Absorbent article

Abstract

To enable a wearer or the like to easily dispose an auxiliary absorbent article at an appropriate position, in this absorbent article.SOLUTION: A tape-type disposable diaper 100 is formed by connecting a back region 110, a crotch region 120, and a belly region 130. A top sheet 10, an absorbent body 30, a polyethylene sheet 40, and a back sheet 20 are disposed therein. The polyethylene sheet 40 is formed with lines S1, S2 that are linear marks extending continuously from the back region 110 to the belly region 130 along a longitudinal direction L, so that both side edges 201, 301, 401 of inner pads 200, 300, 400 are respectively aligned therewith in a state in which the inner pads 200, 300, 400 are disposed at appropriate positions in a width direction W. The absorbent body 30 is formed with a width that does not cover the lines S1, S2. The top sheet 10 allows optical transmission of the lines S1, S2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an absorbent article. [Background technology]

[0002] Auxiliary absorbent articles (inner pads) are known that are placed on the inner surface (the surface facing the wearer's skin) of absorbent articles such as disposable diapers (hereinafter referred to as diapers, etc.). Some inner pads are provided with fastening means on their outer surface that holds the inner pad in a predetermined position on the inner surface of the diaper, etc. The fastening means is formed, for example, from the male component of a hook-and-loop fastener, and is held in place by engaging with the nonwoven fabric sheet on the inner surface of the diaper, etc. Inner pads that do not have fastening means are held on the inner surface of the diaper, etc. by the frictional force between the contacting surfaces.

[0003] Diapers and the like are formed by connecting a dorsal portion, a crotch portion, and a ventral portion along the longitudinal direction. There are two types of diapers: the so-called pants type, in which the dorsal portion and the ventral portion are connected in advance to form a covering portion around the wearer's waist; and the so-called tape type, in which the dorsal portion, the crotch portion, and the ventral portion are spread out in the longitudinal direction, covering the wearer's buttocks with the dorsal portion, the crotch portion with the crotch portion, and the lower abdomen with the ventral portion, and the both sides of the dorsal portion and both sides of the ventral portion are connected with tape.

[0004] When the wearer or an assistant (hereinafter referred to as the "wearer") places an inner pad in a tape-type diaper, it is necessary to position the inner pad evenly on both sides of the width of the diaper, so that it is not biased to one side in the width direction. If the inner pad is positioned biased to one side in the width direction, excrement is more likely to leak from the inner pad into the diaper.

[0005] Therefore, a technique has been proposed in which a pair of visible colored markings corresponding to two corners at one end of an absorbent pad (auxiliary absorbent article) are arranged at positions symmetrical about the center line in the width direction on the inner surface of the back side of a diaper or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This technique aligns the two corners at one end of the absorbent pad in the longitudinal direction with the corresponding pair of colored markings, thereby enabling the absorbent pad to be positioned in a predetermined position on a diaper or the like, and ensuring that the absorbent pad is positioned without any deviation in the width direction or length direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4796867 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 forms colored markings corresponding to the four corners of the diaper, so it is necessary to adjust the posture and position of the absorbent pad so that each of the four corners of the absorbent pad is aligned with the colored markings. In other words, this technology aligns the diaper and absorbent pad at multiple points that are spaced apart from each other, and alignment must be performed while simultaneously checking multiple points. Therefore, this technology has the problem of difficulty in alignment, such as the absorbent pad easily becoming tilted relative to the diaper.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide an absorbent article that allows a wearer or the like to easily place an auxiliary absorbent article in an appropriate position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention is an absorbent article in which a dorsal portion, a crotch portion, and a ventral portion are formed in a continuous manner along the longitudinal direction, and in which a liquid-permeable top sheet, an absorbent body, an intermediate sheet, and a liquid-impermeable back sheet are arranged in that order from the skin side facing the wearer's skin in the thickness direction, wherein the intermediate sheet has linear marks extending continuously from the dorsal portion to the ventral portion along the longitudinal direction, and which align both side edges of the auxiliary absorbent article in the width direction when the auxiliary absorbent article is placed at an appropriate position in the width direction of the absorbent article by overlapping the skin side of the top sheet of the absorbent article, the absorbent body is formed with a width that does not cover the marks, and the top sheet allows the marks to be optically transmitted. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The absorbent article according to the present invention allows the wearer or the like to easily place the auxiliary absorbent article in an appropriate position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a tape-type disposable diaper as seen from the side that comes into contact with the wearer's skin (the inner surface of the diaper). [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the diaper as seen from the side opposite to the wearer's skin (the outer surface of the diaper). [Figure 3] This is a cross section taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a first inner pad. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a second inner pad. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a third inner pad. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a more preferred embodiment of the diaper of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing details of part E in FIG. 7. [Figure 10]This is a plan view showing a portion of a diaper where a line is formed as a mark (second mark) for aligning the first inner pad in the longitudinal direction L, and a line is formed as a mark (second mark) for aligning the second inner pad in the longitudinal direction L. [Figure 11] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line FF in FIG. 10. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a diaper in which lines 34, 35 serving as second marks are formed by forming part of the contour shape of the absorbent body in a sawtooth shape. [Figure 13] This figure shows an example of a diaper in which part of the outline shape of a line formed on a polyethylene sheet is made wavy, so that the wavy line is recessed inward in the line width direction (the same as the width direction W), and the position of the narrowed part in the width direction W is formed as a second mark. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Embodiments of the absorbent article according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] <Tape-type disposable diapers> Fig. 1 is a plan view of a tape-type disposable diaper 100 (hereinafter referred to as diaper 100) as seen from the side that comes into contact with the wearer's skin (the inner surface of diaper 100), Fig. 2 is a back view of diaper 100 as seen from the side opposite the wearer's skin (the outer surface of diaper 100), and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 1, i.e., a cross-section of crotch region 120 taken along width direction W perpendicular to longitudinal direction L. The illustrated diaper 100 is one embodiment of an absorbent article according to the present invention.

[0014] 1 and 2, the diaper 100 is formed by connecting a dorsal portion 110, a crotch portion 120, and a ventral portion 130 along the longitudinal direction L. As shown in Fig. 3, the diaper 100 is formed by stacking a gathered sheet 50, a top sheet 10, an absorbent body 30, a polyethylene sheet 40, and a back sheet 20 in the thickness direction D, starting from the side that comes into contact with the wearer's skin (the inner surface of the diaper 100).

[0015] The top sheet 10 is a sheet that comes into contact with the wearer's skin when the diaper 100 is worn by the wearer. The top sheet 10 is an example of a surface sheet in an absorbent article according to the present invention. In the back-side portion 110 and the ventral-side portion 130, the top sheet 10 does not extend over the entire width direction W, but extends only to the outer regions in the width direction W immediately adjacent to a line S1, which is a marking described below. However, the top sheet 10 may extend over the entire width direction W, in which case the top sheet 10 is formed to have the same shape as the outer shape of the diaper 100 shown in FIG. 1.

[0016] The top sheet 10 is formed of a liquid-permeable, perforated or non-perforated nonwoven fabric or a porous plastic sheet. Due to this liquid permeability, the top sheet 10 allows moisture from the wearer's excrement to pass through in the thickness direction D and transfer to the absorbent body 30 located below the top sheet 10 (on the outer surface in the thickness direction D).

[0017] The absorber 30 is provided in the longitudinal direction L over a portion of the back portion 110, the entire length of the crotch portion 120, and a portion of the abdominal portion 130. The absorber 30 is formed of an absorbent member 31 and crepe paper 32. The absorbent member 31 is made of pulp fibers intertwined with and distributed superabsorbent polymers (SAP), and absorbs and retains moisture.

[0018] The crepe paper 32 wraps the absorbent member 31 inside and maintains a fixed shape as the absorbent body 30. The crepe paper 32 is made of, for example, a liquid-permeable nonwoven fabric, and transfers moisture that has permeated the top sheet 10 to the absorbent member 31.

[0019] The polyethylene sheet 40 is an example of an intermediate sheet in the absorbent article according to the present invention. The polyethylene sheet 40 may be formed in a shape having the same width as the outer shape of the diaper 100, which is the product, or may be formed in a shape having approximately the same width as the top sheet 10. The polyethylene sheet 40 is made of liquid-impermeable polyethylene, and prevents moisture that has permeated the top sheet 10 and moisture held by the absorbent body 30 from permeating in the thickness direction D of the polyethylene sheet 40.

[0020] The intermediate sheet in the absorbent article according to the present invention is not limited to the polyethylene sheet 40, but may be a sheet made of a liquid-impermeable resin material such as polypropylene.

[0021] In addition, the absorbent article of the present invention only requires that at least one of the intermediate sheet and the outer sheet be made of a liquid-impermeable material, and that moisture that has permeated the inner sheet or moisture that cannot be retained by the absorbent body is not allowed to permeate through the intermediate sheet or outer sheet, thereby preventing moisture from permeating to the outside of the outer sheet.

[0022] The backsheet 20 is the outermost sheet of the diaper 100 when the diaper 100 is worn by a wearer. The backsheet 20 is an example of an outer sheet in the absorbent article according to the present invention. The backsheet 20 forms the outer shape of the diaper 100 shown in Fig. 2. The backsheet 20 is made of, for example, a nonwoven fabric.

[0023] 1 and 3, the gathered sheet 50 is disposed closer to the wearer's skin than the top sheet 10. The gathered sheet 50 is provided in both side regions in the width direction W of the diaper 100, excluding the central region where the absorber 30 is disposed, overlapping both end portions of the backsheet 20 in the width direction W.

[0024] Therefore, in the diaper 100, the top sheet 10 comes into contact with the wearer's skin in the central region in the width direction W where the absorber 30 is arranged, and the gathered sheet 50 comes into contact with the wearer's skin in the region outside the center in the width direction W where the absorber 30 is not arranged.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 3, each of the two gathered sheets 50 is formed such that a region 50b on the central side in the width direction W is not joined to the top sheet 10. Furthermore, each gathered sheet 50 has rubber thread 51 (an example of an elastic member) extending along the longitudinal direction L at an end portion 50a on the central side in the width direction W in the crotch region 120. The rubber thread 51 is joined to the gathered sheet 50 in a state stretched more than in its natural state.

[0026] Therefore, when a wearer puts on the diaper 100, the crotch region 120 curves along the wearer's body, and the restoring force (elastic force) of the rubber threads 51 causes the central region 50b of the gathered sheet 50 in the width direction W to rise up from the top sheet 10 toward the wearer's skin. The end portions 50a of the raised gathered sheet 50 come into close contact with the wearer's groin, preventing leakage from around the legs of the diaper 100.

[0027] On both sides of the back portion 110 of the diaper 100, two fastening tapes 60 are provided at different positions in the longitudinal direction, for joining each side of the back portion 110 to the abdominal portion 130 when the diaper 100 is worn by a wearer. The diaper 100 is not limited to having two fastening tapes 60 on each side, but may have one fastening tape 60 on each side. The central portions of these fastening tapes 60 in the width direction W are fixed to the back portion 110 with the central portions sandwiched between the gathered sheet 40 and the back sheet 20.

[0028] The fastening tape 60 is a portion that protrudes outward in the width direction W from the top sheet 10 and the back sheet 20, and a hook member of the surface fastener is provided on the surface facing the wearer's skin side. The fastening tape 60 is fixed to the ventral part 130 by engaging the hook member thereof with the back sheet 20 in the ventral part 130.

[0029] Then, by fixing the fastening tapes 60 of the dorsal part 110 to the ventral part 130 respectively, the dorsal part 110 and the ventral part 130 are connected, and the edge Ln in the longitudinal direction L of the dorsal part 110 and the edge Lm in the longitudinal direction L of the ventral part 130 are connected in the circumferential direction, forming a body circumference opening corresponding to the wearer's body circumference. At the same time, both side edges Li and Lj of the crotch part 120 are connected in the circumferential direction respectively, forming an opening around the wearer's legs.

[0030] <Inner Pad> FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the first inner pad 200, FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the second inner pad 300, and FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the third inner pad 400. As shown in FIG. 4, the first inner pad 200 is formed in a rectangular shape with a width W1 and a length L1. As shown in FIG. 5, the second inner pad 300 is formed in a rectangular shape with a width W1 and a length L2 (<L1). As shown in FIG. 6, the third inner pad 400 is formed in a rectangular shape with a width W2 (<W1) and a length L3 (<L2).

[0031] That is, the first inner pad 200 and the second inner pad 300 are formed with the same width W1, but the first inner pad 200 is formed longer than the second inner pad 300. The third inner pad 400 is formed with a width W2 smaller than the first inner pad 200 and the second inner pad 300, and a length L3 shorter than the second inner pad 300.

[0032] The first inner pad 200, the second inner pad 300, and the third inner pad 400 are all auxiliary absorbent articles that are placed on the inner surface of the diaper 100. Although not shown, the first inner pad 200, the second inner pad 300, and the third inner pad 400 may each be provided with a fastening member on the back surface shown in the drawing, which engages with the top sheet 10 of the diaper 100. The fastening member may be, for example, a hook member of a hook-and-loop fastener, similar to the fastening tape 60 described above, or may be an adhesive member.

[0033] The first inner pad 200 is used for long periods of time, for example, at night, the second inner pad 300 is used for shorter periods of time than the first inner pad 200, for example, during the day, and the third inner pad 400 is used as a low-absorbency type with less absorption than the second inner pad 300.

[0034] (Width alignment mark) 1 and 2, the polyethylene sheet 40 has a plurality of lines S1, S2, S3, and S0 that extend linearly along the longitudinal direction L from both end edges Ln and Lm in the longitudinal direction L and are drawn in a color different from the base material. The base material of the polyethylene sheet 40 is, for example, transparent or white, and the lines S1, S2, S3, and S0 are formed in, for example, light blue. The color of the lines S1, S2, S3, and S0 is not limited to light blue.

[0035] These lines S1, S2, S3, and S0 extend continuously from the dorsal portion 110 to the ventral portion 130 along the longitudinal direction L. The lines S1, S2, S3, and S0 may be formed on the inner surface or the outer surface of the polyethylene sheet 40, but are formed so as to be visible from both the inner surface and the outer surface.

[0036] In addition, for the diaper 100, the top sheet 10 is formed of white or a color with a higher brightness than the lines S1, S2, S3, S0 so as to optically transmit each of the lines S1, S2, S3, S0 formed on the polyethylene sheet 40. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the diaper 100 allows each of the lines S1, S2, S3, S0 to be visually recognized from the inner surface side of the diaper 100.

[0037] Similarly, for the diaper 100, the back sheet 20 is formed of white or a color with a higher brightness than the lines S1, S2, S3, S0 so as to optically transmit each of the lines S1, S2, S3, S0 formed on the polyethylene sheet 40. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the diaper 100 allows each of the lines S1, S2, S3, S0 to be visually recognized from the outer surface side of the diaper 100.

[0038] Note that for the diaper 100, the absorber 30 is formed of a color different from the lines S1, S2, S3, S0, for example, white. The diaper 100 is formed with a width WK (<W2) that does not cover the lines S1, S2 formed on the polyethylene sheet 40, and the width WK is wider than the width W3 between the lines S3 (W3 <WK).

[0039] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the diaper 100 allows the lines S1, S2 to be visually recognized over the entire length from the inner surface side of the diaper 100. However, since the absorber 30 covers a part of the lines S3, S0, the lines S3, S0 can be visually recognized only in the region where the absorber 30 is not arranged in the longitudinal direction L from the inner surface side of the diaper 100.

[0040] The line S0 overlaps with the center line C in the width direction W of the diaper 100 and is formed with a thick line width with the center line C as the center of line symmetry. The line S0 is a mark indicating the center in the width direction W of the diaper 100.

[0041] Two lines S3 are formed outside the line S0 at positions symmetrical to each other across the center line C. The two lines S3 are formed at a position of width W3 between the lines along the width direction W. The lines S3 are marks that indicate a guide for aligning the fastening tape 60 in the width direction W when engaging the fastening tape 60 with the back sheet 20 of the abdominal portion 130.

[0042] That is, the lines S3 and S0 serve as guides for engaging the left and right fastening tapes 60 at equal positions in the width direction W. The two lines S3 are partially hidden by the absorbent body 30 on the inner surface of the diaper 100, but are not partially hidden on the outer surface, so there is no problem when engaging the fastening tapes 60 with the backsheet 20 of the abdominal portion 130.

[0043] Two lines S2 are formed outside the line S3 at positions symmetrical to each other across the center line C. The two lines S2 are formed at a distance W2 (>W3) between them along the width direction W. The width W2 between the two lines S2 matches the width W2 of the third inner pad 400 (see FIG. 6).

[0044] In other words, the line S2 is a positioning mark for arranging the third inner pad 400 in the appropriate position in the width direction W when placing it on the inner side of the diaper 100. Here, the appropriate position in the width direction W is a position that is evenly spaced on both sides of the center line C in the width direction W. Therefore, by placing the third inner pad 400 with both side edges 401 of the third inner pad 400 aligned with the line S2, the third inner pad 400 can be placed in the appropriate position in the width direction W on the inner side of the diaper 100, and it is possible to prevent the third inner pad 400 from being placed unevenly to the left or right.

[0045] Furthermore, this line S2 serves as a marker for aligning the line that is the side edge 401 of the third inner pad 400 along the entire length of the side edge 401, making the alignment process easier and improving the accuracy of alignment compared to aligning multiple points that are far from each other.

[0046] Two lines S1 are formed outside line S2 at positions symmetrical to each other across center line C. The two lines S1 are formed at a position with a width W1 (>W2) between them (between the inner edges of line S1) along the width direction W. The width W1 between the two lines S1 matches the width W1 of the first inner pad 200 (see FIG. 4) and the second inner pad 300 (see FIG. 5).

[0047] In other words, the line S1 is a positioning mark for arranging the first inner pad 200 or the second inner pad 300 at the appropriate position in the width direction W when arranging the first inner pad 200 or the second inner pad 300 on the inner side of the diaper 100.

[0048] Therefore, by positioning the first inner pad 200 with both side edges 201 of the first inner pad 200 aligned with the line S1, the first inner pad 200 can be positioned at an appropriate position in the width direction W on the inner side of the diaper 100, preventing it from being positioned unevenly to the left or right. Similarly, by positioning the second inner pad 300 with both side edges 301 of the second inner pad 300 aligned with the line S1, the second inner pad 300 can be positioned at an appropriate position in the width direction W on the inner side of the diaper 100, preventing it from being positioned unevenly to the left or right.

[0049] Furthermore, since line S1 serves as a marker for aligning the line that is the side edge 201 of the first inner pad 200 along the entire length of the side edge 201, or the line that is the side edge 301 of the second inner pad 300 along the entire length of the side edge 301, the alignment work is made easier and the alignment accuracy can be improved compared to alignment that involves matching multiple points that are distant from each other.

[0050] Furthermore, the line S1 is formed to have a wider line width (line width) than the line S2. Therefore, when the first inner pad 200 or the second inner pad 300 having the width W1 is arranged in the diaper 100, the wearer or the like can recognize that the pair of two wide lines S1 is the line along which the side edge 201 of the first inner pad 200 or the side edge 301 of the second inner pad 300 should be aligned.

[0051] On the other hand, when the diaper 100 is placed with a third inner pad 400 of width W2, the wearer or the like can recognize that the pair of two narrow lines S2 are the lines along which the side edges 401 of the third inner pad 400 should be aligned.

[0052] In this way, the diaper 100 has two lines that should form a pair (a pair of lines S1 and S1, or a pair of lines S2 and S2) that have the same line width, but the line widths differ between the two pairs, so that the pair of lines that should form a pair can be correctly recognized by the wearer, etc.

[0053] The diaper 100 is not limited to a configuration in which the lines S1 and S2 are distinguished by differences in line width, but may be a configuration in which the lines S1 and S2 are distinguished by differences in brightness of the same color. Although the diaper 100 does not exclude a configuration in which the lines S1 and S2 are distinguished by differences in color (hue), a configuration in which the lines S1 and S2 are distinguished by differences in color complicates the manufacturing process of the diaper 100 compared to a configuration in which the lines S1 and S2 are distinguished by differences in brightness of a single color, so a configuration in which the lines S1 and S2 are distinguished by differences in brightness of a single color is preferable.

[0054] FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating a more preferred aspect of the diaper 100 of embodiment 1, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a view showing details of part E in FIG.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 1, the absorber 30 of the diaper 100 is formed with a width WK that does not obscure the line S2 that serves as a marker for the position of the third inner pad 400. Therefore, the width W of the absorber 30 is narrower than that of conventional diapers in which this marker line S2 is not formed. Furthermore, the diaper 100 has a lower rigidity against bending in the thickness direction D than that of conventional diapers in which the width W of the absorber 30 does not have the line S2 formed.

[0056] When the diaper 100 is provided as a product, it is folded inward in the thickness direction D along lines Lp and Lq extending in the width direction W, i.e., folded into thirds, as shown in Fig. 7. When the diaper 100 is folded into thirds, the fold line Lp extending in the width direction W is formed at a position that substantially coincides with, for example, the boundary line between the abdominal portion 130 and the crotch portion 120 in the longitudinal direction L, and the fold line Lq extending in the width direction W is formed at a position that substantially coincides with, for example, the boundary line between the dorsal portion 110 and the crotch portion 120 in the longitudinal direction L.

[0057] In the diaper 100, the rubber threads 51 provided on the gathered sheet 50 are arranged along the longitudinal direction L, spanning from the back side portion 110 to the ventral side portion 130, and the restoring force of the rubber threads 51 acts on the crotch portion 120, tending to deflect the crotch portion 120 in the thickness direction D. At this time, the absorber 30 in the crotch portion 120 has lower rigidity than conventional diapers, and therefore there is a risk that it will bend significantly in the thickness direction D due to the restoring force of the rubber threads 51.

[0058] When the crotch region 120 is bent, the lines S1 and S2, which are marks for the proper placement positions of the inner pads 200, 300, and 400, become curved rather than straight. When the lines S1 and S2 are curved, it becomes difficult to align the side edges 201, 301, and 401 of the inner pads 200, 300, and 400.

[0059] 8, the diaper 100 is configured such that the region 30a of the absorber 30 corresponding to the crotch region 120, which is prone to bending, has higher rigidity than the regions 30b and 30c outside the lines Lp and Lq in the longitudinal direction L. Specifically, the regions 30b and 30c outside the lines Lp and Lq of the absorber 30 are formed of a single layer of absorbent member 31, whereas the region 30a corresponding to the crotch region 120 is formed of a two-layer absorbent member 31. The two-layer absorbent member 31 has higher bending rigidity than the single-layer absorbent member 31.

[0060] The absorbent body 30 is formed with high rigidity in the region 30a corresponding to the crotch region 120, which makes it difficult for the crotch region 120 to bend, and the lines S1 and S2 tend to maintain a straight line. Therefore, the diaper 100 can prevent difficulty in aligning the side edges 201, 301, and 401 of the inner pads 200, 300, and 400.

[0061] In addition, the configuration for increasing the rigidity of the region 30a of the absorbent body 30 corresponding to the crotch region 120 may be achieved by making the width of the region 30a corresponding to the crotch region 120 wider than the width of the regions 30b, 30c outside the lines Lp, Lq, in addition to the above-mentioned two-layer structure of the absorbent member 31.

[0062] In addition, the configuration for increasing the rigidity of the region 30a of the absorbent body 30 corresponding to the crotch region 120 may be achieved by increasing the density of the absorbent member 31 in the region 30a corresponding to the crotch region 120 to be higher than the density of the absorbent member 31 in the regions 30b, 30c outside the lines Lp, Lq, thereby increasing the basis weight.

[0063] The diaper 100 may employ a configuration in which, instead of increasing the rigidity of the region 30a of the absorber 30 corresponding to the crotch region 120, the restoring force of the rubber thread 51 acting on the crotch region 120 is reduced. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 9, in the diaper 100, the rubber thread 51 is cut at the portions where it intersects with the line Lq and the line Lp (not shown). This reduces the restoring force of the rubber thread 51 in the region 30a corresponding to the crotch region 120.

[0064] The diaper 100 configured in this manner makes it difficult for the crotch region 120 to bend, and the lines S1 and S2 tend to remain aligned, similar to the diaper 100 configured with increased rigidity in the region 30a corresponding to the crotch region 120. Therefore, the diaper 100 can prevent difficulty in aligning the side edges 201, 301, and 401 of the inner pads 200, 300, and 400.

[0065] (Longitudinal alignment mark (second mark)) Figure 10 is a plan view showing a portion of the diaper 100 where a line 32a serving as a mark (second mark) for aligning the first inner pad 200 in the longitudinal direction L and a line 31a serving as a mark (second mark) for aligning the second inner pad 300 in the longitudinal direction L are formed, and Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section along line FF in Figure 10.

[0066] As described above, the diaper 100 is formed with lines S1 and S2 that serve as markers for alignment in the width direction W when placing the first inner pad 200, the second inner pad 300, or the third inner pad 400. Since the first inner pad 200 and the second inner pad 300 are formed with the same width W1, alignment in the width direction W can be achieved by aligning the side edges 201 and 301 with the inner edges of the marker line S1.

[0067] On the other hand, the first inner pad 200 and the second inner pad 300 have different lengths, which are sizes along the longitudinal direction L, and the length L2 of the second inner pad 300 is shorter than the length L1 of the first inner pad 200. Therefore, it is difficult for a wearer or the like to recognize the proper position in the longitudinal direction L when placing the first inner pad 200 or the second inner pad 300 in the diaper 100.

[0068] Therefore, as shown in Figure 10, it is preferable that the diaper 100 is formed with a line 32a, which is a second marker along which one end edge 202 (see Figure 4) of the first inner pad 200 in the longitudinal direction L should be aligned when the first inner pad 200 is positioned in the appropriate position in the longitudinal direction L, and a line 31a, which is a second marker along which one end edge 302 (see Figure 5) of the second inner pad 300 in the longitudinal direction L should be aligned when the second inner pad 300 is positioned in the appropriate position in the longitudinal direction L.

[0069] Here, the lines 32a and 31a, which are the second marks shown in Fig. 10, are both lines parallel to the width direction W of the diaper 100. The lines 32a and 31a are formed by the absorbent body 30, as shown in Fig. 11, for example. Specifically, the absorbent body 30 is composed of an absorbent member 31 and crepe paper 32, but the end of the absorbent body 30 on the back side portion 110 side in the longitudinal direction L is formed only by the crepe paper 32, which is not filled with the absorbent member 31. The crepe paper 32 is formed in a color, for example, white, that allows the line S0 to be optically transmitted.

[0070] The length along the longitudinal direction L of the end of this absorbent body 30, which is formed only by crepe paper 32, is set to be the same as the difference ΔL (= L1 - L2) between the length L1 of the first inner pad 200 and the length L2 of the second inner pad 300.

[0071] In other words, the end of the absorbent body 30, which is an area of ​​length ΔL from the upper edge 32a shown in the figure, is formed only from crepe paper 32, and the area below the lower edge 31a of that end is filled with absorbent member 31.

[0072] The edge of the absorbent body 30 formed only of crepe paper 32 optically transmits the line S0 formed in the polyethylene sheet 40 placed under the absorbent body 30, as shown in FIG.

[0073] As a result, the line S0 formed on the polyethylene sheet 40 is visible through the top sheet 10 and the crepe paper 32 in the region above the edge 32a of the crepe paper 32 in the illustrations (FIGS. 10 and 11). The line S0 appears relatively darker above the edge 32a and relatively lighter below the edge 32a, and this difference in color enables the wearer to recognize the edge 32a as a line 32a extending in the width direction W.

[0074] Therefore, the diaper 100 can be formed with the line 32a as a second mark indicating the proper position where the first inner pad 200 should be placed with the end edge 202 in the longitudinal direction L aligned.

[0075] Furthermore, the line S0 formed on the polyethylene sheet 40 is visible through the top sheet 10 and the crepe paper 32 in the region above the edge 31a as shown in the figure, but is hidden by the absorbent member 31 and is not visible in the region below the edge 31a.

[0076] As a result, the line S0 is visible above the edge 31a and not visible below the edge 31a, allowing the wearer to recognize the edge 31a as a line 31a extending in the width direction W.

[0077] Therefore, the diaper 100 can be formed with the line 31a as a second mark indicating the proper position where the second inner pad 300 should be placed with the end edge 302 in the longitudinal direction L aligned.

[0078] In the above-described diaper 100, the second marks 32a, 31a are formed by the difference in optical transmittance utilizing the overlap between the line S0 formed on the polyethylene sheet and the absorbent body 30, but the second marks 32a, 31a may also be formed in other ways utilizing the overlap between the line S0 formed on the polyethylene sheet and the absorbent body 30.

[0079] Figure 12 shows an example of a diaper in which lines 34, 35 serving as second marks are formed by forming part of the contour shape of the absorbent body 30 in a sawtooth shape. When the absorbent body 30 is placed over a line S0 of a different color from the absorbent body 30, which is formed on a polyethylene sheet 40, the lines 34, 35 of the absorbent body 30 can be seen with good optical contrast.

[0080] Therefore, in a diaper formed in this manner, line 34 can be used as a second marker indicating the position of length L4 along the longitudinal direction L, and line 35 can be used as a second marker indicating the position of length L5 along the longitudinal direction L.

[0081] Figure 13 shows an example of a diaper in which part of the outline of the line S0 formed on the polyethylene sheet 40 is formed in a wavy line shape, so that the wavy line is recessed inward in the line width direction (the same as the width direction W), and the position of the narrowed portion 42 in the width direction W is formed as the second mark. In the diaper constructed in this manner, the straight side edge of the absorbent body 30 is overlapped with a line S0 of a different color from the absorbent body 30 formed on the polyethylene sheet 40, and the narrowed portion of the wavy line in the line S0 can be recognized by the wearer or the like as a line 37 extending along the width direction W.

[0082] Therefore, in a diaper formed in this manner, line 36, which is the edge of the upper end of absorbent body 30, can be used as a second marker indicating the position of length L6 along the longitudinal direction L, and line 37 can be used as a second marker indicating the position of length L7 along the longitudinal direction L.

[0083] In the diaper 100 of the above-described embodiment, the lines S1 and S2 are formed at two different positions in the width direction W to correspond to the multiple types of inner pads 200, 300, 400 having different sizes in the width direction W. Therefore, the diaper 100 can arrange the multiple types of inner pads 200, 300, 400 having different sizes in the width direction W at appropriate positions.

[0084] If the diaper 100 is designed to accommodate inner pads of only one width W, it is sufficient to form only one pair of marking lines S at the position where the inner pads of that one width W are to be arranged.

[0085] In the diaper 100 of this embodiment, the backsheet 20 allows the lines S1, S2, S3, and S0 formed on the polyethylene sheet 40 to be optically transparent, and therefore the lines S1, S2, S3, and S4 formed on the polyethylene sheet 40 can be used as a visually recognizable design element on the exterior of the diaper 100. Therefore, the diaper 100 can form the lines S1, S2, S3, and S0 as markers as part of the exterior design of the diaper 100.

[0086] Therefore, the lines S1, S2, S3, and S0 that appear on the exterior of the diaper 100 are not only functional means for aligning the inner pads 200, 300, and 400 and the fastening tape 60, but are also recognizable to the wearer as an aesthetically pleasing feature.

[0087] In the diaper 100, the back sheet 20 allows the lines S1, S2, S3, and S0 formed on the polyethylene sheet 40 to be optically transparent, but if there is no need to use the lines S3 and S0 as markers to guide the positioning of the fastening tape 60, the back sheet 20 does not need to allow the lines S1, S2, S3, and S0 formed on the polyethylene sheet 40 to be optically transparent.

[0088] In the above-described diaper 100, lines S1 and S2 formed on the polyethylene sheet 40 are used as markers for the placement position in the width direction W, but the markers are not limited to lines S1 and S2, and any form of alignment can be used as long as the side edge 201 of the first inner pad 200, the side edge 301 of the second inner pad 300, and the side edge 401 of the third inner pad 400 are aligned, and various designs formed on the polyethylene sheet 40 can be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10 Top sheet (inner sheet) 20 Back sheet (outer sheet) 30 absorber 40 Polyethylene sheet (intermediate sheet) 100 Tape-type disposable diapers (absorbent articles) 200, 300, 400 Inner pad (auxiliary absorbent article) 201,301,401 (side edge) S1, S2 lines (landmark) L Longitudinal direction W width direction

Claims

1. An absorbent article in which a back side portion, a crotch portion, and a ventral side portion are formed in a continuous manner along the longitudinal direction, and a liquid-permeable inner sheet, an absorbent body that absorbs and retains moisture, an intermediate sheet, and an outer sheet are arranged in this order from the skin side facing the wearer's skin in the thickness direction, and at least one of the intermediate sheet and the outer sheet is liquid-impermeable, The intermediate sheet has linear marks formed thereon, which extend continuously from the back side portion to the ventral side portion along the longitudinal direction, along which both side edges of the auxiliary absorbent article in the width direction are aligned when the auxiliary absorbent article, which is to be placed over the skin side of the inner sheet of the absorbent article, is placed at an appropriate position in the width direction of the absorbent article; The absorbent body is formed with a width that does not cover the markings, An absorbent article, wherein the inner sheet optically transmits the markings.

2. The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the marks are formed at a plurality of different positions in the width direction corresponding to a plurality of types of auxiliary absorbent articles having different sizes in the width direction.

3. The absorbent article according to claim 2 , wherein the line markings are formed with different line widths corresponding to a plurality of types of auxiliary absorbent articles having different sizes in the width direction.

4. The absorbent body has elastic members arranged along the longitudinal direction on both sides in the width direction, which make the gathers stand up toward the skin side, The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent body is formed so that a region corresponding to the crotch region in the longitudinal direction has higher rigidity than regions corresponding to the back side region and the ventral side region, respectively.

5. The crotch portion has elastic members on both sides in the width direction, the elastic members extending along the longitudinal direction and causing the gathers to rise toward the skin side, The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic members are cut at portions that intersect with the fold lines extending in the width direction when the absorbent article is folded in third in the longitudinal direction.

6. An absorbent article as described in claim 1, wherein when an auxiliary absorbent article is placed on top of the skin side of the inner sheet of the absorbent article in the appropriate position in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article, a second mark extending along the width direction is formed to align at least one longitudinal edge of the auxiliary absorbent article.

7. The absorbent article according to claim 6 , wherein the second marking is formed on the intermediate sheet.

8. the second marks are formed at a plurality of different positions in the longitudinal direction corresponding to a plurality of types of auxiliary absorbent articles having different sizes in the longitudinal direction, The absorbent article of claim 7, wherein at least one of the second marks formed at the plurality of positions is formed by overlapping a design formed on the intermediate sheet with the absorbent body.

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