Absorbent article

Abstract

To provide an absorbent article configured to allow used absorbent articles to be hygienically divided, compacted, and disposed of.SOLUTION: An absorbent article 10 comprises a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 12, and an absorber 13 disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet 12, where the absorber 13 is disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet 12, with it being divided along a longitudinal direction and spaced apart in a width direction. The top sheet includes perforations disposed in a gap area 14 between the divided absorbers 13A and 13B and extending from one end to the other end along the longitudinal direction, and the back sheet 12 includes back sheet cuts 17 formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction and disposed at the same positions in the width direction as the perforations of the top sheet.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to absorbent articles. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a diaper with a shredded paper pad. This diaper is broadly composed of a diaper cover and a paper pad section that is removably attached to the diaper cover. The paper pad section consists of a paper pad and a leak-proof cover that covers the outer surface of the paper pad. The paper pad has perforations. If the waste is liquid, it is absorbed by the paper pad. In this case, when disposing of the used paper pad, a user takes out a vinyl glove from the pocket of the diaper cover and puts it on their hand. Then, they cut the paper pad along the perforations, shred it into small pieces, and throw them into the toilet.

[0003] Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose absorbent pads. These absorbent pads include a pair of liquid-permeable top sheets and two absorbent bodies sandwiched between the sheets. Perforations are formed between the two absorbent bodies. Users can cut the absorbent pad along the perforations to smaller sizes as needed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-215710 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-041665 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-056091 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, after use, absorbent articles that have absorbed urine swell and increase in volume, which poses a problem of being bulky when disposed of.

[0006] In the paper pad (absorbent article) of the diaper described in Patent Document 1, when shredding the paper pad that has absorbed wastewater, it is necessary to use the vinyl gloves that are attached to the diaper, which poses the problem of reduced workability and contact with wastewater.

[0007] Furthermore, the absorbent pads (absorbent articles) described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 are not designed to be cut after absorbing body fluids, etc., and if the absorbent pad is cut after absorbing body fluids, etc., there is a possibility that it will come into contact with dirty water because there is no liquid-impermeable sheet, etc.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an absorbent article that can be hygienically divided, compacted, and disposed of after use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention is an absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent body arranged between the top sheet and the back sheet, wherein the absorbent body is divided along the longitudinal direction and arranged between the top sheet and the back sheet while being spaced apart from each other in the width direction, the top sheet has an easy-to-tear section that is arranged in the region between the divided parts of the absorbent body and extends from one end to the other along the longitudinal direction, and the back sheet has a back sheet cut edge formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction and arranged at the same position in the width direction as the easy-to-tear section of the top sheet.

[0010] A second aspect of the present invention is an absorbent article according to the first aspect, wherein the top sheet has top sheet cut edges formed at both longitudinal ends and located on both longitudinal sides of the easy-to-tear portion, and the top sheet cut edges are formed in the same shape as the back sheet cut edges and are positioned so as to overlap the back sheet cut edges in the thickness direction.

[0011] A third aspect of the present invention is the absorbent article of the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the easy-to-tear portion of the top sheet is located at the center in the width direction.

[0012] A fourth aspect of the present invention is the absorbent article of the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the easy-to-tear portions of the top sheet are perforations.

[0013] A fifth aspect of the present invention is the absorbent article according to the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the cut edge of the backsheet is cut in a V-shape. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present disclosure, used absorbent articles can be hygienically divided and compacted for disposal. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of an absorbent article according to one embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the skin side. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the absorbent article of FIG. 1, viewed from the non-skin side. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams for disposing of a used absorbent article, in which (a) shows the folded state and (b) shows the cut state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, an absorbent article according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] Fig. 1 is a plan view of an absorbent article according to one embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the skin side. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the absorbent article of Fig. 1, as viewed from the non-skin side. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows III-III in Fig. 1. Note that Fig. 3 shows each component schematically. Furthermore, each drawing does not prescribe the relative sizes of the components of the absorbent article, and the dimensions of each component can be appropriately selected from a wide range depending on the purpose of the absorbent article, the age of the intended wearer, etc.

[0018] In this specification, "wearing an absorbent article" refers to the state in which the absorbent article is worn on the body, regardless of whether the absorbent article is worn before, during, or after absorbing bodily fluids. The "longitudinal direction" refers to the lengthwise direction of the absorbent article, which is the direction along the front and back of the wearer when wearing the absorbent article, and is the direction indicated by arrow X in the figure. The "width direction" refers to the widthwise direction of the absorbent article, which is the direction intersecting (perpendicular to) the longitudinal direction, and is the direction indicated by arrow Y in the figure. The "thickness direction" of the absorbent article refers to the direction in which the components are stacked, and is the direction indicated by arrow Z in the figure. The "front side" refers to the direction facing the wearer's ventral side when wearing the absorbent article, and the "rear side" refers to the direction facing the wearer's dorsal side when wearing the absorbent article. The "skin side" of each component of the absorbent article refers to the direction facing the wearer's body in the thickness direction when wearing the absorbent article, and the "non-skin side" refers to the direction opposite the skin side in the thickness direction. The "left-right direction" refers to the left-right direction as seen from a wearer facing forward. Body fluids refer to fluids excreted from the body, such as urine, blood, and water in loose stools.

[0019] [Absorbent articles] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the absorbent article 10 according to this embodiment can be used as various absorbent articles for babies and adults, including pad products such as light incontinence pads and urine absorption pads. Among these, it is particularly suitable for use as a wide pad product. The absorbent article 10 may also be attached to the inside of various types of disposable diapers as outerwear, and used as an inner layer.

[0020] The absorbent article 10 comprises a liquid-permeable top sheet 11, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 12 disposed opposite the non-skin side of the top sheet 11, and an absorbent body 13 disposed between the top sheet 11 and the back sheet 12. The top sheet 11 is positioned on the skin side of the wearer when the absorbent article 10 is worn. On the other hand, the back sheet 12 is positioned on the non-skin side of the wearer (e.g., the underwear side) when the absorbent article 10 is worn. Note that the absorbent article 10 may comprise other sheets (e.g., a cover sheet or three-dimensional gathers that encase the absorbent body 13, etc.) in addition to the top sheet 11, back sheet 12, and absorbent body 13. Furthermore, the back sheet 12 may be provided with an attachment portion (e.g., an adhesive layer) on the non-skin side to enable attachment to an outer layer (e.g., underwear, disposable diaper, etc.).

[0021] The shape of the absorbent article 10 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include an hourglass shape, a substantially rectangular shape, an oval shape, etc. In this embodiment, the shape of the absorbent article 10 is an hourglass shape that is wider at both ends in the longitudinal direction than at the middle part in the longitudinal direction.

[0022] The longitudinal length (maximum length; the same applies below) L of the absorbent article 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably, for example, 450 mm or more and 800 mm or less. The widthwise length W of the absorbent article 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably, for example, 200 mm or more and 400 mm or less. By adjusting the dimensions of the absorbent article 10 to fall within the above ranges, absorbent articles 10 of various shapes can be easily obtained.

[0023] (Top sheet) The top sheet 11 is disposed opposite the back sheet 12, with the absorbent body 13 sandwiched between them. The top sheet 11 is a liquid-permeable sheet-like member, and may be formed from a substrate having liquid permeability that allows bodily fluids to move to the absorbent body 13. Examples of substrates include hydrophilic sheets, composite nonwoven fabrics that are laminates of the same or different types of hydrophilic sheets, apertured films such as apertured polyethylene films, and foamed films such as polyethylene foam and urethane foam. Examples of hydrophilic sheets include air-through nonwoven fabrics, thermal-bonded nonwoven fabrics, spunlace nonwoven fabrics, and spunbonded nonwoven fabrics that contain one or more types of synthetic fibers made from synthetic resins such as polypropylene and polyethylene, regenerated fibers such as rayon, and natural fibers such as cotton.

[0024] To improve liquid permeability, the surface of the top sheet 11 may be embossed or perforated by a known method. To reduce irritation to the skin, the top sheet 11 may contain one or more of lotions, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory ingredients, pH adjusters, antibacterial agents, moisturizers, etc. The shape of the top sheet 11 is not particularly limited, and may be any shape that covers part or all of the absorbent body 13, which is necessary to guide bodily fluids into the absorbent body 13 without leakage.

[0025] (back seat) The backsheet 12 may be formed using a liquid-impermeable substrate to prevent leakage of bodily fluids held in the absorber 13 to the non-skin side, and may be formed from a material such as a resin film or a composite sheet formed by laminating a resin film and a nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven fabric used in the composite sheet may be produced by any method, and examples thereof include composite nonwoven fabrics formed by laminating multiple identical and / or different nonwoven fabrics, such as spunbond nonwoven fabric, meltblown nonwoven fabric, spunbond nonwoven fabric / meltblown nonwoven fabric, and spunbond nonwoven fabric / meltblown nonwoven fabric / spunbond nonwoven fabric, as well as composite materials thereof. Examples of resin films include films of polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polypropylene, etc., and composite films of polyethylene and polypropylene.

[0026] The back sheet 12 is preferably breathable to prevent stuffiness during wear. To provide breathability to the back sheet 12, for example, a filler may be blended into the base resin film or the back sheet 12 may be embossed. An example of the filler is calcium carbonate, and the blending method can be any known method without limitation. For example, a porous (breathable) resin film can be obtained by kneading a resin and a filler, forming the resulting kneaded product into a film, and removing the filler from the resulting film.

[0027] (absorber) Examples of the absorbent body 13 include a fluff absorbent body containing absorbent fibers as a base material and a superabsorbent polymer (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "SAP") supported on the absorbent fibers, and an SAP sheet in which SAP particles are fixed between liquid-absorbent sheets.

[0028] The absorbent fibers are not particularly limited as long as they are generally used in absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, and urine absorption pads, and examples thereof include fluff pulp, cotton, rayon, acetate, tissue, absorbent paper, hydrophilic nonwoven fabric, etc. Examples of fluff pulp include wood pulp (e.g., bleached coniferous kraft pulp (N-BKP) such as southern pine or Douglas fir), synthetic fiber, resin fiber, non-wood pulp, etc. that has been defibrated into a cotton-like state. Examples of liquid absorbent sheets include sheets composed of one or more of the above absorbent fibers.

[0029] The superabsorbent polymer is not particularly limited as long as it can absorb body fluids and prevent backflow, and examples thereof include polyacrylates, polyaspartates, (starch-acrylic acid) graft copolymers, (acrylic acid-vinyl alcohol) copolymers, (isobutylene-maleic anhydride) copolymers, and saponified products thereof. Among these, from the viewpoint of absorption per weight, polyacrylates are preferred, alkali metal polyacrylates are more preferred, and sodium polyacrylate is even more preferred. The superabsorbent polymers can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0030] In the absorbent body 13, the absorbent fibers and SAP may be in the form of a mixture of absorbent fibers and SAP particles, or may be in the form of SAP particles fixed between absorbent fibers.

[0031] The absorbent body 13 is divided along the longitudinal direction and disposed between the top sheet 11 and the back sheet 12 while being spaced apart in the width direction. The absorbent body 13 of this embodiment is two absorbents 13A and 13B divided into left and right absorbents at the center of the absorbent article 10 in the width direction. Between the two absorbents 13A and 13B, there is a gap region (region between the absorbents) 14 where the absorbent body 13 is not provided. The gap region 14 extends from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction at the center of the absorbent article 10 in the width direction. The overall shape of the two absorbents 13A and 13B is not particularly limited, and examples include a rectangular shape, an hourglass shape, an I-shape, a rounded square shape with rounded corners of a rectangle, an oval shape, and an ellipse that is long in one direction. Each absorbent body 13A and 13B may be formed by stacking two or more layered absorbent bodies. (Cover sheet)

[0032] The absorbent article 10 may have a cover sheet (not shown) that encases the absorbers 13A and 13B to prevent leakage of SAP particles from the absorbers 13A and 13B and to stabilize the shape of the absorbers 13A and 13B. The base material of the cover sheet may be any hydrophilic material, such as tissue, absorbent paper, air-laid nonwoven fabric, or spunbond nonwoven fabric. Among these, spunbond nonwoven fabric is preferred. Furthermore, when multiple cover sheets are provided, the base materials of the multiple cover sheets may be the same or different. (3D gathers)

[0033] The absorbent article 10 may have three-dimensional gathers (not shown) to prevent side leakage of bodily fluids excreted by the wearer. The three-dimensional gathers are fixed to the skin-facing side of the top sheet 11 along the longitudinal direction near both ends in the width direction of the absorbent article 10. The three-dimensional gathers may include a water-repellent and / or waterproof sheet member (e.g., spunbond nonwoven fabric, meltblown nonwoven fabric, composite nonwoven fabric, etc.) and an elastic, stretchable member (e.g., rubber thread, etc.) to impart standing ability. (easy cutting part)

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1 , the top sheet 11 has perforations (easy-to-tear portions) 15 extending from one end to the other along the longitudinal direction. The perforations 15 are formed by alternating linear arrangements of multiple cut portions 15a penetrating the top sheet 11 in the thickness direction and multiple non-cut portions 15b where the top sheet 11 remains intact. The non-cut portions 15b are regions sandwiched between the cut portions 15a on both sides. The perforations 15 constitute easy-to-tear portions that allow the top sheet 11 to be easily torn. In other words, the "easy-to-tear portions" refer to portions that are easier to tear than other regions. In this embodiment, the perforations 15 are located in the center of the top sheet 11 in the width direction. That is, the perforations 15 are located in the gap regions 14 between the divided absorbents 13A and 13B and extend from one end to the other along the longitudinal direction. The easy-to-tear portion is not limited to the perforations 15, but may instead be formed as a thin portion in the top sheet 11 that is thinner than other areas, and the thin portion may function as the easy-to-tear portion. (Top sheet cut edge)

[0035] The topsheet 11 has topsheet incisions 16 located on both longitudinal sides of the perforations 15. The topsheet incisions 16 on both longitudinal sides are formed at both longitudinal ends of the topsheet 11. That is, the topsheet incisions 16 are formed in the widthwise center of both longitudinal ends of the absorbent article 10. In this embodiment, the topsheet incisions 16 are V-shaped cut out from the outer side to the inner side of the topsheet 11 in the longitudinal direction. The valley of the V-shaped cut out topsheet incision 16 is close to or continuous with the end of the perforations 15. The topsheet incision 16 may be any part that is provided at the end of the easy to tear portion (perforations 15 in this embodiment) to make it easier to cut the topsheet 11 along the easy to tear portion, and may be formed in a V-shape as in this embodiment, or may simply be a part that is pre-cut in a straight line. (Back sheet cut)

[0036] The backsheet 12 has backsheet cut edges 17 formed at both longitudinal ends and located at the same widthwise position as the perforations 15 of the topsheet 11 (in this embodiment, the center in the widthwise direction). The backsheet cut edges 17 are formed in the center in the widthwise direction of both longitudinal ends of the absorbent article 10. In this embodiment, the backsheet cut edges 17 are V-shaped cutouts extending from the outer side to the inner side in the longitudinal direction of the backsheet 12. That is, the backsheet cut edges 17 and the topsheet cut edges 16 are formed in the same shape and are located at positions where they overlap in the thickness direction. The backsheet 12 does not have an easy-to-tear portion like the perforations 15 of the topsheet 11. The backsheet cut edges 17 may be formed in a V-shape as in this embodiment, or may simply be pre-cut linearly. (How to use)

[0037] Next, an example of the procedure for disposing of a used absorbent article 10 that has absorbed urine will be described.

[0038] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of how to dispose of a used absorbent article, where (a) shows the article in a folded state, and (b) shows the article in a cut state.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4(a), when disposing of a used absorbent article 10, the used absorbent article 10 is first folded in half at the center in the longitudinal direction with the top sheet 11 facing inward. When folding this absorbent article 10, it is preferable to fold it so that the back sheet cut edge 17 and the top sheet cut edge 16 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "cut edges 16, 17") on one side in the longitudinal direction overlap the cut edges 16, 17 on the other side in the longitudinal direction. Note that in Figure 4(a), for ease of understanding, the cut edges 16, 17 on both sides in the longitudinal direction are shown in slightly different positions.

[0040] Next, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the absorbent article 10 is cut from the side where the cut edges 16, 17 on both longitudinal sides overlap toward the opposite side. For example, as shown by the white arrows in FIG. 4(b), the absorbent article 10 may be cut by gripping both widthwise regions of the cut edges 16, 17 of the absorbent article 10 with both hands and tearing the absorbent article 10 from the cut edges 16, 17 side to the left and right along the perforations 15. Alternatively, the absorbent article 10 may be cut by gripping both widthwise regions of the cut edges 16, 17 of the absorbent article 10 with both hands and moving the region on one side of the easy-to-tear portion of the absorbent article 10 (perforations 15 in this embodiment) and the region on the other side in the widthwise direction in different directions in the thickness direction, thereby shearing the absorbent article 10 along the perforations 15. Finally, the used absorbent article 10 cut in two is discarded.

[0041] In the absorbent article 10 configured as described above, the absorber 13 is divided into two absorbers 13A and 13B along the longitudinal direction, so that when the used absorbent article 10 is disposed of, the absorbent article 10 can be divided into two on both sides in the width direction between the two absorbers 13A and 13B. Therefore, when the used absorbent article 10 is cut, leakage of bodily fluids absorbed in the absorbers 13A and 13B does not occur.

[0042] The top sheet 11 also has an easy-to-tear section (perforations 15 in this embodiment) that is disposed in the gap region 14 between the two absorbents 13A, 13B and extends from one end to the other along the longitudinal direction, making it easy to tear the top sheet 11 along the easy-to-tear section.

[0043] In addition, the backsheet 12 has backsheet cut edges 17 formed at both longitudinal ends and positioned at the same widthwise position as the easy-to-tear portion of the topsheet 11, so that the backsheet 12 can be easily cut along the easy-to-tear portion of the topsheet 11 starting from the backsheet cut edges 17.

[0044] In this way, when used absorbent article 10 is disposed of, absorbent article 10 can be easily divided into two pieces on both sides in the width direction. Therefore, even if absorber 13 swells upon absorbing body fluids, used absorbent article 10 can be divided into at least two pieces to make it compact, thereby reducing bulkiness when disposed of.

[0045] Furthermore, because the backsheet cut edges 17 are formed at both longitudinal ends of the absorbent article 10, when the used absorbent article 10 is folded with the topsheet 11 on the inside, the cut edges 16, 17 on both longitudinal sides can overlap each other. This allows the used absorbent article 10 to be cut at the cut edges 16, 17 while remaining folded with the topsheet 11 on the inside. In other words, the absorbent article 10 can be cut with the liquid-impermeable backsheet 12 on the outside, so that the hands come into contact with the liquid-impermeable backsheet 12 on the outside. This allows the used absorbent article 10 to be cut and divided hygienically.

[0046] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the absorbent article 10 after use can be hygienically divided and compacted for disposal.

[0047] Furthermore, since gap region 14 is provided between two absorbers 13A, 13B, gap region 14 acts as a water channel when absorbing body fluid, dispersing the body fluid in the longitudinal direction and increasing the absorption rate. Furthermore, since body fluid can be dispersed in the longitudinal direction, localized concentration of body fluid can be prevented and fluid return can be reduced.

[0048] Furthermore, by providing the top sheet 11 with a top sheet cut edge 16, the top sheet 11 can be cut even more easily along the easy-to-tear portion.

[0049] Furthermore, by forming the backsheet cut edge 17 and the topsheet cut edge 16 in the same shape and arranging them so as to overlap each other in the thickness direction, the positions of the cut edges 16, 17 can be easily recognized.

[0050] Furthermore, by locating the easy-to-tear portion of the top sheet 11 (perforation 15 in this embodiment) at the center of the width of the absorbent article 10, the used absorbent article 10 can be cut into two and separated.

[0051] Furthermore, by simply providing perforations 15 in the top sheet 11, an easily tearable portion can be provided in the top sheet 11.

[0052] By forming the cuts 16 and 17 in a V-shaped notch shape, the positions of the cuts 16 and 17 can be easily recognized, unlike when cuts (slits) are simply provided in a straight line.

[0053] In this embodiment, the used absorbent article 10 is configured to be cut into two pieces and divided, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be configured to be divided into, for example, three or more pieces. That is, the absorbent body 13 may be divided into three or more pieces, and an easily tearable portion may be provided in the top sheet 11 between each absorbent body.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the top sheet 11 has a top sheet cutout 16, but it is sufficient to have at least a back sheet cutout 17, and the top sheet cutout 16 does not have to be provided.

[0055] Although the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the content of the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other words, all other embodiments, examples, operational techniques, etc. made by those skilled in the art based on this embodiment are naturally included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10: Absorbent articles 11: Top sheet 12: Back seat 13: Absorbent 14: Gap area (area between absorbers) 15: Perforation (easy to tear part) 16: Top sheet cut edge 17: Back sheet cut

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, The absorbent body is divided along a longitudinal direction and disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet in a state spaced apart from each other in a width direction, the top sheet has an easy-to-tear section disposed in an area between the divided absorbents and extending from one end to the other end along the longitudinal direction, The backsheet has cut edges formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction and positioned at the same positions in the width direction as the easy-to-tear portions of the topsheet. An absorbent article characterized by:

2. The top sheet has top sheet cut edges formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction and positioned on both sides of the easy-to-tear portion in the longitudinal direction, The top sheet cut edge is formed in the same shape as the back sheet cut edge, and is disposed at a position overlapping the back sheet cut edge in the thickness direction.

2. The absorbent article according to claim 1.

3. The easy-to-tear portion of the top sheet is disposed at the center in the width direction.

3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The easy-to-tear portion of the top sheet is a perforation.

3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The back sheet cut edge is a V-shaped cutout.

3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2.

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