Method and kit for evaluating the deodorizing properties of absorbent materials

Abstract

To provide a technology that allows for relatively simple and accurate evaluation of the deodorizing properties of absorbent materials. [Solution] The deodorizing performance evaluation method of the present invention comprises: 1) a first step of using multiple types of absorbent articles 1,1Z with different compositions as objects to be evaluated 10, and applying a test liquid 20 containing odor components to the first surface 11 (skin contact surface of the absorbent articles 1,1Z) of each of the multiple objects to be evaluated 10; 2) a second step of folding the objects to be evaluated 10 to which the test liquid 20 has been applied with the first surface 11 facing inward; 3) a third step of temporarily sealing the periphery of the folded objects to be evaluated 10; 4) a fourth step of leaving the objects to be evaluated 10 for a certain period of time after the temporary sealing; and 5) a fifth step of smelling the odor of the temporarily sealed objects to be evaluated 10 after the fourth step to evaluate the deodorizing performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , , , , , , , ,

[0005] ,

[0003]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for evaluating the deodorizing property of absorbent articles.

Background Art

[0002] As absorbent articles that absorb body fluids discharged from the human body, absorbent articles such as disposable diapers and menstrual pads, which are worn on the groin of a user, are known. The main body fluids assumed to be absorbed in such absorbent articles worn on the groin are any of urine, feces, and menstrual blood.

[0003] On the other hand, absorbent articles intended for absorbing body fluids other than urine, feces, and menstrual blood are also known. Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe absorbent articles that can be used for absorbing and deodorizing body fluids caused by cancer. The absorbent articles described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have a liquid-permeable surface sheet, a liquid-impermeable or liquid-hardly-permeable back sheet, and a liquid-retaining absorbent body disposed between the two sheets, and the surface sheet is brought into contact with the skin of the user for use, and a deodorant is contained in any part of the absorbent article.

[0004] Patent Document 3 describes a method for evaluating the deodorizing effect on the odor from breast cancer skin ulcers. The evaluation method is characterized by using a specific pseudo-odor composition that reproduces the characteristics of the odor from breast cancer skin ulcers. In the examples described in Patent Document 3, as absorbent articles for deodorizing evaluation, two types of absorbent articles with different presence or absence of activated carbon were prepared, and an aqueous solution of the pseudo-odor composition was dropped onto cut pieces of these two types of absorbent articles cut to a predetermined size. Then, the cut pieces were folded in half so that the dropped surface faced inward and left for 1 hour, and the intensity of the odor remaining on the dropped surface was evaluated (

[0039] -

[0041] of Patent Document 3).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] A typical method for evaluating the deodorizing properties of absorbent articles involves preparing two types of articles to be evaluated that differ in whether or not they contain components capable of exhibiting deodorizing properties. Each article is then subjected to a predetermined treatment, such as by applying odor components, and the intensity of the odor generated from each article is evaluated. Conventionally, methods for evaluating this "odor intensity" include measuring the content of odor-causing components in the air using various analytical instruments, and using a sensory evaluation method by a specialized panel, as described in the example in Patent Document 3. For example, in the product development stage of absorbent articles, one or both of these methods are often employed.

[0007] On the other hand, for commercially available absorbent articles, as part of sales promotion activities, product demonstrations (hereinafter abbreviated as "product demos") are sometimes conducted to directly appeal to general consumers by demonstrating the absorbent article in use in front of them. For example, in a product demo of an absorbent article characterized by its deodorizing properties, it is common to conduct a deodorizing test on the absorbent article as described in

[0041] of Patent Document 3 in front of consumers, and to have consumers directly smell the odor of the absorbent article after the deodorizing test.

[0008] However, the deodorization test described in Patent Document 3 employs a method for evaluating the odor intensity of a folded cut piece (object to be evaluated) in its final stage, which involves evaluating the odor intensity remaining on the surface where an aqueous solution of a simulated odor composition (odor component) is dropped. In other words, the folded cut piece is unfolded to expose the drop-drop surface, and the odor on that surface is evaluated. However, the "odor of absorbent articles" (odor to be deodorized) in question is the odor released to the outside from the other side of the absorbent article when one side of the absorbent article is in contact with the user's skin. Therefore, the method for evaluating the odor intensity in this deodorization test deviates from the actual usage conditions, and thus there is room for improvement in terms of evaluation accuracy. Furthermore, the deodorization test requires at least one hour from its start to the determination of the results, which makes it difficult to use as a product demonstration. No technology has yet been provided that can evaluate the deodorizing properties of absorbent articles relatively easily.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide a technology that can evaluate the deodorizing properties of absorbent articles relatively easily and accurately. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention relates to a method for evaluating the deodorizing properties of an absorbent article having a skin-contact surface that comes into contact with the skin during use and that absorbs bodily fluids through the skin-contact surface, The first step involves using multiple types of absorbent articles with different compositions as the items to be evaluated, and applying a test solution containing odor components to the skin contact surface of each of these multiple items to be evaluated. A second step involves folding the object to be evaluated, to which the test solution has been applied, with the skin contact surface facing inward. A third step involves temporarily sealing the periphery of the object to be evaluated in its folded state, A fourth step involves leaving the object to be evaluated for a certain period of time after the initial sealing, The method for evaluating the deodorizing properties of an absorbent article is further comprising a fifth step, after the fourth step, of smelling the odor of the temporarily sealed object to be evaluated to evaluate its deodorizing properties.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a deodorizing evaluation kit used for implementing the deodorizing evaluation method of the absorbent article of the present invention, This is a deodorizing performance evaluation kit that includes multiple objects to be evaluated, each consisting of several types of absorbent articles with different compositions, a test liquid containing odor components, and a sealing device for temporarily sealing the periphery of the objects to be evaluated in a folded state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, a technology (a method for evaluating the deodorizing properties of absorbent articles, and a deodorizing properties evaluation kit) is provided that can evaluate the deodorizing properties of absorbent articles relatively easily and accurately. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the skin-facing side of an absorbent pad, which is one embodiment of an absorbent article that is the subject of evaluation in the deodorizing performance evaluation method of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the line II section of Figure 1 (a cross-section along the width and thickness directions of the absorbent article). [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of how to use the absorbent pad shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figures 4(a) to 4(d) are schematic diagrams of components in one embodiment of the deodorizing performance evaluation kit of the present invention, respectively. Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are plan views of the object to be evaluated, Figure 4(c) is a perspective view of a container containing a test solution containing odor components, and Figure 4(d) is a plan view of a dropper used when handling the test solution. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how to implement the deodorizing performance evaluation method of the present invention, where Figure 5(a) is an example of the first step of the deodorizing performance evaluation method, Figure 5(b) is an example of the second step of the deodorizing performance evaluation method, and Figure 5(c) is an example of the fourth step of the deodorizing performance evaluation method. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on its preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The object of evaluation of the deodorizing property evaluation method of the absorbent article of the present invention (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "the deodorizing property evaluation method of the present invention") is an absorbent article that has a skin contact surface that comes into contact with the skin during use and absorbs body fluids through the skin contact surface. In FIGS. 1 to 3, an absorbent pad 1 which is one embodiment of the absorbent article is shown.

[0015] The absorbent pad 1 has a surface sheet 2 that forms a skin contact surface 1a that comes into contact with the skin during use, a back sheet 3 that forms a non-skin contact surface 1b that is located on the opposite side in the thickness direction from the skin contact surface 1a, and an absorber 4 disposed between the two sheets 2 and 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the non-skin contact surface 1b becomes the outer surface of the absorbent pad 1 when the absorbent pad 1 is in use. The surface sheet 2 and the back sheet 3 extend outward from the periphery of the absorber 4, and the extending portions of the two sheets 2 and 3 are joined to form a peripheral joint portion 5. At the peripheral joint portion 5, the two sheets 2 and 3 are joined by known joining means such as adhesion and fusion. The peripheral joint portion 5 is formed so as to continuously surround the periphery of the absorber 4.

[0016] The absorber 4 includes an absorbent core 41 and a core wrap sheet 42 that covers the skin-facing surface and the non-skin-facing surface of the absorbent core 41. The "skin-facing surface" mentioned here refers to the surface that faces the user's skin side when the absorbent pad 1 is in use, and the "non-skin-facing surface" refers to the surface that faces the side opposite to the skin side when the absorbent pad 1 is in use. The core wrap sheet 42 may be composed of one sheet or a plurality of sheets. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the core wrap sheet 42 is one sheet, has a width that is 2 times or more and 3 times or less the maximum length in the width direction Y of the absorbent core 41, covers the entire area of the skin-facing surface (the surface on the side of the surface sheet 2) of the absorbent core 41, and extends outward in the width direction Y from both side edges along the longitudinal direction X of the absorbent core 41, and the extending portions are wound around the non-skin-facing surface (the surface on the side of the back sheet 3) side of the absorbent core 41 to cover the entire area of the non-skin-facing surface of the absorbent core 41.

[0017] The surface sheet 2 that forms the skin contact surface 1a of the absorption pad 1 preferably has liquid permeability from the viewpoint of enabling the absorption of body fluids through the skin contact surface 1a. In this specification, "liquid permeability" refers to the property that both water and water vapor can pass through the sheet in the thickness direction. As an example of a sheet having liquid permeability, a fiber sheet can be mentioned. A fiber sheet is a sheet mainly composed of fibers and has a large number of inter-fiber voids, and these inter-fiber voids contribute to the manifestation of the liquid permeability of the sheet. A preferred example of the fiber sheet is a non-woven fabric. The type of non-woven fabric is not particularly limited, and examples include air-through non-woven fabric, spunbond non-woven fabric, spunlace non-woven fabric, meltblown non-woven fabric, resin-bonded non-woven fabric, needle-punched non-woven fabric. For the purpose of enhancing liquid permeability, the non-woven fabric may be subjected to a hydrophilic treatment. As the hydrophilic treatment, for example, various surfactants known as fiber lubricants can be used.

[0018] The back sheet 3 may have liquid permeability similarly to the surface sheet 2, but preferably has liquid impermeability or low liquid permeability from the viewpoint of preventing the absorbed body fluids from leaking to the outside through the back sheet 3. In this specification, "liquid impermeability" refers to the property that both water and water vapor cannot pass through the sheet in the thickness direction. In this specification, "low liquid permeability" refers to the property that water cannot pass through the sheet in the thickness direction, but water vapor can pass through the sheet in the thickness direction. As an example of a sheet having liquid impermeability, a resin sheet mainly composed of a synthetic resin such as a thermoplastic resin can be mentioned. An example of a sheet with poor liquid permeability is a porous resin sheet. A porous resin sheet is a resin sheet mainly composed of synthetic resin, and has numerous micropores that penetrate the sheet in the thickness direction. These micropores contribute to the sheet's moisture permeability (the property that water vapor can pass through the sheet in the thickness direction). A porous resin sheet is typically obtained by stretching a resin sheet containing a synthetic resin such as a thermoplastic resin and inorganic particles. This stretching causes interfacial delamination between the synthetic resin and the inorganic particles, forming numerous micropores. Examples of sheets with poor liquid permeability include, in addition to porous resin sheets, laminated nonwoven fabrics formed by laminating multiple nonwoven fabrics of the same or different types, and nonwoven fabrics that have been treated with a water-repellent finish. Specific examples of the laminated nonwoven fabrics include spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS) nonwoven fabrics and spunbond-meltblown (SM) nonwoven fabrics.

[0019] The absorbent core 41 is the part of the absorbent body 4 that has the primary function of absorbing bodily fluids, and is mainly composed of a water-absorbing material. Examples of the water-absorbing material include hydrophilic fibers and water-absorbing polymers, and one of these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Examples of the hydrophilic fibers include natural fibers such as wood pulp and hydrophilic synthetic fibers. As for the water-absorbing polymer, any polymer conventionally used in this type of absorbent body can be used without particular limitation, and examples include polymers or copolymers of acrylic acid or alkali metal acrylate salts.

[0020] The absorbent core 41 may be a densely packed fiber type mainly composed of fiber material, or a sheet type containing a fiber sheet and water-absorbing polymer particles fixed thereto. A fiber-reinforced absorbent core typically consists mainly of an aggregate of fibrous materials such as hydrophilic fibers, on which water-absorbing polymer particles may be supported. Fiber-reinforced absorbent cores can be manufactured by conventional methods using a known fiber-reinforced apparatus equipped with a rotating drum. A sheet-type absorbent core typically has a structure in which water-absorbent polymer particles are fixed inside or on the surface of a fibrous sheet, and is also called an absorbent sheet. For example, paper, nonwoven fabric, etc., can be used as the fibrous sheet. A sheet-type absorbent core may, for example, have a structure in which water-absorbent polymer particles are interposed between two opposing fibrous sheets.

[0021] The core wrap sheet 42 covering the absorbent core 41 is preferably a sheet that is permeable to liquids, such as paper, woven fabric, or nonwoven fabric.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the absorbent pad 1 includes two parts: a main absorbent part 6 and an auxiliary absorbent part 7. Specifically, the absorbent pad 1 has a longitudinal direction X and a width direction Y perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, and the main absorbent part 6 and the auxiliary absorbent part 7 are arranged in series along the longitudinal direction X. The main absorbent part 6 includes a wide part 61 which is longer in the width direction Y than the auxiliary absorbent part 7, and the auxiliary absorbent part 7 is connected to the wide part 61. The main absorbent portion 6 is positioned to face the site of secretion of bodily fluids secreted by the wearer when the absorbent pad 1 is attached. The auxiliary absorbent portion 7 is positioned away from the site of secretion of bodily fluids secreted by the wearer when the absorbent pad 1 is attached, and is a portion that supplementarily absorbs bodily fluids that cannot be absorbed by the main absorbent portion 6. In the absorbent pad 1, the surface sheet 2, the back sheet 3, and the absorbent body 4 are all continuous in the longitudinal direction X, and therefore the main absorbent part 6 and the auxiliary absorbent part 7 are integrally molded.

[0023] The absorbent pad 1 is used by attaching it so that its skin-contact surface 1a (surface sheet 2) is in contact with a predetermined part of the human body. Figure 3 shows how the absorbent pad 1 is attached to the user's breast. The absorbent pad 1 is positioned on the body surface such that its longitudinal direction X is approximately perpendicular to the midline, the main absorbent part 6 covers the breast, and the auxiliary absorbent part 7 passes through the armpit and reaches the back. When properly positioned on the human body in this way, the absorbent pad 1 can absorb bodily fluids secreted from the breast or armpit through the skin-contact surface 1a. The bodily fluids absorbed from the skin-contact surface 1a pass through the surface sheet 2 in the thickness direction and move to the absorbent body 4, where they are absorbed and retained by the absorbent core 41. As mentioned above, the back sheet 3 that forms the non-skin-contact surface 1b is impermeable to liquid or has low liquid permeability, so under normal use, it is unlikely that bodily fluids will leak out of the absorbent pad 1 from the non-skin-contact surface 1b. The absorbent pad 1 may also be fixed to the human body using adhesive tape or other detachable fixing means (not shown).

[0024] The bodily fluids to be absorbed by the absorbent pad 1 include exudates, which are fluids that seep from the surface of the human body. For example, cancer-derived exudates are secreted from advanced cancers that invade the skin, such as breast cancer, skin cancer, and cervical cancer. The absorbent articles that are the subject of evaluation in the deodorizing performance evaluation method of the present invention, represented by the absorbent pad 1, are suitable for absorbing such exudates, and it is preferable to apply them to the site where the exudates are secreted. Suitable application sites for the absorbent articles include the chest, neck, lower abdomen, upper limbs, and lower limbs.

[0025] Incidentally, various bodily fluids secreted by the human body can have their own distinctive odors, and unpleasant odors can also be produced by the action of skin-resident bacteria. For example, skin ulcers associated with breast cancer and head and neck cancer contain common odor components, and the exudate from these skin ulcers can be a source of bad odor. Therefore, absorbent pad 1 is equipped not only with a bodily fluid absorption function but also with a deodorizing function. Specifically, absorbent pad 1 contains a deodorant, thereby providing a deodorizing function.

[0026] In the absorbent pad 1, the portion containing the deodorant may be the skin contact surface 1a or the area inside the skin contact surface 1a. Possible deodorant-containing portions in the absorbent pad 1 include: 1) the surface sheet 2, 2) the portion of the core wrap sheet 42 located between the surface sheet 2 and the absorbent core 41 (skin-side core wrap sheet), 3) the absorbent core 41, 4) the portion of the core wrap sheet 42 located between the back sheet 3 and the absorbent core 41 (non-skin-side core wrap sheet), and 5) the back sheet 3. Among the above 1) to 5), 2) is particularly preferred as a deodorant-containing portion because it effectively prevents the unpleasant volatilization of odors generated from bodily fluids absorbed and retained by the absorbent core 41 to the outside. The deodorant can be incorporated into sheets such as the surface sheet 2, back sheet 3, and core wrap sheet 42 by known external or internal addition methods. An example of an external addition method is to apply or spray a liquid containing the deodorant onto the sheet. An example of an internal addition method is to incorporate the deodorant into the fiber dispersion when the sheet containing the deodorant is obtained by forming a sheet from a fiber dispersion using a wet papermaking method.

[0027] The deodorant contained in the absorbent pad 1 may be one or more selected from chemical deodorants and physical deodorants. Chemical deodorants aim to eliminate odor-causing substances through chemical reactions. Typical examples of chemical reactions include neutralization reactions, but are not limited to these. Examples of chemical deodorants include weak acids and their conjugate bases or mixtures thereof, and weak bases and their conjugate acids or mixtures thereof. By using chemical deodorants, acidic or alkaline odor-causing substances, such as acidic substances like acetic acid, butyric acid, and isovaleric acid; and alkaline substances like ammonia and trimethylamine, can be neutralized and deodorized. Physical deodorizers aim to eliminate odor-causing substances through physical phenomena. Adsorption is a typical example of such physical phenomenon, but it is not limited to this. Examples of physical deodorizers include porous particles with adsorption capabilities. By using physical deodorizers, odor-causing substances other than acids and alkalis can be effectively eliminated. Examples of such substances include hydrogen sulfide, sulfur-containing compounds such as methyl mercaptan and dimethyl trisulfide, and phenolic compounds such as p-cresol. As chemical deodorants and physical deodorants, for example, those described in

[0034] to

[0052] of Patent Document 1 can be used.

[0028] The absorbent pad 1 may contain an antibacterial agent in addition to a deodorant. The absorbent pad 1 containing both a deodorant and an antibacterial agent exhibits a broad deodorizing spectrum and can suppress the production of various odor-causing substances originating from bodily fluids and deodorize them. The part of the absorbent pad 1 in which the antibacterial agent is contained can be arbitrarily selected from the parts that can be used as a deodorant-containing part, i.e., from 1) to 5) above, and may be contained in the same part as the deodorant or in a different part from the deodorant. As an antibacterial agent, for example, those described in

[0054] and

[0055] of Patent Document 1 can be used.

[0029] The present invention aims to evaluate the deodorizing properties of absorbent articles, such as the absorbent pad 1 described above. In the deodorizing properties evaluation method of the present invention, multiple items to be evaluated are evaluated simultaneously, and these "multiple items to be evaluated" are multiple types of absorbent articles with different configurations. Here, "configuration" preferably refers to a configuration related to the deodorizing function of the absorbent article. In other words, in the deodorizing properties evaluation method of the present invention, it is preferable to use multiple types of absorbent articles with different configurations related to deodorizing function as items to be evaluated. By doing so, it becomes possible to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of the "configuration related to deodorizing function" that is present in only some of the multiple items to be evaluated.

[0030] As an example of a configuration in which multiple types of absorbent articles with different configurations related to deodorizing function are used as objects to be evaluated, "a configuration in which multiple objects to be evaluated include absorbent articles containing a deodorant on the skin contact surface or inside the skin contact surface." The aforementioned "absorbent article containing a deodorant on the skin contact surface or inside the skin contact surface" is as described above for absorbent pad 1. In the above embodiment, it is preferable that the multiple items to be evaluated include, in addition to the absorbent article containing the deodorant, an absorbent article that does not contain the deodorant as a control item. An example of the control item is an absorbent article that has the same composition as the absorbent article containing the deodorant, except that it does not contain the deodorant.

[0031] Another example of a configuration in which multiple types of absorbent articles with different configurations related to deodorizing function are used as objects to be evaluated is "a configuration in which multiple objects to be evaluated include an absorbent article whose outer surface, located on the opposite side in the thickness direction from the skin contact surface, is impermeable to liquid or has low liquid permeability." When the outer surface is impermeable to liquid or has low liquid permeability, the inconvenience of bodily fluids absorbed by the absorbent article and the odor components contained therein leaking to the outside is suppressed, and a higher deodorizing effect can be expected compared to when the outer surface is permeable to liquid. In the above embodiment, it is preferable that the multiple items to be evaluated include, in addition to the absorbent article whose outer surface is impermeable to liquid or poorly permeable to liquid, an absorbent article whose outer surface is permeable to liquid as a control item. An example of the control item is an absorbent article whose structure is the same as the absorbent article whose outer surface is impermeable to liquid or poorly permeable to liquid, except that its outer surface is permeable to liquid.

[0032] The deodorizing performance evaluation method of the present invention comprises the following five steps. The following five steps are carried out sequentially according to the numbers included in the names of the steps. (1) First step: Apply a test solution containing odor components to the skin contact surface of each of the multiple objects to be evaluated. (2) Second step: Fold the object to be evaluated, to which the test solution has been applied, with its skin-contact surface facing inward. (3) Third step: Temporarily seal the periphery of the object to be evaluated in its folded state. (4) Fourth step: Leave the object to be evaluated for a certain period of time after temporary sealing. (5) Fifth step: After the fourth step, the odor of the object to be evaluated in its temporarily sealed state is smelled to evaluate its deodorizing properties.

[0033] Figure 4 shows some of the components of one embodiment of a deodorizing performance evaluation kit that can be used to carry out the deodorizing performance evaluation method of the present invention. Figure 5 shows how the deodorizing performance evaluation method of the present invention is carried out using one embodiment of this deodorizing performance evaluation kit. The deodorizing performance evaluation kit of this embodiment includes a plurality of objects to be evaluated 10, each consisting of a plurality of absorbent articles with different compositions, a test liquid 20 containing odor components, and a sealing device 40 for temporarily sealing the periphery of the objects to be evaluated 10 in a folded state.

[0034] The multiple items to be evaluated 10 consist of multiple types of absorbent articles, each with a different configuration related to deodorizing function. In this embodiment, the "configuration related to deodorizing function" is the presence or absence of a deodorant, and the multiple types of absorbent articles are of two types: an absorbent pad 1 which contains a deodorant on or inside the skin contact surface 1a, and an absorbent article 1Z which does not contain a deodorant. Therefore, the multiple objects to be evaluated 10 include an object to be evaluated 10A consisting of an absorbent pad 1 and an object to be evaluated 10B consisting of an absorbent article 1Z. The composition of the absorbent article 1Z is not particularly limited, provided that it does not contain a deodorant. For example, it may have the same composition as absorbent pad 1 except that it does not contain a deodorant, and it may also have differences in composition other than the absence of a deodorant. An example of the latter is an absorbent article that does not have an absorbent body such as the absorbent body 4, for example, a woven or nonwoven fabric such as gauze.

[0035] In the deodorizing performance evaluation method of the present invention, the entire absorbent article to be evaluated may be used as the evaluation object, for example, the entire absorbent pad 1 may be used as the evaluation object 10. However, from the viewpoint of smoothly carrying out each of the above steps and ensuring a highly accurate evaluation, it is preferable that the evaluation object is a part cut out of the absorbent article to be evaluated. In this embodiment, this preferred form is adopted, and the evaluation object 10A is a part cut out of the absorbent pad 1, and the evaluation object 10B is a part cut out of the absorbent article 1Z. The evaluation object 10 (10A, 10B) has a first surface 11 (see Figures 4(a) and (b)) and a second surface 12 (see Figure 5(c)) located on the opposite side in the thickness direction from the surface 11. The first surface 11 is the surface that corresponds to the skin contact surface of the absorbent article constituting the evaluation object 10, and in the case of the evaluation object 10A, it corresponds to the skin contact surface 1a (the surface on the surface sheet 2 side) of the absorbent pad 1. Therefore, the second surface 12 of the object under evaluation 10A corresponds to the non-skin contact surface 1b (the surface on the back sheet 3 side) of the absorbent pad 1.

[0036] Multiple objects 10 to be evaluated are identical in shape and dimensions to each other in a plan view, as shown in Figure 4(a), and each is a quadrilateral (square or rectangle) in a plan view. In the deodorizing performance evaluation method of the present invention, the plan view shape of the objects to be evaluated is not particularly limited, and specific examples other than quadrilaterals include, for example, triangles, polygons with pentagons or more, circles, and ellipses.

[0037] From the viewpoint of improving evaluation accuracy by suppressing the release of odor from the object under evaluation 10 after application of the test solution, it is desirable that the first surface 11 (the surface to which the test solution is applied) of the object under evaluation 10 in the folded state after the second step is not exposed. From the viewpoint of enabling this desirable folded state, it is preferable that the plan view shape of the object under evaluation 10 is such that the first surface 11 is not exposed when it is folded in half with the first surface 11 facing inward. In other words, it is preferable that the plan view shape of the object under evaluation is such that it is symmetrical on one side with respect to a single virtual central line (axis of symmetry) extending in one direction through the center of the object under evaluation (hereinafter also referred to as a "line-symmetric shape"). All of the specific examples of the plan view shape of the object under evaluation described above can be line-symmetric shapes.

[0038] The size of the object to be evaluated 10 is not particularly limited. Considering the required characteristics such as the ability to absorb the amount of test liquid necessary for deodorizing performance evaluation and ease of handling, the maximum span length of the object to be evaluated 10 in a plan view in its folded state (folded in half) after the second step is preferably 50 to 120 mm, more preferably 70 to 100 mm. The maximum span length may be the length of one side if the plan view shape of the object to be evaluated 10 in its folded state is a rectangle, or the diameter if the plan view shape is a semicircle.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4(a), the peripheral edge of the object to be evaluated 10 is covered with a covering member 13. As mentioned above, the object to be evaluated 10 is a part cut out of an absorbent article, and its peripheral edge is the part to be cut. If the peripheral edge, which is the part to be cut, is exposed, there is a risk that the constituent material (e.g., fibers) of the object to be evaluated 10 may fall off from the peripheral edge. Furthermore, if the object to be evaluated 10 has a laminated structure, the adhesion between the multiple layers constituting the laminated structure will decrease at the peripheral edge, which is the part to be cut, resulting in gaps between the layers and potentially causing the contents of the object to be evaluated 10 to fall off. Covering the peripheral edge of the object to be evaluated 10 with a covering member 13 makes it possible to prevent such problems.

[0040] In this embodiment, the covering member 13 is an adhesive tape and is attached to the entire peripheral area of ​​the object to be evaluated 10. The adhesive tape has a base material and an adhesive portion provided on one side of the base material. The covering member 13, which is an adhesive tape, covers the end face (the surface along the thickness direction) of the object to be evaluated 10 and extends from the end face to each of the two sides of the object to be evaluated 10, with the extended portions fixed to each of the two sides.

[0041] In this embodiment of the deodorizing performance evaluation kit, there are two types of absorbent articles with different compositions: absorbent pad 1 and absorbent article 1Z, which differ in the presence or absence of a deodorant. However, in the present invention, the number of types of absorbent articles is not limited and may be three or more. Furthermore, the number of items to be evaluated included in one deodorizing performance evaluation kit is not particularly limited, and the number of items to be evaluated 10A and 10B may be one or two or more. Also, in one deodorizing performance evaluation kit, the number of items to be evaluated 10A and 10B is typically the same, but the numbers of the two may differ.

[0042] The test solution 20 contains odor components that are the source of the odor imparted to the object 10 under evaluation, and is a liquid at room temperature and pressure (specifically, at an ambient temperature of 25°C and 1 atmosphere).

[0043] The odor component can be appropriately selected according to the odor to be imparted to the object to be evaluated 10, i.e., the odor to be deodorized. Typically, an odor component capable of reproducing the odor to be deodorized is used. When the odor to be deodorized is the odor of skin ulcers caused by breast cancer, it is preferable to use an odor component that can reproduce the odor of skin ulcers. Examples of such components include butyric acid, isovaleric acid, acetoin, and diacetyl, and one of these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. When the odor to be deodorized is the odor of excrement leaked from a stoma, it is preferable to use an odor component that can reproduce the odor of feces. Examples of such components include hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, dimethyl disulfide (methyl disulfide), dimethyl sulfide (methyl sulfide), butyric acid, and isovaleric acid, and one of these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. When the odor to be deodorized is sweat odor or foot odor, it is preferable to use an odor component that can reproduce sweat odor or foot odor. Examples of such components include short-chain to medium-chain fatty acids such as acetic acid, isovaleric acid, and hexanoic acid, and one of these can be used alone or in combination of two or more. When the odor to be deodorized is the smell of urine from used absorbent items such as used diapers that were worn around the user's groin, it is preferable to use an odor component that can reproduce the smell of urine. Examples of such components include ammonia and paracresol, and one of these can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0044] The content of the odor component in the test solution 20 is not particularly limited, but can be adjusted appropriately according to the type of odor component, etc., so that the deodorizing properties of the object to be evaluated 10 can be properly evaluated. However, it is usually preferably 0.001 to 1.0% by mass, more preferably 0.01 to 0.5% by mass, relative to the total mass of the test solution 20. More specifically, for example, if the odor component is one that can reproduce the odor of skin ulcer disease originating from breast cancer, the odor component in the test solution 20 may be, for example, butyric acid, and the content of the odor component is preferably 0.01 to 0.1% by mass, more preferably 0.03 to 0.1% by mass, relative to the total mass of the test solution 20. Furthermore, for example, if the odor component is one that can reproduce the odor of stoma leakage excrement, the odor component in the test solution 20 may be, for example, dimethyl disulfide, and the content of the odor component is preferably 0.00001 to 0.001% by mass, more preferably 0.00005 to 0.0005% by mass, relative to the total mass of the test solution 20. Furthermore, for example, if the odor component is one that can reproduce the odor of urine, ammonia can be used as the odor component in the test solution 20, and the content of the odor component is preferably 0.05 to 5% by mass, more preferably 0.2 to 2% by mass, relative to the total mass of the test solution 20.

[0045] The test solution 20 typically contains, in addition to the odor components, an odorless solvent and water. The water is the main solvent of the test solution. The odorless solvent is a solubilizer that promotes the dissolution of the odor component in the main solvent (water). The term "odorless" in the odorless solvent is a requirement imposed to avoid inhibiting the odor caused by the odor component used in combination. The odorless solvent can be appropriately selected depending on the type of odor component used in combination. Examples of odorless solvents include propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, and ethanol, and these can be used individually or in combination of two or more.

[0046] The amount of the odorless solvent in the test solution 20 can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the type of odor component used in combination, and is not particularly limited, but is usually preferably 0.01 to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 5.0% by mass, relative to the total mass of the test solution 20. More specifically, for example, if the odor component is butyric acid, which is a component capable of reproducing the odor of skin ulcer disease originating from breast cancer, the content of the odorless solvent in the test solution 20 is preferably 0.1 to 1% by mass, more preferably 0.3 to 1.0% by mass, based on the total mass of the test solution 20. For example, if the odor component is dimethyl disulfide, which is a component capable of reproducing the odor of stoma leakage excrement, the content of the odorless solvent in the test solution 20 is preferably 99.99900 to 99.99999% by mass, and more preferably 99.99950 to 99.99995% by mass, based on the total mass of the test solution 20.

[0047] The water content in the test solution 20 is preferably 90.0 to 99.9% by mass, and more preferably 99.0 to 99.9% by mass, relative to the total mass of the test solution 20.

[0048] In the deodorizing performance evaluation kit of this embodiment, the test liquid 20 is contained in a sealable container 23, as shown in Figure 4(c). The container 23 includes a container body 21 having an internal space that serves as a container for the test liquid 20 and an upper opening, and a lid 22 for closing the upper opening. In the present invention, the container for containing the test liquid 20 is not limited to the one shown, provided that it is possible to seal the test liquid 20.

[0049] The amount of test solution 20 contained in container 23 can be set appropriately according to the number of objects to be evaluated 10 included in the deodorizing performance evaluation kit, and is not particularly limited. The amount may be, for example, A) an amount that can be applied to all of the objects to be evaluated 10 included in the deodorizing performance evaluation kit, B) an amount that can be applied only to the objects to be evaluated 10 used in one execution of the deodorizing performance evaluation method, or C) an amount that can be applied to only one object to be evaluated 10. The number of containers 23 included in the deodorizing performance evaluation kit is one in case A), one or more in case B), and multiple in case C). In methods A) and B), the test solution 20 contained in the container 23 is divided among multiple objects to be evaluated 10, requiring the operation of measuring a predetermined amount from the test solution 20. In contrast, method C) is a so-called single-use form, where the entire amount of the test solution 20 contained in the container 23 is applied to the objects to be evaluated 10, eliminating the need for troublesome measuring work.

[0050] The deodorizing performance evaluation kit of this embodiment includes, as components, the object to be evaluated 10, the test solution 20, and the sealing device 40, and further includes a dropper 30 as a means for handling the test solution, as shown in Figure 4(d). The dropper 30 is used in the first step to collect the test solution 20 from the container 23 and apply it to the object to be evaluated 10. The dropper 30 has markings, and when measuring a predetermined amount from the container 23, these markings can be used. The dropper 30 shown in Figure 4(d) can measure liquids such as the test solution 20 up to a maximum of 2.5 mL, and has multiple markings in 0.5 mL increments from 0.5 to 2.5 mL.

[0051] As shown in Figure 4(d), when the dropper 30 has multiple markings, it is preferable that the markings corresponding to the amount of test solution applied per object under evaluation can be distinguished from the other markings by visual inspection or by touching the multiple markings with a finger. In this embodiment, since the "amount of test solution applied per object under evaluation" is set to 1.5 mL, the markings on the dropper 30 corresponding to 1.5 mL are marked with a writing instrument such as an oil-based pen, making it possible to visually distinguish the markings corresponding to 1.5 mL from the other markings. This makes it possible to quickly measure out the desired amount (amount applied per object under evaluation) of the test solution 20 from the container 23, and makes it possible to conduct the deodorizing performance evaluation test more smoothly.

[0052] The number of droppers 30 (test solution handling means) included in one deodorizing performance evaluation kit is not particularly limited; it may be one or two or more. The number of droppers 30 included in one deodorizing performance evaluation kit can be, for example, the same number as the number of containers 23 (containers for the test solution 20) included in one deodorizing performance evaluation kit. In that case, a dropper 30 used to handle the test solution 20 contained in one container 23 is not used afterward, and a different dropper 30 is used to handle the test solution 20 contained in another container 23. In other words, the dropper 30 is replaced for each container 23.

[0053] As shown in Figure 5(c), the sealing device 40 is used in the third step to temporarily seal the periphery of the object to be evaluated 10 in the folded state (double-folded state) after the second step. The "temporary sealing" is a process that brings together and separates opposing parts of the periphery of the object to be evaluated 10 in the folded state. In detail, the object to be evaluated 10 in the folded state is divided into one side and the other side based on the fold line used when folding the object to be evaluated 10 (double-folded), and the one side and the other side are in close proximity and facing each other. The "temporary sealing" is a process that brings together and separates the periphery of one side (the "part") and the periphery of the other side (the "other part") of the object to be evaluated 10 in this close proximity and facing state. In this context, "adhering tightly and freely" means that after the peripheral edges of one side of the object to be evaluated 10 are brought into close contact with the peripheral edges of the other side, the adhered state can be released. In other words, in the third step, the peripheral edges of the folded object to be evaluated 10 are temporarily fixed without joining the opposing parts of the object to be evaluated 10 to the other. Note that the "folding line" is a virtual center line (axis of symmetry) if the plan view shape of the object to be evaluated 10 is symmetrical.

[0054] As the sealing device 40, any device capable of temporarily sealing the periphery of the folded object to be evaluated 10 can be used without particular limitations. The sealing device 40 shown in Figure 5(c) is a double clip commonly used as stationery. Specifically, in this embodiment, the plan view shape of the object to be evaluated 10 in the folded state (folded in half) after the second step is a rectangle, and the periphery of the rectangle object to be evaluated 10 is divided into four small periphery parts corresponding one-to-one to the four sides of the rectangle, and three of these four small periphery parts, corresponding to the three sides other than the side corresponding to the fold line, are temporarily sealed. The sealing device 40 shown in Figure 5(c) includes a sealing device 40A that temporarily seals the small periphery part located on the opposite side of the fold line, and a sealing device 40B that temporarily seals the small periphery parts corresponding to the two sides connected to the fold line. In other words, in this embodiment, in the third step, one sealant 40A and two sealants 40B are used for each object 10 to be evaluated.

[0055] As shown in Figure 5(c), the sealing device 40A is configured to temporarily seal a portion of the peripheral edge (small peripheral edge) of the object to be evaluated 10 while supporting the object to be evaluated 10 in a folded state from below, unlike the sealing device 40B which cannot support the object to be evaluated 10 in a folded state from below. Specifically, one end of the sealing device 40A is a gripping portion that grips the object to which the sealing device 40A is applied (object to be evaluated 10), and the other end located on the opposite side of the first end is a flat portion having a predetermined area, and the flat portion can function as a base that supports the object to be evaluated from below using the flat portion as a mounting surface.

[0056] The deodorizing performance evaluation method of the present invention will be explained below, using the deodorizing performance evaluation kit containing the components shown in Figure 4 as an example, with reference to Figure 5.

[0057] First, as shown in Figure 5(a), the sealed container 23 (with the upper opening of the container body 21 closed by the lid 22) is opened, a predetermined amount of test liquid 20 is taken from the container 23 using a dropper 30, and the test liquid 20 is dropped onto the first surface 11 of each of the multiple objects to be evaluated 10 (10A, 10B) (first step). As mentioned above, the first surface 11 of the object to be evaluated corresponds to the skin contact surface of the absorbent articles 1,1Z that constitute the object to be evaluated 10, and in the case of object to be evaluated 10A, it corresponds to the skin contact surface 1a of the absorbent pad 1 (the surface on the surface sheet 2 side).

[0058] In the first step, the amount of test solution 20 applied to the object to be evaluated 10 is typically the same for multiple objects to be evaluated 10, but may be different. In the first step, the amount of test solution 20 applied to one object 10 under evaluation can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the type and content of odor components contained in the test solution 20, the type of object 10 under evaluation, etc., and is not particularly limited, but is usually preferably 1 to 5 g, more preferably 1.0 to 2.0 g. In this embodiment, as described above, the amount of test solution 20 applied per object under evaluation is set to 1.5 mL, and since the specific gravity of the test solution 20 is 1, 1.5 mL of test solution 20 corresponds to 1.5 g of test solution 20.

[0059] Next, as shown in Figure 5(b), the object to be evaluated 10 to which the test liquid 20 has been applied is folded with the first surface 11 (the surface to which the test liquid has been applied) facing inward (second step). As mentioned above, it is desirable that the first surface 11 of the object to be evaluated 10 in the folded state after the second step is not exposed, and in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5(c), this desirable folded state is achieved.

[0060] Next, the periphery of the folded object 10 to be evaluated is temporarily sealed (third step). The "temporary sealing" is as described above. In this embodiment, the temporary sealing is performed using sealing devices 40 (40A, 40B).

[0061] Next, the object to be evaluated 10 is left for a certain period of time after temporary sealing (the fourth step). Figure 5(c) shows the fourth step. The fourth step is carried out in an environment at room temperature and pressure, similar to the other steps in the deodorizing performance evaluation method of the present invention.

[0062] Typically, the object under evaluation 10 is odorless immediately after temporary sealing, but during the standing period of the object under evaluation 10 (during the execution of the fourth step), the odor derived from the test liquid 20 (the odor component) released from the object under evaluation 10 intensifies over time. The standing time of the object under evaluation 10 in the fourth step can be set from the start of the standing period of the object under evaluation 10 until a person in the vicinity of the object under evaluation 10 (for example, within 5 cm of the object under evaluation 10) perceives the odor released from the object under evaluation 10. The standing time varies depending on the composition of the test liquid 20, the amount of test liquid 20 applied to the object under evaluation 10, etc., but is typically within 10 minutes, which is a relatively short time.

[0063] Next, the odor-eliminating properties of the temporarily sealed object 10 are evaluated by smelling them (the fifth step). In other words, in the fifth step, instead of using various analytical instruments to evaluate the intensity of the odor of the temporarily sealed object 10, human sensory evaluation is employed. The odor-eliminating evaluation in the fifth step is a relative evaluation among multiple types of objects 10.

[0064] As described above, in this embodiment, the object to be evaluated 10 includes an object to be evaluated 10A derived from the absorbent pad 1 (the absorbent article to be evaluated for its deodorizing properties) containing a deodorant, and an object to be evaluated 10B derived from the absorbent article 1Z (the control product) that does not contain a deodorant. For example, if the result of the fifth step is that "the object to be evaluated 10A is odorless, or although the object to be evaluated 10A is not odorless, the odor of the object to be evaluated 10A is weaker than the odor of the object to be evaluated 10B," then the absorbent pad 1 is evaluated to have a deodorizing function against odor components in the test liquid 20. In that case, if the only structural difference between the object to be evaluated 10A (absorbent pad 1) and the object to be evaluated 10B (absorbent article 1Z) is the presence or absence of a deodorant, then the deodorizing function of the absorbent pad 1 can be considered to be due to the deodorant contained in the absorbent pad 1. On the other hand, if the result of the fifth step is that "the odor of the item under evaluation 10A is stronger than the odor of the item under evaluation 10B," then the absorbent pad 1 will be evaluated as not having a deodorizing function against the odor components in the test liquid 20. In that case, if the only structural difference between the item under evaluation 10A (absorbent pad 1) and the item under evaluation 10B (absorbent article 1Z) is the presence or absence of a deodorant, then it can be concluded that the deodorant contained in the absorbent pad 1 cannot impart a deodorizing function to the absorbent pad 1.

[0065] According to the deodorizing performance evaluation method of the present invention, as exemplified by the embodiments described above, the deodorizing properties of absorbent articles can be evaluated relatively easily and accurately. Specifically, in the odor elimination evaluation method of the present invention, for each of the multiple objects to be evaluated 10, a test liquid 20 is applied to the first surface 11, the object to be evaluated 10 is folded with the first surface 11 facing inward, and then the periphery of the folded object to be evaluated 10 is temporarily sealed (steps 1 to 3). This reduces the intensity of the odor caused by the test liquid 20 around each object to be evaluated 10 to zero (i.e., makes each object to be evaluated odorless). After a certain period of time has elapsed (after step 4), step 5 is performed so that a person can directly smell the odor of each object to be evaluated 10. Therefore, in step 5, a person can accurately evaluate whether or not each object to be evaluated 10 has an odor. In contrast, if, for example, the fifth step is performed after the first step without performing the second and third steps, that is, if the test liquid 20 is applied to the first surface 11 of the object to be evaluated 10, and then the first surface 11 is left exposed for a certain period of time before smelling the object to be evaluated 10, then, since the odor caused by the test liquid 20 is perceptible to humans immediately after the first step is performed around the object to be evaluated 10, even if the intensity of the odor of the object to be evaluated 10 at the time of the fifth step is increased compared to that immediately after the first step, there is a risk that humans will not be able to perceive the degree of that increase in odor, and in that case, the deodorizing properties of the absorbent material cannot be accurately evaluated. In particular, in product demonstrations of absorbent articles that feature deodorizing properties, it is common practice to conduct deodorizing tests on the absorbent article in front of general consumers who are not odor experts, and to have consumers directly smell the article after the deodorizing test. By applying the deodorizing performance evaluation method of the present invention to such product demonstrations, it is possible to effectively appeal to general consumers about the deodorizing function of the absorbent article during the demonstration. Moreover, each of the steps described above in the deodorizing performance evaluation method of the present invention does not require any special tools and is relatively easy to perform. In particular, the deodorizing performance evaluation method of the present invention can be carried out smoothly using the deodorizing performance evaluation kit described above.

[0066] One of the main features of the odor elimination evaluation method of the present invention is that, "after applying the test liquid 20 to the object to be evaluated 10, before smelling the object to be evaluated 10, the intensity of the odor caused by the test liquid 20 in the vicinity of the object to be evaluated 10 is temporarily reduced to zero," and the means to achieve this are the second and third steps.

[0067] From the viewpoint of more reliably achieving the aforementioned goal of "reducing the intensity of the odor caused by the test liquid 20 around the object to be evaluated 10 to zero," it is desirable that the object to be evaluated 10, in its folded state after the second step, does not have its first surface 11 (the surface to which the test liquid 20 is applied) exposed, as shown in Figure 5(c). To make this possible, it is preferable that the plan view shape of the object to be evaluated 10 is symmetrical.

[0068] From the same viewpoint as described above, in the object to be evaluated 10 in the state of being temporarily sealed after the third step, the ratio of the length of the circumferential total length L2 of the temporarily sealed portion (the portion in which two opposing parts of the object to be evaluated 10 are in close contact and can move toward and away from each other) in the non-folded portion to the total circumferential total length L1 of the portion of the peripheral edge of the object to be evaluated 10 other than the portion corresponding to the fold line (hereinafter also referred to as the "non-folded portion") in the non-folded portion (hereinafter also referred to as the "temporary sealing rate") is preferably 25% or more, and more preferably 50% or more. The temporary sealing rate may be 100%.

[0069] Taking the object to be evaluated 10 in a temporarily sealed state as shown in Figure 5(c), that is, the object to be evaluated 10 which is folded in half and has a rectangular shape in plan view, the non-folded line portion is the part of the periphery of the object to be evaluated 10 that corresponds to the three sides (the lower of the pair of upper and lower long sides, and the pair of left and right short sides) to which the sealing device 40 is attached. Here, in one embodiment of the object to be evaluated 10, the plan view shape before folding is a square with a side length of 8 cm, so the total length L1 is 16 (= 8 + 4 + 4) cm. Furthermore, in one embodiment of the object under evaluation 10, the length of the contact portion of the sealant 40A with the object under evaluation 10 along the direction of extension of one side (long side) of the object under evaluation 10 in contact with the sealant 40A is 4 cm, and the length of the contact portion of the sealant 40B with the object under evaluation 10 along the direction of extension of one side (short side) of the object under evaluation 10 in contact with the sealant 40B is 3 cm. Therefore, the total length L2 is 10 (= 4 + 3 + 3) cm. Consequently, the provisional sealing rate of the embodiment of the object under evaluation 10 is 62.5 [= (10 / 16) × 100]%. According to the inventors' studies, in one embodiment of the object under evaluation 10, when sealing device 40B was used instead of sealing device 40A, that is, when all sealing devices used in the object under evaluation 10 were sealing devices 40B, the provisional sealing rate was 53.1%. Also, in one embodiment of the object under evaluation 10, when commercially available paper clips were used instead of sealing devices 40A and 40B (double clips), the provisional sealing rate was 28.1%.

[0070] Although the present invention has been described above based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited in any way to the above embodiments and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0071] 1. Absorbent pad (absorbent material) 1a Skin contact surface of absorbent pad (absorbent item) 2. Surface sheet 3. Back sheet 4 Absorbent 10, 10A, 10B Items to be evaluated 1Z Absorbent article of the control product 11. The first surface of the object being evaluated (the surface corresponding to the skin contact surface of the absorbent article) 12. The second surface of the object being evaluated (the surface corresponding to the non-skin contact surface of the absorbent article) 13 Covering member 20 Test solution 30. Dropper (Method for handling test solution) 40,40A,40B Sealing tool

Claims

1. A method for evaluating the deodorizing properties of an absorbent article having a skin-contact surface that comes into contact with the skin during use and that absorbs bodily fluids through the skin-contact surface, The first step involves using multiple types of absorbent articles with different compositions as the objects to be evaluated, and applying a test solution containing odor components to the skin contact surface of each of these multiple objects to be evaluated. A second step involves folding the object to be evaluated, to which the test solution has been applied, with the skin contact surface facing inward. A third step involves temporarily sealing the periphery of the object to be evaluated in its folded state, A fourth step involves leaving the object to be evaluated for a certain period of time after the initial sealing, A method for evaluating the deodorizing properties of an absorbent article, comprising the fourth step of smelling the odor of the temporarily sealed article to evaluate its deodorizing properties after the fourth step.

2. The method for evaluating the deodorizing properties of an absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the temporary sealing is a process that causes opposing parts of the folded object to be evaluated to be in close contact with each other at the peripheral edge of the object to be evaluated so that they can be moved toward and away from each other.

3. The method for evaluating the deodorizing properties of an absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the object to be evaluated is a part cut out of the absorbent article, and the peripheral edge of the object to be evaluated is covered with a covering member.

4. The method for evaluating the deodorizing properties of an absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of items to be evaluated include the absorbent article having a deodorizing agent contained on the skin contact surface or inside the skin contact surface.

5. The method for evaluating the deodorizing properties of an absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of objects to be evaluated include an absorbent article whose outer surface located on the opposite side in the thickness direction from the skin contact surface is impermeable to liquid or has low liquid permeability.

6. The method for evaluating the deodorizing properties of an absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the test solution contains an odor component, an odorless solvent, and water.

7. A deodorizing evaluation kit for use in carrying out the deodorizing evaluation method for absorbent articles described in claim 1 or 2, A deodorizing performance evaluation kit comprising multiple objects to be evaluated, each consisting of several types of absorbent articles with different compositions; a test liquid containing odor components; and a sealing device for temporarily sealing the periphery of the objects to be evaluated in a folded state.

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