Mask

Abstract

To provide a technique which can prevent a pattern with a blurred profile from being attached on a mask front surface.SOLUTION: A mask has a length along a vertical direction and a length along a width direction, and includes a mask body for covering a wearer's mouth, and a pair of ear strings each fixed to either end of the mask body in the width direction. The mask body includes a first sheet forming a mask front surface. The first sheet is a non-woven fabric, and has an embossed rear surface, and a front surface embossed more than the rear surface and forming the mask front surface. A second embossed part formed on the front surface has smaller area than that of first embossed part formed in the front surface and the rear surface. A pattern is attached on at least a part of the front surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mask. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, masks including nonwoven fabric are known (for example, Patent Document 1). Masks are used to protect against infectious diseases and hay fever by covering the mouth and nose of the wearer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-002483 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Generally, nonwoven fabrics are used as materials for masks. Various patterns such as letters and figures may be applied to the surface of the mask. In addition, nonwoven fabrics may become frayed due to wear. When a pattern such as letters or figures is applied to a frayed nonwoven fabric, the frayed fibers may cause the outline of the pattern to become blurred.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of suppressing the imprinting of a pattern with a blurred outline on the surface of a mask. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A mask according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: A mask body having a length along the up-down direction and a length along the width direction and covering the mouth of a wearer; A pair of ear straps fixed to both ends of the mask body in the width direction; Equipped with The mask body includes a first sheet that forms a mask surface; The first sheet is a nonwoven fabric, The back side is embossed, a front surface that is more embossed than the back surface and forms the mask surface; having The second embossed portion formed on the front surface has an area smaller than that of the first embossed portions formed on the front surface and the back surface, At least a portion of the surface is patterned. mask. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a pattern with a blurred outline from being formed on the mask surface. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a mask according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a layered structure of a mask body according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a photograph of the mouth sheet of the mask according to the embodiment, taken with an optical microscope. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the mask according to the embodiment, seen from the mouth sheet side. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a layered structure of a mask body according to a modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the nonwoven fabric according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view in the CD direction of the nonwoven fabric according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a table showing the results of an experiment on the relationship between the surface temperature of a heated roll and the degree of adhesion to the heated roll when polylactic acid fibers are passed through the heated roll. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a method for producing a nonwoven fabric according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a table showing an example of the manufacturing conditions of the nonwoven fabric. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing the nonwoven fabric according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an enlarged view showing an embossing device extracted from a nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an arrangement pattern of embossments to be added to the nonwoven fabric according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a table showing the conditions of the nonwoven fabric used in the experiment and the verification results regarding the surface roughness of the nonwoven fabric according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a photograph showing the results of an investigation into fluffing of the nonwoven fabric according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a table showing the rate of change in light transmittance of the nonwoven fabric according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a table (part 1) showing the experimental results of evaluating the wearing comfort of masks using the nonwoven fabric according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a table (part 2) showing the experimental results evaluating the wearing comfort of masks using the nonwoven fabric according to the embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a table showing the bending stiffness of the nonwoven fabric according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the configurations of the following embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of these embodiments.

[0010] <Embodiment> FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a mask according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the mask 1 has a mask body 2, ear straps 3, 4, side sheets 5, 6, and a nose fitter 7. The mask body 2 is formed of a sheet-like breathable material in a substantially rectangular shape, and has a size that can cover the mouth and nose of a wearer. The mask body 2 has a length along the up-down direction and a length along the width direction. Here, the up-down direction of the mask body 2 coincides with the up-down direction of the wearer when the mask 1 is worn by the wearer, and the width direction of the mask body 2 coincides with the left-right direction of the wearer. In addition, when the mask 1 is worn, the side facing the wearer's skin (the inner side when worn) is the skin side, and the opposite side to the skin side (the outer side when worn) is the non-skin side.

[0011] The ear straps 3, 4 are made of a string-like elastic material, and their ends are joined at both widthwise ends of the mask body 2 to form annular loops on both the left and right sides of the mask body 2, respectively.

[0012] The mask body 2 is composed of various sheets such as breathable nonwoven fabrics, and is a laminate of multiple members. The multiple sheets are appropriately joined to each other at the top, bottom, left, and right edges. The mask body 2 has folds in the width direction that can form a pleated three-dimensional shape. The shape of such folds is maintained by the side sheets 5, 6, which are joined to the left and right ends of the mask body 2 when the mask body 2 is folded into pleats. That is, the side sheets 5, 6 at the left and right ends prevent the folds from unfolding, and in the region near the center of the mask body 2, the folds unfold when the mask 1 is worn, and the pleats of the mask body 2 are unfolded to form a three-dimensional shape. The pleats are closed when the mask is not worn. This allows the mask body 2 to be flat and not bulky.

[0013] The string-like elastic material constituting the ear straps 3, 4 is formed, for example, from a woven band of rubber thread and cotton, a woven net of resin filaments, elastic nonwoven fabric, etc. Both ends of such string-like material are joined to each end in the width direction of the mask body 2, thereby forming the ear straps 3, 4 on both the left and right sides of the mask body 2 in a loop shape with one end of the material as the start point and the other end of the material as the end point.

[0014] The nose fitter 7 is a member fixed to the mask body 2 in a state where the longitudinal direction extends in the width direction of the mask body 2 at the upper part of the mask body 2. The nose fitter 7 may be fixed inside the laminate in a state where it is sandwiched between the sheet-like breathable materials constituting the mask body 2, or may be fixed to the skin side or non-skin side of the mask body 2. The nose fitter 7 is a plastically deformable material that has a strength sufficient to be deformed into an appropriate shape when pressed by the wearer's finger, and maintains its shape even when released from the pressure. By providing such a nose fitter 7 at the upper part of the mask body 2, the wearer can close the gap between the nose and the mask body 2.

[0015] The above-mentioned materials constituting the mask 1 are preferably joined by ultrasonic welding, but various joining techniques such as sewing with sewing thread, adhesion with hot melt adhesive, heat sealing, and the like can also be applied.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a layered structure of the mask body part according to the embodiment. The mask body 2 of the mask according to the embodiment is configured by laminating a top sheet 200, a filter sheet 201, a space maintaining sheet 202 (an example of the "second sheet" in the present application), and a mouth sheet 203 (an example of the "first sheet" in the present application) in the thickness direction from the outer (surface) side toward the skin side (mouth) side. The skin side of the mouth sheet 203 faces the mouth side of the wearer and directly contacts the skin of the wearer. The top sheet 200 may be made of the same material as the mouth sheet 203, or may be a sheet of a different standard that has excellent breathability and resistance to the external environment. To prevent incorrect wearing, the colors of the materials of the top sheet 200 and the mouth sheet 203 can be different. In addition, it is also possible to add a mark or a character string indicating the wearing direction or a brand logo by printing or engraving.

[0017] The filter sheet 201 is a finely woven meltblown nonwoven fabric, and filters fine particles such as pollen and viruses. The filter sheet 201 may be subjected to an electrification treatment to enhance its effect, so that it can adsorb fine particles by static electricity. The space maintaining sheet 202 is a sheet having a beam portion 202A formed by combining rectangular thermoplastic resin films or wires that extend in different directions, and has a higher bending rigidity than the top sheet 200 and the mouth sheet 203. The beam portion 202A has a plurality of beams 202B extending in the vertical direction and a plurality of beams 202C extending in the width direction, and is formed in a lattice shape by the intersection of the beams 202B and 202C. The plurality of beams 202B extend parallel to each other when viewed in a plane, and the plurality of beams 202C extend parallel to each other when viewed in a plane. The beam portion 202A may have at least one of the beams 202B and the beams 202C. The space maintaining sheet 202, due to its bending rigidity, makes it easy to maintain the shape of the pleats while the wearer is wearing the mask. Specifically, it makes it easy to maintain the state in which the pleats are opened and the mask body 2 is cup-shaped. The mouth sheet 203 prevents the rigid space maintaining sheet 202 from directly contacting the skin surface of the wearer. This prevents the mask 1 from becoming less comfortable to wear.

[0018] The mouth sheet 203 has a back surface that is embossed and a front surface that is more embossed than the back surface. The back surface of the mouth sheet 203 faces the opposite side to the wearer's mouth, The back surface of the mouth sheet 203 is attached to the space maintaining sheet 202. The front surface of the mouth sheet 203 faces the mouth of the wearer.

[0019] Here, the mouth sheet 203 is a nonwoven fabric, specifically a spunbond nonwoven fabric. Nonwoven fabrics may become fuzzed due to friction, etc., and if fuzz occurs on the mouth side of the nonwoven fabric, it will feel bad against the skin. In the mask 1 according to this embodiment, the surface of the mouth sheet 203 on the mouth side is embossed relatively more. As a result, the surface of the mouth sheet 203 facing the mouth of the mask 1 is embossed to suppress the occurrence of fuzzing of the fibers, and the mask 1 can feel good against the skin. In addition, the mask 1 is more rigid due to the embossing of the surface of the mouth sheet 203, and it is easier to maintain a shape away from the mouth when worn. As a result, the wearer of the mask 1 feels better when wearing it and can breathe more easily.

[0020] In addition, the back surface of the mouth sheet 203 is attached to the space maintaining sheet 202, and is embossed with fewer marks than the front surface. As a result, the back surface of the mouth sheet 203 is less susceptible to fluffing than the front surface, and some fluffing occurs due to friction and the like that occurs during mask manufacturing. The back surface of the mouth sheet 203 is more likely to engage with the space maintaining sheet 202 due to electrostatic forces and entanglement of fibers with the space maintaining sheet 202, as a result of the fluffing. As a result, the mouth sheet 203 of the mask 1 sticks to the space maintaining sheet 202, and the mouth sheet 203 is more likely to maintain a shape that is spaced apart enough to form a gap with the wearer's mouth. Therefore, the mask 1 can prevent the mouth sheet 203 from sticking to the wearer's skin, which reduces the wearing comfort.

[0021] The mouth sheet 203 is not attached to the space maintaining sheet 202 with an adhesive or the like, but may be attached to the space maintaining sheet 202 by having the fluffy fibers on its back surface entangle with the filter sheet 201 laminated adjacent to the space maintaining sheet 202 on the opposite side of the wearer's mouth through the gaps in the lattice of the space maintaining sheet 202. Since the filter sheet 201 is a meltblown nonwoven fabric, the fibers of the space maintaining sheet 202 can easily entangle with the fibers of the filter sheet 201.

[0022] FIG. 3 shows photographs of the front and back surfaces of the mouth sheet 203 taken with an optical microscope. The optical microscope used was a Keyence VHX, and the photographs were taken at magnifications of 30x, 50x, and 100x. In the photograph of Figure 3, the areas surrounded by black and white circles are the embossed areas. As shown in the photograph of Figure 3, the front side is embossed more than the back side by the amount of embossing surrounded by white circles. The embossing of black circles and the embossing of white circles can be distinguished because the embossing is performed in different processes. The embossing process for nonwoven fabric will be explained in detail in the nonwoven fabric manufacturing method described below.

[0023] 4 is a plan view of the mask 1 according to the embodiment, seen from the mouth sheet side. A pattern 203A is applied to the surface (skin side) of the mouth sheet 203. In this embodiment, the pattern 203A is a one-dimensional code. Since the surface of the mouth sheet 203 has reduced fiber fuzzing, the outline of the pattern 203A is not blurred. This allows the one-dimensional code to be read accurately.

[0024] The pattern 203A may be a two-dimensional code, or may be letters or a graphic name. The outline of the pattern 203A is formed by lines, but with the mask according to this embodiment, the blurring of the outline of the pattern 203A can be suppressed, improving the identifiability of one-dimensional codes and two-dimensional codes, and designs consisting of letters and graphics can be accurately applied to the mask surface. The pattern 203A may be applied to the surface of the mouth sheet 203 by any of laser printing, embossing, ink printing, or other printing techniques. The embossed pattern 203A may be applied to the entire surface of the mouth sheet 203. The surface The sheet 200 may be made of the same nonwoven fabric as the mouth sheet 203, with the highly embossed surface placed on the non-skin side (the exterior surface of the mask), and at least a portion of that surface may be patterned.

[0025] As shown in the photograph of FIG. 3, the added white circle embossing has a different depth compared to the black circle embossing. In the black circle embossing, both sides of the sheet are filmed. On the other hand, in the white circle embossing, only one side of the sheet is filmed and is white, which is almost the same color as the background color of the nonwoven fabric. As a result, the additional embossing on only one side of the sheet does not impair the color of the pattern 203A. For example, in the manufacturing process, a spunbond nonwoven fabric is embossed by performing a primary embossing process (step S103 shown in FIG. 9), and in this embodiment, an additional embossing is performed by performing a secondary embossing process (step S104 shown in FIG. 9). If the added embossing changes from the background color of the nonwoven fabric, it may impair the color and appearance of the pattern 203A compared to a spunbond nonwoven fabric that does not undergo a secondary embossing process. However, nonwoven fabric C according to this embodiment is suitable for forming pattern 203A because the color of the embossed portion in the additional embossing process does not change significantly from the base color of the nonwoven fabric.

[0026] <Modification> Next, a mask according to a modification of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the mask according to the embodiment. The mask 1 according to this modification does not include the space maintaining sheet 202, and the mouth sheet 203 is laminated on the skin side of the filter sheet 201 (an example of the "second sheet" in this application). The mask 1 according to this modification is easy to maintain a shape in which the mouth sheet 203 is separated from the wearer's mouth to such an extent that a gap is formed by entangling the fibers of the filter sheet 201, which is a meltblown nonwoven fabric, between the fuzzy fibers on the back side of the mouth sheet 203. This makes it possible to prevent the mask 1 from sticking to the wearer's mouth.

[0027] Next, a manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric C used for the mouth sheet 203 of the mask 1 will be described. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the nonwoven fabric C according to this embodiment (an example of the "sheet" in the present application) as viewed from above. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view in the CD direction of the nonwoven fabric C cut along the line AA shown in Fig. 6. The nonwoven fabric C is a sheet whose longitudinal direction is in the MD direction, and is composed of multiple layers.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 7, the nonwoven fabric C has a layered structure in which three fiber layers C1 are laminated. In the nonwoven fabric C, each fiber layer C1 is compressed and bonded to each other by embossing. The embossing is performed by passing the nonwoven fabric through an embossing roller heated to a predetermined temperature, thereby fusing the fibers together. The nonwoven fabric C according to this embodiment is a spunbonded nonwoven fabric in which embossing is added to one side of the nonwoven fabric formed by fusing the fibers together using an embossing roller. Such a nonwoven fabric C is suitable for absorbent articles such as diapers and materials for masks.

[0029] Each fiber layer C1 is formed of fibers made of polylactic acid resin. Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable resin that is hydrolyzed by moisture in the natural world to lower molecular weight, and then is eventually decomposed by microorganisms into carbon dioxide and water. The nonwoven fabric C according to this embodiment is a biodegradable nonwoven fabric made of polylactic acid.

[0030] A nonwoven fabric including multiple fiber layers becomes fuzzed due to wear. A fuzzed nonwoven fabric feels bad on the skin and is not suitable for use as a skin-contacting surface of a sanitary product that comes into contact with the skin (e.g., a mask or an absorbent article). However, since a nonwoven fabric can be engaged with another sheet by entanglement of fibers, it is preferable that the surface to be laminated to another sheet has fuzz.

[0031] Therefore, the inventor of the present application has found a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric in which fluffing is suppressed on one side and fluffing is easily generated on the other side. The inventor of the present application has also found that by adding embossing to only one side of the nonwoven fabric, it is possible to manufacture a nonwoven fabric in which fluffing is suppressed on one side and fluffing is easily generated on the other side. In addition, by adding embossing to one side of the nonwoven fabric, for example, the rigidity of the nonwoven fabric is increased, and a mask 1 using a nonwoven fabric with embossing added to one side as the mouth sheet 203 can maintain a shape away from the mouth, improving the fit when wearing the mask.

[0032] The crystallization rate of polylactic acid is slower than that of thermoplastic resins such as polypropylene (PP). When a nonwoven fabric made from polylactic acid is manufactured by the spunbond method, the polylactic acid fibers discharged from the nozzle (discharge port, spinneret 23 shown in FIG. 11) in the spinning process do not crystallize on the conveyor under the manufacturing conditions for nonwoven fabric made from polypropylene. In addition, since polylactic acid has low heat resistance when the crystallinity is low, when fiber layers of polylactic acid with low crystallinity are fused together using a heated roll, the fibers with low heat resistance stick to the heated roll. In addition, polylactic acid shrinks thermally when heated if the crystallinity is insufficient, so when fibers of polylactic acid with low crystallinity are passed through a heated roll, there is a problem that the surface becomes uneven due to heat shrinkage. In addition, the glass transition temperature of polylactic acid is about 60°C. In general, when a thermoplastic resin is heated to a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the fiber by a heated roll when it is not crystallized or has a low crystallinity, the fiber sticks to the heated roll. To solve these problems, a method of increasing the crystallinity of the resin by adding a crystal nucleating agent (nucleating agent) to the raw material polylactic acid can be adopted, but this causes another problem in that the crystal nucleating agent remains after the biodegradable nonwoven fabric decomposes. In addition, if a crystal nucleating agent is added to the raw material resin of the nonwoven fabric, it becomes difficult to pull the fibers tightly in the spinning process, and the fiber diameter becomes large. As the fiber diameter increases, the nonwoven fabric becomes hard and feels bad on the skin. Nonwoven fabrics that feel bad on the skin are not suitable as materials for absorbent articles or masks.

[0033] The inventors of the present application discovered that, in the case of thermoplastic resins such as polypropylene, if the surface temperature of the heated roll is set to the glass transition temperature of the fibers or higher, the fibers stick to the heated roll, but in the case of polylactic acid resins, if the surface temperature of the heated roll is set to 110°C or higher, which is higher than the glass transition temperature of polylactic acid, 60°C, the fibers of polylactic acid do not stick to the heated roll. This is thought to be because, even if the surface temperature of the heated roll exceeds the glass transition temperature, if it is in the temperature range of 90 to 110°C, the fibers stick to the heated roll without fusing together, but when the surface temperature of the heated roll is 110°C or higher, the amount of fibers fusing together increases, so even if some fibers stick to the heated roll, the fibers in the nonwoven fabric will fuse together after passing through the heated roll.

[0034] Figure 8 is a table showing the results of an experiment on the relationship between the surface temperature of the heated roll when polylactic acid fibers are passed through the heated roll and the degree of adhesion to the heated roll. In the "degree of adhesion" column in the table of Figure 8, "x" is indicated if the degree of adhesion is problematic in terms of manufacturing, "o" is indicated if a small amount of fiber adhered to the heated roll but the degree of adhesion is not problematic in terms of manufacturing, and "◎" is indicated if the fiber did not adhere to the heated roll at all.

[0035] In the nonwoven fabric manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, a nonwoven fabric using a polylactic acid resin as a raw material can be manufactured by setting the surface temperature of the heated roll to 110°C or higher. When the surface temperature of the heated roll is 110°C or higher but lower than 120°C, for example, a release agent can be applied to the heated roll to prevent the fibers from sticking to the heated roll. When the surface temperature of the heated roll is lower than 60°C, the polylactic acid fibers do not fuse together, and the required strength cannot be obtained in the completed nonwoven fabric.

[0036] Moreover, the surface temperature of the heated roll is preferably 120° C. or higher. By setting the surface temperature of the heated roll to 120° C. or higher, it is possible to prevent the fibers from sticking to the heated roll even without applying a release agent to the heated roll.

[0037] More preferably, the surface temperature of the heat roll is 145° C. or higher.

[0038] The melting point of the polylactic acid fiber is 150° C. or higher. More specifically, the melting point of the polylactic acid fiber is about 170° C.

[0039] In this embodiment, no nucleating agent is added to the raw material polylactic acid. As a result, the nonwoven fabric according to this embodiment does not contain a nucleating agent. As a result, the nonwoven fabric according to this embodiment does not leave behind any nucleating agent after being decomposed in nature. In addition, if the raw resin contains a nucleating agent, the resin cannot be pulled strongly in the spinning process, and the fibers become thicker. In addition, the manufacturing cost of the nonwoven fabric increases by the amount of the nucleating agent used. However, since the nonwoven fabric according to this embodiment does not contain a nucleating agent, these problems do not occur.

[0040] Next, a method for producing the nonwoven fabric C according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a flow chart of the method for producing the nonwoven fabric C according to the present embodiment. First, in the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, molten polylactic acid resin is discharged vertically downward from a die, and the resin is pulled vertically downward by an air flow to form a fiber (step S101). In this spinning step, the fiber diameter is set to 15 μm or less. In step S102, the fibers are piled up on a conveyor and conveyed (an example of a "conveying step"). The conveying speed of the fibers in the conveying step of S102 may be 40 m / min or more and 120 m / min or less. In step S103, the primary embossing step is performed. In the primary embossing step, the fibers laminated in three layers are passed through a pair of embossing rollers to emboss both sides, and the fibers are fused together. In step S104, the sheet formed in S103 is conveyed by a conveyor (an example of a "conveying step"). The fiber conveying speed in the conveying step of S104 is 20 m / min or more and 60 m / min or less. In step S105, which is the next step after step S104, a secondary embossing process is performed on the sheet being conveyed in S104. In the secondary embossing process, the sheet is passed between an embossing roller and an anvil roller arranged opposite the embossing roller, and embossing is added to only one side of the sheet.

[0041] The crystallinity of the polylactic acid resin prior to the primary embossing process in step S103 is 35% or more. In this embodiment, by setting the crystallinity of the polylactic acid resin to 35% or more, it is possible to suppress the thermal shrinkage of the polylactic acid fibers in the fusion process.

[0042] FIG. 10 is a table showing an example of manufacturing conditions for a nonwoven fabric. In the "raw material" column, "+nucleating agent" indicates that a crystal nucleating agent is added to polylactic acid. In the "output rate (g / min·hole)" column, each value indicates the output rate of fiber per minute from the spinneret 23 shown in FIG. 11. In the "injector pressure (Mpa)" column, each value indicates the pressure of the injector 40 shown in FIG. 11. In the "diameter (μm)" column, each value indicates the fiber diameter after the spinning process. In the "crystallinity" column, each value indicates the crystallinity of the fiber after the spinning process. In the "heat roll temperature (℃)" column, the value (145℃) indicates the surface temperature of the heat roll in the fusion process. In the "sticking phenomenon" column, the phenomenon of the fiber sticking to the heat roll is shown. As shown in the table of FIG. 10, by making the fiber diameter of polylactic acid 15μm or less, the crystallinity of the polylactic acid resin can be made 35% or more. Even if the fiber diameter is greater than 15 μm, the degree of crystallinity can be increased to 35% or more by adding a crystal nucleating agent to the polylactic acid.

[0043] Next, a manufacturing method and manufacturing device for the nonwoven fabric according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 is a diagram showing a nonwoven fabric manufacturing device M for manufacturing the nonwoven fabric C according to this embodiment. In Figure 11, the nonwoven fabric manufacturing device M is equipped with three sets of ejection devices (fiber ejection devices) 10, and each of the ejection devices 10 (10A, 10B, 10C) is constructed with a spinning device 20, a cold air device 30, and an injector 40. The nonwoven fabric manufacturing device M can manufacture a three-layered nonwoven fabric by being equipped with the ejection devices 10A, 10B, and 10C.

[0044] In the nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus M, together with the ejection device 10, a collecting conveyor 50, an embossing device 60, an embossing device 90, and a winder 70 are arranged in series so that various processes can be performed. The ejection devices 10A, 10B, and 10C are arranged in series in the conveying direction relative to the conveying surface above the collecting conveyor 50. The nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus M is constructed so as to continuously manufacture nonwoven fabrics whose CD direction (width direction) is the direction toward the paper surface of FIG. 11, and manufactures nonwoven fabrics by the so-called spunbond method in which spun fibers (filaments) are collected in a sheet shape and embossed to appropriately bond the fibers together.

[0045] The spinning device 20 is configured to include an extruder 21 and a spinneret 23. The extruder 21 melts raw material resin R (R1, R2, R3) supplied to a hopper 22, and sends a predetermined flow rate of the melt to the spinneret 23 by rotating a spiral rotor 21r. The spinneret 23 has a plurality of composite spinning nozzles (not shown) configured to discharge the melt from the extruder 21 while forming a desired fibrous structure, and spins (discharges) the melt from the extruder 21 in the direction of gravity as a bundle F of a plurality of filaments (fibers) f (hereinafter referred to as a "filament aggregate"). As described above, a polylactic acid-based resin is used as the raw material resin R.

[0046] The cold air device 30 includes a pair of open-type blowers 31 and 32 arranged at opposing positions. The cold air device 30 is arranged between the spinning device 20 and the injector 40 when viewed in the spinning direction (gravity direction). The cold air device 30 blows cooling air Ac from each of the blowers 31 and 32 onto the filament aggregate F discharged from the spinning device 20 and passing from above to below to cool it. Here, the cold air device 30 is installed such that one blower 31 is a large type that can be used as a main blower, and the other blower 32 facing it is a small type that can be used as a sub blower and auxiliary. In the open-type nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus M, air can flow in from outside the cold air device 30 when cooling with the cold air device 30.

[0047] The injector 40 has a structure that generates a low pressure region on the inlet side of the body 41 by blowing downward high pressure air as a driving fluid onto the filament aggregate F that descends to pass through the body 41 from above in the spinning direction toward below. The injector 40 draws the descending filament aggregate F so as to draw it into the low pressure region on the inlet side of the body 41, while also drawing it downward within the body 41 with high pressure air, thereby stretching the filament aggregate F that descends from above in the spinning direction toward below via the cooling air device 30. Note that the process from when the polylactic acid resin is discharged from the spinneret 23 of the spinning device 20 until the filament aggregate is deposited on the collecting conveyor is the process of step S101 (spinning process) shown in FIG. 9.

[0048] The collecting conveyor 50 is constructed with a main conveyor 51, sub-conveyors 52 and 53, and a suction box (suction means) 54. The main conveyor 51 is installed so that a mesh-like collecting belt 151, which is formed wider than the width of the filament aggregate F and is breathable on both sides, is wound around a group of rollers 151r and driven to rotate. The sub-conveyors 52 and 53 are also installed so that mesh-like collecting belts 152 and 153, which are formed wider than the width of the filament aggregate F and are breathable on both sides, are wound around a group of rollers 152r and a group of rollers 153r, respectively, and driven to rotate in opposite directions.

[0049] The collecting belt 151 is wound around a group of rollers 151r with a length such that the upper surface 151a is reliably positioned at the spraying points below the ejection devices 10A, 10B, and 10C, and is adapted to receive and transport the filament aggregate Fa drawn by the injector 40, which is pulled down by the injector 40, to collect it in a cloth (sheet) form. That is, the collecting belt 151 has a sufficient area to collect the sheet-like filament aggregate Fa by rotating from the upstream end (leading end) to the downstream end (rear end) in the rotating direction (transport direction) of the upper surface 151a, and functions as a collecting surface and a transport surface. The filament aggregate Fa becomes the lower fiber layer C1 in the nonwoven fabric C shown in FIG. 7.

[0050] The collecting belt 152 is wound around a group of rollers 152r with its upper surface 152a positioned at a spraying point below the ejection device 10B located at the middle of the rotational movement direction of the upper surface 151a of the collecting belt 151, and is adapted to collect the filament aggregate Fb in a sheet-like form by receiving and transporting it as it is pulled down by the injector 40. The collecting belt 153 is wound around a group of rollers 153r with its upper surface 153a positioned at a spraying point below the ejection device 10C located at the downstream end (rear end) of the rotational movement direction of the upper surface 151a of the collecting belt 151, and is adapted to collect the filament aggregate Fc in a sheet-like form by receiving and transporting it as it is pulled down by the injector 40. The filament aggregate Fb becomes the middle fiber layer C1 in the nonwoven fabric C shown in FIG. 7.

[0051] These collecting belts 152, 153 are installed at a position downstream from below the ejection device 10A located at the upstream end (leading end) in the circulating direction of the upper surface 151a of the collecting belt 151, and are positioned between the upper surface 151a and the ejection devices 10B, 10C and driven to rotate in the reverse direction, so that the upper surfaces 152a, 153a function as a collecting surface and a conveying surface for collecting the sheet-like filament assemblies Fb, Fc. These collecting belts 152, 153 are driven to rotate so as to sandwich the sheet-like filament assemblies Fb, Fc between their lower parts facing the upper surface (upper part) 151a of the collecting belt 151 without peeling off and turning over, and function to assist in conveying them downstream.

[0052] The suction box 54 is housed in the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 and is partitioned into suction chambers 154a, 154a-2, 154b, 154b-2, 154c, and 154c-2, each of which functions as a decompression chamber. Suction ports (not shown) are arranged in the suction chambers 154a to 154c-2 so as to suck the upper side, and suction fans 155a to 155c-2, which can be driven individually, are connected to the suction chambers 154a to 154c-2 so as to be capable of sucking the upper side.

[0053] The suction chambers 154a, 154b, and 154c are installed so as to be located below the injectors 40 of the ejection devices 10A, 10B, and 10C, respectively, and the suction chambers 154a-2, 154b-2, and 154c-2 are installed so as to be located downstream of these suction chambers 154a, 154b, and 154c.

[0054] The suction chamber 154a is installed so as to be located directly below the collection belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 below the injector 40 of the ejection device 10A, and the suction fan 155a is driven to reduce pressure, thereby sucking in the area from directly below the collection belt 151 upward.

[0055] The suction chamber 154a-2 is installed adjacent to the downstream side of the suction chamber 154a so as to be located directly below the collection belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 between it and the suction chamber 154b located below the ejection device 10B, as described below. The suction fan 155a-2 is driven to reduce pressure and suck in the area above the collection belt 151.

[0056] As a result, the filament aggregate Fa spun by the ejection device 10A is sucked by the suction chamber 154a below the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 so as to be collected on the upper surface 151a. Therefore, the filament aggregate Fa is collected in a sheet-like shape on the upper surface 151a and held and transferred as the collecting belt 151 moves around in the length direction. Thereafter, the filament aggregate Fa is transferred from the suction chamber 154a to the adjacent suction chamber 154a-2 as the collecting belt 151 moves around in the length direction, and is sucked and held so as to maintain the sheet-like shape and transferred.

[0057] The suction chamber 154b is installed so as to be located directly below the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 below the injector 40 of the ejection device 10B, and when the suction fan 155b is driven to reduce pressure, it sucks in the area directly below the collecting belt 151 and above the collecting belt 152 of the sub-conveyor 52.

[0058] The suction chamber 154b-2 is installed adjacent to the downstream side of the suction chamber 154b so as to be located directly below the collection belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 between it and the suction chamber 154c located below the ejection device 10C, as described below. The suction fan 155b-2 is driven to reduce pressure and suck in the area above the collection belt 151.

[0059] As a result, the filament aggregate Fa spun by the ejection device 10A is sucked and held in sheet form on the upper surface 151a by the suction chambers 154b and 154b-2 below the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51, following the above-mentioned suction chambers 154a and 154a-2, and transported thereon.

[0060] Further, the filament aggregate Fb spun by the ejection device 10B is sucked by the suction chamber 154b below the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 so as to be collected on the upper surface 152a of the collecting belt 152 of the sub-conveyor 52 on the upper surface 151a. Therefore, the filament aggregate Fb is collected and held in a sheet-like shape on the upper surface 152a as the collecting belt 152 moves around in the length direction, and is transported.

[0061] Incidentally, the collecting belt 152 of the sub-conveyor 52 rotates in the opposite direction to the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51, so that the upper surface 152a of the collecting belt 152 moves in the opposite direction, and then is turned upside down and moves in the same direction facing the upper surface 151a of the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51. Therefore, the filament aggregate Fb spun by the ejection device 10B is collected and held in a sheet-like shape on the upper surface 152a of the collecting belt 152 of the sub-conveyor 52 and transferred, and then overlaps the sheet-like filament aggregate Fa on the upper surface 151a of the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51, and is sucked and held in the sheet-like shape by the suction chamber 154b below the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 and transferred.

[0062] As a result, the filament aggregate Fab (Fa, Fb) that is collected, held, and stacked in a sheet shape below the ejection device 10B is transferred from the suction chamber 154b to the adjacent suction chamber 154b-2 as the collection belt 151 moves around in the longitudinal direction, and is transported while being suctioned and held so as to maintain the sheet shape.

[0063] The suction chamber 154c is installed so as to be located directly below the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 below the injector 40 of the ejection device 10C, and when the suction fan 155c is driven to reduce pressure, it sucks in the area directly below the collecting belt 151 and above the collecting belt 153 of the sub-conveyor 53.

[0064] The suction chamber 154c-2 is adjacent to the downstream side of the suction chamber 154c, and is The suction fan 155c-2 is driven to reduce pressure and sucks air upward from directly below the collecting belt 151.

[0065] As a result, the filament aggregates Fab spun by the ejection devices 10A and 10B are transported, following the above-mentioned suction chambers 154a to 154b-2, by the suction chambers 154c and 154c-2 below the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51, while remaining in a sheet-like form overlapping on the upper surface 151a.

[0066] The filament aggregate Fc spun by the ejection device 10C is sucked by the suction chamber 154c below the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 so as to be collected on the upper surface 153a of the collecting belt 153 of the sub-conveyor 53 on the upper surface 151a. Therefore, the filament aggregate Fc is collected and held in a sheet-like shape on the upper surface 153a as the collecting belt 153 moves around in the length direction. The filament aggregate Fc becomes the upper fiber layer C1 in the nonwoven fabric C shown in FIG. 7.

[0067] Incidentally, the collecting belt 153 of the sub-conveyor 53 also rotates in the opposite direction to the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51, so that the upper surface 153a of the collecting belt 153 moves in the opposite direction, and then is turned upside down and moves in the same direction facing the upper surface 151a of the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51. Therefore, the filament aggregate Fc spun by the ejection device 10C is collected and held in a sheet-like form on the upper surface 153a of the collecting belt 153 of the sub-conveyor 53 and transferred, and then is further overlapped with the sheet-like filament aggregate Fab on the upper surface 151a of the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51, and is sucked and held in the sheet-like form by the suction chamber 154c below the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 and transferred.

[0068] As a result, the filament aggregate Fabc (Fa, Fb, Fc) that is collected, held, and stacked in a sheet shape below the ejection device 10C is transferred from the suction chamber 154c to the adjacent suction chamber 154c-2 as the collection belt 151 moves around in the longitudinal direction, and is transported while being suctioned and held so as to maintain the sheet shape.

[0069] In short, the collecting conveyor 50 collects and holds the filament assemblies Fa, Fb, Fc spun by the ejecting devices 10A, 10B, 10C on the upper surfaces 151a-153a of the collecting belts 151-153 by suction in the suction boxes 54 in the form of a sheet of a predetermined thickness, and then stacks them to form a filament assembly Fabc (nonwoven fabric C) before embossing, which is then transported downstream to the embossing device 60. The process in which the filament assembly is piled up on the collecting conveyor and transported is the process of step S102 shown in FIG.

[0070] As described above, the collecting conveyor 50 of this embodiment is arranged such that the suction chambers 154a to 154c-2 of the suction box 54 installed under the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 correspond to the injectors 40 of the ejection devices 10A to 10C, and the suction fans 155a to 155c-2 connected to each of them are set to suck at a wind speed (air volume) according to the partitioned range (area) of the suction chambers 154a to 154c-2 and the required suction pressure. Here, the partitioned range and suction pressure of the suction chambers 154a to 154c-2 may be set appropriately.

[0071] Specifically, the suction chamber 154a, without the use of a sub-conveyor, sucks in the filament aggregate Fa that is pulled down from the outlet of the injector 40 of the ejection device 10A directly above the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 from below the collecting belt 151, and collects and holds it in a sheet-like form.

[0072] This suction chamber 154a is partitioned so that a suction pressure Pa capable of stably holding the descending filament aggregate Fa is generated under the conveying surface of the collection belt 151 in a narrow range approximately equal to the spray area in the transport direction, and the interior of this partitioned range is sucked in by the suction fan 155a to create a negative pressure.

[0073] The suction chambers 154b, 154c respectively suck the filament assemblies Fb, Fc pulled down from the outlets of the injectors 40 of the ejection devices 10B, 10C directly above the collecting belts 152, 153 of the sub-conveyors 52, 53 from below the collecting belt 151, and collect and hold them in a sheet-like form. These sub-conveyors 52, 53 sandwich the sheet-like filament assemblies Fb, Fc collected and held on the collecting belts 152, 153 between the collecting belts 152, 153 below, and send them downstream as filament assemblies Fab, Fabc.

[0074] These suction chambers 154b, 154c are driven by suction fans 155b, 155c to generate suction pressures Pb, Pc capable of stably holding the descending filament assemblies Fb, Fc under the conveying surfaces of the collecting belts 152, 153. Note that, like the suction chamber 154a, these suction chambers 154b, 154c are also sucked and made negative by the suction fans 155b, 155c so that the desired suction pressures Pb, Pc are generated in a narrow partitioned range approximately equal to the spray area in the conveying direction of the descending filament assemblies Fb, Fc. At the same time, these suction chambers 154b, 154c suck the collecting belts 152, 153 of the sub-conveyors 52, 53 with the filament assemblies Fab, Fabc on the collecting belt 151 between them. For this reason, the suction chambers 154b, 154c may increase or decrease the suction volume by adjusting the suction range in the transport direction under the collection belt 151 so that optimal suction pressures Pb, Pc are generated on the collection belts 152, 153, and the suction range within the collection belts 152, 153 may also be similarly divided so that it is possible to adjust the suction range.

[0075] Thereby, the suction chambers 154b and 154c, like the suction chamber 154a, can continuously suck and hold the filament assemblies Fab and Fabc that are increased from the sheet-like filament assembly Fa via the collection belt 151 of the main conveyor 51.

[0076] The suction chambers 154a-2, 154b-2, and 154c-2 continuously suck and hold the sheet-like filament assemblies Fa, Fab, and Fabc on the collection belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 downstream of the suction chambers 154a, 154b, and 154c, respectively.

[0077] The suction chambers 154a-2, 154b-2, and 154c-2 are driven by the suction fan 155a-2 to generate suction pressures Pa-2, Pb-2, and Pc-2 that continuously suck and hold the sheet-like filament aggregates Fa, Fab, and Fabc on the collecting belt 151. The suction chambers 154a-2 and 154b-2 are disposed between the suction chambers 154a, 154b, and 154c, and are continuous to suck without gaps, so that they are installed to suck a wide partition range so as to connect the separate collection positions of each of the ejection devices 10. The suction chamber 154c-2 is installed to suck a shorter partition range because it only delivers the sheet-like filament aggregate Fabc received from the suction chamber 154c to the embossing device 60 adjacent to the downstream side.

[0078] As a result, the suction chambers 154a-2, 154b-2, and 154c-2 can respectively suck and hold the sheet-like filament assemblies Fa, Fab, and Fabc located on the upper surface 151a via the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 in the suction chambers 154a, 154b, and 154c. The upper sheet-like filament assemblies Fa, Fab are sucked and held by the suction chambers 154a-2, 154b-2, respectively, and therefore do not float up, but are sandwiched between the collecting belts 152, 153 of the sub-conveyors 52, 53. The sheet-like filament assemblies Fa, Fab are superimposed on the collecting belts 152, 153 and turned upside down to form sheet-like filament assemblies Fab, Fabc, which are then sucked and held and transported downstream.

[0079] As described above, the collecting conveyor 50 is set so that the individual suction fans 155a to 155c-2 suck at a required wind speed so that a suction pressure P sufficient for collecting and holding the sheet-like filament aggregate F is generated for each of the suction chambers 154a to 154c-2 of the suction box 54 on the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51. Note that the relative relationship (strength) of the suction pressure P on the collecting surface (transport surface) of the filament aggregate F for each of the suction chambers 154a to 154c-2 described below will be explained by calculating and substituting a wind speed value according to the separation space from the connection points of the suction fans 155a to 155c-2 to the collecting surface.

[0080] For example, the suction box 54 is adjusted so that the suction pressures Pa, Pb, Pc of the suction chambers 154a, 154b, 154c located at the points where the filament aggregate F is sprayed by the spraying devices 10A, 10B, 10C on the collection conveyor 50 are greater than the suction pressures Pa-2, Pb-2, Pc-2 of the suction chambers 154a-2, 154b-2, 154c-2 located downstream of each of them. In addition, the suction pressure Ps (Pa, Pa-2) of the suction chambers 154a, 154a-2 at the front in the transport direction of the filament aggregate F, the suction pressure Pm (Pb, Pb-2) of the intermediate suction chambers 154b, 154b-2, and the suction pressure Pe (Pc, Pc-2) of the rearmost suction chambers 154c, 154c-2 can be adjusted to be smaller than the front suction pressure Ps and the rearmost suction pressure Pe (Ps>Pm and Pe>Pm) because both the upstream and downstream sides are suctioned and held in place. In addition, the suction pressures Pa, Pb, and Pc are adjusted according to the basis weight of the filament aggregate F on the transport surface so as not to excessively reduce the pressure in the suction chambers 154a, 154b, and 154c, thereby preventing the smooth relative movement of the collecting belt 151.

[0081] In detail, the suction chamber 154a is configured to set the suction pressure Pa of the collection belt 151 of the main conveyor 51, which collects and holds the filament aggregate Fa spun by the ejection device 10A in a sheet shape, so that the basis weight of the semi-finished product wound into a roll shape by the winder 70 is, for example, 10 to 30 g / m 2 When manufacturing the nonwoven fabric C, the wind speed Pa is set to 7.5. This suction pressure (wind speed) Pa is set to a relatively strong value so that the filament aggregate Fa is attracted to the upper surface 151a of the collecting belt 151 regardless of its basis weight, since this is the point where the filament aggregate Fa is sucked and begins to be collected and held in a sheet form.

[0082] The suction chamber 154a-2 is connected to the suction chamber 154a in the same manner, with a suction pressure of Pa-2 and a basis weight of 10 to 30 g / m 2 When manufacturing the nonwoven fabric C, the wind speed Pa-2 is set to 3.8. Here, as with the suction pressure Pa, the suction pressure (wind speed) Pa-2 is sufficient to maintain the shape of the filament aggregate Fa that is sucked and held in a sheet shape, regardless of the basis weight (weighing) of the filament aggregate Fa, and is held low at about half the suction pressure Pa because the filament aggregate Fa is sandwiched between the collecting belts 151 and 152 of the main conveyor 51 and the sub-conveyor 52 as it is.

[0083] The suction chamber 154b has a suction pressure Pb of, for example, 10 to 30 g / m 2 When manufacturing the nonwoven fabric C, the wind speed Pb is set to 6.0. As with the suction pressure Pa, the suction pressure (wind speed) Pb is set to a strong value regardless of the basis weight because the filament aggregate Fb is collected and formed into a sheet on the collection belt 152 of the sub-conveyor 52. However, since the filament aggregate Fab on the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 is sucked in between, the pressure is set low so as not to restrict the movement of the collecting belt 151.

[0084] The suction chamber 154b-2 is connected to the suction chamber 154b and has a suction pressure Pb-2, for example, a basis weight of 10 to 30 g / m 2When manufacturing the nonwoven fabric C, the wind speed Pa is set to 3.2. Here, the suction pressure (wind speed) Pb-2 is set to a level that maintains the shape of the filament aggregates Fb and Fab in a sheet shape, regardless of the basis weight (weighing) of the filament aggregates Fb and Fab, as with the suction pressure Pb, and is set to a very low value because the filament aggregates F are sandwiched between the collecting belts 151 and 153 of the main conveyor 51 and the sub-conveyor 53 as is, and is set so that the filament aggregates F with a smaller basis weight are sucked more strongly so that they are reliably sucked and held and enter between the collecting belts 151 and 153. Note that, on the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 below the sub-conveyor 53, the sheet-like filament aggregate Fc collected and held by the collecting belt 153 is sandwiched in a state where it is overlapped with the sheet-like filament aggregate Fab, sucked and held, and transferred downstream.

[0085] The suction chamber 154c is configured to have a suction pressure Pc of, for example, 10 to 30 g / m 2 When manufacturing the nonwoven fabric C, the suction pressure (wind speed) Pc is set to Pa=7.4. As with the suction pressures Pa and Pb, the suction pressure (wind speed) Pc is set to a strong value regardless of the basis weight because the filament aggregate Fc is collected and formed on the collecting belt 153 of the sub-conveyor 53, but since the filament aggregate Fabc on the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 is sucked in between, the suction pressure Pc is kept low so as not to restrict the movement of the collecting belt 151.

[0086] The suction chamber 154c-2 is connected to the suction chamber 154c and has a suction pressure Pb-2, for example, a basis weight of 10 to 30 g / m 2 When manufacturing the nonwoven fabric C, the suction pressure (wind speed) Pc-2 is set to Pa=3.2 to 3.8. The suction pressure (wind speed) Pc-2 is set lower than the suction pressure Pa according to the basis weight so that the filament aggregate Fabc conveyed from under the sub-conveyor 53 is reliably sucked and held by the collecting belt 151 of the main conveyor 51 and delivered to the embossing device 60.

[0087] In the nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus M, the line speed of the collecting belts 151, 152, and 153 is 40 m / min or more and 120 m / min or less. The fiber discharge rate of the ejection devices 10A, 10B, and 10C is 0.5 / min / hole (0.5 / min·hole) or less. The filament aggregates Fa, Fb, and Fc (three layers of the fiber layer C1) are produced at a spinning speed of 10 to 150 m / s (preferably 20 m / s or more and 150 m / s or less). In the nonwoven fabric C produced under these conditions, the fiber diameter in the fiber layer C1 is 15 μm or less. The spinning speed can be adjusted by the ejection pressure of the ejection devices 10A, 10B, and 10C.

[0088] The embossing device 60 includes a pair of embossing rollers 61, 62, which rotate relative to each other with their cylindrical outer circumferential surfaces 61a, 62a pressed against each other. The embossing rollers 61, 62 are, for example, made of metal and are an example of the above-mentioned heated roll. In the embossing device 60, embossing protrusions (not shown) arranged regularly or irregularly on the cylindrical outer circumferential surface 62a of the upper embossing roller 62 are pressed against the smooth cylindrical outer circumferential surface 61a of the lower embossing roller 61 with a desired pressing force. In this embossing process, both sides of the filament aggregate Fabc (nonwoven fabric C) are embossed. The embossed area ratio may be 5% or more and 25% or less.

[0089] As a result, the embossing device 60 feeds the filament aggregate Fabc to be sandwiched between the embossing rollers 61 and 62 in the relative rotation direction, and adjusts the formation position of the embossed protrusion. The filaments f are embossed at a plurality of embossing points corresponding to the filaments f, so that the filaments f are entangled and compressed and bonded to each other, and processed into a nonwoven fabric that maintains its sheet-like shape. The embossed protrusions formed on the cylindrical outer peripheral surface 62a of the embossing roller 62 may be formed on the cylindrical outer peripheral surface 61a side of the embossing roller 61, or may be formed on both of the cylindrical outer peripheral surfaces 61a, 62a. Furthermore, the embossed protrusions may be formed not only in a convex shape, but also in a concave shape, and may be pressed against the opposing cylindrical surface to compress and bond the filaments fbc by, for example, pressing a continuous rib shape. The embossing of the filament aggregate Fabc filament aggregate by the embossing device 60 is the process of step S103 (first embossing process) shown in FIG. 9. The surface temperature of the embossing rollers 61, 62 is 110° C. or higher, preferably 120° C. or higher, and more preferably 145° C. or higher. As shown in FIG. 8, by setting the surface temperature of the embossing rollers 61, 62 to 120° C. or higher, it is possible to prevent the fibers from sticking to the embossing rollers 61, 62 even if the embossing rollers 61, 62 are not coated with a release agent.

[0090] The nonwoven fabric that has passed through the embossing rollers 61, 62 is transported by a transport device (transportation step), and an embossed portion 80 is formed on one side of the nonwoven fabric in a secondary embossing step. Fig. 12 is an enlarged view showing an embossing device 90 that performs the secondary embossing step, extracted from the nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus M. In the secondary embossing step, an embossed portion 80 is formed on one side of the nonwoven fabric C by an embossing roller 92 and an anvil roller 91 provided in the embossing device 90. The embossed portion 80 formed on the nonwoven fabric C in the secondary embossing step is an embossed portion with shallower recesses than the embossing performed by the embossing device 60.

[0091] The embossing device 90 includes a cylindrical metallic embossing roller 92 and a cylindrical anvil roller 91 arranged opposite the embossing roller 92, and the embossing roller 92 and the anvil roller 91 rotate relative to each other. The embossing roller 92 is an example of the above-mentioned heat roll. This embossing device 90 presses convex embossing protrusions 92b (an example of the "protrusion" in this application) arranged regularly or irregularly on the cylindrical outer circumferential surface 92a of the upper embossing roller 92 against the smooth cylindrical outer circumferential surface 91a of the lower anvil roller 91 with a desired pressure. The area ratio of the embossed portion 80 is 9% or more and 30% or less. In addition, the surface of the nonwoven fabric that contacts the anvil roller 91 (the other surface) does not have the embossed portion 80 formed thereon, or the size of the embossed portion 80 is smaller or the amount of the embossed portion 80 is smaller than that of the surface to which the embossed portion 80 is added. Therefore, the surface to which the embossed portion 80 is added is not harder and is less susceptible to fluffing, facilitating the production of a laminated nonwoven fabric (for example, a mask material) by further laminating other nonwoven fabrics.

[0092] In this way, the embossing device 90 feeds the nonwoven fabric C sandwiched between the embossing roller 92 and the anvil roller 91 in the relative rotation direction, and adds embossing units 80 to the nonwoven fabric C, which squeeze at a plurality of embossing locations corresponding to the positions where the embossing protrusions 92b are formed. The embossing roller 92 may be disposed on the lower side and the anvil roller 91 on the upper side. The process in which the embossing device 90 adds the embossing units 80 to the nonwoven fabric is the process of step S105 (secondary embossing process) shown in FIG. 9.

[0093] Moreover, the linear pressure that the embossing protrusions 92b provided on the embossing roller 92 apply to the anvil roller 91 is 35 kg / cm or more and 100 kg / cm or less. By satisfying this condition, it is possible to add embossed portions 80 only to the surface of the nonwoven fabric that comes into contact with the embossing roller 92.

[0094] In the secondary embossing process, the tops of the embossing protrusions 92b provided on the outer peripheral surface of the embossing roller 92 are heated to a temperature at which the nonwoven fabric C can be embossed. If the temperature is too high (for example, above the melting point of the raw material), the nonwoven fabric C may shrink in width or break. If the temperature is too low, When the apex of the embossed projections 92b is heated to 135°C or higher, the embossed portion 80 is not formed. Specifically, the appropriate temperature varies depending on the raw material of the nonwoven fabric, but when the raw material is a polylactic acid resin, the temperature is preferably 135°C or higher and 155°C or lower, more preferably 140°C or higher and 155°C or lower, as shown in FIG. 8. When the apex of the embossed projections 92b exceeds 155°C, the occurrence of width shrinkage of the nonwoven fabric C can be suppressed by 90%. In addition, by setting the temperature at 135°C or higher, the rigidity obtained by the embossing process can improve the skin feel. In addition, when the apex of the embossed projections 92b is heated to 140°C or higher, a sufficient fusion force for suppressing fiber fluffing is exerted, so that fiber fluffing can be suppressed. In this embodiment, the raw material of the nonwoven fabric C is polylactic acid, and the temperature when the embossed portion 80 is applied to the nonwoven fabric C made of polylactic acid is 135°C or higher and 155°C or lower. In the case of nonwoven fabric C made from polylactic acid, if the surface temperature of the roller used in the embossing section 80 is in the temperature range of 90°C or higher and lower than 110°C, the fibers may not fuse together and the nonwoven fabric may stick to the embossing roller 92.

[0095] The surface temperature of the anvil roller 91 is lower than the temperature at which the sheet-shaped nonwoven fabric C can be embossed, and is preferably 70°C or less. As described in FIG. 8, the nonwoven fabric C made of polylactic acid resin has high adhesion to the roller used in the secondary embossing process when the surface temperature of the roller is 90°C or more and less than 110°C, and when the surface temperature is 110°C or more, the fibers in the nonwoven fabric are fused together. Therefore, by setting the temperature of the anvil roller 91 to 70°C or less, it is possible to prevent the nonwoven fabric from sticking to or wrapping around the anvil roller 91, and it is also possible to suppress the formation of an embossed portion on the anvil roller 91 side due to the fusion of the fibers together. The surface temperature of the anvil roller 91 made of polylactic acid in this embodiment is preferably 60°C or more and 70°C or less in order to prevent width shrinkage.

[0096] The outer peripheral surface 91a of the anvil roller 91 is made of rubber. If the outer peripheral surface 91a of the anvil roller 91 is made of rubber, which has a higher elasticity than metal or the like, the time that the nonwoven fabric passes through the embossing roller 92 and the anvil roller 91 will be longer, and the time that the embossing protrusions 92b provided on the embossing roller 92 contact the nonwoven fabric will be longer. In addition, the contact area of ​​the embossing protrusions 92b with the nonwoven fabric will also be wider, so that it is possible to add the embossed portion 80 to the nonwoven fabric even if the heat applied to the nonwoven fabric is low, compared to the case where heat is applied from both sides of the nonwoven fabric in the thickness direction. In addition, it is possible to add the embossed portion 80 only to the sheet that the embossing roller 92 is in contact with.

[0097] The surface of the nonwoven fabric C to which the embossed portion 80 is added is the surface that comes into contact with the embossing roller 92. By adding the embossed portion 80 only to the surface that comes into contact with the embossing roller 92, it is possible to suppress fuzzing on the one side to which the embossing is added and to increase the rigidity of the nonwoven fabric C. The above-mentioned nonwoven fabric manufacturing method can also be regarded as part of the mask manufacturing process. According to the mask manufacturing method of this embodiment, fuzzing of the nonwoven fabric C used in the mouth sheet 203 can be suppressed. This makes it possible to suppress the outline of the pattern 203A applied to the surface of the mouth sheet 203 from becoming blurred.

[0098] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of embossed portions 80 added to the nonwoven fabric C according to the embodiment. The arrangement pattern of the embossed portions 80 is the same as the arrangement pattern of the embossed protrusions 92b of the embossing roller 92. The shape of the embossed protrusions 92b provided on the embossing roller 92 is elliptical. Since the elliptical shape does not have corners, it is possible to improve the feel without getting caught. The left-right direction on the paper surface of FIG. 13 is the CD direction, and the up-down direction is the MD direction. The elliptical embossed portions 80 may be arranged in a staggered pattern as shown in FIG. 13(a), and fluffing may be prevented by multiple embossed portions 80 adjacent to each other in the MD and CD directions of the nonwoven fabric C. Also, as shown in FIG. 13(b), the major axes of the elliptical embossed portions 80 may be arranged in a matrix pattern in which the major axes are parallel to each other. By arranging the major axes of the multiple embossed portions 80 parallel to each other, the rigidity in one direction can be increased. For example, when used in a mask, the mask can easily maintain a three-dimensional shape away from the mouth. Also, as shown in FIG. 13(c), a plurality of embossed sections 80 may be arranged in a line in the CD direction, and the plurality of adjacent embossed sections 80 in the CD direction may prevent fuzzing of the nonwoven fabric C. Also, as shown in FIG. 13(d), a plurality of embossed sections 80 may be arranged in a line in the MD direction, and the plurality of adjacent embossed sections 80 may prevent fuzzing of the nonwoven fabric C. Also, as shown in FIG. 13(e), the embossed sections 80 may be arranged so that the major axis of each row extends in a different direction, and the plurality of adjacent embossed sections 80 in the MD and CD directions of the nonwoven fabric C may prevent fuzzing of the nonwoven fabric C. The shape of the embossed sections 80 is not limited to an ellipse.

[0099] The embossing device 90 is provided with an anvil roller 91 at a position facing the embossing roller 92. The surface temperature of the anvil roller 91 is lower than the top of the embossing protrusions 92b provided on the embossing roller 92, and is a temperature at which the anvil roller 91 does not form the embossed portion 80 in the nonwoven fabric. Specifically, it is 70°C or lower.

[0100] The winder 70 receives the nonwoven fabric C, in which the filaments f of the filament aggregate Fabc are intertwined and bonded by the embossing device 60 and an embossed portion 80 is added to one side by the embossing device 90, while adjusting the tension so as not to slacken, and continuously winds the nonwoven fabric C into a roll without wrinkles and with the desired winding hardness.

[0101] This allows the winder 70 to prepare the nonwoven fabric C of a desired length, in which the filament aggregate Fabc is formed into a sheet and wound into a roll, so that it can be supplied to the next processing step or the like.

[0102] By the manufacturing method described above, it is possible to manufacture the nonwoven fabric C having the embossed portion 80 added only to one side. Moreover, the nonwoven fabric C according to this embodiment can be used for the mouth sheet 203 of the mask 1 described above.

[0103] Here, the embossing applied to the nonwoven fabric C will be described with reference to FIG. 3 again. The black circular pattern in the photograph is the embossing formed by the embossing device 60 in the first embossing process, and the white circular pattern is the embossed portion 80 added by the embossing device 90 in the second embossing process. The black circular embossing and the white circular embossed portion 80 are visible on the surface to which the embossed portion 80 has been added, but the white circular embossed portion 80 is not visible on the back surface to which the embossed portion 80 has not been added, and only the black circular embossing is visible. Therefore, it was found that the embossed portion 80 added by the embossing device 90 in the second embossing process is thinner than the embossing formed by the embossing device 60 in the first embossing process, and the embossed portion 80 added by the embossing device 90 is not visible on the surface to which the embossed portion 80 has not been added. Therefore, it is considered that the nonwoven fabric C produced by the above-mentioned production method has the embossed portion 80 added only to one side, and the added embossed portion 80 does not reach the back side.

[0104] <Experiment> Next, an experiment was conducted to verify the surface roughness relative to the area ratio of the embossing. While it is preferable to add the embossed portion 80 to one side of the nonwoven fabric C, if there are too many places where the embossed portion 80 is applied, the surface of the nonwoven fabric to which the embossed portion 80 is added becomes hard, and there is a possibility that the surface roughness may become poor. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to verify the relationship between the area ratio of the embossed portion added in the nonwoven fabric to which the embossed portion is added and the surface roughness, and to verify the area ratio of the embossed protrusions 92b necessary for manufacturing the nonwoven fabric C that is comfortable against the skin while suppressing pilling. The nonwoven fabrics used in the experiment are the comparative example and prototypes 1 to 18 shown in FIG. 14.

[0105] FIG. 14 is a table showing the conditions of the comparative examples and the prototypes used in the experiment. The nonwoven fabric used in the experiment has a laminated structure in which fiber layers are laminated, and is manufactured by compressing and bonding the laminated fiber layers. In the first embossing process, the area ratio of the emboss formed when the laminated fiber layers are compressed and bonded is 8.3%, and the nonwoven fabric used is a nonwoven fabric made of polylactic acid. In the second embossing process, the nonwoven fabrics of prototypes 1 to 18 are nonwoven fabrics in which an embossed part is added to one side by a prototype device manufactured by Yuri Roll Co., Ltd. The conveying speed of the nonwoven fabric in the second embossing process is 40 m / min, and the embossing roller 92 is 140° C. The anvil roller 91 is made of rubber, and its temperature is 65° C. The surface to which the embossed part is added is the processed surface or the front surface, and the surface to which the embossed part is not added is the back surface. The column "Additional embossing" in the table of FIG. 14 indicates whether or not an embossed portion is added by the secondary embossing process of the nonwoven fabric of the comparative example and each prototype. The column "Shape of embossed protrusion" in the table of FIG. 14 indicates the shape of the embossed protrusion of the embossing roller 92 used in the secondary embossing process of the nonwoven fabric of the comparative example and each prototype. The comparative example does not have an embossed portion by the secondary embossing process, and each prototype has an embossed portion of the same shape as the embossed protrusion. The column "Area ratio (%) of embossed protrusions provided on the outer peripheral surface of the embossing roller" in the table of FIG. 14 indicates the ratio of the outer peripheral surface of the embossing roller occupied by the embossed protrusions provided on the outer peripheral surface of the embossing roller used in the secondary embossing process. The ratio of the outer peripheral surface of the embossing roller occupied by the embossed protrusions corresponds to the area ratio of the embossed portion formed on the nonwoven fabric. The column "Width (mm)" in the table of FIG. 14 indicates the width of the nonwoven fabric of the comparative example and each prototype.

[0106] Figure 14 shows the results of an experiment to verify the surface roughness relative to the embossed area ratio. The "Surface roughness (μm)" column in Figure 14 shows the surface roughness of the nonwoven fabric measured using KESFB4-A-SE. The roughness of the surface is described. The rougher the surface roughness, the smaller the area of ​​the embossed part and the better the skin feel. In addition, the skin feel relative to the surface roughness was confirmed by a sensory test. 20 people actually touched the nonwoven fabrics of the comparative example and prototypes 1 to 18 to confirm the softness and fuzzing state of the nonwoven fabric. In the column showing "softness" in FIG. 14, "◎" was written when 0 people answered that the softness was poor, "〇" was written when 1 to 3 people answered that the softness was poor, "△" was written when 4 to 6 people answered that the softness was poor, and "×" was written when 7 or more people answered that the softness was poor. In the column showing "fuzzing state" in FIG. 14, "◎" was written when 0 people felt fuzzing, "〇" was written when 1 to 3 people felt fuzzing, "△" was written when 4 to 6 people felt fuzzing, and "×" was written when 7 or more people felt fuzzing.

[0107] 14, it was found that the softness and fuzzing state were both rated as "◎" or "◯" and the texture was good when the embossed area ratio was in the range of 9% to 30%. It was also found that the surface roughness of nonwoven fabrics with this embossed area ratio in the range of 9% to 30% was 1.6 μm or less. Therefore, it is considered that if the area ratio of the embossed projections 92b on the outer peripheral surface 92a of the embossing roller 92 is 9% to 30%, it will be possible to manufacture a nonwoven fabric C that is comfortable against the skin.

[0108] In addition, an experiment was conducted to verify whether the addition of the embossed portion 80 could suppress the fuzzing of the nonwoven fabric. In the experiment, an abrasion test was conducted on the surface with the embossed portion added and the surface without the embossed portion (rear surface) of the nonwoven fabric of the comparative example using a nonwoven fabric to which no embossed portion was added during production, and the prototypes 1 to 18 to which the embossed portion was added during production. In the abrasion test, a James Heals abrasion and pilling tester "Maxi-Martindale" was used to draw Lissajous curves on the nonwoven fabric 80 times at a pressure of 12 kPa, and the condition of the nonwoven fabric was then confirmed. If no fuzzing was observed on the nonwoven fabric after the abrasion test, it indicates that fuzzing was suppressed.

[0109] FIG. 15 is a photograph showing the results of an experiment verifying that a nonwoven fabric with an embossed portion added suppresses fuzzing. FIG. 15 shows photographs of the comparative example and prototypes 7, 8, 9, and 17. Comparing the comparative example with prototypes 7, 8, 9, and 17, fuzzing was observed on both the front and back sides of the comparative example. Prototypes 7, 8, 9, and 17 did not show fuzzing on the processed side, but did show fuzzing on the back side. This shows that adding an embossed portion to the nonwoven fabric can suppress fuzzing. This shows that adding an embossed portion 80 to the nonwoven fabric can suppress fuzzing.

[0110] The nonwoven fabrics of the comparative example and prototypes 1 to 18 used to verify the feel on the skin, such as the state of fluffing, shown in FIG. 14, are nonwoven fabrics before the abrasion test, and are different from the nonwoven fabrics in a fluffed state due to the abrasion test, as shown in the photograph of FIG. 15.

[0111] Judging the above experimental results comprehensively, it is preferable that the area ratio of the embossed protrusions 92b provided on the outer peripheral surface 92a of the embossing roller 92, which produces nonwoven fabric C that is soft to the touch while suppressing pilling, is 9% or more and 30% or less, and the surface roughness is 1.6 μm or less.

[0112] Next, the light transmittance of the nonwoven fabrics of the above-mentioned prototypes 7, 8, 9, and 17 was measured. In this measurement, the processed surface of nonwoven fabric C was photographed in 256 gradations (gradation value: 0 to 255), and the gradation value, light transmittance, and light transmittance change rate of the non-embossed portion, the embossed primary processed portion formed by the embossing primary processing step, and the embossed secondary processed portion formed by the embossing secondary processing step were measured. Figure 16(a) shows the gradation value of each part in the photographed image, Figure 16(b) shows the light transmittance, and Figure 16(c) shows the change rate of the light transmittance. The change rate of the light transmittance is a parameter that indicates the change rate of the light transmittance of the embossed portion relative to the light transmittance of the non-embossed portion. The background color of nonwoven fabric C is white.

[0113] The method for measuring the light transmittance is as follows. First, nonwoven fabric C of prototypes 7, 8, 9, and 17 was cut into 10 cm squares to prepare samples, and then the samples were scanned with an optical scanner (EPSON GTX970). A sample is set up, a transparent glass plate is placed on the sample, and a transmission image is obtained in the following mode. Epson Scan software mode: Professional mode Document type: Film (with film area guide) Film type: Positive film Image type: 8bit gray Quality: Image quality first Image quality adjustments (auto exposure, histogram adjustments, etc.): All off

[0114] Next, the captured image is saved, and the non-embossed portion, the primary embossed portion, and the secondary embossed portion are selected using image processing software (such as ImageJ), and the average gradation value of the selected portions is calculated. This gradation value is the value shown in FIG. 16(a). Next, the light transmittance is calculated by dividing the average gradation value by 255. This light transmittance is the value shown in FIG. 16(b). Next, the rate of change in light transmittance between the non-embossed portion, the primary embossed portion, and the secondary embossed portion is calculated. The results of this calculation are the values ​​shown in FIG. 16(c).

[0115] As shown in FIG. 16(c), the rate of change in light transmittance of the primary embossed processed part is 37% to 45%. As can be seen by referring to the photograph shown in FIG. 3, the light transmittance has decreased by about 40%, so the primary embossed processed part is photographed in black. On the other hand, the rate of change in light transmittance of the secondary embossed processed part is 2% to 5%. As can be seen by referring to the photograph shown in FIG. 3, the light transmittance has only decreased by about 5%, so the secondary embossed processed part is similar to the non-embossed part. The photograph is taken in white. From this result, it can be seen that the embossed portion added to the surface (processed surface) of the nonwoven fabric C (mouth sheet 203) has a change rate of light transmittance of 5% or less compared to the non-embossed portion. In this way, by measuring the light transmittance at each part of the processed surface of the nonwoven fabric C and calculating the change rate of light transmittance, it is possible to distinguish between the embossed portion formed in the primary embossing process and the embossed portion formed in the secondary embossing process. Note that the background color of the nonwoven fabric C according to this embodiment is white, and in this case, the embossed portion can be distinguished from the change rate of light transmittance. However, when the background color of the nonwoven fabric C is other than white, for example, the embossed portion formed in the primary embossing process and the embossed portion formed in the secondary embossing process may be distinguished from the embossed portion formed in the secondary embossing process by observing a unit area (10 mm x 10 mm) of the nonwoven fabric with an optical microscope and by the size of the embossing, etc.

[0116] Next, a mask was created using the above-mentioned nonwoven fabric C for the mouth sheet 203, and the wearing comfort was evaluated by a wearing test. In this embodiment, the wearing comfort was evaluated from the following two viewpoints. The first viewpoint is the degree to which the mouth sheet 203 was attached to the adjacent sheet on the non-skin side. The sheet adjacent to the mouth sheet 203 on the non-skin side is the space maintaining sheet 202 in the mask 1 shown in FIG. 2, and is the filter sheet 201 in the mask 1 shown in FIG. 4. By maintaining the state in which the mouth sheet 203 is attached to the space maintaining sheet 202 or the filter sheet 201, the mask 1 is more likely to maintain a shape in which the mouth sheet 203 is separated from the mouth when worn. In this test, 20 subjects were made to wear the same mask, and the number of masks in which the mouth sheet 203 peeled off from the space maintaining sheet 202 after 8 hours was examined. The table in Fig. 17 shows the surface roughness of the back and front of the mouth sheet 203, and the number of masks in which the mouth sheet 203 peeled off from the space maintaining sheet 202 after the masks had been worn for 8 hours. The column "Surface roughness (μm) on the back of the mouth sheet" in the table in Fig. 17 lists the numerical value of the surface roughness (μm) of the back (non-skin side) of the mouth sheet 203. The column "Surface roughness (μm) of the skin side of the adjacent sheet on the non-skin side of the mouth sheet" in the table in Fig. 17 lists the numerical value of the surface roughness (μm) of the skin side (mouth sheet side) of the adjacent sheet on the non-skin edge side of the mouth sheet 203 (e.g., the space maintaining sheet 202 or the filter sheet 201). The column "Peeling of mouth sheet when worn for 8 hours (N=20)" in the table of Fig. 17 lists the number of masks in which the mouth sheet 203 peeled off from the adjacent sheet on the non-skin side after the masks had been worn for 8 hours. By preventing the mouth sheet 203 from peeling off from the adjacent sheet on the non-skin side, the mask can form a space between the mouth sheet 203 and the wearer's mouth, improving the wearing comfort.

[0117] The mouth sheet 203 using nonwoven fabric C has a fluffy back side, so it easily sticks to adjacent sheets. In this case, the surface roughness of the back side (skin side) of the mouth sheet 203 of the mask that achieved the effect was 1.61 μm. When the surface roughness was 1.61 μm or more, the number of masks that peeled off after wearing for 8 hours was one or less, and good results were obtained. From this, it is preferable that the surface roughness of the back side of the mouth sheet 203 be 1.61 μm or more and 1.82 μm or less.

[0118] The second viewpoint is to evaluate the wearing comfort from the surface roughness of the surface of the mouth sheet 203 and the discomfort (feeling of fluff) when the mouth sheet is peeled off from the adjacent sheet and applied to the mouth. FIG. 18 is a table showing the results of the sensory test. The column "Surface roughness (μm) of the surface of the mouth sheet 203" in the table of FIG. 18 lists the numerical values ​​of the surface roughness (μm) of the surface of the mouth sheet 203. The column "Discomfort (feeling of fluff) when the mouth sheet is peeled off from the adjacent sheet and applied to the mouth (N=20)" in the table of FIG. 18 lists the number of people who felt a fluffiness when the non-skin side of the mouth sheet 203 was peeled off from the adjacent sheet and the surface (skin side) of the mouth sheet 203 was applied to the mouth of the evaluator. In the "Results" column of the table in FIG. 18, "◎" is indicated if 0 out of 20 people felt fluffiness, "○" is indicated if 1 to 3 out of 20 people felt fluffiness, and "×" is indicated if 7 or more out of 20 people felt fluffiness. From the results of this sensory test, the surface roughness of the surface of the mouth sheet If the surface roughness of the surface of the mouth sheet is 1.48 μm or less, the result is "◎" and no fluffiness is felt.

[0119] Fig. 19 shows the bending rigidity (gf cm / cm) of the nonwoven fabric of the comparative example and nonwoven fabrics C Nos. 1 to 6 which were prototyped in addition to the prototype shown in Fig. 14. The column "Anvil roller material" in the table of Fig. 19 shows the material of anvil roller 91 shown in Figs. 11 and 12. Note that rubber 1 and rubber 2, and metal 1 and metal 2 are different from each other.

[0120] Samples were prepared by cutting out the nonwoven fabrics No. 1 to No. 6 into 10 cm square pieces. The bending stiffness of the prepared samples was measured using a measuring device manufactured by Kato Tech Co., Ltd., model "KESFB-AUTO-A."

[0121] Nonwoven fabrics No. 1 to 6 shown in FIG. 19 were made to verify that the bending stiffness of the nonwoven fabric can be changed by changing the material of the anvil roller. The material of the embossing roller shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 is "rubber 1" shown in FIG. 19. As shown in FIG. 19, the bending stiffness of the nonwoven fabric can be changed by changing the material of the anvil roller shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12. It is possible to create a nonwoven fabric with a smaller bending stiffness by using rubber as the material of the anvil roller rather than metal. Even if the material of the anvil roller is the same, the stiffness of the nonwoven fabric can be increased by increasing the processing temperature in the embossing process. It is preferable that the bending stiffness of the nonwoven fabric is 0.0268 or less from the viewpoint of skin contact.

[0122] The nonwoven fabric C according to this embodiment has a relatively high bending rigidity. This improves the planarity of the nonwoven fabric C, which maintains its planar shape, and prevents the pattern 203A shown in FIG. 4 from shifting or deforming due to rippling of the nonwoven fabric C during the process of applying the pattern 203A by printing or embossing. This allows the pattern 203A to be applied accurately to the nonwoven fabric C.

[0123] <Other embodiments> Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-mentioned various embodiments can be combined as much as possible. In the above-mentioned embodiments, a spunbonded nonwoven fabric is used as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be applied to spunbonded nonwoven fabric, thermal bonded nonwoven fabric, chemical bonded nonwoven fabric, needle punched nonwoven fabric, and stitch bonded nonwoven fabric.

[0124] In the embodiment of the present invention, the raw material of the fiber layer is polylactic acid, but is not limited to polylactic acid, and polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polyhydroxyalkanoate, polybutylene succinate, etc. may be used. When the raw material of the nonwoven fabric C is polypropylene, the temperature of the top of the embossing protrusions 92b provided on the embossing roller 92 in the embossing step is preferably 130°C or higher and 155°C or higher.

[0125] Furthermore, the nonwoven fabric C according to this embodiment can be suitably used for the top sheet of absorbent articles (such as tape-type disposable diapers, pants-type disposable diapers, light incontinence pads, sanitary products, etc.). For example, by disposing the back surface, to which no embossing has been added in the secondary embossing process, on the non-skin side (the absorbent body side), the nap on the back surface can increase the engagement force between the top sheet and adjacently laminated sheets or absorbents. This allows the amount of hot melt adhesive applied to the back surface (non-skin side) of the top sheet to be reduced, and the permeation speed of urine discharged onto the top sheet to be increased. This allows the absorbent article to suppress urine leakage and to be quickly absorbed from the top sheet, improving the wearing comfort. In addition, a nonwoven fabric C having an embossed surface on the skin-contacting surface of the top sheet in the secondary embossing process can be suitably used for the top sheet. By using a cloth surface, the generation of fiber fluff on the surface of the top sheet that contacts the skin can be suppressed, making the top sheet more comfortable against the skin.

[0126] Furthermore, the nonwoven fabric C according to this embodiment is suitable as a material for laminating multiple sheets, in addition to masks and absorbent articles. The nonwoven fabric C has a good surface feel against the skin and an engaging force on the back side, so that the amount of adhesive to be applied can be reduced when laminating with other sheets.

[0127] In the embodiment of the present invention, the outer peripheral surface 91a of the anvil roller 91 is made of rubber, but is not limited to rubber. For example, a metal may be used that is controlled to be at a lower temperature than the top of the embossed protrusion 92b by providing a cooling mechanism, and it is also possible to use a material with low thermal conductivity as the raw material. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] C··Non-woven fabric C1 Fiber layer M·Nonwoven fabric manufacturing equipment 10, 10A, 10B, 10C...Ejection device 20. Spinning equipment 30·Cold air device 40··Injector 50 Collection conveyor 51 Main conveyor 52, 53 Sub conveyor 54 Suction box 60··Embossing device 70 Winder 80··Embossed section 90··Embossing device 141, 142: Signboard 151, 152, 153 Collection belt 154a, 154b, 154c Suction chamber 162 Adjustment roller f filament fr Rotation diameter F, Fa, Fab, Fabc, Fb, Fc filament assembly Lc Intersection distance Ld...Open interval Lr Evacuation interval P, Pa, Pb, Pc, Pe, Pm, Ps Suction pressure (wind speed) 1. Mask 2. Mask body 3,4...Ear straps 5,6 Side seats 7. Nose fitter 200··Surface sheet 201··Filter sheet 202 Space maintenance sheet 203 Mouth sheet

Claims

1. A mask body having a length along the up-down direction and a length along the width direction and covering the mouth of a wearer; A pair of ear straps fixed to both ends of the mask body in the width direction; Equipped with The mask body includes a first sheet forming a mask surface; The first sheet is a nonwoven fabric, The back side is embossed, a front surface that is more embossed than the back surface and forms the mask surface; having the second embossed portion formed on the front surface has an area smaller than that of the first embossed portions formed on the front surface and the back surface; At least a portion of the surface is patterned. mask.

2. The pattern includes lines. The mask of claim 1 .

3. The pattern is a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code.

3. The mask according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the first sheet is disposed in a position facing a mouth side of the wearer, A second sheet is laminated on the first sheet on the opposite side of the wearer's mouth.

3. The mask according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The second sheet is a meltblown nonwoven fabric.

5. The mask of claim 4.

6. The second sheet is configured with a plurality of beams extending in at least one of the vertical direction and the width direction and parallel to each other, The first sheet is attached to the second sheet.

5. The mask of claim 4.

7. The second sheet is configured with a plurality of beams extending in at least one of the vertical direction and the width direction and parallel to each other, a filter sheet laminated adjacent to the second sheet on a side opposite the wearer's mouth from the second sheet; The filter sheet is a meltblown nonwoven fabric.

5. The mask of claim 4.

8. The area ratio of the embossed surface of the first sheet is 9% or more and 30% or less.

3. The mask according to claim 1 or 2.

Images