Absorbent article and method of manufacturing an absorbent article

Abstract

An absorbent article is configured to have an absorbent body sandwiched between a surface sheet and a back sheet, the surface sheet being worn on the skin side, and a cooling layer containing a cooling agent is laminated on the surface sheet opposite to the absorbent body, the cooling layer not being exposed on the surface sheet opposite to the absorbent body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to absorbent articles and methods for manufacturing absorbent articles. Background Technology

[0002] Absorbent products such as sanitary napkins can sometimes feel stuffy and sticky, causing discomfort to the wearer. Traditional techniques address this by incorporating cooling agents into absorbent materials to eliminate this discomfort and improve wearing comfort.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an absorbent article having a surface layer, a back layer, and an absorbent layer disposed between the surface layer and the back layer, and an intermediate fiber layer between the surface layer and the absorbent layer, wherein the absorbent layer, the surface layer, and the intermediate fiber layer each contain a cooling agent by containing a cooling agent or the like in the microcapsules.

[0004] <Prior art documents> <Patent Documents> Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2019 / 092810 Summary of the Invention <Problem to be solved by this invention> However, if the cooling agent is contained in the surface layer and exposed as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the cooling agent will come into contact with the skin when worn, sometimes causing a stinging pain. In particular, in microcapsules containing a cooling agent, when the cooling agent is released from the microcapsule located in contact with the skin, a cooling effect of a momentary level of pain is produced; on the other hand, there is a problem that the duration of the effect is easily reduced.

[0005] Furthermore, if the cooling agent is exposed within the surface layer, there is a risk that the cooling agent may adhere to the cutting tool and cause foreign matter contamination, or poor cutting performance, when the surface layer, back layer, and absorbent layer are cut into the product shape during the manufacturing process. This type of failure is particularly likely to occur when a solution containing more than 10 gsm of cooling agent is applied to the surface of the surface layer.

[0006] The present invention was made in view of the problems of the prior art as described above, and its object is to provide an absorbent article that can maintain a cooling effect without causing strong stimulation when worn, and that makes it difficult for the cooling agent to come into contact with the manufacturing device during the manufacturing process, as well as a method for manufacturing the absorbent article.

[0007] <Methods for solving problems> To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an absorbent article configured to have an absorbent body sandwiched between a surface sheet and a back sheet, wherein the surface sheet is worn on the skin side. A cooling layer containing a cooling agent is laminated on the surface of the surface sheet opposite to the absorber. The cooling layer is not exposed on the side of the surface sheet opposite to the absorber.

[0008] In the present invention configured as described above, although the surface sheet is worn with the skin side facing it, the cooling layer containing the cooling agent is layered on the surface of the surface sheet opposite to the absorbent and is not exposed on the side of the surface sheet opposite to the absorbent. Therefore, when worn, the surface sheet is positioned between the cooling layer and the skin. As a result, the strong stimulation from the cooling agent is not applied during wear, and the cooling effect is sustained. Furthermore, since the cooling layer is not exposed, the cooling agent is difficult to come into contact with the manufacturing apparatus during the manufacturing process.

[0009] Alternatively, the surface sheet can be configured to undergo a raised or recessed process, with the cooling layer entering a recess created by the raised or recessed process on the surface sheet opposite to the absorber.

[0010] In such a structure, the cooling layer is easily maintained on the surface of the sheet opposite to the absorber.

[0011] In addition, the surface sheet can also be made of non-woven fabric.

[0012] In this structure, the cooling layer is easily retained on the surface of the surface sheet opposite to the absorber, and the surface of the surface sheet does not easily become sticky.

[0013] In addition, the surface sheet can also be made of hot-air nonwoven fabric.

[0014] In such a structure, the hot-air nonwoven fabric has a fluffy feel, making it easy to perform embossing.

[0015] In addition, the surface sheet can also be made of hot-air nonwoven fabric using fully dull yarn.

[0016] In such a structure, since the fully matte filament is colored multiple times to white, for example, when the cooling layer is colored to white, the foreign object feeling in the appearance can be reduced.

[0017] In addition, the cooling layer can also contain microcapsules containing cooling agents.

[0018] In this structure, the microcapsules are broken down and released as cooling agents, which are the cooling components, according to the wearer's movements, allowing the moderate cooling effect to last for a long time.

[0019] In addition, cooling agents can also have a viscosity of 30–80 mPa.

[0020] In such a structure, the cooling agent is difficult to expose on the side of the surface sheet opposite to the absorber.

[0021] Furthermore, the manufacturing method of absorbent articles may include the following steps: The process of laminating a back sheet onto one side of the absorber; On the other side of the absorbent, a cooling layer containing a cooling agent is laminated; and The process of transferring the cooling layer to the surface sheet by laminating a surface sheet on the other side of the absorber.

[0022] In this structure, since the cooling layer is stacked on the other side of the absorber, and then the cooling layer is transferred to the surface sheet by stacking the surface sheet on the other side of the absorber, the cooling layer is not easily exposed on the side of the surface sheet opposite to the absorber.

[0023] In addition, the other side of the absorbent can also be formed from SMS nonwoven fabric, which is made by laminating spunbond, meltblown and spunbond layers. The name SMS nonwoven fabric is derived from the first letters of the spunbond, meltblown and spunbond layers.

[0024] In this structure, the cooling layer is difficult to adhere to the other side of the absorber through the meltblown layer and is difficult to penetrate into the interior of the absorber. Therefore, the cooling layer is easy to transfer onto the surface sheet.

[0025] In addition, the cooling sensation can also be layered onto the other side of the absorbent using a slit coating method.

[0026] This structure prevents the cooling agent from scattering or rebounding when it is applied to the other side of the absorber.

[0027] <The Effects of the Invention> According to the present invention, the cooling effect can be sustained without causing strong stimulation when worn, and the cooling agent can be made difficult to come into contact with the manufacturing device during the manufacturing process. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a top view of one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention, viewed from the skin side.

[0029] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The A-A sectional view shown.

[0030] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 An enlarged view of the overlapping portion of the top sheet and absorbent body of the absorbent article shown.

[0031] Figure 4 This is an explanation Figures 1-3A flowchart illustrating the manufacturing method of the absorbent article.

[0032] Figure 5 It is used for explanation Figures 1-3 A schematic diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing an absorbent article.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a diagram used to illustrate the differences in cooling effect depending on the placement of the cooling layer. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in each drawing, unless otherwise stated, the same or corresponding structures are labeled with the same symbols and descriptions are sometimes omitted. Furthermore, deviations in orthogonal, left-right, and other directions are permissible to a degree that does not impair the function or effect of the embodiment. The shape of the corner is not limited to a right angle and may also be an arc shape with rounded corners. Orthogonality may also include approximately orthogonal. In this specification, the front-back direction of the absorbent article 1 is defined as D1, and the width direction of the absorbent article 1, which is orthogonal to the front-back direction, is defined as D2. Furthermore, the front-back direction corresponds to the front-back direction of the human body wearing the absorbent article 1, and the width direction corresponds to the left-right direction of the human body wearing the absorbent article 1. In this specification, the surface of the absorbent article 1 opposite to the human body is defined as the skin surface, and the surface of the absorbent article 1 opposite to the skin surface is defined as the non-skin surface.

[0035] <Structure of Absorbent Materials> First, the structure of the absorbent article in this embodiment will be explained.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a top view of one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention, viewed from the skin side. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The A-A sectional view shown. Figure 3 yes Figure 1 An enlarged view of the overlapping portion of the top sheet 10 and the absorbent body 30 of the absorbent article 1 shown.

[0037] The absorbent article 1 in this embodiment has a shape for wearing opposite the outlet of bodily fluids (menstrual blood, vaginal discharge, urine, etc.), for example, a flat and elongated article with the front-to-back direction D1 as its length direction. Specific examples of the absorbent article 1 include sanitary napkins, panty liners (vaginal discharge pads), and incontinence pads. In this specification, the description will primarily be based on the example of a sanitary napkin as the absorbent article.

[0038] For example, such as Figure 1 as well as Figure 2As shown, the absorbent article 1 has: a liquid-permeable top sheet 10; a liquid-nonpermeable back sheet 20; and an absorbent body 30 disposed between the top sheet 10 and the back sheet 20.

[0039] The back sheet 20 is an example of the back sheet in this invention. The back sheet 20 can be a sheet material with at least water-resistant properties, such as polyethylene or polypropylene olefin resin sheets. Laminated nonwoven fabric sheets formed by layering nonwoven fabric on polyethylene sheets, and then sandwiching a waterproof membrane to substantially ensure liquid impermeability, can also be used. Furthermore, sheets with moisture permeability can also be used.

[0040] The top sheet 10 is an example of the surface sheet in this invention. The top sheet 10 can be made of porous or non-porous nonwoven fabric, porous plastic sheet, etc. As the raw material fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric, for example, olefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, synthetic fibers such as polyester and polyamide, regenerated fibers such as rayon and cuprammonium, blended fibers of these, and natural fibers such as cotton can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the top sheet 10 is preferably made of hot-air nonwoven fabric using fully dull yarn.

[0041] The top plate 10 is subjected to concave-convex processing, thereby achieving the desired effect. Figure 3 As shown, a fine recess 11 is formed on the surface opposite to the absorber 30.

[0042] The absorbent 30 is constructed by enclosing the absorbent material 31 within the packaging materials 32a and 32b. The absorbent material 31 is not limited to any material capable of absorbing and retaining bodily fluids, but preferably includes cotton-like pulp and a water-absorbing polymer. As the water-absorbing polymer, superabsorbent polymer (SAP), superabsorbent fiber (SAF), and combinations thereof can be used. Examples of pulp include chemical pulp derived from wood, cellulose fibers such as dissolving pulp, rayon, and cellulose acetate fibers. The pulp can be hardwood pulp derived from hardwood trees, softwood pulp derived from softwood trees, or a mixture thereof. Furthermore, the pulp can also be recycled pulp derived from used pulp. The packaging material 32a covers a portion of the surface opposite the top sheet 10 in such a way that it covers the surface and sides of the absorbent material 31 opposite the back sheet 20. Packaging material 32b covers the portion of the absorbent material 31 that is not covered by packaging material 32a on the side opposite to the top sheet 10, in a manner that acts as a lid. Non-woven fabric or crepe paper can also be used as packaging materials 32a and 32b. Furthermore, in this embodiment, SMS non-woven fabric, formed by laminating a spunbond layer, a meltblown layer, and a spunbond layer, is preferably used as packaging materials 32a and 32b. In this case, SMS non-woven fabric may also be used only in packaging material 32b of packaging materials 32a and 32b.

[0043] The thickness of the absorbent body 30 can be 0.5 to 25 mm. The absorbent body 30 can also be configured to bulge out of the area corresponding to the body fluid outlet (the area corresponding to the body fluid outlet) or the area opposite the groove of the buttocks, which is located behind the area corresponding to the body fluid outlet. The absorbent body 30 has a size and shape that does not extend from the top sheet 10 and the rear sheet 20. At the front and rear end edges of the absorbent body 30, the rear sheet 20 and the outer edge of the top sheet 10 are joined by an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive or by bonding means such as heat sealing or ultrasonic sealing.

[0044] Furthermore, side pieces 40a and 40b can be provided on the outer sides of the absorbent body 30 at each end of the width direction D2 along the front-rear direction D1. Hydrophobic or hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics can be used as side pieces 40a and 40b. The side pieces 40a and 40b, while covering the sides of the absorbent body 30, are joined to the back sheet 20 and the top sheet 10. Alternatively, the joining of the side pieces 40a and 40b to the back sheet 20 and the top sheet 10 can be achieved using adhesives such as hot melt adhesives or by bonding methods such as heat sealing or ultrasonic sealing.

[0045] In addition, Figures 1-3In the example shown, the absorbent article 1 is a so-called wingless article without wings, but it can also be configured as a winged article with wings extending to the sides. The wings are formed by joining the side panels 40a and 40b with the rear panel 20.

[0046] Furthermore, on the back panel 20 side (non-skin side, i.e., the side opposite to the underwear when worn) of the absorbent article 1, an anti-shift adhesive portion may be provided to prevent the absorbent article 1 from shifting off the underwear when it is attached to the underwear. The anti-shift adhesive portion may be formed, for example, as a plurality of strips extending in the front-back direction D1 or the width direction D2.

[0047] The total length of the absorbent item 1 can be set to 140-430mm, and the width of the absorbent item 1 (the width of the main body excluding the wings when it has wings) can be set to 40-130mm.

[0048] In this embodiment, the absorbent article 1 also has a cooling layer 50 laminated on a portion of both the surface of the top sheet 10 facing the absorbent 30 and a portion of the surface of the absorbent 30 facing the top sheet 10. Here, as described above, fine recesses 11 are formed on the surface of the top sheet 10 facing the absorbent 30. Therefore, the cooling layer 50 laminated on the surface of the top sheet 10 facing the absorbent 30 enters the recesses 11. Tiny gaps 51 are formed between the cooling layer 50 laminated on the surface of the top sheet 10 facing the absorbent 30 and the cooling layer 50 laminated on the surface of the absorbent 30 facing the top sheet 10. The cooling layer 50 may also be composed of microcapsules containing a cooling agent. As the cooling agent, a liquid that can achieve a cooling effect, such as menthol or peppermint oil, can be used. In this case, it is preferable to set the viscosity of the cooling agent to 30–80 mPa. Microcapsules can be made using microcapsules that have crushing properties and are broken when pressure is applied.

[0049] The absorbent garment 1 thus constructed is worn with the top piece 10 facing the skin side.

[0050] <Method for Manufacturing Absorbent Items> Next, the method for manufacturing the absorbent article 1 as described above will be explained.

[0051] Figure 4 This is an explanation Figures 1-3 A flowchart illustrating the manufacturing method of the absorbent article 1 shown. Figure 5 It is used for explanation Figures 1-3 The schematic diagram of the manufacturing method of the absorbent article 1 shown illustrates the stacked state.

[0052] In manufacturing Figures 1-3 In the case of absorbent article 1 shown, firstly, as Figure 5As shown in (a), the absorber 30 is laminated on the back sheet 20 (step S1). Thus, the back sheet 20 is laminated on the back side of the absorber 30. The absorber 30 and the back sheet 20 can also be joined at the front and rear edges of the absorber 30 by means of an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive or by bonding methods such as heat sealing or ultrasonic sealing, as described above. Furthermore, when using an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive, the adhesive may not be applied to the entire surface of the absorber 30 and the back sheet 20, but rather in a given pattern.

[0053] Next, as Figure 5 As shown in (b), a cooling layer 50 is laminated on the surface of the absorber 30 (step S2). In this embodiment, the surface of the absorber 30 is the side of the absorbent material 31 covered by the packaging material 32b. The cooling layer 50 is achieved by applying a solution containing microcapsules of an agent that provides a cooling effect, as described above, to the surface of the absorber 30. Furthermore, when the solution is applied using a sprayer, there is a risk of solution bounce or scattering due to the solution colliding with the surface of the absorber 30. Additionally, if a viscous cooling agent is used as the cooling agent constituting the cooling layer 50, it is difficult to form a mist under air pressure. Therefore, it is preferable to apply the solution containing microcapsules of an agent that provides a cooling effect to the surface of the absorber 30 using a slit coating method. This avoids the scattering or bounce of the cooling agent when the cooling agent constituting the cooling layer 50 is applied to the surface of the absorber 30.

[0054] Alternatively, the order of the steps in step S1 and step S2 can be reversed. That is, after the cooling layer 50 is laminated on the surface of the absorber 30, the absorber 30 can be laminated on the back sheet 20.

[0055] Next, as Figure 5 As shown in (c), a top sheet 10 is stacked on the surface of the absorber 30 on which the cooling layer 50 is stacked (step S3). At this time, the top sheet 10 has undergone a raised-lowering process, creating a recess 11 on one surface. Therefore, the top sheet 10 is stacked on the surface of the absorber 30 with the surface having the recess 11 facing the absorber 30. As a result, the cooling layer 50 stacked on the absorber 30 is also stacked on the surface of the top sheet 10 facing the absorber 30, but the cooling layer 50 is not exposed on the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorber 30. The absorber 30 and the top sheet 10 can also be joined at the front and rear edges of the absorber 30 by an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive or by a bonding means such as heat sealing or ultrasonic sealing, as described above. Furthermore, when using adhesives such as hot melt adhesives, the adhesive may not be applied to the entire surface of the absorber 30 or the top sheet 10 in a so-called full-surface application, but rather in a given pattern.

[0056] After that, as Figure 5 As shown in (d), the solution containing the microcapsules constituting the cooling layer 50 is dried by solvent, thereby transferring the cooling layer 50, which is composed of microcapsules, onto the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorber 30 (step S4). In this way, by transferring the cooling layer 50 onto the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorber 30, as shown in (d), the cooling layer 50 is transferred onto the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorber 30, thereby achieving the desired effect. Figure 3 As shown, a tiny gap 51 is formed between the cooling layer 50 stacked on the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorber 30 and the cooling layer 50 stacked on the surface of the absorber 30 opposite to the top sheet 10. Then, the cooling layer 50 transferred from the absorber 30 to the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorber 30 becomes embedded in the recess 11 formed on the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorber 30.

[0057] In this embodiment, instead of directly laminating the cooling layer 50 onto the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorber 30, the cooling layer 50 is transferred to the top sheet 10 by laminating the top sheet 10 onto the surface of the absorber 30 after the cooling layer 50 is laminated thereon. Therefore, the cooling layer 50 is less likely to be exposed on the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorber 30.

[0058] Here, as described above, in this embodiment, it is preferable to use SMS nonwoven fabric, formed by laminating a spunbond layer, a meltblown layer, and a spunbond layer, as at least one of the packaging materials 32a and 32b of the absorbent 30. The meltblown layer has the properties that microcapsules are difficult to adhere to and liquids are difficult to permeate. Therefore, if SMS nonwoven fabric is used as the packaging material 32b of the absorbent 30, the cooling layer 50 laminated on the surface of the absorbent 30 becomes difficult to adhere to the surface of the absorbent 30 and difficult to penetrate into the interior of the absorbent 30, thereby making it easier for the cooling layer 50 to transfer to the top sheet 10.

[0059] <The function of absorbent items> Next, the function of the aforementioned absorbent material 1 will be explained.

[0060] In this embodiment, the absorbent article 1 is worn as described above, with the top sheet 10 facing the skin. At this time, a cooling layer 50 containing a cooling agent to generate a cooling effect is layered on the side of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorbent 30, but the cooling layer 50 is not exposed on the skin side of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorbent 30. Therefore, when worn, the top sheet 10 is positioned between the cooling layer 50 and the skin, preventing strong stimulation from the cooling agent and ensuring a continuous cooling effect.

[0061] Furthermore, since the cooling layer 50 is not exposed, the cooling agent constituting the cooling layer 50 is difficult to come into contact with the cutting tool or other manufacturing equipment when the absorbent article 1 is cut during the manufacturing process.

[0062] Furthermore, the top sheet 10 is provided with an uneven surface, and the cooling layer 50 enters the recess 11 created by the uneven surface processing on the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorber 30. As a result, the cooling layer 50 is easily retained on the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorber 30.

[0063] Furthermore, through the aforementioned transfer process to the top sheet 10, the cooling layer 50 is separated into a portion microscopically transferred to the top sheet 10 side and a portion stacked on the absorber 30 side. Therefore, the formation of microscopic, tiny gaps 51 between these two portions enhances the cooling effect of the cooling layer 50, thus maintaining the cooling effect for a longer period.

[0064] Furthermore, if the top sheet 10 is made of nonwoven fabric, the cooling layer 50 is easily held on the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorbent 30, and the surface of the top sheet 10 is less likely to become sticky. Here, hot-air nonwoven fabric is a type of nonwoven fabric that is fluffy and soft to the touch. Therefore, if hot-air nonwoven fabric is used as the top sheet 10, it is easy to perform embossing. In addition, the fully matte yarn is colored white or the like, which prevents transparency. Therefore, for example, in the case where the cooling layer 50 is a colored cooling layer such as white, by making the top sheet 10 made of hot-air nonwoven fabric using fully matte yarn, the cooling layer 50 can be made inconspicuous, reducing the appearance of foreign matter. In particular, in the case where microcapsules forming the cooling layer 50 are coated with a high-basic-weight coating, there is a situation where the microcapsules combine to form a film, resulting in a foreign matter appearance; therefore, by making the top sheet 10 made of hot-air nonwoven fabric using fully matte yarn, the appearance of foreign matter can be reduced.

[0065] Furthermore, the cooling layer 50 is composed of microcapsules containing a cooling agent, but these microcapsules can be broken under pressure, releasing the material inside. Therefore, because the cooling layer 50 is composed of microcapsules containing a cooling agent, the microcapsules are broken according to the movements of the wearer of the absorbent article 1, and the cooling agent, as a cooling component, is released at any time. Thus, it can provide rapid relief in response to the movements of the wearer of the absorbent article 1, and can maintain a moderate cooling effect for a long time.

[0066] Furthermore, if the cooling agent constituting the cooling layer 50 has a viscosity of 30-80 mPa, then, for example, if the cooling agent is contained within microcapsules, the cooling agent released by the destruction of the microcapsules may be difficult to expose on the side of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorbent 30. If the cooling agent is not contained within microcapsules, and the viscosity of the cooling agent is too low, the cooling agent will permeate into the absorbent 30 when applied to it, making it difficult to transfer to the top sheet 10. Furthermore, if the cooling agent is not contained within microcapsules, and the viscosity of the cooling agent is too high, then when the top sheet 10 is laminated on the absorbent 30, the pressure applied to achieve a given thickness of the absorbent article 1 may cause the cooling agent to be exposed on the side of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorbent 30. Therefore, if the cooling agent constituting the cooling layer 50 has a viscosity of 30 to 80 mPa, the cooling layer 50 can be easily transferred to the top sheet 10, and the cooling agent constituting the cooling layer 50 can be prevented from being exposed on the side of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorber 30.

[0067] Here, for reference, we evaluated the differences in cooling effect obtained based on the configuration position of the cooling layer 50.

[0068] Figure 6 This is a diagram used to illustrate the differences in cooling effect obtained based on the configuration position of the cooling layer 50.

[0069] The degree of cooling sensation was categorized into seven levels, and its variation over time was evaluated for the following scenarios: the cooling layer 50 was only present on the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorber 30; the cooling layer 50 was only present on the intermediate fiber layer (also called the second sheet or intermediate sheet) disposed between the top sheet 10 and the absorber 30; and the cooling layer 50 was only present on the absorber 30. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, no intermediate fiber layer was provided between the top sheet 10 and the absorber 30. However, in order to evaluate the degree of cooling sensation when the cooling layer 50 was only present on the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorber 30, an evaluation was attempted for the case where the cooling layer 50 was only present on the intermediate fiber layer disposed between the top sheet 10 and the absorber 30.

[0070] exist Figure 6In the evaluation, a very strong cooling sensation was assigned as 7 points, a very strong cooling sensation as 6 points, a slightly strong cooling sensation as 5 points, a moderate cooling sensation as 4 points, a slightly weak cooling sensation as 3 points, a very weak cooling sensation as 2 points, and a very weak cooling sensation as 1 point. The results, multiplied by the number of evaluators for each type, were summed and then divided by the total number of evaluators to obtain the average. The variation in the average value when the cooling layer 50 is only present on the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite the absorber 30 is represented by a solid line; the variation in the average value when the cooling layer 50 is only present in the intermediate fiber layer between the top sheet 10 and the absorber 30 is represented by a dashed line; and the variation in the average value when the cooling layer 50 is only present on the absorber 30 is represented by a single-dotted line.

[0071] Therefore, as Figure 6 As shown, the results show that the cooling layer 50 is only held on the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorber 30, the cooling layer 50 is only held on the intermediate fiber layer disposed between the top sheet 10 and the absorber 30, and the cooling layer 50 is only held on the absorber 30. The cooling layer 50 is felt most when it is only held on the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorber 30.

[0072] Therefore, as in this embodiment, by holding the cooling layer 50 on the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorbent 30, a cooling effect can be easily obtained, eliminating discomfort when wearing the absorbent article 1 and improving wearing comfort. Furthermore, in this structure, since the cooling layer 50 is not exposed on the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the absorbent 30, the cooling effect can be sustained without causing strong stimulation during wear. Additionally, it makes it difficult for the cooling agent to come into contact with the manufacturing apparatus during the manufacturing process. Moreover, it is preferable that the amount of cooling layer 50 transferred to the top sheet 10 and the amount of cooling layer 50 transferred to the absorbent 30 are both fixed, with the amount of cooling layer 50 transferred to the top sheet 10 preferably being more fixed.

[0073] In this embodiment, a top sheet 10 is laminated on the skin-side of the absorber 30, and a cooling layer 50 is laminated between the top sheet 10 and the absorber 30. However, a second sheet may also be placed between the top sheet 10 and the absorber 30. The second sheet can be made of a liquid-permeable material such as nonwoven fabric, similar to the top sheet 10. When the second sheet is placed between the top sheet 10 and the absorber 30, the cooling layer 50 can be transferred to the surface of the top sheet 10 opposite to the second sheet by laminating the cooling layer 50 on the skin-side of the second sheet and then laminating the top sheet 10 on top of it.

[0074] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-56356, filed on March 29, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0075] Symbol Explanation 1: Absorbent items 10: Top film 11: concave part 20: Rear section 30: Absorber 31: Absorbent Material 32a, 32b: Packaging materials 40a, 40b: Side plates 50: Cooling layer 51: Gap.

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising an absorbent body sandwiched between a surface sheet and a back sheet, the surface sheet being worn on the skin side. A cooling layer containing a cooling agent is laminated on the surface of the surface sheet opposite to the absorber. The cooling layer is not exposed on the side of the surface sheet opposite to the absorber.

2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein, The surface sheet is textured with raised and recessed surfaces. The cooling layer enters the recess created by the embossing process on the surface of the surface sheet opposite to the absorber.

3. The absorbent article according to claim 2, wherein, The surface sheet is made of non-woven fabric.

4. The absorbent article according to claim 3, wherein, The surface sheet is made of hot-air nonwoven fabric.

5. The absorbent article according to claim 4, wherein, The surface sheet is made of hot-air nonwoven fabric using fully matte yarn.

6. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein, The cooling layer has microcapsules containing a cooling agent.

7. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein, The cooling agent has a viscosity of 30–80 mPa.

8. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, comprising the following steps: The process of laminating a back sheet onto one side of the absorber; On the other side of the absorbent, a cooling layer containing a cooling agent is laminated; and The process of transferring the cooling layer onto the surface sheet by laminating a surface sheet on the other side of the absorber.

9. The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 8, wherein, The other side of the absorbent is formed of an SMS nonwoven fabric made by laminating a spunbond layer, a meltblown layer, and a spunbond layer.

10. The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 8, wherein, The cooling layer is applied to the other side of the absorbent using a slot coating method.

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