the length thereof in the CD direction is defined as W125. The male hook member 125 is attached to one side of the substrate in the MD direction ( Figure 8 The left side in A) is separated by 5 mm.

[0198] Figure 8Figure B illustrates a sample piece 502 of a female hook member used for bonding force measurement. Sample piece 502 is produced by wrapping and securing the female hook member 35 to be measured onto a rectangular substrate of predetermined dimensions. The substrate is an acrylic sheet measuring 50 mm in the MD direction and 90 mm in the CD direction. The female hook member 35 is wrapped around the substrate along the MD direction and secured to one surface in the thickness direction with tape. However, please note that the dimensions of the substrate can vary depending on the dimensions of sample piece 501.

[0199] After the sample sheets 501 and 502 have been prepared, the male hook member 125 of the sample sheet 501 is arranged opposite to the female hook member 35 of the sample sheet 502 in the thickness direction and is engaged with the female hook member 35. Figure 8 C. When the hook members are engaged, they are slightly opposed so that the MD directions of the hook members are parallel to each other. Then, while applying a load of 2 kg in the thickness direction, the pressing roller is moved back and forth once in the CD direction to achieve a state in which the male hook member 125 and the female hook member 35 are firmly engaged.

[0200] Next, the chucks of a tensile testing machine are used to clamp both ends of the joined sample sheets 501 and 502 in the MD direction. The distance between the chucks in the MD direction is set to 100 mm. Then, using a 5 kg load cell and a tensile speed of 100 mm / min, tension is applied to both sides in the MD direction to measure the maximum tensile load until the male hook member 125 and the female hook member 35 disengage. This measurement is repeated n times (e.g., five times), and the average value is calculated as the maximum tensile load. The calculated maximum tensile load is divided by the area of ​​the male hook member 125 (L35 × W35) to determine the joining force per unit area between the male hook member 125 and the female hook member 35 (corresponding to F1 described above).

[0201] When the female hook member 35 is used as the female hook member FK2 provided in the engagement region 30 of the wearable article 1, and the male hook member 125 is used as the male hook member FK1 provided in the absorbent pad engagement region 120 of the absorbent pad 100, the engagement between the hook members FK is less likely to disengage if the engagement force F1 per unit area described above is greater than the maximum tensile load F2 per unit area when the wearable article 1 is stretched from its natural state to a double-stretched state (FK1 > FK2). In other words, during the wearing of the wearable article 1, if the force per unit area in the direction along the engagement surface of the male hook member FK1 and the female hook member FK2 is greater than the force per unit area when the predetermined area (stretched area TA) within the waist region BR of the wearable article 1 is pulled in the vertical direction, the engagement between the hook members FK is more likely to be maintained against the force pulling the wearable article 1. Therefore, when the wearable article 1 is pulled upward while the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearable article 1, the engagement between the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 is less likely to disengage.

[0202] Figure 9 is shown when using various types of hook members to perform Figure 8 The results and evaluation table of the engagement force measurement shown. The engagement force of the hook members was measured by using four types of hook members A to D as the male hook members 125 and three types of hook members a to c as the female hook members 35, and the measurement was performed on 10 combinations shown as measurement No. 1 to No. 10. In addition, the engagement force was evaluated for each combination. As for the engagement force evaluation, a plurality of (for example, 10) subjects were evaluated on the difficulty of disengaging the male hook member 125 and the female hook member 35 from each other by pulling them in the direction (shear direction) along the engagement surface of the mutually engaged male hook member 125 and the female hook member 35. When each subject pulled the mutually engaged hook members in the shear direction, the case where no subject was able to disengage the engagement between the hook members was evaluated as "◎", meaning that the engagement was extremely difficult to disengage. The case where at least 70% of the subjects were unable to disengage the engagement was evaluated as "○", meaning that the engagement was difficult to disengage. The case where all subjects were able to disengage the engagement was evaluated as "×", meaning that the engagement was easy to disengage.

[0203] Figure 9 The average bonding force per unit area is 1.0 mN / mm. 2 , the hook member combination in measurement No. 4 was evaluated as "×", while the hook member combinations in the other measurements were evaluated as "◯" or "◎". It was thus confirmed that the average value of the engagement force when the male hook member and the female hook member were engaged with each other was at least equal to or greater than 15.2 mN / mm 2(average value in measurement No. 2), the engagement between the hook members is difficult to disengage. The results also show that from a safer point of view, when the minimum value of the engagement force is equal to or greater than 13.4 mN / mm 2 (the minimum value in measurement No. 10), the evaluation is "0", indicating that the engagement between the hook members is difficult to disengage. Note that in measurement No. 2, the minimum value of the engagement force per unit area measured was 1.2 mN / mm 2 However, this value deviates significantly from other measurement results and is likely a measurement error; therefore, this data is not taken into account.

[0204] The above results show that when the male hook member FK1 provided on the absorbent pad 100 is engaged with the female hook member FK2 provided on the wearable article 1, the engagement force per unit area in the direction along their mutual engagement surface is preferably 13 mN / mm. 2 or greater (13.4 mN / mm2 less than the minimum value in measurement No. 10 2 By using the hook member FK that satisfies this condition, compared with the opposite case (the joining force is less than 13 mN / mm 2 ), the engagement between the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 can be made less likely to be disengaged when the wearable article 1 engaged with the absorbent pad 100 is pulled upward during the wearing action of the wearable article 1.

[0205] It has also been confirmed that the average value of the engagement force when the male hook member is engaged with the female hook member is at least equal to or greater than 49.8 mN / mm 2 The case (average value in measurement No. 9) was evaluated as "◎", indicating that the engagement between the hook members was more difficult to disengage. The results also showed that, from a safer point of view, when the minimum value of the engagement force was equal to or greater than 36.8 mN / mm 2 (the smallest value in measurement No. 2), the engagement between the hook members is difficult to disengage.

[0206] Therefore, when the male hook member FK1 provided on the absorbent pad 100 is engaged with the female hook member FK2 provided on the wearable article 1, it is more preferable that the engagement force per unit area in the direction along the mutual engagement surface thereof is 35 mN / mm. 2 or greater (the minimum value of 36.8mN / mm in measurement No. 2 2 By using the hook member FK that satisfies this condition, compared with the opposite case (the joining force is less than 35 mN / mm 2 ), the joint between the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 can be made less likely to come off.

[0207] Note that the wearable article 1 (main body 10) is composed of a fabric that exhibits a maximum elongation of 200% or greater in either the vertical or horizontal directions when a 50 mm x 200 mm sample piece is pulled at 5 N. The use of such a highly stretchable fabric improves the fit of the article when worn and, because the article easily conforms to the wearer's body shape, also improves dimensional compliance. Furthermore, even when the wearable article 1 is stretched vertically during donning, the use of hook members FK that satisfy the aforementioned engagement force conditions makes disengagement of the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 less likely.

[0208] Furthermore, of the male hook member FK1 and the female hook member FK2, the female hook member FK2 is positioned in the engagement region 30 of the wearable article 1 of this embodiment. When the wearable article 1 is worn, the engagement region 30 is located on the wearer's skin side and can come into contact with the wearer's skin. Therefore, if the male hook member FK1 were positioned in the engagement region 30, the engagement protrusions of the male hook member FK1 could potentially damage the wearer's skin. In contrast, the female hook member FK2, positioned in the engagement region 30 of the wearable article 1, lacks engagement protrusions and is more flexible than the male hook member FK1. Therefore, even if the female hook member FK2 comes into contact with the wearer's skin, it is less likely to damage the wearer's skin.

[0209] Furthermore, as described above, the wearable article 1 can be washed and reused. In this case, since the female hook member FK2 does not have an engaging protrusion, damage to the knitted fabric constituting the main body portion 10 of the wearable article 1 by the engaging protrusion during washing is suppressed. Furthermore, since the female hook member FK2 is soft, the wearable article 1 can be easily folded after washing, and is therefore suitable for use as a wearable article 1 that can be reused.

[0210] At this time, it is preferable to sew the female hook member FK2 to the skin-facing side of the wearable article 1 with thread or the like. By sewing with thread or the like, the female hook member FK2 is non-detachably secured, thereby preventing the female hook member FK2 from peeling off from the joining region 30 of the wearable article 1. Furthermore, since the female hook member FK2 is unlikely to fall off even when washing the wearable article 1, the user can wash the wearable article with confidence. Furthermore, since the female hook member is not attached to the wearable article 1 using adhesive or the like, it is safe for the human body and can easily provide a soft texture even when the female hook member contacts the wearer's skin on the skin-facing side of the wearable article 1.

[0211] In addition, in the wearable article 1, the hook member FK (engagement region 30) is arranged in the waist region BR (see Figure 2If the hook member FK were arranged in the crotch region CR below the waist region BR, the distance from the upper end of the wearable article 1 would be greater, making it difficult to transmit the force used to pull up the waist region BR to the hook member FK during the wearing of the wearable article 1, thereby making it difficult to pull up the absorbent pad 100. In contrast, in the wearable article 1 of this embodiment, since the hook member FK is arranged in the waist region BR, the distance from the upper end of the wearable article 1 is shorter than in the above case, and thus the force used to pull up the waist region BR is effectively transmitted to the hook member FK. Therefore, the absorbent pad 100 can be pulled up more easily.

[0212] In addition, in the vertical direction, the center position CFK of the hook member FK (engagement region 30) is located below the center position CLBR of the waist region BR (see FIG. Figure 2 During the donning motion of the wearable article 1, there is a high probability that the area above the center position CLBR of the waist region BR (i.e., the upper half of the waist region BR) will be directly grasped by hand. Therefore, if the hook member FK is arranged in the upper half of the waist region BR and the absorbent pad 100 is engaged with the hook member FK, the female hook member FK2 and the female hook member FK2 can be grasped by hand and thus the engagement therebetween can be peeled off. In contrast, in the wearable article 1 of this embodiment, the center position CFK of the hook member FK is arranged below the center position CLBR of the waist region BR, and therefore, the probability that the hook member FK will be grasped by hand during the donning motion is low. Therefore, it is possible to make the engagement between the male hook member FK1 and the female hook member FK2 less likely to be peeled off.

[0213] Furthermore, the waist fold 11 is provided at the periphery of the waist opening BH of the wearable article 1. This waist fold 11 exhibits a strong contractile force, for example, due to the knitting of a thread that tends to be less stretchable. In other words, the force required to stretch the waist fold per unit length along the periphery of the waist opening BH is greater than the force required to stretch the remaining areas per unit length. In other words, the wearable article 1 has a low-elasticity waist region along the periphery of the waist opening BH, which tends to be less stretchable than the remaining areas of the waist region BR.

[0214] In addition, in the vertical direction, the hook member FK is arranged on the lower side of the waist low stretch region (waist folded portion 11) (see FIG. Figure 2). In other words, the hook member FK is arranged at a position separated from the waist low stretch area (waist fold 11) to the lower side by a predetermined distance. When the wearer wears the wearable article 1, the waist low stretch area (waist fold 11) exerts a stronger contraction force than other areas. Therefore, if the absorbent pad 100 is joined at a position overlapping with the waist low stretch area (waist fold 11), the absorbent pad 100 and the male hook member FK1 may be firmly pressed against the wearer's abdomen or waist at the periphery of the waist opening BH, and may cause discomfort or incongruity to the wearer. In comparison, arranging the hook member FK at a position separated from the waist low stretch area (waist fold 11) helps to suppress the absorbent pad 100 joined via the hook member FK from being pressed against the wearer's skin side. Therefore, when the wearable article 1 is worn, it is possible to prevent the wearer from feeling uncomfortable.

[0215] More specifically, when the vertical length (width) of the waist low stretch region (waist fold 11) is defined as W11, the hook member FK is arranged at a distance of W11 or more in the vertical direction on the lower side of the lower end of the waist low stretch region (waist fold 11) (see FIG. Figure 2 A) By arranging the hook members FK at positions separated by at least the width W11 of the waist fold 11, the hook members FK are less likely to be affected by the expansion and contraction of the waist fold 11 than in the opposite case. This helps to further suppress the absorbent pad 100 engaged via the hook members FK from being pressed against the wearer's skin side, and thus can prevent the wearer from feeling uncomfortable.

[0216] Furthermore, it is more preferable that the center position CFK of the hook member FK (engagement region 30) is located below the center position CLBR of the waist region BR and above the center position QLBR between the center position CLBR of the waist region BR and the lower end position (position LHt) of the waist region BR in the vertical direction of the wearable article 1 (see FIG. Figure 2In other words, it is preferable that, when the waist region BR is divided into four equal parts, the center position CFK of the hook member FK is located in the third region from the top in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the hook member FK is closer to the upper end of the wearable article 1 than when the waist region BR is divided into four equal parts and the center position CFK is located in the fourth region from the top. Therefore, the force acting to pull the waist region BR upward is more easily transmitted to the hook member FK. Furthermore, compared to when the waist region BR is divided into four equal parts and the center position CFK is located in the second region from the top, the hook member is further away from the low-elastic waist region (waist fold 11). Therefore, the effects of the strong contraction force in the low-elastic waist region are suppressed. In other words, because the force acting to pull the waist region BR upward is transmitted to the hook member FK, the absorbent pad 100 can be easily pulled up. Furthermore, because the strong contraction force along the periphery of the waist opening BH (low-elastic waist region) is prevented from acting excessively, discomfort to the wearer can be prevented.

[0217] In addition, in the wearable article 1 in the natural state, the upper end LHt of each leg opening LH is located at the lower end of the center position in the left-right direction of the wearable article 1 in the vertical direction (at the Figure 2 A, at the same height as the lower end LHb of the leg opening LH. That is, the wearable article 1 has a so-called briefs-like shape, with the leg opening LH cut diagonally upward from the inside to the outside in the left-right direction and from the bottom to the top in the top-down direction. For example, in the case of a wearable article having a so-called boxer shorts shape with horizontally formed leg openings, when the wearer's legs are passed through the leg openings and the wearable article is pulled upward during donning, the leg openings are likely to become caught on the wearer's legs. In this case, the leg openings are unlikely to move upward, and the wearable article is likely to be stretched in the top-down direction. This may cause a large shear force to act on the joint with the absorbent pad, causing the hook members to become disengaged.

[0218] In contrast, with the panty-like shape of the wearable article 1 of this embodiment, when the wearer's legs are inserted through the leg openings LH and the wearable article is pulled upward during donning, the leg openings LH are less likely to get caught on the wearer's legs than with a boxer-shaped wearable article, making it easier to pull up the entire wearable article 1. Consequently, when the waist region BR is grasped and pulled upward, excessive vertical stretching of the waist region BR is suppressed, thereby reducing the shear force acting on the joint with the absorbent pad 100. This makes it less likely that the joint between the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 will disengage.

[0219] In addition, on the front side (front body side) in the front-back direction of the wearable article 1 in its natural state, the peripheral edge of each leg opening LH has a shape that narrows inward in the left-right direction. Figure 2 As shown in Figure 1A , when the wearable article 1 is viewed from the front in its natural state, the leg openings LH are formed into an arcuate shape that is convex inward in the left-right direction. By narrowing the periphery of the leg openings LH inward, the periphery of the leg openings LH is less likely to interfere with the wearer's legs when the wearer moves their legs forward while wearing the wearable article 1, thereby preventing any discomfort while wearing the wearable article. Furthermore, when the wearable article 1 is being put on, the leg openings LH are less likely to get caught on the wearer's legs when the wearable article is pulled upward. This prevents the waist region BR from being stretched in the vertical direction, thereby reducing the shear force acting on the joint with the absorbent pad 100. In this way, the joint between the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 is less likely to disengage.

[0220] In the wearable article 1 of the present embodiment, in a natural state, the length (width) WCR of the crotch region CR in the left-right direction is 25% to 50% of the length L0 of the wearable article 1 in the left-right direction (0.25×L0≤WCR≤0.5×L0) (see Figure 2 A). As described above, the knitted fabric comprising the wearable article 1 (main body portion 10) is stretchable by at least 200% in the left-right direction. When stretched by 200% in the left-right direction, the left-right width of the leg opening LH (WLH; not shown) is expressed as WLH = (L - WCR) / 2 = (2 × L0 - WCR) / 2. Therefore, when the condition 0.25 × L0 ≤ WCR ≤ 0.5 × L0 is satisfied, the left-right width of the leg opening LH is 0.5 × L0 ≤ WLH ≤ 0.75 × L0.

[0221] During the donning motion of the wearable article 1, in order to make it less likely that the wearer's legs will get caught on the periphery of the leg opening LH when the wearer inserts their legs through the leg opening LH, it is preferable that the leg opening LH is wider than the diameter of the wearer's legs. Typically, the width of the wearer's legs is equal to or less than 50% of the wearer's waist width. Therefore, by satisfying the above-mentioned condition (0.5×L0≤WLH≤0.75×L0), during the donning motion, the left-right width WLH of the leg opening LH becomes wider than 50% of the wearer's waist width L0 when stretched. Therefore, during the donning motion of the wearable article 1, the leg opening LH can be easily made wider than the wearer's legs, and the legs can therefore be easily inserted through the leg opening LH. In this way, the wearable article 1 can be easily and smoothly pulled up during the donning motion, thereby suppressing excessive stretching of the wearable article 1 in the vertical direction. Therefore, a force (shearing force) in a direction along the engaging surface of the hook member is less likely to act on the engaging surface of the hook member FK that engages the wearable article 1 with the absorbent pad 100. Furthermore, the left-right width WCR of the crotch region CR provides a certain width relative to the width L0 of the entire wearable article 1 (0.25×L0≤WCRWLH≤0.75×L0), so the absorbent pad 100 can be easily and stably retained in the crotch region CR. These configurations make it less likely that the absorbent pad 100 will become disengaged from the engagement with the wearable article 1.

[0222] The wearable article 1 also includes stretch-reduction restraining members (stretch-reduction restraining portions 20) each having a predetermined length in the vertical direction. In the portion where the stretch-reduction restraining members are provided, the fabric forming the main body 10 is less likely to stretch in the vertical direction when the wearable article 1 is pulled upward during donning. Consequently, a force (shearing force) acting in a direction along the engaging surface of the hook member FK is less likely to act on the engaging surface of the hook member FK that engages the wearable article 1 with the absorbent pad 100. This makes it less likely that the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 will become disengaged.

[0223] Furthermore, the stretch-reduction restraining member (stretch-reduction restraining portion 20) of the wearable article 1 has a portion overlapping with the hook member FK (engagement region 30) in the vertical direction (see FIG. Figure 2 This structure reduces the vertical stretching of the fabric forming the main body 10 in the overlapping portion of the stretch-reducing component (e.g., the front center stretch-reducing portion 21) and the hook member FK (female hook member FK2). Consequently, the shear force acting on the engaging surface of the hook member FK is further reduced. This makes it even less likely that the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 will disengage.

[0224] In addition, in the vertical direction, the stretch suppression member (stretch suppression portion 20) is continuously arranged at least from the waist low stretch area (waist folded portion 11) provided along the periphery of the waist opening BH to the hook member FK (joint area 30) (see Figure 2 ). In other words, the low-elastic waist region (waist fold 11) and the hook member FK (joining region 30) are vertically connected by the stretch-reduction component (stretch-reduction component 20). Therefore, the interconnected low-elastic waist region (waist fold 11) and the hook member FK (joining region 30) act like a skeleton in the waist region BR of the wearable article 1 and help suppress vertical stretching. In other words, during the wearing action of the wearable article 1, the region that is grasped and pulled up by hand is less likely to stretch in the vertical direction. In this way, a force is less likely to act in the direction of the joining surface of the hook member FK, and the joining between the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 can be made less likely to be disengaged.

[0225] The stretch suppressing member (stretch suppressing portion 20) includes a central stretch suppressing portion 21 (22) (central stretch suppressing portion) located in the center in the left-right direction and a pair of side stretch suppressing portions 23, 23 (24, 24) (side stretch suppressing portions) located on both sides of the central stretch suppressing portion 21 (22) in the left-right direction. During the wearing action of the wearable article 1, an action of grasping and pulling up the two sides of the waist region BR with the hands is performed (see FIG. Figure 6 B) By providing the side stretch-reduction portions 23 (24) on both sides of the waist region BR, the portion grasped by hand is less likely to stretch in the vertical direction. Furthermore, since the central stretch-reduction portion 21 (22) is also provided in the center portion in the left-right direction, the waist region BR as a whole is less likely to stretch in the vertical direction. Consequently, a force acting in a direction along the engaging surface of the hook member FK that engages the wearable article 1 and the absorbent pad 100 is less likely to act. In this way, the engagement between the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 is less likely to disengage.

[0226] In addition, each side stretch-reduction restraining portion 23 (24, 24) has a portion intersecting with the leg-opening covering seam 13 formed along the periphery of each leg opening LH. With this configuration, during the wearing action of the wearable article 1, the force applied by grasping and pulling up the two sides of the waist region BR can be easily transmitted to the periphery (covering seam 13) of the leg opening LH via the side stretch-reduction restraining portion 23 (24), and the leg opening LH can be easily pulled upward. In other words, the leg opening LH is less likely to get caught on the wearer's legs, and thus the wearable article 1 can be smoothly pulled up, making the waist region BR less likely to stretch in the vertical direction. Therefore, a force (shearing force) in a direction along the engaging surface of the hook member is less likely to act on the engaging surface of the hook member FK that engages the wearable article 1 and the absorbent pad 100. In this way, the engagement between the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 can be made less likely to disengage.

[0227] Figure 10 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the hook member FK (engagement region 30) and is a plan view illustrating a state of the wearable article 1 in a natural state viewed from the front side. Figure 10 In the embodiment, the wearable article 1 is located on one side in the left-right direction ( Figure 10 The upper end of the waist region BR in the vertical direction (left side in FIG) is defined as the force application point E1. As described above, during the wearing action of the wearable article 1, the two side portions of the waist region BR are grasped with both hands and pulled upward (see FIG. Figure 6 B, etc.); at this time, assume that the force point E1 is grasped by hand and force is applied thereto.

[0228] In addition, Figure 10 In the embodiment, the end located below in the vertical direction and on the left-right inner side of one leg opening LH located on one side (the left side) of the pair of leg openings LH is defined as the one-side lower end LHb1. When the wearer's leg is passed through the leg opening LH and the wearable article 1 is pulled upward, the one-side lower end LHb1 contacts the inner side of the wearer's leg (i.e., near the inner thigh), causing friction. Therefore, when the wearable article 1 is pulled upward, tension is generated between the force application point E1 and the one-side lower end LHb1.

[0229] In the wearable article 1 of the present embodiment, when the straight line connecting the force application point El and the lower end LHbl of one side in the natural state is defined as the first imaginary line VL1, there is no overlapping portion between the hook member FK (joining area 30) and the first imaginary line VL1. In other words, the hook member FK (joining area 30) is set at a position separated from the first imaginary line VL1 by a predetermined distance. As described above, when the wearable article 1 is pulled up, tension occurs along the first imaginary line VL1. Therefore, if the first imaginary line VL1 and the hook member FK (joining area 30) overlap with each other, a force (shear force) may act in the direction along the joining surface of the hook member FK, which may make it very likely that the joining between the male hook member FK1 and the female hook member FK2 will be disengaged. In comparison, in the wearable article 1, as Figure 10 As shown, there is no overlap between the first imaginary line VL1 and the hook member FK (engagement area 30), thereby suppressing the tension along the first imaginary line VL1 from acting on the hook member FK.

[0230] In addition, Figure 10 In the figure, the vertically lower end of the stretch-reducing member (central stretch-reducing portion 21) is defined as the central stretch-reducing portion lower end 21b. When the wearer's legs are inserted through the leg openings LH and the wearable article 1 is pulled upward, the force applied to the force application point E1 acts on the lower end 21b of the central stretch-reducing portion 21, thereby pulling the wearable article 1 and the absorbent pad 100 upward. In other words, as the wearable article 1 is pulled upward, tension is generated between the force application point E1 and the central stretch-reducing portion lower end 21b.

[0231] In the wearable article 1, when a straight line connecting the force application point E1 and the lower end 21b of the central stretch-reducing portion in a natural state is defined as a second imaginary line VL2, there is no overlap between the hook member FK (engagement region 30) and the second imaginary line VL2. In other words, the hook member FK (engagement region 30) is positioned a predetermined distance from the second imaginary line VL2. This configuration effectively suppresses tension acting on the hook member FK along the second imaginary line VL2. Consequently, the bond between the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 is less likely to disengage.

[0232] In addition, Figure 10In the embodiment of the present invention, the end of one leg opening LH located on the other side (right side) in the left-right direction, located below and inside the other side, is defined as the other lower end LHbr. When a wearer's leg is passed through the leg opening LH and the wearable article 1 is pulled upward, similar to the aforementioned one lower end LHb1, the other lower end LHbr also contacts the inner side of the wearer's leg (i.e., the inner thigh), causing friction. Therefore, during the action of pulling up the wearable article 1, tension is also generated between the force application point E1 and the other lower end LHbr.

[0233] In the wearable article 1, when a straight line connecting the force application point E1 and the lower end LHbr on the other side in a natural state is defined as a third imaginary line VL3, there is no overlap between the hook member FK (engagement region 30) and the third imaginary line VL3. In other words, the hook member FK (engagement region 30) is positioned a predetermined distance away from the third imaginary line VL3. This configuration easily suppresses the tension acting on the hook member FK along the third imaginary line VL3.

[0234] Therefore, it is possible to make the engagement between the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 less likely to come off.

[0235] In addition, among the hook members FK, the male hook member FK1 is provided in the absorbent pad engaging region 120 of the absorbent pad 100, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown. By providing a male hook member FK1 that easily engages with the female hook member FK2 provided in the engagement region 30 of the wearable article 1, the absorbent pad 100 can be stably engaged with the wearable article 1. Therefore, even when the wearable article 1 and the absorbent pad 100 engaged therewith are pulled upward, the engagement is unlikely to disengage, making it less likely that the absorbent pad 100 will separate from the wearable article 1. Note that in the absorbent pad 100, the male hook member FK1 (absorbent pad engagement region 120) is provided on the non-skin side in the thickness direction. Therefore, when the wearable article 1 is worn, the male hook member FK1 (absorbent pad engagement region 120), which is more rigid than the female hook member FK2, is less likely to come into contact with the wearer's skin, thereby preventing discomfort to the wearer.

[0236] In addition, when the absorbent pad 100 is viewed in the thickness direction, the hook member FK (absorbent pad engaging region 120) has a portion overlapping with the absorbent body 110 (see FIG. Figure 4By overlapping with the highly rigid absorbent body 110, the hook member FK (male hook member FK1) is less likely to sag or deform on its surface. This means that deformation of the hook member FK in the thickness direction is suppressed, making it easier to maintain the hook member in a flat state. Consequently, the hook member FK (male hook member FK1) of the absorbent pad 100 can easily engage with the hook member FK (female hook member FK2) provided in the engagement region 30 of the wearable article 1. Furthermore, since the hook member FK (male hook member FK1) can easily be maintained in a flat state, when the hook member engaged with the wearable article 1 is pulled upward, the engagement can be prevented from coming loose (peeling off) due to curling of the upper and lower ends of the hook member FK. In this way, the engagement between the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 is less likely to disengage.

[0237] Furthermore, in the absorbent pad 100, the hook member FK (male hook member FK1) is bonded to the absorbent pad bonding area 120 using an adhesive. In this case, the adhesive is applied to the entire surface of the hook member FK opposite the absorbent pad bonding area 120. In other words, the hook member FK provided on the absorbent pad 100 does not have a "dry edge" along its periphery, which is a portion not coated with adhesive. If a dry edge were formed at the upper and lower ends of the hook member FK, detachment (peeling) would likely occur at the dry edge, and the bond with the wearable article 1 would be likely to be lost. In contrast, in the absorbent pad 100, the adhesive is applied to the entire bonding surface of the hook member FK, and no dry edge is formed. Therefore, peeling, etc., is suppressed. Consequently, the bond between the absorbent pad 100 and the wearable article 1 is less likely to be lost.

[0238] Note that the longitudinal length L100 of the absorbent pad 100 is preferably 300 mm or more, and the transverse length (width) W100 thereof is preferably 80 mm or more (L100 ≥ 300 mm; W100 ≥ 80 mm). Compared to the opposite case (W100 < 80 mm), when the transverse length (width) W100 of the absorbent pad 100 is 80 mm or more, the width of the hook member FK (male hook member FK1) can be made wider, and therefore, the hook member can be more firmly engaged with the wearable article 1.

[0239] Furthermore, when the longitudinal length L100 of the absorbent pad 100 is 300 mm or greater, it is easier to secure a sufficient area to hold the SAP and liquid-absorbent fibers required to achieve water absorption, compared to the opposite case (L100 < 300 mm). For example, assuming the absorbent pad 100 has a baseline water absorption capacity of 220 cc, when the transverse width W100 is 80 mm, it is preferable that the longitudinal length L100 be 300 mm or greater to maintain a constant thickness while retaining the required amount of SAP and liquid-absorbent fibers. At this length, it is easier to secure a sufficient area to cover the wearer's genital area while maintaining water absorption.

[0240] <Container for Wearable Article 1>

[0241] Wearable articles 1 manufactured in a factory or the like are compactly folded and then transported and distributed on the market with one or more wearable articles housed in a predetermined housing member. A wearable article housing 90 in which a plurality of wearable articles 1 are housed in a housing member 70 will be described below.

[0242] Figure 11 This is a schematic perspective view illustrating an example of a wearable article container 90 (hereinafter also referred to simply as "container 90"). Container 90 includes a container member 70, which is a bag-like member, and one or more wearable articles 1 housed within container member 70. Note that absorbent pad 100 is not housed in container 90; when a user uses a wearable article 1 and absorbent pad 100 together, they must purchase or otherwise prepare absorbent pad 100 separately.

[0243] like Figure 11 As shown, the receiving body 90 has a first direction, a second direction and a third direction intersecting each other. One side of the first direction is the upper side, and the other side is the lower side.

[0244] Similarly, one side in the second direction is the right side, and the other side is the left side; one side in the third direction is the front side, and the other side is the rear side.

[0245] like Figure 11 As shown, the storage member 70 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped container, and is formed by folding a base sheet 71 as a sheet member constituting the storage member 70 and joining predetermined portions thereof. The base sheet 71 is a sheet member made of resin, and for example, liquid-impermeable resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), etc. can be used. When the wearable article 1 is stored in the storage member 70, first, the base sheet 71 is folded and formed into a bag shape (not shown) having an opening at the upper end portion in the first direction, and then a predetermined number of wearable articles 1 are stored through the upper end portion. After the wearable article 1 is stored, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, the base sheet 71 is folded at the upper end (e.g., folded with a gusset), and then the opposing faces are joined together to close the opening. Figure 11 As shown, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped receiving body 90 is formed. Note, however, that the shape of the receiving member 70, the method for folding the base sheet 71, and the method for enclosing the wearable article 1 are not limited to those described above.

[0246] The front side surface of the storage member 70 in the third direction corresponds to the front side of the storage body 90 viewed by the user in a store, etc. Information including letters and pictures is indicated (printed) on the front surface of the storage member 70 . Figure 11 Examples include a product name display portion 72, a product image display portion 73, an explanation display portion 74, and a note display portion 75. The product name display portion 72 displays information showing the product name of the wearable article 1 and can be used by the user as a guide for selecting and purchasing the wearable article 1 from a variety of absorbent article types. The product image display portion 73 displays information showing images related to the wearable article 1 and / or the user. By viewing the product image display portion 73, the user can at a glance understand the product's profile and the intended wearer.

[0247] The description label portion 74 is a portion for labeling information showing the product description of the wearable article 1, and includes at least a label that reminds people that the wearable article is to be used in combination with the absorbent pad 100. Figure 11 In the description mark portion 74, there is a mark indicating information that the wearable article 1 can be used in combination with an absorbent pad and the type of absorbent pad (absorbent pad 100) to be used in combination. The comment mark portion 75 is a portion for indicating comments other than the information indicated in the description mark portion 74, and shows information useful to the user. Figure 11 In the wearable article 1, there is a mark indicating that the wearable article 1 can be reused, so that the user can recognize that the wearable article 1 can be reused.

[0248] Note that these information labeling portions 72-75 do not need to be printed on the base sheet 71 constituting the housing member 70, but may be formed, for example, by attaching a sticker including a label of predetermined information to the surface of the base sheet 71. In addition, in the case where the base sheet 71 is a transparent sheet member, a card or the like having a label of predetermined information may be enclosed in such a manner that the card is visible from the outside.

[0249] By distributing such a container 90 on the market, a user who observes the container 90 can easily recognize the function of the wearable article 1 and how to use the wearable article 1, so that the wearable article 1 can be used correctly.

[0250] <Washing of Wearable Item 1>

[0251] As described above, the wearable article 1 can be washed and reused, and when the article is washed, it is important that the article is easily dried. For example, if the wearer of the wearable article 1 washes and dries the wearable article 1 while bathing, and then wears the washed wearable article 1 again after bathing, it is preferable that the wearable article 1 has high dryability.

[0252] In the wearable article 1 of this embodiment, dryability is improved by the following construction. First, the construction for improving dryability will be described from the perspective of the fabric comprising the wearable article 1. In this embodiment, the fabric comprising the wearable article 1 (main body 10) comprises at least 90% by weight of polyester or polyethylene. Polyester and polyethylene are materials with higher elongation than cotton, so incorporating a large amount of these materials further promotes elongation. Furthermore, polyester and polyethylene are non-absorbent and quick-drying materials, thus reducing the time required for drying after washing, thereby improving the dryability of the wearable article 1. Note that the composition of the fabric (the weight percentage of each material) can be verified by measurement or by checking the "mixing ratio" written on the product label.

[0253] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the fabric constituting the wearable article 1 does not contain any water-absorbing material. Examples of water-absorbing materials include cotton, rayon, and the like. By not containing any water-absorbing material, the fabric is less likely to absorb water, thereby reducing the time required for drying after washing, thereby improving the dryability of the wearable article 1.

[0254] In addition, the fabric constituting the wearable article 1 contains less than 10% by weight of a material having a higher stretchability than polyester or polyethylene. Examples of materials having a higher stretchability may include polyurethane, etc. Since the fabric constituting the wearable article 1 contains 90% by weight or more of polyester or polyethylene, by including less than 10% by weight of the above-mentioned material having a higher stretchability in the remaining portion, it is possible to improve stretchability while ensuring good dryability. Note that if the mixing ratio of the highly stretchable material is too high (10% by weight or more), the fabric may shrink to the extent that wrinkles are generated in the wearable article 1 (main body 10), or the fabric may shrink excessively and make it likely that the legs will be easily caught when passing the legs through the leg openings LH, LH. Therefore, it is preferable that the mixing ratio is less than 10% by weight.

[0255] Furthermore, the fabric comprising the wearable article 1 includes regions containing a material having a higher stretchability than polyester or polyethylene, and regions not containing such material. For example, by placing a highly stretchable material in regions of the wearable article 1 where fit is particularly desired (i.e., by forming regions containing a material having a higher stretchability), fit can be further improved in limited regions of the wearable article 1, thereby improving functionality. Alternatively, in addition to improving fit in specific regions by, for example, providing regions containing a material having a higher stretchability in multiple regions with spaces therebetween, the fit of the wearable article 1 can be improved across the entire wearable article 1.

[0256] Next, the structure for improving dryability will be described from the perspective of the joining region 30. As described above, it is preferred that the joining region 30 be provided with a separate sheet member (e.g., a hook-and-loop fastener) separate from the knitted fabric constituting the main body portion 10. Furthermore, it is also preferred that the separate sheet member be made of polyethylene or polyester. Since the separate sheet member is joined to the main body portion 10, the dryability of the wearable article 1 is improved by making the separate sheet member from a material that has the same quick drying properties as the main body portion 10.

[0257] In addition, the separate sheet member is joined to the fabric (main body 10) constituting the wearable article 1 by sewing with thread along the peripheral edge of the separate sheet member. Therefore, in the area inside the peripheral edge portion that has been sewn with thread, the fabric and the separate sheet member are not tightly adhered (not joined) in the thickness direction, and a space is formed between the separate sheet member and the fabric. In other words, the entire separate sheet member is not in a state of being joined to the fabric. Therefore, compared with the case where the entire sheet member is joined to the fabric, the surface of the separate sheet member that contacts the fabric has a wide area in contact with the air, which makes it easy for moisture to evaporate. This structure that allows air to escape easily improves dryability.

[0258] In addition, in this embodiment, when viewed in the thickness direction, there is a portion where the separate sheet member and the expansion and contraction suppressing portion 20 (front central expansion and contraction suppressing portion 21; rear central expansion and contraction suppressing portion 22) overlap each other (see FIG. Figure 2 More specifically, the separate sheet member is arranged across regions with different contraction forces (expansion and contraction suppressing portions 20). Providing the expansion and contraction suppressing portions 20 causes variations in contraction force within the fabric constituting the wearable article 1, and makes it more likely that a space will form between the skin-facing side of the fabric and the non-skin-facing side of the separate sheet member. By allowing air to easily escape from such a space, dryability is improved.

[0259] Furthermore, regarding the dimensions of the individual sheet members, it is preferred that the vertical length be 50 mm or less and the horizontal length be 150 mm or less. If the individual sheet members are too large, the sheet member portion may become difficult to dry. By adjusting the dimensions within the above range, drying becomes easier while ensuring an area that can maintain sufficient bonding strength with the fabric.

[0260] In addition, it is preferable that the thickness of the individual sheet member is 3 mm or less. In this way, since the sheet member is not too thick, easy dryability can be maintained while ensuring a thickness that can maintain sufficient bonding force with the fabric.

[0261] Next, the structure for improving the dryability will be described from another viewpoint. Figure 12 This is a schematic plan view showing a state in which the left and right ends of the front waist region BR and the back waist region BR of the wearable article 1 have been cut off and the wearable article has been unfolded in the vertical direction. More specifically, the aforementioned "expanded state" refers to a state in which the wearable article, which has been unfolded in the vertical direction, is kept still on a horizontal surface in its natural state. Figure 12 In the expanded state, area S1 ( Figure 12 The area of ​​the region S1 (shown by hatching in the figure) is smaller than the area of ​​the remaining region S2. The region S1 is the region between the upper end 31ue of the front joining region 31 and the upper end 32ue of the back joining region 32 in the vertical direction, and between the respective ends 31pe, 32pe of the front joining region 31 and the back joining region 32, which are most oriented to one side (the left side), and the respective ends 31re, 32re of the front joining region 31 and the back joining region 32, which are most oriented to the other side (the right side). The region S1 within the fabric constituting the wearable article 1 is generally the region covered by the absorbent pad 100 when the absorbent pad 100 is attached. Therefore, if the wearable article 1 is not dried sufficiently after washing, or if the wearable article 1 becomes wet after the absorbent pad 100 is attached for some other reason, the region S1 is likely to have low dryability thereafter because it is covered by the absorbent pad 100. However, by making the area of ​​the region S1 smaller than the area of ​​the region S2 in the fabric constituting the wearable article 1, it is easier to suppress deterioration in the dryability of the entire wearable article 1, compared to the opposite case.

[0262] Note that in this embodiment, the area of ​​region S1 is smaller than the area of ​​the remaining region S2, but this is not a limitation. Contrary to the above, the area of ​​region S1 may be larger than the area of ​​the remaining region S2. In this case, even if the wearable article 1 is not sufficiently dried after washing, region S1 will still be covered by the absorbent pad 100, so the skin is less likely to get wet and wearing comfort is less likely to be impaired.

[0263] ===Others===

[0264] The foregoing embodiments are merely for facilitating understanding of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. It goes without saying that the present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the gist of the present invention and encompasses equivalents thereof.

[0265] The above embodiment describes an example in which the expansion and contraction suppressing portion 20 is provided as a stretch suppressing member configured to suppress expansion and contraction of the main body portion 10. However, a stretch suppressing member other than the expansion and contraction suppressing portion 20 may be provided. For example, providing the hook member FK in the joint region 30 helps suppress expansion and contraction of the main body portion 10 in the joint region 30 (hook member FK). In other words, the joint region 30 (hook member FK) can also function as a stretch suppressing member.

[0266] Description of Reference Numerals

[0267] 1. Wearable articles (underwear-type wearable articles);

[0268] 2 Wearable articles (comparative example);

[0269] 10 main body;

[0270] 11 waist fold;

[0271] 12. Crotch sewing section;

[0272] 13 Leg opening cover seams;

[0273] 20 telescopic suppression portion (telescopic suppression component);

[0274] 21 anterior central telescopic inhibitor;

[0275] 22 rear central telescopic inhibition portion;

[0276] 23 front side telescopic restraint portion (side telescopic restraint member);

[0277] 24 rear side telescopic restraining portion (side telescopic restraining member);

[0278] 30 junction area;

[0279] 31 anterior junction area;

[0280] 31pe one side end;

[0281] 31re other side end;

[0282] 31ue upper end;

[0283] 32 rear side joint area;

[0284] 32pe one side end;

[0285] 32re other side end;

[0286] 32ue upper end;

[0287] 35 female hook component;

[0288] 70 receiving components;

[0289] 71 substrate;

[0290] 72 Product name labeling section;

[0291] 73 Product Image Labeling Section;

[0292] 74 Description and marking section;

[0293] 75 Notes and Indications;

[0294] 90 wearable item container;

[0295] 100 absorbent pads;

[0296] 110 absorber;

[0297] 111 top sheet;

[0298] 112 back sheet;

[0299] 115 side panels;

[0300] 116 absorbent pad elastic member;

[0301] 120 absorbent pad joining area;

[0302] 121 front absorbent pad joining area;

[0303] 122 rear absorbent pad engagement area;

[0304] 125 male hook member;

[0305] 501 sample pieces;

[0306] 502 sample pieces;

[0307] BH waist opening;

[0308] LH leg opening;

[0309] LHt upper end;

[0310] lower end of the LHb;

[0311] BR waist area;

[0312] CR Crotch area;

[0313] FK hook component;

[0314] FK1 male hook component;

[0315] FK2 female hook component;

[0316] VL1 first imaginary line;

[0317] VL2 second imaginary line;

[0318] VL3 third imaginary line;

[0319] S1 region;

[0320] S2 area

Claims

1. A wearable article housing, comprising: A wearable article having an up-down direction, a left-right direction, and a front-rear direction intersecting each other, the wearable article having stretchability in the up-down direction and the left-right direction and to be used in combination with an absorbent pad; and a receiving member configured to receive the wearable article, The wearable article is reusable, The receiving member has an indicator portion that reminds the wearable article to be used in combination with the absorbent pad, The wearable article includes a hook member configured to engage with the absorbent pad, the hook member being either a male hook member or a female hook member, The state in which the wearable article is taken out of the receiving member and stretched to twice its length in the up-down direction from a natural state is defined as a twice stretched state. The engagement force per unit area between the male hook member and the female hook member in the direction along the mutual engagement surface of the male hook member and the female hook member is greater than the maximum tensile load per unit area when the area located above the lower end of the hook member up to 20 mm from the upper end of the wearable article is stretched from the natural state to the twice stretched state.

2. A wearable article having an up-down direction, a left-right direction, and a front-back direction intersecting each other, the wearable article having stretchability in the up-down direction and the left-right direction and to be used in combination with an absorbent pad, The wearable article comprises: a hook member configured to engage with the absorbent pad, the hook member being either a male hook member or a female hook member, The state in which the wearable article is stretched to twice its length in the up-down direction from its natural state is defined as a twice stretched state. The engagement force per unit area between the male hook member and the female hook member in the direction along the mutual engagement surface of the male hook member and the female hook member is greater than the maximum tensile load per unit area when the area located above the lower end of the hook member up to 20 mm from the upper end of the wearable article is stretched from the natural state to the twice stretched state.

3. The wearable article according to claim 2, wherein: The bonding force per unit area in the direction along the bonding surface between the male hook member and the female hook member is 13 mN / mm 2 or larger.

4. The wearable article according to claim 3, wherein: The bonding force per unit area in the direction along the bonding surface between the male hook member and the female hook member is 35 mN / mm 2 or larger.

5. A wearable article according to any one of claims 2 to 4, comprising: The main body is composed of a fabric having a maximum elongation of 200% or more when a 50 mm×200 mm sample piece is pulled at 5 N in the up-down direction or the left-right direction.

6. The wearable article according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein: The hook member is the female hook member.

7. The wearable article according to claim 6, wherein: The female hook member is sewn to the skin side of the wearable article.

8. A wearable article according to any one of claims 2 to 4, comprising: a pair of leg openings; and a waist region located between the upper end of each of the leg openings and the upper end of the wearable article in the up-down direction, wherein The hook member is disposed in the waist region.

9. The wearable article according to claim 8, wherein: In the up-down direction, a center position of the hook member is located below a center position of the waist region.

10. The wearable article according to claim 8, comprising: Open waist; and A low-stretch waist region, wherein the magnitude of the force required to stretch the low-stretch waist region per unit length along the peripheral edge of the waist opening is greater than the magnitude of the force required to stretch other regions per unit length, wherein: The hook member is arranged on a lower side of the waist low stretch region in the up-down direction.

11. The wearable article according to claim 10, wherein: The hook member is arranged on the lower side of the lower end of the waist low stretch region at a distance greater than or equal to a width of the waist low stretch region in the upper and lower direction.

12. The wearable article according to claim 8, wherein: In the up-down direction, a center position of the hook member is located above a center position between a center position of the waist region and a lower end of the waist region.

13. A wearable article according to any one of claims 2 to 4, comprising: A pair of leg openings, wherein In the natural state, the upper end of each of the leg openings is located on the upper side in the up-down direction of the lower end of the wearable article at the center position in the left-right direction.

14. The wearable article according to claim 13, wherein: In the natural state, the peripheral edge of the front side in the front-rear direction of each of the leg openings has a shape that narrows toward the inner side in the left-right direction.

15. The wearable article of claim 14, comprising: a crotch region located between the upper end of each of the leg openings and the lower end of the wearable article in the up-down direction and between the inner ends of each of the pair of leg openings in the left-right direction, wherein The length of the crotch region in the natural state in the left-right direction is 25% to 50% of the length of the wearable article in the natural state in the left-right direction.

16. A wearable article according to any one of claims 2 to 4, comprising: The expansion and contraction suppressing member has a predetermined length in the up-down direction.

17. The wearable article according to claim 16, wherein: In the up-down direction, there is a portion where the expansion / contraction suppression component and the hook member overlap with each other.

18. The wearable article of claim 17, comprising: Open waist; and A low-stretch waist region, wherein the magnitude of the force required to stretch the low-stretch waist region per unit length along the peripheral edge of the waist opening is greater than the magnitude of the force required to stretch other regions per unit length, wherein: The stretch suppressing member is continuous from the waist low stretch region to the hook member in the up-down direction.

19. The wearable article according to claim 16, wherein: The telescopic suppression component comprises: a central expansion and contraction suppression portion located in the central portion in the left-right direction, and A pair of side expansion and contraction restraining portions are respectively located on both sides of the central expansion and contraction restraining portion in the left-right direction.

20. The wearable article of claim 19, comprising: A pair of leg openings, wherein Each of the pair of leg openings includes a covering stitched portion along a peripheral edge thereof, and there is a portion where the side stretch-contraction suppressing portion and the covering stitched portion intersect each other.

21. A wearable article according to any one of claims 2 to 4, comprising: a pair of leg openings; a crotch region located between the upper end of each of the leg openings and the lower end of the wearable article in the up-down direction and between the respective inner ends of the pair of leg openings in the left-right direction; and a waist region located between the upper end of each of the leg openings and the upper end of the wearable article in the up-down direction, wherein In the natural state, the first imaginary line has no portion overlapping with the hook member, and the first imaginary line connects The upper end of the waist region located on one side in the left-right direction and An end of the lower side of the crotch region located on the one side in the left-right direction.

22. The wearable article of claim 21, comprising: A central expansion and contraction suppressing portion is located in the central portion in the left-right direction and has a predetermined length in the up-down direction, wherein: In the natural state, the second imaginary line has no portion overlapping with the hook member, and the second imaginary line connects The upper end of the waist region located on one side in the left-right direction and The lower end of the central expansion and contraction inhibiting portion.

23. The wearable article of claim 22, comprising: The central expansion and contraction suppressing portion is located in the central portion in the left-right direction and has the predetermined length in the up-down direction, wherein: In the natural state, the third imaginary line has no portion overlapping with the hook member, and the third imaginary line connects The upper end of the waist region located on one side in the left-right direction and The lower side of the crotch region has an end located on the other side in the left-right direction.

24. An absorbent pad to be used in combination with a wearable article according to any one of claims 2 to 4, The absorbent pad has a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction and a thickness direction intersecting each other in a stretched state, The absorbent pad comprises: a liquid absorbing absorbent; and The other hook member of the male hook member and the female hook member.

25. The absorbent pad of claim 24, wherein: The hook member has a portion overlapping the absorbent body when viewed in the thickness direction.

26. The absorbent pad of claim 25, wherein: The hook member is joined to the absorbent pad by using an adhesive, and, There is no dry edge along the periphery of the hook member.

27. The absorbent pad of claim 24, wherein: The length in the longitudinal direction is 300 mm or more, and the length in the lateral direction is 80 mm or more.

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