Urine collection pads, urine collection kit

Abstract

To provide a urine collection pad or kit that makes it easy to collect urine from individuals who have difficulty communicating about their urge to urinate. [Solution] The urine collection pad 1 comprises a storage member 10 and a holding member 20. The storage member 10 is a member capable of storing urine and has two opposing main surfaces 11. The holding member 20 is a member that holds the storage member 10. The holding member 20 has a poorly permeable layer 22. The poorly permeable layer 22 is a part that has lower liquid permeability than the storage member 10. The poorly permeable layer 22 also covers at least a part of one of the main surfaces of the storage member 10. The storage member 10 is removable from the poorly permeable layer 22.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a urine collection pad and a urine collection set including such a urine collection pad.

Background Art

[0002] When performing health management or treatment of a human or an animal other than a human such as a pet, urine may be collected in a certain amount for a urine test. Generally, when the subject of the urine test is a human, when collecting the urine, the person who is the subject of the urine test collects urine in a dedicated container by himself / herself, or an assistant collects the urine of the subject using a urine bottle as described in Patent Document 1 below. In the latter case, when the subject feels the urge to urinate, the subject notifies the assistant to that effect, and the assistant collects the urine of the subject using the urine bottle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, as described above, when an assistant collects the urine of the subject, when the subject of the urine test is an infant, a young child or a child, or a person having a disease or disorder including dementia, etc., the subject may not be able to convey his / her urge to urinate to the assistant. Further, when the subject of the urine test is an animal other than a human such as a pet, the animal often cannot convey its urge to urinate to an assistant including the owner, etc. Thus, when it is difficult for the subject of the urine test and the assistant to communicate about the urge to urinate, not only does the assistant need to wait for a long time for urine collection, but there is also a possibility of missing the timing of the subject's urination. Therefore, there has been room for improvement in urine collection for subjects for whom it is difficult to communicate about the urge to urinate.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a urine collection pad or urine collection kit that makes it easy to collect urine from subjects with whom it is difficult to communicate about the urge to urinate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The urine collection pad of the present invention comprises a storage member capable of storing urine and having two opposing main surfaces, and a holding member for holding the storage member, wherein the holding member has a low-permeability layer that covers at least a portion of one of the main surfaces of the storage member and has lower liquid permeability than the storage member, and the storage member is removable from the low-permeability layer.

[0007] When collecting urine from a subject for a urine test, the assistant can collect the urine by attaching a urine collection pad, which has a urine-retaining component, to the subject. Specifically, after a certain period of time has elapsed since the subject attached the urine collection pad, the assistant retrieves the urine collection pad from the subject. The assistant can then remove the urine-retaining component from the urine collection pad and recover the subject's urine from the component by compression or other means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] With the urine collection pad of the present invention, even if it is difficult for an assistant to determine the urge to urinate of the subject of a urine test, the assistant can collect a urine sample by attaching the urine collection pad to the subject. Therefore, the need for the assistant to wait for a long time to collect a urine sample is reduced, and the possibility of missing the timing of the subject's urination is also reduced. This makes it easier for assistants to collect urine from individuals who have difficulty communicating about their urge to urinate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the use of a urine collection pad according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]Figure 2(a) is a schematic plan view of the urine collection pad according to the first embodiment. Figure 2(b) is a schematic plan view of the urine collection pad according to the first embodiment as seen from below (back). [Figure 3] Figure 3(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the section along the dashed line shown in Figure 2(a), viewed in the direction of arrow IIIA-IIIA. Figure 3(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the section along the dashed line shown in Figure 2(a), viewed in the direction of arrow IIIB-IIIB. [Figure 4] Figure 4(a) is a schematic plan view of another example of a urine collection pad according to the first embodiment. Figure 4(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cross section along the dashed line shown in Figure 4(a) in the direction of arrow IVB-IVB. [Figure 5] Figures 5(a) to 5(d) are plan views of the storage member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6(a) is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the use of the positioning sheet according to the first embodiment. Figure 6(b) is a schematic plan view of the positioning sheet according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7(a) is an exploded perspective view of the extruder according to the first embodiment. Figure 7(b) is a cross-sectional view of the extruder according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8(a) is a schematic plan view of a urine collection pad according to the second embodiment. Figure 8(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cross section along the dashed line shown in Figure 8(a) in the direction of arrow VIIIB-VIIIB. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The various components of the urine collection pad and urine collection set of the present invention do not need to be independent entities; it is permissible for multiple components to be formed as a single member, for one component to be formed from multiple members, for one component to be part of another component, for a part of one component to overlap with a part of another component, and so on. In addition, when explaining the method of using the urine collection pad and the urine collection set of the present invention, it may be described using a plurality of steps described in order. However, the order of the description does not limit the order or timing of executing the plurality of steps. Therefore, when implementing the method of using the urine collection pad and the urine collection set of the present invention, the order of the plurality of steps can be changed within a range where there is no problem in content, and a part or all of the execution timings of the plurality of steps may overlap each other.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In each drawing, corresponding components are denoted by common reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. In the present embodiment, as shown in the drawings, the directions of front, rear, left, right, up, and down will be defined for explanation. However, this is defined for convenience to simply explain the relative relationship of the components, and does not limit the directions during the manufacturing or use of the product implementing the present invention. The up and down directions coincide with the thickness direction of the urine collection pad or the like, and the left and right directions coincide with the width direction of the urine collection pad or the like. In addition, the plane referred to in the present invention means a shape physically formed with a plane as the target, and of course, it does not necessarily have to be a geometrically perfect plane.

[0012] <First Embodiment> (Urine Collection Pad) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a urine collection pad 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] First, an overview of the urine collection pad 1 of the present embodiment will be described. The urine collection pad 1 has a storage member 10 and a holding member 20. The storage member 10 is a member capable of storing urine and has two opposing main surfaces 11 (a back surface 11a and a front surface 11b described later). The holding member 20 is a member that holds the storage member 10. The holding member 20 has a liquid-impermeable layer 22. The liquid-impermeable layer 22 is a part having lower liquid permeability than the storage member 10. Further, the liquid-impermeable layer 22 covers at least a part of one main surface (back surface 11a) of the storage member 10. The storage member 10 is removable from the gas-barrier layer 22. When it is desired to collect urine from the subject of the urine test, the assistant can collect urine by attaching a urine collection pad having a storage member capable of storing urine to the subject. Specifically, after a certain period of time has elapsed since the subject of the urine test has worn the urine collection pad, the assistant collects the urine collection pad from the subject. The assistant can remove the storage member from the urine collection pad and collect the subject's urine from the storage member by compression or the like. Thus, according to the urine collection pad having the above-described configuration, the assistant can collect urine from the subject even when it is difficult to grasp the urge to urinate of the subject of the urine test. Therefore, it is not necessary for the assistant to wait for a long time for urine collection, and the possibility of missing the subject's urination timing is also reduced. Thereby, the assistant can easily collect urine from a subject with whom it is difficult to communicate about the urge to urinate. In addition, compared with the case of using a urine bottle or the like, since urine is collected after the subject of the urine test has urinated, the number of times or the time for the assistant to touch the subject's urine is likely to be short. Thereby, the psychological burden on the assistant in urine collection can be reduced.

[0014] Next, the urine collection pad 1 of the present embodiment will be described in detail. The urine collection pad 1 is an item placed on the subject's body to collect their urine. In this embodiment, the urine collection pad 1 is placed on the subject's body so as to cover the subject's urethral opening. That is, the urine collection pad 1 is placed on the subject's body so as to overlap with the subject's urethral opening in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface (surface 11b) of the urine collection pad 1 (the normal direction of the upper surface). In this embodiment, the subject of the urine test is a person or non-human animal that has difficulty or may have difficulty communicating about the urge to urinate. This subject may include infants, toddlers, children, or persons with illnesses or disabilities, including dementia. In addition, healthy infants, toddlers, or adults, including the elderly, may also be subjects. The urine collection pad 1 in this embodiment can be used regardless of gender, but may be provided as a women's urine collection pad mainly for use by women. Furthermore, the subject of the urine test may be an animal other than a human. Examples of subjects for urine testing include mammals such as dogs or cats. In other words, examples of animals that can be included in urine tests are those kept as pets or raised as livestock. In this embodiment, the urine collection pad 1 is an item used by directly attaching it to a diaper or a urine collection pad (diaper pad) used by attaching it to a diaper. More specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the urine collection pad 1 in this embodiment is used by attaching it to the inner surface (main surface facing the body side of the subject) of the diaper pad 30. That is, the urine collection pad 1 is attached to the diaper pad 30 so that the attachment area 28, which will be described later, faces the inner surface of the diaper pad 30. As a result, the impermeable layer 22 is positioned on the body side of the subject (hereinafter simply referred to as the subject side) of the inner surface of the diaper pad 30, and the storage member 10 is positioned even further towards the subject side than the impermeable layer 22. Alternatively, the urine collection pad 1 may be a diaper or the diaper pad itself. For example, the containment member 20a, described later, may function as a diaper covering the subject's buttocks, and the storage member 10, described later, may be detachably held in the diaper.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the urine collection pad 1 of this embodiment extends in the front-to-back direction. Specifically, in this embodiment, the urine collection pad 1 is a sheet-like article that extends in the front-to-back direction and the left-to-right direction. More specifically, the vertical dimension (thickness dimension) of the urine collection pad 1 is sufficiently smaller than the dimensions of the urine collection pad 1 in the front-to-back direction and the left-to-right direction, respectively. In this embodiment, the urine collection pad 1 is elongated in the front-to-back direction. That is, the dimensions of the urine collection pad 1 in the front-to-back direction are larger than the dimensions of the urine collection pad 1 in the left-to-right direction. Even if the urine collection pad 1 is elongated in the front-to-back direction, or if the dimensions of the urine collection pad 1 in the front-to-back direction are the same as the dimensions of the urine collection pad 1 in the left-to-right direction, the urine collection pad 1 can still be said to extend in the front-to-back direction. The urine collection pad 1 is attached to the diaper pad 30 so that the front-to-back direction of the urine collection pad 1 coincides with the front-to-back direction of the subject.

[0016] The storage member 10 is a member that stores urine. Specifically, the storage member 10 is an absorbent member that can absorb urine, and the absorbed urine is held inside the storage member 10. The storage member 10 is capable of holding at least a portion (only a portion, or all) of the excreted urine. Preferably, the storage member 10 can hold 5 mL or more of urine, more preferably 10 mL or more, and even more preferably 20 mL or more. Furthermore, the amount of urine that the storage member 10 can hold is preferably 300 mL or less, more preferably 200 mL or less, and even more preferably 100 mL or less. Furthermore, it is preferable that the storage member 10 is capable of retaining the excreted urine in a liquid state. For this reason, it is preferable that the storage member 10 substantially does not contain a coagulant for coagulating the urine. In other words, it is preferable that the urine held in the storage member 10 does not substantially undergo any changes in physical properties, including gelation or solification to an extent that would interfere with urine testing. The storage member 10 in this embodiment is a fibrous member formed from a fibrous material, as will be described later. The fibrous material may be composed of natural fibers or chemical fibers. In this embodiment, the storage member 10 is made of cotton material, more specifically, absorbent cotton. The storage member 10 is capable of absorbing urine from its outer surface. In particular, the storage member 10 in this embodiment is capable of absorbing urine from its surface 11b. Alternatively, the storage member 10 may be made of another fibrous material.

[0017] The thickness dimension (vertical dimension) of the storage member 10 in its natural state is 1 cm or more, preferably 1.5 cm or more. The natural state is the state before absorbing liquid such as urine and without applying stress. This allows the storage member 10 to hold a sufficient amount of urine. Alternatively, the thickness dimension of the storage member 10 in its natural state is 3.5 cm or less, preferably 2.5 cm or less. This prevents the thickness dimension of the urine collection pad 1 from becoming excessively large, and ensures good comfort for the person wearing the urine collection pad 1. The volume of the storage member 10 in its natural state is 100 cm³. 3 Preferably, it should be 150cm or more. 3 It is even more preferable that the above conditions are met. Furthermore, the volume of the storage member 10 in its natural state is 350 cm³. 3 Preferably, it is 250cm 3 The following is even more preferable: In this embodiment, the dimensions of the storage member 10 in the front-to-back direction are approximately 15 cm. Also, the dimensions of the storage member 10 in the left-to-right direction are approximately 8 cm.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the storage member 10 is a sheet-like member having a surface 11b and a back surface 11a. In Figure 1, the main surface 11 facing upward is the surface 11b, and the main surface 11 facing downward is the back surface 11a. As shown in Figure 2(a), the storage member 10 of this embodiment has an elongated shape in the front-to-back direction when viewed from above. More specifically, the shape of the storage member 10 in a plan view is a substantially rectangular shape with the front-to-back direction as its longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the corners of the storage member 10 in a plan view are rounded. Alternatively, the shape of the storage member 10 in a plan view may be a circular shape (elliptical with the front-to-back direction as its longitudinal direction), a polygon, or other irregular shapes.

[0019] In this embodiment, the storage member 10 has a flat main surface 11 (particularly the surface 11b), but is not limited to this. The surface 11b of the storage member 10 may have an uneven shape. For example, the surface 11b of the storage member 10 may have a shape such that the central part in the left-right direction protrudes outward from both ends in the left-right direction. In other words, in a cross-section along the left-right direction of the storage member 10, the surface 11b of the storage member 10 may have a mountain shape. This allows the storage member 10 (urine collection pad 1) to make good contact with the urethral opening of the subject when the person collecting the urine is female, thereby suppressing urine leakage or allowing urine to be efficiently absorbed by the storage member 10, and enabling good urine collection.

[0020] The retaining member 20 is a member capable of holding the storage member 10. When we say that the retaining member 20 holds the storage member 10, we mean that the retaining member 20 is able to maintain the position of the storage member 10 at a predetermined position relative to the retaining member 20. More specifically, the storage member 10 is fixed to the retaining member 20. In this embodiment, the holding member 20 is a storage member 20a that has a bag-shaped member 21 as described later, and holds the storage member 10 by housing the storage member 10 inside the bag-shaped member 21. Alternatively, the holding member 20 may hold the storage member 10 by other means. For example, as will be explained in the modified example described later, the holding member 20 may hold the storage member 10 by adhesion (stickiness). Or, the holding member 20 may hold the storage member 10 by the engagement of the outer surface of the storage member 10 with the outer surface of the holding member 20.

[0021] The retaining member 20 includes a low-permeability layer 22. The low-permeability layer 22 is a member with lower liquid permeability than the storage member 10. Specifically, the low-permeability layer 22 is composed of a material (low-permeability material) with lower liquid permeability than the storage member 10. Examples of low-permeability materials include resins such as polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene. As shown in Figures 2(b), 3(a), and 3(b), the impermeable layer 22 is a sheet-like member. The impermeable layer 22 is positioned below the back surface 11a of the storage member 10, and prevents the urine held in the storage member 10 from coming into contact with the diaper or diaper pad 30 and being adsorbed onto the diaper or diaper pad 30.

[0022] The impermeable layer 22 covers at least a portion of the back surface 11a of the storage member 10. Specifically, at least a portion of the impermeable layer 22 overlaps with at least a portion of the back surface 11a of the storage member 10 in the vertical direction. The fact that the impermeable layer 22 covers at least a portion of the back surface 11a of the storage member 10 means that, even if another member is placed between the impermeable layer 22 and the back surface 11a of the storage member 10, or even if no other member is placed between them, at least a portion of the impermeable layer 22 is placed below at least a portion of the back surface 11a of the storage member 10 and overlaps with at least a portion of that back surface 11a in the vertical direction. For example, in this embodiment, the back surface 11a of the storage member 10 is covered by a bag-shaped member 21 (described later) and then further covered by the impermeable layer 22. Alternatively, the back surface 11a of the storage member 10 may be directly covered by the impermeable layer 22. In this embodiment, the shape of the opaque layer 22 when viewed from above is slightly larger in dimensions than the storage member 10 when viewed from above, and a portion of the opaque layer 22 covers the entire back surface 11a of the storage member 10. In this embodiment, the shape of the opaque layer 22 when viewed from above is substantially the same as the shape of the bag-shaped member 21 when viewed from above, as described later.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2(b), the lower surface of the opaque layer 22 in this embodiment includes an adhesive area 28. An adhesive (not shown) is applied to this adhesive area. In other words, the main surface of the opaque layer 22 facing the diaper pad 30 (see Figure 1) includes an adhesive area 28 to which the adhesive is applied. In this embodiment, the adhesive area 28 is covered by a release sheet 26. The surface of the release sheet 26 facing the adhesive area 28 is coated with a coating agent and formed to be smooth, allowing it to be easily peeled off from the adhesive area 28. By peeling off the release sheet 26 to expose the adhesive area 28 and adhering the adhesive area 28 to the diaper pad 30, the urine collection pad 1 can be attached to the diaper pad 30.

[0024] In this embodiment, the impermeable layer 22 is a water-impermeable and non-porous sheet, and is attached to the lower surface of a separate bag-shaped member 21, which will be described later. The impermeable layer 22 in this embodiment is fixed to the bag-shaped member 21 by adhesive, heat-sealing, or other suitable method. Alternatively, the impermeable layer 22 may constitute a part of the bag-shaped member 21 described later. For example, the impermeable layer 22 may constitute the lower part of the bag-shaped member 21. Specifically, the bag-shaped member 21 may be composed of a fibrous material covering the surface 11b and sides of the storage member 10 and an impermeable layer 22 covering the back surface 11a of the storage member 10. The impermeable layer 22 and the fibrous material may be connected to each other by adhesive or adhesive tape or by other means. For example, a part of the fibrous material covering the surface 11b and sides of the storage member 10 may extend to the periphery of the back surface 11a and cover the periphery, and the fibrous material and the impermeable layer 22 may be bonded together at the periphery of the back surface 11a by adhesive tape (tape with adhesive applied to both sides).

[0025] As described above, the storage member 10 is removable from the impermeable layer 22. The statement that the storage member 10 is removable from the impermeable layer 22 means that the urine collection pad 1 has a structure (separation means) that allows the storage member 10 to be easily separated from the impermeable layer 22. The storage member 10 may be directly attached to the impermeable layer 22 and removed directly from the impermeable layer 22. Alternatively, the storage member 10 may be indirectly attached to the impermeable layer 22 via other members and removed from the impermeable layer 22 together with the other members, or removed indirectly from the impermeable layer 22 by being removed from the other members. Here, the statement that the storage member 10 can be easily separated from the impermeable layer 22 means that the storage member 10 and the impermeable layer 22 can be separated without causing any damage that is not intended in the design. Here, as a structure (separation means) that allows the storage member 10 to be easily separated from the impermeable layer 22, it is exemplified that the holding member 20 has an opening 24 from which the storage member 10 can be removed, as will be described later. Alternatively, as such a structure, it is exemplified that part or all of the storage member 10 is exposed from the holding member 20. The part of the storage member 10 is preferably one-quarter or more of the total volume of the storage member 10, and more preferably one-half or more of the total volume of the storage member 10. For example, in the second embodiment described later, most of the storage member 10 is exposed from the holding member 20. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the surface of the storage member 10 has a smooth surface portion 11a1, making it peelable from the adhesive layer 22b, and the storage member 10 is designed to be easily separated from the impermeable layer 22. Other structures may be used to allow the storage member 10 to be easily separated from the impermeable layer 22. For example, even if the storage member 20a that houses the storage member 10 does not have an opening 24 from which the storage member 10 can be removed, the storage member 20a may be perforated so that it can be easily torn open and the storage member 10 can be removed. Such perforations are break lines intended in the design.

[0026] Next, the method of using the urine collection pad 1 of this embodiment will be described. The urine collection pad 1 is attached to the upper surface of the diaper pad 30, as shown in Figure 1, and is worn together with the pad 30 on the person receiving the urine sample. The person receiving the sample may wear the pad themselves, or an assistant may assist in the process. The assistant retrieves the storage member 10 after a certain period of time has elapsed since its attachment. Specifically, the diaper pad 30 is removed from the person collecting the urine, and the urine collection pad 1 is removed from the person along with the diaper pad 30. The assistant removes the storage member 10 from the urine collection pad 1 using an instrument such as tweezers or by hand, and collects the urine that was stored in the storage member 10 into a container or the like. The urine thus collected can be used for urine testing.

[0027] In this embodiment, the storage member 10 is filled into an extruder 50 (see Figure 7), which will be described later, and the urine stored in the storage member 10 is recovered by compression using the extruder 50. More specifically, the storage member 10 is removed from the holding member 20, folded with an instrument such as tweezers or by hand, and filled into the extruder. In this embodiment, the storage member 10 is folded along the center line of the storage member 10 in the left-right direction (the dashed line X shown in Figure 2). By folding the storage member 10 along the valley fold line along the front-back direction in this way, the storage member 10 can be removed from the storage member 20a while being folded, and the storage member 10 can be recovered efficiently. The method for recovering urine from the storage member 10 is not limited to the method described above. For example, the extruder 50 described later can be replaced with a general syringe (for example, a syringe with a capacity of 100 mL). Furthermore, it is not necessary to use the extruder 50 or a syringe to compress the storage member 10 and recover the urine. For example, the storage member 10 may be sealed in a predetermined bag, and the urine may be recovered by compressing the storage member 10 from above the bag with one's hand or an instrument. In this case, it is more preferable that the predetermined bag (for example, the bottom of the bag) has an opening for recovering the urine into a separate container.

[0028] In this embodiment, the holding member 20 is a housing member 20a that houses and holds the storage member 10. The housing member 20a (holding member 20) further has an opening 24 that connects the inside and outside of the housing member 20a (holding member 20). In the urine collection pad 1 of this embodiment, the storage member 10 can be removed from the housing member 20a through the opening 24. As a result, the storage member 10 of this embodiment can be removed from the impermeable layer 22. Because the storage member 10 is housed inside the containment member 20a in this manner, displacement of the storage member 10 relative to the containment member 20a during the manufacturing process or use is effectively suppressed. Furthermore, by housing the storage member 10 in the containment member 20a with an opening 24, the storage member 10 is held securely in the containment member 20a, while the storage member 10 can be easily removed from the containment member 20a through the opening 24 when needed.

[0029] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3(a), in this embodiment, the storage member 20a (particularly the bag-shaped member 21 described later) has an internal space. The storage member 10 being housed in the storage member 20a means that at least a portion of the storage member 10 is placed in the internal space of the storage member 20a. More specifically, as shown in Figure 3(b), the storage member 20a has a bag-shaped member 21. The bag-shaped member 21 defines the internal space by integrally enclosing the left, right, top, and bottom sides of the storage member 10. Also, as shown in Figure 3(a), the bag-shaped member 21 covers the rear end of the storage member 10, and the internal space is closed off at the rear end.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2(a), the opening 24 connects the internal space of the housing member 20a to the outside of the housing member 20a. The opening 24 only needs to have a shape and dimensions that allow the storage member 10 to be removed from the housing member 20a through the opening 24, as will be described later. The internal space of the housing member 20a and the outside of the housing member 20a being connected through the opening 24 means that, regardless of the presence or absence of the storage member 10, the internal space of the housing member 20a is adjacent to the outside of the housing member 20a through the opening 24. In this embodiment, the bag-shaped member 21 is open at the front, and the internal space of the bag-shaped member 21 communicates with the outside at the front. That is, the opening 24 is provided at the front of the housing member 20a (bag-shaped member 21). Alternatively, the opening 24 may be provided at the rear of the housing member 20a, or at the center in the front-to-back direction. Or, the opening 24 may be provided on the side of the housing member 20a (the left or right end). Furthermore, it is preferable that the opening width of the opening 24 (the dimension of the opening 24 in the longitudinal direction of the opening 24) is greater than half the width dimension of the storage member 10 (the dimension of the storage member 10 in the left-right direction). More preferably, the opening width of the opening 24 is greater than the width dimension of the storage member 10. In this embodiment, the opening 24 opens in the left-right and up-down directions, and the opening width of the opening 24 is the dimension of the opening 24 in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the opening width of the opening 24 is greater than half the width dimension of the storage member 10 and greater than the width dimension of the storage member 10. Due to this dimensional relationship, the storage member 10 can be removed from the storage member 20a through the opening 24, as will be described later.

[0031] In the containment member 20a, the surface facing upward (the surface in the containment member 20a that comes into contact with the person from whom the urine sample is collected) is preferably made of a material with high liquid permeability (at least a material with higher liquid permeability than the poorly permeable layer 22). This is to allow the urine to pass through the containment member 20a and be absorbed into the storage member 10. Furthermore, it is preferable that the surface facing upward in the containment member 20a is made of a fibrous material. By making this surface of a fibrous material, skin irritation of the user is suppressed. The fibrous material constituting this surface may be natural fibers or chemical fibers (synthetic fibers). In this embodiment, 20a is made of nonwoven fabric.

[0032] In this embodiment, the storage member 20a includes a bottomed bag-shaped member with a closed rear end as described above, and the storage member 10 is housed in the bag-shaped member, but is not limited to this. The containment member 20a includes a cylindrical member with openings at its rear and front ends, and the storage member 10 may be housed within this cylindrical member. That is, the internal space of the containment member 20a may be in communication with the outside at its front and rear ends. This makes it easier to house the storage member 10 in the containment member 20a during manufacturing. Alternatively, this makes it easier to adjust the position of the storage member 10 within the containment member 20a when using the urine collection pad 1.

[0033] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3(a), one end (front end 12 or rear end), which is a part of one end of the storage member 10 in the front-rear direction, is exposed from the housing member 20a. Specifically, at least a part of the surface of the said end of the storage member 10 is exposed from the housing member 20a. Because a part of the storage member 10 is exposed from the housing member 20a, the storage member 10 can be easily removed from the housing member 20a. In this embodiment, the part on one end is the part on the front end side (front end portion 12), but it may also be the part on the rear end side (rear end portion 14). In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3(a), at least a portion of the front end of the surface 11b of the storage member 10 is exposed from the housing member 20a. More specifically, as shown in Figure 2(a), the entire front end of the surface 11b of the storage member 10 is exposed from the housing member 20a. In other words, the front end portion 12 of the storage member 10 is exposed from the housing member 20a across its entire width. Alternatively, a portion of the front end of the back surface 11a of the storage member 10 may be exposed from the containment member 20a.

[0034] More specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3(a), a portion of one end of the back surface 11a (either a portion of the front end or a portion of the rear end) is covered by the opaque layer 22. On the other hand, a portion of the same end of the front surface 11b is exposed from the housing member 20a. In this embodiment, the part on one end is a part on the front end (front end portion 12), but it may also be a part on the rear end (rear end portion 14). In this embodiment, a portion of the front end area of ​​the back surface 11a of the storage member 10 is covered by the impermeable layer 22. Specifically, the entire back surface 11a of the storage member 10 is covered by the impermeable layer 22. More specifically, in this embodiment, the impermeable layer 22 has a shape and dimensions that are slightly larger than the back surface 11a of the storage member 10, thereby covering the entire back surface 11a of the storage member 10. Alternatively, the outer edge of the impermeable layer 22 and the outer edge of the back surface 11a of the storage member 10 may substantially coincide when viewed in the vertical direction, and the impermeable layer 22 may have substantially the same shape and dimensions as the back surface 11a of the storage member 10. In this embodiment, a portion of the front end of the surface 11b of the storage member 10 is exposed from the containment member 20a. In other words, the front end portion 12 of the storage member 10 protrudes forward in the front-rear direction more than the portion of the containment member 20a that covers the upper side of the storage member 10.

[0035] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4(a), a portion of one end (a portion of the front end) of the back surface 11a of the storage member 10 may be exposed from the impermeable layer 22, and a portion of the same end (a portion of the front end) of the surface 11b of the storage member 10 may also be exposed from the containment member 20a. In other words, as shown in Figure 4(b), one end (front end 12) of the storage member 10 may protrude forward from the opening 24 of the containment member 20a. That is, the storage member 10 may be arranged both inside and outside the containment member 20a so as to pass through the opening 24. With the above configuration, the back surface of the storage member 10 can directly contact the surface of the diaper pad 30. As a result, if an amount of urine that cannot be held by the storage member 10 is discharged, some of the urine can be absorbed by the diaper pad 30 via a portion of the front end of the back surface 11a of the storage member 10. As a result, unexpected urine leakage from diaper pads 30, etc., is suppressed.

[0036] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2(a), the width dimensions (dimensions in the left-right direction) of both ends (front end 12 and rear end 14) of the storage member 10 in the front-rear direction gradually decrease toward each end. When removing the storage member 10 containing liquid urine, the absence of corners at the front and rear ends of the storage member 10 prevents dripping (urine dripping) from starting at these corners. This allows for more hygienic urine collection, or reduces urine loss. Furthermore, because the width dimensions of both ends of the storage member 10 gradually decrease toward each end, it is easy to fill the storage member 10 into an extruder 50 or the like, or to house the storage member 10 in the storage member 20a. Specifically, in this embodiment, the width dimension of the front end 12 of the storage member 10 gradually decreases toward the front end, and the width dimension of the rear end 14 of the storage member 10 gradually decreases toward the rear end. More specifically, the storage member 10 has a rectangular shape in plan view, but the corners of the rectangular shape are rounded, so the width dimensions of both ends of the storage member 10 gradually decrease toward each end. Alternatively, the shape of the storage member 10 in plan view may be elliptical, so the width dimensions of both ends of the storage member 10 gradually decrease toward each end.

[0037] In this embodiment, the storage member 10 is a fiber member in which fibers are arranged along the fiber direction. In this embodiment, the fiber direction is along the front-to-back direction. In this embodiment, the storage member 10 is a fiber member formed by the entanglement of multiple fibers. The fiber direction of the fiber member is the direction in which the multiple fibers extend exclusively. Specifically, the average of the directions in which the multiple fibers extend is the fiber direction of the fiber member. The fiber member is stronger in tension in the fiber direction than in tension in a direction perpendicular to the fiber direction. Furthermore, it is easier to split the fiber member along the fiber direction than to split it along a direction intersecting the fiber direction. As the fiber direction is in the front-to-back direction, the storage member 10 can be easily folded along the fold line in the front-to-back direction, as described above. Therefore, the storage member 10 can be easily removed from the containment member 20a, folded, and filled into the extruder 50 or the like. Alternatively, because the fiber direction is in the front-to-back direction, the urine absorbed by the storage member 10 can easily seep out along the fiber direction. Therefore, since the urine seeps out mainly from the front or rear end of the storage member 10, urine can be easily collected. Alternatively, because the fiber direction is in the front-to-back direction, deformation of the storage member 10 due to being pulled in the front-to-back direction when the storage member 10 is pulled forward and removed from the front end of the containment member 20a can be effectively suppressed.

[0038] Alternatively, the fiber direction may be in a direction intersecting the front-to-back direction (a direction oblique to the front-to-back direction or in the width direction). This allows the storage member 10 to be sufficiently compressed when it is filled into the extruder 50 (described later) and compressed, enabling efficient urine collection. The storage member 10, being a fibrous material, is more easily folded and compressed along fold lines parallel to the fiber direction than in a direction intersecting the fiber direction. The fiber direction intersecting the front-to-back direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the storage member 10, allows the storage member 10 to be sufficiently compressed in the front-to-back direction. Alternatively, the fiber direction intersecting the front-to-back direction allows the storage member 10 to maintain a flat state even when the urine collection pad 1 is compressed by stress from the outside in the width direction when the subject closes both legs. As a result, the storage member 10 can easily maintain a state covering the subject's urethral opening, and the storage member 10 can absorb (collect) urine efficiently.

[0039] In this embodiment, the bending stiffness of at least a portion of the peripheral portion 16 of the storage member 10 when viewed from above is greater than the bending stiffness of the central portion 18 of the storage member 10 when viewed from above. In any region of the peripheral portion 16 of the storage member 10, the bending stiffness of that region may be greater than the bending stiffness of the central portion 18 of the storage member 10, or only a portion of the peripheral portion 16 of the storage member 10 may have a bending stiffness greater than the bending stiffness of the central portion 18 of the storage member 10. As a result of the high bending rigidity of at least a portion of the peripheral edge 16, the storage member 10 can be easily removed from the holding member 20 (storage member 20a) or stored in an extruder or the like, as described later. This is because the portion or vicinity of the part with high bending rigidity is less likely to bend even when grasped with tweezers or by hand, making it easy to grasp or fold the storage member 10.

[0040] In a plan view, the peripheral portion 16 of the storage member 10 is the outer edge of the storage member 10 and a part of its vicinity in a plan view. Specifically, in Figure 2(a), regions B, C, D, and E, indicated by the dashed-dotted line, are the peripheral portion 16 of the storage member 10. Furthermore, in a plan view, the central portion 18 of the storage member 10 is the region on the interior side of the storage member 10 (towards the center of the storage member 10 in a plan view) than the peripheral portion 16. Specifically, in Figure 2(a), region A, indicated by the dashed-dotted line, is the central portion 18 of the storage member 10.

[0041] Bending rigidity refers to the resistance to deformation of the peripheral portion 16 or central portion 18 when a load is applied to the peripheral portion 16 or central portion 18 with a hand or a tool such as tweezers, causing the peripheral portion 16 or central portion 18 to bend. More specifically, the bending stiffness of the peripheral portion 16 is the bending stiffness of the peripheral portion 16 with respect to its extension direction. For example, the bending stiffness of region C of the peripheral portion 16 (a part of the peripheral portion 16 on the right side that extends in the front-rear direction) is the resistance to deformation when a stress is applied that causes region C to bend in the front-rear direction. The bending stiffness of region B of the peripheral portion 16 (a part of the peripheral portion 16 on the front side that extends in the left-right direction) is the resistance to deformation when a stress is applied that causes region B to bend in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the bending stiffness of the central portion 18 is the bending stiffness in the front-to-back direction or the left-to-right direction. More specifically, the bending stiffness of the central portion 18 is the bending stiffness in the same direction as a part of the peripheral portion 16 being compared.

[0042] In this embodiment, the storage member 10 has a connecting region 13 (not shown in Figure 2(a); see Figure 5(a)) at its peripheral edge 16. As a result, the bending rigidity of the connecting region and the surrounding region is increased, and the bending rigidity of at least a part of the peripheral edge 16 of the storage member 10 is greater than the bending rigidity of the central part 18 of the storage member 10. The connecting region is a region in which multiple fibrous materials constituting the storage member 10 are connected to each other in the vertical direction. Specifically, a crimped region is exemplified as the connecting region 13, which is a region compressed from both the vertical and horizontal directions. More specifically, the crimped region is a region in the storage member 10 that is compressed by applying heat from both the vertical and horizontal directions (a heat-compressed region). For example, in a storage member 10 composed of multiple layers of fibrous material stacked on top of each other, the multiple layers of fibrous material are connected vertically in the connecting region 13 (crimped region) of the storage member 10 by heat compression. The thickness dimension of the crimped region is smaller than the thickness dimension of the region outside the crimped region, and the density of the crimped region is larger than the density of the region outside the crimped region. Furthermore, an adhesive bonding region is exemplified as a connecting region 13. Specifically, in a storage member 10 composed of multiple layers of fibrous material stacked on top of each other, the multiple fibrous materials are connected to each other in the vertical direction by adhesive bonding in the bonding region. Because the rigidity of the adhesive is higher than the rigidity of the storage member 10, the bending rigidity of the bonding region is increased. Furthermore, as a connecting region 13, a sutured region is exemplified, which is compressed from both the upper and lower sides by a thread-like material through sutures. Specifically, the storage member 10 is composed of multiple layers of fibrous material stacked on top of each other, and these multiple layers of fibrous material are sewn together with a thread-like material such as thread or metal wire, and compressed and connected from both the upper and lower sides. The thickness dimension of the sutured region (especially the overall thickness dimension of the fibrous material) is smaller than the thickness dimension of the region other than the sutured region, and the density of the sutured region (especially the density of the fibrous material portion) is larger than the density of the region other than the sutured region.

[0043] Alternatively, in a different configuration, the bending rigidity of at least a portion of the peripheral portion 16 of the storage member 10 may be greater than that of the central portion 18 of the storage member 10. For example, at least a portion of the peripheral portion 16 of the storage member 10 may be reinforced by another member. Specifically, at least a portion of the peripheral portion 16 of the storage member 10 may be reinforced by tape or seams, etc. Alternatively, the peripheral portion 16 of the storage member 10 and the central portion 18 of the storage member 10 may be formed of different materials or different compositions, and the bending rigidity of the peripheral portion 16 and the central portion 18 of the storage member 10 may differ. Or, the peripheral portion 16 of the storage member 10 may be configured to have a larger thickness than the central portion 18.

[0044] Furthermore, as will be explained below, the bending rigidity of a part of the peripheral edge 16 of the storage member 10 may differ from that of another part of the peripheral edge 16. This allows for good control of urine collection from the storage member 10, as will be explained separately. Alternatively, this makes it easier to fold the storage member 10 into a desired shape. In this case, the bending rigidity of at least a portion of the peripheral portion 16 of the storage member 10 may be greater than or equal to that of the central portion 18, as described above.

[0045] Specifically, in the direction of rotation around the peripheral edge 16 of the storage member 10 (referred to as the rotational direction), the peripheral edge 16 of the storage member 10 may alternately have a first region with high bending rigidity and a second region with lower bending rigidity than the first region. For example, as shown in Figure 5(a), a plurality of connecting regions 13 are formed on the peripheral edge 16 of the storage member 10. In the circumferential direction, these multiple connecting regions 13 are spaced apart from each other. In Figure 5(a), the bending stiffness of the connecting regions 13 is high, and the bending stiffness of the region sandwiched between the connecting regions 13 (unconnected region) in the circumferential direction is lower than that of the connecting regions 13. As described above, the peripheral portion 16 has high bending rigidity overall because a region with high bending rigidity (connecting region 13) is arranged throughout the peripheral portion 16. Therefore, it is easy to fold the storage member 10 into the desired shape by grasping the peripheral portion 16 with your hand or with a tool such as tweezers. On the other hand, because the peripheral portion 16 of the storage member 10 includes an unconnected region, when the storage member 10 is compressed, urine can seep out well from a part of the end face of the storage member 10 near the unconnected region. This is because leaving a region that is not connected in the vertical direction in the peripheral portion 16 ensures a path for the urine absorbed in the central portion 18 of the storage member 10 to move to the end face of the storage member 10. As a result, urine can be recovered well from the storage member 10.

[0046] Alternatively, the bending rigidity of the second end 16b may be greater than that of the first end 16a. In this embodiment, the peripheral edge 16 includes the first end 16a and the second end 16b. The first end 16a is a part of the peripheral edge 16 that includes one end (front or rear) of the storage member 10 in the front-rear direction. That is, the first end 16a is regions B and D in Figure 2(a). The second end 16b is a part of the peripheral edge 16 that includes one end (either the left or right side) of the storage member 10 in the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The second end 16b is regions C and E in Figure 2(a). By increasing the bending rigidity of the second end 16b and decreasing the bending rigidity of the first end 16a, the storage member 10 can be easily folded along the fold line in the front-rear direction, as described above. It is preferable that the bending stiffness of each of the second end portions 16b located on both sides in the left-right direction is greater than the bending stiffness of one or both of the first end portions 16a located on both sides in the front-rear direction. More specifically, as shown in Figure 5(b), each of the second end portions 16b located on both sides in the left-right direction may be designated as a connecting region 13, and each of the first end portions 16a located on both sides in the front-rear direction may be designated as a non-connecting region. This makes it possible to increase the bending stiffness of the second end portion 16b while decreasing the bending stiffness of the first end portion 16a. More specifically, the bending stiffness of each of the second end portions 16b located on both sides in the left-right direction can be made greater than the bending stiffness of any of the first end portions 16a located on both sides in the front-rear direction. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 5(c), the second ends 16b located on both sides in the left-right direction and the rear first end 16a2 may be designated as connecting regions 13, while the front first end 16a1 may be designated as a non-compression region. In this case, the bending stiffness of each of the second ends 16b located on both sides in the left-right direction is greater than the bending stiffness of the front first end 16a1. Furthermore, as described above, by making the first end 16a (the first end 16a on both sides in the front-rear direction, or the front first end 16a1) an unconnected region, urine can be collected effectively from the vicinity of the unconnected region.

[0047] Alternatively, the bending stiffness of the first end 16a may be greater than that of the second end 16b. This ensures that when the storage member 10 is compressed in the front-rear direction, the storage member 10 is sufficiently compressed, allowing for good urine collection. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5(d), each of the first end 16a located on both sides in the front-rear direction may be designated as a connecting region 13, and each of the second end 16b located on both sides in the left-right direction, as well as the rear first end 16a2, may be designated as a non-connecting region.

[0048] Alternatively, the peripheral edge 16 of the storage member 10 may have a constant bending rigidity throughout its entire area. For example, a connecting region 13 continuous in the circumferential direction may be formed in the peripheral edge 16. Or, the entire area of ​​the peripheral edge 16 may be a non-connecting region.

[0049] (Urine collection kit) The urine collection pad 1 may be provided as a urine collection set together with other items described later. A urine collection kit is a set of items for urine collection, consisting of multiple items including a urine collection pad 1.

[0050] As shown in Figure 6(a), the urine collection set of this embodiment may include the urine collection pad 1 described above and a positioning sheet 40. The positioning sheet 40 is an article that is positioned from the front end to the rear end of the diaper pad 30. The positioning sheet 40 has an attachment portion 44 in which a hole 42 is formed that penetrates in the thickness direction. The positioning sheet 40 makes it easy for an assistant to attach the urine collection pad 1 to the diaper pad 30. The positioning sheet 40 is a sheet member that is elongated in the front-to-back direction. This allows the positioning sheet 40 to be attached to the diaper pad 30 from the front end to the rear end. The positioning sheet 40 is an article used to attach the urine collection pad 1 to the appropriate position on the diaper pad 30. Preferably, the positioning sheet 40 has substantially the same shape and dimensions as the main surface of the diaper pad 30.

[0051] As shown in Figure 6(b), a hole 42 is formed in the center of the positioning sheet 40. In plan view, the shape of the hole 42 is substantially the same as that of the urine collection pad 1. Furthermore, it is preferable that the dimensions of the hole 42 in plan view are the same as or larger than those of the urine collection pad 1. The hole 42 becomes an attachment portion 44 for attaching the urine collection pad 1. Specifically, when the positioning sheet 40 is placed on the diaper pad 30, the area on the upper surface of the diaper pad 30 that overlaps with the hole 42 is exposed from the positioning sheet 40. By placing the urine collection pad 1 on the upper surface of the diaper pad 30 exposed from the hole 42, the urine collection pad 1 can be attached to the desired position on the diaper pad 30. In other words, by placing the urine collection pad 1 within the frame that defines the hole 42, the urine collection pad 1 can be attached to the desired position on the diaper pad 30.

[0052] As shown in Figure 6(b), the dimension L1 from the front end of the positioning sheet 40 to the hole 42 is preferably about one-third of the dimension L2 of the positioning sheet 40 in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the dimension L1 from the front end of the positioning sheet 40 to the hole 42 is preferably one-quarter or more and one-half or less of the dimension L2 of the positioning sheet 40 in the front-rear direction. This allows the urine collection pad 1 to be attached to the desired position on the diaper pad 30 using the positioning sheet 40.

[0053] As shown in Figure 7(a), the urine collection set of this embodiment may include the urine collection pad 1 described above and an extruder 50. The extruder 50 includes a storage section (box section 52, described later) and a push rod 54. The storage section (box section 52) is a component capable of housing the storage member 10 and is a bottomed component. The push rod 54 is a component that can be inserted into the interior of the storage section (box section 52) from its opening (box opening 52a). The storage section (box section 52) has a communication hole 52b at its bottom that connects the inside and outside of the storage section (box section 52). By using the extruder 50, urine can be easily collected from the removed storage member 10. In particular, by using the extruder 50, the assistant handling the urine collection pad 1 can collect urine while minimizing contact with the urine.

[0054] The extruder 50 is an item that compresses the storage member 10 and recovers the urine stored in the storage member 10. As shown in Figure 7(a), the box portion 52 is a bottomed article that opens at the box opening 52a. In this embodiment, the box portion 52 is a rectangular parallelepiped box that opens at the box opening 52a. Specifically, the shape of the box portion 52 is a rectangular parallelepiped, where the length of the side in the depth direction is the longest of the three sides. The cross-sectional shape of the box portion 52 in the direction perpendicular to the depth direction (the shape in a plan view of the box opening 52a) is rectangular. One or more communication holes 52b are provided at the bottom of the box portion 52. The communication holes 52b are small enough that the storage member 10, which is stressed by the push rod 54, is not pushed out of the box portion 52 through the communication holes 52b. The communication holes 52b are also large enough to allow liquid (urine) to pass through. In this embodiment, the bottom of the box portion 52 is formed by a plurality of vertical bars arranged parallel to each other, with a plurality of communication holes 52b formed between these vertical bars. In other words, the bottom of the box portion 52 is a vertical grid with a plurality of communication holes 52b formed therein. Alternatively, the bottom of the box portion 52 may be formed in a mesh (grid) pattern with communication holes 52b, or the plurality of communication holes may be scattered across the bottom of the box portion 52. The box portion 52 is provided with a handle 52c that extends in the depth direction of the box portion 52.

[0055] In this embodiment, the extruder 50 and pusher rod 54 are made of wood, but the materials used to construct the extruder 50 and pusher rod 54 are not limited to wood and may be metal, resin, or other materials. Furthermore, although the extruder 50 and rod 54 in this embodiment are disposable items used only once for one urine collection pad 1, they may be reused multiple times after sterilization or other treatment.

[0056] The push rod 54 includes a rod-shaped portion 54a and a pressing portion (plate portion 54b). The pressing portion (plate portion 54b) is a part that applies stress to the storage member 10 filled inside the box portion 52. The plate portion 54b has substantially the same shape as the box opening 52a of the box portion 52, and has dimensions equivalent to or smaller than the box opening 52a.

[0057] Next, an example of how to use the extruder 50 will be explained. In this embodiment, the storage member 10 is folded along a fold line along the front-to-back direction while being removed from the storage member 20a, or after being removed. The storage member 10 may be folded in half only once, or it may be folded along multiple fold lines along the front-to-back direction (for example, it may be folded into an accordion shape). The folded storage member 10 is filled into the box portion 52 with the front-to-back direction of the storage member 10 substantially coinciding with the depth direction of the box portion 52. The removal, folding, and filling of the storage member 10 may be performed by an assistant using tools such as tweezers, or by the assistant's hands. The assistant places a collection container (not shown) below the bottom of the box section 52, then grasps the rod-shaped portion 54a and pushes the push rod 54 into the box section 52. As a result, the plate portion 54b moves towards the bottom of the box section 52 inside the box section 52, as shown in Figure 7(b). Consequently, the storage member 10 is sandwiched and compressed between the bottom of the box section 52 and the plate portion 54b. This compression causes urine to seep out of the storage member 10, which then leaks out of the box section 52 through the communication hole 52b and is collected in the collection container. The use of the extruder 50 is not limited to the methods described above. For example, the storage member 10 may be folded along a fold line in a different direction and filled into the box portion 52, or the storage member 10 may be folded into an irregular shape and filled into the box portion 52.

[0058] Alternatively, the urine collection pad 1 may be provided as a standalone unit. Furthermore, the urine collection set may include only one of the positioning sheet 40 and the extruder 50, or it may include both the positioning sheet 40 and the extruder 50. In addition, the urine collection set may include other items besides the positioning sheet 40 and the extruder 50.

[0059] <Second Embodiment> Figure 8(a) is a schematic plan view showing an example of a urine collection pad 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 8(b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the urine collection pad 1 according to this embodiment. First, an overview of the urine collection pad 1 of this embodiment will be described.

[0060] In this embodiment, as described in the first embodiment, the urine collection pad 1 has a storage member 10 that is removable from the impermeable layer 22.

[0061] Next, the urine collection pad 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail. The urine collection pad 1 of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the storage member 10 is fixed to the holding member 20 by adhesive, in that the storage member 10 is housed inside the holding member 20. In other words, the holding member 20 in this embodiment does not house the storage member 10 inside and does not have the opening 24 described in the first embodiment.

[0062] In this embodiment, the holding member 20 includes a permeable layer 22 and a release sheet 26. The holding member 20 holds the storage member 10 (particularly its back surface 11a) because the storage member 10 is fixed to the permeable layer 22 by adhesive.

[0063] As shown in Figure 8(b), in this embodiment, the storage member 10 is positioned above the upper surface (the opposing surface 22a, described later) of the impermeable layer 22. In other words, the entire back surface 11a of the storage member 10 is covered by the holding member 20 (impermeable layer 22), and the side end surface and surface 11b of the storage member 10 are exposed from the holding member 20 (impermeable layer 22). More specifically, the entire side end surface and the entire surface 11b of the storage member 10 are exposed from the holding member 20.

[0064] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8(a), the opacity-resistant layer 22 has an adhesive layer 22b on the surface (opposing surface 22a) facing the back surface 11a of the storage member 10. The opposing surface 22a is the main surface (top surface) of the opacity-resistant layer 22 that faces upward. The entire surface or a part of the center of the opposing surface 22a is the adhesive layer 22b. In this embodiment, there is no distinction between adhesion and tackiness. The adhesive layer 22b is a layer formed by spreading an adhesive or tack, that is, it may be a tackiness layer formed of a tack. In this embodiment, when viewed from above, the adhesive layer 22b has dimensions that are slightly smaller than the top surface (opposing surface 22a) of the opacity-resistant layer 22. In other words, when viewed from above, the outer edge of the adhesive layer 22b is located inside the outer edge of the opacity-resistant layer 22. Furthermore, when viewed from above, the outer edge of the adhesive layer 22b is located inside the outer edge of the storage member 10. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8(b), the storage member 10 has a smooth surface portion 11a1 on its back surface 11a. The smooth surface portion 11a1 is a part of the surface 11b of the storage member 10 that is smoother than the surface 11b of the storage member 10. In a plan view, it is preferable that the outer edge of the smooth surface portion 11a1 is located outside the outer edge of the adhesive layer 22b. In this embodiment, the entire back surface 11a of the storage member 10 is the smooth surface portion 11a1. In this embodiment, the smooth surface portion 11a1 is formed of a thin layer of resin or the like, so that its surface roughness is less and it is smoother than the surface 11b of the storage member 10. More specifically, in this embodiment, the storage member 10 is constructed by covering the lower surface of the main body portion, which is made of fibrous material, with a thin layer of resin. As shown in Figure 8(b), the adhesive layer 22b of the impermeable layer 22 is peelably bonded to the smooth surface portion 11a1 of the storage member 10. In this way, when fixing the storage member 10 to the impermeable layer 22, by providing the adhesive layer 22b on the impermeable layer 22 and attaching the adhesive layer 22b to the smooth surface portion 11a1 of the storage member 10, it becomes easy to peel the storage member 10 from the impermeable layer 22 and remove it. This is because the smooth surface portion 11a1 peels off easily from the adhesive layer 22b. More specifically, when the urine collection pad 1 is attached to the diaper pad 30, the adhesive strength (peel strength) of the storage member 10 (smooth surface portion 11a1) to the impermeable layer 22 (adhesive layer 22b) is lower than the adhesive strength (peel strength) of the impermeable layer 22 (attachment area 28) to the diaper pad 30. In other words, when the urine collection pad 1 is attached to the diaper pad 30 and the storage member 10 is pulled upward, the interface between the storage member 10 (smooth surface portion 11a1) and the impermeable layer 22 (adhesive layer 22b) peels off before the interface between the impermeable layer 22 (attachment area 28) and the upper surface of the diaper pad 30. The adhesive strength (peel strength) is the force required to separate two members when they are bonded together. As a result, when removing the storage member 10 from the adhesive layer 22b, it is not necessary to pull it off with strong force, so the storage member 10 is less likely to be subjected to unexpected stress and compressed, and the unexpected loss of urine is suppressed. Furthermore, since the adhesive layer 22b is formed on the impermeable layer 22, and no adhesive layer is formed on the outer surface of the storage member 10, the storage member 10 that has been removed is less likely to take on an unexpected shape due to the adhesive layer or the like.

[0065] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes various modifications, improvements, and other forms as long as the objectives of the present invention are achieved.

[0066] The above embodiment encompasses the following technical concepts. (1) A storage member capable of storing urine and having two opposing main surfaces, It has a holding member for holding the storage member, The aforementioned retaining member is The storage member has a low-permeability layer covering at least a portion of one of its main surfaces, which has lower liquid permeability than the storage member. The storage member is removable from the impermeable layer, and the urine collection pad is a urine collection pad. (2) The retaining member is A housing member that houses and holds the aforementioned storage member, The retaining member further has an opening that connects the inside and outside of the member, The urine collection pad according to (1), wherein the storage member can be removed from the housing member through the opening. (3) The urine collection pad extends in the front-to-back direction, The urine collection pad according to (2), wherein one end of the storage member in the front-rear direction is exposed from the receiving member. (4) A portion of the one end of the one main surface is covered with the impermeable layer, The urine collection pad according to (3), wherein a portion of the other main surface on one end side is exposed from the receiving member. (4-1) The urine collection pad according to (3), wherein a portion of one end of the first main surface is exposed from the impermeable layer, and a portion of one end of the other main surface is also exposed from the receiving member. (5) The urine collection pad extends in the front-to-back direction, The urine collection pad according to (2), wherein the width dimension of both ends of the storage member in the front-rear direction gradually decreases toward each end. (6) The storage member is a fiber member in which fibers are arranged along the fiber direction, The urine collection pad according to (2), wherein the fiber direction is aligned in the front-to-back direction. (6-1) The storage member is a fiber member in which fibers are arranged along the fiber direction, The aforementioned fiber direction is in a direction intersecting the front-to-back direction, as described in (2), the urine collection pad. (7) The urine collection pad according to (2), wherein the bending rigidity of at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the storage member when viewed in plan is greater than the bending rigidity of the central part of the storage member when viewed in plan. (8) The urine collection pad extends in the front-to-back direction, The aforementioned peripheral portion is The first end includes one end of the storage member in the front-rear direction, A second end portion including one end of the storage member in the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, The urine collection pad according to (7), wherein the bending rigidity of the second end is greater than the bending rigidity of the first end. (8-1) The urine collection pad extends in the front-to-back direction, When the storage member is viewed in plan, the peripheral edge of the storage member is, The first end includes one end of the storage member in the front-rear direction, A second end portion including one end of the storage member in the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, The urine collection pad according to (2), wherein the bending rigidity of the second end is greater than the bending rigidity of the first end. (8-2) The urine collection pad according to (2), wherein, in the direction circumferential to the peripheral edge of the storage member, the peripheral edge of the storage member alternately has a first region with high bending rigidity and a second region with lower bending rigidity than the first region. (8-3) The urine collection pad extends in the front-to-back direction, When the storage member is viewed in plan, the peripheral edge of the storage member is, The first end includes one end of the storage member in the front-rear direction, A second end portion including one end of the storage member in the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, The urine collection pad according to (2), wherein the bending rigidity of the first end is greater than the bending rigidity of the second end. (9) The poorly permeable layer is The storage member has an adhesive layer on the surface facing the one main surface, The storage member is, The first main surface has a smooth surface portion that is smoother than the other main surface, The urine collection pad according to (1), wherein the adhesive layer is peelably adhered to the smooth surface portion. (10) A urine collection pad according to any one of items (1) to (9) that extends in the front-to-back direction and is attached to the diaper, The diaper includes a positioning sheet that is positioned from the front end to the rear end, The positioning sheet is a urine collection set having a mounting portion with a hole formed through it in the thickness direction. (11) A urine collection pad as described in any one of items (2) to (8) above, The extruder includes a bottomed storage section capable of accommodating the storage member and a push rod that can be inserted into the storage section through an opening in the storage section, The aforementioned storage section has a communication hole at the bottom of the storage section that connects the inside and outside of the storage section, in a urine collection set. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1. Urine collection pad 10 Storage member 11 Main surface 11a Back side 11a1 Smooth surface part 11b Surface 12 Front end 13 Consolidation area 14 Rear end 16 Peripheral area 16a, 16a1, 16a2 First end 16b Second end 18 Central part 20 Retaining member 20a Housing member 21 Bag-shaped member 22 Impermeable layer 22a Opposing surface 22b Adhesive layer 24 Aperture 26 Release sheet 28. Paste area 30 pads 40 Positioning Sheets 42 holes 44 Mounting part 50 Extruder 52 Hakobe 52a Box opening 52b Communication hole 52c Handle 54 Push rod 54a Rod-shaped part 54b Plate part

Claims

1. A storage member capable of storing urine and having two opposing main surfaces, It has a holding member for holding the storage member, The aforementioned retaining member is The storage member has a low-permeability layer covering at least a portion of one of its main surfaces, which has lower liquid permeability than the storage member. The storage member is removable from the impermeable layer, and the urine collection pad is a urine collection pad.

2. The aforementioned retaining member is A housing member that houses and holds the aforementioned storage member, The retaining member further has an opening that connects the inside and outside of the member, The urine collection pad according to claim 1, wherein the storage member can be removed from the housing member through the opening.

3. The aforementioned urine collection pad extends in the front-to-back direction, The urine collection pad according to claim 2, wherein one end, which is a part of one end of the storage member in the front-rear direction, is exposed from the receiving member.

4. A portion of the main surface of the first object, on one end side, is covered by the opaque layer. The urine collection pad according to claim 3, wherein a portion of the other main surface on one end side is exposed from the receiving member.

5. The aforementioned urine collection pad extends in the front-to-back direction, The urine collection pad according to claim 2, wherein the width dimension of both ends of the storage member in the front-to-back direction gradually decreases toward each end.

6. The storage member is a fiber member in which fibers are arranged along the fiber direction, The urine collection pad according to claim 2, wherein the fiber direction is aligned in the front-to-back direction.

7. The urine collection pad according to claim 2, wherein the bending rigidity of at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the storage member when viewed in plan is greater than the bending rigidity of the central portion of the storage member when viewed in plan.

8. The aforementioned urine collection pad extends in the front-to-back direction, The aforementioned peripheral portion is The first end includes one end of the storage member in the front-rear direction, A second end portion including one end of the storage member in the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, The urine collection pad according to claim 7, wherein the bending rigidity of the second end is greater than the bending rigidity of the first end.

9. The aforementioned poorly permeable layer is, The storage member has an adhesive layer on the surface facing the one main surface, The storage member is, The first main surface has a smooth surface portion that is smoother than the other main surface, The urine collection pad according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer is peelably adhered to the smooth surface portion.

10. A urine collection pad according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which extends in the front-to-back direction and is attached to a diaper, The diaper includes a positioning sheet that is positioned from the front end to the rear end, The positioning sheet is a urine collection set having a mounting portion with a hole formed through it in the thickness direction.

11. A urine collection pad according to any one of claims 2 to 8, The extruder includes a bottomed storage section capable of accommodating the storage member and a push rod that can be inserted into the storage section through an opening in the storage section, The aforementioned storage section has a communication hole at the bottom of the storage section that connects the inside and outside of the storage section, in a urine collection set.

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