Absorbent article

Abstract

To provide an absorbent article capable of sufficiently suppressing leak of urine, etc. to an outside of the absorbent article.SOLUTION: An absorbent article 1 includes a front inclined portion 13 and a rear inclined portion 14 functioning as identification portions in a longitudinal direction thereof, provided on a front flap 15 and a rear flap 16. When an intermediate part between a widthwise center line X and the widthwise outer edge Y of the absorbent article 1 is a virtual intermediate line Z along the longitudinal direction, an elastic member 10 for three-dimensional gathers is located near the virtual intermediate line Z or on the widthwise center line X side with respect to the virtual intermediate line Z. Thereby, with contraction of the elastic member 10, a three-dimensional gather forming sheet 5 is erected on a skin surface side to form a space S where the front portion of the absorbent article 1 becomes convex toward a non-skin-surface side, with an inner end in the longitudinal direction of a front holding part 11 used as a base point.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an absorbent article that is worn on the body and is used as an incontinence pad, a diaper, etc. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as an absorbent article of this kind, an absorbent cutout is formed in the center of the width direction of the rear end of the absorbent, and the liquid-permeable top sheet and back sheet each have a sheet cutout formed to fit along the absorbent cutout (see Patent Document 1 below). This reduces discomfort caused by twisting and makes it easier to follow the movement of the body.

[0003] Also known as this type of absorbent article is one that has side edge outlines that define the outlines on both sides in the width direction, the side edge outlines having a central outline located in the center in the longitudinal direction and a front outline located forward of the central outline, and the two outlines are connected via a front sudden change part that abruptly changes the direction of the outline between the central outline and the front outline, and the width dimension of the absorbent article increases suddenly toward the front end in the front outline region (see Patent Document 2 below). This allows the article to fit naturally to the shape of the body when worn without the effort of creating a three-dimensional shape that fits the shape of the body when worn. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-140422 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2013-135723 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the configuration of the above-mentioned conventional absorbent article has the disadvantage that no space is formed for temporarily retaining urine or the like, and leakage of urine or the like to the outside of the absorbent article cannot be sufficiently prevented.

[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article that can sufficiently prevent leakage of urine and the like to the outside of the absorbent article. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides an absorbent article comprising a top sheet, a back sheet, and an absorbent body sandwiched between the two sheets, the absorbent article comprising a three-dimensional gather forming sheet on both sides in the width direction thereof for forming three-dimensional gathers, the three-dimensional gather forming sheet comprising a base end portion which cannot stand up, and an upright portion which can stand up closer to the skin than the base end portion, the upright portion having an elastic member for three-dimensional gathers arranged in the longitudinal direction, the longitudinal outer end portion of the upright portion having a front side fixing portion and a rear side fixing portion which are fixed to the top sheet at a position overlapping the absorbent body in the thickness direction, and the longitudinal end regions of the front and rear parts of the absorbent article are provided with a portion that is insulated from the absorbent body by the presence of the absorbent body. a front flap and a rear flap that are not present at the front end and that have front inclined portions and rear inclined portions that function as identification portions in the front and rear directions of the absorbent article, the front flap and the rear flap have front inclined portions and rear inclined portions that function as identification portions in the front and rear directions of the absorbent article, the elastic member for the three-dimensional gathers is located in the vicinity of the imaginary midline or on the widthwise centerline side of the imaginary midline, when a virtual midline is defined as a line extending in the longitudinal direction between a widthwise centerline and a widthwise outer edge of the absorbent article, and contraction of the elastic member for the three-dimensional gathers causes the three-dimensional gather forming sheet to stand up on the skin-facing side, and a space is formed in which the front portion of the absorbent article is convex towards the non-skin-facing side, with the longitudinal inner end of the front fixing portion as a base point.

[0008] In addition, in the present invention, it is preferable that, when the absorbent article is unfolded, the front inclined portion inclines from the front end of the widthwise central portion toward the widthwise outer edge diagonally rearward, and the rear inclined portion inclines from the rear end of the widthwise outer edge toward the widthwise central portion diagonally forward, when the absorbent article is unfolded.

[0009] In the present invention, it is preferable that the length of an imaginary line connecting an arbitrary position in the width direction of the front inclined portion and a position of the rear inclined portion that is the same as the arbitrary position is always constant.

[0010] In the present invention, the absorbent article preferably has a groove that is continuous in the longitudinal direction at the widthwise central portion of the absorbent body.

[0011] In the present invention, it is preferable that at least one of the front inclined portion and the rear inclined portion is subjected to identification processing, selectively using coloring, design, or embossing, in order to identify the front and rear directions.

[0012] Furthermore, a manufacturing method for producing the absorbent article can include providing a groove along the longitudinal direction in the widthwise center of the absorbent body, which allows the absorbent article to be folded in half, and cutting the absorbent article in a folded state to form inclined portions at the front and rear portions, thereby providing front and rear inclined portions at the front and rear end portions of the absorbent article. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, the front inclined portion, the contraction of the elastic member for the three-dimensional gathers, and the front fixed portion work together to make it easier for the front portion of the absorbent article to stand up, and a space is formed that is convex on the non-skin-facing side of the front portion of the absorbent article with the longitudinal inner end of the front fixed portion as the base point. This space becomes a space where urine, etc. can temporarily remain between the left and right three-dimensional gathers and the widthwise inner portions.

[0014] In addition, the formation of a space in which the front part rises makes it easier for the left and right three-dimensional gathers to rise toward the skin, which is expected to prevent leakage of urine and other liquids in the width direction due to the three-dimensional gathers and the space. Furthermore, the formation of a three-dimensional space makes it possible to emphasize the front end of the absorbent article as the front part of the absorbent article, making it easier for caregivers and users to distinguish between the front and back when putting on the absorbent article.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention also takes into consideration the inclusion of a groove along the longitudinal direction in the widthwise center of the absorbent body. The groove (non-absorbent body portion) makes it easier to fold the absorbent article in half along the longitudinal direction, and is expected to also make it easier to form space.

[0016] Furthermore, in the absorbent article of the present invention, compared to, for example, an absorbent article that does not have inclined portions at the front and rear ends, the front and rear inclined portions form material-free portions at the front and rear ends, which reduces discomfort during use and ensures breathability, improving comfort when worn. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory plan view showing an absorbent article in an embodiment of the present invention in a developed state. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the II-II line in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the III-III line in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the rising state of the front portion of the absorbent article. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory side view of the absorbent article folded in two. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is an explanatory plan view showing the shape of the absorbent body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The absorbent article 1 of this embodiment has the following configuration. That is, as shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 3, the absorbent article 1 has a top sheet 2 (skin-facing nonwoven fabric, etc.), a back sheet 3 (non-skin-facing nonwoven fabric, etc., for example, a back sheet having two layers of PE film 3a and BS laminated nonwoven fabric 3b laminated thereon), an absorbent body 4 sandwiched between the sheets 2, 3, and a three-dimensional gather forming sheet 5.

[0019] The absorbent body 4 is mainly composed of SAP and pulp, and is sandwiched between a skin-facing tissue (second tissue 6) and a non-skin-facing tissue (first tissue 7). Generally, the absorbent body 4 is known to be either a single-layer or multi-layer type, and either may be used as appropriate. When the absorbent body 4 is a multi-layer type (lower-layer absorbent body 4a, upper-layer absorbent body 4b), the shapes of the laminated absorbent bodies 4 may be the same or each layer may have a different shape.

[0020] 2 and 3, the three-dimensional gather forming sheet 5 forms three-dimensional gathers on both widthwise sides of the absorbent article 1, and is composed of a base end 8 that cannot stand up, and an upstanding part 9 that can stand up closer to the skin than the base end 8. An elastic member 10 for the three-dimensional gathers is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the upstanding part 9. In addition, the outer longitudinal ends of the upstanding part 9 have a front fixing part 11 and a rear fixing part 12 that are fixed to the topsheet 2 at positions that overlap the absorbent body 4 in the thickness direction.

[0021] The absorbent article 1 has a front inclined portion 13 formed in its front portion, and a rear inclined portion 14 formed in its rear portion. The front inclined portion 13 and the rear inclined portion 14 are shaped, for example, to resemble an arrow, and therefore function as identification portions for identifying the front and rear directions.

[0022] The front inclined portion 13 and the rear inclined portion 14 are formed in a front flap 15 and a rear flap 16 located longitudinally outboard of the longitudinal ends of the absorbent body 4 (mainly made of pulp and superabsorbent polymer). The front flap 15 and the rear flap 16 do not have the absorbent body 4, and are formed by laminating nonwoven fabrics, films, etc.

[0023] When the absorbent article 1 is unfolded, the front inclined portion 13 is inclined from the widthwise centerline X in the longitudinally inward direction toward the widthwise outer edge Y. In other words, when the absorbent article 1 is unfolded, the front inclined portion 13 is inclined from the front end of the widthwise centerline X as a starting point toward the widthwise outer edge Y at an oblique rear.

[0024] When the absorbent article 1 is unfolded, the rear inclined portion 14 is inclined from the widthwise outer edge Y in the longitudinally inward direction toward the widthwise center line X. In other words, when the absorbent article 1 is unfolded, the rear inclined portion 14 is inclined from the rear end of the widthwise outer edge Y as a starting point toward the widthwise center (widthwise center line X) diagonally forward.

[0025] Because the rear inclined portion 14 is inclined as described above, urine, etc. does not accumulate in the area where the rear flap 16 is not present during use (specifically, the area in the center of the width where there is no absorbent body and where nonwoven fabric, film, etc. are not laminated), and the urine, etc. is absorbed into the outerwear used in conjunction with the urine pad (a tape-type, pants-type, etc. absorbent article).

[0026] This can reduce skin troubles caused by urine and the like accumulating on the rear flap 16 in conventional urine absorption pads, reduce discomfort felt by the user during use, and further improve breathability.

[0027] In addition, when an imaginary midline Z along the longitudinal direction is defined as the midpoint between the widthwise centerline X and the widthwise outer edge Y of the absorbent article 1, the elastic member 10 is located near the imaginary midline Z or on the widthwise centerline side of the imaginary midline Z.

[0028] With this configuration, the front portion of the absorbent article can easily rise up due to the cooperation of the front inclined portion 13, the contraction of the elastic member 10 for the three-dimensional gathers, and the front fixed portion 11. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4, a space S is formed that is convex on the non-skin-facing side of the front portion of the absorbent article with the longitudinal inner end of the front fixed portion 11 as a base point. This space becomes the space S where urine, etc., temporarily remains between the widthwise inner portions of the left and right three-dimensional gathers.

[0029] Furthermore, when the absorbent article 1 is folded in two before being unfolded as shown in Figure 5, a user can grasp the front inclined portion 13 and the rear inclined portion 14, which are located diagonally, and stretch the front inclined portion 13 and the rear inclined portion 14 in the diagonal direction as shown by the arrow in the figure, making it easier to fold the absorbent article 1 in two and making it easier to stand the three-dimensional gathers of the absorbent article 1 on the skin-facing side.

[0030] And, due to the presence of the front inclined portion 13 and the rear inclined portion 14, when the absorbent article 1 is unfolded, in the front portion, the front end region can be easily grasped by the front inclined portion 13, and further, in the rear portion, since the widthwise center portion of the rear inclined portion 14 is near the absorbent body end portion, when grasping the widthwise center portion of the rear portion, the absorbent body 4, which is thicker than the rear flap 16, can also be grasped together, making it easier to grasp the rear portion. This is expected to make it easier for the user to adjust the position of the absorbent article 1 when putting it on.

[0031] In addition, by making the inclination angles of the front inclined portion 13 and the rear inclined portion 14 the same, it is expected that there will be an effect of clearly distinguishing the front from the back when the user puts it on (it will be possible to easily imagine the arrow shape). However, the inclination angles of the front inclined portion 13 and the rear inclined portion 14 do not have to be the same, and can be set appropriately for each.

[0032] Furthermore, the front distinguishing portion defined by the front inclined portion need only pass along at least the widthwise center line X of the absorbent article 1, and for example, multiple similar front distinguishing portions may be provided on both sides of the widthwise center line X.

[0033] Furthermore, in the absorbent article 1 of this embodiment, the length of an imaginary line connecting any position (point) in the width direction of the front inclined portion 13 and a position (point) of the rear inclined portion 14 that is in the same position as the any position is constant.

[0034] The shape of the absorbent body 4 can be set as appropriate. In the absorbent body 4 of this embodiment, a shape is adopted in which the front and rear portions are wide and the middle portion is narrower than the front portion. In this case, it is preferable that the rear portion of the absorbent body 4 is wider than the front portion, which makes it easy to distinguish the front and rear from the shape of the absorbent body 4 when the absorbent article is viewed in a plane.

[0035] Furthermore, the outer end of the absorbent body 4 in the longitudinal direction may be straight along the width direction, or, although not shown, the front and rear end of the absorbent body 4 may be inclined so as to follow the front inclined portion 13 and the rear inclined portion 14. This makes it easier to distinguish between the front and the back.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 6, it is preferable to provide a groove 17 along the longitudinal direction in the widthwise central portion of the absorbent body 4. The groove 17 may be provided continuously or discontinuously in the longitudinal direction. A plurality of holes 18 may also be provided. Note that Fig. 6 shows an example in which the groove 17 is provided in the lower absorbent body 4a and the hole 18 is provided in the upper absorbent body 4b. Providing a continuous groove 17 is advantageous in that it makes it easier to fold the absorbent article 1 in two along the longitudinal direction. For example, in the manufacturing process, the absorbent article 1 is folded in two via the groove 17, and in the cutting process, the front side and the rear side of the absorbent article 1 are cut at parallel inclines, whereby the front side inclined portion 13 and the rear side inclined portion 14 can be easily formed.

[0037] The grooves 17 may penetrate through the absorbent body 4 in the thickness direction, but may also be recessed on the skin-facing side or non-skin-facing side without penetrating the absorbent body 4.

[0038] Although not shown, an additional groove or hole may be provided in addition to the continuous groove 17 along the longitudinal direction in the widthwise center of the absorbent body 4. Specifically, for example, an additional groove extending in the longitudinal direction spaced apart from both sides of the continuous groove in the width direction, or an additional groove extending in the width direction connected to both sides of the continuous groove in the width direction may be provided.

[0039] When the absorbent body 4 is a single layer, it is preferable to form continuous grooves 17 along the longitudinal direction in the widthwise central portion from the front to the rear ends. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 6, when the absorbent body 4 is a multi-layer body of two or more layers, grooves or holes may be formed in each layer of the stacked absorbent body, or grooves or holes may be formed in at least one of the layers of the stacked absorbent body. In this way, the grooves and holes along the longitudinal direction make it easier to fold the absorbent article in half longitudinally.

[0040] Furthermore, the absorbent body 4, whether it is a single layer or multiple layers, may have a shape related to the inclined portions 13, 14 on the front and rear sides. This allows the user to more clearly distinguish between the front and rear when wearing the absorbent body.

[0041] When the absorbent body is made of multiple layers, it is preferable to provide a groove along the longitudinal direction in the absorbent body on the non-skin side, and provide two holes in the absorbent body on the skin side. Specifically, one hole in the absorbent body on the skin side is provided in the crotch region (e.g., narrow width portion) forward of the longitudinal center of the absorbent article so as to correspond to the urethral opening, and the other hole is provided in the region (e.g., wide width portion) rearward of the longitudinal center so as to correspond to the excretion region, so that the hole, together with the front inclined portion 13 and the rear inclined portion 14, can be used as a guide for distinguishing between front and rear.

[0042] To distinguish between the front and rear, one example is to provide coloring or a design to either or both of the front inclined portion 13 and the rear inclined portion 14 to improve the distinguishability through visual information. Alternatively, one example is to provide embossing to either or both of the front inclined portion 13 and the rear inclined portion 14 to improve the distinguishability through tactile information.

[0043] The identification portion for obtaining the above-mentioned visual information and tactile information is provided at a position related to (may be in contact with or near) the front inclined portion 13 and the rear inclined portion 14. In order to distinguish between the front and rear, it is also possible to additionally laminate a material having a high coefficient of friction in the thickness direction on the front and rear portions, or to apply a hot melt or the like that increases friction to the front and rear portions in the thickness direction.

[0044] Furthermore, the absorbent article 1 may be provided with an indicator for determining the timing of replacement after urination, in a non-existent portion or recess of the absorbent body, so as to overlap in the thickness direction.

[0045] 2 and 3, the main steps of an example of a manufacturing method for the absorbent article 1 will be described. First, an absorbent body forming step is performed to form the absorbent body 4. The absorbent body forming step includes a step of superimposing a lower-layer absorbent body 4a having grooves or holes on the skin-facing side of a tissue (first tissue 7) facing away from the skin, a step of superimposing an upper-layer absorbent body 4b having grooves or holes on the skin-facing side of the lower-layer absorbent body 4a, and a step of superimposing a skin-facing tissue (second tissue 6) on the skin-facing side of the upper-layer absorbent body 4b.

[0046] Next, the long top sheet 2 and the long back sheet 3 are fed in the opposing direction. Prior to this, a process is carried out in which a side surface material (three-dimensional gather forming sheet 5) is provided on the top sheet 2 (nonwoven fabric in the skin contact portion) and a process is carried out in which a back sheet 3 (BS laminated nonwoven fabric 3b is the outermost layer and contacts the outer layer on the non-skin facing side) is formed by laminating two layers of PE film 3a and BS laminated nonwoven fabric 3b.

[0047] Then, while supplying and conveying the long top sheet 2 and the long back sheet 3, a lamination process is performed in which the absorbent body 4 formed in the absorbent body forming process is sandwiched and laminated between the top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3. As a result, a plurality of laminates (each of which will become the absorbent article 1) are continuously conveyed along the longitudinal direction, and a process is performed in which the laminates are folded in half along the conveying direction via the grooves.

[0048] Then, a cutting step is performed in which the laminated bodies are cut at the boundaries in a folded state. At this time, the laminated bodies are cut obliquely with an inclined cutter, thereby forming the front inclined portion 13 and the rear inclined portion 14, and simultaneously forming the respective separated absorbent articles 1. In this manner, the absorbent article 1 having the front inclined portion 13 and the rear inclined portion 14 can be easily manufactured. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1. Absorbent articles 2. Surface sheet 3…Back sheet 4…Absorbent 5...3D gather forming sheet 8...Proximal end 9…Standing part 10...Elastic member 11...Front fixing part 12...Rear fixing part 13…Front slope part 14…Rear side slope part 15…Front flap 16…Rear flap 17...Groove S…Space

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising a top sheet, a back sheet, and an absorbent body sandwiched between the top sheet and the back sheet, The absorbent article is provided with a three-dimensional gather forming sheet on both sides in the width direction thereof, the three-dimensional gather forming sheet being provided on both sides in the width direction thereof, The three-dimensional gather forming sheet is composed of a base end portion which cannot stand up and an upstanding portion which can stand up toward the skin side from the base end portion, The upright portion has an elastic member for three-dimensional gathers arranged in the longitudinal direction, a front fixing portion and a rear fixing portion fixed to the top sheet at a position where the front fixing portion and the rear fixing portion overlap with the absorbent body in the thickness direction; The front and rear flaps are provided at the longitudinal end regions of the front and rear portions of the absorbent article, and no absorbent is provided at the front and rear flaps. The front flap and the rear flap have a front inclined portion and a rear inclined portion that function as a distinguishing portion in the front-rear direction of the absorbent article, The elastic member for the three-dimensional gathers is located near or closer to the widthwise center line than the imaginary midline, when the midpoint between the widthwise center line and the widthwise outer edge of the absorbent article is taken as an imaginary midline along the longitudinal direction, and contraction of the elastic member for the three-dimensional gathers causes the three-dimensional gather forming sheet to stand up on the skin-facing side, and a space is formed such that the front portion of the absorbent article is convex toward the non-skin-facing side, based on the longitudinal inner end of the front fixed part.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1, characterized in that, when the absorbent article is unfolded, the front inclined portion inclines from the front end of the widthwise central portion toward the widthwise outer edge diagonally rearward, and the rear inclined portion inclines from the rear end of the widthwise outer edge toward the widthwise central portion diagonally forward, when the absorbent article is unfolded.

3. 3. The absorbent article according to claim 2, wherein the length of an imaginary line connecting an arbitrary position in the width direction of the front inclined portion and a position of the rear inclined portion that is the same position as the arbitrary position is always constant.

4. 3. The absorbent article according to claim 1, further comprising a groove extending continuously in the longitudinal direction in a central portion in the width direction of the absorbent body.

5. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of the front inclined portion and the rear inclined portion is subjected to an identification treatment selectively using coloring, design, or embossing to distinguish the front and rear directions.

6. A method for producing the absorbent article according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, characterized in that a groove is provided along the longitudinal direction in the widthwise center of the absorbent body, the absorbent article is folded in half via the groove, and the front and rear portions of the absorbent article in the folded state are cut to form inclined portions, thereby providing front and rear inclined portions at the front and rear ends of the absorbent article.

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