Disposable clothing

Abstract

To provide disposable wearable items whose fit can be adjusted as desired. [Solution] The above problem is solved by a disposable garment comprising an integrated outer body 20 extending from the front body F to the back body B, an inner body 10 attached to the outer body 20 so as to extend from the middle of the width direction WD of the front body F through the crotch area 28 to the middle of the width direction WD of the back body B, side seals 21 to which both sides of the outer body 20 on the front body F and both sides of the outer body 20 on the back body B are joined, a waist opening WO and a pair of left and right leg openings LO, and an elastic stretchable region 80 provided on the outer body 20 that elastically stretches in the width direction WD, wherein the stretchable region 80 of the outer body 20 has multiple rows of adjustment holes 91, in which multiple adjustment holes 90 penetrating in the thickness direction are arranged at intervals in the front-to-back direction LD, and multiple rows of adjustment holes 91d at intervals 91d in the stretchable direction ED.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a disposable wearing article formed with a waist opening and a pair of left and right leg openings (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a disposable wearing article).

Background Art

[0002] In disposable wearing articles formed with a waist opening and a pair of left and right leg openings, such as pant-type disposable diapers, it is common to secure fit to the body surface by imparting stretchability to each part.

[0003] For example, many of such disposable wearing articles include an integral outer cover extending from the front body to the back body, or outer covers separately provided on the front body and the back body, an inner body provided at a middle portion in the width direction of the outer cover so as to extend from the front body to the back body, and an absorbent body incorporated in the inner body. Both side portions of the outer cover in the front body and both side portions of the outer cover in the back body are respectively joined to form side seals, whereby a waist opening and a pair of left and right leg openings are formed. In the outer cover of such a disposable wearing article, an elastic member is provided in an annular waist circumferential region, a leg circumferential region, or the like, so that the attached portion of the elastic member expands and contracts to fit the body surface of a wearer (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0004] However, the dimensions of the wearer's waist and leg circumference change in the vertical direction of the body, and such changes also vary greatly among different wearers. Therefore, merely providing constant and bilaterally symmetric stretchability by elastic members results in insufficient fit, and some wearers feel that the fit is insufficient or desire stronger tightening. Nevertheless, conventional disposable wearing articles do not include means for arbitrarily adjusting fit.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-264042 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-237056 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-9085 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-51600 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-134129 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-220980 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Therefore, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a disposable wearable article whose fit can be arbitrarily adjusted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The following disposable wearable items solve the above problems. <First aspect> An integrated outer covering extending from the front to the back, or outer coverings separately provided on the front and back, An inner body attached to the outer body extends from the middle of the width direction of the front body through the crotch area to the middle of the width direction of the back body, The absorbent built into the aforementioned interior body, Side seals to which both sides of the exterior body on the front panel and both sides of the exterior body on the back panel are joined, Waist opening and a pair of leg openings on the left and right, The exterior body is provided with an expandable / contractable region that elastically expands and contracts in the width direction, The expansion and contraction region of the exterior body has multiple rows of adjustment holes, each having multiple adjustment holes that penetrate in the thickness direction and are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction, and these rows are spaced apart in the expansion and contraction direction. A disposable wearable article characterized by the following features.

[0008] (Effects and Benefits) In this embodiment, a disposable wearable item has a pair of adjustment holes (hereinafter simply referred to as a pair or a pair of adjustment holes) aligned in the direction of fit adjustment. By passing a string, belt, or other elongated connecting member through these holes and tying the ends of the connecting member together while pulling them so that one adjustment hole of the pair is closer to the other, the distance between the pairs of adjustment holes can be reduced, thereby locally improving the fit in the area where the pair of adjustment holes is located. Therefore, when wearing a disposable wearable item, if there is an area where the fit of the stretchable area is insufficient or an area where a tighter fit is desired, the wearer or caregiver can arbitrarily select and use a pair of adjustment holes aligned in the direction in which they desire to adjust the fit in that area to adjust the fit. Furthermore, by not pulling the ends of the connecting member and tying the connecting member without slack or with an arbitrary amount of slack, the amount of stretch in that area can be limited, preventing the disposable wearable item from slipping down due to the weight of the stretchable area stretching after excretion, for example. In other words, the fit after excretion can also be adjusted. Furthermore, by passing the connecting member between pairs of adjustment holes arranged diagonally or between pairs of adjustment holes arranged in the front-to-back direction, the user can arbitrarily select the direction of adjustment for the fit.

[0009] <Second aspect> The exterior body of the front panel has a pair of left and right front side regions, which are defined as the region between a vertical boundary line extending along the front-to-back direction through both side edges of the interior body and a side seal located to the side of the vertical boundary line. The outer body of the rear body has a pair of left and right rear side regions, which are defined as the region between a longitudinal boundary line extending along the front-to-back direction through both side edges of the inner body and a side seal located to the side of the longitudinal boundary line. The aforementioned front side region and the aforementioned rear side region are stretchable regions that elastically expand and contract in the width direction. The row of adjustment holes is provided in one or more rows in each of the left and right front side regions, and in one or more rows in each of the left and right rear side regions. A disposable wearable article of the first type.

[0010] (Effects and Benefits) The widthwise position of the adjustment hole rows can be determined as appropriate, but when arranged as in this embodiment, the fit of the stretchable areas can be adjusted independently on the left and right sides. For example, in wearers with disabilities or contractures, the left-right symmetry of the body may be significantly disrupted, but the disposable wearable items of this embodiment allow for easy adjustment of the fit even in such wearers. As can be seen from this example, the stretchable area of ​​an outer garment having multiple rows of adjustment holes spaced apart in the stretching direction includes substantially one stretchable area formed by connecting the stretchable area of ​​the front body outer garment and the stretchable area of ​​the back body outer garment with a side seal.

[0011] <Third aspect> The exterior body has a large expansion / contraction region where the maximum elongation in the width direction is relatively large, and a small expansion / contraction region located on one side of the large expansion / contraction region in the front-rear direction, where the maximum elongation in the width direction is relatively small. Each of the large expansion region and the small expansion region has adjustment holes from one of the adjacent rows of adjustment holes and adjustment holes from the other row of adjustment holes. When stretched to an elongation rate of 140% in the aforementioned stretching direction, the spacing between adjacent rows of adjustment holes in the stretching direction in the large stretching region is greater than the spacing between adjacent rows of adjustment holes in the stretching direction in the small stretching region. A disposable wearable article of the second type.

[0012] (Effects and Benefits) An outer package of a disposable wearing article may have a large stretchable region where a maximum elongation in a width direction is relatively large, and a small stretchable region located on one side in a front-rear direction of the large stretchable region where a maximum elongation in the width direction is relatively small. The large stretchable region is provided at a site where large stretching and contraction is required, and the small stretchable region is provided at a site where relatively small stretching and contraction is acceptable. For example, in an outer package of a pant-type disposable wearing article or a trunk-type disposable wearing article, it is general that, in a waist circumferential region, the maximum elongation in the width direction at a waist portion is larger than the maximum elongation in the width direction at a lower waist portion located closer to a leg opening side than the waist portion. Further, in a trunk-type disposable wearing article, it is general that the maximum elongation in the width direction at a leg cylindrical portion is smaller than the maximum elongation in the width direction of the waist circumferential region. It can be said that a site requiring large stretching and contraction is a site where a large adjustment range by a wearer is also desired, and a site where relatively small stretching and contraction is acceptable is a site where a small adjustment range by the wearer is also acceptable. Therefore, from such a point of view, as in the present embodiment, by changing the interval in the stretching direction between adjacent adjustment hole rows and the adjustment range between the large stretchable region and the small stretchable region, adjustment that meets the wearer's demand can be achieved. Further, when the interval between pairs of adjustment holes adjacent in the stretching direction in the large stretchable region is greatly reduced, and the interval between pairs of adjustment holes adjacent in the stretching direction in the small stretchable region is slightly reduced, the adjusted adjustment hole rows are parallel or nearly parallel, which also has an advantage of excellent aesthetic appearance when worn. Note that the elongation rate of 140% is based on the assumption of a wearing condition. The definition of the interval in the stretching direction between adjacent adjustment hole rows will be described later.

[0013] <Fourth Embodiment> The stretchable region has a high elongation rate region where a maximum elongation rate in the width direction is relatively high, and a low elongation rate region located on one side in the width direction of the high elongation rate region where a maximum elongation rate in the width direction is relatively low, the adjustment hole rows are provided only in the low elongation rate region, and the high elongation rate region is provided between the adjacent adjustment hole rows, The disposable wearing article according to any one of the first to third embodiments.

[0014] (Effects and Advantages) When an adjustment hole is provided in a stretchable region, contraction of the stretchable region may collapse the hole, or folds generated by contraction of the stretchable region may incline the orientation of the adjustment hole relative to the facing direction, which may make it difficult to insert a connecting member or reduce the visibility of the adjustment hole. In contrast, when the adjustment hole rows are provided only in the low elongation rate region and a high elongation rate region is provided between adjacent adjustment hole rows as in the present embodiment, while suppressing a decrease in stretchability, even if the hole is collapsed by contraction of the stretchable region, the degree of such collapse can be reduced, and even if the orientation of the adjustment hole becomes inclined relative to the facing direction due to folds generated by contraction of the stretchable region, the degree of such inclination can be reduced, which is preferable.

[0015] <Fifth Embodiment> The stretchable region of the outer body includes a plurality of laminated nonwoven fabric layers and an elastic member disposed between the nonwoven fabric layers, a reinforcing ring forming a peripheral edge portion of the adjustment hole is attached to the outer body, or a portion of the nonwoven fabric layer forming the peripheral edge portion of the adjustment hole is melted and solidified, The disposable worn article according to any one of the first to fourth aspects.

[0016] (Effects and Advantages) When an adjustment hole is provided in a stretchable region, contraction of the stretchable region may collapse the hole, or folds generated by contraction of the stretchable region may incline the orientation of the adjustment hole relative to the facing direction, which may make it difficult to insert a connecting member or reduce the visibility of the adjustment hole. In addition, the stretchable region of the outer body in a disposable worn article generally includes a plurality of laminated nonwoven fabric layers and an elastic member disposed between the nonwoven fabric layers. In this case, simply forming the adjustment hole in the nonwoven fabric layer not only makes the adjustment hole less noticeable, but also the edge of the adjustment hole may be stretched by the connecting member during or after fitting adjustment, which may make it difficult to adjust the fitting property or disable the adjustment by the connecting member. Therefore, reinforcing the edge of the adjustment hole as in the present embodiment is preferable.

[0017] <Sixth aspect> The exterior body has a first region having a first maximum elongation ratio in the width direction or a first tensile stress in the width direction, and a second region located on one side in the front-rear direction relative to the first region, having a second maximum elongation ratio in the width direction different from the first maximum elongation ratio in the width direction or a second tensile stress in the width direction different from the first tensile stress in the width direction. Each of the first and second regions has adjustment holes of a first row of adjustment holes and adjustment holes of a second row of adjustment holes that is different from the first row of adjustment holes. A disposable wearable article in any one of the following forms (1 to 5).

[0018] (Effects and Benefits) The outer casing of disposable wearable items generally has a first region having a first maximum elongation rate in the width direction, and a second region located on one side in the front-to-back direction relative to the first region, having a second maximum elongation rate in the width direction that is different from the first maximum elongation rate in the width direction. For example, in the outer casing of pants-type disposable wearable items and trunk-type disposable wearable items, the maximum elongation rate in the width direction or the elongation stress in the width direction at the waist portion of the torso area is generally greater than the maximum elongation rate in the width direction or the elongation stress in the width direction at the lower waist portion located closer to the leg opening. This aims to optimize the fit for each part by changing the maximum elongation rate depending on the front-to-back position of the outer casing. Therefore, as in this embodiment, it is preferable to allow the user to adjust the fit using adjustment holes in accordance with the change in the maximum elongation rate.

[0019] <Seventh aspect> An integrated outer covering extending from the front to the back, or outer coverings separately provided on the front and back, An inner body attached to the outer body extends from the middle of the width direction of the front body through the crotch area to the middle of the width direction of the back body, The absorbent built into the aforementioned interior body, Side seals to which both sides of the exterior body on the front panel and both sides of the exterior body on the back panel are joined, Waist opening and a pair of leg openings on the left and right, The exterior body is provided with an expandable / contractable region that elastically expands and contracts in the width direction, The exterior body is fitted with a connecting member having a fixed portion fixed to the outer surface of the expandable region and an elongated free portion that extends from the fixed portion and is not fixed to its end. Four or more connecting members are attached to the outer surface of the exterior body such that there are multiple rows of fixing parts spaced apart in the front-rear direction, and multiple rows of fixing parts spaced apart in the expansion-expansion direction of the expansion-expansion region. A disposable wearable article characterized by the following features.

[0020] (Effects and Benefits) In this embodiment, the disposable wearable item can be made to locally improve the fit of the area where the fixing parts are located by connecting connecting members that extend from pairs of fixing parts (hereinafter simply referred to as pairs or pairs of fixing parts) that are aligned in the direction of adjusting the fit, thereby reducing the distance between the fixing parts. Therefore, when wearing a disposable wearable item, if there is an area where the fit of the stretchable area is insufficient or an area where a tighter fit is desired, the wearer or caregiver can arbitrarily select and use connecting members that extend from fixing parts aligned in the direction in which the fit adjustment is desired in that area to adjust the fit. In short, the disposable wearable article of this embodiment has the same effects and functions as the disposable wearable article of the first embodiment described above, except that the adjustment holes and fixing parts, and the rows of adjustment holes and rows of fixing parts are different. Furthermore, compared to the first embodiment, the disposable wearable article of this embodiment has the advantage that the fit can be adjusted simply by appropriately tying the connecting members together, as the connecting members are provided in a usable state.

[0021] <Eighth aspect> The exterior body of the front panel has a pair of left and right front side regions, which are defined as the region between a vertical boundary line extending along the front-to-back direction through both side edges of the interior body and a side seal located to the side of the vertical boundary line. The outer body of the rear body has a pair of left and right rear side regions, which are defined as the region between a longitudinal boundary line extending along the front-to-back direction through both side edges of the inner body and a side seal located to the side of the longitudinal boundary line. The rows of fixed parts are provided in one or more rows in each of the left and right front side regions, and in one or more rows in each of the left and right rear side regions. A disposable wearable article of the seventh aspect.

[0022] (Effects and Benefits) The disposable wearable article of this embodiment provides essentially the same effects and benefits as the disposable wearable article of the second embodiment described above. In other words, the disposable wearable article of this embodiment provides the same effects and benefits as the second embodiment described above, but with the adjustment holes replaced by fixing parts and the rows of adjustment holes replaced by rows of fixing parts.

[0023] <Ninth aspect> The exterior body has a large expansion / contraction region where the maximum elongation in the width direction is relatively large, and a small expansion / contraction region located on one side of the large expansion / contraction region in the front-rear direction, where the maximum elongation in the width direction is relatively small. Each of the large expansion region and the small expansion region has a fixed part of one of the adjacent rows of fixed parts and a fixed part of the other row of fixed parts. When stretched to a widthwise elongation rate of 140%, the widthwise spacing between adjacent fixed parts in the large expansion region is greater than the widthwise spacing between adjacent fixed parts in the small expansion region. A disposable wearable article of the eighth aspect.

[0024] (Effects and Benefits) The disposable wearable article of this embodiment provides essentially the same effects and benefits as the disposable wearable article of the third embodiment described above. In other words, the disposable wearable article of this embodiment provides the same effects and benefits as the third embodiment described above, but with the adjustment holes replaced by fixing parts and the rows of adjustment holes replaced by rows of fixing parts.

[0025] <Tenth aspect> The exterior body has a first region having a first maximum elongation ratio in the width direction or a first tensile stress in the width direction, and a second region located on one side in the front-rear direction relative to the first region, having a second maximum elongation ratio in the width direction different from the first maximum elongation ratio in the width direction or a second tensile stress in the width direction different from the first tensile stress in the width direction. Each of the first and second regions has a fixing portion of a first row of fixing portions and a fixing portion of a second row of fixing portions that is different from the first row of fixing portions. A disposable wearable article in any one of the forms described in paragraphs 7 through 9.

[0026] (Effects and Benefits) The disposable wearable article of this embodiment provides essentially the same effects and benefits as the disposable wearable article of the sixth embodiment described above. In other words, the disposable wearable article of this embodiment provides the same effects and benefits as the sixth embodiment described above, but with the adjustment holes replaced by fixing parts and the rows of adjustment holes replaced by rows of fixing parts. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] According to the present invention, the fit can be adjusted as desired. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0028] [Figure 1] This is a plan view (inner side) of a trunk-type disposable diaper in its unfolded state. [Figure 2] This is a plan view (outer side) of a trunk-type disposable diaper in its unfolded state. [Figure 3] This is a side view showing the unfolded state with the front and back sides of the side seals stretched to their maximum elongation in the stretch direction. [Figure 4]This is a cross-sectional view of section 4-4 in Figure 1. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of section 2-2 in Figure 1. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view of section 3-3 in Figure 1. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view from the front and slightly below, showing a disposable trunk-type diaper being worn. [Figure 8] This is a plan view showing a magnified view of the main parts of a trunk-type disposable diaper in its unfolded state. [Figure 9] This is a plan view showing a magnified view of the main parts of a trunk-type disposable diaper in its unfolded state. [Figure 10] (a) is a plan view of the main part of the expandable / contractible region in the unfolded state, (b) is a cross-sectional view of (a), (c) is a cross-sectional view in the installed state, and (d) is a cross-sectional view in the natural length state. [Figure 11] This is a plan view showing an enlarged view of the key parts of the expandable / contractible region in its deployed state. [Figure 12] (a) is a plan view of the main part of the non-stretchable region, (b) is a DD cross-sectional view of (a), (c) is a cross-sectional view in the installed state, and (d) is a cross-sectional view in the natural length state. [Figure 13] This is a side view showing a boxer shorts-type disposable diaper in a worn state. [Figure 14] This is a side view showing a boxer shorts-type disposable diaper in a worn state. [Figure 15] This is a side view showing a boxer shorts-type disposable diaper in a worn state. [Figure 16] This is a side view showing a boxer shorts-type disposable diaper in a worn state. [Figure 17] This is a side view showing a boxer shorts-type disposable diaper in a worn state. [Figure 18] This is a side view showing a boxer shorts-type disposable diaper in a worn state. [Figure 19] This is a side view showing the unfolded state with the front and back sides of the side seals stretched to their maximum elongation in the stretch direction. [Figure 20] This is a side view showing a boxer shorts-type disposable diaper in a worn state. [Figure 21] This is a side view showing a boxer shorts-type disposable diaper in a worn state. [Figure 22] This is a plan view (inner side) of a trunk-type disposable diaper in its unfolded state. [Figure 23] This is a plan view (outer side) of a trunk-type disposable diaper in its unfolded state. [Figure 24] This is a cross-sectional view of section 5-5 in Figure 22. [Figure 25] This is a schematic plan view showing an example of the arrangement of adjustment holes. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] <Examples of disposable wearable items> Figures 1 to 6 show a trunk-type disposable diaper (hereinafter simply referred to as a diaper) having a pair of leg sections 50 as an example of a disposable wearable item. In the figures, dot patterns are added to the areas where hot-melt adhesive is bonded, where necessary for explanation. The hot-melt adhesive can be applied by known methods such as slot application, continuous linear or dotted bead application, spiral or Z-shaped spray application, or pattern coating (transfer of hot-melt adhesive using a relief printing method). Alternatively, or in conjunction with these methods, the hot-melt adhesive can be applied to the outer surface of the elastic member to fix it to the adjacent member. Examples of hot-melt adhesives include EVA-based, adhesive rubber-based (elastomer-based), polyolefin-based, and polyester / polyamide-based adhesives, but they are not particularly limited in their use. As a joining means for connecting each component, material welding methods such as heat sealing or ultrasonic sealing can also be used.

[0030] The pair of leg sections 50 of the trunk-type disposable diaper are not particularly limited as long as they form a tubular shape that surrounds the thighs when worn, and the structures described in Patent Documents 5 and 6 can also be adopted. In contrast, the trunk-type disposable diaper shown in the illustration employs a simpler structure than those described in Patent Documents 5 and 6.

[0031] More specifically, the trunk-type disposable diaper in the illustrated example has a waist opening WO and a pair of leg openings LO, and comprises an outer body 20 extending from the edge of the waist opening WO of the front body F to the edge of the waist opening WO of the back body B, an inner body 10 including an absorbent material 13 provided in at least the crotch area 28 of the outer body 20, and side seals 21 joining the front and rear sides of the outer body 20. The crotch area 28 of the outer body 20 has a pair of inner thigh contact portions 51 that extend from the side edges of the absorbent material 13 to one side WD and the other side in the width direction, respectively, and the leg circumference region 52 along the edge 29 of the leg opening, including these inner thigh contact portions 51, forms a pair of leg tube portions 50 surrounding the base of the thigh.

[0032] During manufacturing, the inner body 10 is joined to the outer body 20 by a bonding means such as hot melt adhesive, and if necessary, a retaining sheet 60 that covers the front and rear ends of the inner body 10 is joined. Then, the inner body 10 and the outer body 20 are folded in the center of the front-to-back direction LD (vertical direction), which is the boundary between the front body F and the back body B, and the sides of the folded fold are joined to each other by heat welding or hot melt adhesive to form a side seal 21, thereby creating a trunk-type disposable diaper with a waist opening WO and a pair of leg openings LO. Reference numeral 18 in the figure indicates the inner body joining area, which is the joining area of ​​the outer body 20 and the inner body 10.

[0033] (Example of interior structure) As shown in Figures 1, 4 to 6, the inner casing 10 has a structure in which an absorbent 13 is interposed between a liquid-permeable top sheet 11 made of nonwoven fabric or the like and a liquid-impermeable sheet 12 made of polyethylene or the like, thereby absorbing and retaining excretory liquid that has permeated through the top sheet 11. The planar shape of the inner casing 10 is not particularly limited, but it is generally approximately rectangular as shown in the illustrated example.

[0034] As the top sheet 11 that covers the front side of the absorbent 13 and forms the skin-contacting surface, perforated or non-perforated nonwoven fabrics or perforated plastic sheets are preferably used. In the illustrated example, the top sheet 11 wraps around the side edges of the absorbent 13 and extends to the back side of the absorbent 13, but it is not limited to this.

[0035] As the liquid-impermeable sheet 12 covering the back side of the absorbent 13, a liquid-impermeable plastic sheet such as polyethylene or polypropylene can be used, and one that is particularly permeable to moisture is preferably used in order to prevent stuffiness. Examples of such water-impermeable and moisture-permeable sheets include microporous sheets obtained by melt-kneading an inorganic filler into an olefin resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene to form a sheet, and then stretching it in a uniaxial or biaxial direction. In the illustrated example, the liquid-impermeable sheet 12 is folded back to the back side on both sides in the width direction of the absorbent 13 together with the top sheet 11, but it is not limited to this.

[0036] As the absorbent material 13, known materials such as pulp fiber piles or nonwoven fabrics can be used as a base, and a superabsorbent polymer can be mixed in or fixed as needed. This absorbent material 13 can be packaged with a liquid-permeable and liquid-retaining packaging sheet 14, such as crepe paper, as needed to maintain its shape and polymer.

[0037] The overall shape of the absorbent body 13 is formed in a roughly hourglass shape, with a narrower constriction 13N on both the front and rear sides in the front-to-back range including the crotch area 28, but it can be any appropriate shape, such as a rectangle. When such a constriction 13N is present, if the planar shape of the inner lining 10 is roughly rectangular, then a remaining portion without the absorbent body 13 is formed in the inner lining 10 in the area corresponding to the constriction 13N of the absorbent body 13. Preferably, the absorbent body 13 is formed to extend from the middle of the width direction WD of the front body F through the crotch area 28 to the middle of the width direction WD of the back body B, as shown in the illustrated example, but it is not limited to this.

[0038] Three-dimensional gathers 19 that fit around the legs are formed on both sides of the inner lining 10. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, these three-dimensional gathers 19 are formed by a double-layered gather sheet 15 which is folded over, and consists of a fixing part fixed to the side of the back surface of the inner lining 10, a main body part extending from the fixing part through the side of the inner lining 10 to the side of the front surface of the inner lining 10, a folded-over portion formed by fixing the front and rear ends of the main body part to the side of the front surface of the inner lining 10 in a folded-over state, and a free portion formed by leaving the space between these folded-over portions unfixed. A water-repellent nonwoven fabric is preferably used as the gather sheet 15.

[0039] Furthermore, elongated gathered elastic members 16 are provided between the double gathered sheets 15, at the ends of the free portions, etc. The gathered elastic members 16 are intended to form three-dimensional gathers 19 by causing the free portions to stand upright through elastic stretching force, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 5 in the product state. As the gathered elastic members 16, commonly used materials such as styrene rubber, polyolefin rubber, urethane rubber, ester rubber, polyurethane, polyethylene, polystyrene, styrene-butadiene, silicone, and polyester can be used.

[0040] The nonwoven fabric used for the gather sheet 15 is not particularly limited, but it is desirable to use a water-repellent treated nonwoven fabric coated with a silicone-based, paraffinic metal-based, or alkylchromic chloride-based water repellent to prevent the permeation of urine and other substances.

[0041] (Exterior) As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 9, the outer casing 20 has a roughly hourglass shape with a constriction in the middle of the front-to-back direction LD, and the edges on both sides of this constriction each form the edges 29 of the leg openings. The crotch portion 28 of the outer casing 20 has a pair of inner thigh contact portions 51 that extend to one side and the other side in the width direction WD from the edges on both sides of the absorber 13, and a leg circumference region 52 is formed by the width 51x of these inner thigh contact portions 51 along the edges 29 of the leg openings, thereby forming a pair of leg cylinder portions 50 that surround the base of the thighs. Therefore, the portion of the front-to-back direction LD having the side seals 21 that is excluded from the front-to-back direction LD having the leg cylinder portions 50 becomes an annular waist circumference region T. The waist circumference region consists of a waist portion W that extends from one side seal 21 to the other side seal 21 along the edge of the waist opening WO, and a lower waist portion U adjacent to the lower part of the waist portion that extends from one side seal 21 to the other side seal 21. Normally, if there is a boundary within the waist area where the stretch stress in the width direction WD changes (for example, where the thickness or maximum elongation rate of the elastic member changes), the waist portion W is the part on the waist opening WO side of the boundary on the waist opening WO side (if there is a gap between the lowest elastic member of the waist portion W and the highest elastic member of the lower waist portion U, the boundary is in the middle of that gap). If there is no such boundary, the waist portion W is the part located on the waist opening WO side of the boundary that extends linearly in the width direction WD through the edge of the absorber 13 or the inner body 10 on the waist opening WO side.

[0042] The dimensions of the inner thigh contact portion 51 can be appropriately determined according to the length of the leg tube portion 50, but in the usual case, the width 51x of the inner thigh contact portion 51 at the narrowest part of the outer body 20 is preferably about 1-5% of the total length Y of the diaper. Also, as shown in Figure 9, in the front body F, when a virtual straight line L1 is drawn from a virtual point P1 located on the center side in the width direction on the edge 29 of the leg opening at an angle θ1 of 20 degrees with respect to the width direction, toward the outside in the width direction and toward the waist, it is preferable that there is an intersection point P2 between this virtual straight line L1 and the side edge of the outer body 20 in the front-to-back range having the side seal 21, and it is preferable that the front-to-back distance 50f from this intersection point P2 to the edge 29 of the leg opening is greater than or equal to the distance 51d between the side edge of the outer body 20 and the side edge of the inner body 10 at the narrowest part of the outer body 20, and preferably is about the same. On the other hand, in the back panel B, when a virtual straight line L2 is drawn from a virtual point P1 located on the edge 29 of the leg opening closest to the center in the width direction at an angle θ2 of 30 degrees with respect to the width direction, toward the outside in the width direction and toward the waist direction, it is preferable that this virtual straight line L2 intersects with the side edge of the outer body 20 in the front-to-back range having the side seal 21, and the front-to-back distance 50b from this intersection point P3 to the edge 29 of the leg opening may be less than or greater than the distance 51d between the side edge of the outer body 20 and the side edge of the inner body 10 at the narrowest part of the outer body 20.

[0043] The outer casing 20 has a first sheet layer 20A and a second sheet layer 20B, with elastic members 24 and 30 interposed between them, and has an expandable / contractible region 80 that can expand and contract between a natural length state contracted in the width direction WD by the contraction force of the elastic members 24 and 30 and an extended state stretched to the maximum elongation rate in the width direction WD together with the elastic sheet 30.

[0044] The expandable / contractable region 80 can be provided, for example, in the waist portion W, the upper region of the lower waist portion U, and the leg portion 52, extending over the entire width direction WD. Furthermore, if the lower waist portion U has an upper region above a boundary that extends linearly in the width direction WD through the edge of the absorbent body 13 on the waist opening WO side, and a lower region below the boundary line, the expandable / contractable region 80 can be provided in the lower region of the lower waist portion U, extending over the entire width direction WD. However, a non-expandable / contractable region 70 can be provided in the intermediate portion of the lower region, such as a part or all of the portion that overlaps with the absorbent body 13 (preferably including almost the entire interior joint portion 18), and the expandable / contractable regions 80 can be provided in the regions on both sides thereof.

[0045] The lower limit of the maximum elongation rate of the width direction WD of the stretchable region 80 can be set as appropriate, but as an example, it is preferably 180%, more preferably 190%, and also preferably 200%. The upper limit of the maximum elongation rate of the width direction WD of the stretchable region 80 can be set as appropriate, but as an example, it is preferably 400%, more preferably 320%, and even more preferably 220%.

[0046] The maximum elongation rate and elongation stress of the widthwise WD of the expansion region 80 can be determined independently according to the part of the outer casing 20 (waist region W, lower waist region U, leg region 52). For example, the maximum elongation rate of the waist region W of the outer casing 20 can be set to about 230-320%, the maximum elongation rate of the lower waist region U to about 180-220%, and the maximum elongation rate of the leg cylinder region 50 to about 0.8-1.2 times the maximum elongation rate of the lower waist region U.

[0047] The non-stretchable region 70 refers to the region where the maximum elongation rate in the width direction WD is 120% or less. The maximum elongation rate of the non-stretchable region 70 is preferably 110% or less, and more preferably 100%. The maximum elongation rates of the stretchable region and the non-stretchable region can be changed independently.

[0048] The elastic sheet 30 is not particularly limited; any sheet made of thermoplastic resin that is itself elastic can be used, including elastic films and stretchable nonwoven fabrics. In addition to non-porous sheets, elastic sheets 30 with numerous holes or slits for ventilation can also be used. As the elongated elastic member, thread elastic made of spandex or the like, or flat elastic can be used.

[0049] When an elastic sheet 30 is used as the elastic member, it is preferable that the expandable region 80 and the non-expandable region 70 have an elastic sheet expandable structure 20X in which the first sheet layer 20A and the second sheet layer 20B are joined through joint holes 31 that penetrate the elastic sheet 30 by a number of joint portions 40 arranged at intervals, as shown in Figures 2, 4 to 6 and 10. In other words, the outer edges of the joint portions 40 are surrounded by the inner edges of the joint holes 31, and the two are not joined and can be separated. Although not shown, the first sheet layer 20A and the second sheet layer 20B may be joined via the elastic sheet 30 by a number of joint portions 40 arranged at intervals. At the joint portions 40, the first sheet layer 20A and the second sheet layer 20B are joined directly or via the elastic sheet 30 by welding or hot melt adhesive.

[0050] When an elastic sheet 30 is used as the elastic member, the joint 40 is positioned such that the elastic sheet 30 remains uninterrupted in the width direction WD in the stretchable region 80. In this case, the elastic sheet 30 may have a portion 32 that is linearly continuous along the width direction WD, as in the example shown in Figure 10, or it may not have such a portion, as in the examples shown in Figures 11 and 12. In such a stretchable region 80, as shown in Figures 10(c) and 10(d), in the natural length state, the first sheet layer 20A and the second sheet layer 20B between the joint 40 expand in opposite directions (to separate from each other), forming a contraction fold 25 that extends in the front-rear direction LD. Even in the fitted state where the material is stretched to a certain extent in the width direction WD, the contraction fold 25 is stretched but remains. When an elongated elastic member 24 is used as the elastic member, as is well known, the elongated elastic member 24 can be fixed to the first sheet layer 20A and the second sheet layer 20B continuously or intermittently, either only at both ends or along its entire longitudinal direction. In the natural length or in a partially contracted worn state, contraction wrinkles corresponding to the fixing pattern of the elongated elastic member 24 are formed on the first sheet layer 20A and the second sheet layer 20B.

[0051] In the region where the elastic members 24 and 30 are arranged, a non-stretchable region 70 can be provided by neutralizing the stretchability of the elastic members 24 and 30. For example, when providing a non-stretchable region 70 in a region having an elastic sheet stretchable structure 20X, as shown in Figure 12, the first sheet layer 20A and the second sheet layer 20B are joined at each joint 40 via the joint holes 31 of the elastic sheet 30, and in the non-stretchable region 70, the joints 40 and joint holes are arranged somewhat densely and in a staggered pattern, so that the elastic sheet 30 is continuous in the stretch direction ED, but the presence of the joint holes 31 prevents any linearly continuous portion along the stretch direction ED, thereby neutralizing the stretchability of the elastic sheet 30. In this case, the ventilation holes 33 (gaps) open with a size that is almost the same in both the natural length state and the unfolded state. When an elongated elastic member 24 is used as the elastic member, as is well known, the stretchability of the elongated elastic member 24 can be neutralized by cutting the elongated elastic member 24 into small pieces in the non-stretchable region 70. Although not shown in the figures, the non-stretchable region 70 may be formed by not arranging an elastic member.

[0052] When an elastic sheet 30 is used as the elastic member, the maximum elongation rate and tensile stress in the stretchable region 80 and the non-stretchable region 70 can be varied depending on the material of the elastic sheet 30, the elongation rate of the elastic sheet 30 during manufacturing, and the joining pattern (dimensions and shape of individual joining parts 40, and their arrangement, etc.). For example, as shown in the example in Figure 8, by making the joining pattern 82 in the leg area 52 and the joining pattern 81 outside the leg area 52 different within the stretchable region 80 made by the elastic sheet 30, the tensile stress in the leg area 52 can be made stronger or weaker than in the other areas. The dimensions and shape of individual joining parts 40, and the arrangement pattern of the joining parts 40 can be appropriately adopted from known configurations. When an elongated elastic member 24 is used as the elastic member, the maximum elongation rate and tensile stress in the stretchable region 80 and the non-stretchable region 70 can be varied depending on the material of the elongated elastic member 24, the elongation rate of the elongated elastic member 24 during manufacturing, etc.

[0053] As shown in the examples in Figures 1 to 6, while an elastic sheet stretchable structure 20X is provided everywhere except the waist portion W, the waist portion W may not have an elastic sheet stretchable structure 20X, and instead may have a stretchable structure made of an elongated elastic member 24. As in the example of the pant-type disposable diaper described later, all stretchable areas 80 can be formed by the elongated elastic member 24, or, although not shown, the entire stretchable area of ​​the outer body 20 can be constructed with an elastic sheet stretchable structure 20X.

[0054] When using elongated elastic members 24, an expandable / contractible region 80 can be formed by arranging multiple elongated elastic members 24 at appropriate intervals in the front-rear direction LD (i.e., not by closely spacing them and arranging them as a single bundle).

[0055] When an elastic sheet expandable structure 20X is provided in the leg cylinder portion 50, the elastic sheet expandable structure 20X can be constructed using separate members in the leg cylinder portion 50 and other parts. However, in the illustrated example structure, it is preferable that the outer casing 20 has a single elastic sheet expandable structure 20X in the region extending from the leg cylinder portion 50 to at least one of the front and rear torso portions.

[0056] (Pants-type disposable diapers) Examples of disposable wearable items include pant-type disposable diapers, as shown in Figures 22 to 24. Pant-type disposable diapers do not have the aforementioned leg sections 50 (and therefore the inner thigh contact sections 51 and leg-area 52). In the illustrated example of a pant-type disposable diaper, the outer body 20 is a single piece extending from the front panel F to the back panel B, but a known structure (not shown) in which the outer body 20 is provided separately on the front panel F and the back panel B can also be adopted. Other points are basically the same as those for trunk-type disposable diapers, so the same reference numerals are used in the figures and explanations are omitted.

[0057] <Adjustment hole> Preferably, in the expandable region 80 of the outer casing 20, there are multiple rows of adjustment holes 91 arranged at intervals in the front-to-back direction LD, with adjustment holes 90 penetrating the outer casing 20 in the thickness direction, and multiple rows of adjustment holes 91 arranged at intervals in the expandable direction ED. In a disposable wearable article having such rows of adjustment holes 91, for example, as shown in Figures 14 to 16, a string, belt, or other elongated connecting member 92 is passed through pairs of adjustment holes 90 arranged in the fit adjustment direction (in the illustrated example, the waist direction for the waist region T, and the leg direction for the leg region 52), and the ends of the connecting member 92 are pulled and tied so that one adjustment hole 90 of the pair is closer to the other adjustment hole 90, thereby narrowing the distance between pairs of adjustment holes 90 and locally improving the fit in the region where the pair of adjustment holes 90 is located, as shown by the white arrows in the figures. Therefore, when wearing a diaper, if there are areas where the fit of the stretchable area 80 is insufficient or areas where a tighter fit is desired, the wearer or caregiver can arbitrarily select and use pairs of adjustment holes 90 that are aligned in the direction in which they wish to adjust the fit in that area to adjust the fit.

[0058] In other words, as shown in Figure 13, the wearer or caregiver can determine whether there are any areas that require fit adjustment and in what direction the adjustment should be made, while the diaper is being worn without the connecting member 92. The areas and directions of fit adjustment can be appropriately selected by the user, within the constraints imposed by the arrangement of the adjustment holes 90. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, when pairs of adjustment holes 90 are provided in the waist area W, lower waist area U, and leg area 52, the fit can be adjusted by passing a connecting member 92 through the pair of adjustment holes 90 located in the leg area 52, as shown in Figure 14, and tightening only the leg area 52 in the leg direction as indicated by the white arrows; or by passing a connecting member 92 through the pairs of adjustment holes 90 located in the waist area W and leg area 52, as shown in Figure 15, and tightening only the waist area W and leg area 52 in the torso direction and leg direction as indicated by the white arrows; or by passing a connecting member 92 through the pairs of adjustment holes 90 located in the waist area W, lower waist area U, and leg area 52, as shown in Figures 16 and 21, and tightening the entire waist area W, lower waist area U, and leg area 52 in the torso direction and leg direction as indicated by the white arrows. Note that the dashed lines in Figures 14 to 16 show the outline before adjustment as shown in Figure 13. Because the circumference of the wearer's torso and legs changes vertically, the amount of stretch in the stretchable area 80 differs depending on the position of the front-to-back LD when worn. Therefore, even if the adjustment holes 90 are aligned linearly along the front-to-back LD when unfolded, they are not aligned linearly along the front-to-back LD when worn, and a shift occurs in the position of the stretchable area ED. Also, when viewed from the side in the worn state, the adjustment holes 90 appear elliptical. In the side views of the worn state shown in Figures 13 to 16 and Figures 21 and 22 described later, the position and shape of the adjustment holes 90 are slightly exaggerated for clarity.

[0059] Furthermore, when adjusting the fit, by not pulling both ends of the connecting member 92 and by tying the connecting member 92 tightly or with an arbitrary amount of looseness, the amount of stretching of the part can be limited, for example, to prevent the stretchable area 80 from stretching due to the weight after excretion and causing the disposable wearable item to slip down. In other words, the fit after excretion can also be adjusted. Moreover, by passing the connecting member 92 between pairs of adjustment holes 90 arranged diagonally or between pairs of adjustment holes 90 arranged in the front-to-back direction LD, the user can arbitrarily select the direction of fit adjustment.

[0060] In this disposable wearable item, in order to adjust the fit, it is necessary to pass a connecting member 92 through pairs of adjustment holes 90 that are aligned in the direction of fit adjustment. Therefore, when adjusting the fit only in a specific area in the front-to-back direction LD, for example, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, the connecting member 92 can be passed through pairs of adjustment holes 90 located in a specific area in the front-to-back direction LD (in the illustrated example, the leg area 52), and the fit can be adjusted without passing the connecting member 92 through adjustment holes 90 in other areas. In this case, as shown in Figure 15, the fit can be adjusted independently by passing separate connecting members 92 through pairs of adjustment holes 90 located in multiple specific areas separated in the front-to-back direction LD (in the illustrated example, the waist area W and the leg area 52). Also, as shown in Figure 16, the fit can be adjusted overall by passing a single connecting member 92 through multiple pairs of adjustment holes 90 located in multiple specific areas in the front-to-back direction LD (in the illustrated example, the waist area W, the lower waist area U, and the leg area 52).

[0061] The method of passing the connecting member 92 can be arbitrarily selected by the user. For example, as shown in the waist section W in Figure 15, only one pair of adjustment holes 90 can be used, and one end of the connecting member 92 can be passed through one adjustment hole 90 from the outside of the disposable wearable item, then through the inside of the disposable wearable item, and then through the other adjustment hole 90, and then the ends of the connecting member 92 can be tied together on the outside of the disposable wearable item. This is suitable for adjusting the fit locally. For adjusting the fit over a wider area, the connecting member 92 can be passed through, for example, the leg area 52 shown in Figures 14 and 15, or as shown in Figure 16. In other words, multiple pairs of adjustment holes 90 arranged in a direction intersecting the fit adjustment direction (in the illustrated example, the waist direction and the leg direction) are used (in the illustrated example, multiple adjustment holes 90 of one row of adjustment holes 91 and multiple adjustment holes 90 of the other row of adjustment holes 91 adjacent in the width direction WD). The ends of the connecting member 92 are passed through the pair of adjustment holes 90 at one end in the direction intersecting the fit adjustment direction from the outside (or inside) of the disposable wearable item, then passed through one and the other of the adjacent pair of adjustment holes 90 in an alternating (zigzag) manner, and then led out to the outside of the disposable wearable item from the other end's pair of adjustment holes 90 to tie it. In other words, the connecting member 92 can be passed through in a substantially double helix shape. In this case, the connecting member 92 will have an X-shaped portion exposed on the outer surface of the disposable wearable item. Although not shown in the diagram, it is also possible to use a method of threading the connecting member 92 in a nearly single spiral, similar to the method of threading shoelaces, in which case the connecting member 92 will be exposed in a horizontal stripe pattern on the outer surface of the disposable wearable item.

[0062] When adding a fit adjustment function to only specific parts of the front-to-back LD, multiple rows of adjustment holes 91 can be provided only in those parts (for example, at least one of the waist area W and the leg area 52, although not shown), and adjustment holes can not be provided in other parts.

[0063] The adjustment hole 90 may include not only punched holes but also slits (without width) as long as it can pass through the connecting member 92. The dimensions of the adjustment hole 90 can be appropriately determined according to the thickness of the connecting member 92, etc. For example, the dimension of the adjustment hole 90 in the front-to-back direction LD can be about 5 to 15 mm. Also, if the adjustment hole 90 is a punched hole, the dimension of the adjustment hole 90 in the width direction WD can be about 0.8 to 1.5 times the dimension of the front-to-back direction LD.

[0064] A connecting member 92 is required to adjust the fit. Preferably, the connecting member 92 is included with the product, but the user may provide it as needed. If the connecting member 92 is included with the product, it may be pre-passed through the adjustment hole 90, or it may be included with the product as a standalone item without being passed through the adjustment hole 90. The connecting member 92 is not limited by material or structure, as long as it is a flexible, elongated member that can be passed through the adjustment hole 90 and tied. For example, the connecting member 92 may be a twisted cord, braided cord, or cord made of fibers, or a cord made by combining these, or it may be made of natural or synthetic leather or woven fabric, or an elastic material such as rubber formed into an elongated shape. The diameter or width of the connecting member 92 can be determined as appropriate, as long as it can pass through the adjustment hole 90. For example, the diameter or width of the connecting member 92 may be made to match the dimensions of the adjustment hole 90, less than the dimensions of the adjustment hole 90 (so that the connecting member 92 can pass through the adjustment hole 90 with some play), or greater than the dimensions of the adjustment hole 90 (so that the connecting member 92 can pass through the adjustment hole 90 with compressive deformation).

[0065] The expandable region 80 of the outer casing 20 generally has multiple layers of laminated nonwoven fabric (the first sheet layer 20A and the second sheet layer 20B mentioned above) and elastic members (the elastic sheet 30 and the elongated elastic member 24 mentioned above) arranged between these nonwoven fabric layers. Therefore, if adjustment holes 90 are simply formed in the nonwoven fabric layers, the adjustment holes 90 will not only be inconspicuous, but the edges of the adjustment holes 90 may be stretched by the connecting member 92 during or after adjustment of the fit, making it difficult to adjust the fit or rendering the adjustment by the connecting member 92 ineffective. Therefore, it is preferable that a reinforcing ring 90r forming the periphery of the adjustment hole 90 is attached to the outer casing 20, or that the portion of the nonwoven fabric layer forming the periphery of the adjustment hole 90 is reinforced by melting and solidifying it.

[0066] The spacing 90d (center spacing or, if there is no center, the center of gravity) between adjacent adjustment holes 90 in the longitudinal LD ​​of each adjustment hole row 91 can be appropriately determined according to the adjustment range in the longitudinal LD, and may be constant or vary depending on the part. For example, the spacing 90d between adjacent adjustment holes 90 in the longitudinal LD ​​of each adjustment hole row 91 can be about 1 / 6 to 1 / 12 times the length 21y of the longitudinal LD ​​of the side seal 21.

[0067] The adjustment holes 90 of each adjustment hole row 91 may be aligned in the front-to-back direction LD with respect to the adjustment holes 90 of other adjustment hole rows 91 adjacent to them in the width direction WD (i.e., they may be arranged in a matrix) or they may be offset (for example, arranged in a zigzag or alternating pattern).

[0068] The position of the adjustment hole row 91 in the width direction WD is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in Figure 25(a), multiple rows of adjustment holes 91 may be provided only on the outer body 20 of the front body F, or as shown in Figure 25(b), multiple rows of adjustment holes 91 may be provided only on the outer body 20 of the back body B. Furthermore, while the arrangement of the adjustment holes 90 is preferably symmetrical, it may also be asymmetrical.

[0069] In typical disposable wearable items, the outer casing 20 of the front body F and the outer casing 20 of the back body B are often defined as stretchable areas 80, which are the regions between a longitudinal boundary line BL extending along the front-to-back direction LD through both side edges of the inner casing and a side seal 21 located to the side of the longitudinal boundary line BL. In this case, the stretchable areas of the outer casing of the front body and the outer casing of the back body are connected by the side seals to form substantially one stretchable area. Therefore, by providing one or more rows of adjustment holes 91 in each of the left and right front side areas (preferably one or two rows each) and one or more rows in each of the left and right back side areas (preferably one or two rows each), the fit of the stretchable areas 80 can be adjusted independently on the left and right sides. For example, in wearers with disabilities or contractures, the left-right symmetry of the body may be significantly disrupted, but the disposable wearable item of this embodiment allows for easy adjustment of the fit even in such wearers.

[0070] Of course, as can be seen from the example shown in Figure 25(c), multiple rows of adjustment holes 91 may be provided in at least one of the front central region FC and the back central region BC, which are determined as the areas between the longitudinal boundary line BL in the outer body 20 of the front body F and the outer body 20 of the back body B, respectively. By using pairs of adjustment holes 90 in the front central region FC, the fit in the center of the abdomen can be adjusted, and by using pairs of adjustment holes 90 in the back central region BC, the fit in the waist can be adjusted.

[0071] Each row of adjustment holes 91 may have adjustment holes 90 arranged in a straight line, or in a zigzag or other bent shape. The direction of the row of adjustment holes 91 (if the adjustment holes 90 are not arranged in a straight line, the direction connecting the centers or centroids of the adjustment holes 90 at both ends) may be along the front-to-back direction LD, or it may be inclined with respect to the front-to-back direction LD. The arrangement of the adjustment holes 90 and the direction of the row in each row of adjustment holes 91 may be the same as or different from that of other rows of adjustment holes 91.

[0072] Therefore, the spacing 91d between adjacent adjustment hole rows 91 in the width direction WD may be constant or it may change. Note that the spacing 91d between adjacent adjustment hole rows 91 in the width direction WD refers to the spacing 91d of the tangent lines TL when, in the unfolded state, a tangent line TL is drawn from one adjustment hole 90 to the other adjustment hole 90 on the opposite side of the width direction WD of each adjustment hole row 91 in the front-rear direction LD.

[0073] The outer casing 20 of a disposable wearable item may have a large stretch area where the maximum elongation in the width direction WD is relatively large, and a small stretch area located on one side of the front-to-back direction LD where the maximum elongation in the width direction WD is relatively small. For example, in the outer casing 20 of the aforementioned pants-type disposable wearable item and trunk-type disposable wearable item, the maximum elongation in the width direction WD at the waist portion W of the waist circumference region T is generally greater than the maximum elongation in the width direction WD at the lower waist portion U, which is located closer to the leg opening LO. In this case, the waist portion W is the large stretch area, and the lower waist portion U is the small stretch area. Furthermore, in the trunk-type disposable wearable item, the maximum elongation in the width direction WD at the leg portion 50 is generally smaller than the maximum elongation in the width direction WD at the lower waist portion U. In this case, the lower waist portion U is the large stretch area, and the leg portion 50 is the small stretch area. Areas that require large stretching and shrinking can be said to be areas where a large range of adjustment by the wearer is also desired, and areas where relatively small stretching and shrinking is acceptable can be said to be areas where a small range of adjustment by the wearer is acceptable.

[0074] Therefore, from this viewpoint, as shown in the example in Figure 19, it is preferable that each of the waist portion W, lower waist portion U, and leg portion 50 has adjustment holes 90 of one of the adjacent adjustment hole rows 91 and adjustment holes 90 of the other adjustment hole row 91, and when stretched to a stretching rate of 140% in the stretching direction ED (torso direction for the waist portion W and lower waist portion U, and leg direction for the leg portion), the spacing of adjacent adjustment hole rows 91 in the stretching direction ED in the waist portion W is larger than the spacing 91d of adjacent adjustment hole rows 91 in the stretching direction ED in the lower waist portion U, and the spacing of adjacent adjustment hole rows 91 in the stretching direction ED in the lower waist portion U is larger than the spacing 91d of adjacent adjustment hole rows 91 in the stretching direction ED in the leg portion 50. Note that although Figure 19 shows the state when stretched to the maximum stretching rate, the relationship of the spacing 91d is the same even when stretched to 140%. In this way, by changing the spacing and adjustment range of adjacent adjustment hole rows 91 in the stretch direction ED between the waist portion W and the lower waist portion U, and between the lower waist portion U and the leg portion 50, which have a large stretch area and a small stretch area relationship, it becomes possible to adjust the diaper to suit the wearer's needs. Furthermore, when using such trunk-type disposable diapers, as shown in Figure 20, depending on the wearer's body shape, the amount of stretch in the stretch direction ED may gradually decrease from the waist portion W to the leg portion 50. In such cases, as shown in Figure 21, if the spacing between adjacent pairs of adjustment holes 90 in the stretch direction ED is narrowed towards the waist portion W side, the adjusted adjustment hole rows 91 will be parallel or nearly parallel, which has the advantage of improving the aesthetic appearance when worn.

[0075] If adjustment holes 90 are provided in the expandable region 80, the adjustment holes 90 may be crushed by the contraction of the expandable region 80, or the orientation of the adjustment holes 90 may become oblique to the opposing direction due to the folds 25 created by the contraction of the expandable region 80, which may make it difficult to insert the connecting member 92 or reduce the visibility of the adjustment holes 90. To solve this, as shown in Figure 3(b), it is preferable to provide the expandable region 80 with a high-elongation-rate region 84 in which the maximum elongation rate of the width direction WD is relatively high, and a low-elongation-rate region 83 located on one side of the width direction WD of the high-elongation-rate region 84 in which the maximum elongation rate of the width direction WD is relatively low, and to provide the row of adjustment holes 91 only in the low-elongation-rate region 83, with the high-elongation-rate region 84 between adjacent rows of adjustment holes 91. This suppresses a decrease in elasticity, and even if the adjustment holes 90 are crushed by the contraction of the stretchable region 80, the degree of crushing can be reduced. Furthermore, even if the orientation of the adjustment holes 90 becomes oblique to the opposing direction due to the folds 25 created by the contraction of the stretchable region 80, the degree of this can be reduced. In the illustrated example, a strip-shaped low-elongation region 83 is provided on the side seal 21 with a gap in the center of the width direction WD and extending in the front-rear direction LD, and the row of adjustment holes 91 is provided within this low-elongation region 83. The high-elongation region 84 and the low-elongation region 83 can be provided by forming regions with different maximum elongation rates in the stretchable region 80 using the method described above.

[0076] The outer casing 20 of a disposable wearable item generally has a first region having a maximum elongation rate or tensile stress in the first width direction WD, and a second region located on one side of the front-to-back direction LD relative to the first region, having a second maximum elongation rate or tensile stress in the second width direction WD that is different from the maximum elongation rate or tensile stress in the first width direction WD. For example, in the outer casing 20 of a pants-type disposable wearable item or a trunk-type disposable wearable item, the maximum elongation rate or tensile stress in the width direction WD at the waist portion W of the torso region T is generally greater than the maximum elongation rate or tensile stress in the width direction WD at the lower waist portion U located closer to the leg opening LO. This is an attempt to optimize the fit for each part by changing the maximum elongation rate depending on the position of the outer casing 20 in the front-to-back direction LD. Therefore, it is preferable to provide adjustment holes 90 of a first row of adjustment holes 91 and adjustment holes 90 of a second row of adjustment holes 91, which are different from the first row of adjustment holes 91, in each region with different maximum stretch rates, such as the waist W and the lower waist U, so that the user can adjust the fit using the adjustment holes 90 in accordance with the change in maximum stretch rate. The illustrated example shows such an arrangement of adjustment holes.

[0077] <Omission of adjustment holes> As shown in Figures 17 and 18, it is preferable to attach a connecting member 95 in place of the adjustment hole 90 in the above example, which has a fixing portion 96 fixed to the outer surface at the location of the adjustment hole 90 and an elongated free portion extending from the fixing portion 96 and remaining unfixed to its end. This is preferable because the fit can be adjusted simply by appropriately tying together pre-installed connecting members 95. In other words, if four or more connecting members 95 are attached to the outer surface of the exterior body 20 so that there are multiple rows of fixing portions 97 spaced apart in the front-rear direction LD and multiple rows spaced apart in the width direction WD, the spacing between the fixing portions 96 can be narrowed by connecting the connecting members 95 that extend from each pair of fixing portions 96 aligned in the fit adjustment direction, as shown in Figure 18, thereby locally improving the fit in the area where the fixing portion 96 is located. Therefore, when wearing disposable wearable items, if there are areas where the fit of the stretchable area 80 is insufficient or areas where a tighter fit is desired, the wearer or caregiver can arbitrarily select and use the connecting members 95 that extend from the fixing parts 96, which are aligned in the direction in which the adjustment of the fit is desired in that area, to adjust the fit.

[0078] In this example, since the connecting members 95 need to be provided in pairs, if multiple fit adjustment points are provided in the front-rear direction LD of the ED, a pair of connecting members 95 will be provided for each adjustment point.

[0079] The adjustment range and direction of fit, the arrangement of the fixing part 96, etc., can be selected in the same way as when using the adjustment holes 90 described above. These selections can be understood by replacing the adjustment holes 90 with the fixing part 96 and the row of adjustment holes 91 with the row of fixing part 97 in the explanation when using the adjustment holes 90, so we will omit further explanation here.

[0080] <Other> In the above description, known nonwoven fabrics can be used as appropriate depending on the part and purpose. The constituent fibers of the nonwoven fabric can be selected without particular limitation, including, for example, polyolefin-based fibers such as polyethylene or polypropylene, polyester-based fibers, polyamide-based fibers, etc. (including single-component fibers as well as composite fibers such as core-sheath fibers), regenerated fibers such as rayon and cupro, and natural fibers such as cotton, and these can also be used in mixtures. To increase the flexibility of the nonwoven fabric, it is preferable to use crimped fibers as constituent fibers. Furthermore, the constituent fibers of the nonwoven fabric may be hydrophilic fibers (including those made hydrophilic by a hydrophilizing agent), hydrophobic fibers, or water-repellent fibers (including water-repellent fibers made water-repellent by a water-repellent agent). Furthermore, nonwoven fabrics are generally classified according to the length of the fibers, the sheet formation method, the fiber bonding method, and the lamination structure into short fiber nonwoven fabrics, long fiber nonwoven fabrics, spunbond nonwoven fabrics, meltblown nonwoven fabrics, spunlace nonwoven fabrics, thermal bond (air-through) nonwoven fabrics, needle punch nonwoven fabrics, point bond nonwoven fabrics, and laminated nonwoven fabrics (including SMS nonwoven fabrics and SMMS nonwoven fabrics, etc., which have a meltblown layer sandwiched between spunbond layers), and any of these nonwoven fabrics can be used.

[0081] <Explanation of terms used in the specification> The following terms in this specification shall have the meanings set forth below, unless otherwise specified in this specification.

[0082] "Front-back direction" refers to the direction indicated by the symbol LD in the diagram (vertical direction), and "width direction" refers to the direction indicated by WD in the diagram (left-right direction). The front-back direction and the width direction are orthogonal to each other.

[0083] • "MD direction" and "CD direction" refer to the flow direction (MD direction) and the transverse direction (CD direction) perpendicular to it in the manufacturing equipment. Depending on the part of the product, one of these directions may be the front-to-back direction and the other the width direction. The MD direction of nonwoven fabric is the direction of the fiber orientation of the nonwoven fabric.

[0084] "Front side" refers to the side that is closer to the wearer's skin when worn, while "back side" refers to the side that is further away from the wearer's skin when worn.

[0085] "Surface" refers to the side of the material that is closer to the wearer's skin when worn, while "back" refers to the side of the material that is further away from the wearer's skin when worn.

[0086] • "Front panel" and "back panel" refer to the front and back portions of a disposable diaper, respectively, separated by the center in the front-to-back direction.

[0087] The term "crotch area" refers to the part that is located in the wearer's crotch area. In the case of the trunk-type disposable diaper shown in the illustration, it refers to the range 28 of the anterior-posterior LD, including the center of the anterior-posterior LD as shown in Figure 9, where the acute-side intersection angle between the tangent to the edge 29 of the leg opening in the deployed state and the anterior-posterior LD is 45° or less.

[0088] "Area ratio" refers to the proportion of the target portion to a unit area. It is calculated by dividing the total area of ​​the target portion (e.g., joint 40, opening of joint hole 31, ventilation hole) within the target region (e.g., expandable region 80, non-expandable region 70) by the area of ​​the target region and expressing it as a percentage. In particular, the "area ratio" in a region with an expandable structure refers to the area ratio in the expanded state. In configurations where many target portions are provided at intervals, it is desirable to set the target region to a size that includes 10 or more target portions and then calculate the area ratio.

[0089] "Maximum elongation" refers to the length obtained by subtracting the natural length from the length when the material is stretched to its elastic limit (in other words, the length when it is unfolded flat without any contraction (including contraction due to elastic members, etc.) or slack).

[0090] • "Elongation rate" refers to the value relative to the natural length, which is set at 100%. For example, an elongation rate of 200% is equivalent to an elongation ratio of 2.

[0091] "Maximum elongation rate" refers to the elongation rate when stretched to the elastic limit (in other words, the elongation rate in the unfolded state where the stretchable region is flat and unfolded without any contraction (including contraction due to elastic members, etc.) or slack).

[0092] "Weight" is measured as follows: After pre-drying the sample or test piece, leave it in a test room or apparatus under standard conditions (temperature 23±1°C, relative humidity 50±2%) to reach a constant weight. Pre-drying means bringing the sample or test piece to a constant weight in an environment of 100°C. Note that pre-drying is not necessary for fibers with an official moisture content of 0.0%. Using a sample-taking template (100mm x 100mm), cut out a sample measuring 100mm x 100mm from the test piece that has reached a constant weight. Measure the weight of the sample, multiply it by 100 to calculate the weight per square meter, and this is the weight.

[0093] The "thickness" of the absorber is measured using a thickness measuring instrument from Ozaki Seisakusho Co., Ltd. (Peacock, large dial thickness gauge, model JB (measurement range 0-35 mm) or model K-4 (measurement range 0-50 mm)), with the sample and the thickness measuring instrument held horizontally. • For "thickness" other than that mentioned above, an automatic thickness measuring instrument (KES-G5 handy compression measurement program) was used, with a load of 0.098 N / cm². 2 , and pressure area: 2cm 2 Automatic measurement is performed under these conditions.

[0094] The "fiber orientation of nonwoven fabrics" refers to the direction along which the fibers of the nonwoven fabric run. This can be determined, for example, by a measurement method conforming to the fiber orientation test method using zero-distance tensile strength of the TAPPI standard method T481, or by a simple measurement method that determines the fiber orientation direction from the ratio of tensile strength in the front-to-back and width directions.

[0095] "Deployed state" refers to a state in which the body is flat and unfolded without any contraction (including contraction due to elastic members, etc.) or slack.

[0096] Unless otherwise specified, the dimensions and positional relationships of each part refer to the dimensions in the unfolded state, not the natural length state.

[0097] Unless otherwise specified, the tests and measurements shall be conducted in a test room or apparatus under standard conditions (temperature 23±1°C, relative humidity 50±2%). [Industrial applicability]

[0098] The present invention can be used in trunk-type disposable diapers as shown in the example above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0099] B...back panel, 19...three-dimensional gathers, C1...crossing position, F...front panel, LD...front-to-back direction, LO...leg opening, ED...stretch direction, WD...width direction, XD...orthogonal direction, WO...waist opening, sheet...front and back fasteners, 10...inner body, 11...top sheet, 12...liquid impermeable sheet, 13...absorbent material, 13N...constriction, 14...packaging sheet, 15...gather sheet, 16...gather elastic member, 17...diffusion groove, 18...inner body joint, 20...outer body, 20A...first sheet layer, 20B...second sheet layer, 20C...folded portion, 20X...elastic sheet stretch structure, 2 1...Side seal, 22...Intermediate region, 24...Elongated elastic member, 25...Fold, 26...Waist elastic member, 28...Crotch area, 29...Edge of leg opening, 30...Elastic sheet, 40...Joint, 50...Leg tube, 51...Inner thigh contact area, 52...Leg area, 70...Non-stretchable area, 80...Stretchable area, T...Waist area, W...Waist area, U...Lower waist area, 90...Adjustment hole, 92,95...Connecting members, 91...Adjustment hole row, BL...Longitudinal boundary line, FS...Front side region, BS...Rear side region, 84...High stretch rate region, 83...Low stretch rate region, 96...Fixing part, 97...Fixing part row.

Claims

1. An integrated outer covering extending from the front to the back, or outer coverings separately provided on the front and back, An inner body attached to the outer body extends from the middle of the width direction of the front body through the crotch area to the middle of the width direction of the back body, The absorbent built into the aforementioned interior body, Side seals to which both sides of the exterior body on the front panel and both sides of the exterior body on the back panel are joined, Waist opening and a pair of leg openings on the left and right, The exterior body is provided with an expandable / contractable region that elastically expands and contracts in the width direction, The expansion and contraction region of the exterior body has multiple rows of adjustment holes, each having multiple adjustment holes that penetrate in the thickness direction and are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction, and these rows are spaced apart in the expansion and contraction direction. A disposable wearable article characterized by the following features.

2. The exterior body of the front panel has a pair of left and right front side regions, which are defined as the region between a vertical boundary line extending along the front-to-back direction through both side edges of the interior body and a side seal located to the side of the vertical boundary line. The outer body of the rear body has a pair of left and right rear side regions, which are defined as the region between a longitudinal boundary line extending along the front-to-back direction through both side edges of the inner body and a side seal located to the side of the longitudinal boundary line. The aforementioned front side region and the aforementioned rear side region are stretchable regions that elastically expand and contract in the width direction. The row of adjustment holes is provided in one or more rows in each of the left and right front side regions, and in one or more rows in each of the left and right rear side regions. The disposable wearable article according to claim 1.

3. The exterior body has a large expansion / contraction region where the maximum elongation in the width direction is relatively large, and a small expansion / contraction region located on one side of the large expansion / contraction region in the front-rear direction, where the maximum elongation in the width direction is relatively small. Each of the large expansion region and the small expansion region has adjustment holes from one of the adjacent rows of adjustment holes and adjustment holes from the other row of adjustment holes. When stretched to an elongation rate of 140% in the aforementioned stretching direction, the spacing between adjacent rows of adjustment holes in the large stretching region in the aforementioned stretching direction is greater than the spacing between adjacent rows of adjustment holes in the small stretching region in the aforementioned stretching direction. The disposable wearable article according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned expansion region comprises a high-elongation-rate region where the maximum elongation rate in the width direction is relatively high, and a low-elongation-rate region located on one side of the high-elongation-rate region in the width direction, where the maximum elongation rate in the width direction is relatively low. The row of adjustment holes is provided only in the low elongation region, and the high elongation region is located between adjacent rows of adjustment holes. A disposable wearable article according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The expansion and contraction region of the exterior body comprises a plurality of laminated nonwoven fabric layers and an elastic member disposed between the nonwoven fabric layers. Either the reinforcing ring forming the periphery of the adjustment hole is attached to the exterior body, or the portion of the nonwoven fabric layer forming the periphery of the adjustment hole is melted and solidified. A disposable wearable article according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The exterior body has a first region having a first maximum elongation ratio in the width direction or a first tensile stress in the width direction, and a second region located on one side in the front-rear direction relative to the first region, having a second maximum elongation ratio in the width direction different from the first maximum elongation ratio in the width direction or a second tensile stress in the width direction different from the first tensile stress in the width direction. Each of the first and second regions has adjustment holes of a first row of adjustment holes and adjustment holes of a second row of adjustment holes that is different from the first row of adjustment holes. A disposable wearable article according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. An integrated outer covering extending from the front to the back, or outer coverings separately provided on the front and back, An inner body attached to the outer body extends from the middle of the width direction of the front body through the crotch area to the middle of the width direction of the back body, The absorbent built into the aforementioned interior body, Side seals to which both sides of the exterior body on the front panel and both sides of the exterior body on the back panel are joined, Waist opening and a pair of leg openings on the left and right, The exterior body is provided with an expandable / contractable region that elastically expands and contracts in the width direction, The exterior body is fitted with a connecting member having a fixed portion fixed to the outer surface of the expandable region and an elongated free portion that extends from the fixed portion and is not fixed to its end. Four or more connecting members are attached to the outer surface of the exterior body such that there are multiple rows of fixing parts spaced apart in the front-rear direction, and multiple rows of fixing parts spaced apart in the expansion-expansion direction of the expansion-expansion region. A disposable wearable article characterized by the following features.

8. The exterior body of the front panel has a pair of left and right front side regions, which are defined as the region between a vertical boundary line extending along the front-to-back direction through both side edges of the interior body and a side seal located to the side of the vertical boundary line. The outer body of the rear body has a pair of left and right rear side regions, which are defined as the region between a longitudinal boundary line extending along the front-to-back direction through both side edges of the inner body and a side seal located to the side of the longitudinal boundary line. The rows of fixed parts are provided in one or more rows in each of the left and right front side regions, and in one or more rows in each of the left and right rear side regions. The disposable wearable article according to claim 7.

9. The exterior body has a large expansion / contraction region where the maximum elongation in the width direction is relatively large, and a small expansion / contraction region located on one side of the large expansion / contraction region in the front-rear direction, where the maximum elongation in the width direction is relatively small. Each of the large expansion region and the small expansion region has a fixed part of one of the adjacent rows of fixed parts and a fixed part of the other row of fixed parts. When stretched to a widthwise elongation rate of 140%, the widthwise spacing between adjacent fixed parts in the large expansion region is greater than the widthwise spacing between adjacent fixed parts in the small expansion region. The disposable wearable article according to claim 8.

10. The exterior body has a first region having a first maximum elongation ratio in the width direction or a first tensile stress in the width direction, and a second region located on one side in the front-rear direction relative to the first region, having a second maximum elongation ratio in the width direction different from the first maximum elongation ratio in the width direction or a second tensile stress in the width direction different from the first tensile stress in the width direction. Each of the first and second regions has a fixing portion of a first row of fixing portions and a fixing portion of a second row of fixing portions that is different from the first row of fixing portions. A disposable wearable article according to any one of claims 7 to 9.

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