Absorbent articles

Abstract

The objective is to provide an absorbent article that ensures ease of peeling when deploying the absorbent article, while maintaining a state in which the excrement on the side of the skin is covered by the absorbent article. [Solution] An absorbent article (1) having a liquid-absorbing absorbent core (10) having a longitudinal direction, a width direction and a thickness direction that are mutually orthogonal when unfolded, wherein the skin side has bonding means (30, 30') that can be bonded to a part of the absorbent article (1) when discarded, and when the bonding means is divided into three equal parts in either the longitudinal direction or the width direction into a first adjacent region (L1), a central region (Lc), and a second adjacent region (L2), the bonding force of the first adjacent region (L1) or the second adjacent region (L2) is weaker than the bonding force of the central region (Lc).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to absorbent articles.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an absorbent article (pants-type disposable diaper) provided with a disposal tape on the outer surface. The disposal tape can maintain the state of the absorbent article that is rolled up small. Therefore, the used absorbent article can be discarded in a compact state.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the disposal tape of Patent Document 1 is fixed to the outer surface of the absorbent article in a triple-fold state. Therefore, when discarding the used absorbent article, the user first rolls up the absorbent article from the crotch toward the waist opening. Then, the user releases the triple-fold state of the disposal tape and stretches the disposal tape. And the disposal tape is wound around the outer periphery of the rolled-up absorbent article. When maintaining the compact state of the absorbent article using the disposal tape in this way, the user needs to perform a plurality of operations, which takes time and effort.

[0005] The present embodiment has been made in view of the above problems, and the object thereof is to provide an absorbent article that can maintain the state in which excrement on the skin side is covered with the absorbent article while ensuring easy peeling when the absorbent article is unfolded.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The main invention for achieving the above objective is: In its unfolded state, it has longitudinal, widthwise, and thicknesswise directions that are mutually orthogonal to each other. An absorbent article having a liquid-absorbing core, The skin-facing side has a bonding means that can be attached to a part of the absorbent article when discarded. When the joining means is divided into three equal parts in either the longitudinal direction or the width direction, into a first adjacent region, a central region, and a second adjacent region, The absorbent article is characterized in that the bonding force of the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region is weaker than the bonding force of the central region. Other features of the present invention will be made clearer by description in this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an absorbent article that ensures ease of peeling when deploying the absorbent article, while maintaining a state in which the excrement on the side of the skin is covered by the absorbent article. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view of the urine absorption pad 1 in this embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the skin side in an unfolded and extended state. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the urine absorption pad 1. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram of pad 1 when folded in half. [Figure 4] This is a magnified section illustrating the details of the configuration of pad 1. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram of the self-adhesive joining means 30, 30'. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the self-adhesive joining means 30, 30'. [Figure 7] This figure illustrates the effects of the pad 1 to which the self-adhesive bonding means 30 is applied. [Figure 8]This is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the joining method. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following matters become clear from this specification and the accompanying drawings: (Aspect 1) An absorbent article having a liquid-absorbing core and having longitudinal, widthwise, and thicknesswise directions that are mutually orthogonal in an unfolded state, wherein the skin-facing side has bonding means that can be bonded to a part of the absorbent article when discarded, and when the bonding means is divided into three equal parts in either the longitudinal or widthwise direction into a first adjacent region, a central region, and a second adjacent region, the bonding force of the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region is weaker than the bonding force of the central region.

[0010] According to Embodiment 1, when disposing of an absorbent article, the absorbent article can be folded or rolled up, and then the bonding means provided on the skin side can be attached to a part of the absorbent article, making it easier to maintain the state in which the excrement on the skin side is covered by the absorbent article. On the other hand, even if the bonding means is attached to a part of the absorbent article before use, the bonding force in the first adjacent area or the second adjacent area is weaker than the bonding force in the central area, making it easier to peel the bonding means from the part of the absorbent article. This makes it possible to reduce the effort and time required when disposing of an absorbent article after use.

[0011] (Aspect 2) The absorbent article described in Aspect 1, In one of the aforementioned directions, the joining means is provided at the end of the absorbent article.

[0012] According to Embodiment 2, even if the joining means is joined to a part of the absorbent article before use, since the joining means is provided at the end of the absorbent article, it is possible to more easily detach the joining means from the part of the absorbent article.

[0013] (Aspect 3) An absorbent article as described in Aspect 1 or Aspect 2, In the one direction, the joining means is provided at a position separated by a predetermined distance from an end of the absorbent article in the one direction.

[0014] According to Aspect 3, even when the joining means is joined to a part of the absorbent article before use, since the joining means is provided at a position separated by a predetermined distance from an end of the absorbent article in the one direction, the joining means can be more easily peeled off from a part of the absorbent article.

[0015] (Aspect 4) The absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, where the joining means has self - adhesiveness and can be joined to other self - adhesive joining means as a part of the absorbent article.

[0016] According to Aspect 4, since the joining means has self - adhesiveness, the skin contact can be improved more than when the joining means is formed by a mechanical hook or the like.

[0017] (Aspect 5) The absorbent article according to Aspect 4, in the one direction, when the other joining means is trisected into other first adjacent regions, other central regions, and other second adjacent regions, the joining force of the other first adjacent region or the other second adjacent region is weaker than the joining force of the other central region.

[0018] According to Aspect 5, by making the joining force of the other first adjacent region or the other second adjacent region weaker than the joining force of the other central region, even when the joining means is joined to the other joining means before use, the joining means can be easily peeled off from the other joining means.

[0019] (Aspect 6) The absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, when the absorbent article is folded in half at a central position in the one direction, the central region and the other central region have an overlapping portion.

[0020] According to embodiment 6, the overlapping of the central regions makes it easier to maintain the state in which the absorbent material is folded in half and covers the excrement on the skin side when disposing of the absorbent material.

[0021] (Aspect 7) An absorbent article described in any of Aspects 1 to 6, The joining means is formed by applying a self-adhesive material, and the amount of the material applied per unit area in the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region is less than the amount of the material applied per unit area in the central region.

[0022] According to Embodiment 7, by making the amount of material applied per unit area in the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region less than the amount of material applied per unit area in the central region, it is possible to make the bonding force in the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region weaker than the bonding force in the central region.

[0023] (Appearance 8) An absorbent article according to any of Appearances 1 to 7, The aforementioned one direction is the longitudinal direction.

[0024] According to embodiment 8, since one direction is the longitudinal direction, when disposing of the absorbent article, it is possible to fold or roll up the absorbent article and then attach the fastening means provided on the skin side to a part of the absorbent article, thereby making it easier to maintain the state in which the excrement on the skin side is covered by the absorbent article.

[0025] (Aspect 9) An absorbent article described in any of Aspects 1 to 8, The skin surface of the aforementioned joining means has a convex portion and a concave portion.

[0026] According to embodiment 9, even if the bonding means is bonded to a part of the absorbent article before use, the bonding means is provided with convex and concave portions on its skin-side surface, making it easier to peel the bonding means away from the part of the absorbent article.

[0027] (Aspect 10) The absorbent article described in Aspect 9, The joining means has a first portion that constitutes the protrusion and a second portion that constitutes the recess and is thinner than the first portion.

[0028] According to embodiment 10, by providing the joining means itself with a first portion and a second portion that is thinner than the first portion, it becomes possible to form a convex portion and a concave portion.

[0029] (Aspect 11) An absorbent article described in any of Aspects 1 to 10, The bonding force of the first adjacent region is weaker than the bonding force of the central region, and the bonding force of the second adjacent region is weaker than the bonding force of the central region.

[0030] According to embodiment 11, even if the joining means is joined to a part of the absorbent article before use, the joining force of the first adjacent region and the second adjacent region is weaker than the joining force of the central region, making it easier to peel the joining means away from the part of the absorbent article.

[0031] (Aspect 12) An absorbent article described in any of Aspects 1 to 11, The joining means has a fold line along the width direction, and in the longitudinal direction, the joining means is divided into three equal parts: a first longitudinal adjacent region, a longitudinal central region, and a second longitudinal adjacent region, and in the width direction, the joining means is divided into three equal parts: a first width adjacent region, a width central region, and a second width adjacent region. In this case, the value obtained by dividing the difference between the joining force of the longitudinal central region and the joining force of the first longitudinal adjacent region by the length of the longitudinal central region is greater than the value obtained by dividing the difference between the joining force of the width central region and the joining force of the first width adjacent region by the length of the width central region in the width direction.

[0032] According to embodiment 12, in the longitudinal direction, the difference in bonding force between the central region and the adjacent region is large. Therefore, even if the bonding means is attached to a part of the absorbent article by folding it along the fold line in the width direction before use, it is possible to easily detach the bonding means from the part of the absorbent article and unfold it in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, in the width direction, the difference in bonding force between the central region and the adjacent region is small. Therefore, when disposing of the absorbent article, it is possible to fold or roll up the absorbent article and then attach the bonding means provided on the skin side to a part of the absorbent article, thereby making it easier to maintain the state in which the excrement on the skin side is covered by the absorbent article.

[0033] (Aspect 13) An absorbent article described in any of Aspects 1 to 12, The joining means has a joining portion, and the arrangement pattern of the joining portion in the central region is different from the arrangement pattern of the joining portion in the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region.

[0034] According to embodiment 13, by different arrangement patterns of the joints in the central region and the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region, the joint force in the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region can be made weaker than the joint force in the central region.

[0035] ===Execution=== In this embodiment, an absorbent article will be described using a urine pad (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "pad") as an example. However, the absorbent article according to this embodiment is not limited to a urine pad, and can also be applied to, for example, sanitary napkins, disposable diapers (panty type), sanitary napkins (shorts type), disposable diapers (tape type), pet diapers, absorbent sheets for nursing care or pets, etc.

[0036] <<<Basic configuration of urine absorption pad 1>>> First, let's explain the basic structure of the urine absorption pad 1. Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the pad 1 in its unfolded and extended state, as seen from the skin side. Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pad 1. The urine absorption pad 1 can be used by placing it inside a pant-type or tape-type disposable diaper, or it can be used as a standalone pad by placing it directly inside the wearer's underwear (pants or shorts).

[0037] When unfolded, pad 1 has a roughly rectangular shape in plan view and has mutually perpendicular longitudinal, width, and thickness directions. The longitudinal direction follows the front-to-back direction from the wearer's abdomen to the back when pad 1 is worn. In the thickness direction, the side that contacts the wearer's skin is called the skin side, and the opposite side is called the non-skin side. Since pad 1 in this embodiment has a symmetrical configuration in the longitudinal direction, either side of pad 1 in the longitudinal direction may correspond to the wearer's abdomen. Also, unlike tape-type or pant-type diapers, pad 1 is worn without one end and the other end in the longitudinal direction being connected along the wearer's waist.

[0038] The unfolded state of pad 1 refers to the state in which the entire pad 1 is unfolded flat. The extended state of pad 1 refers to the state in which pad 1 is extended to the point in which wrinkles that were present on pad 1 are virtually invisible, and pad 1 is extended until the dimensions of each component constituting pad 1 (for example, the side sheet 4 described later) match or are close to the dimensions of the individual component.

[0039] The pad 1 comprises a liquid-absorbing core 10, a liquid-permeable surface sheet 2 (e.g., nonwoven fabric) located on the skin side of the absorbent core 10, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 3 (e.g., a resin film such as polyethylene or polypropylene) located on the non-skin side of the absorbent core 10, and a pair of side sheets 4 provided on both sides of the pad 1 in the width direction. As shown in Figure 2, the pair of side sheets 4 are folded inward in the width direction from the width direction side of the non-skin side of the back sheet 3 toward the skin side of the skin side sheet 2 so as to wrap the absorbent core 10.

[0040] An example of the absorbent core 10 is a liquid-absorbing fiber, such as pulp fiber containing SAP (superabsorbent polymer), molded into a predetermined shape. The absorbent core 10 is covered with a liquid-permeable core wrap sheet 11 (e.g., tissue). However, the absorbent core 10 is not limited to the above, and may be an SAP sheet in which an SAP layer is attached to a hydrophilic sheet, or an airlaid sheet in which liquid-absorbing fibers are molded into a sheet by the airlaid method, or it may be a configuration of two or more layers. Furthermore, the absorbent core 10 does not have to be covered with the core wrap sheet 11.

[0041] Furthermore, a fixing member 20 is provided on the non-skin side of the pad 1 to attach the pad 1 to the inner surface of a pant-type diaper or underwear (outer garment). Fixing members 20 are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the pad 1. The fixing member 20 is, for example, a rectangular member, and its long side is provided so as to be aligned with the width direction of the pad 1. The fixing member 20 is preferably a member that can be peeled off from the inner surface of the outer garment without damaging the outer garment and can be reattached. In this embodiment, the fixing member 20 is a tape with a hook material (for example, the male part of a hook-and-loop fastener). Other examples of fixing members 20 include tape coated with adhesive. Note that the fixing member 20 may not be provided.

[0042] Furthermore, the pad 1 has a pair of leg-circumference elastic members 5 provided along the longitudinal direction on both sides in the width direction. In Figure 2, the leg-circumference elastic members 5 are fixed in an extended state in the longitudinal direction between the back sheet 3 and the side sheet 4. This makes it easier for both sides of the pad 1 in the width direction to conform closely to the wearer's legs.

[0043] Furthermore, the pad 1 has a pair of leak-proof wall portions 6 on both sides in the width direction that can be raised towards the skin. The leak-proof wall portion 6 comprises a side sheet 4 and a leak-proof wall elastic member 7. Both ends in the longitudinal direction are fixed to the surface sheet 2 by adhesive areas 8. The leak-proof wall elastic member 7 is fixed to the inner end of the side sheet 4 in the width direction in an extended state along the longitudinal direction of the pad 1.

[0044] <<<Joining means 30, 30'>>> As shown in Figure 1, one end of the pad 1 in the longitudinal direction is provided with a one-side joining means 30 on the skin-facing side (surface sheet 2) of the pad 1, serving as a joining means. The other end of the pad 1 in the longitudinal direction is provided with a other-side joining means 30' on the skin-facing side (surface sheet 2) of the pad 1. The other-side joining means 30' is part of the pad 1. When discarding the pad, the one-side joining means 30 can be joined to the other-side joining means 30', which is part of the pad 1.

[0045] Figure 3 shows the state when pad 1 is folded in half along its longitudinal direction. Specifically, the folded state is the state in which pad 1 is folded along the center line CL in the longitudinal direction, that is, the center line CL that divides pad 1 in half along its longitudinal direction and runs along the width direction (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the fold line FL). This state is, for example, the state of pad 1 before use or the state when it is disposed of after use. Figure 3A is a plan view of pad 1 in the state when folded in half along its longitudinal direction, and Figure 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view of pad 1 when folded in half with the ends of pad 1 closed and viewed from the width direction. As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, when pad 1 is folded in half along its longitudinal direction, one side joining means 30 and the other joining means 30' are arranged to overlap and face each other in the thickness direction, so that they can be joined.

[0046] Figure 4 is a partially enlarged view illustrating the details of the configuration of pad 1. The position of the one-sided joining means 30 in the longitudinal direction will be described, but in this embodiment, since it is symmetrical in the longitudinal direction, the position of the other-sided joining means 30' is the same as that of the one-sided joining means 30. The one-sided joining means 30 is provided at the end of pad 1 in the longitudinal direction, and at a predetermined distance d from the end of pad 1 in the longitudinal direction. The area extending in the width direction at a predetermined distance d from the end of pad 1 in the longitudinal direction to the one-sided joining means 30 is also called the dry edge D. The dry edge D is the non-adhesive area from the end to the one-sided joining means 30.

[0047] The joining means 30 on one side and the joining means 30' on the other side have a self-adhesive adhesive 31 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as self-adhesive or self-adhesive bonding agent) as a joining portion.

[0048] Figure 5 (Figures 5A and 5B) is an explanatory diagram of the one-sided joining means 30 and the other-sided joining means 30'. The adhesive 31, which serves as a joining portion provided on the one-sided joining means 30 and the other-sided joining means 30', has low tackiness (adhesion) of its own, but exhibits the property of exhibiting adhesive force (hereinafter referred to as bonding force) when the adhesive 31s are brought into contact with each other under relatively weak pressure. As shown in Figure 5A, when the one-sided joining means 30 and the other-sided joining means 30' are pressed together, the one-sided joining means 30 and the other-sided joining means 30' stick together (bonding force is exhibited) due to their respective adhesives 31. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 5B, when the adhesive 31 comes into contact with a nonwoven fabric provided on the pad 1 or with a material other than the adhesive 31, such as skin, the one-sided joining means 30 does not easily stick to the material it comes into contact with.

[0049] The bonding force between the adhesive 31 and other members is preferably 1 / 4 or less of the bonding force between the adhesive 31s themselves. More preferably, the bonding force between the adhesive 31 and other members is 1 / 10 or less of the bonding force between the adhesive 31s themselves. Furthermore, when the adhesive 31s are brought into contact with each other, they can be separated without damaging the adhesive 31s, and can be rejoined by bringing them into contact again after separation.

[0050] If the joining means includes a hook-type fastener or mechanical hook as the joining part, the rigidity of the joining part will be high, which may cause discomfort to the wearer of the pad 1. In contrast, the self-adhesive adhesive 31 can be constructed with lower rigidity and flexibility compared to a hook-type fastener. Therefore, discomfort when wearing the pad 1 can be suppressed. Examples of hook-type fasteners include those composed of a male member with multiple hook-shaped protrusions and a female member with multiple loops into which the protrusions of the male member catch, or those consisting of a single male member.

[0051] The adhesive 31 is not particularly limited as long as it is safe to come into contact with the wearer's skin, and examples include emulsion-type self-adhesives (emulsion inks) and hot-melt self-adhesives (HMAs). As the main component of the emulsion-type self-adhesive, it can be used by mixing natural rubber, synthetic rubber, etc. with emulsifiers, etc., and those disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2589307 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-095381 may be used. As the main component of the hot-melt self-adhesive, it can be used by heating and melting thermoplastic resins such as polyolefins and polyamides, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 7476348 and Japanese Patent No. 7543716. In this embodiment, an emulsion-type self-adhesive is used.

[0052] As shown in Figure 6, the one-sided joining means 30 and the other-sided joining means 30' are quadrilateral regions that circumscribe the portion to which the self-adhesive adhesive 31 is applied as the joining area. In Figure 6, the region to which the self-adhesive adhesive 31 is applied is shown as a lightly filled area.

[0053] Next, the specific configurations of the one-side joining means 30 and the other-side joining means 30' will be explained in detail using Figure 6. For the sake of brevity, only the one-side joining means 30 will be described, but the other-side joining means 30' has a similar configuration.

[0054] As mentioned above, in this embodiment, an emulsion-based self-adhesive agent is used as the bonding agent 31. Furthermore, one application is defined as applying the bonding agent 31 uniformly in a roughly rectangular shape that is long in the width direction (so-called solid coating), and in the example shown in Figure 6, it is applied repeatedly three times. By applying the bonding agent 31 in multiple layers in the thickness direction, the bonding strength when bonding agents 31 are joined together can be increased compared to the case of a single application. Note that although three applications are used in this embodiment, it is not limited to this.

[0055] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the application positions of the adhesive 31 are offset in the longitudinal and width directions. Therefore, as shown in the thickness direction diagrams (lower side view and right side view) of Figure 6, the amount of adhesive 31 applied per unit area (basis weight or basis weight) in the first adjacent regions L1 and W1 adjacent to one of the central regions Lc and Wc, and in the second adjacent regions L2 and W2 adjacent to the other, is less than the amount of adhesive 31 applied per unit area in the central regions Lc and Wc. In other words, since the amount of adhesive 31 applied per unit area is less than in the central regions Lc and Wc, the bonding strength is also lower than in the central regions Lc and Wc.

[0056] Furthermore, the surface of the one-sided joining means 30 has protrusions 32 and recesses 33 formed due to differences in the amount of adhesive 31 applied per unit area. The protrusions 32 are the first portion 34, where the amount of adhesive 31 applied per unit area is greater than the surrounding area, and this portion has been applied three times out of three applications. On the other hand, the recesses 33 are the second portion 35, where the amount applied is less than the surrounding area. Thus, the first portion 34 is thicker in the thickness direction because the amount of adhesive 31 applied per unit area is greater, while the second portion 35 is thinner because the amount is less than that of the first portion 34. Note that there may be other methods for forming the protrusions 32 and recesses 33 on the surface of the one-sided joining means 30. For example, the surface of the surface sheet 2 may be made uneven to form irregularities on the surface of the adhesive 31 applied to the surface sheet 2, or irregularities may be formed by compressing a portion of the applied adhesive 31.

[0057] Figure 7A shows a view from the thickness direction of the pad 1 after it has been folded in half along the fold line FL so that the one-sided joining means 30 and the other-sided joining means 30' face each other, and then joined together. In this embodiment, when the pad 1 is folded in half along the center line CL (fold line FL), the central region Lc of the one-sided joining means 30 and the central region Lc' of the other-sided joining means 30' overlap in the thickness direction. Although not shown, in the width direction as in the longitudinal direction, the central region Wc of the one-sided joining means 30 and the central region Wc' of the other-sided joining means 30' also overlap.

[0058] Next, the joining force of the one-sided joining means 30 as a joining means will be explained.

[0059] The one-sided joining means 30 is divided into three equal parts in the longitudinal direction and the width direction. In the longitudinal direction, these are the first longitudinal adjacent region L1, the longitudinal central region Lc, and the second longitudinal adjacent region L2, starting from one side. In the width direction, these are the first width adjacent region W1, the width central region Wc, and the second width adjacent region W2. There are differences in joining strength among these regions. In this embodiment, the joining strength of the first adjacent regions L1 and W1, which are adjacent to one side of the central regions Lc and Wc, is weaker than the joining strength of the central regions Lc and Wc in the longitudinal and width directions. Furthermore, the joining strength of the second adjacent regions L2 and W2, which are adjacent to the other side of the central regions Lc and Wc, is weaker than the joining strength of the central regions Lc and Wc.

[0060] The magnitude of the bonding force in each region, such as the first longitudinal adjacent region L1 and the longitudinal central region Lc, can be evaluated by the amount (basis weight) of the adhesive 31 per unit area provided as a bonding part in each region. In each region, the greater the amount (basis weight) of the adhesive 31 per unit area, the greater the bonding force. Furthermore, for example, if a hook-and-loop fastener 36, described later, is used as a bonding part instead of the adhesive 31, and some of the hook portions of the hook-and-loop fastener 36 are flattened by embossing or the like, the bonding force can be evaluated by the amount (number) of hook portions per unit area that maintain their function as hooks (unflattened hook portions) in each region.

[0061] Alternatively, the magnitude of the bonding force in each region may be evaluated using a measuring instrument.

[0062] When measuring the magnitude of the bonding force in the first longitudinal adjacent region L1, the longitudinal central region Lc, and the second longitudinal adjacent region L2, two sample pieces are prepared. The first sample piece is a cut-out of the region to be measured from the first longitudinal adjacent region L1, the longitudinal central region Lc, etc. The second sample piece is a nonwoven fabric to which a uniform amount of bonding agent 31 has been applied.

[0063] By attaching masking tape to the end of the sample piece, a holding portion (grasping portion) is formed at the end of the sample piece. Next, the two sample pieces are placed on top of each other, and the two sample pieces are joined together by rolling a 2kg roller at 5mm / second from the opposite side of the holding portion.

[0064] Next, the sample piece is held in the chuck of a tensile testing machine (for example, one manufactured by Instron), and the two holding parts are pulled apart in a direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction to separate the two sample pieces, and the tensile load at the time of separation is measured. The average value of the tensile load is the magnitude of the bonding force in the area being measured. The joint strength can be measured in the same manner for the first adjacent width region W1, the central width region Wc, and the second adjacent width region W2.

[0065] Next, the operation and effects of the pad 1 in this embodiment will be explained using Figure 7B. Before use (during packaging), the pad 1 is closed, and for example, the one-sided joining means 30 and the other-sided joining means 30' are in contact (the state shown in Figure 7A). When using the pad 1, the user grasps the areas of the dry edges D provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the pad 1 and peels it off towards the center in the longitudinal direction.

[0066] In this case, if the bonding force at the point where the peeling begins is strong, it may be difficult to open when unfolding, and this may be particularly difficult for elderly users with reduced dexterity in their fingers. However, in the pad 1 of this embodiment, the bonding force of the first longitudinal adjacent regions L1 and L1' in the one-side bonding means 30 is weaker than the bonding force of the longitudinal central regions Lc and Lc'. Therefore, it can be peeled and unfolded with relatively less force compared to when the bonding force of the first longitudinal adjacent regions L1 and L1' in the one-side bonding means 30 is stronger than, or the same as, the bonding force of the longitudinal central regions Lc and Lc'. Furthermore, because a dry edge D is provided, it is easier for the user to grasp and even easier to peel off.

[0067] In this embodiment, since the second adjacent region L2 with weak bonding force is located on the longitudinal centerline CL side, the pad 1 can also be peeled away from the leg-around elastic member 5 toward the end. In this case as well, the same effects as described above are achieved. Furthermore, since a dry edge D is provided over a predetermined distance d from the end in the width direction of the pad 1, the ease of peeling can be improved even when performing such peeling.

[0068] Furthermore, the central region (first portion 34) of both the one-sided joining means 30 and the other-sided joining means 30' has a stronger joining force than the adjacent region. As a result, when the pad 1 is folded in half along the fold line FL after use or disposal, it is easier to maintain the state in which the pad 1 covers the excrement on the side of the skin by bringing one end of the pad 1 into contact with the other end.

[0069] Furthermore, the configuration is not limited to the above. The coating amount in either the first adjacent region L1, W1 or the second adjacent region L2, W2 may be less than that in the central region Lc, Wc. Alternatively, the difference in coating amount may be in only one of the directions, either the longitudinal or the width. For example, the coating amount in the second adjacent region L2 (second longitudinal adjacent region) in the longitudinal direction may be less than that in the central region Lc. In this case, when the user peels off the pad 1, they can easily unfold it by peeling it off from the second adjacent region L2, which has weaker bonding force.

[0070] Furthermore, in the pad 1 of this embodiment, when the pad 1 is folded in half along the center line CL (fold line FL), the central regions Lc and Wc of the one-sided joining means 30 and the central regions Lc' and Wc' of the other-sided joining means 30' overlap in the thickness direction. Because the central regions overlap, when disposing of the pad 1, it is easier to maintain the state in which the pad 1 is folded in half and covers the excrement on the side of the skin with the pad 1.

[0071] Furthermore, the same effect and benefits can be achieved even when the pad 1 is folded in half at the center position in the width direction (a fold line along the center line in the width direction). In this case, two joining means should be provided on one side and the other side in the width direction, with the center line in the width direction as the reference.

[0072] Alternatively, the joining means 30 on one side may have varying degrees of joining force, while the joining means 30' on the other side may have a uniform joining force.

[0073] Furthermore, regarding the magnitude of the joining force in the longitudinal and width directions of the one-sided joining means 30, the value obtained by dividing the difference between the joining force of the longitudinal central region Lc and the joining force of the first longitudinal adjacent region L1 by the longitudinal length of the longitudinal central region Lc is greater than the value obtained by dividing the difference between the joining force of the width central region Wc and the joining force of the first width adjacent region W1 by the width direction length of the width central region Wc. In other words, the difference in joining force per unit length is greater in the longitudinal direction than in the width direction.

[0074] In the longitudinal direction, the difference in bonding force per unit length between the central region Lc(Lc') and the adjacent region L1(L1') is large. Therefore, even when the pad 1 is folded along the fold line FL in the width direction before use, and the one-sided bonding means 30 and the other-sided bonding means 30' of the pad 1 are joined, it is possible to easily separate the one-sided bonding means 30 and the other-sided bonding means 30' and unfold the pad in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, as shown in the configuration of Figure 6, in the width direction, the difference in bonding force per unit length between the central region Wc(Wc') and the adjacent region W1(W1') is small. Therefore, when discarding the pad 1, it is possible to easily maintain the state in which the excrement on the skin side is covered by the pad 1 by joining the one-sided bonding means 30 and the other-sided bonding means 30' provided on the skin side.

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pad 1 is made possible by providing a first portion 34 and a second portion 35 that is thinner than the first portion 34 on the joining means 30 and 30', thereby forming convex and concave portions. As a result, when the joining means 30 on one side and the joining means 30' on the other side of the pad 1 are joined before use, the joining means 30 on one side and the joining means 30' on the other side can be easily separated and unfolded in the longitudinal direction. In other words, by forming irregularities with the adhesive 31, the concave portion 33, which is thinner in the thickness direction, can be made easier to separate.

[0076] The joining means is not limited to the adhesive 31. For example, a hook-and-loop fastener can be provided on at least one of the skin-facing sides of the pad 1 in the joining means 30. In that case, a similar effect can be achieved by forming a convex portion and a concave portion on the joining surface of the hook-and-loop fastener. Specifically, when hook-and-loop fasteners are provided so as to face each other at both ends of the skin-facing side of the pad 1, it is possible to make it easier to peel one hook-and-loop fastener from the other by providing a high portion (convex portion) and a low portion (concealed portion) on the hook of the hook-and-loop fastener. Similarly, when a hook-and-loop fastener is placed on only one end and the other end is made of nonwoven fabric (surface sheet 2), it is possible to make it easier to peel the hook-and-loop fastener from the surface sheet 2, which is part of the pad 1, by forming a convex portion and a concave portion on the hook-and-loop fastener.

[0077] Furthermore, in the pad 1 of this embodiment, since the joining means 30 and 30' are provided at the ends of the pad 1, it is easier to peel off and more difficult to open when disposing of the pad than when the joining means 30 and 30' are provided in the center.

[0078] ===Modified versions of this section=== Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the joining means of pad 1. Figures 8A and 8B show self-adhesive quadrilateral joining means 30 and 30', respectively. The area to which the adhesive 31 is applied corresponds to the region where the joining portion is provided in the modified example of this embodiment.

[0079] In the modified example shown in Figure 8A, the longitudinal central region Lc is an area on the skin-side surface sheet 2 where the adhesive 31 is applied uniformly in a roughly rectangular shape that is long in the width direction (so-called solid coating). In addition, the first longitudinal adjacent region L1 and the second longitudinal adjacent region L2 are coated with the adhesive 31 in a wave-like pattern, as shown in Figure 8A.

[0080] In this case, the bonding force of the first longitudinal adjacent region L1 and the second longitudinal adjacent region L2, which have margins due to the application of the bonding agent 31 in a wave-like pattern, is weaker than that of the longitudinal central region Lc, which is coated solidly. As a result, while ensuring ease of peeling when unfolding the pad 1, the bonding force of the longitudinal central region Lc is stronger than that of the adjacent regions, so that when the pad 1 is folded for disposal, the excrement on the side of the skin can be kept covered by the pad 1.

[0081] Next, in the modified example shown in Figure 8B, the longitudinal central region Lc is a uniformly coated region, similar to the modified example in Figure 8A. Then, as shown in Figure 8B, the first longitudinal adjacent region L1 and the second longitudinal adjacent region L2 have the adhesive 31 partially applied in the width direction, leaving a blank area.

[0082] In this case, the bonding force of the first longitudinal adjacent region L1 and the second longitudinal adjacent region L2, which have a margin due to the bonding agent 31 being applied only to a portion of the width direction, is weaker than that of the longitudinal central region Lc, which is fully coated. As a result, while ensuring ease of peeling when unfolding the pad 1, the bonding force of the longitudinal central region Lc is stronger than that of the adjacent regions, so that when the pad 1 is folded for disposal, the excrement on the side of the skin can be kept covered by the pad 1.

[0083] The joining means 30 in Figure 8C has a hook-and-loop fastener 36. In the modified example of Figure 8C, the longitudinal central region Lc is a region where the hook-and-loop fastener 36 is uniformly arranged, and the first longitudinal adjacent region L1 and the second longitudinal adjacent region L2 are configured such that, as shown in Figure 8C, some of the hook portions of the hook-and-loop fastener 36 are flattened by embossing 37 or the like, rendering them unusable as hooks.

[0084] In this case, the bonding force of the first longitudinal adjacent region L1 and the second longitudinal adjacent region L2, where some of the hook portions of the hook fastener 36 are crushed by embossing 37 or the like to eliminate the hook function, is weaker than that of the longitudinal central region Lc, where the hook portions are not crushed. As a result, while ensuring ease of peeling when deploying the pad 1, the bonding force of the longitudinal central region Lc is stronger than that of the adjacent regions, so that when folding the pad 1 for disposal, the excrement on the side of the skin can be kept covered by the pad 1.

[0085] In these modified examples, the amount of coating per unit area and the arrangement pattern of the bonding means 30 using margins in the central regions Lc and Wc differ from the arrangement pattern of the bonding means 30 in the first adjacent regions L1 and W1 or the second adjacent regions L2 and W2.

[0086] ===Other=== The embodiments described above are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit its interpretation. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and it goes without saying that equivalents thereof are included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0087] 1. Urine pads (pads, absorbent items) 2. Surface sheet, 3. Back sheet, 4 side seats, 5. Elastic members around the legs, 6 Leak-proof wall section, 7 Leak-proof wall elastic member, 10 absorbent cores, 11 core wrap sheets, 20 Fixing members, 30 Joining means, 31 Self-adhesive adhesive, 36 hook-and-loop fasteners, Lc Long central region, Wc Width central region, L1 is the first longitudinal adjacent region, W1 is the first width adjacent region, L2 is the second longitudinal adjacent region, W2 is the second width adjacent region,

Claims

1. In its unfolded state, it has longitudinal, widthwise, and thicknesswise directions that are mutually orthogonal to each other. An absorbent article having a liquid-absorbing core, The skin-facing side has a bonding means that can be attached to a part of the absorbent article when discarded. When the joining means is divided into three equal parts in either the longitudinal direction or the width direction, into a first adjacent region, a central region, and a second adjacent region, An absorbent article characterized in that the bonding force of the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region is weaker than the bonding force of the central region.

2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, An absorbent article characterized in that, in one of the aforementioned directions, the joining means is provided at the end of the absorbent article.

3. An absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, An absorbent article characterized in that, in one of the aforementioned directions, the joining means is provided at a position a predetermined distance away from the end of the absorbent article in that one direction.

4. An absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, The aforementioned joining means has self-adhesive properties, An absorbent article characterized by being able to be joined to other self-adhesive bonding means as part of the absorbent article.

5. The absorbent article according to claim 4, In one of the aforementioned directions, if the other joining means is divided into three equal parts: another first adjacent region, another central region, and another second adjacent region, An absorbent article characterized in that the bonding force of the other first adjacent region or the other second adjacent region is weaker than the bonding force of the other central region.

6. In the absorbent article described in claim 5, When the absorbent article is folded in half at the center in one of the directions, An absorbent article characterized in that the aforementioned central region and the other central region have an overlapping portion.

7. The absorbent article according to claim 4, The aforementioned joining means is formed by applying a self-adhesive material. An absorbent article characterized in that the amount of the material applied per unit area in the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region is less than the amount of the material applied per unit area in the central region.

8. An absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, An absorbent article characterized in that the aforementioned one direction is the longitudinal direction.

9. An absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, An absorbent article characterized in that the skin surface of the bonding means has a convex portion and a concave portion.

10. The absorbent article according to claim 9, The joining means is characterized by having a first portion that constitutes the convex portion and a second portion that constitutes the concave portion and is thinner than the first portion.

11. An absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, The bonding force of the first adjacent region is weaker than the bonding force of the central region. An absorbent article characterized in that the bonding force of the second adjacent region is weaker than the bonding force of the central region.

12. An absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, Having a fold line along the width direction, In the longitudinal direction, the joining means is divided into three equal parts: a first longitudinal adjacent region, a longitudinal central region, and a second longitudinal adjacent region. In the width direction, when the joining means is divided into three equal parts: a first width-adjacent region, a width-center region, and a second width-adjacent region, The difference between the joining force of the longitudinal central region and the joining force of the first longitudinal adjacent region, divided by the longitudinal length of the longitudinal central region, is: An absorbent article characterized in that the difference between the bonding force of the width central region and the bonding force of the first width adjacent region is greater than the value obtained by dividing the width central region by the length in the width direction.

13. An absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, The joining means has a joining portion, An absorbent article characterized in that the arrangement pattern of the joints in the central region is different from the arrangement pattern of the joints in the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region.

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