Wearing article

Abstract

To provide a wearing article to which an absorbent pad can be easily attached, and which can be easily pulled up in a state in which the absorbent pad is attached.SOLUTION: A wearing article (1) comprises a waist opening (BH) and a pair of leg surrounding openings (LH, LH), and can be combined with an absorbent pad (100). The wearing article comprises a pair of wall parts (40, 40) which regulates a position of the absorbent pad (100). In a natural state, a base end (41) of the wall part (40) is provided up to an upper side more than a center position (HCR) between an upper end (LHt) and a lower end (LHb) of the leg surrounding opening (LH) in a vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a pad-combined wearing article that is a pants-type wearing article having elasticity and has an absorbent pad for absorbing excrement such as urine attached to the crotch area. In order to stably hold the pad attached when wearing the pad-combined wearing article, it has been proposed to provide a pair of walls in the crotch area of ​​the wearing article. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for stably holding a sanitary napkin (pad) by providing a pair of raised parts (wall parts) on both sides of the inner surface of the crotch area of ​​shorts (wearing article) to be used in combination with a sanitary napkin (pad) and fixing wing parts of the sanitary napkin to the raised parts. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-345892 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such a wearing article, if the pair of walls in the crotch portion are formed as high as possible, the absorbent pad can be stably held between the walls, and the wearing article can be easily pulled up with the absorbent pad attached during the wearing action. On the other hand, if the walls are formed high, the crotch portion where the absorbent pad is attached is likely to be covered by the walls, which may make it difficult to attach the absorbent pad.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wearing article to which an absorbent pad can be easily attached and which can be easily pulled up with the absorbent pad attached. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The main invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is a wearing article having mutually intersecting vertical and horizontal directions, comprising a waist opening and a pair of leg openings, which can be used in combination with an absorbent pad, characterized in that the wearing article further comprises a pair of walls for regulating the position of the absorbent pad, and in a natural state, the base ends of the walls are provided above the midpoint between the upper and lower ends of the leg openings in the vertical direction. Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention and the accompanying drawings. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a wearing article to which an absorbent pad can be easily attached and which can be easily pulled up with the absorbent pad attached. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a worn article 1. [Diagram 2] Fig. 2A is a plan view of the worn article 1 in its natural state as seen from the front side in the front-rear direction, and Fig. 2B is a plan view of the worn article 1 in its natural state as seen from the rear side in the front-rear direction. [Diagram 3] 3A and 3B are plan views illustrating the configuration of the wall portion 40. FIG. [Figure 4] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating a method for manufacturing the worn article 1. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the joining of a wall portion 40 and a main body portion 10. FIG. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of an absorbent pad 100 in an expanded state. [Figure 7] 7A to 7C are diagrams illustrating a method of wearing the wearing article 1 when the wearing article 1 and the absorbent pad 100 are used together. [Figure 8]8A to 8C are diagrams illustrating the states of the worn article 1 and the wall portion 40 during the movements shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, respectively. [Figure 9] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating a method for measuring a torque value in a wall portion 40. [Figure 10] 4 is a table showing conditions for measuring torque values. [Figure 11] 13 is data showing the measurement results of torque values. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an example of a wearing article container 90. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] At least the following points will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0010] (Aspect 1) A wearing article having mutually intersecting vertical and horizontal directions, comprising a waist opening and a pair of leg openings, which can be used in combination with an absorbent pad, characterized in that the wearing article further comprises a pair of walls for regulating the position of the absorbent pad, and in a natural state, base ends of the walls are provided above the midpoint between the upper and lower ends of the leg openings in the vertical direction.

[0011] According to the wearing article of the first aspect, the walls are formed up to a high position in the vertical direction during the wearing action, and when the wearing article is pulled up, the absorbent pad is firmly held between the pair of walls and is less likely to slip. Also, when the waist opening is opened to attach the absorbent pad, the upper end of the wall located on the side closer to the waist opening is easily pulled outward in the lateral direction, and the wall is less likely to collapse inward in the lateral direction. Therefore, the crotch part is prevented from being covered by the walls, and the absorbent pad can be easily attached.

[0012] (Aspect 2) A wearing article having mutually intersecting vertical and horizontal directions, comprising a waist opening and a pair of leg openings, and usable in combination with an absorbent pad, characterized in that, when an imaginary line is drawn inward in the horizontal direction and downward in the vertical direction from an upper end of the leg opening and making an angle of 45 degrees with the horizontal direction, an upper end of a base end of the wall is located on the waist opening side of the imaginary line in a natural state.

[0013] According to the wearing article of aspect 2, when the waist opening is opened to attach the absorbent pad, a force is likely to act in an area closer to the waist opening than the imaginary line, so that the upper ends of the walls are likely to open in the left-right direction and tension is applied to the upper ends (free ends) of the walls, making the walls likely to stand up high. This makes it easy to attach the absorbent pad between the pair of walls and to pull up the wearing article with the absorbent pad held between the walls.

[0014] (Aspect 3) 3. The wearing article according to aspect 1 or 2, wherein the absorbent pad has a maximum length in the longitudinal direction when stretched, of 400 mm or more.

[0015] The wearing article of aspect 3 allows the absorbent core to be made larger than when the length of the absorbent pad used in combination is shorter than 400 mm, and the water retention capacity of the absorbent pad can be increased, so that a large-capacity absorbent pad suitable for a urine pad or the like can be attached and used for a long period of time.

[0016] (Aspect 4) The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein in a natural state, an upper end of the base end is located lower than upper ends of the leg openings in the vertical direction.

[0017] According to the wearing article of aspect 4, when the waist opening is widened during wearing, the pair of walls are prevented from opening too far outward in the lateral direction, thereby preventing the absorbent pad from being retained in a poor manner and the leg openings from becoming narrower.

[0018] (Aspect 5) The wearing article according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein a maximum height of the wall portion is smaller than a distance between the pair of base ends in the left-right direction.

[0019] According to the wearing article of aspect 5, even if the walls are tilted inward in the left-right direction, the space between the pair of walls is prevented from being completely covered by the tilted walls, which makes it easier to ensure a space between the pair of walls and facilitates the smooth operation of attaching the absorbent pad between the walls.

[0020] (Aspect 6) The wearing article according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, wherein a maximum height of the wall portion is greater than a shortest distance in the left-right direction between a lower end of the leg openings and a lower end of the base end.

[0021] According to the wearing article of aspect 6, the distance between the leg openings and the wall portions is shorter, so that the wall portions can be more easily seen from outside the leg openings than in the reverse case. Also, the smaller the distance between the leg openings and the wall portions, the wider the space between the pair of walls, so that the operation of attaching the absorbent pads can be performed more easily.

[0022] (Aspect 7) The wearing article according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein in a natural state, a position of a rear upper end of the base end in the vertical direction is higher than or at the same height as a position of a front upper end of the base end in the vertical direction.

[0023] According to the wearing article of aspect 7, the wall portion is prevented from being formed high on the front side and low on the rear side. Therefore, when the wearing article is worn, the wall portion is prevented from interfering with the legs on the abdominal side of the wearer. In addition, rear leakage when sleeping in a supine position due to the absorbent pad being difficult to hold on the back side is prevented.

[0024] (Aspect 8) The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein an inner surface of the wall portion in the left-right direction faces a skin-facing surface of the main body portion of the wearing article at the base end.

[0025] According to the wearing article of aspect 8, the wall portion at the base end is likely to rise from the inside in the left-right direction, and the absorbent pad is likely to be stably held between (inside) the pair of wall portions. In addition, the wall portion near the base end is prevented from collapsing outward in the left-right direction, and therefore, the leg-openings are prevented from being blocked by the wall portion that has collapsed outward when the wearing article is put on.

[0026] (Aspect 9) The wearing article according to any one of aspects 1 to 8, wherein the wall portion is directly sewn to the main body portion.

[0027] According to the wearing article of the ninth aspect, the force that widens the waist opening (main body) in the left-right direction during the wearing action can be easily transmitted to the wall parts via the base end. Therefore, in conjunction with the action of widening the waist opening, the free ends of the wall parts are easily opened outward in the left-right direction, and the wall parts are easily erected. This makes it easier to attach the absorbent pad between the pair of wall parts.

[0028] (Aspect 10) The wearing article according to any one of aspects 1 to 9, wherein the sheet member constituting the wall portion and the sheet member constituting the main body portion are the same type of sheet member.

[0029] According to the wearing article of aspect 10, the wall portions and the main body portion tend to expand and contract at the same rate, which prevents either the wall portions or the main body portion from expanding or contracting excessively when the wearing article is put on. This makes it easier for the pair of wall portions to stand up correctly, makes it easier to attach the absorbent pad, and makes it easier for the attached absorbent pad to be held stably.

[0030] (Aspect 11) 11. The wearing article according to any one of aspects 1 to 10, wherein the wall portion has a bending resistance of 8.5 mNM or less.

[0031] According to the wearing article of aspect 11, the wall portion is flexible, and when the waist opening is widened during wearing, the upper end of the base end of the wall portion is easily opened outward in the left-right direction, making it easy to attach the absorbent pad. In addition, since the wall portion itself is flexible, it is possible to prevent the wall portion from interfering with the wearer's body (groin or legs) in the crotch area and causing discomfort.

[0032] (Aspect 12) A wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 11, wherein in a natural state, a position of an upper end of the base end in the left-right direction is inside or at the same position as a position of a lower end of the base end in the left-right direction.

[0033] According to the wearing article of aspect 12, when the waist opening is widened during the wearing action, the wall portion spreads outward, but when the waist opening is not widened, the wall portion does not spread excessively in the left-right direction, which makes it easy to attach the absorbent pad and prevents the retention from being deteriorated.

[0034] (Aspect 13) 13. The wearing article according to any one of aspects 1 to 12, wherein the length of the wall portion along the base end is longer than the length of the wall portion along the free end.

[0035] According to the wearing article of aspect 13, when a force is applied in the front-rear direction to pull the main body and the wall portions during wearing, tension is easily applied to the free ends of the shorter wall portions, making the wall portions stand up. This makes it easier for the absorbent pad to be held firmly between the standing walls, and makes it difficult for the absorbent pad to shift position when the wearing article is pulled up.

[0036] (Aspect 14) A wearing article according to any one of aspects 1 to 13, wherein a line extending along the free edge of the wall from the upper front end to the upper rear end of the base end is a straight line.

[0037] According to the wearing article of the fourteenth aspect, tension is more likely to be applied to the free ends having a shorter length in the front-to-rear direction during the wearing action, and the walls are more likely to stand up. This makes it easier to hold the absorbent pad firmly between the standing walls, and the absorbent pad is less likely to shift position when the wearing article is pulled up. Furthermore, if the line (free end) constituting the upper end of the wall is straight, the wall is more likely to stand up to a high height, and the absorbent pad can be more easily held stably.

[0038] (Aspect 15) The wearing article according to any one of aspects 1 to 14, wherein a serged stitch is provided along a periphery of the free end of the wall portion.

[0039] According to the wearing article of aspect 15, fraying of threads around the free ends of the walls is suppressed. In addition, the elasticity of the walls along the free ends is reduced, so that tension is easily applied to the free ends when the walls are pulled in the front-rear direction during wearing, and the walls tend to stand up. This makes it easier to hold the absorbent pad firmly between the walls.

[0040] (Aspect 16) The wearing article according to any one of aspects 1 to 15, further comprising a high-rigidity portion along the up-down direction between the base end and the free end of the wall portion.

[0041] According to the wearing article of aspect 16, the rigidity of the wall portions in the up-down direction is increased, so that the erected wall portions are prevented from bending or collapsing when the wearing article is worn. In addition, the wall portions are less likely to wrinkle, so that the retention of the absorbent pad is prevented from being deteriorated.

[0042] (Aspect 17) 17. The wearing article according to any one of aspects 1 to 16, wherein the wall portion has a periphery sewn with an overlock, and the high stiffness portion intersects with the base end and the free end sewn with the overlock.

[0043] In the wearing article of aspect 17, the base end and the free end, the rigidity of which has been increased by overlocking, are connected to the high rigidity portion to form a skeletal structure, which makes it easier for the wall portion to maintain a flat shape. This makes it easier for the wall portion to stand up stably, thereby improving the retention of the absorbent pad.

[0044] (Aspect 18) A wearing article according to any one of aspects 1 to 17, wherein, in a natural state, when viewed from the front, at least a portion of the wall portion is visible outside the periphery of the leg openings, and when viewed from the rear, the wall portion is not visible outside the periphery of the leg openings.

[0045] According to the wearing article of aspect 18, the difference in appearance between the front and back is clear, making it easy to distinguish between the front and back, and making it difficult to cause problems such as putting the wearing article on the wrong front and back. In addition, since the wall portion provided in the crotch portion is visible from the outside, it is possible to make it easy for the wearer to recognize the position for inserting the absorbent pad before putting on the wearing article.

[0046] (Aspect 19) The wearing article according to any one of aspects 1 to 18, further comprising stretch suppressing means having a predetermined length in the vertical direction.

[0047] According to the wearing article of aspect 19, when the main body part is pulled up during the wearing action, the main body part is prevented from being excessively stretched in the vertical direction, which makes it easier to prevent problems such as the absorbent pad becoming misaligned or falling off.

[0048] === Implementation form === As an example of a wearing article according to an embodiment of the present invention, a pants-type wearing article 1 (hereinafter, simply referred to as "wearing article 1") that can be used by attaching an absorbent pad 100 inside for absorbing excrement such as urine will be described.

[0049] <Basic configuration of wearable item 1> FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a worn article 1 according to the present embodiment. In the pants-type state shown in FIG. 1, the worn article 1 has a "vertical direction", a "lateral direction", and a "front-rear direction" that are perpendicular to each other. In the vertical direction, the side that is the wearer's torso side when the wearer wears the worn article 1 is referred to as the "upper side", and the side that is the wearer's crotch side is referred to as the "lower side". In the front-rear direction, the side that is the wearer's stomach side when the worn article is worn is referred to as the "front side", and the side that is the wearer's back side is referred to as the "rear side". In addition, each material (sheet member) constituting the worn article 1 has a "thickness direction". In the thickness direction, the side that is close to the wearer's skin when the wearer wears the worn article 1 is referred to as the "skin side", and the opposite side is referred to as the "non-skin side".

[0050] The wearing article 1 of this embodiment is formed in a pants-type with a waist opening BH provided at the top in the vertical direction and a pair of leg openings LH, LH provided at the bottom in the vertical direction and on both sides in the left-right direction. An absorbent pad 100 can be attached detachably to the inside of the pants-type, and the wearing article 1 itself can be used (worn) repeatedly by replacing the absorbent pad 100. For example, when a user (user) excretes urine or the like while wearing the wearing article 1 to which the absorbent pad 100 is attached, the absorbent pad 100 that has absorbed the excrement and become soiled can be removed from the wearing article 1 and replaced with a new absorbent pad 100, so that the wearing article 1 can be reused. In addition, the wearing article 1 can be washed, and can be used hygienically for a long period of time (for example, two weeks or more).

[0051] Fig. 2A is a plan view of the wearing article 1 in its natural state as viewed from the front side in the front-rear direction. Fig. 2B is a plan view of the wearing article 1 in its natural state as viewed from the rear side in the front-rear direction. Here, the "natural state" refers to the state of the wearing article 1 when it is left for a predetermined time. For example, after the folded and stored wearing article 1 is taken out of the package, it is gently unfolded so as not to cause distortion and placed on a flat surface such as a desk. Then, the wearing article 1 is left lying flat on a flat surface for 5 minutes, and the state in which almost no wrinkles remain on the surface of the wearing article 1 is regarded as the natural state.

[0052] The worn article 1 has a main body 10, an elasticity suppressing section 20, and a wall section 40. The main body 10 is a section that constitutes the exterior of the worn article 1, and is formed of an elastic sheet member. In this embodiment, the sheet member that forms the main body 10 is made of a "woven fabric" or a "knitted fabric", and has elasticity in the vertical and horizontal directions. The "woven fabric" is a fabric that is formed into a plane shape by intersecting a weft thread at a right angle with a large number of parallel warp threads, and an example of such a fabric is a fabric called "woven cloth". In the woven fabric, a highly elastic woven fabric can be formed by using highly elastic threads or changing the density of the threads. On the other hand, the "knitted fabric" is a fabric that is formed into a plane shape by looping threads and connecting other loops to the loops, and an example of such a fabric is a fabric called "knit". Since the knitted fabric is formed by connecting a large number of loops, it can be greatly stretched even with a small force by deforming each loop. In the following, the main body 10 (worn article 1) is described as being formed of a knitted fabric.

[0053] The main body 10 is made of a so-called circular knitted fabric that is tubularly knitted in the vertical direction. A part of the upper end of the tubular main body 10 is folded back from the upper side to the lower side in the vertical direction to form a waist fold-back part 11. This waist fold-back part 11 prevents fraying of the thread at the upper end of the circular knitted fabric (i.e., the waist opening BH). Furthermore, a thread that is less likely to stretch than other parts is knitted into the waist fold-back part 11. This increases the contraction force along the periphery of the waist opening BH, and when the worn article 1 is worn, the waist opening BH is prevented from slipping down, improving the fit. Instead of folding back the upper end of the circular knitted fabric, a separate sheet member may be laminated and joined to the upper end to allow a large contraction force to act along the periphery of the waist opening BH.

[0054] Meanwhile, at the lower end of the main body 10, a crotch seam 12 is formed where the front and back sides of the circular knit fabric are sewn together. The lower end of the main body 10 is joined by the crotch seam 12, so that the tubular circular knit fabric is formed into a pants-like shape having a pair of leg openings LH, LH (see FIG. 4 described later). In this embodiment, the crotch seam 12 is located at the lowest position in the vertical direction of the wearing article 1 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B).

[0055] The pair of leg openings LH, LH are formed by cutting a part of the main body 10 (see FIG. 4). A leg opening overlock portion 13 is formed on the periphery of each leg opening LH, LH. The leg opening overlock portion 13 is formed by sewing an edge of the knitted fabric along the periphery of the leg opening LH in a wrapping manner with thread, thereby preventing fraying of the thread at the cut portion of the leg opening LH. Furthermore, the formation of the leg opening overlock portion 13 increases the contractile force along the periphery of the leg opening LH, improving the fit of the leg opening LH when worn and making it easier to prevent lateral leakage of excrement such as urine.

[0056] 2A and 2B, in the vertical direction of the wearing article 1 in its natural state, the upper end of the leg opening LH (periphery) is designated as LHt. The upper end LHt is located slightly inside the outermost end in the left-right direction. Similarly, in the vertical direction of the wearing article 1 in its natural state, the lower end of the leg opening LH (periphery) is designated as LHb. The lower end LHb is located at the lowest side in the vertical direction of the wearing article 1 and at the innermost side in the left-right direction of the leg opening LH.

[0057] In the wearing article 1, a region indicated by a diagonal line between an upper end LHt and a lower end LHb of the leg opening LH (i.e., the lower end of the wearing article 1) in the vertical direction and between the pair of lower ends LHb, LHb of the leg openings LH in the left-right direction (i.e., between the inner ends of the leg openings LH) is defined as a crotch region CR. The crotch region CR is a region that is mainly located in the crotch area of ​​the wearer (user) when the wearing article 1 is worn, and corresponds to the "crotch portion" of the wearing article 1. When the absorbent pad 100 is attached, it is also a region that holds at least a part of the absorbent pad 100. In addition, a region that is located between the upper ends LHt of the leg openings LH and the upper end of the wearing article 1 in the vertical direction is defined as a waist region BR. The waist region BR is a region that is mainly located in the waist area (abdomen and buttocks to waist) of the wearer (user) when the wearing article 1 is worn.

[0058] The stretch suppressing portion 20 is a portion that functions as a stretch suppressing means for suppressing stretching in the up-down direction of the worn article 1. In this embodiment, a plurality of stretch suppressing portions 20 having a predetermined length in the up-down direction are provided at predetermined positions of the main body portion 10 of the worn article 1. Specifically, at the front side in the front-to-back direction of the worn article 1 (main body portion 10), a front central stretch suppressing portion 21 is provided in the center in the left-right direction, and a pair of front side stretch suppressing portions 23, 23 (corresponding to both side stretch suppressing means) are provided on both left-right sides of the front central stretch suppressing portion 21 (see FIG. 2A). Similarly, at the rear side in the front-to-back direction of the worn article 1 (main body portion 10), a rear central stretch suppressing portion 22 is provided in the center in the left-right direction, and a pair of rear side stretch suppressing portions 24, 24 (both side stretch suppressing means) are provided on both left-right sides of the rear central stretch suppressing portion 22 (see FIG. 2B).

[0059] When a wearer (user) puts on the wearing article 1, the wearer puts his / her legs through a pair of leg openings LH, and then grasps the waist region BR and pulls the wearing article 1 up to the crotch area. As described above, the main body part 10 is made of a stretchable knitted fabric (or woven fabric). Therefore, if the main body part 10 is excessively stretched in the vertical direction during the action of pulling up the wearing article 1, it may become difficult to pull up the wearing article 1. In contrast, in the wearing article 1 of the present embodiment, the stretch (extension) of the main body part 10 in the vertical direction is suppressed in the portion where the stretch suppressing part 20 is provided, so that the wearing article 1 can be easily pulled up.

[0060] The stretch suppressing section 20 (stretch suppressing means) is realized by performing a process to reduce the stretchability of the knitted fabric constituting the main body section 10 in the vertical direction. For example, the stretchability in the vertical direction can be reduced by performing a process of sewing a low-stretch thread (so-called "stitching") in a predetermined area of ​​the knitted fabric constituting the main body section 10. In addition, when knitting the knitted fabric, the knitting pattern may be changed in a predetermined area or the stretchability of the thread may be changed to reduce the stretchability in a part of the knitted fabric. In addition, the stretchability of the knitted fabric may be reduced by performing a process of welding or pressing a member such as silicon or rubber, or the stretchability may be reduced by performing a compression process (embossing process, etc.) in a predetermined area of ​​the knitted fabric.

[0061] A pair of wall portions 40 are provided on the left and right sides in the crotch region CR (crotch portion) corresponding to the pair of leg openings LH, LH, respectively. FIGS. 3A and 3B are plan views for explaining the configuration of the wall portion 40. In this embodiment, the wall portion 40 is separate from the main body portion 10 and is formed of a substantially semicircular sheet member as shown in FIG. 3A or 3B. The material of the sheet member forming the wall portion 40 is the same knitted fabric (or woven fabric) as the sheet member forming the main body portion 10, and has the same stretchability as the main body portion 10. The wall portion 40 of the wearing article 1 has a base end 41, a free end 42, and a wall portion high rigidity portion 43.

[0062] The base end 41 is a portion of the periphery of the wall portion 40 that is a starting point from which the wall portion 40 rises from the main body portion 10 toward the wearer's skin when the wearing article 1 is worn. In this embodiment, the wall portion 40 is joined to the main body portion 10 at the base end 41. The end of the base end 41 that is on the front side in the front-rear direction and on the top side in the vertical direction is also referred to as the front top end 41ft, and the end of the base end 41 that is on the rear side in the front-rear direction and on the top side in the vertical direction is also referred to as the rear top end 41bt. The end of the base end 41 that is the lowest in the vertical direction is referred to as the bottom end 41d. The distance in the vertical direction between the front top end 41ft (the rear top end 41bt) and the bottom end 41d is referred to as h40. The distance h40 shown in FIG. 3A corresponds to the maximum height of the wall portion 40 when the wall portion 40 rises.

[0063] The free end 42 is a portion of the periphery of the wall portion 40 that is not joined to the main body portion 10, and is an end that is less likely to be restrained by the main body portion 10 and is easily deformed. When the wall portion 40 rises up toward the wearer's skin, the free end 42 is the portion that becomes the upper end of the wall portion 40. Note that, although the free end 42 is formed in a straight line from the front upper end 41ft to the rear upper end 41bt in Fig. 3A, it may be formed in a curved shape (arcuate shape) from the front upper end 41ft to the rear upper end 41bt as in Fig. 3B.

[0064] In this embodiment, the periphery of the wall portion 40 is overcast. That is, overcast portions are provided along the base end 41 and the free end 42 of the wall portion 40. This prevents fraying of the threads along the periphery of the wall portion 40, and makes the periphery of the wall portion 40 less likely to expand and contract than other parts of the wall portion 40, so that the contractile force along the periphery is stronger. When wearing the wearing article 1, the main body portion 10 is pulled in the left-right and front-back directions to widen the waist opening BH and the leg openings LH. At this time, tension is more likely to act along the periphery of the wall portion 40, particularly along the free end 42, so that the wall portion 40 can be easily raised toward the skin.

[0065] The high-rigidity wall portion 43 is a portion having higher rigidity than other portions of the wall portion 40, and is provided in a band-shaped region along the vertical direction as shown in Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B. The high-rigidity wall portion 43 is formed, for example, by sewing in a low-stretch thread (stitching) or by compressing a predetermined portion, similar to the above-mentioned stretch suppressing portion 20. By providing the high-rigidity wall portion 43 along the vertical direction, the wall portion 40 is prevented from bending up and down when the worn article 1 is worn, and the wall portion 40 is likely to rise up toward the skin while maintaining a flat surface. However, the high-rigidity wall portion 43 does not necessarily have to be provided in the wall portion 40.

[0066] <Method of manufacturing the worn article 1> Next, an outline of a method for manufacturing the worn article 1 will be described. Figures 4A to 4C are diagrams for explaining a method for manufacturing the worn article 1. In Figure 4, a case where the worn article 1 is formed from the above-mentioned "knitted fabric" will be described.

[0067] First, as shown in FIG. 4A, a cylindrical knitted fabric 10A (so-called "circular knit") is formed by knitting yarn round and round in a circle. At this time, a stretch suppressing portion 20 (21-24) is also formed along the direction of the central axis of the cylindrically knitted fabric 10A (corresponding to the vertical direction in FIG. 1). As described above, the stretch suppressing portion 20 is formed by changing the knitting pattern or sewing in a different yarn. The stretch suppressing portion 20 may be formed in a process different from the process of forming the circular knitted fabric 10A (FIG. 4A). For example, after the circular knitted fabric 10A is formed, a separate process may be performed to form the stretch suppressing portion 20 (stretch suppressing means).

[0068] Next, the circular knitted fabric 10A is cut at predetermined positions in the vertical direction (axial direction) to cut out the main body portion 10 constituting each individual wearing article 1, as shown in Fig. 4B. Here, the circular knitted fabric 10A is cut at positions C1 and C2 in the vertical direction. The cutting position C1 is the upper side of the main body portion 10 in the vertical direction, and the cutting position C2 is the lower side of the main body portion 10 in the vertical direction. In addition, a portion that will become the leg openings LH is cut from the main body portion 10. In Fig. 4B, both left and right sides of the lower end of the tubular main body portion 10 are cut obliquely to form a pair of leg openings LH, LH.

[0069] Next, as shown in Fig. 4C, the top end of the tubular main body 10 in the vertical direction is folded back to form the waist fold 11. At the bottom end of the tubular main body 10 in the vertical direction, the front bottom edge 12f and the rear bottom edge 12b are sewn together front to back to form the crotch seam 12. This forms the tubular main body 10 into a pants-like shape. Then, overlock stitching is performed along the periphery of the cut leg openings LH to form the leg overlock stitches 13.

[0070] After the main body 10 is formed into a pants-like shape, the walls 40, 40 described in Fig. 3 are attached to the crotch portions on the inner left-right sides of the pair of leg openings LH, LH. In this embodiment, the base end 41 of the wall 40 is joined to the portion of the skin side of the main body 10 shown by the dotted line in Fig. 4C.

[0071] 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the joining of the wall portion 40 and the main body portion 10. When joining the wall portion 40 to the main body portion 10, first, as shown in FIG. 5, the sheet member (knitted fabric) constituting the wall portion 40 is laminated so that the inner surface in the left-right direction of the sheet member (knitted fabric) constituting the main body portion 10 faces the skin side surface in the thickness direction of the sheet member (knitted fabric) constituting the main body portion 10. Then, in a state in which the wall portion 40 and the main body portion 10 are opposed to each other, a portion of the wall portion 40 corresponding to the base end 41 is sewn to the main body portion 10. As a result, the wall portion 40 is joined to the main body portion 10 at the base end 41, and when the wearing article 1 is worn, the wall portion 40 can rise toward the skin side of the wearing article 1 with the base end 41 as a rising starting point.

[0072] In this manner, the pants-type wearing article 1 having the pair of walls 40, 40 is manufactured.

[0073] <Basic configuration of absorbent pad 100> 6 shows a plan view and a cross-sectional view of the absorbent pad 100 in a stretched state. The absorbent pad 100 has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view, and has a vertical direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction that are perpendicular to one another. The vertical direction is a direction along the up-down direction (and front-rear direction) of the wearing article 1 when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1, and the horizontal direction is a direction along the left-right direction of the wearing article 1 when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1. The front side in the vertical direction is a side that is located on the wearer's abdomen side (the front side in the front-rear direction of the wearing article 1) when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1, and the rear side in the vertical direction is a side that is located on the wearer's back side (the rear side in the front-rear direction of the wearing article 1) when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1.

[0074] The absorbent pad 100 has an absorbent body 110, a top sheet 111 arranged on the skin side of the absorbent body 110, a back sheet 112 arranged on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 110, and a pair of side sheets 115, 115 provided on both the left and right sides on the skin side of the top sheet 111.

[0075] The absorbent 110 contains a polymer absorbent (super absorbent polymer, also called "SAP") and liquid absorbent fibers such as pulp fibers, and in this embodiment, is formed in a generally hourglass shape with the vertical center recessed inward in the left-right direction as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 6. The liquid absorbent fibers containing SAP may be covered with a liquid-permeable core wrap sheet (not shown). In addition, the configuration of the absorbent 110 is not limited to the above, and examples include a SAP sheet in which a SAP layer is attached to a hydrophilic sheet, and an airlaid sheet in which liquid absorbent fibers are formed into a sheet shape by an airlaid method.

[0076] The top sheet 111 is a liquid-permeable sheet member disposed on the skin side of the absorbent body 110, and is a member that comes into direct contact with the wearer's skin or excretory opening when the absorbent pad 100 is in use. For this reason, it is desirable that the top sheet 111 is a sheet member that is as flexible as possible and soft on the skin. Examples of the sheet member constituting the top sheet 111 of this embodiment include air-through nonwoven fabric. In addition, a second sheet (not shown in FIG. 6) that is liquid-permeable in substantially the same manner as the top sheet 111 may be provided between the absorbent body 110 and the top sheet 111 in the thickness direction.

[0077] The back sheet 112 is a liquid-impermeable and breathable sheet member arranged on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 110 in the thickness direction of the absorbent pad 100. The provision of this back sheet 112 prevents excreted liquid such as urine absorbed by the absorbent pad 100 from penetrating into the non-skin side in the thickness direction. Therefore, when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the skin side of the wearing article 1 for use, excreted liquid such as urine absorbed by the absorbent pad 100 can be prevented from penetrating into the non-skin side of the wearing article 1. Examples of the sheet member constituting the back sheet 112 in this embodiment include resin films such as polyethylene and polypropylene.

[0078] The side sheets 115 are members that constitute both lateral sides of the skin side of the absorbent pad 100. When the absorbent pad 100 is in use, the side sheets 115 are also likely to come into direct contact with the wearer's skin, and therefore, like the top sheet 111, it is desirable for the side sheets 115 to be as flexible as possible. An example of the sheet member that constitutes the side sheets 115 of this embodiment is an air-through nonwoven fabric.

[0079] Further, absorbent pad elastic members 116 such as rubber thread are provided on the inner ends in the lateral direction of the pair of side sheets 115, 115 in a state of being stretched along the longitudinal direction. The inner ends in the lateral direction of the side sheets 115 are folded back outward in the lateral direction as shown in the AA cross-sectional view of Fig. 6, and the absorbent pad elastic members 116 are attached so as to be sandwiched in the folded back portion. When the absorbent pad 100 is in use, the inner ends of the pair of side sheets 115, 115 rise up against the skin in the thickness direction based on the elasticity exhibited by the absorbent pad elastic members 116, and function as a leakage prevention wall (three-dimensional gathers), thereby suppressing lateral leakage of urine, etc.

[0080] When the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1 for use, the absorbent pad 100 is folded in half at a center position CL in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent pad 100 so that the skin side of the absorbent pad 100 faces inward. The folded absorbent pad 100 is then inserted from above the waist opening BH of the wearing article 1, and placed in a space between a pair of walls 40, 40 in the crotch region CR of the wearing article 1 so that the longitudinal direction of the absorbent pad 100 is aligned with the up-down direction (front-rear direction) of the wearing article 1. At this time, the center position CL of the absorbent pad 100 in the longitudinal direction is adjusted to be located at the lowest end of the wearing article 1 (a position overlapping with the crotch seam 12). In this manner, the absorbent pad 100 can be attached to the wearing article 1 easily and accurately.

[0081] <About wearing item 1> The wearing action when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1 of this embodiment and worn will be described. Figures 7A to 7C are diagrams illustrating a wearing method of the wearing article 1 when the wearing article 1 and the absorbent pad 100 are used together. Figures 8A to 8C are diagrams illustrating the state of the wearing article 1 and the wall part 40 during the actions of Figures 7A to 7C, respectively. Note that, although the actions when the wearer puts on the wearing article 1 by himself will be described below, basically the same actions are performed even when the wearer puts on the wearing article 1 with the assistance of a caregiver or the like.

[0082] First, the wearer inserts his / her legs into the left and right leg openings LH, LH while widening the waist opening BH of the wearing article 1 without the absorbent pad 100 attached, and pulls it up to the position of the wearer's knees as shown in Fig. 7A, and supports the wearing article 1 with both legs. In this state, the waist region BR of the wearing article 1 is not excessively stretched (widened) in the left-right direction, and the base end 41 of the wall portion 40 extends almost vertically in the up-down direction as shown in Fig. 8A. That is, the upper end 41ft (41bt) and the lower end 41d of the base end 41 are at almost the same position in the left-right direction. Also, since there is no significant tension on the free end 42 of the wall portion 40, the wall portion 40 is not completely erected.

[0083] Next, the waist region BR (waist opening BH) of the main body 10 is widely spread in the left-right direction using both legs (knees), and the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the crotch region CR. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 7B, the absorbent pad 100 is inserted into the space formed between a pair of walls 40, 40 provided in the crotch region, so that both left-right sides of the absorbent pad 100 are supported by the pair of walls 40, 40.

[0084] In FIG. 7B, when the absorbent pad 100 is attached, a force that spreads the waist region BR (waist opening BH) of the main body 10 in the left-right direction is also transmitted to the base end 41 of the wall 40. At this time, a force larger than that of the lower end 41d is transmitted to the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the wall 40, which is provided at a position close to the waist opening BH in the up-down direction. As a result, the upper portion of the base end 41 of the wall 40 in the up-down direction is easily pulled outward in the left-right direction as shown in FIG. 8B. That is, of the base end 41, the upper end 41ft (41bt) moves outward in the left-right direction more than the lower end 41d. Therefore, the free ends 42 of the pair of walls 40, 40 are easily opened outward in the left-right direction, and the wall 40 is less likely to fall inward. This makes it easier to insert the absorbent pad 100 between the pair of walls 40, 40 and attach it.

[0085] Next, the wearing article 1 with the absorbent pad 100 attached thereto is pulled up to the waist of the wearer. When pulling up the wearing article 1, the upper end of the main body 10 (near the waist opening BH) is grasped by hand and pulled up in the vertical direction as shown in Fig. 7C. During the process of pulling up the wearing article 1, the wearing article 1 also stretches in the front-rear direction, so that a stretching force (tension) acts on the free end 42 of the wall 40 between the front upper end 41ft and the rear upper end 41bt. This causes the pair of walls 40, 40 to stand up high in the vertical direction (towards the wearer's skin) as shown in Fig. 8C, and makes it easier to maintain the upright state throughout the pulling up operation.

[0086] In the wearing article 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, in a natural state, the base end 41 of the wall portion 40 is provided up to a position above a center position HCR between an upper end LHt and a lower end LHb of the leg opening LH in the vertical direction. In other words, the length h40 of the base end 41 in the vertical direction is longer than half the length of the crotch part (crotch region CR) in the vertical direction. With this configuration, when the wearing article 1 is put on, the wall portion 40 is formed up to a high position in the vertical direction, and when the wearing article 1 is pulled up as shown in Fig. 7C, the absorbent pad 100 is firmly held between the pair of walls 40, 40 and is less likely to slip.

[0087] When the waist region BR (waist opening BH) of the main body 10 is opened in the left-right direction and the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the crotch portion as shown in FIG. 7B, the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the wall portion 40 (base end 41) located closer to the waist opening BH in the vertical direction is more likely to be pulled outward in the left-right direction than the lower end LHb. Therefore, the wall portion 40 is less likely to fall inward in the left-right direction compared to a case where the base end 41 is not provided above the center position HCR of the crotch portion in the vertical direction. Therefore, the crotch portion is prevented from being covered by the wall portion 40, and the absorbent pad 100 is easily attached to the crotch portion. As a result, a wearing article 1 can be realized that is easy to attach the absorbent pad 100 to and is easy to pull up with the absorbent pad 100 attached.

[0088] In addition, in Fig. 2, when a virtual line VL is drawn from an upper end LHt of the leg opening LH toward the inside in the left-right direction and toward the lower in the up-down direction, the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the wall 40 (base end 41) is located above the virtual line VL in the up-down direction. That is, the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the wall 40 (base end 41) is located closer to the waist opening BH than the virtual line VL. As described in Fig. 7, when the wearing article 1 is put on, a force acts in a direction to widen the waist opening BH in the left-right direction. At this time, the force acts more easily on the region above the virtual line VL (the side closer to the waist opening BH) than on the region below the virtual line VL (the side farther from the waist opening BH). Therefore, the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the wall 40 (base end 41) located above the imaginary line VL can easily open in the left-right direction, and tension acts on the free end 42 between the front upper end 41ft and the rear upper end 41bt, making it easier for the wall 40 to stand up tall. This makes it easier to attach the absorbent pad 100 between the pair of walls 40, 40, and to pull up the wearing article 1 with the absorbent pad 100 held between the pair of walls 40, 40.

[0089] In addition, in a natural state, the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the wall 40 (base end 41) is located lower than the upper end LHt of the leg opening LH in the vertical direction. If the base end 41 of the wall 40 extends above the upper end LHt of the leg opening LH, the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the base end 41 may also be excessively spread outward in the horizontal direction when the waist region BR (waist opening BH) is spread in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 7B, etc.). In this case, the pair of walls 40, 40 may open too far outward, narrowing the leg opening LH, or the absorbent pad 100 held between the walls 40, 40 may be easily displaced. In this embodiment, since the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the wall portion 40 (base end 41) is located below the upper end LHt of the leg opening LH, the pair of walls 40, 40 are prevented from opening excessively outward in the left-right direction when the waist opening BH is widened. This prevents the absorbent pad 100 from being held in a poor state and the leg opening LH from being narrowed.

[0090] The absorbent pad 100 to be attached to the wearing article 1 of this embodiment has a maximum length L100 in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction in FIG. 6) in a stretched state of preferably 400 mm or more, more preferably 450 mm or more. Usually, the longer the absorbent pad is in the longitudinal direction, the easier it is to mount a larger absorbent body thereon, and the greater the water retention capacity can be. On the other hand, the longer the absorbent pad is in the longitudinal direction, the more difficult it is to attach it to the crotch part of the wearing article, and the more likely it is that it will shift out of position when worn.

[0091] In contrast, the wearing article 1 of the present embodiment can be used in combination with an absorbent pad 100 having a longitudinal length L100 of 400 mm or more, and therefore can accommodate a larger amount of absorbent body 110 and increase the water retention capacity, compared to an absorbent pad 100 having a length L100 smaller than 400 mm. This makes it possible to provide an absorbent pad 100 suitable for use as a urine pad or the like worn for a long period of time. Even when such a long absorbent pad 100 (L100≧400 mm) is used, it can be easily attached between the pair of walls 40, 40 and can be easily held stably. This makes it possible to prevent urine leakage, for example, even when worn for a long period of time by an elderly person or a person receiving care.

[0092] In addition, in the wearing article 1 in a natural state, it is preferable that the maximum height of the wall portion 40 is smaller than the distance in the left - right direction between the proximal ends 41, 41 of the pair of wall portions 40, 40. In FIG. 2, the maximum height of the wall portion 40 is represented by the distance h40 between the upper end 41ft (41bt) and the lower end 41d of the proximal end 41, and the distance in the left - right direction between the proximal ends 41, 41 is represented by the distance W40 between the lower ends 41d, 41d of the proximal end 41. And if h40 < W40 in FIG. 2, even if at least one of the pair of wall portions 40, 40 falls inward in the left - right direction during the wearing operation of the wearing article 1, it is suppressed that the space between the wall portions 40, 40 (the space with a width of W40) is completely covered by the fallen wall portion 40. That is, it becomes easier to secure the space between the pair of wall portions 40, 40. Thereby, when wearing the wearing article 1, the operation of attaching the absorption pad 100 between the pair of wall portions 40, 40 (see FIG. 7B) can be performed smoothly.

[0093] Furthermore, in the wearing article 1 in a natural state, it is preferable that the maximum height of the wall portion 40 is larger than the shortest distance in the left - right direction between the lower end LHb of the leg - around opening LH and the lower end 41d of the proximal end 41. In FIG. 2, the shortest distance in the left - right direction between the lower end LHb of the leg - around opening LH and the lower end 41d of the proximal end 41 is represented by Ws40. And if h40 > Ws40 in FIG. 2, compared with the reverse case, since the distance between the leg - around opening LH and the wall portion 40 becomes closer, it becomes easier to visually recognize the wall portion 40 from the outside of the leg - around opening LH. Also, the smaller Ws40 is, the wider the distance W40 between the wall portions 40, 40 becomes. Therefore, it becomes easier to perform the operation of attaching the absorption pad 100 between the pair of wall portions 40, 40.

[0094] In addition, in the wearing article 1 in a natural state, the position of the rear upper end 41bt of the wall portion 40 (base end 41) in the vertical direction is preferably at the same height as or above the position of the front upper end 41ft of the wall portion 40 (base end 41) in the vertical direction. If the front upper end 41ft of the base end 41 is located above the rear upper end 41bt, the wall portion 40 is likely to be formed higher at the front side and lower at the rear side. In this case, when the wearer walks or sits while wearing the wearing article 1, the wall portion 40 may easily interfere with the legs at the front side (abdominal side). In addition, the retention of the absorbent pad 100 at the rear side (back side) may become unstable, and rear leakage may easily occur when the wearer is lying on his / her back.

[0095] In contrast, if the rear upper end 41bt of the base end 41 is higher than or at the same height as the front upper end 41ft, the wall portion 40 is prevented from being formed high at the front and low at the rear. Therefore, when the wearing article 1 is worn, the wall portion 40 is prevented from interfering with the legs of the wearer, and rear leakage is prevented when the wearer is sleeping in a supine position.

[0096] At the base end 41 of the wall 40, the inner surface in the left-right direction of the sheet member constituting the wall 40 faces the skin-side surface in the thickness direction of the sheet member constituting the main body 10 (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the pair of walls 40, 40 rise from the inner side in the left-right direction at the base end 41, and the inner surface of the wall 40 easily comes into contact with the side end of the absorbent pad in the left-right direction. This makes it easy to stably hold the absorbent pad 100 between the pair of walls 40, 40. In addition, since the wall 40 is easily prevented from collapsing outward in the left-right direction near the base end 41, the wall 40 is prevented from blocking the leg openings LH when the legs are passed through the leg openings LH during the wearing action of the wearing article 1.

[0097] The wall 40 is joined to the main body 10 at the base end 41 by being directly sewn thereto. In other words, the wall 40 and the main body 10 are joined without any other sheet member being interposed between the sheet member (fabric) constituting the wall 40 and the sheet member (fabric) constituting the main body 10. With this configuration, when the wearing article 1 is put on, a force that widens the waist region BR (waist opening BH) of the main body 10 in the left-right direction can be easily transmitted to the wall 40 via the base end 41. Therefore, in conjunction with the action of widening the waist opening BH, the free ends 42 (upper ends 41ft, 41bt) are easily opened outward in the left-right direction, and the wall 40 is easily erected. This makes it easier to attach the absorbent pad 100 between the pair of walls 40, 40.

[0098] In the wearing article 1, the sheet member (fabric) constituting the wall portion 40 and the sheet member (fabric) constituting the main body portion 10 are the same type of sheet member (fabric). That is, in this embodiment, the wall portion 40 and the main body portion 10 are formed of the same knitted fabric. With this configuration, the wall portion 40 and the main body portion 10 tend to expand and contract at the same rate, so that excessive expansion or contraction of only one of the wall portion 40 and the main body portion 10 is suppressed when the wearing article 1 is put on. Therefore, the pair of wall portions 40, 40 tend to rise up correctly in the crotch portion (crotch region CR), making it easier to attach the absorbent pad 100 and easier to stably hold the attached absorbent pad 100.

[0099] The bending resistance of the wall 40 is preferably 8.5 mNM or less. The bending resistance of the wall 40 is an index showing the "softness" of the wall 40 of the wearing article 1 against bending, and can be expressed, for example, by using the repulsive force (hereinafter also referred to as "torque value") when a predetermined area in the wall 40 is twisted. The torque value can be measured as follows. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a method for measuring the torque value in the wall 40. FIG. 10 is a table showing conditions for measuring the torque value. Note that, taking into consideration the direction of the force acting on the wall 40 during the wearing action of the wearing article 1 (the direction in which the wall 40 stands up or falls down), the torque value is measured for rotation about the front-rear direction in FIG. 3 as the rotation axis.

[0100] When measuring the torque value in the front-rear direction, first, a measurement position for performing a torque test is specified for the wall portion 40 in the natural state. In FIG. 9A, a reference line is drawn at a position 20 mm above the lower end 41d in the vertical direction of the wall portion 40 in the natural state. Then, in the front-rear direction, a line of a predetermined length is drawn from the reference line in the vertical direction at a position that does not overlap with the wall portion high rigidity portion 43 (a position about 15 mm away from the center toward the rear in FIG. 9A), and this is set as the one-side chuck position Ck1. In addition, a line of a predetermined length is drawn from the reference line in the vertical direction at a position 30 mm away from the one-side chuck position Ck1 toward the rear in the front-rear direction, and this is set as the other-side chuck position Ck2. That is, in the wall portion 40, the one-side chuck position Ck1 and the other-side chuck position Ck2, which are spaced 30 mm apart in the front-rear direction so as not to overlap with the high rigidity portion 43, are specified as measurement positions.

[0101] Next, the chuck positions Ck1 and Ck2 are clamped by the chucks of a torque tester (for example, a torque tester manufactured by IMADA: model number EX-0762). In Fig. 9B, the upper chuck 81 of the torque tester lightly clamps the chuck position Ck1 on one side of the wall 40, and the lower chuck 82 lightly clamps the chuck position Ck2 on the other side of the wall 40, and the lower chuck 82 is tightened, and then the upper chuck 81 is tightened to fix the chucks at a distance of 30 mm. When tightening the chucks 81 and 82, a torque driver is used to tighten the chucks at a predetermined setting (see Fig. 10) until they spin freely.

[0102] Next, the tensile load of the torque test device is reset to zero, and the wall portion 40 is pulled to apply tension until a load of 1 N is applied. Then, the detection side torque value is set to zero, assuming that no wrinkles have occurred between the chuck positions Ck1 and Ck2. From this state, measurement of the torque value is started. The torque value is measured based on the conditions shown in FIG. 10, and the average of the maximum values ​​(maximum torque values) obtained by performing n measurements is regarded as the torque value.

[0103] Such torque tests were performed under the same conditions for four types of samples, namely, the sheet member (same fabric as the sheet member constituting the main body 10) constituting the wall portion 40 according to the present embodiment, and the sheet members (conventional examples 1 to 3) constituting the main body of commercially available sanitary shorts that also serve as absorbent pads as comparative examples. Figure 11 shows data showing the measurement results of the torque values.

[0104] According to FIG. 11, the average value of the bending resistance (torque value) in the front-rear direction of the wall portion 40 of the wearing article 1 is 1.8 mNM or less, whereas the average value of the bending resistance (torque value) in the front-rear direction of the conventional examples 1 to 3 is 10.3 mNM or more. Moreover, these wearing articles are mass-produced as industrial products. Therefore, when the bending resistance values ​​are normally distributed, taking into consideration the range (average value + 3σ, average value - 3σ) in which 99.7% of actual products are included, the bending resistance (torque value) in the front-rear direction of the wearing article 1 is 2.045 mNM or less, whereas the bending resistance (torque value) in the front-rear direction of the conventional examples 1 to 3 is 8.534 mNM or more. From these facts, it was confirmed that the bending resistance of the wall portion 40 of the wearing article 1 is smaller than that of the sheet member constituting commercially available sanitary shorts (conventional examples 1 to 3), and the wall portion 40 (main body portion 10) is configured to be flexible.

[0105] Therefore, if the bending resistance of the wall portion 40 is 8.5 mNM or less, when the waist region BR (waist opening BH) of the main body portion 10 is expanded in the left-right direction during the action of putting on the wearing article 1, the upper end portion of the wall portion 40 (upper end 41ft of the base end 41) tends to open outward as shown in Fig. 8B, making it easier to attach the absorbent pad 100. In addition, since the wall portion 40 itself is configured to be flexible, it is possible to prevent the wall portion 40 from interfering with the wearer's body (groin or legs) in the crotch portion and causing discomfort.

[0106] In addition, in the natural state of the wearing article 1, the position of the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the base end 41 is preferably located inside or at the same position as the lower end 41d of the base end 41 in the left-right direction. If the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the base end 41 is located outside the lower end 41d in the left-right direction in the natural state, the upper ends (free ends 42) of the pair of walls 40, 40 are always open outward in the left-right direction. In this case, there is a risk that the absorbent pad 100 may be misaligned between the pair of walls 40, 40, or the retention of the absorbent pad 100 may be deteriorated. On the other hand, if the position of the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the base end 41 in the left-right direction is the same as the position of the lower end 41d in the left-right direction or is more inward than the lower end 41d, the walls 40, 40 will spread outward when the waist region BR (waist opening BH) is expanded during the wearing action of the wearing article 1, but when the waist opening BH is not expanded, the walls 40, 40 will not open excessively outward in the left-right direction. This makes it easier to attach the absorbent pad 100 and prevents deterioration of retention.

[0107] Furthermore, the length of the periphery of the wall portion 40 along the base end 41 is longer than the length along the free end 42 (see Figs. 3A and 3B). With this configuration, when a force is applied to pull the main body 10 and the wall portion 40 in the front-rear direction during the wearing action of the wearing article 1 (see Fig. 7C, etc.), tension is easily applied to the free end 42 (the upper end of the wall portion 40) which has a shorter length along the periphery, and the wall portion 40 is easily erected. This makes it easier for the absorbent pad 100 to be firmly held between the erected walls 40, 40, and makes it difficult for the absorbent pad 100 to become displaced when the wearing article 1 is pulled up.

[0108] At this time, it is preferable that the line connecting the front upper end 41ft to the rear upper end 41bt of the base end 41 along the upper end (free end 42) of the member constituting the wall portion 40 is a straight line. In FIG. 3A, the line constituting the upper end (line along the free end 42) of the periphery of the wall portion 40 is straight and has the shortest length in the front-rear direction. With this configuration, when the wall portion 40 is pulled in the front-rear direction, tension is more likely to be applied to the free end 42, which has a short length in the front-rear direction, and the wall portion 40 is more likely to stand up. This makes it easier for the absorbent pad 100 to be firmly held between the standing walls 40, 40, and makes it difficult for the absorbent pad 100 to shift position when the wearing article 1 is pulled up. In addition, if the line constituting the upper end of the wall portion 40 (line along the free end 42) is a straight line, the height (distance from the lower end 41d to the free end 42) of the wall portion 40 when it stands up will be high, making it easier to hold the absorbent pad 100.

[0109] However, as shown in Fig. 3B, a line connecting the front upper end 41ft and the rear upper end 41bt of the base end 41 along the upper end of the member constituting the wall portion 40 may be an arc-shaped curve. In the case of Fig. 3B, the maximum height of the wall portion 40 when standing is lower than that of Fig. 3A, so that the wall portion 40 is less likely to interfere with the wearer's body (legs and groin) in the crotch portion.

[0110] In this embodiment, the peripheral edge (base end 41 and free end 42) of the wall portion 40 is overcast. As described above, overcasting along the base end 41 and the free end 42 suppresses fraying of the threads along the peripheral edge of the wall portion 40 and reduces the elasticity along the peripheral edge of the wall portion 40. In particular, since the elasticity at the free end 42 is reduced, tension is more likely to be applied to the free end 42 when the wall portion 40 is pulled in the front-rear direction during the wearing action of the wearing article 1, and the wall portion 40 is more likely to stand up. This makes it easier to hold the absorbent pad 100 firmly between the walls 40, 40.

[0111] In addition, the wall 40 is provided with a high-rigidity wall portion 43 extending in the up-down direction between the base end 41 and the free end 42. The provision of the high-rigidity wall portion 43 increases the rigidity of the wall 40, and prevents the upright wall 40 from bending or collapsing when the wearing article 1 is worn. The provision of the high-rigidity wall portion 43 also prevents the wall 40 from being wrinkled, and prevents the absorbent pad 100 from being held in a poor state. As described above, in the wearing article 1 of this embodiment, the sheet member constituting the wall 40 has a low bending resistance, and the wall 40 itself is easily deformed (see FIG. 11). Therefore, the provision of the high-rigidity wall portion 43 makes it easier for the wall 40 to maintain the upright state. This makes it easier for the absorbent pad 100 to be held firmly between the walls 40, 40.

[0112] The high rigidity wall portion 43 is provided so as to intersect with the base end 41 and the free end 42, which are overcast. In other words, the base end 41 and the free end 42, which have their rigidity increased by the overcast, are configured to be connected to the high rigidity wall portion 43. As a result, in the wall portion 40, the base end 41 and the free end 42 along the periphery of the wall portion 40 and the high rigidity wall portion 43 extending in the vertical direction form a skeletal structure, making it easier for the wall portion 40 to maintain a planar shape. Therefore, the wall portion 40 is more likely to stand up stably, and the retention of the absorbent pad 100 can be improved.

[0113] In addition, when the wearing article 1 in its natural state is viewed from the front side in the front-rear direction, at least a part of the wall 40 is visible outside the periphery of the leg opening LH, whereas when viewed from the rear side in the front-rear direction, the wall 40 is not visible outside the periphery of the leg opening LH. In FIG. 2A, a part of the wall 40 in a non-standing state is visible protruding outside the periphery of the leg opening LH (the leg opening overlock portion 13). On the other hand, in FIG. 2B, the wall 40 does not protrude outside the periphery of the leg opening LH (the leg opening overlock portion 13), and is not visible. This makes the difference in appearance between the front and rear of the wearing article 1 clear, making it easy to distinguish between the front and rear, and making it difficult to cause problems such as wearing the wearing article 1 with the wrong front and rear. In addition, since the wall 40 provided in the crotch portion is visible from the outside, it is easy to make the wearer recognize the position to insert the absorbent pad 100 when picking up the wearing article 1 before wearing it.

[0114] Furthermore, the main body 10 of the wearing article 1 has stretch suppressing parts 20 (central stretch suppressing parts 21, 22 and side stretch suppressing parts 23, 24) having a predetermined length in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the wearing article 1 is pulled up during wearing (see FIG. 7C), the main body 10 is prevented from stretching excessively in the vertical direction. This makes it easier to prevent problems such as the absorbent pad 100 becoming displaced or falling off due to stretching of only the main body 10.

[0115] At least the central stretch-inhibiting sections 21, 22 of the stretch-inhibiting section 20 overlap with the crotch seam 12 at the bottom end in the vertical direction. By connecting the stretch-inhibiting section 20 along the vertical direction and the crotch seam 12 along the left-right direction, a skeletal structure is formed in the main body 10, and wrinkles are less likely to form in the crotch part (crotch region CR). This makes it easier to ensure a space between the pair of walls 40, 40 in the crotch part, making it easier to insert the absorbent pad 100 and to stably hold the absorbent pad 100 when wearing the wearing article 1.

[0116] <About the container for wearable item 1> The wearing articles 1 manufactured in a manufacturing factory or the like are folded compactly and shipped in a state in which one or more of the wearing articles are accommodated in a predetermined accommodation member, and then distributed to the market. In the following, a wearing article accommodation body 90 in which a plurality of the wearing articles 1 are accommodated in a accommodation member 70 will be described.

[0117] 12 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a wearing article container 90 (hereinafter, simply referred to as "container 90"). The container 90 has a container member 70, which is a bag-shaped member, and one or more wearing articles 1 contained inside the container member 70. Note that the container 90 does not contain an absorbent pad 100, and when a user uses the wearing article 1 and the absorbent pad 100 in combination, the user needs to prepare the absorbent pad 100 by purchasing it separately.

[0118] 12, the container 90 has a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction that intersect with each other. One side of the first direction is the upper side, and the other side is the lower side. Similarly, one side of the second direction is the right side, and the other side is the left side, and one side of the third direction is the front side, and the other side is the rear side.

[0119] The storage member 70 is a container having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in FIG. 12, and is formed by folding a base sheet 71, which is a sheet member constituting the storage member 70, and joining predetermined portions. The base sheet 71 is a resin sheet member, and liquid-impermeable resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polycarbonate, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be used. When storing the wearing articles 1 in the storage member 70, first. The base sheet 71 is folded to form a bag shape having an opening at the upper end in the first direction (not shown), and a predetermined number of wearing articles 1 are stored through the opening at the upper end. After storing the wearing articles 1, the base sheet 71 is folded at the upper end as shown in FIG. 12 (for example, gusset folding), and the opposing surfaces are joined to close the opening. This results in a storage body 90 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in FIG. 12. However, the shape of the storage member 70, the method of folding the base sheet 71, and the method of enclosing the wearing articles 1 are not limited to these.

[0120] The front surface of the storage member 70 in the third direction corresponds to the front surface of the storage body 90, and is the surface that is viewed by the user at a store or the like. Information consisting of a plurality of characters and pictures is displayed (printed) on the front surface of the storage member 70. In the example of FIG. 12, a product name display section 72, a product image display section 73, an explanation display section 74, and a note display section 75 are provided. The product name display section 72 is a section where information showing the product name of the worn article 1 is displayed, and the user can select and purchase the worn article 1 from among many types of absorbent articles using the product name display section 72 as a guide. The product image display section 73 is a section where information showing images related to the worn article 1 and the user is displayed. By visually checking the product image display section 73, the user can easily understand at a glance the outline of the product and the type of person that the product is intended to wear.

[0121] The explanation display section 74 is an area where information showing the product description of the wearing article 1 is displayed, and at least includes an indication that recalls that the wearing article 1 is used in combination with the absorbent pad 100. In Fig. 12, information is displayed that the wearing article 1 can be used in combination with an absorbent pad, and information explaining the absorbent pad (absorbent pad 100) to be used in combination. The note display section 75 is an area where notes other than the information displayed in the explanation display section 74 are displayed, and indicates information that is beneficial to the user. In Fig. 12, information is displayed indicating that the wearing article 1 can be used repeatedly, allowing the user to recognize that the wearing article 1 is reusable.

[0122] Note that these information display sections 72 to 75 may not be printed on the base sheet 71 constituting the storage member 70, but may be configured by attaching a sticker showing predetermined information to the surface of the base sheet 71. Furthermore, when the base sheet 71 is a transparent sheet member, the information display sections 72 to 75 may be configured by enclosing a card or the like showing predetermined information inside so that the card can be seen from the outside.

[0123] By distributing such a container 90 on the market, a user who sees the container 90 can easily recognize the function and usage of the wearing article 1, and can use the wearing article 1 correctly.

[0124] ===Other=== The above-mentioned embodiment is for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified or improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

[0125] In the above embodiment, the wall portion 40 is configured as a sheet member separate from the main body portion 10, but the wall portion 40 may be formed by processing a part of the main body portion 10. For example, in the crotch portion (crotch region CR) of the main body portion 10, the wall portion 40 may be configured integrally with the main body portion 10 by pinching a part of the fabric and pulling it toward the skin, folding it, and sewing and fixing the part corresponding to the base end 41.

[0126] In the above embodiment, when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1, the pair of walls 40, 40 are used to hold the absorbent pad 100 from both sides. However, in addition to the walls 40, a means for fixing the absorbent pad 100 to the wearing article 1 may be provided. For example, an engagement area (not shown) that can detachably engage with the skin side of the wearing article 1 (main body 10) may be provided at an end (both ends or one end) in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent pad 100. An example of the engagement area is a known hook-and-loop fastener provided with a plurality of projections for engagement (male material, hook) or projections for engagement (female material, loop). Furthermore, an engaged area that can easily engage with the engagement area of ​​the absorbent pad 100 may be provided on the skin side of the main body 10. By providing such an engagement area (engaged area), the absorbent pad 100 can be held more firmly, and the operation of pulling up the wearing article 1 with the absorbent pad 100 attached can be made easier. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1 Wearing item (pants-type wearing item), 10 Main body, 11 waist fold, 12 crotch seam, 13 leg sewn seam, 20 expansion / contraction suppression section (expansion / contraction suppression means); 21 Front central expansion / contraction suppression section, 22 Rear central expansion / contraction suppression section, 23 front side stretch suppressing portion, 24 rear side stretch suppressing portion, 40 wall, 41 base end, 41ft front upper end, 41bt rear upper end, 41d lower end, 42 Free end, 43 High rigidity wall part, 70 Storage member, 71 Base sheet, 72 Product name display section, 73 Product image display section, 74 Explanation display section, 75 Note display section, 90 Wearable article container, 100 absorbent pads, 110 absorbent body, 111 top sheet, 112 back sheet, 115 side sheet, 116 absorbent pad elastic member, BH waist opening, LH leg opening, LHt top end, LHb bottom end, BR waist area; CR crotch area; VL Virtual line,

Claims

1. having an up-down direction and a left-right direction that intersect with each other, A wearing article having a waist opening and a pair of leg openings, which can be used in combination with an absorbent pad, A pair of walls for regulating the position of the absorbent pad are provided, the base end of the wall portion is provided above a midpoint between upper and lower ends of the leg openings in the vertical direction in a natural state.

2. having an up-down direction and a left-right direction that intersect with each other, A wearing article having a waist opening and a pair of leg openings, which can be used in combination with an absorbent pad, A pair of walls for regulating the position of the absorbent pad are provided, In a natural state, when an imaginary line is drawn from the upper end of the leg opening toward the inside in the left-right direction and toward the lower side in the up-down direction, the imaginary line forms an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the left-right direction, The wearing article according to claim 1, wherein an upper end portion of a base end of the wall portion is located closer to the waist opening than the imaginary line.

3. The wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, A wearing article characterized in that the absorbent pad has a maximum length in a longitudinal direction when stretched, of 400 mm or more.

4. The wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, a top end of the base end being located lower than top ends of the leg openings in the vertical direction in a natural state.

5. The wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, The wearing article, wherein a maximum height of the wall portion is smaller than a distance between the pair of base ends in the left-right direction.

6. The wearing article according to claim 5, The maximum height of the wall portion is greater than a shortest distance in the left-right direction between a lower end of the leg openings and a lower end of the base end.

7. The wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, a rear upper end of the base end being located above or at the same height as a front upper end of the base end in the vertical direction in a natural state.

8. The wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, a base end of the wall portion and a skin-facing surface of the main body portion of the wearing article, the base end being opposed to an inner surface of the wall portion in the left-right direction.

9. The wearing article according to claim 8, The wall portion is directly sewn to the main body portion.

10. The wearing article according to claim 8, A wearing article, characterized in that a sheet material constituting the wall portion and a sheet material constituting the main body portion are of the same type of sheet material.

11. The wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, The wall portion has a bending resistance of 8.5 mNm or less.

12. The wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, a lower end of the base end being disposed inwardly of the lower end of the base end in the left-right direction, the lower ...

13. The wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, A wearing article, wherein a length of the wall portion along the base end is longer than a length of the wall portion along a free end.

14. The wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, a line extending along the free edge of the wall from an upper front end to an upper rear end of the base end is a straight line.

15. The wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, A wearing article characterized in that a serged stitch is provided along the periphery of the free end of said wall portion.

16. The wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, The wearing article further comprises a high-rigidity portion extending along the vertical direction between the base end and the free end of the wall portion.

17. The wearing article according to claim 16, A serged stitch is provided along the periphery of the wall portion; The high stiffness portion intersects with the base end and the free end, which are overlocked.

18. The wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, In natural conditions, When viewed from the front, at least a portion of the wall portion is visible outside a periphery of the leg opening, The wearing article is characterized in that, when viewed from the rear, the wall portion cannot be seen outside the peripheral edge of the leg openings.

19. The wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, A wearing article comprising stretch suppressing means having a predetermined length in the vertical direction.

Images