Container for underpants type absorbent article

Abstract

To provide a container for an underpants type absorbent article that prevents products from sticking together with a seeping-out adhesive in a containing member containing a plurality of absorbent articles in a compressed state.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a container 100 for an underpants type absorbent article that has a plurality of underpants type absorbent articles 1 and a containing member 101. The absorbent article 1 has a vertical end WA of a girth part folded back toward an inseam part side and a vertical end WAe of the girth part before the vertical end of the inseam part in a contained state, the absorbent articles 1 are compressed one over another in a thickness direction, and at least one of the absorbent articles 1 is characterized in that the distance from the end WAe of the girth part to the end of the inseam part at the center position in the right-left direction is longer than an average thickness of the inseam part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container for a pants-type absorbent article. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, absorbent articles such as disposable diapers have been known that have an elastic member stretchable in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) in the center of the width direction in the crotch part corresponding to the crotch of a wearer. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a disposable diaper that has a front part and a rear part corresponding to the waist part, is equipped with an absorbent core extending from the front part to the rear part, and has an elastic member extending in the longitudinal direction at the center of the absorbent core on the non-skin contacting surface side of the absorbent core. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-131196 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Absorbent articles such as the disposable diaper described in Patent Document 1 are typically sold in a storage bag or other container that protects the absorbent article, with both lateral ends of the waistband folded toward the center and then folded in half, and then placed under high compression. To reduce logistics costs, containers that store multiple absorbent articles tend to apply high compression to the absorbent articles to make them more compact and accommodate a larger number of absorbent articles. However, if such a compressed state continues within the container, adhesive applied to the elastic members of the absorbent article may seep out and adhere to adjacent products within the container, or the waistband and crotch portions of the absorbent article may adhere to each other, causing tears and the elastic members to come loose.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a storage body for pants-type absorbent articles that prevents multiple absorbent articles from sticking together due to leaked adhesive within a storage member in which the absorbent articles are stored in a compressed state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The main invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is a pant-type absorbent article container having a plurality of pant-type absorbent articles and a container member for storing the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, wherein the pant-type absorbent articles have mutually perpendicular vertical, horizontal, and thickness directions, a pair of waistbands, a crotch portion that is located under the crotch of the wearer when worn, and a central elastic member that is stretchable in the vertical direction and attached with adhesive to the center of the horizontal direction of the crotch portion, wherein when stored in the container member, the vertical ends of the waistbands are folded back toward the crotch portion, the vertical ends of the folded back waistbands do not extend beyond the vertical ends of the crotch portion, the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles are compressed in a stacked state in the thickness direction, and in at least one pant-type absorbent article among the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, the distance from the end of the waistband at the center position in the horizontal direction to the end of the crotch portion is longer than the average thickness of the crotch portion. Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a storage body for pants-type absorbent articles that prevents products from sticking together due to leaked adhesive within a storage member in which multiple absorbent articles are stored in a compressed state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a disposable diaper container 100. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a diaper 1 as seen from the ventral side. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic plan view of a diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state, as seen from the wearer's skin side. [Figure 4] 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3, and FIG. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 5] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the folding of the diaper 1 when stored. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic side view of a diaper 1 accommodated in a container member 101. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating adjacent diapers 1 in a stored state. [Figure 8] 1 is a table showing folding patterns of the diaper 1. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing modified examples of the folding of the diaper 1 in the stored state. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing another modified example of the folding of the diaper 1 in the stored state. [Figure 11] 10 is a diagram illustrating yet another modified example of the fold-up of the diaper 1. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the ventral waist portion 20 in the unfolded and extended state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] At least the following matters will become clear from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings. Aspect 1 is a pant-type absorbent article container having a plurality of pant-type absorbent articles and a container member that contains the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, wherein the pant-type absorbent articles have mutually perpendicular vertical, horizontal, and thickness directions, a pair of waistbands, a crotch portion that is located under the crotch of a wearer when worn, and a central elastic member that is stretchable in the vertical direction and attached with adhesive to the center of the horizontal direction of the crotch portion, wherein when contained in the container member, the vertical ends of the waistbands are folded back toward the crotch portion, the vertical ends of the folded back waistbands do not extend beyond the vertical ends of the crotch portion, the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles are compressed while being stacked in the thickness direction, and in at least one pant-type absorbent article among the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, the distance from the end of the waistband at the center position in the horizontal direction to the end of the crotch portion is longer than the average thickness of the crotch portion.

[0010] According to the first aspect, by separating the end of the waistband and the end of the crotch portion in the stored state, the separated portion is thinner than when the end of the waistband and the end of the crotch portion are folded so that they are aligned or close to each other, and the compressive force acting on the separated portion is weakened, making it less likely for the separated portion to come into contact with adjacent absorbent articles in the thickness direction. This makes it possible to better prevent adhesion between products due to the adhesive applied to the central elastic member seeping out, compared to when the separated portion is not separated.

[0011] In aspect 2, when the distance is length L1 and the distance from the vertical end of the folded-over waist portion to the vertical end of the crotch portion at the center position in the left-right direction of another pant-type absorbent article adjacent to the pant-type absorbent article in the thickness direction in the stored state is length L2, the length L2 is different from the length L1 and is at least longer than half the length L1 or shorter than 1.5 times the length L1, which is a storage body for pant-type absorbent articles described in aspect 1.

[0012] According to aspect 2, pressure is more distributed when the positions of the ends of the folded waistband portions of each pant-type absorbent article are different within the storage member than when the ends are aligned, making it less likely that the crotch portion where the central elastic member is located will stick to another pant-type absorbent article.

[0013] Aspect 3 is a pant-type absorbent article container according to aspect 1 or 2, wherein the average thickness is 95% or less of the average thickness of the crotch portion of the pant-type absorbent article in its natural state after removal from the container member.

[0014] According to aspect 3, by increasing the compression force applied, more pants-type absorbent articles can be accommodated in the storage member, and even if the compression force is increased, the distance from the end of the folded waistband to the end of the crotch portion is longer than the average thickness of the crotch portion, making the crotch portion thinner and less likely to come into contact with other pants-type absorbent articles, thereby preventing adhesion by leaked adhesive.

[0015] A fourth aspect is the container of the pants-type absorbent article according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the central elastic member is thread-shaped.

[0016] According to aspect 4, the amount of adhesive used to attach the central elastic member can be reduced compared to when a thicker band of rubber or a sheet of elastic material is applied over the entire surface, thereby further reducing the risk of adhesive seeping out when compressed.

[0017] Aspect 5 is a container for a pants-type absorbent article described in any of Aspects 1 to 4, in which the pair of waist portions have a plurality of waist elastic members that stretch in the left-right direction and are arranged in the up-down direction, and the amount of adhesive per unit area of ​​the waist elastic region in which the waist elastic members are arranged is less than the amount of adhesive per unit area of ​​the central elastic region in which the central elastic member is arranged.

[0018] According to aspect 5, in the stored state, the waist portion is a portion that is folded over and becomes thicker, and by reducing the amount of adhesive on the waist elastic member placed in such a portion, the risk of adhesive seeping out in the compressed state is reduced.

[0019] Aspect 6 is a container for a pants-type absorbent article described in any one of aspects 1 to 5, in which, in the stored state, the upper end of the waist portion folded back toward the crotch portion does not overlap with the central elastic member when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0020] According to the sixth aspect, when the garment is compressed in the containing member, it becomes easier to prevent the waist portion and the central elastic member from adhering to each other due to the exuded adhesive.

[0021] Aspect 7 is a pant-type absorbent article container according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, in which, in the stored state, both left-right end portions of the waist portion are folded inward in the left-right direction.

[0022] According to the seventh aspect, the portions where both ends of the waistband are folded inward in the left-right direction are thicker, and these thicker portions are more likely to come into contact with adjacent articles in the containing member. The portion where the central elastic member is located is thinner than the portions where both ends are folded back, so even when pants-type absorbent articles are stacked on top of each other, the portion of the central elastic member is less likely to come into contact with other articles.

[0023] Aspect 8 is a container for a pants-type absorbent article described in any of Aspects 1 to 7, in which, in the stored state, the folded-over waist portion has an overlapping portion where one end and the other end in the left-right direction overlap when viewed in the thickness direction, and the overlapping portion has a portion that overlaps with the central elastic member in the left-right direction.

[0024] According to the eighth aspect, the overlapping portion is thicker in the thickness direction, and a difference in thickness occurs between the thickened portion and the portion where the central elastic member overlaps in the left-right direction, and the portion where the central elastic member is disposed is thinner than the thickened portion. The thickened portion acts as a cushion, making the portion of the central elastic member within the housing member less susceptible to the effects of compression and suppressing the bleeding of adhesive.

[0025] Aspect 9 is a container for a pants-type absorbent article according to Aspect 7, in which, in the stored state, the ends on one side and the other side of the folded-over waist portion in the left-right direction do not overlap when viewed in the thickness direction, and when the area in which the central elastic member is arranged in the left-right direction is defined as the central elastic area, both ends of the waist portion are arranged within the range of the central elastic area.

[0026] According to the ninth aspect, the folded waist portion has one end and the other end in the left-right direction that do not overlap in the thickness direction, so that the waist portion is folded back with a gap left-right between the one end and the other end. Since both ends of the waist portion (the one end and the other end) are located within the central elastic region in the left-right direction, the gap can reduce pressure on the central elastic region.

[0027] Aspect 10 is a container for pants-type absorbent articles according to Aspect 7, in which, within the container member, there are present a first pants-type absorbent article in which, in the stored state, the folded-over waist portion has an end on one side in the left-right direction and an end on the other side overlapping when viewed in the thickness direction, and a second pants-type absorbent article in which, in the stored state, the folded-over waist portion has an end on one side in the left-right direction and an end on the other side not overlapping when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0028] According to aspect 10, since the size of the container that can accommodate multiple pants-type absorbent articles is fixed, by mixing the first pants-type absorbent article and the second pants-type absorbent article, areas of high pressure are dispersed, making it difficult for the adhesive to transfer overall.

[0029] In aspect 11, in the crotch portion in the stored state, when the side on which the folded-over waistband portion is located in the thickness direction is the inside of the fold and the opposite side is the outside of the fold, the length of the central elastic member in the vertical direction is longer on the inside of the fold than on the outside of the fold.

[0030] According to the eleventh aspect, the length of the central elastic member on the outer folded side is short, which reduces the risk of the central elastic member adhering to another pants-type absorbent article adjacent to the outer folded side.

[0031] In aspect 12, in the crotch portion in the stored state, when the side on which the folded-over waist portion is located in the thickness direction is the inside of the fold and the opposite side is the outside of the fold, the length of the central elastic member in the vertical direction is longer on the outside of the fold than on the inside of the fold.

[0032] According to the twelfth aspect, the length of the central elastic member on the inside of the folded portion is short, which reduces the risk of the central elastic member adhering to another pants-type absorbent article adjacent to the inside of the folded portion.

[0033] Aspect 13 is a container for a pants-type absorbent article described in any one of aspects 1 to 12, in which, when the portion of the waist portion folded toward the crotch portion is the folded portion in the stored state, the folded portion has a portion that overlaps with at least a portion of the central elastic member when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0034] According to the thirteenth aspect, when the folded portions overlap the central elastic member to a large extent, it is possible to reduce the risk of the central elastic member adhering to another pants-type absorbent article housed adjacent to the side where the folded portions are provided. Also, when the overlap between the folded portions and the central elastic member is small, it is possible to reduce the risk of the waist portion and the central elastic member adhering to each other due to adhesive seeping out due to compression.

[0035] In aspect 14, the pair of waist sections are joined at both sides in the left-right direction by a pair of side joints, and the pair of waist sections have a plurality of waist elastic members that stretch in the left-right direction and are fixed to them in the up-down direction with adhesive, and the area at the upper end of the pair of waist sections in the up-down direction adjacent to the inner ends in the left-right direction of the pair of side joints has an area where the adhesive that fixes the waist elastic members is not applied, or a low-basis weight area where the adhesive has a lower basis weight than that further inside in the left-right direction, and in the stored state, both left-right end portions of the pair of waist sections are folded inward in the left-right direction.

[0036] According to the fourteenth aspect, the area adjacent to the inner end of the side joint has an area without adhesive or an area with a low basis weight of adhesive, so that even when both ends of the waistband folded inward in the left-right direction are close to or overlap the central elastic member, the adhesive of the central elastic member and the adhesive of the waistband elastic member do not easily stick to each other, thereby preventing tearing and the loss of each elastic member.

[0037] In aspect 15, the region adjacent to the inner ends of the pair of side joints in the left-right direction has an area where the adhesive that secures the waist elastic member is not applied, or a low-basis weight area where the adhesive has a lower basis weight than the area further inside in the left-right direction, over the entire area overlapping with the side joints in the up-down direction, and in the stored state, both ends of the pair of waist sections in the left-right direction are folded back inward in the left-right direction, which is a container for a pants-type absorbent article as described in aspect 14.

[0038] According to the fifteenth aspect, the area adjacent to the inner end of the side joints has an area without adhesive or an area with a low basis weight of adhesive throughout the entire area overlapping the side joints in the vertical direction, which prevents the adhesive of the central elastic member from adhering to the adhesive of the waist elastic members even if the waistband is folded deeply, thereby preventing tearing and the loss of each elastic member.

[0039] Aspect 16 is a pant-type absorbent article container according to any one of Aspects 1 to 15, wherein the pair of waistband sections are joined at both sides in the left-right direction by a pair of side joints, the pair of waistband sections have an inner layer sheet and an outer layer sheet arranged closer to the skin than the inner layer sheet, and at least one of the pair of waistband sections has a sheet section arranged closest to the skin, the sheet section being fixed to the inner layer sheet with an adhesive, and the portion where the region adjacent to the inner ends of the pair of side joints in the left-right direction and the sheet section overlap in the thickness direction has an area where the adhesive fixing the sheet section is not applied, or a low-basis-weight area where the adhesive has a lower basis weight than the area further inside in the left-right direction, and in the stored state, both left-right end portions of the pair of waistband sections are folded inward in the left-right direction.

[0040] According to aspect 16, among the areas adjacent to the inner ends of the side joints, there are areas where there is no adhesive or where the adhesive has a low basis weight in the portion overlapping with the sheet portion, so that even if both ends of the waist portion folded inward in the left-right direction are close to or overlap the central elastic member, the adhesive of the central elastic member and the adhesive of the sheet portion are less likely to stick together.

[0041] Aspect 17 is a pant-type absorbent article comprising an absorbent body having an absorbent core, The container of the pants-type absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 16, wherein a portion of the absorbent core is folded in the stored state.

[0042] According to the seventeenth aspect, the absorbent core is a high-rigidity region, and therefore has a strong resilience to return to its original shape. The folded portion of the absorbent core in the stored state returns to its original shape due to this resilience, even when compressed, thereby suppressing pressure on the central elastic region. Therefore, the central elastic member in the stored state is less likely to cause product defects.

[0043] In aspect 18, a pant-type absorbent article container according to any one of aspects 1 to 17 is provided in which the pair of waist portions have a plurality of waist elastic members arranged in the vertical direction, the waist elastic members stretching in the left-right direction, and the force required to stretch the waist elastic members by a unit length in the left-right direction from their natural state is greater than the force required to stretch the central elastic member by a unit length in the vertical direction from their natural state.

[0044] According to the eighteenth aspect, the force required to stretch the waist elastic member by a unit length is greater (so-called, the contraction force is greater), so that the waist portion has more pleats when contracted. The presence of many pleats reduces the compression even when the waist portion is folded and compressed in the stored state, and prevents the crotch portion from sticking to the waist portion due to the exuded adhesive.

[0045] === Implementation form === Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described taking as an example a disposable diaper container 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as "container 100") that contains a plurality of pants-type disposable diapers for adults as a container for pants-type absorbent articles according to the present invention. However, the pants-type absorbent articles contained in the container 100 are not limited to pants-type disposable diapers for adults, and may be, for example, pants-type disposable diapers for infants, shorts-type sanitary napkins, etc.

[0046] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a disposable diaper container 100. The container 100 has a container member 101, which is a bag-shaped member, and a plurality of pants-type absorbent articles 1 (pants-type disposable diapers 1, hereinafter simply referred to as "diapers 1") contained within the container member 101. The container 100 (container member 101) has a vertical direction and a horizontal direction that intersect with each other. As shown in FIG. 1, when the diapers 1 are contained in the container member 101 (hereinafter also referred to as the "contained state"), the container 100 contains a plurality of diapers 1 in two layers, one above the other, but this is not limiting. The container 100 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but is not limited to this and may have any shape.

[0047] Examples of materials that can be used to form the storage member 101 include thermoplastic resin films such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). However, the storage member 101 is not limited to these materials, and at least a portion of the storage member 101 may be made of paper.

[0048] <Basic structure of pants-type disposable diaper 1> Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the diaper 1 as seen from the ventral side. Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view of the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state as seen from the wearer's skin side. Fig. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 3, and Fig. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 3.

[0049] The "unfolded state" of the diaper 1 refers to the state in which the diaper 1 is unfolded on a flat surface by separating the ventral waistband 20 (described below) and the dorsal waistband 30 (described below) from the diaper 1 in the pants-type state shown in Figure 2 at the side seams SS (described below) on both the left and right sides, and opening the diaper 1 vertically. The "stretched state" of the diaper 1 refers to the state in which the product (diaper 1) is stretched without wrinkles, specifically, the state in which the dimensions of each component (e.g., the absorbent main body 10, the ventral waistband 20, etc.) constituting the diaper 1 are stretched to the extent that they match or are close to the dimensions of the individual components.

[0050] When the diaper 1 is in a pants-like state as shown in FIG. 2, it has a vertical, horizontal, and front-to-back direction that intersect with one another, and has a waist-opening BH and a pair of leg-openings LH. In the vertical direction, the waist-opening BH side is the upper side, and the side facing the wearer's crotch is the lower side. In the front-to-back direction, the side facing the wearer's abdomen is the front side, and the side facing the wearer's back is the back side. In the unfolded and stretched state shown in FIG. 3, the diaper 1 has three mutually intersecting directions: a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction, and a thickness direction (directions penetrating the paper in FIG. 3). The longitudinal direction is aligned with the vertical direction. One longitudinal side corresponds to the ventral side (front side), and the other longitudinal side corresponds to the back side (rear side). The diaper 1 also has a thickness direction in which materials are layered, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. The side in contact with the wearer in the thickness direction is the skin side, and the opposite side is the non-skin side.

[0051] The diaper 1 has an absorbent main body 10 and an exterior body 18. The exterior body 18 has a pair of waistbands 20, 30 and a crotch portion 40 located between the crotch of a wearer. The exterior body 18 is joined to the non-skin side of the absorbent main body 10 with an adhesive or the like. Of the pair of waistbands 20, 30, the one located on the ventral side (front side) of the wearer is also referred to as the ventral waistband 20, and the one located on the dorsal side (rear side) is also referred to as the dorsal waistband 30. The ventral waistband 20 and the dorsal waistband 30 are joined on both lateral sides by a pair of side joining portions SS. Examples of joining methods using the side joining portions SS include thermal welding, ultrasonic welding, and adhesive joining methods.

[0052] As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the absorbent body 10 includes an absorbent body 11, a liquid-permeable top sheet 12 disposed closer to the skin than the absorbent body 11, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 13 disposed closer to the skin than the absorbent body 11, and an exterior sheet 14. The absorbent body 11 includes an absorbent core 11A that absorbs and retains excretory fluids such as urine, and a liquid-permeable core wrap sheet 11B that covers the absorbent core 11A. Examples of the absorbent core 11A include a liquid-absorbent material such as pulp fiber or superabsorbent polymer (SAP) molded into a predetermined shape. Examples of the core wrap sheet 11B include tissue paper and nonwoven fabric. The absorbent core 11A does not have to be covered with the core wrap sheet 11B.

[0053] The top sheet 12 is formed of, for example, a nonwoven fabric such as an air-through nonwoven fabric or a spunbond nonwoven fabric. The back sheet 13 is, for example, a liquid-impermeable and breathable film such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The exterior sheet 14 is, for example, formed of the same nonwoven fabric as the top sheet 12.

[0054] As shown in Figures 3 and 4A, a pair of leakage preventing walls 50, 50 are provided along the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body 10 on both lateral sides of the absorbent main body 10. In this embodiment, the leakage preventing walls 50, 50 that can stand up on the skin side are formed by providing a leakage preventing wall elastic member 16 (e.g., rubber thread) in a longitudinally stretched state between a pair of side sheets 19, 19 provided on the skin side of the top sheet 12, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the sheet member that constitutes the exterior of the absorbent main body 10 may be folded to be formed integrally with the absorbent main body 10. However, the leakage preventing walls 50, 50 do not necessarily have to be provided in the diaper 1.

[0055] The crotch portion 40 of the absorbent body 10 has a central elastic member 17 that is stretchable in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) at its left-right central portion and on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 11 in the thickness direction. Specifically, in this embodiment, the central elastic member 17, which is a thread-like member such as rubber thread, is sandwiched between the back sheet 13 and the exterior sheet 14 and attached with an adhesive. Here, five central elastic members are provided spaced apart in the left-right direction, but the number is not limited to this and may be one or more. The central elastic member 17 is not limited to a thread-like member and may be, for example, a stretchable film, a stretchable nonwoven fabric, or the like. FIG. 3 shows only the stretchable portion of the central elastic member 17 (the so-called effective length portion).

[0056] 3, 4A, and 4B, the central elastic member 17 extends from the front side in the longitudinal direction to the rear side across the center line CL1 in the left-right central portion of the absorbent main body 10. However, the longitudinal length of the central elastic member 17 is not limited to this, and it is sufficient that it is provided at least in the crotch part 40 that faces the crotch of the wearer. This improves the fit of the absorbent main body 10 in the crotch part 40 at the left-right central portion.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the exterior body 18 has an inner layer sheet 21, a ventral-side outer layer sheet 22, and a dorsal-side outer layer sheet 32.

[0058] The inner layer sheet 21 is disposed from the ventral waistband 20 through the crotch portion 40 to the back waistband 30 (FIG. 4B). The width (length in the left-right direction) of the inner layer sheet 21 in the ventral waistband 20 and the back waistband 30 is greater than the width (length in the left-right direction) of the inner layer sheet 21 in the crotch portion 40 (FIG. 3). The inner layer sheet 21 may be an air-through nonwoven fabric, a spunbond nonwoven fabric, an SMS nonwoven fabric (spunbond-meltblown-spunbond nonwoven fabric), a waterproof film, or the like.

[0059] As shown in Figures 3 and 4B, the ventral outer layer sheet 22 is located closer to the skin than the inner layer sheet 21, and the ventral outer layer sheet 22 and the inner layer sheet 21 together form the ventral waistline portion 20. The outer end (upper end) of the ventral outer layer sheet 22 in the longitudinal direction is folded back toward the skin. This folded-back portion 22r of the ventral outer layer sheet 22 encloses one end (outer end) of the inner layer sheet 21 in the longitudinal direction. However, the outer end (upper end) of the ventral outer layer sheet 22 in the longitudinal direction may not be folded back.

[0060] Similarly, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the back-side outer sheet 32 ​​is located closer to the skin than the inner layer sheet 21, and the back-side outer sheet 32 ​​and the inner layer sheet 21 together form the back-side waistband portion 30. The outer end (upper end) of the back-side outer sheet 32 ​​in the longitudinal direction is folded back toward the skin. The folded-back portion 32r of the back-side outer sheet 32 ​​encloses the other end (outer end) of the inner layer sheet 21 in the longitudinal direction. However, the outer end (upper end) of the back-side outer sheet 32 ​​in the longitudinal direction may not be folded back.

[0061] The ventral outer layer sheet 22 and the dorsal outer layer sheet 32 ​​may be made of an air-through nonwoven fabric, a spunbond nonwoven fabric, an SMS nonwoven fabric (spunbond-meltblown-spunbond nonwoven fabric), or the like.

[0062] The ventral waistband portion 20 and the back waistband portion 30 each have waistband elastic members 23, 33 that are stretchable in the left-right direction. The multiple waistband elastic members 23, 33 are spaced apart in the vertical direction between the inner layer sheet 21 and the ventral outer layer sheet 22, and between the inner layer sheet 21 and the back outer layer sheet 32, and are joined and fixed in a stretched state in the left-right direction with an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive (see FIGS. 3 and 4B). Therefore, the ventral waistband portion 20 and the back waistband portion 30 stretch in the left-right direction to fit the waist of the wearer. In this embodiment, rubber thread is used as the waistband elastic members 23, 33, but this is not limited thereto. For example, elongated stretchable sheets or the like may also be used.

[0063] In this embodiment, rear leg elastic members 34 are provided in the back waistband 30 between the inner sheet 21 and the back outer sheet 32, below the waistband elastic members 33. The rear leg elastic members 34 may be, for example, multiple rubber threads or a stretchable, band-like elastic sheet. The rear leg elastic members 34 are joined and fixed in a stretched state with an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive, and the rear leg elastic members 34 facilitate a fit around the back legs and buttocks.

[0064] The above describes the basic configuration of the diaper 1, but the above configuration of the diaper 1 is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting. For example, the diaper 1 of this embodiment is configured with an exterior body 18 having three sections: a ventral waist section 20, a dorsal waist section 30, and a crotch section 40 connecting them. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the ventral waist section 20 and the dorsal waist section 30 may be configured as separate members, and the non-skin-side surface of the absorbent main body 10 may be exposed in the crotch section. Alternatively, the diaper may have an exterior body configured as a single member that is continuous from the ventral waist section 20 to the dorsal waist section 30.

[0065] <Method of folding and storing diaper 1> As described above, in the container 100, a plurality of diapers 1 (pants-type absorbent articles) are stored in a folded state in the container member 101. The method of folding and storing the diapers 1 will be described below.

[0066] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the folding of the diaper 1 during storage. FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of the diaper 1 stored in the storage member 101. When the diaper 1 is stored in the storage member 101, first, from the natural state shown in FIG. 5A, one end 20Ea (30Ea) and the other end 20Eb (30Eb) of the waist portion 20 (30) of the diaper 1 are folded back inward in the left-right direction as shown in FIG. 5B (hereinafter, the "one end 20Ea (30Ea) and the other end 20Eb (30Eb)" are also referred to as "both ends 20E (30E)").

[0067] Next, as shown in Fig. 5C, the waist portion 20 (30) is folded back at the folding position F so that the vertical end WA is located toward the crotch portion 40. In this manner, the diaper 1 is folded into a compact shape as shown in Fig. 5C and stored so that the vertical direction of the storage member 101 and the vertical direction of the diaper 1 are aligned, resulting in the stored state shown in Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the lateral end portions 20E (30E) of the folded waist portion 20 (30) do not overlap in the thickness direction and are folded back so that there is a portion that overlaps the central elastic member 17. However, this is not limiting, and possible folding patterns will be described in detail later.

[0068] Usually, when an adult pants-type absorbent article such as the diaper 1 is stored in a storage member, it is often stored under high compression with the waist opening BH side folded toward the crotch area to make it compact, as in the present embodiment. In such a stored state, if the central elastic member 17 is present in the crotch area 40 as in the present embodiment, the adhesive of the central elastic member 17 or the adhesive of the waist elastic member 23 (33) arranged in the waist portion 20 (30) may seep out and adhere to adjacent products (diapers 1) in the storage member 101, causing breakage or causing the central elastic member 17 to come loose.

[0069] In this regard, in the container 100 of this embodiment, when the diapers 1 are housed in the container member 101, as described above, the vertical end WA of the waist portion 20 (30) of each diaper 1 is folded back toward the crotch portion 40, and multiple diapers 1 are stacked and compressed in the thickness direction of the diapers 1 (corresponding to the left-right direction of the container 100). At this time, the vertical end WAe of the folded-back waist portion 20 (30) of each diaper 1 does not extend beyond the vertical end 40e of the crotch portion 40 (see FIG. 5C). In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5C and 6, in at least one diaper 1 among the multiple diapers housed in the container, the distance L1 from the end WAe of the waist portion 20 (30) at the left-right center position CL2 (FIG. 5A) to the end 40e of the crotch portion 40 is longer than the average thickness T of the crotch portion 40. In other words, when compressed and stored in the storage member 101, the distance from the end WAe of the folded-back waist portion 20 (30) to the end 40e of the crotch portion 40 is greater than the length of the average thickness T of the crotch portion 40.

[0070] In the stored state, by separating the end WAe of the waistline portion 20 (30) from the end 40e of the crotch portion 40, the separated portion becomes thinner than when the waistline portion 20 (30) is folded back so that the end WAe of the waistline portion 20 (30) and the end 40e of the crotch portion 40 are aligned or close to each other, and the compressive force acting on the separated portion is reduced, making it less likely to come into contact with another adjacent diaper 1 in the thickness direction. This makes it possible to better prevent the diapers 1 from sticking together (becoming glued) due to the seepage of adhesive applied to the central elastic member 17, compared to when the diapers 1 are not separated.

[0071] The above-mentioned "distance L1" can be measured by the following method. First, in this embodiment, in the stored state, multiple diapers 1 are compressed in the thickness direction of the diapers 1, which corresponds to the left-right direction of the container 100. To measure, the container 100 is clamped with jigs from both left and right sides, and a portion of the container member 101 is cut out from the stored diapers 1, where the end WAe of the waist portion 20 (30) and the crotch portion 40 can be seen. When clamping the container 100 with the jigs, the container 100 is clamped so that the left-right length of the container 100 is approximately ±5% compared to the compressed state of the container 100, thereby maintaining the compressed state. From the cutout, the distance from the end WAe of the waist portion 20 (30) at the left-right center of the diaper 1 to the end 40e of the crotch portion 40 is measured, and this distance is defined as distance L1. In addition, if the measurement point is stored in a state where it is hidden inside, the container 100 is clamped with a jig, and a portion of the container member 101 and the diaper 1 is cut to the point where the measurement point can be seen, making it visible before the measurement is performed.

[0072] The "average thickness T" of the crotch portion 40 is calculated as follows. In this embodiment, assuming that the thickness direction of the diaper 1 corresponds to the left-right direction of the container 100, first, the left-right length of the container 100 in the stored state is measured (this is referred to as length W). The container 100 (container 101) contains 10 diapers 1 in the left-right direction. The thickness of the container 101 (two points, the left and right ends in the left-right direction) is subtracted from the length W, and the subtracted value is divided by the number of diapers, 10. In other words, it is calculated as {length W - (thickness of container 101 x 2)} / 10. The value calculated in this way is referred to as the "average thickness T."

[0073] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating adjacent diapers 1 in a stored state. Normally, adjacent diapers 1 are compressed and overlapped with each other so that they fit snugly against each other. However, for convenience, FIG. 7 shows only a schematic diagram so that the shapes of the diapers 1 can be seen. As shown in FIG. 7, among the stored diapers 1, as described above, a diaper 1 having a distance L1 from the end WAe of the waist-surrounding section 20 (30) to the end 40e of the crotch section 40 at the center position CL2 in the left-right direction is designated as diaper 1a. Another diaper 1 adjacent to diaper 1a in the thickness direction in the stored state is designated as diaper 1b. At the center position in the left-right direction of diaper 1b, a distance L2 is designated as the distance from the end WAe of the folded-back waist-surrounding section 20 (30) to the end 40e of the crotch section 40 in the up-down direction. In this embodiment, the length L2 of the distance is different from the distance L1 (length L1) of the diaper 1 described above, and is preferably at least half the length L1 or shorter than 1.5 times the length L1. When the ends WAe of the folded-back waist portions 20 (30) of the diapers 1 are positioned at different positions within the container 101, pressure is more dispersed than when the ends WAe are aligned, and therefore the exuded adhesive makes it less likely that the crotch portion 40, where the central elastic member 17 is located, will stick to another diaper 1 (1b).

[0074] In this embodiment, when the portion of the waist portion 20 (30) folded toward the crotch portion 40 is defined as the folded-back portion 20K (30K) (see FIGS. 5C and 6), the folded-back portion 20K (30K) overlaps at least a portion of the central elastic member 17 in the thickness direction in the stored state. For example, if the folded-back portion 20K (30K) overlaps the central elastic member 17 to a greater extent, the risk of the central elastic member 17 adjoining another diaper 1 stored adjacent to the folded-back portion 20K (30K) side can be reduced by adhesive seepage. On the other hand, if the overlap between the folded-back portion 20K (30K) and the central elastic member 17 is small, the risk of the waist portion 20 (30) and the central elastic member 17 adjoining each other can be reduced by adhesive seepage due to compression.

[0075] The folded-back portion 20K (30K) is not limited to having a portion that overlaps at least a part of the central elastic member 17 when viewed in the thickness direction, and the upper end WAe of the folded-back portion 20K (30K) folded toward the crotch portion 40 in the stored state may be configured not to overlap, when viewed in the thickness direction, with the central elastic member 17. This makes it easier to avoid adhesion between the waist portion 20 (30) and the central elastic member 17 due to exuded adhesive when in a compressed state.

[0076] Here, the folding position when the diaper 1 is stored in the storage member 101 will be described in detail. FIG. 8 is a table showing folding patterns of the diaper 1. First, when folding the diaper 1, as shown in FIG. 5B, both left-right end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waist portion 20 (30) of the diaper 1 are folded inward in the left-right direction. This folding is called the first folding. As shown in FIG. 8, the first folding can be divided into folding the both end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) toward the ventral side or the dorsal side of the waist portion 20 (30). In this embodiment, the folding is toward the ventral side.

[0077] In the first folding, whether the both end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waist portion 20 (30) are folded toward the ventral or dorsal side of the waist portion 20 (30), the both end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waist portion 20 (30) are folded inward in the left-right direction, so that the folded-in portions become thicker. When the diaper 1 is stored, the thicker portions are more likely to come into contact with adjacent diapers 1 in the storage member 101. Because the portion where the central elastic member 17 is located is thinner than the portion where the both end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) are folded back, the portion where the central elastic member 17 is located is less likely to come into contact with other diapers 1, even when multiple diapers 1 are stacked and compressed. This reduces the risk of the central elastic member 17 adhering to other diapers 1 due to oozing adhesive.

[0078] Next, both end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) are folded toward the ventral side or the dorsal side, and then either folded back so that both end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) overlap in the thickness direction, or folded back so that they do not overlap. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5B, both end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) are folded back so that they do not overlap.

[0079] After folding back both left-right end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waistline portion 20 (30), the vertical end portion WA of the waistline portion 20 (30) is folded back so that it is located on the crotch portion 40 side, as shown in FIG. 5C. This folding back is called the second folding. As shown in FIG. 8, the second folding can be performed in two ways: one where the absorbent body 11 is also folded, and one where the absorbent body 11 is not folded. In this embodiment, the absorbent body 11 is not folded during the second folding. Furthermore, when folding back the vertical end portion WA of the waistline portion 20 (30), the folding can be performed in two ways: with the ventral side of the waistline portion 20 (30) facing inward, and with the dorsal side facing inward.

[0080] By performing the first and second folding steps described above, a total of 16 folding patterns are possible (see FIG. 8). In this embodiment, the first folding is performed by folding the diaper 1 toward the ventral side, with both lateral ends (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waist portion 20 (30) not overlapping, and the second folding is performed by folding the ventral side inward without folding the absorbent body 11, which corresponds to pattern 7 in FIG. 8. Note that, in any of the 16 folding patterns shown in FIG. 8, the risk of adhesive seeping out due to compression adhering between the waist portion 20 (30) and the central elastic member 17, or between an adjacent diaper 1 and the central elastic member 17, can be reduced in the stored state. Representative examples of these folding patterns are described below.

[0081] FIG. 9 shows a modified example of the folding of the diaper 1 in the stored state. As shown in FIG. 9, in the stored state, the diaper 1 may be folded so that the end 20Ea (30Ea) on one side in the left-right direction of the folded waistline portion 20 (30) overlaps the end 20Eb (30Eb) on the other side in the thickness direction (note that the thickness direction is the direction penetrating the paper in FIG. 9). In the table of FIG. 8, patterns 1 to 4 and 9 to 12 correspond to this. In the modified example shown in FIG. 9, the overlapping portion has a portion that overlaps with the central elastic member 17 in the left-right direction. The overlapping portion where the end 20Ea (30Ea) and the end 20Eb (30Eb) overlap in the thickness direction is a thicker portion. The overlapping portion causes a difference in thickness between the thickened portion (overlapping portion) and the portion where the central elastic member 17 overlaps in the left-right direction, and the overlapping portion acts as a cushion, so that the central elastic member 17 overlapping in the left-right direction with the cushion is thinner inside the containing member 101 and is therefore less susceptible to the effects of compression. Therefore, when the central elastic member 17 is contained, it is possible to prevent the adhesive from seeping out of the central elastic member 17.

[0082] FIG. 10 shows another variation of the folding of the diaper 1 in the stored state. In the diaper 1 shown in FIG. 10, the one end 20Ea (30Ea) and the other end 20Eb (30Eb) of the folded waist portion 20 (30) do not overlap in the thickness direction (the direction penetrating the paper in FIG. 10) (patterns 5 to 8 and 13 to 16 in the table of FIG. 8 apply). When the region in which the central elastic member 17 is located in the left-right direction is defined as a central elastic region 17G, both ends 20Eae, 20Ebe (30Eae, 30Ebe) of the waist portion 20 (30) are located within the central elastic region 17G. The "central elastic region 17G" refers to the region between the central elastic member 17a located closest to one side and the central elastic member 17e located closest to the other side in the left-right direction.

[0083] In the stored state, first, one end 20Ea and the other end 20Eb in the left-right direction of the folded waistline portion 20(30) do not overlap when viewed in the thickness direction, and therefore the waistline portion 20(30) is folded back with a gap SP in the left-right direction between one end 20Eae and the other end 20Ebe. Since both ends (20Eae, 20Ebe) of such a waistline portion 20(30) are present within the central elastic region 17G in the left-right direction, the gap SP can reduce pressure on the central elastic region 17G. More specifically, even if both left-right end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waist portion 20 (30) overlap with the central elastic region 17G when viewed in the thickness direction (Figure 10), if there is a gap SP between the end 20Eae on one side and the end 20Ebe on the other side, the pressure at the gap SP is weakened in the compressed state, making it difficult for adhesive that has seeped out from the central elastic member 17 to transfer to the waist portion 20 (30) at the gap SP.

[0084] On the other hand, when both lateral ends (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waist portion 20(30) do not overlap with the central elastic region 17G in the thickness direction and both lateral ends 20Eae, 20Ebe (30Eae, 30Ebe) of the waist portion 20(30) are located within the range of the central elastic region 17G in the lateral direction, the waist portion 20(30) becomes thicker due to the inward lateral folding, and the crotch portion 40 becomes thinner compared to the thickened folded portion, thereby reducing the pressure on the crotch portion 40. This makes it easier to prevent the crotch portion 40 from sticking to another diaper 1 due to the oozing adhesive inside the containing member 101.

[0085] As described above, it is preferable that the containing member 101 contains both a diaper 1 (first pant-type absorbent article) in which the folded-back waist portion 20 (30) has an overlapping portion in the thickness direction at its one end 20Ea and the other end 20Eb in the left-right direction when stored, and another diaper 1 (second pant-type absorbent article) in which the folded-back waist portion 20 (30) has an overlapping portion in the thickness direction at its one end 20Ea and the other end 20Eb in the left-right direction when stored. Since the size of the containing body 100 that can store multiple diapers 1 is fixed, the presence of a mixture of diapers 1 (first pant-type absorbent article) and another diaper 1 (second pant-type absorbent article) disperses areas of high pressure, making it difficult for the adhesive to transfer overall.

[0086] As described above, in the stored state, the diaper 1 may be folded back at a position that folds the absorbent body 11. Specifically, when performing the second fold, the diaper 1 may be folded back so as to fold back a portion of the absorbent core 11A (corresponding to patterns 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, and 14 in the table of FIG. 8). The absorbent core 11A is a high-rigidity region, and therefore has a strong resilience to return to its original shape. The portion of the absorbent core 11A that is folded back in the stored state returns to its original shape due to this resilience even when compressed, thereby reducing pressure on the region where the central elastic member 17 is located. This reduces the likelihood of product defects (tears or pullouts) in the region where the central elastic member 17 is located.

[0087] Furthermore, the average thickness T of the crotch region 40 at the center position CL2 (FIG. 5A) in the left-right direction of the diaper 1 is preferably 95% or less of the average thickness of the crotch region 40 of the diaper 1 in its natural state after removal from the container 101. More preferably, the average thickness T is 85% or less, and even more preferably 75% or less, of the average thickness of the crotch region 40 of the diaper 1 in its natural state. In other words, by increasing the compression rate, more diapers 1 can be accommodated in the container 101. Even if the compression rate is increased to bring adjacent diapers 1 closer together, by making the distance L1 from the upper end WAe of the waist region 20 (30) to the end 40e of the crotch region 40 longer than the average thickness T of the crotch region 40, as in this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the waist region 20 (30) and the central elastic member 17 from adhering to each other due to adhesive seeping out from the crotch region 40 (central elastic member 17) of each diaper 1.

[0088] Furthermore, the central elastic member 17 in this embodiment is thread-shaped. By using a thread-shaped member, the amount of adhesive used to attach the central elastic member 17 can be reduced compared to when a thicker band-shaped rubber or a sheet-shaped stretchable material (stretchable film, stretchable nonwoven fabric, etc.) is applied with adhesive over the entire surface, and the risk of adhesive seeping out when compressed can be further reduced.

[0089] 3, the pair of waistband sections 20, 30 are provided with a plurality of waistband elastic members 23, 33 that stretch in the left-right direction, aligned in the vertical direction. Here, the region where the waistband elastic members 23, 33 are arranged, i.e., the region from the uppermost waistband elastic member 23a (33a) to the lowermost waistband elastic member 23e (33e) in the ventral waistband section 20 (dorsal waistband section 30), is referred to as the waistband elastic region 23G (33G), and the region where the central elastic member 17 is arranged, i.e., the region in the crotch section 40 from the central elastic member 17a located furthest on one side in the left-right direction to the central elastic member 17e located furthest on the other side, is referred to as the central elastic region 17G. In this embodiment, the amount of adhesive per unit area in the waistband elastic region 23G (33G) is less than the amount of adhesive per unit area in the central elastic region 17G. In the stored state, the waist portions 20, 30 are folded over and become thicker, and by reducing the amount of adhesive in the waist elastic region 23G (33G) in such areas, the risk of adhesive seeping out when compressed can be reduced.

[0090] The amount of adhesive per unit area of ​​the waist elastic region 23G (33G) and the central elastic region 17G can be determined, for example, by separating the waist elastic member 23 (33) and adhesive from the inner layer sheet 21 and the ventral outer layer sheet 22 (dorsal outer layer sheet 32) using the solvent extraction method described below, sampling the adhesive, and measuring the sampled adhesive. <Solvent extraction method for adhesives> First, in a stretched state, the sheet material (the inner layer sheet 21 and the ventral outer layer sheet 22 (the dorsal outer layer sheet 32)) and the waist elastic member 23 (33) are cut together in a predetermined area from the waist elastic region 23G (33G) and the central elastic region 17G. Next, the sheet material containing an adhesive is mixed with a solvent capable of dissolving the adhesive in a container such as a beaker to obtain an adhesive solution in which the adhesive is dissolved in the solvent. The adhesive solution is then sampled from the container and dried under reduced pressure using a rotary evaporator to remove the solvent, thereby obtaining the adhesive. The adhesive thus obtained is defined as the amount of adhesive per unit area. The solvent used to dissolve the adhesive may be selected appropriately depending on the type of adhesive, etc. When the adhesive to be measured is, for example, a hot melt adhesive, examples of solvents used to dissolve the adhesive include toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, and heptane.

[0091] 6, in the crotch portion 40 of the diaper 1 in the stored state, the side where the folded-over waistband 20 is present in the thickness direction is designated as the inner fold 40a, and the opposite side is designated as the outer fold 40b. The vertical length of the central elastic member 17 on the inner fold 40a is longer than that on the outer fold 40b. The shorter length of the central elastic member 17 on the outer fold 40b reduces the risk of the central elastic member 17 adhering to another diaper 1 adjacent to the outer fold 40b within the storage member 101.

[0092] FIG. 11 illustrates yet another variation of the folding of the diaper 1. In the diaper 1 illustrated in FIG. 11, the second folding is performed by folding the inner side of the diaper 1 toward the back (patterns 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 in the table of FIG. 8). Similar to the present embodiment, the central elastic member 17 extends from the front longitudinal side to the rear across the center line CL1 in the left-right central portion of the absorbent main body 10. Specifically, the longitudinal length of the central elastic member 17 is longer on the front side than on the rear side. Therefore, when the crotch portion 40 of the diaper 1 in the stored state of FIG. 11 is defined as the inner fold side 40a on the side where the folded waistband 30 is present and the opposite side is defined as the outer fold side 40b, the vertical length of the central elastic member 17 is longer on the outer fold side 40b than on the inner fold side 40a. The short length of the central elastic member 17 on the inner fold 40a reduces the risk of the central elastic member 17 adhering to another diaper 1 adjacent to the inner fold 40a within the container 101.

[0093] FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged view of the ventral waistline portion 20 in the unfolded and stretched state. While the ventral waistline portion 20 will be described here, the back waistline portion 30 has a similar configuration. As described above, the pair of waistline portions 20, 30 of the diaper 1 are joined at both lateral ends by a pair of side joints SS. A plurality of waistline elastic members 23, 33 that stretch in the lateral direction are arranged vertically and fixed to the pair of waistline portions 20, 30 with adhesive. As shown in FIG. 12 , at the vertical upper end 20ta of the ventral waistline portion 20 (i.e., the waistline opening BH), a region R adjacent to the inner lateral end SSe of the side joints SS is a region where no adhesive is applied to secure the waistline elastic members 23. This region R is included in both lateral end portions 20E of the ventral waistline portion 20 that are folded inward in the lateral direction when the diaper is put in. Even if the folded end portions 20E are adjacent to or overlap the central elastic member 17 in the stored state, the presence of the area R where no adhesive is applied reduces adhesion between the adhesive of the central elastic member 17 and the adhesive of the waist elastic members 23. This prevents the diaper 1 from tearing or the elastic members from coming off.

[0094] The region R adjacent to the inner end SSe of the side joint SS in the left-right direction is not limited to a region where adhesive for fixing the waist elastic members 23 is not applied, and the region R may have a low basis weight region where the adhesive has a lower basis weight than the region further inside in the left-right direction. Similarly, the presence of a low basis weight region with a low adhesive weight in the region R can prevent the adhesive of the exuded central elastic member 17 from adhering to the adhesive of the waist elastic members 23, even if the folded end portions 20E are close to or overlap the central elastic member 17 in the stored state.

[0095] 12, the region R adjacent to the inner end SSe of the side joint SS in the left-right direction is not limited to the upper end 20ta of the abdominal waistline portion 20 in the up-down direction, but is a region where no adhesive is applied to secure the waistline elastic members 23 over the entire range that overlaps with the side joint SS in the up-down direction. Furthermore, without being limited thereto, for example, the region R may have a low-basis-weight region where the adhesive weight is lower than that further inside in the left-right direction of the region R over the entire range that overlaps with the side joint SS in the up-down direction. In the stowed state, the entire range that overlaps with the side joint SS in the up-down direction is included in both left-right end portions 20E of the abdominal waistline portion 20 that are folded inward in the left-right direction. Therefore, even if the folded end portions 20E are adjacent to or overlap the central elastic member 17 in the stored state, the presence of the region R having no adhesive or a low basis weight region with low adhesive basis weight prevents the adhesive from seeping out of the central elastic member 17 and the adhesive from the waist elastic members 23 from adhering to each other, even if the waist portion 20 is folded deeply (second fold). This prevents the diaper 1 from tearing or the elastic members from coming off.

[0096] In this embodiment, the ventral waistline portion 20 has an inner layer sheet 21 and a ventral outer layer sheet 22 (outer layer sheet) arranged closer to the skin than the inner layer sheet 21, and the dorsal waistline portion 30 has an inner layer sheet 21 and a dorsal outer layer sheet 32 ​​(outer layer sheet) arranged closer to the skin than the inner layer sheet 21. At least one of the pair of waistline portions 20, 30 may have a sheet portion arranged closest to the skin. In this embodiment, the folded-back portion 22r (32r) of the ventral outer layer sheet 22 (dorsal outer layer sheet 32) is the sheet portion. This sheet portion (folded-back portion 22r (32r)) is fixed to the inner layer sheet 21 with an adhesive. 12 , the portion of region R adjacent to the inner end SSe in the left-right direction of side joint portion SS that overlaps with the sheet portion (folded-back portion 22r (32r)) in the thickness direction is a region where adhesive for fixing the sheet portion (folded-back portion 22r (32r)) is not applied. Note that the region R is not limited to a region where adhesive for fixing is not applied, and the portion of region R that overlaps with the sheet portion (folded-back portion 22r (32r)) in the thickness direction may have a low-basis-weight region where the basis weight of the adhesive is lower than that further inside in the left-right direction. Since region R is a region included in both left-right end portions 20E of the ventral waistband portion 20 that are folded inward in the left-right direction when stored, even if the folded-back end portions 20E are close to or overlap the central elastic member 17 in the stored state, the presence of region R where adhesive is not applied (or region R having a low-basis-weight region) can reduce adhesion between the adhesive of the exuded central elastic member 17 and the adhesive of the sheet portion (folded-back portion 22r (32r)).

[0097] The sheet portion described above is not limited to the folded-back portion 22r (32r) and may be, for example, a sheet member separate from the inner layer sheet 21 and the ventral-side outer layer sheet 22 (dorsal-side outer layer sheet 32). An example is a cover sheet (not shown) disposed so as to straddle the longitudinal end 10et (see FIG. 3) of the absorbent main body 10 and fixed to the inner layer sheet 21 (and the absorbent main body 10) with an adhesive. Of the region R adjacent to the inner lateral end SSe of the side joint SS shown in FIG. 12, the portion overlapping with such a sheet portion (cover sheet) in the thickness direction is preferably a region where no adhesive is applied to fix the sheet portion (cover sheet), or a low-basis-weight region where the adhesive basis weight is lower than that of the region further inward in the lateral direction. Similarly, even if the folded end portions 20E are close to or overlap the central elastic member 17 in the stored state, the presence of an area R where no adhesive is applied (or an area R having a low basis weight area) reduces adhesion between the exuded adhesive of the central elastic member 17 and the adhesive of the sheet portion (cover sheet).

[0098] In this embodiment, the pair of waistband sections 20, 30 are provided with a plurality of waistband elastic members 23, 33 that stretch in the left-right direction and are aligned in the vertical direction. The force required to stretch the waistband elastic members 23, 33 by a unit length in the left-right direction from their natural state is preferably greater than the force required to stretch the central elastic member 17 by a unit length in the up-down direction from their natural state. Because the force required to stretch the waistband elastic members 23, 33 by a unit length is greater (i.e., a greater contractile force), more pleats are generated in the waistband sections 20, 30 when the waistband elastic members 23, 33 contract. The presence of many pleats reduces compression even when the waistband sections 20, 30 are folded and compressed in a stored state, and prevents adhesion between the waistband sections 20, 30 and the crotch section 40 due to oozing adhesive.

[0099] The force required to stretch the waist elastic members 23, 33 by a unit length in the left-right direction from their natural state and the force required to stretch the central elastic member 17 by a unit length in the up-down direction from their natural state can be compared using the following method. First, the waist elastic member 23 (33) is cut to a predetermined length in a stretched state and removed from the waist portion 20 (30), and the central elastic member 17 is also cut to a predetermined length in a stretched state and removed from the crotch portion 40. If the elastic member is sheet-like, it is cut to a predetermined width (e.g., 10 mm width), and if both are thread-like, for example, one strand is marked to a certain length (e.g., 100 mm) in the stretch direction of the elastic member and cut so as to include the marked portion. Next, the removed waist elastic member 23 (33) and central elastic member 17 are fixed in place by adjusting the initial distance between a pair of chucks spaced apart in the tensile direction of the tensile tester to match the length of the sample (a length that will not slacken or will slightly slacken the sample), and the marking position is positioned at the inner end of the chuck. (Note that the width at which the chucks grip the sample is constant.) The load obtained when the sample is stretched with both ends (marked portions) of the sample fixed with the chucks is measured by separating the chucks by a unit length (for example, 70% of the marking length), and the values ​​obtained are compared. If the sample contains multiple thread-like elastic members, it is recommended to compare the values ​​converted to values ​​per thread after measurement.

[0100] ===Other=== The above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

[0101] 1. Pants-type disposable diapers (pants-type absorbent articles) 1a Pants-type disposable diapers, 1b Pants-type disposable diapers 10 Absorbent body 11 Absorbent 11A Absorbent Core 11B Core Wrap Sheet 12 Topsheet 13 Back Seat 14 Exterior sheet 16 Elastic member 17, 17a, 17e Central elastic member 17G central elastic area 18 Exterior body 19 Side seat 20 waist (ventral waist) 20E Both ends in the left and right direction 20Ea One end 20Eae One end 20Eb The other end 20Ebe other end 20K folded part 20ta upper end 21 Inner layer sheet 22 Ventral outer sheet 22r Turn-up part 23, 23a, 23e waist elastic members 23G waist elastic area 30 Waist (back waist) 30E both ends 30Ea One end 30Eae One end 30Eb The other end 30Ebe other end 30K folded part 32 Dorsal outer sheet 32r Folded part 33, 33a, 33e waist elastic members 33G waist elastic area 34 Rear leg elastic member 40 crotch 40a inside fold 40b Folded outside 40e Vertical edge 50 Leakage prevention wall 100 Container (container for pants-type absorbent article) 101 Storage member

Claims

1. A pant-type absorbent article container having a plurality of pant-type absorbent articles and a container member for accommodating the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, The pants-type absorbent article comprises: The vertical direction, the horizontal direction, and the thickness direction are perpendicular to each other. A pair of waistband portions; A crotch portion located under the wearer's crotch when worn; a central elastic member that is attached to a central portion of the crotch portion in the left-right direction with an adhesive and is stretchable in the up-down direction; and In a state where the housing is housed in the housing member, The vertical end of the waist portion is folded back toward the crotch portion, the vertical edge of the folded waist portion does not extend beyond the vertical edge of the crotch portion, the plurality of pants-type absorbent articles are compressed in a state where they are stacked in the thickness direction, In at least one pant-type absorbent article among the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, a distance from the end of the waistband portion to the end of the crotch portion at a central position in the left-right direction is longer than an average thickness of the crotch portion, A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

2. The container of the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1, The distance is defined as length L1, In the stored state, When the distance from the end of the folded waist portion in the vertical direction to the end of the crotch portion in the vertical direction at the center position in the left-right direction of another pants-type absorbent article adjacent to the pants-type absorbent article in the thickness direction is defined as length L2, The length L2 is different from the length L1 and is at least half the length of the length L1 or is shorter than 1.5 times the length L1. A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

3. A container for the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, The average thickness is 95% or less of the average thickness of the crotch portion of the pants-type absorbent article in its natural state after being removed from the containing member. A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

4. A container for the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, The central elastic member is thread-shaped. A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

5. A container for the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, The pair of waistband portions are provided with a plurality of waistband elastic members that are stretchable in the left-right direction and are aligned in the up-down direction, The amount of adhesive per unit area of ​​the waist elastic region where the waist elastic members are arranged is less than the amount of adhesive per unit area of ​​the central elastic region where the central elastic member is arranged. A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

6. A container for the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, In the accommodated state, the upper end of the waist portion folded back toward the crotch portion does not overlap the central elastic member when viewed in the thickness direction. A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

7. A container for the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, In the stored state, both ends of the waistband portion in the left-right direction are folded inward in the left-right direction. A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

8. A container for the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 7, In the stored state, one end and the other end of the folded waistband portion in the left-right direction have an overlapping portion that overlaps when viewed in the thickness direction, The overlapping portion has a portion overlapping with the central elastic member in the left-right direction. A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

9. A container for the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 7, In the stored state, The folded waist portion has one end and the other end in the left-right direction that do not overlap when viewed in the thickness direction, When the region in the left-right direction where the central elastic member is arranged is defined as a central elastic region, both ends of the waist portion are arranged within the range of the central elastic region. A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

10. A container for the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 7, In the housing member, a first pants-type absorbent article having a portion where, in the stored state, one end and the other end of the folded-back waist portion in the left-right direction overlap when viewed in the thickness direction; a second pants-type absorbent article in which, in the stored state, one end and the other end of the folded-back waist portion in the left-right direction do not overlap when viewed in the thickness direction; A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

11. A container for the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, In the crotch portion in the accommodated state, when the side where the folded-back waist portion exists in the thickness direction is the folded-back inner side and the opposite side is the folded-back outer side, The length of the central elastic member in the up-down direction is longer on the inside of the folded portion than on the outside of the folded portion. A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

12. A container for the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, In the crotch portion in the accommodated state, when the side where the folded-back waist portion exists in the thickness direction is the folded-back inner side and the opposite side is the folded-back outer side, The length of the central elastic member in the up-down direction is longer on the outer side of the folded portion than on the inner side of the folded portion. A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

13. A container for the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, In the stored state, When the portion of the waist portion that is folded toward the crotch portion is defined as a folded portion, The folded portion has a portion that overlaps with at least a part of the central elastic member when viewed in the thickness direction. A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

14. A container for the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, The pair of waistband portions are joined by a pair of side joint portions on both sides in the left-right direction, A plurality of waist elastic members that are stretchable in the left-right direction are arranged in the up-down direction and fixed to the pair of waist portions with an adhesive, The upper end portions of the pair of waistband portions in the vertical direction have regions adjacent to the inner ends of the pair of side joint portions in the left-right direction, and the regions have regions where the adhesive for fixing the waistband elastic members is not applied, or low basis weight regions where the basis weight of the adhesive is lower than that of the further inner side in the left-right direction, In the stored state, both end portions of the pair of waistband portions in the left-right direction are folded back inward in the left-right direction. A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

15. A container for the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 14, The regions adjacent to the inner ends of the pair of side joints in the left-right direction have, over the entire area overlapping with the side joints in the up-down direction, a region where the adhesive for fixing the waistline elastic members is not applied, or a low-basis weight region where the basis weight of the adhesive is lower than that of the region further inside in the left-right direction, In the stored state, both end portions of the pair of waistband portions in the left-right direction are folded back inward in the left-right direction. A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

16. A container for the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, The pair of waistband portions are joined by a pair of side joint portions on both sides in the left-right direction, The pair of waistband portions each have an inner layer sheet and an outer layer sheet disposed closer to the wearer's skin than the inner layer sheet, a sheet portion disposed closest to the skin of at least one of the pair of waistband portions; the sheet portion is fixed to the inner layer sheet with an adhesive, a portion where the sheet portion overlaps with an area adjacent to the inner end of each of the pair of side joints in the left-right direction as viewed in the thickness direction, the area having no adhesive for fixing the sheet portion, or a low-basis weight area having a basis weight of the adhesive lower than that of an area further inside in the left-right direction; In the stored state, both end portions of the pair of waistband portions in the left-right direction are folded back inward in the left-right direction. A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

17. A container for the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, The pants-type absorbent article includes an absorbent body having an absorbent core, In the stored state, a part of the absorbent core is folded. A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

18. A container for the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, The pair of waistband portions are provided with a plurality of waistband elastic members that are stretchable in the left-right direction and are aligned in the up-down direction, The force required to stretch the waist elastic member from its natural state by a unit length in the left-right direction is greater than the force required to stretch the central elastic member from its natural state by a unit length in the up-down direction. A container for a pants-type absorbent article.

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