Disposable diaper

Abstract

To provide a disposable diaper suitable for suppressing the body of a wearer from being soiled with excreted feces.SOLUTION: A disposable diaper X1 includes a diaper body part 10, a contacting pad 30 (an intergluteal cleft facing part), a housing part 40, and a housing auxiliary part 50. The diaper main body 10 has a multilayer structure including an exterior inner sheet 12 and an exterior outer sheet 13. The contacting pad 30 can be brought into contact with the intergluteal cleft of a wearer and has an opening 30a (receiving opening) for receiving excreted feces. The housing part 40 is positioned between the exterior inner sheet 12 and the exterior outer sheet 13, communicates with the opening 30a, and stores the excreted feces separately from the body of the wearer. The housing auxiliary part 50 is provided with an expansion developing part 51 including a balloon wall 51B expandable in the housing part 40 by air injection, and the expanded balloon wall 51B forms a housing space S of the excreted feces in the housing part 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a disposable diaper. [Background technology]

[0002] Disposable diapers are widely used, for example, as nursing care diapers. Disposable diapers include a diaper main body having a shape according to the type, such as a pants type or a tape type, and an absorption unit that absorbs excrement. The absorption unit contains, for example, a polymeric water-absorbing material with a large water absorption capacity, and most of the urine excreted by the wearer of the disposable diaper is absorbed by this absorption unit. Technologies related to such disposable diapers are described, for example, in Patent Documents 1 to 3 listed below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-130575 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-171083 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-184138 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventionally, feces excreted by a wearer of a disposable diaper are received inside the diaper on the wearer's body side, and all or most of the feces are trapped between the wearer's body and the diaper. This trapped feces soils the wearer's body. Furthermore, when changing the diaper after excretion, the hands and other parts of the body of the person changing the diaper may become soiled by the feces trapped inside the diaper.

[0005] The present invention was conceived in light of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a disposable diaper suitable for preventing the wearer and the diaper changer from becoming soiled with excrement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a disposable diaper. This disposable diaper comprises a diaper main body, an intergluteal cleft-facing portion, a storage portion, and a storage auxiliary portion. The diaper main body has a multi-layer structure including an outer inner sheet and an outer outer sheet. The outer inner sheet is located on the inner side of the diaper (closer to the wearer's body) than the outer outer sheet. The intergluteal cleft-facing portion is able to contact the wearer's intergluteal cleft and has a receiving opening for receiving excrement. The storage portion is for storing excrement away from the wearer's body, is located between the outer inner sheet and the outer outer sheet, and communicates with the receiving opening in the intergluteal cleft-facing portion. The storage auxiliary portion comprises an inflation / expansion portion including a balloon wall that can be inflated within the storage portion by injecting air. The inflated balloon wall forms a storage space for excrement within the storage portion.

[0007] In a disposable diaper having such a configuration, for example, before the diaper is worn, the balloon wall of the auxiliary storage section is inflated within the storage section, thereby forming a storage space for excrement within the storage section. The diaper is worn by a user in a position and posture where the receiving opening of the intergluteal cleft-facing section faces the wearer's anus, and the intergluteal cleft-facing section abuts the wearer's intergluteal cleft. Then, feces excreted by the wearer are received by the receiving opening of the intergluteal cleft-facing section abutting the wearer's intergluteal cleft and are guided to the storage section.

[0008] As described above, the disposable diaper of the present invention includes a storage compartment for storing feces between the outer inner sheet and the outer outer sheet of the diaper main body. This configuration is suitable for storing feces from the wearer while keeping them away from the wearer's body, thereby preventing the wearer's body from becoming soiled with feces. Furthermore, when changing a diaper with feces stored in the storage compartment, the worker's hands and other parts of the body are less likely to become soiled.

[0009] Furthermore, the disposable diaper of the present invention has a receiving opening for receiving feces and a portion facing the intergluteal cleft that can come into contact with the wearer's intergluteal cleft, as described above. This configuration helps to properly receive feces from the wearer and guide them into the storage portion, thereby helping to prevent the wearer and the person changing the diaper from becoming soiled with feces.

[0010] Additionally, the disposable diaper of the present invention includes a predetermined storage auxiliary portion as described above. The storage auxiliary portion includes an inflation / expansion portion including a balloon wall. The balloon wall is inflated and erected by air injection to form a predetermined space within the storage portion. The balloon wall can secure space within the storage portion while providing cushioning (air cushioning). The inclusion of such a balloon wall in the diaper is suitable for securing and maintaining a storage space for excrement within the storage portion, and therefore suitable for preventing excrement already contained in the storage portion from leaking (backflowing) through the receiving opening toward the wearer's body. Preventing backflow of excrement helps prevent the wearer and the diaper changer from becoming soiled with excrement. Furthermore, the fact that the balloon wall can be inflated by air injection and that the inflated balloon wall has cushioning properties is suitable for using the air pressure within the balloon wall to urge (elastically press) the intergluteal cleft-facing portion toward the wearer's intergluteal cleft, thereby achieving a good contact state of the intergluteal cleft-facing portion against the wearer's intergluteal cleft. This helps the receiving opening in the intergluteal cleft-facing portion to properly receive and guide feces excreted by the wearer into the storage section. The cushioning properties of the balloon wall also help reduce the wearer's foreign body sensation and achieve a good wearing comfort in this diaper.

[0011] As described above, in the disposable diaper of the present invention, the intergluteal cleft-facing portion, the storage portion, and the storage auxiliary portion cooperate to prevent soiling when the diaper is worn. Therefore, the disposable diaper of the present invention is suitable for preventing the wearer and the diaper changer from being soiled by feces. Furthermore, such soiling prevention helps prevent the diaper changer and others from contracting infectious diseases, which in turn helps prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

[0012] The accommodation auxiliary section preferably includes a tube having an air inlet for injecting air as described above. With this configuration, air can be injected into the inflation / deployment section or into the balloon wall through the air inlet of the tube. Therefore, this configuration is suitable for properly inflating the balloon wall.

[0013] The accommodation auxiliary part preferably has a cap that can close the air inlet of the tube. In this configuration, after air is injected into the balloon wall through the tube, the air inlet of the tube can be closed with the cap. Therefore, this configuration is suitable for maintaining the inflated state of the balloon wall for a long period of time.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the portion facing the intergluteal cleft has a tube insertion hole, and the tube passes through the tube insertion hole so that the air inlet faces the inside of the diaper main body. This configuration is suitable for efficiently arranging the air injection tube, whose air inlet faces the inside of the diaper main body, while ensuring the opening area of ​​the receiving opening in the portion facing the intergluteal cleft (i.e., there is no need to arrange the tube so that it passes through the feces receiving opening).

[0015] In another preferred embodiment, the tube passes through the outer outer sheet of the diaper main body, and the air inlet faces the outside of the diaper main body. In this configuration, air can be injected into the balloon wall through the tube from the outside of the diaper main body.

[0016] The balloon wall preferably has multiple balloon sections whose interiors are interconnected. Such a balloon wall is suitable for designing the overall shape of the balloon wall after inflation with a high degree of freedom by appropriately designing the shape and arrangement of each balloon section. The multiple balloon sections preferably include first to third balloon sections as follows: After inflation of the balloon wall, the first and second balloon sections are spaced apart in a first direction and extend in second and third directions that intersect with the first direction (the second and third directions each intersect with the first direction). After inflation of the balloon wall, the third balloon section extends in the first and third directions between the first and second balloon sections, connecting the first and second balloon sections.

[0017] After inflation, the balloon wall preferably has an enclosing shape with a pair of opposing free ends. Such a balloon wall is preferable for ensuring a large effective storage volume while ensuring the load-bearing capacity of the balloon wall itself within the storage compartment when the diaper is worn. Once feces excreted by the wearer are contained within a partial space enclosed by the enclosing balloon wall within the storage compartment, the feces can pass between the two free ends of the balloon wall (enclosing shape) and move out of the partial space. Therefore, the space outside the partial space in the storage compartment can also effectively function as part of the storage space. The enclosing shape of the balloon wall can be, for example, a square-shaped, U-shaped, or horseshoe-shaped.

[0018] The intergluteal cleft-facing portion preferably has an adhesive portion around the receiving opening for adhering to the area around the anus. Such a configuration helps to achieve a good contact state of the intergluteal cleft-facing portion with the intergluteal cleft of the wearer, and therefore helps to properly receive feces from the wearer by the receiving opening of the intergluteal cleft-facing portion and guide them to the storage portion.

[0019] The intergluteal cleft-facing portion preferably has a cushioning material around the receiving opening for close contact with the anus. Such a configuration helps to achieve a good abutment state of the intergluteal cleft-facing portion against the wearer's intergluteal cleft, and therefore helps to properly receive feces excreted by the wearer through the receiving opening of the intergluteal cleft-facing portion and guide them into the storage portion. Furthermore, the presence of the cushioning material in the intergluteal cleft-facing portion also helps to reduce the foreign body sensation felt by the wearer in this diaper and achieve a good wearing comfort. When the intergluteal cleft-facing portion has both the cushioning material and an adhesive portion, it is preferable that the adhesive portion be provided on part or the entire surface of the cushioning material facing the wearer's body.

[0020] Preferably, the diaper main body has a multi-layer structure including the above-mentioned outer inner sheet, outer outer sheet, and top sheet, and in this multi-layer structure, the top sheet is located on the inner side of the diaper, i.e., closer to the wearer's body, than both outer sheets. The diaper preferably further includes an absorbent unit between the top sheet and the outer inner sheet, which functions to absorb excrement such as urine.

[0021] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assembly kit for the disposable diaper described above, which comprises a first composite unit and a second composite unit that are separate from each other.

[0022] The first composite unit includes a diaper main body and a storage compartment. The diaper main body has a multi-layer structure including an outer inner sheet and an outer outer sheet. The outer inner sheet has a sheet opening. The storage compartment is located between the outer inner sheet and the outer outer sheet and communicates with the outside of the diaper main body through the sheet opening in the outer inner sheet.

[0023] The second composite unit includes a portion facing the intergluteal cleft and a storage auxiliary portion. The intergluteal cleft portion has a receiving opening for receiving excrement. The storage auxiliary portion includes an inflation and deployment portion including a balloon wall that can be inflated by injecting air, and an accommodation space for excrement can be formed within the storage portion by inflation of the balloon wall within the storage portion of the first composite unit.

[0024] A disposable diaper assembly kit according to a second aspect of the present invention is capable of assembling the above-mentioned disposable diaper according to the first aspect of the present invention by combining a first composite unit and a second composite unit. When the first and second composite units are combined, the inflating and deploying portion of the accommodation auxiliary portion of the second composite unit is inserted into the accommodation portion through the sheet opening in the diaper main body portion of the first composite unit. At the same time, the receiving opening in the intergluteal cleft facing portion of the second composite unit is communicated with the accommodation portion of the first composite unit. The disposable diaper assembly kit is capable of assembling a disposable diaper by combining the first and second composite units in this manner.

[0025] The disposable diaper assembly kit having the above-mentioned configuration is suitable for easily producing the disposable diaper according to the first aspect, and is therefore suitable for reducing the manufacturing costs of the disposable diaper. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a disposable diaper according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a developed plan view of the disposable diaper shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a partially exploded plan view of the disposable diaper shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the disposable diaper shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the disposable diaper shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the inflation and deployment section after inflation and deployment. [Figure 8] 10 shows a modified example regarding the arrangement of the air injection tube. [Figure 9] 10 shows a modified example of the accommodation auxiliary portion. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a modified example of the inflation and deployment section. [Figure 11]10A shows a cross-sectional view of the aa section, FIG. 10B shows a cross-sectional view of the bb section, and FIG. 10C shows a cross-sectional view of the cc section. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a disposable diaper according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a developed plan view of the disposable diaper shown in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a partially exploded plan view of the disposable diaper shown in FIG. 12. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the disposable diaper shown in FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the disposable diaper shown in FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a combined unit (second combined unit) in which the intergluteal cleft facing portion and the accommodation auxiliary portion are integrated. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the composite unit shown in FIG. 17 after inflation of the balloon wall. [Figure 19] FIG. 18 is a rear view of the composite unit shown in FIG. 17 after inflation of the balloon wall. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a development view of the inflation and deployment portion in an example of a process for fabricating the inflation and deployment portion according to the second embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 18 shows an example of the composite unit shown in FIG. 17 in a state before being assembled to the diaper main body. [Figure 22] 18 illustrates a modified example of the composite unit shown in FIG. 17. [Figure 23] 10 shows a modified example of a tube through-hole. [Figure 24] 10 shows another modification of the tube through-hole. [Figure 25] 10 shows a modified example of the contact pad. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] 1 to 6 show a diaper X1 which is a first embodiment of a disposable diaper according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the diaper X1. FIG. 2 is a developed plan view of the diaper X1, and FIG. 3 is a partially omitted developed plan view of the diaper X1. FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the IV-IV cross section of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the cross-sectional configuration of the diaper X1. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the diaper X1.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 5, the diaper X1 includes a diaper main body 10, an absorption unit 20, a contact pad 30 (portion facing the intergluteal cleft), a storage portion 40, and a storage auxiliary portion 50, and in this embodiment is configured as a pants-type diaper as shown in Fig. 1. When using the diaper X1, the user puts on the diaper X1 so that the contact pad 30 comes into contact with the wearer's intergluteal cleft.

[0029] In this embodiment, the diaper main body 10 has a pants-like shape with a waist opening 10a and leg openings 10b, 10b. The diaper main body 10 is a multilayer sheet body having the planar shape shown in Figs. 2 and 3 when unfolded. As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, it has a multilayer structure including a top sheet 11, an outer inner sheet 12, and an outer outer sheet 13, in this order. In the diaper main body 10, the top sheet 11 and the outer inner sheet 12 are joined at predetermined locations, and the outer inner sheet 12 and the outer outer sheet 13 are joined at predetermined locations. Examples of joining methods include bonding with a hot-melt adhesive, thermal welding (i.e., heat sealing), and sewing (the same applies to the joining methods described below). The waist opening 10a and the leg openings 10b, 10b are formed by joining the ends E1, E1 shown in Fig. 2 and the ends E2, E2 shown in Fig. 2 of this multilayer sheet body. That is, the diaper main body 10 or the diaper X1 is formed into a three-dimensional shape through joining of the end portions E1, E1 and joining of the end portions E2, E2.

[0030] The top sheet 11 is positioned closer to the wearer than the outer inner sheet 12 in the diaper main body 10, forming the outermost layer facing the wearer, and is liquid permeable. The top sheet 11 has an opening 11a (shown in FIG. 3) that opens at the location of the contact pad 30. The area around the opening 11a in the top sheet 11 is joined to the area around an opening 12a (described below) in the outer inner sheet 12, as shown schematically in FIGS. 5 and 6 (however, for the sake of simplicity, the sheets 11 and 12 are shown as an integrated sheet body in FIGS. 5 and 6).

[0031] Examples of materials for such a top sheet 11 include nonwoven fabrics, woven fabrics, mesh sheets, and plastic films with liquid-permeable holes. Examples of materials constituting the fibers for the nonwoven and woven top sheet materials include polyolefins, polyesters, nylon, cellulose, rayon, and cotton. Examples of polyolefins include polyethylene and polypropylene. Examples of polyesters include polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polybutylene terephthalate. Furthermore, the fibers for the nonwoven and woven top sheet materials are preferably hydrophilic fibers or hydrophobic fibers whose surfaces have been made hydrophilic by surface treatment with a surfactant.

[0032] The outer inner sheet 12 and the outer outer sheet 13 in the diaper main body 10 are liquid-impermeable to prevent liquid in excrement from permeating from the inside to the outside of the diaper X1, and in this embodiment, their outer edge portions are joined together along the entire periphery. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the outer inner sheet 12 has an opening 12a (sheet opening) that opens at the location where the contact pad 30 is disposed. The area around the opening 12a in the outer inner sheet 12 is joined to the area around the opening 11a in the top sheet 11, as described above.

[0033] Examples of materials for the exterior sheets (exterior inner sheet 12, exterior outer sheet 13) include nonwoven fabric, plastic film, and laminated material of nonwoven fabric and plastic film. Examples of materials constituting the fibers for the nonwoven fabric of the exterior sheet material include polyolefin, polyester, and nylon. The fibers for the nonwoven fabric of the exterior sheet material are preferably hydrophobic fibers. Such exterior inner sheet 12 and exterior outer sheet 13 may be waterproofed.

[0034] The absorption unit 20 functions to absorb liquid components in excrement, such as urine, in the diaper X1, and is located between the top sheet 11 and the outer inner sheet 12 in the diaper main body 10, as shown in Figure 4. The absorption unit 20 may also be joined to the top sheet 11 and / or the outer inner sheet 12.

[0035] Such an absorbent unit 20 includes, for example, a sheet-like polymer water-absorbent material with a large water absorption capacity and a liquid-permeable sheet for covering and supporting the polymer water-absorbent material. Examples of materials constituting the polymer water-absorbent material include polyacrylic acid resins, polyaspartic acid resins, and cellulose resins. Examples of liquid-permeable sheets include cotton-like pulp. Furthermore, absorbent paper, for example, may be disposed between the absorbent unit 20 or the liquid-permeable sheet on its surface and the top sheet 11 in order to increase the rate of liquid movement toward the absorbent unit 20.

[0036] The contact pad 30 is a portion facing the intergluteal cleft that can come into contact with the intergluteal cleft of the wearer. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the contact pad 30 has a laminated structure including a base portion 31 and a cushion material 32. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the contact pad 30 has an opening 30a and a tube insertion hole 30b. The opening 30a penetrates the contact pad 30 in its thickness direction. The opening 30a is a receiving opening for receiving feces excreted by the wearer. The tube insertion hole 30b penetrates the contact pad 30 in its thickness direction. In this embodiment, the tube insertion hole 30b is adjacent to and connected to the opening 30a. A tube 52 (shown in FIG. 6) described below, which is provided in the accommodation auxiliary portion 50, is arranged in the tube insertion hole 30b.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 6, the base portion 31 supports the cushioning material 32. The base portion 31 has a first surface 31A and a second surface 31B on the opposite side, and supports the cushioning material 32 on the first surface 31A side. The base portion 31 is an annular base material having an opening 31a. In this embodiment, the base portion 31 also has a hole portion (first hole portion) adjacent to and connected to the opening 31a. The first hole portion forms a part of the tube through hole 30b.

[0038] The base portion 31 can be made of a plastic film. Examples of the plastic film include polyester films such as polyethylene terephthalate films, polyethylene films, and polypropylene films. The plastic film is preferably flexible. The thickness of the base portion 31 is, for example, 0.1 mm or more to ensure the strength of the base portion 31, and is, for example, 2 mm or less to ensure the flexibility of the base portion 31.

[0039] The cushion material 32 is a portion that comes into close contact with the wearer's area around the anus. As shown in FIG. 6, the cushion material 32 has a contact surface 32A that comes into contact with the area around the anus, on the side opposite the base portion 31. The cushion material 32 is an annular flexible member that has an opening 32a. The opening 32a of the cushion material 32 and the opening 31a of the base portion 31 form the opening 30a of the contact pad 30. In the contact pad 30, the cushion material 32 is arranged around the opening 30a. That is, the contact pad 30 has the cushion material 32 around the opening 30a.

[0040] In this embodiment, the cushion material 32 also has a hole (second hole) adjacent to and connected to the opening 32a. The second hole of the cushion material 32 and the first hole of the base portion 31 form the tube insertion hole 30b of the contact pad 30.

[0041] In addition, the cushion material 32 in this embodiment has a mountain-shaped configuration (i.e., the contact pad 30 in this embodiment has a mountain-shaped configuration). Specifically, the cushion material 32 in this embodiment has a top edge portion 32p and a pair of inclined surface portions 32q, 32q. The pair of inclined surface portions 32q, 32q preferably have a symmetrical shape with the top edge portion 32p as the axis of symmetry.

[0042] In the plan view shown in Fig. 2, the outer shape of the cushion material 32 is, for example, substantially circular. The outer size of the cushion material 32 (the maximum size when the dimensions vary depending on the direction) is, for example, 5 to 12 cm, and the outer size of the opening 32a (the maximum size when the dimensions vary depending on the direction) is, for example, 3 to 8 cm. The thickness (wall thickness) of the cushion material 32 is, for example, in the range of 1 to 15 mm. The angle α (shown in Fig. 6) formed by the pair of inclined surface portions 32q, 32q is, for example, 60° to 150°.

[0043] The cushioning material 32 is made of a flexible material. Examples of flexible materials for the cushioning material 32 include rubber-based materials, sponge materials, and other resin materials. Examples of rubber-based materials include silicone rubber, chloroprene rubber, urethane rubber, and ethylene propylene rubber. Examples of sponge materials include cellulose sponge, polyurethane sponge, and melamine sponge. Examples of the resin materials include silicone resin, polyurethane resin, and soft polyvinyl chloride.

[0044] In this embodiment, the contact pad 30 includes an adhesive portion 33 (shown in FIG. 2) in addition to the base portion 31 and cushion material 32 described above.

[0045] The adhesive portion 33 is an element for adhering to the area around the anus in the intergluteal cleft of the wearer. The adhesive portion 33 is disposed on a part or the entirety of the contact surface 32A of the cushion material 32 (i.e., the surface of the cushion material 32 facing the wearer's body) (a case where it is disposed on a part of the surface is illustrated as an example). That is, the contact pad 30 has the adhesive portion 33 around the opening 30a on the contact surface 32A. The contact pad 30 having such an adhesive portion 33 helps to achieve a good contact state of the contact pad 30 (the portion facing the intergluteal cleft) with the wearer's intergluteal cleft, and is preferable for receiving feces excreted by the wearer through the opening 30a of the contact pad 30, and therefore is preferable for guiding the feces to the storage section 40 (shown in FIGS. 5 and 6). Such adhesive portion 33 is preferably covered with a release liner until the diaper X1 is put on by the user. The release liner is peeled off from the adhesive portion 33 before the user puts on the diaper X1.

[0046] Examples of materials for the adhesive portion 33 include adhesives and adhesive urethane gels. Examples of adhesives include rubber-based adhesives, acrylic-based adhesives, silicone-based adhesives, and hydrocolloids. Examples of adhesive urethane gels include an ultra-soft urethane resin material manufactured by Exseal Co., Ltd. This material can be formed by mixing, for example, a 1:1 ratio of a polyol blend and an isocyanate (each with an appropriate concentration adjustment).

[0047] The storage compartment 40 is a portion for storing excrement while being separated from the wearer's body. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the storage compartment 40 is located between the outer inner sheet 12 and the outer outer sheet 13 of the diaper main body 10, and communicates with the opening 30a of the contact pad 30.

[0048] 5 and 6, the accommodation auxiliary section 50 includes an inflation and deployment section 51, a tube 52, and a cap 53. The tube 52 and the cap 53 are shown in FIG.

[0049] The inflation and deployment section 51 is a section that can be inflated and deployed within the housing section 40 by injecting air. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the inflation and deployment section 51 after it has been inflated and deployed. The inflation and deployment section 51 includes a canopy section 51A and a balloon wall 51B. The cross section of the inflation and deployment section 51 shown in FIG. 5 corresponds to the VV cross section in FIG. 7. The cross section of the inflation and deployment section 51 shown in FIG. 6 corresponds to the VI-VI cross section in FIG. 7.

[0050] As shown in Figures 5 to 7, canopy portion 51A has an opening 51a. Opening 51a communicates with opening 30a of contact pad 30. Opening 51a is open widely over an area facing opening 30a and tube insertion hole 30b in contact pad 30. In this embodiment, at least the area around opening 51a (opening edge) of canopy portion 51A is joined to exterior inner sheet 12. As described above, examples of joining methods include adhesion with a hot-melt adhesive, heat welding, and sewing.

[0051] The balloon wall 51B is a section that can be inflated by injecting air thereinto, and is connected along a portion of the circumferential edge of the canopy portion 51A. The inflated balloon wall 51B forms a storage space S for excrement within the storage portion 40, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

[0052] In this embodiment, the balloon wall 51B has an enclosed shape with a pair of opposing free ends F, F, as shown in FIG. 7 . Specifically, the balloon wall 51B in this embodiment is continuous from one free end F to the other free end F and has a shape that surrounds a predetermined space except for the space between the free ends F, F. Examples of such an enclosed shape include a U-shape, a horseshoe shape, and a C-shape (the balloon wall 51B is shown as an example with a U-shape). The pair of free ends F, F are located at the lower end of the storage auxiliary section 50 or the inflation / deployment section 51 shown in FIG. 5 . Furthermore, the connection between the balloon wall 51B and a portion of the circumferential edge of the canopy section 51A helps maintain the enclosed shape of the balloon wall 51B after inflation (the canopy section 51A prevents the free ends F, F of the balloon wall 51B from moving too far apart).

[0053] As shown in FIG. 6, the tube 52 has an air inlet 52a and an air outlet 52b. The air inlet 52a is located at one end of the tube 52, and the air outlet 52b is located at the other end of the tube 52. The tube 52 passes through a tube insertion hole 30b (shown in FIGS. 2 and 6) in the contact pad 30, with the air inlet 52a facing the inside of the diaper main body 10. The air inlet 52a is an opening for injecting air into the inflatable / deployable portion 51 or its balloon wall 51B. The air outlet 52b is an opening serving as an air outlet and opens within the balloon wall 51B of the inflatable / deployable portion 51. Examples of materials that can be used for the tube 52 include rubber-based materials and resin materials other than rubber-based materials. Examples of rubber-based materials include silicone rubber, chloroprene rubber, urethane rubber, and ethylene propylene rubber. Examples of resin materials other than rubber-based materials include polyvinyl chloride and polypropylene.

[0054] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 , the cap 53 has a main body 53A and a connecting portion 53B. The main body 53A has a protrusion 53a. The protrusion 53a can be fitted into the air inlet 52a. That is, the protrusion 53a can be fitted into the air inlet 52a. Furthermore, the protrusion 53a that is fitted into the air inlet 52a can be removed from the air inlet 52a. The connecting portion 53B connects the main body 53A to the tube 52. Examples of materials that can be used to form the cap 53 include resin materials. Examples of resin materials include polyvinyl chloride and polypropylene. The cap 53 and the above-mentioned tube 52 are preferably formed from the same material, and more preferably, are integrally molded from the same material. The cap 53 and its main body 53A as described above are detachable from the air inlet 52a of the tube 52. Specifically, the cap 53 and its main body 53A can be attached to and detached from the air inlet 52a of the tube 52. Specifically, the cap 53 is detachably attached to and detached from the air inlet 52a of the tube 52.

[0055] When the protrusion 53a of the main body 53A fits into the air inlet 52a, the cap 53 closes the air inlet 52a (the air inlet 52a is in a closed state). That is, the cap 53 can close the air inlet 52a. When the protrusion 53a of the main body 53A comes off the air inlet 52a in the closed state, the air inlet 52a becomes in an open state.

[0056] The storage auxiliary section 50 of this embodiment can be produced, for example, through the following process. First, two plastic films (a first film and a second film) having the same predetermined shape in a plan view are aligned and overlapped to prepare a film laminate. Next, the first and second films are heat-sealed and joined at predetermined locations in the film laminate (the short portion extending from the balloon wall 51B, the cross-section of which is shown in FIG. 6 and in FIGS. 8, 9, and 11 described below, is the joint between the films). At this time, the tube 52 is assembled to the film laminate with one end of the tube 52 (air outlet 52b) sandwiched between the first and second films so that the end is positioned within the balloon wall 51B. For example, the storage auxiliary section 50 can be produced through the above process.

[0057] The diaper X1 is preferably provided to a user in a folded state in a predetermined manner. The accommodation auxiliary section 50 is assembled in the diaper main body section 10 before the diaper X1 is provided to the user (therefore, an operation by the user such as the operation of assembling the composite units U1 and U2, which will be described later in relation to the second embodiment, is not required). In the folded diaper X1, the inflation / deployment section 51 is not yet inflated / deployed (i.e., the balloon wall 51B of the inflation / deployment section 51 is not inflated within the accommodation section 40).

[0058] In the diaper X1 described above, for example, before the diaper X1 is worn, the balloon wall 51B of the auxiliary accommodation portion 50 is inflated inside the accommodation portion 40. As a result, a space S for stool storage is formed inside the accommodation portion 40, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The diaper X1 is worn by a user so that the contact pad 30 abuts against the wearer's intergluteal cleft in a position and posture where the opening 30 a of the contact pad 30 faces the wearer's anus. Then, stool excreted by the wearer is received by the opening 30 a of the contact pad 30 abutting against the wearer's intergluteal cleft and is guided to the accommodation portion 40.

[0059] As described above, the diaper X1 includes a storage compartment 40 for storing excrement between the outer inner sheet 12 and the outer outer sheet 13 of the diaper main body 10. This configuration is suitable for storing excrement from the wearer while separating it from the wearer's body, and therefore suitable for preventing the wearer's body from becoming soiled with excrement. When the diaper X1 is changed with excrement stored in the storage compartment 40, the worker's hands and other parts of the body are less likely to become soiled.

[0060] As described above, the diaper X1 of the present invention includes a contact pad 30 (portion facing the intergluteal cleft) having an opening 30a serving as a feces receiving opening and capable of contacting the wearer's intergluteal cleft. This configuration serves to properly receive feces from the wearer and guide them to the storage portion 40, thereby helping to prevent the wearer and the person changing the diaper from becoming soiled with feces.

[0061] In addition, the diaper X1 includes the storage auxiliary section 50 as described above. The storage auxiliary section 50 includes an inflatable / deployable section 51 including a balloon wall 51B. The balloon wall 51B is inflated and erected by air injection to form a predetermined space within the storage section 40. The balloon wall 51B can secure space within the storage section 40 while providing cushioning. Providing such a balloon wall 51B in the diaper X1 is suitable for securing and maintaining a storage space S for excrement within the storage section 40, and therefore suitable for preventing excrement already contained in the storage section 40 from leaking (backflowing) through the opening 30a toward the wearer's body. Preventing backflow of excrement helps prevent the wearer and the person changing the diaper from becoming soiled with excrement. Furthermore, the fact that the balloon wall 51B can be inflated by air injection and that the inflated balloon wall 51B has cushioning properties is suitable for urging the contact pad 30 toward the wearer's gluteal cleft using the air pressure inside the balloon wall 51B, and is therefore suitable for realizing a good contact state of the contact pad 30 against the wearer's gluteal cleft. This helps the opening 30a of the contact pad 30 to properly receive feces excreted by the wearer and guide them to the storage section 40. The cushioning properties of the balloon wall 51B also help to reduce the foreign body sensation felt by the wearer in the diaper X1 and realize a good wearing comfort.

[0062] As described above, when the diaper X1 is worn, the contact pad 30, the storage portion 40, and the storage auxiliary portion 50 cooperate to prevent soiling. Therefore, the diaper X1 is suitable for preventing the wearer and the diaper changer from becoming soiled with excrement. Furthermore, such soiling prevention helps prevent the diaper changer and the like from contracting infectious diseases, which in turn helps prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

[0063] As described above, the accommodation auxiliary section 50 includes the tube 52 having the air inlet 52a. With this configuration, air can be injected into the inflation and deployment section 51 or into its balloon wall 51B through the air inlet 52a of the tube 52. Therefore, this configuration is suitable for appropriately inflating the balloon wall 51B.

[0064] As described above, the storage auxiliary part 50 has the cap 53 capable of closing the air inlet 52a of the tube 52. In this configuration, after air is injected into the balloon wall 51B via the tube 52, the air inlet 52a of the tube 52 can be closed by the cap 53. Therefore, this configuration is suitable for maintaining the inflated state of the balloon wall 51B for a long period of time. The tube 52 may also be equipped with a valve (a check valve) that prevents the air injected into the balloon wall 51B from flowing back. In this case, the storage auxiliary part 50 does not need to have the cap 53.

[0065] In the diaper X1, as described above, the contact pad 30 has a tube insertion hole 52b, and the tube 52 passes through the tube insertion hole 52b so that the air inlet 52a faces the inside of the diaper main body 10 (first tube arrangement configuration). This configuration is suitable for efficiently arranging the air injection tube 52, whose air inlet 52a faces the inside of the diaper main body 10, while ensuring the opening area of ​​the opening 30a of the contact pad 30 in terms of the design of the diaper X1 (i.e., there is no need to arrange the tube 52 so that it passes through the opening 30a that serves as the opening for receiving excrement).

[0066] Regarding the arrangement of the tube 52, a configuration (second tube arrangement configuration) as shown in Fig. 8(a) may be adopted instead of the first tube arrangement configuration described above. In the second tube arrangement configuration, the tube 52 penetrates the top sheet 11 and the outer inner sheet 12 of the diaper main body 10, and the air inlet 52a faces the inside of the diaper main body 10. In this case, it is not necessary to provide the contact pad 30 with a tube insertion hole 30b.

[0067] Regarding the arrangement of the tube 52, a configuration as shown in FIG. 8(b) (third tube arrangement configuration) may be adopted instead of the first tube arrangement configuration. In the third tube arrangement configuration, the tube 52 penetrates the outer sheet 13 of the diaper main body 10, and the air inlet 52a faces the outside of the diaper main body 10 (in this case, it is not necessary to provide the contact pad 30 with a tube insertion hole 30b). In this modification, the inflating / deploying portion 51 may be joined to the outer sheet 13 at the balloon wall 51B in addition to being joined to the outer sheet 12 at the canopy portion 51A. In the third tube arrangement configuration as described above, air can be injected into the inflating / deploying portion 51 or its balloon wall 51B via the tube 52 from outside the diaper main body 10. This makes it easy for the user to inject air into the balloon wall 51B of the inflating / deploying portion 51.

[0068] The storage auxiliary section 50 may be provided as shown in Fig. 9. The storage auxiliary section 50 shown in Fig. 9 is provided in such a manner that the canopy section 51A of its inflation / deployment section 51 is joined to the exterior outer sheet 13 (the inflation / deployment section 51 is not joined to the exterior inner sheet 12). At least a portion of the canopy section 51A is joined to the inner surface of the exterior outer sheet 13. In this modification, it is preferable that the balloon wall 51B of the inflation / deployment section 51 is large enough that the inflated balloon wall 51B comes into contact with the exterior outer sheet 12. Such a storage auxiliary section 50 or inflation / deployment section 51 does not need to have an opening 51a in the canopy section 51A.

[0069] 9, the tube 52 penetrates the outer exterior sheet 13 of the diaper main body 10, and the air inlet 52a faces the outside of the diaper main body 10. In this configuration, air can be injected into the inflation / deployment portion 51 or its balloon wall 51B via the tube 52 from outside the diaper main body 10. This makes it easy for the user to inject air into the balloon wall 51B of the inflation / deployment portion 51.

[0070] As described above, the inflated balloon wall 51B has an enclosing shape with a pair of opposing free ends F, F (shown in FIG. 7). Such a balloon wall 51B is preferable for ensuring a large effective storage volume while ensuring the load-bearing capacity of the balloon wall 51B itself within the storage section 40 when the diaper is being worn. Once feces excreted by the wearer are contained within the storage section 40 in a partial space enclosed by the enclosing-shaped balloon wall 51B, the feces can pass between the two free ends F, F of the balloon wall 51B (enclosing shape) and move out of the partial space. Therefore, the space outside the partial space in the storage section 40 can also effectively function as part of the storage space S.

[0071] The inflating and deploying section 51 may have other shapes. Figures 10 and 11 show a modified example of the inflating and deploying section 51. Figure 10 is a plan view of the modified example of the inflating and deploying section 51, Figure 11(a) is a cross-sectional view of the aa section in Figure 10, Figure 11(b) is a cross-sectional view of the bb section in Figure 10, and Figure 11(c) is a cross-sectional view of the cc section in Figure 10.

[0072] 11(a) to 11(c), the inflation and deployment section 51 shown in Fig. 10 has a shape in which the cross section of the balloon wall 51B becomes smaller the closer it is to the free end F. This configuration is preferable for properly inflating and erecting the balloon wall 51B near the opening 51a in the canopy section 51A, which is located away from the free ends F, F.

[0073] As described above, the contact pad 30 has a cushioning material 32 around the opening 30a for close contact around the anus. This configuration helps to achieve a good contact state of the contact pad 30 against the intergluteal cleft of the wearer, and therefore helps to properly receive feces excreted by the wearer through the opening 30a of the contact pad 30 and guide it to the storage section 40. Furthermore, the fact that the contact pad 30 has the cushioning material 32 also helps to reduce the foreign body sensation felt by the wearer in the diaper X1 and achieve a good wearing comfort.

[0074] The contact pad 30 or its cushion material 32 may have a shape different from the mountain shape described above. For example, the contact pad 30 or its cushion material 32 may have a shape (but made of a flexible material) in which at least the exposed surface side facing the wearer's body is generally flat.

[0075] The diaper X1 may have a configuration including an appropriate combination of the above-described modifications.

[0076] Fig. 12 to Fig. 16 show a diaper X2 which is a second embodiment of the disposable diaper according to the present invention. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the diaper X2. Fig. 13 is a developed plan view of the diaper X2, and Fig. 14 is a partially omitted developed plan view of the diaper X2. Fig. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the diaper X2. Fig. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the diaper X2.

[0077] As shown in Fig. 15, the diaper X2 is a disposable diaper including a diaper main body 10, an absorption unit 20, a contact pad 30 (portion facing the intergluteal cleft), a storage portion 40, and a storage auxiliary portion 50, and in this embodiment is configured as a pants-type diaper as shown in Fig. 12. When using the diaper X2, the user puts on the diaper X2 so that the contact pad 30 comes into contact with the intergluteal cleft of the wearer.

[0078] In this embodiment, the diaper main body 10 has a pants-like shape with a waist opening 10a and leg openings 10b, 10b. The diaper main body 10 is a multilayer sheet body having the planar shape shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 14 in its unfolded state, and has a multilayer structure including a top sheet 11, an exterior inner sheet 12, and an exterior outer sheet 13, in this order, as shown in Figs. 15 and 16. In the diaper main body 10, the top sheet 11 and the exterior inner sheet 12 are joined at predetermined locations, and the exterior inner sheet 12 and the exterior outer sheet 13 are joined at predetermined locations. The waist opening 10a and the leg openings 10b, 10b are formed by joining the ends E1, E1 shown in Fig. 13 and the ends E2, E2 shown in Fig. 13 in this multilayer sheet body. That is, the diaper main body 10 or the diaper X2 is formed into a three-dimensional shape through joining of the end portions E1, E1 and joining of the end portions E2, E2.

[0079] The top sheet 11 is located closer to the wearer than the outer inner sheet 12 in the diaper main body 10, forming the outermost layer facing the wearer, and is liquid permeable. The top sheet 11 also has an opening 11a (shown in FIG. 14) that opens at the location where the contact pad 30 is disposed. The area around the opening 11a in the top sheet 11 is joined to the area around an opening 12a (described below) in the outer inner sheet 12, as shown schematically in FIGS. 15 and 16 (however, for the sake of simplicity, the sheets 11 and 12 are shown as an integrated sheet in FIGS. 15 and 16). The material of the top sheet 11 is the same as that described above for the top sheet 11 in the diaper X1.

[0080] The outer inner sheet 12 and the outer outer sheet 13 in the diaper main body 10 are liquid-impermeable to prevent liquid in excrement from permeating from the inside to the outside of the diaper X2, and in this embodiment, their outer edge portions are joined together along the entire periphery. As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the outer inner sheet 12 has an opening 12a (sheet opening) that opens at the location where the contact pad 30 is disposed. As described above, the periphery of the opening 12a in the outer inner sheet 12 is joined to the periphery of the opening 11a in the top sheet 11. The materials of the outer sheets (outer inner sheet 12, outer outer sheet 13) are the same as those described above for the outer sheets in the diaper X1.

[0081] The absorbent unit 20 functions to absorb liquid components, such as urine, contained in excrement in the diaper X2, and is located between the top sheet 11 and the outer inner sheet 12 of the diaper main body 10. The absorbent unit 20 may be bonded to the top sheet 11 and / or the outer inner sheet 12. The absorbent unit 20 may, for example, comprise a sheet-like polymer water-absorbing material with a large water absorption capacity and a liquid-permeable sheet for covering and retaining the polymer water-absorbing material. Furthermore, absorbent paper may be disposed between the absorbent unit 20 or the liquid-permeable sheet on its surface and the top sheet 11 in order to increase the rate of liquid migration toward the absorbent unit 20. These are specifically similar to those described above with reference to FIG. 4 for the absorbent unit 20 in the diaper X1.

[0082] The contact pad 30 is a portion facing the intergluteal cleft that can contact the intergluteal cleft of the wearer. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, the contact pad 30 has a laminated structure including a base portion 31 and a cushion material 32. As shown in FIG. 13, the contact pad 30 has an opening 30a and a tube insertion hole 30b. The opening 30a penetrates the contact pad 30 in its thickness direction. The opening 30a is a receiving opening for receiving feces excreted by the wearer. The tube insertion hole 30b penetrates the contact pad 30 in its thickness direction. In this embodiment, the tube insertion hole 30b is adjacent to and connected to the opening 30a. A tube 52 (described later) provided in the accommodation auxiliary portion 50 is disposed in the tube insertion hole 30b. In FIG. 16, the tube insertion hole 30b and the tube 52 are omitted from illustration for the sake of simplicity.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 16, the base portion 31 supports the cushioning material 32. The base portion 31 has a first surface 31A and an opposite second surface 31B, and supports the cushioning material 32 on the first surface 31A side. The base portion 31 is an annular base material having an opening 31a. The base portion 31 has an opening edge portion M1 around the opening 31a. The base portion 31 also has a hole portion (first hole portion, not shown in FIG. 16) that forms part of the tube through-hole 30b. The constituent material and thickness of the base portion 31 are the same as those described above for the base portion 31 of the diaper X1.

[0084] The cushion material 32 is a portion that comes into close contact with the wearer's area around the anus. The cushion material 32 has a contact surface 32A, which comes into contact with the area around the anus, on the side opposite the base portion 31. The cushion material 32 is an annular flexible member having an opening 32a. The opening 32a of the cushion material 32 and the opening 31a of the base portion 31 form the opening 30a of the contact pad 30. In the contact pad 30, the cushion material 32 is arranged around the opening 30a. That is, the contact pad 30 has the cushion material 32 around the opening 30a.

[0085] The cushion material 32 also has a hole (second hole). The second hole of the cushion material 32 and the first hole of the base portion 31 form the tube insertion hole 30b of the contact pad 30.

[0086] In addition, the cushion material 32 in this embodiment has a mountain-shaped configuration (i.e., the contact pad 30 in this embodiment has a mountain-shaped configuration). Specifically, the cushion material 32 in this embodiment has a top edge portion 32p and a pair of inclined surface portions 32q, 32q. The pair of inclined surface portions 32q, 32q preferably have a symmetrical shape with the top edge portion 32p as the axis of symmetry.

[0087] The outer shape, dimensions and constituent materials of the cushion material 32 are the same as those described above for the cushion material 32 in the diaper X1.

[0088] In this embodiment, the contact pad 30 includes the above-described base portion 31 and cushion material 32, as well as an adhesive portion 33 (shown in FIG. 13) and an adhesive portion 34 (shown in FIG. 21).

[0089] The adhesive portion 33 is an element for adhering to the area around the anus in the intergluteal cleft of the wearer. The adhesive portion 33 is disposed on a part or the entirety of the contact surface 32A of the cushion material 32 (i.e., the surface of the cushion material 32 facing the wearer's body) (a case where it is disposed on a part of the surface is illustrated as an example). That is, the contact pad 30 has the adhesive portion 33 on the contact surface 32A around the opening 30a. The contact pad 30 having such an adhesive portion 33 is preferable for receiving feces excreted by the wearer through the opening 30a of the contact pad 30, and therefore is preferable for guiding the feces to the storage section 40 (shown in FIGS. 15 and 16). Such an adhesive portion 33 is preferably covered with a release liner until the diaper X2 is worn by the user. The material of the adhesive portion 33 is the same as that described above for the adhesive portion 33 of the diaper X1.

[0090] The adhesive portion 34 is disposed on part or the entire second surface 31B of the base portion 31. That is, the contact pad 30 has the adhesive portion 34 around the opening 30a on the second surface 31B. In the present embodiment, the contact pad 30 is bonded to the area around the opening 11a of the top sheet 11 via such adhesive portion 34. Examples of materials for the adhesive portion 34 include the adhesives mentioned above as materials for the adhesive portion 33.

[0091] The storage section 40 is a section for storing excrement while being separated from the wearer's body. As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the storage section 40 is located between the outer inner sheet 12 and the outer outer sheet 13 of the diaper main body 10, and communicates with the opening 30a of the contact pad 30. In this embodiment, the storage section 40 and the diaper main body 10 constitute a composite unit U1 (first composite unit).

[0092] 17 to 19, the accommodation auxiliary section 50 includes an inflation / deployment section 51, a tube 52, and a cap 53. In this embodiment, the accommodation auxiliary section 50 and the contact pad 30 described above constitute an integrated composite unit U2 (second composite unit).

[0093] The inflation and deployment section 51 is a section that can be inflated and deployed within the housing section 40 by injecting air (FIGS. 18 and 19 show the inflation and deployment section 51 in a state after it has been inflated). The inflation and deployment section 51 includes a canopy section 51A and a balloon wall 51B.

[0094] As shown in Figures 18 and 19, canopy portion 51A has an opening 51a. Opening 51a communicates with opening 30a of contact pad 30. Canopy portion 51A has an opening edge M2 around opening 51a (opening edge M2 is shown cross-hatched in Figure 19). Opening edge M2 is joined to opening edge M1 around opening 31a in base portion 31 described above.

[0095] The balloon wall 51B is a portion that can be inflated and erected by injecting air thereinto, and is connected to a part of the peripheral edge of the canopy portion 51A. The inflated and erect balloon wall 51B forms a storage space S for excrement within the storage portion 40, as shown in Figures 15 and 16.

[0096] As shown in Figures 17 to 19, in this embodiment, the balloon wall 51B includes a plurality of balloon portions B and a plurality of connecting portions C (shown by dotted hatching). Each balloon portion B has a bag-like shape and can be expanded by injecting air into the interior. The interiors of the plurality of balloon portions B are in communication with one another. Each connecting portion C connects a predetermined balloon portion B to the canopy portion 51A, or connects predetermined balloon portions B together. That is, in the balloon wall 51B, the plurality of balloon portions B are partitioned by the plurality of connecting portions C while maintaining their internal communication. The balloon wall 51B of this embodiment is more specifically as follows.

[0097] In the balloon wall 51B of this embodiment, the multiple balloon portions B include a balloon portion B1 (first balloon portion), a balloon portion B2 (second balloon portion), and a balloon portion B3 (third balloon portion). In the balloon wall 51B after inflation, the balloon portions B1 and B2 are spaced apart from each other in a first direction D1 and extend in a second direction D2 and a third direction D3. The second direction D2 and the third direction D3 each intersect with the first direction D1. The second direction D2 is preferably perpendicular to the first direction D1. The third direction D3 is preferably perpendicular to the first direction D1 and / or the second direction D2. In the balloon wall 51B after inflation, the balloon portion B3 extends between the balloon portions B1 and B2 in the first direction D1 and the third direction D3 to connect the balloon portions B1 and B2. The connecting portion C1 connects the balloon portion B1 and the canopy portion 51A, the connecting portion C2 connects the balloon portion B2 and the canopy portion 51A, the connecting portion C3 connects the balloon portion B3 and the canopy portion 51A, the connecting portion C4 connects the balloon portions B1 and B3, and the connecting portion C5 connects the balloon portions B2 and B3.

[0098] In this embodiment, the balloon wall 51B has an enclosing shape with a pair of opposing free ends F, F (shown in FIG. 17). Specifically, the balloon wall 51B in this embodiment is continuous from one free end F to the other free end F and has a shape that encloses a predetermined space except for the space between the free ends F, F. Examples of such enclosing shapes include a square-U shape, a U-shape, and a horseshoe shape (the balloon wall 51B is shown in an example with a square-U shape).

[0099] The inflating and deploying section 51 can be fabricated, for example, as follows. First, two plastic films (a first film and a second film) having the same shape in a plan view are aligned and overlapped to prepare a film laminate. Next, the first and second films are heat-sealed and joined at predetermined locations on the film laminate (first heat seal). At this time, the tube 52 is attached to the film laminate with the end of the tube sandwiched between the first and second films so that the end of the tube (an air outlet 52b, described below) is positioned within one balloon section B. Next, predetermined portions of the film laminate are heat-sealed and connected (second heat seal). Figure 20 is a plan view of a film laminate W (two overlapping plastic films having the same shape in a plan view) as an example of a film laminate after the first heat seal (however, the tube 52 is omitted). In Figure 20, the first heat-sealed locations on the film laminate W are indicated by dotted hatching. The film laminate W that has undergone the first heat sealing step already has balloon sections B1 to B3 that are connected to one another. The inflation and development section 51 can be formed by heat sealing and connecting the ends E3, E3 of the film laminate W and heat sealing and connecting the ends E4, E4 of the film laminate W (second heat sealing).

[0100] As shown in FIG. 18, the tube 52 has an air inlet 52a and an air outlet 52b. The air inlet 52a is located at one end of the tube 52, and the air outlet 52b is located at the other end of the tube 52. The tube 52 passes through a tube insertion hole 30b (shown in FIG. 17) of the contact pad 30, with the air inlet 52a facing the inside of the diaper main body 10. The air inlet 52a is an opening for injecting air into the inflatable / deployable portion 51 or its balloon wall 51B. The air outlet 52b is an opening functioning as an air outlet, and opens within one balloon portion B of the inflatable / deployable portion 51 (FIG. 18 exemplarily illustrates a configuration in which the air outlet 52b opens within balloon portion B1). The constituent materials of the tube 52 are the same as those described above for the tube 52 of the diaper X1.

[0101] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18, the cap 53 has a main body 53A and a connecting portion 53B. The main body 53A has a protrusion 53a. The protrusion 53a can be fitted into the air inlet 52a. That is, the protrusion 53a can be fitted into the air inlet 52a. Furthermore, the protrusion 53a that is fitted into the air inlet 52a can be removed from the air inlet 52a. The connecting portion 53B connects the main body 53A to the tube 52. The constituent materials of the cap 53 are the same as those described above for the cap 53 of the diaper X1. The cap 53 and its main body 53A as described above are detachable from the air inlet 52a of the tube 52 (specifically, the same as those described above for the cap 53 and main body 53A of the diaper X1).

[0102] The diaper X2 can be formed by, for example, assembling the above-mentioned composite unit U1 (diaper main body 10, storage section 40) and the above-mentioned composite unit U2 (contact pad 30, inflatable section 51) together (assembly work). That is, the composite units U1 and U2 constitute an assembly kit (disposable diaper assembly kit) for the diaper X2. Such a disposable diaper assembly kit corresponds to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0103] A disposable diaper assembly kit according to one embodiment of the present invention includes composite units U1 and U2 which are separate from each other.

[0104] The composite unit U1 includes the above-mentioned diaper main body 10 (for example, as shown in FIG. 14) and the above-mentioned storage compartment 40 (for example, as shown in FIG. 15). In the composite unit U1, the storage compartment 40 (located between the outer inner sheet 12 and the outer outer sheet 13) communicates with the outside of the diaper main body 10 via an opening 12a in the outer inner sheet 12 and, in this embodiment, an opening 11a in the top sheet 11.

[0105] The composite unit U2 includes the contact pad 30 and the storage auxiliary section 50. Fig. 21 shows an example of the composite unit U2 before being attached to the composite unit U1 or the diaper main body 10. In the composite unit U2 shown in Fig. 21, the inflating and deploying section 51 is not yet inflated and is in a folded state. The opening edge M2 around the opening 51a of the canopy section 51A of the inflating and deploying section 51 is joined to the opening edge M1 around the opening 31a in the base section 31 of the contact pad 30 (not shown for simplicity). Most of the inflating and deploying section 51 other than the area around the opening 51a is located on the contact surface 32A side of the cushion material 32 of the contact pad 30 (on the first surface 31A side of the base section 31).

[0106] To form the diaper X2 from the composite units U1 and U2, first, the second surface 31B of the base portion 31 of the composite unit U2 shown in FIG. 21 is joined to the periphery of the opening 11a (shown in FIG. 14) of the top sheet 11 of the composite unit U1 via the adhesive portion 34 (preferably, the adhesive portion 34 is covered with a release liner prior to this joining step, and the release liner is peeled off from the adhesive portion 34 for the joining step). This allows communication between the opening 30a of the contact pad 30 and the storage compartment 40. Next, the inflatable / deployable portion 51 is inserted into the storage compartment 40 via the openings 11a and 12a in the diaper main body 10. The diaper X2 can be assembled by joining the composite units U1 and U2 as described above.

[0107] Such a diaper assembly kit is suitable for easily producing the diaper X2, and therefore suitable for reducing the manufacturing cost of the diaper X2. The composite units U1 and U2 may be sold to users in the form of a disposable diaper assembly kit (in this case, the diaper X2 is formed through the user assembling the composite units U1 and U2), or may be assembled on a manufacturing line for the diaper X2.

[0108] The diaper X2 is preferably provided to the user in a folded state in a predetermined manner. In the folded diaper X2, the inflation / deployment section 51 is not yet inflated / deployed (i.e., the balloon wall 51B of the inflation / deployment section 51 is not yet inflated within the storage section 40).

[0109] In the diaper X2 described above, for example, before the diaper X2 is worn, the balloon wall 51B of the auxiliary accommodation portion 50 is inflated inside the accommodation portion 40. As a result, a space S for stool storage is formed inside the accommodation portion 40, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 . The diaper X2 is worn by a user so that the contact pad 30 abuts against the wearer's intergluteal cleft in a position and posture where the opening 30 a of the contact pad 30 faces the wearer's anus. Then, stool excreted by the wearer is received by the opening 30 a of the contact pad 30 abutting against the wearer's intergluteal cleft and is guided to the accommodation portion 40.

[0110] As described above, the diaper X2 includes a storage compartment 40 for storing excrement between the outer outer sheet 12 and the outer outer sheet 13 of the diaper main body 10. This configuration is suitable for storing excrement from the wearer while separating it from the wearer's body, and therefore suitable for preventing the wearer's body from becoming soiled with excrement. When changing the diaper X2 with excrement stored in the storage compartment 40, the worker's hands and other parts of the body are less likely to become soiled.

[0111] As described above, the diaper X2 of the present invention includes a contact pad 30 (portion facing the intergluteal cleft) having an opening 30a serving as a feces receiving opening and capable of contacting the wearer's intergluteal cleft. This configuration serves to properly receive feces from the wearer and guide them to the storage portion 40, thereby helping to prevent the wearer and the person changing the diaper from becoming soiled with feces.

[0112] In addition, the diaper X2 includes the storage auxiliary section 50 as described above. The storage auxiliary section 50 includes an inflatable / deployable section 51 including a balloon wall 51B. The balloon wall 51B is inflated and erected by air injection to form a predetermined space within the storage section 40. The balloon wall 51B can secure space within the storage section 40 while providing cushioning. Providing such a balloon wall 51B in the diaper X2 is suitable for securing and maintaining a storage space S for excrement within the storage section 40, and therefore is suitable for preventing excrement already contained in the storage section 40 from leaking (backflowing) through the opening 30a toward the wearer's body. Preventing backflow of excrement helps prevent the wearer and the person changing the diaper from becoming soiled with excrement. Furthermore, the fact that the balloon wall 51B expands and stands up by air injection, and that the expanded and erected balloon wall 51B has cushioning properties, is suitable for using the air pressure inside the balloon wall 51B to urge the contact pad 30 toward the wearer's gluteal cleft, and therefore is suitable for realizing a good contact state of the contact pad 30 against the wearer's gluteal cleft. This helps the opening 30a of the contact pad 30 to properly receive feces excreted by the wearer and guide them to the storage section 40. The cushioning properties of the balloon wall 51B also help to reduce the foreign body sensation felt by the wearer in the diaper X2 and realize a good wearing comfort.

[0113] As described above, when the diaper X2 is worn, the contact pad 30, the storage portion 40, and the storage auxiliary portion 50 cooperate to prevent soiling. Therefore, the diaper X2 is suitable for preventing the wearer and the diaper changer from becoming soiled with excrement. Furthermore, such soiling prevention helps prevent the diaper changer and the like from contracting infectious diseases, which in turn helps prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

[0114] As described above, the storage auxiliary section 50 includes the tube 52 having the air inlet 52a. With this configuration, air can be injected through the air inlet 52a of the tube 52 into the inflation and deployment section 51 or into its balloon wall 51B. This configuration is therefore suitable for appropriately inflating and erecting the balloon wall 51B. The tube 52 may also include a valve (check valve) that prevents the air injected into the balloon wall 51B from flowing back. In this case, the storage auxiliary section 50 does not need to include the cap 53.

[0115] As described above, the accommodation auxiliary part 50 has the cap 53 capable of closing the air inlet 52a of the tube 52. In this configuration, after air is injected into the balloon wall 51B via the tube 52, the air inlet 52a of the tube 52 can be closed by the cap 53. Therefore, this configuration is suitable for maintaining the inflated and erect state of the balloon wall 51B for a long period of time.

[0116] In the diaper X2, as described above, the contact pad 30 has the tube insertion hole 52b, and the tube 52 passes through the tube insertion hole 52b so that the air inlet 52a faces the inside of the diaper main body 10. This configuration is suitable for efficiently arranging the tube 52 for injecting air into the balloon wall while ensuring the opening area of ​​the opening 30a of the contact pad 30 in the design of the diaper X2 (i.e., there is no need to arrange the tube 52 so that it passes through the opening 30a).

[0117] As described above, the balloon wall 51B has a plurality of balloon portions B whose interiors are interconnected. Such a balloon wall 51B is suitable for designing the overall shape of the balloon wall 51B after inflation with a high degree of freedom by appropriately designing the shape and arrangement of each balloon portion B (balloon portions B1, B2, B3).

[0118] As described above, the balloon wall 51B after inflation has an enclosing shape with a pair of opposing free ends F, F (shown in FIG. 17). Such a balloon wall 51B is preferable for ensuring a large effective storage volume while ensuring the load-bearing capacity of the balloon wall 51B itself within the storage section 40 when the diaper is being worn. Once feces excreted by the wearer are contained within the storage section 40 in a partial space enclosed by the enclosing-shaped balloon wall 51B, the feces can pass between the two free ends F, F of the balloon wall 51B (enclosing shape) and move out of the partial space. Therefore, the space outside the partial space in the storage section 40 can also effectively function as part of the storage space S.

[0119] The balloon wall 51B of the inflation and deployment section 51 may have other shapes. Fig. 22 shows a modified example of a composite unit U2. In the composite unit U2 shown in Fig. 22, the balloon wall 51B has two balloon walls Ba and Bb that are spaced apart from each other (the interiors of the balloon walls Ba and Bb are in communication with each other).

[0120] As described above, the contact pad 30 has a cushioning material 32 around the opening 30a for close contact around the anus. This configuration helps to achieve a good contact state of the contact pad 30 against the intergluteal cleft of the wearer, and therefore helps to properly receive feces excreted by the wearer through the opening 30a of the contact pad 30 and guide it to the storage section 40. Furthermore, the fact that the contact pad 30 has the cushioning material 32 also helps to reduce the foreign body sensation felt by the wearer in the diaper X2 and achieve a good wearing comfort.

[0121] In the contact pad 30, the tube through-hole 30b does not have to be connected to the opening 30a. The tube through-hole 30b may be spaced apart from the opening 30a, as shown in Fig. 23. The tube through-hole 30b shown in Fig. 23 opens at a position on the contact surface 32A that is spaced apart from the opening 30a. The tube 52 may be disposed in such a tube through-hole 30b.

[0122] 24, in the contact pad 30, the tube through-hole 30b may be open on the side surface of the contact pad 30 or its cushion material 32. The tube 52 may be disposed in such a tube through-hole 30b.

[0123] The contact pad 30 or its cushion material 32 may have a shape different from the mountain shape described above. For example, the contact pad 30 or its cushion material 32 may have an overall flat shape (but made of a flexible material) at least on the exposed surface side facing the wearer's body, as shown in Fig. 25 .

[0124] The diaper X2 may have a configuration including an appropriate combination of the above-described modifications.

[0125] In summary, the configuration of the present invention and its variations are listed below as appendices.

[0126] [Appendix 1] a diaper main body having a multi-layer structure including an outer inner sheet and an outer outer sheet; a portion facing the intergluteal cleft that can contact the intergluteal cleft of the wearer and has a receiving opening for receiving excrement; a storage section for storing excrement away from the wearer's body, the storage section being located between the outer inner sheet and the outer outer sheet and communicating with the receiving opening; A disposable diaper comprising: an expansion and deployment section including a balloon wall that can be expanded within the storage section by injecting air, and an auxiliary storage section in which the expanded balloon wall forms a storage space for excrement within the storage section. [Appendix 2] The disposable diaper according to claim 1, wherein the storage auxiliary portion is provided with a tube having an air inlet for injecting air. [Appendix 3] The intergluteal cleft facing portion has a tube insertion hole, The disposable diaper according to claim 2, wherein the tube passes through the tube insertion hole so that the air inlet faces the inner side of the diaper main body. [Appendix 4] The disposable diaper according to claim 2, wherein the tube passes through the outer outer sheet so that the air inlet faces the outside of the diaper main body. [Appendix 5] 5. The disposable diaper according to claim 2, wherein the storage auxiliary portion has a cap capable of closing the air inlet. [Appendix 6] 6. A disposable diaper according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the balloon wall has a plurality of balloon sections whose interiors are in communication with each other. [Appendix 7] the plurality of balloon portions include a first balloon portion, a second balloon portion, and a third balloon portion; the first and second balloon portions are spaced apart from each other in a first direction and extend in second and third directions intersecting the first direction; The disposable diaper described in Appendix 6, wherein the third balloon portion extends in the first direction and the third direction between the first and second balloon portions and connects the first and second balloon portions. [Appendix 8] 8. A disposable diaper according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the balloon wall has an enclosed shape with a pair of opposing free ends. [Appendix 9] 9. The disposable diaper according to claim 8, wherein the surrounding shape is a U-shape, a C-shape, or a horseshoe shape. [Appendix 10] A disposable diaper according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the intergluteal cleft facing portion has a cushioning material around the receiving opening for close contact with the area around the anus. [Appendix 11] The disposable diaper according to claim 10, wherein the intergluteal cleft facing portion has an adhesive portion on the surface of the cushion material facing the wearer's body for adhering to the area around the anus. [Appendix 12] A disposable diaper according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the intergluteal cleft facing portion has an adhesive portion around the receiving opening for adhering to the area around the anus. [Appendix 13] The diaper main body has a multi-layer structure further including a top sheet located closer to the wearer than the outer inner sheet, 13. The disposable diaper of any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising an absorbent unit positioned between the top sheet and the outer inner sheet. [Appendix 14] The vehicle includes a first composite unit and a second composite unit that are separate from each other, The first composite unit is a diaper main body having a multi-layer structure including an outer inner sheet and an outer outer sheet having a sheet opening; a storage compartment located between the outer inner sheet and the outer outer sheet and communicating with the outside of the diaper main body through the sheet opening, The second composite unit is a portion facing the intergluteal cleft having a receiving opening for receiving excrement; an expansion and deployment section including a balloon wall that can be expanded by injecting air, and a storage auxiliary section that can form a storage space for excrement within the storage section by expanding the balloon wall within the storage section; A disposable diaper assembly kit in which the disposable diaper described in any one of Appendixes 1 to 13 can be assembled by combining the first and second composite units, in which the inflation / expansion section is inserted into the storage section through the sheet opening and the receiving opening in the intergluteal cleft facing section is connected to the storage section. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] X1, X2 diapers (disposable diapers) U1 Composite unit (first composite unit) U2 Combined Unit (Second Combined Unit) D1 1st direction D2 2nd direction D3 Third direction 10 Diaper body 11 Topsheet 12 Exterior inner sheet 12a Opening (seat opening) 13 Exterior outer sheet 20 absorption units 30 Contact pad (opposing the gluteal cleft) 30a Opening (receptor opening) 30b Tube insertion hole 31 Base 32 Cushioning material 33,34 Adhesive part 40 Storage section 50 Storage Auxiliary Section 51 Inflatable deployment section 51A Canopy 51B Balloon Wall 52 tubes 52a Air inlet 53 Cap S Storage space

Claims

1. a diaper main body having a multi-layer structure including an outer inner sheet and an outer outer sheet; a portion facing the intergluteal cleft that can contact the intergluteal cleft of the wearer and has a receiving opening for receiving excrement; a storage section for storing excrement away from the wearer's body, the storage section being located between the outer inner sheet and the outer outer sheet and communicating with the receiving opening; A disposable diaper comprising: an expansion and deployment section including a balloon wall that can be expanded within the storage section by injecting air, and an auxiliary storage section in which the expanded balloon wall forms a storage space for excrement within the storage section.

2. The disposable diaper according to claim 1 , wherein the accommodation auxiliary portion comprises a tube having an air inlet for injecting the air.

3. The intergluteal cleft facing portion has a tube insertion hole, The disposable diaper according to claim 2 , wherein the tube passes through the tube insertion hole so that the air inlet faces an inner side of the diaper main body.

4. The disposable diaper according to claim 2, wherein the tube passes through the outer outer sheet so that the air inlet faces the outside of the diaper body.

5. The disposable diaper according to claim 2 , wherein the storage auxiliary portion has a cap capable of closing the air inlet.

6. 5. The disposable diaper according to claim 1, wherein the intergluteal cleft-facing portion has a cushioning material around the receiving opening for closely contacting the area around the anus.

7. 5. The disposable diaper according to claim 1, wherein the intergluteal cleft-facing portion has an adhesive portion around the receiving opening for adhering to the area around the anus.

8. The vehicle includes a first composite unit and a second composite unit that are separate from each other, The first composite unit is a diaper main body having a multi-layer structure including an outer inner sheet and an outer outer sheet having a sheet opening; a storage compartment located between the outer inner sheet and the outer outer sheet and communicating with the outside of the diaper main body through the sheet opening, The second composite unit is a portion facing the intergluteal cleft having a receiving opening for receiving excrement; an expansion and deployment section including a balloon wall that can be expanded by injecting air, and a storage auxiliary section that can form a storage space for excrement in the storage section by expanding the balloon wall in the storage section; A disposable diaper assembly kit that can assemble the disposable diaper described in claim 1 by combining the first and second composite units, wherein the inflation / development section is inserted into the storage section through the sheet opening and the receiving opening in the intergluteal cleft facing section is in communication with the storage section.

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