Absorbent article

Abstract

To provide an absorbent article capable of suppressing skin irritation by reducing contact between the skin and loose stool even when a large amount of loose stool is excreted.SOLUTION: An absorbent article comprising a top sheet on the skin side, a back sheet on the non-skin side, and an absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, wherein the top sheet and the back sheet are liquid-impermeable, a liquid-permeable second sheet is provided between the top sheet and the absorbent body, the dimension of the second sheet in the width direction is longer than the dimension of the top sheet in the width direction, and the absorbent body has a raised structure in which the dimension in the thickness direction is maximum at the center portion in the width direction and decreases continuously or stepwise toward both end portions in the width direction, the absorbent article is characterized in that the absorber has a plurality of slits reaching both ends in the width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to absorbent articles that reduce contact between the skin and loose stool and reduce skin irritation. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, absorbent articles such as urine absorption pads, light incontinence pads, pants-type disposable diapers, and tape-fastened disposable diapers are composed of a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent body disposed between the two sheets. As a result, body fluids such as urine are absorbed into the absorbent body through the top sheet, and the back sheet prevents leakage to the outside. Such absorbent articles have been designed with various features to improve the absorbency of body fluids, improve the wearing comfort of the wearer, prevent leakage, etc.

[0003] On the other hand, absorbent articles such as urine absorption pads have low absorbency for loose stool, and therefore have the problem that loose stool held inside them comes into contact with the wearer's skin for a long period of time, leading to skin irritation.

[0004] Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses that an absorbent article having excellent loose stool absorption performance is provided by an absorbent article including a top sheet made of a perforated sheet, a permeable sheet that allows excrement to pass through, and an absorbent element including a cotton-like pulp layer on the back side of the permeable sheet. However, since the amount of loose stool that can be held in the holes in the top sheet is limited, there is a problem that when a large amount of loose stool is excreted, it cannot be sufficiently held and absorbed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-97643 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide an absorbent article that can reduce contact between the skin and loose stool and suppress skin irritation, even when a large amount of loose stool is excreted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The inventors have conducted extensive research and have found that the above-mentioned problems can be solved in an absorbent article comprising a top sheet facing the skin, a back sheet facing away from the skin, and an absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, by making the top sheet and the back sheet liquid-impermeable sheets, providing a liquid-permeable second sheet between the top sheet and the absorbent body, and specifying the widthwise dimension of the second sheet, the thicknesswise structure of the absorbent body, and the shape of the slits formed in the absorbent body, and have thus completed the present invention.

[0008] (1) A first aspect of the present invention is an absorbent article comprising a skin-side top sheet, a non-skin-side back sheet, and an absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, wherein the top sheet and the back sheet are liquid-impermeable, and a liquid-permeable second sheet is provided between the top sheet and the absorbent body, the width dimension of the second sheet is longer than the width dimension of the top sheet, the absorbent body has a raised structure in which the thickness dimension is greatest at the center of the width direction and decreases continuously or stepwise toward both width ends, and the absorbent body has a plurality of slits that reach both width ends. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an absorbent article that can reduce contact between the skin and loose stool and suppress skin irritation even when a large amount of loose stool is excreted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the dimensional relationship between the top sheet and the second sheet as viewed from the skin side of the absorbent article according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a plan view showing a slit formed in an absorbent body of an absorbent article according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 2. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 2, showing an example of the structure of an absorbent body of an absorbent article according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 2. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 2, showing an example of the structure of an absorbent body of an absorbent article according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an absorbent article according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] In this specification, "wearing an absorbent article" refers to the state in which the absorbent article is worn on the body, regardless of whether the absorbent article is worn before, during, or after absorbing bodily fluids. Furthermore, "front" refers to the direction that faces the wearer's ventral side when wearing the absorbent article, and "rear" refers to the direction that faces the wearer's back. Furthermore, "left-right" refers to the left-right direction as seen from a wearer facing forward.

[0013] In this specification, "longitudinal direction" refers to the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article, and is the direction along the front and back of the wearer when worn, and is the direction along arrow X in the figures. The inner side of the longitudinal direction is the direction toward the center in the longitudinal direction, and the outer side of the longitudinal direction is the direction away from the center in the longitudinal direction. The "width direction" refers to the direction intersecting (orthogonal to) the longitudinal direction, and is the direction along the left and right of the wearer when worn, and is the direction along arrow Y in the figures. The inner side of the width direction is the direction toward the center in the width direction, and the outer side of the width direction is the direction away from the center in the width direction. The "thickness direction" refers to the direction in which each component is layered, and is the direction intersecting (orthogonal to) both the longitudinal direction and the width direction, and is the direction along arrow Z in the figures.

[0014] In this specification, "skin side" refers to the thickness direction toward the wearer's body when the absorbent article is worn, and "non-skin side" refers to the thickness direction opposite to the skin side. "Body fluid" refers to all liquids excreted from the body to the outside, such as urine, blood, and water in loose stool, and "excrement (loose stool, etc.)" refers to semi-solid body fluids, such as loose stool, in particular.

[0015] (Absorbent articles) Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the dimensional relationship between a top sheet 11 and a second sheet 14 as viewed from the skin side of an absorbent article 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing slits 15 formed in an absorbent body 13 of an absorbent article 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views taken along the line II-II in Fig. 2, showing examples of the raised structure of the absorbent body 13 of an absorbent article 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] The absorbent article 10 according to the present invention can be used as a variety of absorbent articles for both children and adults, representative examples of which include light incontinence pads, urine absorption pads, pants-type disposable diapers, tape-fastened disposable diapers, sanitary products, etc. Various types of disposable diapers may be used as outerwear in combination with the absorbent article 10 as innerwear.

[0017] As shown in Figure 3 or Figure 4, the absorbent article 10 comprises a liquid-impermeable top sheet 11 on the skin side, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 12 on the non-skin side, an absorbent body 13 disposed between the top sheet 11 and the back sheet 12, and further comprises a liquid-permeable second sheet 14 between the top sheet 11 and the absorbent body 13.

[0018] (Shape of absorbent article) The shape of the absorbent article 10 is not particularly limited, and may be any shape that fits the wearer's area of ​​wear, such as a substantially rectangular shape, a substantially hourglass shape, a substantially fan shape, etc. Furthermore, the absorbent article 10 may be provided with three-dimensional gathers, side flaps, etc. as appropriate depending on the application and type.

[0019] (Absorbent article dimensions) The dimensions of the absorbent article 10 in the longitudinal direction are preferably 100 mm or more at the shortest part and 1000 mm or less at the longest part, and 30 mm or more at the shortest part and 400 mm or less at the widest part. By adjusting the dimensions of the absorbent article 10 to fall within the above ranges, an absorbent article 10 suitable for suppressing skin irritation can be obtained even when a large amount of excrement (loose stool, etc.) is excreted.

[0020] (Top sheet) The top sheet 11 is a sheet that is positioned against the skin when worn, and is disposed opposite the back sheet 12, with the second sheet 14 and absorbent body 13 sandwiched between them. The top sheet 11 is a liquid-impermeable sheet-like substrate. The use of a liquid-impermeable sheet substrate, in combination with the raised structure of the absorbent body 13, allows excrement (loose stool, etc.) to move quickly along the raised structure of the absorbent body 13 to the edges of the absorbent body 13. Furthermore, the use of a liquid-impermeable sheet substrate for the top sheet 11 also has the effect of preventing excrement (loose stool, etc.) that has moved to and absorbed by the absorbent body 13 from returning to the skin. As a result, contact between the skin and excrement (loose stool, etc.) can be reduced.

[0021] Examples of liquid-impermeable sheet-like substrates include resin films and composite sheets that are laminates of resin films and nonwoven fabrics. The nonwoven fabrics used in the composite sheets are not particularly limited by their manufacturing method, and examples include single-layer nonwoven fabrics such as spunbonded nonwoven fabrics and meltblown nonwoven fabrics, composite nonwoven fabrics such as spunbonded nonwoven fabric / meltblown nonwoven fabric laminates and spunbonded nonwoven fabric / meltblown nonwoven fabric / spunbonded nonwoven fabric laminates, and composite materials thereof. Examples of resin films include polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polypropylene, and composite films of polyethylene and polypropylene.

[0022] It is preferable that the top sheet 11 be breathable to prevent stuffiness when worn. To make the top sheet 11 breathable, for example, a filler may be blended into the resin film base material or the top sheet 11 may be embossed. An example of the filler is calcium carbonate, and the blending method can be any known method without limitation.

[0023] (Second seat) The second sheet 14 is a liquid-permeable sheet-like substrate that is placed between the top sheet 11 and the absorbent body 13 and allows excrement (loose stool, etc.) that has moved on the skin-facing surface of the top sheet 11 to pass through quickly, diffusing the excrement (loose stool, etc.) in the surface direction of the absorbent body 13.

[0024] Examples of liquid-permeable sheet substrates include nonwoven fabrics such as air-through nonwoven fabrics, thermal-bonded nonwoven fabrics, and spun-bonded nonwoven fabrics; apertured films such as apertured polyethylene films; foamed films such as polyethylene foams and urethane foams; and multilayer sheets made by laminating two or more of these.

[0025] In order to improve the liquid permeability, the surface of the second sheet 14 may be embossed or perforated. As a method for carrying out such embossing or perforation, any known method can be used without any limitation.

[0026] (Dimensional relationship between top sheet and second sheet) The widthwise dimension of the second sheet 14 needs to be longer than the widthwise dimension of the top sheet 11. By making the widthwise dimension of the second sheet 14 longer than the widthwise dimension of the top sheet 11, excrement (loose stool, etc.) that has moved on the skin-facing surface of the top sheet 11 passes through the second sheet 14 and is dispersed into the absorbent body 13. The widthwise dimension of the top sheet 11 is preferably 20% or more and 90% or less of the widthwise dimension of the second sheet 14.

[0027] (back seat) The back sheet 12 is a sheet positioned away from the skin when worn. The back sheet 12 is a liquid-impermeable sheet-like substrate that prevents excrement (loose stool, etc.) held by the absorber 13 from soiling the wearer's clothing. Examples of liquid-impermeable sheet substrates include resin films and composite sheets that are laminates of resin films and nonwoven fabrics. The nonwoven fabrics used in the composite sheets are not particularly limited in terms of production method, and examples include single-layer nonwoven fabrics such as spunbond nonwoven fabrics and meltblown nonwoven fabrics, composite nonwoven fabrics such as spunbond nonwoven fabric / meltblown nonwoven fabric laminates and spunbond nonwoven fabric / meltblown nonwoven fabric / spunbond nonwoven fabric laminates, and composite materials thereof. Examples of resin films include polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polypropylene, and composite films of polyethylene and polypropylene.

[0028] It is preferable that the back sheet 12 be breathable to prevent stuffiness during wear. To provide breathability to the back sheet 12, for example, a filler may be blended into the resin film substrate or the back sheet 12 may be embossed. An example of the filler is calcium carbonate, and the blending method may be any known method without limitation.

[0029] (absorber) The absorbent body 13 is a part that can absorb and hold excrement (loose stool, etc.), and is made of materials such as absorbent fibers, super absorbent polymers (hereinafter also referred to as "SAP"), and liquid absorbent sheets.

[0030] The absorbent fibers of the absorber 13 are not particularly limited as long as they are generally used in absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, light incontinence liners, and urine absorption pads, and examples thereof include fluff pulp, cotton, rayon, acetate, tissue, absorbent paper, hydrophilic nonwoven fabric, etc. Examples of fluff pulp include wood pulp (e.g., bleached coniferous kraft pulp (N-BKP) such as southern pine or Douglas fir), synthetic fiber, resin fiber, non-wood pulp, etc. that has been defibrated into a cotton-like state. Examples of the liquid absorbent sheet include sheets composed of one or more of the above absorbent fibers.

[0031] The SAP of the absorbent body 13 is not particularly limited as long as it can absorb excrement (loose stool, etc.) and prevent backflow, and examples thereof include polyacrylates, polyaspartates, (starch-acrylic acid) graft copolymers, (acrylic acid-vinyl alcohol) copolymers, (isobutylene-maleic anhydride) copolymers, and saponified versions thereof. Among these, from the viewpoint of absorption per weight, polyacrylates are preferred, alkali metal polyacrylates are more preferred, and sodium polyacrylate is even more preferred. One SAP can be used alone, or two or more SAPs can be used in combination.

[0032] In the absorbent body 13, the absorbent fibers and SAP may be in the form of a mixture of absorbent fibers and SAP particles, or may be in the form of SAP particles fixed between absorbent fibers.

[0033] A carrier sheet (not shown) may be provided to encase the absorbent body 13 in order to prevent leakage of the SAP particles and stabilize the shape of the absorbent body 13. The substrate of the carrier sheet may be any hydrophilic material, and examples thereof include tissue, absorbent paper, and hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics such as air-laid nonwoven fabrics and spunbond nonwoven fabrics. When multiple carrier sheets are provided, the substrates of the multiple carrier sheets may be the same or different.

[0034] (raised absorber structure) 3 and 4, the absorbent body 13 has a raised structure in which the thickness dimension is greatest at the center in the width direction and decreases continuously (FIG. 3) or stepwise (FIG. 4) toward both width direction ends. The raised structure of the absorbent body 13 makes it possible for a large amount of excrement (loose stool, etc.) to move quickly along the raised structure to the width direction ends of the absorbent body 13.

[0035] The thickness dimension of the raised structure of the absorbent body 13 is preferably 10 mm to 50 mm at the widthwise center and 1 mm to 5 mm at both widthwise ends. By keeping the dimension within this range, the thickness of the absorbent article 10 remains within an appropriate range while ensuring that a large amount of excrement (loose stool, etc.) is transferred to the widthwise ends of the absorbent article 10.

[0036] (Slit in absorber) As shown in Fig. 2, the absorbent body 13 has a plurality of slits 15 that reach both widthwise ends. By having a plurality of slits 15 that reach the widthwise ends, the raised structure of the absorbent body 13 allows excrement (loose stool, etc.) that has moved to both ends to be efficiently moved to the absorbent body 13 and retained therein.

[0037] The slit width (length in the longitudinal direction) of the slits 15 of the absorbent body 13 is preferably 5 mm or more and 50 mm or less. Within this range, even when excrement (loose stool, etc.) is repeatedly absorbed, the excrement (loose stool, etc.) is sufficiently dispersed, and the absorption capacity of the absorbent body 13 can be fully utilized.

[0038] The interval (longitudinal length) between adjacent slits 15 in the absorbent body 13 is preferably 10 mm or more and 100 mm or less. Within this range, even when excrement (loose stool, etc.) is repeatedly absorbed, the excrement (loose stool, etc.) is sufficiently dispersed, and the absorption capacity of the absorbent body 13 can be fully utilized. Note that the intervals between the slits 15 do not need to be uniform, and may be different intervals as long as they are within the above range.

[0039] In this embodiment, the absorbent article according to the present disclosure is applied to a pad-type product, but is not limited to this and can also be applied to disposable diaper products such as pants-type disposable diapers and tape-fastened disposable diapers.

[0040] (Method for manufacturing absorbent articles) The absorbent article 10 can be manufactured by a known manufacturing method, for example, the following manufacturing method. (1) A step of placing the absorbent body 13 between the second sheet 14 and the back sheet 12 (2) A process of fixing the second sheet 14 and the back sheet 12 partially or entirely using a hot melt adhesive, heat embossing, ultrasonic embossing, high frequency embossing, etc. (3) A step of placing the top sheet 11 on the second sheet 14 and fixing it partially or entirely on the top sheet 11 using a hot melt adhesive, heat embossing, ultrasonic embossing, high frequency embossing, or the like.

[0041] Although the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the content of the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other words, all other embodiments, examples, operational techniques, etc. made by those skilled in the art based on this embodiment are naturally included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 10: Absorbent articles 11: Top sheet 12: Back seat 13: Absorbent 14: Second seat 15: Slit

Claims

[Claim 1] An absorbent article comprising a skin-side top sheet, a non-skin-side back sheet, and an absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, the topsheet and the backsheet are liquid impermeable; A liquid-permeable second sheet is provided between the top sheet and the absorbent body, The second sheet has a widthwise dimension longer than the widthwise dimension of the top sheet, The absorbent body has a protruding structure in which the dimension in the thickness direction is greatest at the center in the width direction and decreases continuously or stepwise toward both ends in the width direction, The absorbent body has a plurality of slits that reach both ends in the width direction. An absorbent article characterized by:

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