Absorbent article
The absorbent article addresses the issue of inner body exposure by using a low-brightness color and leg elastic members to maintain a shorts-like appearance and improve fit, eliminating the need for cutting waist elastic members in the ventral crotch region.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024053410
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-03-28
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-09
AI Technical Summary
Elastic members around the waist of absorbent articles can overlap with the inner body, causing cuts or holes that expose the inner body's bright color, leading to an unattractive appearance and potential perception of a defective product.
Design an absorbent article with a color value of 40 or less in the CIE1976 L * a * b * Color Space, eliminating waist elastic members in the ventral crotch region and using leg elastic members to ensure fit and comfort, while maintaining a similar appearance to shorts.
The solution provides an absorbent article with an attractive appearance, reducing the visibility of inner body exposure and enhancing wearing comfort by eliminating the need for cutting elastic members and improving fit through leg elastic members.
Smart Images

Figure 2025151819000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to an absorbent article. [Background technology]
[0002] BACKGROUND ART Shorts-type absorbent articles are known that include an inner body containing an absorbent body and an outer body placed on the non-skin side of the inner body (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0003] When unfolded, the outer body has a ventral waist section located on the ventral side of the waist, a dorsal waist section located on the dorsal side of the waist, and a crotch section between the ventral waist section and the dorsal waist section, which has a constriction along the legs. Furthermore, the outer body is provided with a thread-like elastic member (waist elastic member) arranged along the waist. This waist elastic member imparts stretchability to the waist area, improving the fit of the shorts-type absorbent article. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-058768 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] The elastic members provided around the waist of the outer body may be located in the area overlapping the inner body, such as the ventral area of the crotch region (ventral crotch region). In this case, at least a portion of the elastic members overlapping the inner body may be cut in multiple locations to prevent the inner body from shrinking or twisting due to the force of the elastic members. This cutting process is performed, for example, after the shorts-type absorbent article is manufactured, by cutting the internal elastic members from the outer layer sheet side of the outer body in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the elastic members. Therefore, after the cutting process, small cuts or holes may be formed in the outer body at the positions of the elastic members, and the outer surface of the inner body may be exposed through such cuts or holes. For example, at cut portions 38 formed by cutting the elastic members 31cf (31) overlapping the inner body 20, the outer surface of the inner body may be exposed in a spot-like manner from the outer body (FIGS. 4 and 5).
[0006] The color of the outer surface of the inner body is usually a bright color such as white. In this embodiment, the color of the outer body seen from the outside is a low-brightness color such as black, so the exposed portion of the bright colored inner body exposed from the outer body is noticeable even if it is small. Some wearers may find this appearance unattractive and may even perceive it as a defective product.
[0007] One aspect of the present invention provides an absorbent article that has an attractive appearance. [Means for solving the problem]
[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present disclosure is a shorts-type absorbent article comprising an inner body including an absorbent body and facing a bodily fluid discharge port of a wearer, and an outer body placed on a non-skin side of the inner body, wherein the outer body has a crotch portion having a constriction along the circumference of the wearer's legs, and the outer body is sized to be 1 / 4" or less according to CIE1976 L when viewed from the non-skin side. * a * b * Color Space by L *The absorbent article has a color with a value of 40 or less, and is provided with elastic members that impart stretchability to the absorbent article, the elastic members including waist elastic members that fit around the waist of the wearer, and the waist elastic members are not provided in the ventral crotch region, which is located on the ventral side of the crotch region.
[0009] According to the first aspect, the exterior body has a thickness of 100 mm or less, and is made of a material that satisfies the L of CIE1976 when viewed from the non-skin-facing side. * a * b * Color Space by L * Since the absorbent article has a color with a color value of 40 or less, the appearance of the absorbent article is similar to that of shorts, reducing the impression that the absorbent article is reminiscent of a diaper when viewed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, no waist elastic members are provided in the ventral crotch region, which is located on the ventral side of the crotch region. Therefore, the waist elastic members overlapping the inner body are reduced or eliminated. This eliminates the need for a cutting process to cut the waist elastic members in the ventral crotch region, and prevents the inner body from being exposed, as described above, thereby eliminating the possibility that the absorbent article may be recognized as defective.
[0010] In a second aspect of the present invention, the position where the radius of curvature of the contour of the narrowed portion of the crotch region is smallest is located in the ventral crotch region.
[0011] As described above, the absence of a waist-around elastic member in the ventral crotch region reduces the stretchability of the ventral crotch region, which can cause the outer garment to float up from the body in the ventral crotch region and cause the wearer to feel uncomfortable. In contrast, according to the second aspect, the position where the radius of curvature of the outline of the constriction in the crotch region is smallest is located in the ventral crotch region, thereby increasing the constriction in the ventral crotch region, preventing the outer garment from floating up and improving the wearing comfort.
[0012] In a third aspect of the present invention, the elastic members include leg elastic members that follow the legs of the wearer, and the leg elastic members are provided in the abdominal crotch region.
[0013] As described above, the absence of a waist elastic member in the ventral crotch region reduces the stretchability of the ventral crotch region, which can result in a poor fit. In contrast, according to the third aspect, the leg elastic members along the leg circumferences ensure the stretchability of the ventral crotch region, improving the fit.
[0014] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a shorts-type sanitary napkin.
[0015] Sanitary napkin wearers are often concerned about the appearance when wearing the sanitary napkin. According to the fourth aspect, an absorbent article can be provided that allows even such wearers to wear the absorbent article comfortably and with a satisfactory appearance. [Effects of the Invention]
[0016] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an absorbent article is provided that has an attractive appearance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, unfolded and viewed from the non-skin-facing side. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the absorbent article shown in FIG. 1, viewed from the skin-facing side. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an absorbent article according to the prior art, as viewed from the non-skin-facing side. [Figure 5] 5 is an enlarged photograph of part II of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating modified examples of absorbent articles according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion III in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 illustrates another modified example of an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, unless otherwise specified, the same or corresponding components will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.
[0019] <Overall structure of absorbent article> Fig. 1 shows an unfolded view of an absorbent article 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the non-skin-facing side. Fig. 2 shows a view of the absorbent article 1 shown in Fig. 1, viewed from the skin-facing side. Furthermore, Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line II in Fig. 2. In this specification, the skin-facing side refers to the side of the absorbent article 1 that faces the skin, and the non-skin-facing side refers to the side opposite the skin-facing side that is exposed to the outside. Furthermore, the upper side in Figs. 1 and 2 is the ventral side that is placed against the wearer's stomach when worn, and the lower side is the dorsal side that is placed against the wearer's back when worn.
[0020] Furthermore, when the absorbent article 1 is unfolded, the direction from the ventral side to the dorsal side or vice versa is defined as a first direction D1, and the direction perpendicular to the first direction D1 is defined as a second direction D2. The second direction D2 corresponds to the left-right direction of the wearer's body when worn.
[0021] The absorbent article 1 according to this embodiment may be a shorts-type sanitary napkin, a shorts-type incontinence napkin, a disposable diaper, etc., but this specification will be described based on the example of a shorts-type sanitary napkin with reference to the drawings. Shorts-type sanitary napkins are preferably used as absorbent articles for long-term use or overnight use because the absorbent body and the shorts are integrated, making it difficult for the absorbent body to slip out of the shorts.
[0022] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the absorbent article 1 has an inner body 20 that faces the wearer's bodily fluid excretion opening and mainly performs an absorbing function, and an outer body 10 that is adhered to the non-skin-facing side of the inner body 20.
[0023] In its unfolded state, the absorbent article 1 has a ventral waist portion F, a dorsal waist portion R, and a crotch portion C between the dorsal waist portion F and the dorsal waist portion R. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the dorsal waist portion R and the ventral waist portion F may have a rectangular shape with the longer side in the second direction D2. Meanwhile, the crotch portion C has a narrowed edge in the second direction D2, and has a shape in which the length (width) in the second direction D2 is smaller than those of the dorsal waist portion R and the ventral waist portion F.
[0024] The ventral waist portion F and the dorsal waist portion R are bent in a first direction D1 so that the inner surfaces of the ventral waist portion F and the dorsal waist portion R face each other, and are joined at their ends in a second direction D2, thereby forming a wearable final product. More specifically, the joint portion 15f of the opposed ventral waist portion F and the joint portion 15r of the dorsal waist portion R are joined at their respective ends in the second direction D2, so that a loop is formed by the ventral waist portion F and the dorsal waist portion R. A loop is also formed by the crotch portion C. When worn, the loop formed by the ventral waist portion F and the dorsal waist portion R forms an opening for the wearer's waist to fit through, and the loop formed by the crotch portion C forms an opening for the wearer's legs to fit through.
[0025] Furthermore, the crotch region C may have a ventral crotch region Cf adjacent to the ventral waist region F, a dorsal crotch region Cr adjacent to the dorsal waist region R, and an intermediate crotch region Cm between the ventral crotch region Cf and the dorsal crotch region Cr. The ventral crotch region Cf may be a region of the crotch region C that is visible to an observer when the absorbent article 1 is viewed from the ventral side while worn by a wearer. The dorsal crotch region Cr may be a region of the crotch region C that is visible to an observer when the absorbent article 1 is viewed from the dorsal side while worn by a wearer.
[0026] <Interior body> As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the inner body 20 is disposed on the skin-facing side of the outer body 10, extending from a portion of the back side of the ventral waist portion F to a portion of the ventral side of the back waist portion R so as to include the crotch area C. The width of the inner body 20 (length in the second direction D2) is the same as or smaller than the minimum value of the length in the second direction D2 of the outer body 10, and the inner body 20 has a size and dimension that prevents it from protruding from the outer body 10.
[0027] As shown in Figure 3, the inner body 20 may include an absorbent body 23 that primarily absorbs bodily fluids, a top sheet 25 that is placed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 23, and a waterproof sheet 27 that is placed on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body 23. Furthermore, a gathered sheet 22 that enables the formation of gathers G may be provided.
[0028] The absorbent body 23 is not limited to any material capable of absorbing and retaining bodily fluids, but preferably contains a flocculent pulp and a water-absorbent polymer. Examples of water-absorbent polymers that can be used include superabsorbent polymer (SAP), superabsorbent fiber (SAF), and combinations thereof. Examples of pulp include chemical pulp obtained from wood, cellulose fibers such as dissolving pulp, and artificial cellulose fibers such as rayon and acetate. Pulp may be hardwood pulp obtained from hardwoods, softwood pulp obtained from softwoods, or a mixture of these. Pulp may also be recycled pulp regenerated from used pulp.
[0029] The thickness of the absorber 23 may be 1.0 to 8.0 mm. The absorber 23 may be uniform throughout, but may also have a structure in which the region corresponding to the bodily fluid discharge outlet (region corresponding to the bodily fluid discharge outlet) and the region behind the region corresponding to the bodily fluid discharge outlet that faces the gluteal crease are bulged.
[0030] The absorbent body 23 may be wrapped in an envelope sheet made of colored or uncolored (white) crepe paper, nonwoven fabric, or the like to prevent twisting, cracking, or spillage of polymer particles.
[0031] The top sheet 25 is a liquid-permeable sheet that quickly transmits bodily fluids such as menstrual blood, vaginal discharge, urine, etc. The top sheet 25 is preferably made of a porous or non-porous nonwoven fabric, a porous plastic sheet, or the like.
[0032] The waterproof sheet 27 is a liquid-impermeable sheet that can prevent the penetration of bodily fluids. The waterproof sheet 27 may be a sheet made of an olefin resin, such as polyethylene or polypropylene. Alternatively, a laminated nonwoven fabric in which a nonwoven fabric is laminated on a polyethylene sheet or the like, or a laminated sheet of nonwoven fabric with a waterproof film interposed therebetween to ensure substantial liquid impermeability, can be used. Furthermore, a moisture-permeable sheet can also be used to prevent stuffiness. In this case, a microporous sheet obtained by kneading an inorganic filler into an olefin resin, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, forming the sheet, and then stretching it uniaxially or biaxially can be suitably used.
[0033] A second sheet may be provided between the top sheet 25 and the absorbent body 23 to promote the transfer of bodily fluids from the top sheet 25 to the absorbent body 23.
[0034] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the gathered sheet 22 is disposed on the non-skin-facing side of the waterproof sheet 27, wraps around the edge of the absorbent body 23 (the end in the second direction D2), and is folded back so as to extend to the skin side of the end of the top sheet 25 in the second direction D2. Elastic members 24 are provided on the inner side of the folded-back portions 22a in the second direction D2, and are fixed in a stretched state so that the first direction D1 is the stretch direction. The gathered sheet 22 is also fixed to the exterior body 10 at its end in the second direction D2 along the first direction D1. This allows three-dimensional gathers G to be formed in the folded-back portions 22a. The three-dimensional gathers G can prevent leakage of bodily fluids in the second direction D2 (side leakage). The configuration of the gathered sheet 22 that forms the three-dimensional gathers G is not limited to that shown in the figure.
[0035] Spunbond nonwoven fabric, meltblown nonwoven fabric, spunlace nonwoven fabric, thermal bond (air-through) nonwoven fabric, needle-punched nonwoven fabric, point-bond nonwoven fabric, and laminated nonwoven fabrics formed by laminating two or more of the same or different types of nonwoven fabrics can be used as the gathered sheet 22. The elastic member 24 may be a thread-like or strip-like rubber, and its material may be styrene rubber, olefin rubber, urethane rubber, ester rubber, polyurethane, polyethylene, polystyrene, styrene butadiene, silicone, polyester, or the like.
[0036] Although not shown in the figures, the inner body 20 may have compression grooves recessed from the skin-facing side to the non-skin-facing side for the purpose of properly guiding bodily fluids or assisting the inner body 20 in deforming to conform to the body.
[0037] <Exterior body> The exterior body 10 is disposed across the ventral waist region F, the crotch region C, and the dorsal waist region R. The exterior body 10 may have the same outer shape as the outer shape of the absorbent article 1. Therefore, although the above-mentioned sections of the ventral waist region F, the crotch region C, the dorsal waist region R, the ventral crotch region Cf, the dorsal crotch region Cr, and the intermediate crotch region Cm have been described as sections of the absorbent article 1, in this specification they may also be interpreted as sections of the exterior body 10.
[0038] Therefore, the ventral waist portion F and the dorsal waist portion R of the exterior body 10 each have a band-like shape with the second direction D2 as the longitudinal direction. The lengths of the ventral waist portion F and the dorsal waist portion R in the second direction D2 may be the same. The crotch portion C of the exterior body 10, which is the intermediate region between the ventral waist portion F and the dorsal waist portion R, also has contours 18, 18 that are constricted toward the center in the second direction D2. As described above, when the ventral waist portion F and the dorsal waist portion R are bent in the first direction D1 facing each other and the joint portion 15f of the ventral waist portion F and the joint portion 15r of the dorsal waist portion R are joined to form a shorts-type absorbent article 1, the contours 18, 18 each form a loop, which serves as an opening that is disposed around the legs and into which the wearer's legs can be inserted.
[0039] The outer cover 10 may be composed of at least two sheets. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the outer sheet 11 and the inner sheet 12 may be laminated and bonded together. The outer sheet 11 and the inner sheet 12 may be bonded together using adhesive, heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, or the like. The outer sheet 11 and the inner sheet 12 may have the same size and shape, but either the outer sheet 11 or the inner sheet 12, for example, the outer sheet 11, may extend beyond the end 14f of the ventral waist region F in the first direction D1 and be folded back at the end 14f toward the skin-facing or non-skin-facing side. Similarly, either the outer sheet 11 or the inner sheet 12, for example, the outer sheet 11, may extend beyond the end 14r of the dorsal waist region R in the first direction D1 and be folded back at the end 14r toward the skin-facing or non-skin-facing side.
[0040] The material of the outer layer sheet 11 and the inner layer sheet 12 is not particularly limited as long as it is in sheet form, but nonwoven fabric is preferred. More specifically, nonwoven fabrics may be made from fibers that do not contain synthetic fibers such as olefins (e.g., polyethylene and polypropylene), polyesters, and polyamides; recycled fibers (e.g., rayon and cupra); natural fibers (e.g., cotton); mixed fibers using two or more of these; and composite fibers. Examples of nonwoven fabrics that can be used include spunbond nonwoven fabrics, meltblown nonwoven fabrics, spunlace nonwoven fabrics, thermal bond (air-through) nonwoven fabrics, needle-punched nonwoven fabrics, point-bond nonwoven fabrics, and laminated nonwoven fabrics formed by laminating two or more of the same or different types of nonwoven fabrics. Of these, spunbond nonwoven fabrics and SMS nonwoven fabrics (laminated nonwoven fabrics of spunbond nonwoven fabric / meltblown nonwoven fabric / spunbond nonwoven fabric) are preferred.
[0041] An elastic member that imparts stretchability to the absorbent article 1 may be provided between the outer layer sheet 11 and the inner layer sheet 12. The elastic member may be a rubber thread, string, or strip, or a stretchable film. Among these, it is preferable to use multiple rubber threads, as this makes it easier to adjust stretchability depending on the location. The elastic member may be disposed between the outer layer sheet 11 and the inner layer sheet 12 in a stretched state and fixed at multiple locations spaced apart along the stretch direction with an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive. When the elastic member is a rubber thread, its material may be styrene rubber, olefin rubber, urethane rubber, ester rubber, polyurethane, polyethylene, polystyrene, styrene butadiene, silicone, polyester, or the like.
[0042] In this embodiment, the exterior body 10 has a CIE 1976 L * a * b * Color Space by L * The color of the outer layer 10 is perceived when the final product, the absorbent article 1, is viewed from the non-skin-facing side. Therefore, for example, the color of the outer layer sheet 11 disposed on the non-skin-facing side of the outer layer 10 does not necessarily have a value of 40 or less according to CIE1976 L. * a * b * Color Space by L * The value does not need to be 40 or less, and when the outer layer sheet 11 and the inner layer sheet 12 are stacked and viewed from the outside, L * The value should be 40 or less.
[0043] The basic structure of a shorts-type absorbent article is similar to that of a diaper, and it is generally white or light pink in color. Therefore, even if the absorbent article 1 is a shorts-type sanitary napkin, its appearance is reminiscent of a diaper. If a person of a certain age wears a sanitary napkin, they may feel embarrassed when they see the absorbent article 1 when they are wearing it, or when other people catch a glimpse of the absorbent article 1. In contrast, in this embodiment, when the exterior body 10 is viewed from the outside, the color L *When the value is 40 or less and the brightness is low, the appearance of the absorbent article 1 is closer to shorts and is less likely to be reminiscent of a diaper.
[0044] More specifically, the color of the outer surface of the exterior body 10 may be black, gray, dark brown, dark green, navy blue, etc. * value and b * The values are not particularly limited, but may be preferably −50 to +50 or less, more preferably −30 to +30.
[0045] <Specific arrangement of elastic members> The elastic members include waist elastic members 31 that are arranged to fit around the waist of the wearer when worn. The waist elastic members 31 may be multiple elastic members that extend along the second direction D2 and are arranged at intervals in the first direction D1 when the absorbent article 1 is unfolded, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Such multiple waist elastic members 31 can improve the fit of the exterior body 10 around the waist. In this specification, the term "along" a predetermined direction does not necessarily mean that the direction is the same as the predetermined direction in the strict sense, and also includes being along a direction that deviates from the predetermined direction by, for example, ±15°, preferably ±5°.
[0046] The waist elastic members 31 may include ventral-side waist elastic members 31f arranged in the ventral waist portion F and dorsal-side waist elastic members 31r arranged in the dorsal waist portion R. The number of ventral-side waist elastic members 31f and the number of dorsal-side waist elastic members 31r may both be approximately 15 to 35. The spacing in the first direction D1 between the ventral-side waist elastic members 31f and the spacing between the dorsal-side waist elastic members 31r may both be approximately 1 to 10 mm.
[0047] Furthermore, the waist elastic member 31 may include a waist elastic member 31cr arranged in the back crotch region Cr of the crotch region C. The back crotch region Cr of the crotch region C is the portion that is visible to an observer when viewed from the back while the absorbent article 1 is being worn, and is the portion that is arranged on the wearer's body so as to mainly wrap around the wearer's buttocks. Normally, it is difficult for a flat exterior body 10 to fit closely to the rounded buttocks, so the waist elastic member 31cr arranged in the back crotch region Cr allows the back crotch region Cr to fit closely to the wearer's body.
[0048] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, no waist elastic member 31 is arranged in the ventral crotch region Cf of the crotch region C. The effect of not arranging the waist elastic member 31 in the ventral crotch region Cf will be described below with reference to Figures 4 and 5 showing the prior art in addition to Figures 1 to 3.
[0049] FIG. 4 shows a conventional absorbent article 1a in an unfolded state, viewed from the non-skin-facing side. In the absorbent article 1a, the waist elastic members 31 include waist elastic members 31cf arranged in the ventral crotch region Cf. As shown in FIG. 4, the ventral crotch region Cf of the outer body 10 overlaps the inner body 20. Therefore, the contractile force of the waist elastic members 31cf may cause the inner body 20 to contract and become prone to sagging. In particular, contraction of the absorber 23 may affect the absorbency. Therefore, after the absorbent article 1a is manufactured, at least a portion of the waist elastic members 31cf may be cut from the non-skin side of the outer body 10 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the waist elastic members 31cf, i.e., along the first direction D1. FIG. 4 also shows multiple cuts 38 along the first direction D1 formed by the above-described cutting. By forming such cut portions 38, shrinkage or distortion of the inner body 20 due to the influence of the waist elastic member 31cf is prevented; however, the cut portions 38 may form very small cuts or holes in the outer body 10, and the outer surface of the inner body 20 may be exposed from the outer body 10 through the cuts or holes.
[0050] The inner body 20 is white or a bright color when viewed from the non-skin side, for example, CIE1976 L * a * b * Color space L * In this case, if the color of the exterior body 10 viewed from the non-skin side were white or a bright color similar to the outer surface of the interior body 20, the exposure from the small cuts or holes formed by the cutting process would not be noticeable. However, the exterior body 10 in this embodiment has a color that does not meet the CIE1976 L * a * b * Color Space by L * Since the color has a value of 40 or less, the contrast between the color of the outer body 10 and the color of the elastic members including the waist elastic member 31cf and the inner body 20 becomes large, and the cut portion 38 tends to be noticeable even if it is small.
[0051] Figure 5 shows a photograph corresponding to part II in Figure 4. Figure 5 shows that the white outer surface of the inner body 20 is exposed in dots at the cut portions 38 formed in the outer body 10. The presence of these dots of exposed area results in a poor appearance, and some wearers may perceive this as a defective product.
[0052] In contrast, in this embodiment, the waist elastic members 31cf (FIG. 4) in the ventral crotch region Cf that are provided in the prior art are not provided. Therefore, the above-mentioned cutting step of cutting the waist elastic members 31cf provided in the ventral crotch region Cf is not necessary, and therefore cut portions 38 (FIG. 4) are not formed in the ventral crotch region Cf. This avoids the problem of the appearance being marred by cut portions 38 in the prior art, and maintains a good appearance on the ventral side. Furthermore, omitting or reducing the cutting step reduces the manufacturing effort.
[0053] The cutting step of cutting the elastic members 31 overlapping the inner body 20 may be performed on the waist elastic members 31cr arranged in the back crotch region Cr of the crotch region C and the waist elastic members 31r arranged in the back waist region R if these members overlap the inner body 20 (not shown). Even if there are cut portions in the back crotch region Cr and the back waist region R and the inner body 20 is exposed through the slits or holes, the exposure will be limited to the back side. Most wearers do not care about the appearance on the back side, so this does not affect the effect of obtaining a good-looking appearance for the absorbent article 1.
[0054] The elastic members in this embodiment may include leg elastic members 35 that are arranged around the wearer's legs when worn. As described above, the waist elastic members 31 are arranged along the second direction D2, but the leg elastic members 35 are elastic members that are arranged mainly around the legs or elastic members that include portions that are arranged mainly around the legs. The leg elastic members 35 allow the outer body 10 to fit more closely around the wearer's legs. The leg elastic members 35 may include, for example, rear leg elastic members 35r arranged in the rear crotch region Cr. In the illustrated embodiment, the rear leg elastic members 35r may include portions that extend around the legs from the mid-crotch region Cm to the rear crotch region Cr and further to the rear waist region R, and may be formed in a convex shape that extends toward the ventral side with its apex at the ventral crotch region Cm.
[0055] When comparing the contractile force of the leg elastic members 35 with that of the waist elastic members 31, the leg elastic members have a greater contractile force. This is because the leg elastic members are subject to greater movement when walking, etc., and are therefore designed to provide a better fit to the wearer's body.
[0056] <Modification> FIG. 6 shows a modified example of the absorbent article 1 according to the present embodiment. As described above, in this embodiment, no waist-around elastic member is provided in the ventral crotch region Cf. Therefore, the contractility of the ventral crotch region Cf is smaller than when a waist-around elastic member is provided in the ventral crotch region Cf. This can cause the portion of the outer body 10 in the ventral crotch region Cf that does not overlap with the inner body 20 to float above the wearer's body, which can cause discomfort to the wearer. To prevent this floating, in the example shown in FIG. 6, the constriction of the outline 18 in the ventral crotch region Cf is made larger. In this case, it is preferable that the position where the radius of curvature of the outline of the constriction in the crotch region C is smallest is located in the ventral crotch region Cf.
[0057] 7, which is an enlarged view of portion III in FIG. 6, a virtual line X2 is drawn from point P1, where virtual line X1 along the lower edge of the ventral waist portion F of the exterior body 10 intersects with the edge of the interior body 20 in the second direction D2, at a 45° angle with virtual line X1. This defines the distance d between point P1 and the intersection P2 of virtual line X2 and the contour 18 of the exterior body 10. From the perspective of preventing lifting of the ventral crotch portion Cf and improving fit, this distance d may be preferably 50 mm or less, more preferably 30 mm or less, and even more preferably 10 mm or less. Alternatively, distance d may be zero, i.e., the contour 18 of the ventral crotch portion Cf may be linear and perpendicular to the lower edge of the ventral waist portion F. Note that the distance d is measured when the exterior body 10 is not contracted by the elastic member.
[0058] FIG. 8 shows another modified example of the absorbent article 1. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the leg elastic members 35 include a ventral leg elastic member 35f in addition to a dorsal leg elastic member 35r. The ventral leg elastic member 35f may be the same elastic member as the dorsal leg elastic member 35r formed on the dorsal side. The ventral leg elastic member 35f is arranged along the legs on the ventral side of the wearer when the absorbent article 1 is worn. The provision of the ventral leg elastic member 35f makes it easier for the exterior body 10, particularly the ventral crotch region Cf, to fit snugly around the legs, preventing the ventral crotch region Cf of the exterior body 10 from floating away from the body.
[0059] The abdominal leg elastic members 35f may be provided as elastic members having a convex shape with an apex pointing toward the dorsal side when deployed. In this case, it is preferable that the apex of the convex shape of the abdominal leg elastic members 35f extend beyond the abdominal crotch region Cf to the mid-crotch region Cm. As shown in Fig. 8, the apex of the abdominal leg elastic members 35f may overlap the inner body 20. However, even if the apex of the abdominal leg elastic members 35f is cut to prevent contraction of the inner body 20, the apex is located in the mid-crotch region Cm, which is not easily visible when the inner body 20 is worn, and therefore the apex does not affect the appearance much.
[0060] Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Various changes, modifications, substitutions, additions, deletions, and combinations of the above embodiments are possible within the scope of the claims, and these also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described components can be combined in any manner. [Explanation of symbols]
[0061] 1. Shorts-type absorbent articles (shorts-type sanitary napkins) 10. Exterior body 11 Outer layer sheet 12 Inner layer sheet 14f, 14r Ends in the first direction D1 15f, 15r joint 18 Waistline 20 Interior body 22 Gathered Sheet 22a Folded part 24 Elastic members in the inner body 25 top sheet 26 Second seat 27 Tarpaulin 23 Absorbent 31, 31f, 31r, 31cf, 31cr Elastic material around the waist 35, 35f, 35r Elastic material around the legs F Ventral waist C. Groin area Cf Ventral groin Cm mid-crotch area Cr dorsal groin area G 3D gathers R Back waist area
Claims
1. A shorts-type absorbent article comprising an inner body including an absorbent body and facing a bodily fluid discharge port of a wearer, and an outer body disposed on a non-skin side of the inner body, the exterior body has a crotch portion having a constriction along the wearer's legs, The exterior body has a CIE 1976 L * a * b * Color space L * having a color with a value of 40 or less, an elastic member that imparts stretchability to the absorbent article, the elastic member including a waist elastic member that conforms to the waist of the wearer; The absorbent article has no waist elastic member provided in a ventral crotch portion located on the ventral side of the crotch portion.
2. The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the position where the radius of curvature of the contour of the constricted portion in the crotch region is smallest is located in the ventral crotch region.
3. the elastic members include leg elastic members that fit around the legs of the wearer, The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the leg-hole elastic members are provided in the ventral crotch region.
4. 3. The absorbent article according to claim 1, which is a shorts-type sanitary napkin.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Absorbent article
JP2020058768A