Absorbent article and shorts to which it is attached

Abstract

To provide an absorbent article which does not cause discomfort when worn. [Solution] The absorbent article has an absorbent body and end flaps extending outward in the longitudinal direction from longitudinal edges of the absorbent body. The end flaps have fastening parts on their non-skin facing surfaces, and have folding starting parts extending in the transverse direction and with a folding tendency that allows a part or all of the end flaps to be folded toward the non-skin facing surface side. The absorbent article is used by folding a part or all of the end flaps toward the non-skin facing surface side along the folding starting parts, and attaching the folded end flaps to shorts with a part or all of the folded end flaps fixed by the fastening parts.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an absorbent article and shorts to which the absorbent article is attached. [Background technology]

[0002] Absorbent articles such as disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, and urine absorption pads typically comprise a top sheet that faces the wearer's skin, a back sheet that faces the worn article such as underwear, and an absorbent body interposed between the two sheets, with a fixing material being disposed on the non-skin-facing surface of the back sheet, which is the surface that faces the worn article, and the absorbent article is fixed to the worn article by the fixing material.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes an absorbent pad in which a rectangular hook tape is attached near end flaps formed on both front and rear ends of the back surface of the absorbent pad, and a cover sheet made of a nonwoven fabric is attached to the annular portion around the hook tape. The document also describes that the hook tape is joined to the nonwoven fabric fibers that form the inner surface of the disposable diaper by the hook-shaped protrusions of the hook tape.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes an absorbent article having attachment / fixing parts provided at the front and rear parts of the non-skin-facing side of the back sheet of the absorbent article. The document describes that the absorbent article can be attached to the skin-facing side of the underwear by fastening the attachment / fixing parts to the underwear. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-178421 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-146122 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Since absorbent articles are generally used in contact with the wearer, it is desirable for the wearer not to feel uncomfortable even when worn for a long period of time. However, the absorbent articles described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 may have ends of the absorbent article that come into contact with the skin, which may irritate the skin and cause discomfort. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article that can reduce the discomfort felt when worn. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides an absorbent article having an absorbent body and end flaps extending outward in the longitudinal direction from longitudinal edges of the absorbent body, The end flap has a fastening portion on a non-skin facing surface of the end flap, The end flap has a folding tendency that allows a part or all of the end flap to be folded toward the non-skin facing surface side and has a folding starting point extending in the lateral direction, The present invention provides an absorbent article that is attached to shorts for use by folding part or all of the end flaps along the folding starting point toward the non-skin facing surface side, with part or all of the folded end flaps fixed by the fastening portion. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, an absorbent article is provided that can reduce the discomfort felt when worn. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of an absorbent article according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic view of the skin-facing side (top sheet side) of the absorbent article shown in FIG. 1 in an unfolded and stretched state. [Diagram 3]FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a schematic view of the non-skin facing side (back sheet side) of the absorbent article shown in FIG. 1 in an unfolded and stretched state. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of use of the absorbent article shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 5(a), 5(b) and 5(c) are diagrams showing modified examples of the absorbent article of the present invention, and are plan views showing the non-skin facing side (back sheet side) in an unfolded and stretched state. [Figure 6] 6(a), 6(b) and 6(c) are diagrams showing another embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention, and are plan views showing the non-skin facing side (back sheet side) in an unfolded and stretched state. [Figure 7] 7(a), 7(b) and 7(c) are diagrams showing other embodiments of the absorbent article of the present invention, and are plan views showing the non-skin facing side (back sheet side) in an unfolded and stretched state. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of shorts to which the absorbent article of the present invention is attached, and is a development view of the shorts opened at the boundary between the front and rear sections and viewed from the skin-facing side. [Figure 9] 9(a) and 9(b) are diagrams showing an example of how to use the absorbent article of the present invention, and are enlarged views showing a method of attaching the absorbent article to shorts. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of shorts to which the absorbent article of the present invention is attached, and is a development view of the shorts opened at the boundary between the front and rear sections and viewed from the skin-facing side. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of use of the absorbent article of the present invention, and is a perspective view of shorts to which the absorbent article is attached. [Figure 12] 12(a) and 12(b) are diagrams showing an example of how to use the absorbent article of the present invention, and are enlarged views showing a method of attaching the absorbent article to shorts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. The drawings are basically schematic, and the ratios of the dimensions may differ from the actual ones.

[0011] An embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2. The absorbent article 1 shown in these figures has a ventral portion F that is arranged on the ventral side of a wearer when worn, a dorsal portion R that is arranged on the dorsal side of the wearer, and a crotch portion M that is located between the ventral portion F and the dorsal portion R. The absorbent article 1 also has a longitudinal direction X that extends from the ventral portion F through the crotch portion M to the dorsal portion R, and a transverse direction Y that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X.

[0012] The absorbent article 1 is formed symmetrically on one side and the other side with respect to a horizontal centerline CLy in the unfolded and stretched state as shown in Fig. 2. The horizontal centerline CLy is an imaginary straight line extending in the vertical direction X, dividing the absorbent article 1 in the unfolded and stretched state in half in the horizontal direction Y. The "unfolded and stretched state" refers to a state in which the absorbent article is spread out flat and in an unfolded state, and the elastic members of each part of the absorbent article in the unfolded state are stretched to the designed dimensions (the same dimensions as when the absorbent article is spread out flat with all influence of the elastic members eliminated).

[0013] 2, the absorbent article 1 comprises an absorbent body 4 that absorbs and retains bodily fluids, a top sheet 2 arranged on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 4, and a back sheet 3 arranged on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body 4. The outer surface of the back sheet 3, particularly the outer surface of the region of the back sheet 3 that faces the absorbent body 4, may be provided with a fastening portion (not shown) for fastening the absorbent article 1 to a wearable article such as underwear or a disposable diaper. The absorbent article 1 further comprises a pair of end flaps 6, 6 extending outward in the longitudinal direction from each end edge of the absorbent body 4 in the longitudinal direction X.

[0014] 2, the absorbent article 1 has a shape elongated in the longitudinal direction X in a plan view. The top sheet 2, together with a side sheet 51 described below, forms the skin-facing surface of the absorbent article 1, and the back sheet 3 forms the non-skin-facing surface of the absorbent article 1. The components constituting the absorbent article 1 are joined to each other by known joining means such as fusion bonding by adhesives, heat treatment, ultrasonic treatment, etc. As the constituent members of the absorbent article 1, those that are usually used in this type of absorbent article can be used without any particular restrictions. As the top sheet 2, various sheets having liquid permeability can be used, for example, nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, and paper. As the back sheet 3, a sheet having leak-proof properties, specifically, a sheet having liquid impermeability (a property that does not allow liquid to pass through at all) or liquid-difficulty permeability (a property that is not liquid-impermeable but does not allow liquid to pass through easily), for example, a moisture-permeable resin film and a laminate of the resin film and nonwoven fabric can be used.

[0015] In this specification, when focusing on an absorbent article or a component thereof (e.g., an absorbent body), the "skin-facing side" refers to the side that faces the wearer's skin when the absorbent article is worn, and the "non-skin-facing side" refers to the side that faces away from the wearer's skin when the absorbent article is worn. In other words, the skin-facing side is the side that is relatively closer to the wearer's skin, and the non-skin-facing side is the side that is relatively farther from the wearer's skin. Furthermore, "when worn" and "worn state" refer to a state in which the absorbent article is worn while maintaining the proper wearing position.

[0016] 2, the absorbent body 4 extends over substantially the entire length of the absorbent article 1 in the longitudinal direction X, from the ventral portion F through the crotch portion M to the dorsal portion R. When incorporated into the absorbent article 1, the absorbent body 4 is used by being indirectly applied to a person's skin via the topsheet 2 or the like. In addition to being used indirectly against the skin as described above, the absorbent body 4 can also be used by being directly applied to the skin without being used via a member such as a sheet.

[0017] The absorbent body 4 has a liquid-absorbent absorbent core (not shown). The absorbent core may be a laminate of hydrophilic fiber materials, for example, cellulosic fibers such as fluff pulp, or a mixed laminate of the hydrophilic fiber materials and highly absorbent polymers such as hydrogel materials. The absorbent core may be covered in part or in whole with a core wrap sheet (not shown) made of a liquid-permeable sheet such as paper or nonwoven fabric. The absorbent core and the core wrap sheet may be joined together with an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive.

[0018] The absorbent article 1 may include a pair of leak-proof cuffs 5, 5 arranged along both sides along the longitudinal direction X. As shown in FIG. 2, each leak-proof cuff 5 includes a liquid-impermeable and breathable side sheet 51. One end of the side sheet 51 in the lateral direction Y is fixed to another member (the back sheet 3 in the illustrated embodiment) as a fixed end, and the other end in the lateral direction Y is a free end not fixed to another member. An elastic member 52 is fixed to the free end of the side sheet 51 in a stretched state in the longitudinal direction X, and is arranged to be stretchable in the same direction. A liquid-impermeable or liquid-slightly permeable sheet can be used as the side sheet 51. When the absorbent article 1 is worn, the free end of the leakproof cuff 5 stands up toward the wearer with the fixed end serving as an upstanding base end at least in the crotch region M due to the contractile force of the elastic member 52. This prevents excrement such as urine from flowing outward in the lateral direction Y.

[0019] The end flaps 6 are composed of end flap extension members extending outward in the longitudinal direction X from each end edge of the absorbent body 4. The end flap extension members are composed of extended portions of the top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3, as shown in Fig. 2, for example. Therefore, the absorbent body 4 is not present in the end flaps 6. The multiple members constituting the end flaps 6 are joined to each other by known joining means, such as fusion bonding by adhesives, heat treatment, ultrasonic treatment, etc.

[0020] The end flaps 6 have fastening parts 7 used to fix the absorbent article to a worn article such as shorts when the absorbent article is worn. As shown in FIG. 3, the fastening parts 7 are, for example, rectangular in the horizontal direction Y, and extend over substantially the entire length of the non-skin facing surface of the end flaps 6 in the horizontal direction Y. An outer edge 7A in the vertical direction X of the fastening parts 7 is located at a distance from an outer edge 6A in the vertical direction X of the end flaps 6. An inner edge 7B in the vertical direction X of the fastening parts 7 is located outward in the vertical direction X from the edge of the absorbent body 4. Both side edges 7C, 7D of the fastening parts 7 terminate inward in the horizontal direction Y from both side edges 6C, 6D of the end flaps 6. By providing the fastening parts 7 in this form, the end flaps 6 folded toward the non-skin facing surface can be reliably fastened to the non-skin facing surface as shown in the method of using the absorbent article 1 shown in FIG. 4 described later.

[0021] The fastening part 7 may have any structure known in the art, as long as it can fasten the folded end flap 6 to the back sheet 3 of the absorbent article 1. For example, an adhesive or a male or female member of a hook-and-loop fastener may be used as the fastening part 7. When the fastening part 7 is made of an adhesive, a release film for protecting the fastening part 7 may be attached.

[0022] The end flaps 6 have a folding tendency. The folding tendency is a property of the end flaps 6 that makes them prone to folding in a certain direction spontaneously or by application of an external force. The end flaps 6 have a folding tendency due to the presence of a folding starting point 61. In order to impart a folding tendency to the end flaps 6, for example, a perforation may be formed at the intended position of the folding starting point 61 in the end flaps 6, or the thickness of the intended position may be reduced. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a perforation extending in the lateral direction Y is formed at the position of the end edge 4A of the absorbent body 4, and this perforation acts as the folding starting point 61.

[0023] As described above, the folding starting point 61 is located at the edge 4A of the absorbent body 4. In other words, the folding starting point 61 is located at the boundary L1 between the end flap 6 and the absorbent body 4. The presence of the folding starting point 61 at this position makes it difficult for the absorbent body 4 to fold when the end flap 6 is folded toward the backsheet 3, as shown in Fig. 4 described later. In other words, the end flap 6 can be folded smoothly.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 3, the fastening part 7 is located outward in the vertical direction X from the folding start part 61. In other words, the fastening part 7 is not disposed at a position overlapping with the folding start part 61. Since the fastening part 7 does not overlap with the folding start part 61, as shown in Fig. 4 described later, when the end flap 6 is folded toward the back sheet 3, the fastening part 7 is unlikely to bend accordingly. In other words, the end flap 6 can be folded smoothly. In order to further enhance the above-mentioned effects, the distance between the inner end edge 7B of the fastening portion 7 in the longitudinal direction X and the folding starting point 61 is preferably 3 mm or more, more preferably 5 mm or more, and is preferably 30 mm or less, more preferably 20 mm or less.

[0025] Next, the method of using the absorbent article 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is as shown in FIG. First, a part or the whole of the end flaps 6 in the absorbent article 1 is folded along the folding starting points 61 toward the non-skin facing side, i.e., toward the back sheet 3. Next, the folded end flaps 6 are joined to the opposing non-skin facing member, for example, the outer surface of the back sheet 3 or the non-skin facing surface of the end flaps 6, via the fastening parts 7. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the end flaps 6 are fixed to the non-skin facing side. In the absorbent article 1 in this state, the folding starting points 61 in the end flaps 6 become the front and rear edges of the absorbent article 1. Therefore, when the absorbent article 1 in this state is attached to shorts, the front and rear edges 1A, 1B in the longitudinal direction X of the absorbent article 1 before folding the end flaps 6 are located between the back sheet 3 and the shorts, and the edges are unlikely to come into contact with the wearer's skin. As a result, when the absorbent article 1 in the state shown in FIG. 4 is worn, irritation to the skin caused by the front and rear edges of the absorbent article 1 is reduced, and thus the occurrence of discomfort is reduced.

[0026] In order to ensure the above-mentioned effects, it is preferable to set the dimensions of each part as follows. The length (width) of the fastening part 7 in the vertical direction X is preferably 5 mm or more, more preferably 10 mm or more, and is preferably 40 mm or less, more preferably 30 mm or less. When the width is not constant over the entire length of the fastening part 7 in the horizontal direction Y, it is preferable that the minimum width is within the above range. The length of the fastening part 7 in the horizontal direction Y is preferably 3 cm or more, more preferably 5 cm or more, and is preferably 30 cm or less, more preferably 15 cm or less. If the length is not constant over the entire length of the fastening part 7 in the vertical direction X, it is preferable that the minimum length is within the above range.

[0027] 5(a) to 5(c) show modified examples of the absorbent article 1 shown in Figs. 1 to 3. Regarding the absorbent article 1 shown in Figs. 5(a) to 5(c), the configurations different from the absorbent article 1 shown in Figs. 1 to 3 will be mainly described, and the same configurations as those of the absorbent article 1 will be given the same reference numerals and will not be described. Furthermore, the description of the absorbent article 1 shown in Figs. 1 to 3 will be applied as appropriate to the configurations not specifically described in the absorbent article 1 shown in Figs. 5(a) to 5(c). Furthermore, regarding the absorbent article 1 shown in Figs. 5(a) to 5(c), the ventral side portion F will be described, but unless otherwise specified, the description of the ventral side portion F will also be applied as appropriate to the dorsal side portion R.

[0028] In the absorbent article 1 shown in FIG. 5(a), the folding starting point 61 is located between the boundary L1 between the end flap 6 and the absorbent body 4 and the outer edge 6A in the longitudinal direction X of the end flap 6. The folding starting point 61 is located at a distance from the boundary L1 and at a distance from the inner edge 7B in the longitudinal direction X of the fastening part 7. As a result, the folding starting point 61 does not overlap the outer edge 4A in the longitudinal direction X of the absorbent body 4, and the inner edge 7B in the longitudinal direction X of the fastening part 7 is located outward in the longitudinal direction X from the folding starting point 61. In other words, the folding starting point 61 does not overlap the absorbent body 4 and does not overlap the fastening part 7. This arrangement allows the end flap 6 to be folded smoothly.

[0029] In the absorbent article 1 shown in FIG. 5(b), a hook-and-loop fastener is used as the fastening part 7. The "hook-and-loop fastener" is a fastener that is a set of a hook member (male member) on one side of which a hook material (engagement member) made of a hook-like protrusion is arranged, and a hook member (female member) on one side of which a loop material made of a pile-like protrusion is arranged. In this embodiment, the fastening part 7 is provided with a male member of the hook-and-loop fastener. In addition, a female member 7b of the hook-and-loop fastener is arranged on the outer surface of the back sheet 3 at a position that faces the male member when the end flap 6 is folded along the folding start part 61. If the outer surface of the back sheet 3 has a function equivalent to that of the female member of the hook-and-loop fastener, for example, if the outer surface of the back sheet 3 is in a state that can engage with the hook material, it is not necessary to arrange the female member 7b on the outer surface of the back sheet 3.

[0030] The absorbent article 1 shown in Fig. 5(c) has a plurality of absorbents 4. The plurality of absorbents 4 are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction X. The dimensions and shapes of the absorbents 4 are the same, but this is not limiting and the dimensions and shapes of the absorbents may be different from each other. By arranging the plurality of absorbents 4 at intervals in the longitudinal direction X, the absorbent article 1 of this embodiment has high flexibility and easily fits the wearer's body when worn. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the absorbent body 4 is positioned so as to face the fastening portion 7 when the end flap 6 is folded along the folding starting point 61, in order to make it easier to fix the fastening portion 7 to the outer surface of the back sheet 3.

[0031] 6(a) to 6(c) and 7(a) to 7(c) show other embodiments of the absorbent article 1 of the present invention. Regarding the embodiment of the absorbent article 1 shown in these figures, the configurations different from the absorbent article 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3 will be mainly described, and the same configurations as the absorbent article 1 will be given the same reference numerals and will not be described. Furthermore, for the configurations not specifically described in the embodiments of the absorbent article 1 shown in these figures, the description of the absorbent article 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3 will be applied as appropriate. Furthermore, regarding the embodiment of the absorbent article 1 shown in these figures, the ventral side part F will be described, but unless otherwise specified, the description of the ventral side part F will also be applied as appropriate to the dorsal side part R.

[0032] In the absorbent article 1 shown in Fig. 6(a), the end flap 6 is composed of a first region 6a and a second region 6b. The first region 6a is rectangular. The second region 6b is trapezoidal. The first region 6a and the second region 6b are connected to each other, and the second region 6b is located on the outer side in the longitudinal direction X. The first region 6a is located on the side closer to the absorbent body 4. The rectangular first region 6a has long sides extending in the horizontal direction Y and short sides extending in the vertical direction X. The length of the long sides of the first region 6a is the same as the width of the absorbent article 1 at a portion where the absorbent body 4 is located. The short side of the trapezoidal second region 6b is shared with the long side of the first region 6a, and the length of the short side of the second region 6b is the same as the length of the long side of the first region 6a. The long side of the second region 6b forms the edge 1A of the absorbent article 1. Therefore, while the width of the first region 6a (i.e., the length in the horizontal direction Y) is constant, the width of the second region 6b gradually increases outward in the vertical direction X of the absorbent article 1. The folding starting point 61 of the end flap 6 is located at the boundary between the first portion 6a and the second portion 6b. In other words, the folding starting point 61 of the end flap 6 is located at the position where the width of the end flap 6 changes for the first time when the end flap 6 is viewed from the inside to the outside in the longitudinal direction X. The fastening portion 7 is located on the second portion 6b, which is located at a distance outward in the longitudinal direction X from the folding starting point 61. By having the folding starting point 61 in this position, the folding tendency of the end flap 6 becomes more pronounced, making the end flap 6 easier to fold.

[0033] In the absorbent article 1 shown in Fig. 6(b), the end flap 6 is composed of a first region 6a and a second region 6b. The first region 6a is rectangular. The second region 6b is flattened and hexagonal. The first region 6a and the second region 6b are provided consecutively in this order, with the second region 6b located on the outer side in the longitudinal direction X and the first region 6a located on the inner side in the longitudinal direction X. The first region 6a is located on the side closest to the absorbent body 4. The rectangular first region 6a has long sides extending in the horizontal direction Y and short sides extending in the vertical direction X. The length of the long sides of the first region 6a is the same as the width of the absorbent article 1 at a portion where the absorbent body 4 is located. The second portion 6b, which is a flat hexagon, has a pair of side edges 61B, 61B extending in the vertical direction X, a pair of end edges 62B, 62C extending in the horizontal direction Y, and a pair of oblique edges 63B, 63B connecting the side edge 61B and the end edge 62C. The pair of side edges 61B, 61B are parallel to each other and have the same length. The pair of end edges 62B, 62C are parallel to each other. The end edge 62B is longer than the end edge 62C.

[0034] A part of the end side 62B of the second portion 6b is shared with the long side of the first portion 6a. The length of the end side 62B of the second portion 6b is longer than the length of the long side of the first portion 6a. An end side 62C located on the outer side in the longitudinal direction X of the second portion 6b forms an edge 1A of the absorbent article 1.

[0035] When the end flap 6 consisting of the first portion 6a and the second portion 6b is viewed as a whole, the width of the end flap 6 changes at the boundary between the first portion 6a and the second portion 6b. A folding start point 61 is located at this boundary. In other words, the folding start point 61 of the end flap 6 is located at the position where the width of the end flap 6 changes for the first time when the end flap 6 is viewed from the inside to the outside along the longitudinal direction X. The fastening portion 7 is located on the second portion 6b, which is a position spaced outward in the longitudinal direction X from the folding start portion 61. By locating the folding start portion 61 at this position, the folding tendency of the end flap 6 becomes more pronounced, making the end flap 6 easier to fold.

[0036] The absorbent article 1 shown in Fig. 6(c) has a third region 6c in addition to the first region 6a and the second region 6b which are the regions constituting the end flap 6 in the absorbent article 1 shown in Fig. 6(b). The third region 6c has a rectangular shape. The third region 6c has a long side extending in the horizontal direction Y and a short side extending in the vertical direction X. The first region 6a, the second region 6b, and the third region 6c are arranged consecutively in this order, with the third region 6c located at the outermost position in the longitudinal direction X and the first region 6a located at the innermost position in the longitudinal direction X. The second region 6b is located between the first region 6a and the third region 6c. The first region 6a is located on the side closest to the absorbent body 4.

[0037] The end side 62C of the second portion 6b is shared with the long side of the third portion 6c. The length of the end side 62C of the second portion 6b is the same as the length of the long side of the third portion 6c. The long side of the third portion 6c located on the outer side in the longitudinal direction X forms the end edge 1A of the absorbent article 1.

[0038] When the end flap 6 consisting of the first region 6a, the second region 6b, and the third region 6c is viewed as a whole, the width of the end flap 6 changes at the boundary between the first region 6a and the second region 6b. A folding start point 61 is located at this boundary. In other words, the folding start point 61 of the end flap 6 is located at the position where the width of the end flap 6 changes for the first time when the end flap 6 is viewed from the inside to the outside along the longitudinal direction X. The fastening portion 7 is located on the third portion 6c, which is a position spaced outward in the longitudinal direction X from the folding start portion 61. By locating the folding start portion 61 at this position, the folding tendency of the end flap 6 becomes more pronounced, making the end flap 6 easier to fold.

[0039] In the absorbent article 1 shown in Fig. 7(a), the end flap 6 is composed of a first region 6a and a second region 6b. Both the first region 6a and the second region 6b have a flat hexagonal shape. The first region 6a and the second region 6b are provided consecutively in this order, with the second region 6b located on the outer side in the longitudinal direction X and the first region 6a located on the inner side in the longitudinal direction X. The first region 6a is located on the side closest to the absorbent body 4. The first region 6a has a pair of side edges 61A, 61A extending in the longitudinal direction X, a pair of end edges 62A, 64A extending in the transverse direction Y, and a pair of oblique edges 63A, 63A connecting the side edges 61A and the end edges 64A. The pair of side edges 61A, 61A are parallel to each other and have the same length. The pair of end edges 62A, 64A are parallel to each other. The end edge 62A is longer than the end edge 64A. The length of the end edge 62A of the first region 6a is the same as the width of the absorbent article 1 at a portion where the absorbent body 4 is located. On the other hand, the second portion 6b has a pair of side edges 61B, 61B extending in the vertical direction X, a pair of end edges 62B, 64B extending in the horizontal direction Y, and a pair of oblique edges 63B, 63B connecting the side edges 61B and the end edges 64B. The pair of side edges 61B, 61B are parallel to each other and have the same length. The pair of end edges 62B, 64B are parallel to each other. The end edge 62B is longer than the end edge 64B. An end side 62A of the first portion 6a and an end side 62B of the second portion 6b have the same length.

[0040] An end side 64B of the second portion 6b is shared with an end side 64A of the first portion 6a. The end sides 64B and 64A have the same length. An end side 62B of the second portion 6b located on the outer side in the longitudinal direction X forms an edge 1A of the absorbent article 1.

[0041] When the end flap 6 consisting of the first portion 6a and the second portion 6b is viewed as a whole, the width of the portion of the first portion 6a where the side edges 61A, 61A exist is constant, and the width of the portion where the oblique edges 63A, 63A exist gradually decreases toward the outside in the vertical direction X. A folding start point 61 is located at the boundary between the first portion 6a and the second portion 6b. In other words, the folding start point 61 of the end flap 6 is located outward in the vertical direction X from the position where the width of the end flap 6 first changes when the end flap 6 is viewed from the inside to the outside in the vertical direction X. The fastening portion 7 is located on the second portion 6b, which is a position spaced outward in the longitudinal direction X from the folding start portion 61. By locating the folding start portion 61 at this position, the folding tendency of the end flap 6 becomes more pronounced, making the end flap 6 easier to fold.

[0042] The absorbent article 1 shown in FIG. 7(b) has a pair of overhanging parts 8, 8 overhanging outward in the horizontal direction Y from the end region in the vertical direction X of the absorbent 4. The overhanging parts 8 can be formed, for example, by bonding a top sheet and a back sheet that overhang outward from the side edge 4S of the absorbent 4. The overhanging parts 8 have a semi-elliptical shape along the major axis of an ellipse. A part of the overhanging parts 8 extends outward in the vertical direction X beyond the edge 4A of the absorbent 4. The part of the overhanging parts 8 that extends outward in the vertical direction X beyond the edge 4A of the absorbent 4 constitutes a part of the end flap 6. Hereinafter, the part of the overhanging parts 8 that extends outward in the vertical direction X beyond the edge 4A of the absorbent 4 is also referred to as the first part 6a. The end flap 6 also has a second portion 6b connected to the first portion 6a. The second portion 6b has a rectangular shape. The first portion 6a and the second portion 6b are connected in this order, with the second portion 6b located on the outer side in the vertical direction X and the first portion 6a located on the inner side in the vertical direction X. The rectangular second portion 6b has a long side extending in the horizontal direction Y and a short side extending in the vertical direction X. The length of the long side of the second portion 6b is the same as the length of the outer edge of the first portion 6a in the vertical direction X, and the edge is shared with the long side of the second portion 6b.

[0043] When the end flap 6 is viewed from the inside to the outside in the longitudinal direction X, the width of the end flap 6 consisting of the first region 6a and the second region 6b changes for the first time at a boundary L1 between the edge 4A of the absorbent body 4 and the first region 6a. A folding starting point 61 is located outward in the longitudinal direction X from the position of the boundary L1. In detail, the folding starting point 61 is located at the boundary between the first region 6a and the second region 6b. The fastening portion 7 is located on the second portion 6b at a distance from the folding start portion 61. By having the folding start portion 61 in this position, the folding tendency of the end flap 6 becomes more pronounced, making the end flap 6 easier to fold.

[0044] The absorbent article 1 shown in Fig. 7(c) has a shape in which a pair of corners formed by the long side located on the outer side in the longitudinal direction X and each short side in the second region 6b in the absorbent article 1 shown in Fig. 7(b) are cut into a triangular shape (i.e., a flattened hexagonal shape).Other than this, it is the same as the absorbent article 1 shown in Fig. 7(b).

[0045] The absorbent article 1 of each of the above-mentioned embodiments is preferably worn on underwear such as shorts or on a disposable diaper, and is used to absorb body fluids (urine, loose stool, menstrual blood, sweat, etc.) discharged from the human body. An example of a method of using the absorbent article 1 of the above-mentioned embodiments when worn on shorts will be described below.

[0046] 8, the shorts 10 have a front body 11, a back body 12, and a crotch section 13. The shorts 10 have a longitudinal direction X that extends from the front body 11 through the crotch section 13 to the back body 12, and a transverse direction Y that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X.

[0047] In the shorts 10, slit-shaped attachment parts 14 for attaching an absorbent article are arranged on the skin-facing surfaces of the front body 11 and the back body 12. The slit-shaped attachment part 14 has an outer edge 14A in the longitudinal direction X and an inner edge 14B in the longitudinal direction X that are both straight and parallel. In addition, both side edges 14C, 14D in the transverse direction Y of the slit-shaped attachment part 14 are both straight and parallel. In addition, the outer edge 14A in the longitudinal direction X of the slit-shaped attachment part 14 is located at a distance from the outer edge 11A in the longitudinal direction X of the front body 11. In addition, the inner edge 14B in the longitudinal direction X of the slit-shaped attachment part 14 is located at a distance from the boundary L3 between the front body 11 and the crotch part 13. In addition, both side edges 14C, 14D in the transverse direction Y of the slit-shaped attachment part 14 are located at a distance from the side edges of the front body 11.

[0048] The slit-shaped attachment portion 14 has two slits 15 extending along the horizontal direction Y. The slit-shaped attachment portion 14 is joined to the front body 11 and the back body 12 in an area outward of the slits 15 in the horizontal direction Y. The slit-shaped attachment portion 14 is not joined to the front body 11 and the back body 12 in an area between adjacent slits 15a, 15b. The slit-shaped attachment portion 14 is also not joined to the front body 11 and the back body 12 in an area forward of the slits 15a, 15b in the vertical direction X (i.e., areas including the outer edge 14A and the inner edge 14B).

[0049] The absorbent article 1 of each of the above-mentioned embodiments is used such that the end flap 6 is inserted through the slits 15a and 15b, as shown in Fig. 9(a) and (b). In detail, as shown in Fig. 9(a), the end flap 6 is folded toward the non-skin facing side along the folding starting point portion 61, and the folded end flap 6 is inserted through the slit 15a. Then, as shown in Fig. 9(a), the fastening portion 7 of the inserted end flap 6 is exposed from the slit 15b, and the exposed fastening portion 7 is fastened to the end flap 6 facing it, thereby fixing the absorbent article 1 to the shorts. By adopting such a method of use, irritation caused by the end edge 1A in the longitudinal direction X of the absorbent article 1 contacting the wearer's skin and discomfort caused by this are reduced. In addition, the slits 15a and 15b act as guides for the position at which the absorbent article 1 is attached to the shorts 10, so that the absorbent article 1 can be easily attached to the appropriate position of the shorts 10. When this embodiment is adopted, there is no need to provide a fixing portion on the outer surface of the back sheet 3 in the area facing the absorbent body 4 for fixing the absorbent article 1 to a wearing article such as underwear or a disposable diaper (the same applies to the embodiment shown in Figure 10 below).

[0050] The absorbent article 1 of each of the above-mentioned embodiments may be attached to the shorts 10 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 8 by a method other than the above-mentioned method of use. In detail, the end flap 6 may be folded toward the non-skin facing side along the folding starting point portion 61, the folded end flap 6 may be inserted into the slit 15a, and the fastening portion 7 of the inserted end flap 6 may be fastened to the non-skin facing surface of the region 14a between the slits 15a and 15b that is not joined to the shorts 10 at the slit-shaped attachment portion 14, thereby fixing the absorbent article 1 to the shorts 10. As yet another method of use, the absorbent article 1 may be fixed to the shorts 10 by inserting the folded end flap 6 into the slit 15a, and fastening the fastening portion 7 of the inserted end flap 6 to both the non-skin facing surface of the region 14a between the slits 15a and 15b and the non-skin facing surface of the end flap 6 exposed from the slit 15b. These methods of use also provide the same effects as the method of use shown in Fig. 9. When a male member of a hook-and-loop fastener is used as the fastening part 7 as shown in Fig. 5(b), for example, a material that can engage with the hook material of the male member can be used for the non-skin facing surface of the slit-shaped attachment part 14.

[0051] The shorts 10 shown in Fig. 10 have strip-shaped attachment parts 16 for attaching the absorbent article 1 to the skin-facing surfaces of the front body part 11 and the back body part 12. The strip-shaped attachment parts 16 are fixed to the inner surface of the shorts 10 in side regions 16a, 16a in the lateral direction Y, and the region between the side regions 16a, 16a is not joined to the shorts 10. The belt-like attachment portion 16 may be a string-like member, a belt-like member made of fabric or an elastic material.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 11, the absorbent article 1 of each of the above-mentioned embodiments is used such that the end flap 6 is inserted into the strip-shaped attachment portion 16. In detail, the end flap 6 is folded toward the non-skin facing surface along the folding starting point portion 61, and the folded end flap 6 is inserted between the side regions 16a, 16a of the strip-shaped attachment portion 16, and the fastening portion 7 of the inserted end flap 6 is fastened to the opposing end flap 6, thereby fixing the absorbent article 1 to the shorts. This embodiment also achieves the same effects as the embodiment shown in Fig. 9.

[0053] 10, one strip-shaped attachment part 16 is provided on each of the skin-facing surfaces of the front body 11 and the back body 12, but two or more strip-shaped attachment parts 16 may be provided. When one strip-shaped attachment part 16 is provided, one size of absorbent article 1 corresponds to one size of shorts 10, which has the advantage that the wearer can select the size of shorts 10 without hesitation when attaching the absorbent article 1 to the shorts 10. On the other hand, when multiple strip-shaped attachment parts 16 are provided, it becomes possible to attach absorbent articles 1 of different sizes to shorts 10 of one size.

[0054] In the absorbent article 1 of each of the above embodiments, the fastening part is arranged on the non-skin facing surface of the end flap 6, and the end flap 6 is folded toward the non-skin facing surface when in use, and the end flap 6 is fixed to the non-skin facing surface. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12(a), the fastening part 7 may be arranged on the skin facing surface of the end flap 6, and when in use, as shown in FIG. 12(b), a part or the whole of the end flap 6 may be folded toward the non-skin facing surface along the folding starting point 61, and the fastening part 7 facing the non-skin facing surface may be fastened to the inner surface of the shorts 10. The fastening part 7 may extend along substantially the entire length in the horizontal direction Y on the skin facing surface of the end flap 6 at a position not overlapping with the folding starting point 61. This embodiment also has the effect of reducing irritation caused by the end edge 1A in the vertical direction X of the absorbent article 1 contacting the wearer's skin and discomfort caused thereby.

[0055] While the present invention has been described above based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. 1 to 7, one fastening part 7 extends along the lateral direction Y of the end flap 6, but instead, two or more fastening parts 7 may be arranged along the lateral direction Y of the end flap 6 and at a distance in the longitudinal direction X. This allows a finger to be easily passed through the area between the fastening parts 7 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction X, thereby making it possible to easily remove the absorbent article 1 from underwear such as shorts after use of the absorbent article 1. 1 to 7, perforations are formed as folding starting points 61, but in this case, printing as a fold guide may be superimposed on the perforations. This allows the wearer to easily recognize the position of folding starting points 61 when attaching absorbent article 1 to underwear such as shorts or a disposable diaper. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1. Absorbent articles 2 Surface sheet 3 Back sheet 4. Absorber 6 End flap 7 Fastening part 10. Shorts

Claims

1. An absorbent article having an absorbent body and end flaps extending outward in a longitudinal direction from longitudinal edges of the absorbent body, The end flap has a fastening portion on a non-skin facing surface of the end flap, The end flap has a folding tendency that allows a part or all of the end flap to be folded toward the non-skin facing surface side and has a folding starting point extending in the lateral direction, The absorbent article is attached to shorts for use by folding a part or all of the end flap along the folding starting point portion toward the non-skin facing surface side, and fixing a part or all of the folded end flap by the fastening portion.

2. An absorbent article having an absorbent body and end flaps extending outward in a longitudinal direction from longitudinal edges of the absorbent body, The end flap has a fastening portion on a skin-facing surface of the end flap, The end flap has a folding tendency that allows a part or all of the end flap to be folded toward the non-skin facing surface side and has a folding starting point extending in the lateral direction, The absorbent article is used by folding a part or all of the end flap toward the non-skin facing surface along the folding starting point portion so that the fastening portion faces the non-skin facing surface, and the fastening portion facing the non-skin facing surface is joined to the inner surface of the shorts.

3. The folding start point is located at the boundary between the end flap and the absorbent body, or 3. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the folding starting points are located between a boundary between the end flaps and the absorbent body and an outer edge of the end flaps in the longitudinal direction.

4. The absorbent article according to claim 3 , wherein the folding starting points are located between a boundary between the end flaps and the absorbent body and an outer edge of the end flaps in the longitudinal direction.

5. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the end flap is viewed from the inside to the outside in the longitudinal direction, the folding starting point is located at a position where the width of the end flap first changes or at a position longitudinally outboard of said position.

6. The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the fastening portion is located outward in the longitudinal direction from the folding start portion.

7. An absorbent article as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when the end flap is viewed in the vertical direction, the width of the end flap on the outer side of the fold starting point is narrower than the width of the end flap on the inner side.

8. It has a front body, a back body and a crotch part, The front body and the rear body each have a slit-shaped attachment portion for attaching an absorbent article to a skin-facing surface thereof, Each of the slit-shaped mounting portions is provided with at least two slits extending along a lateral direction, Each of the slit-shaped attachment portions is joined to the front body and the rear body at a region laterally outward from the slit, Each of the slit-shaped attachment portions has a region between two adjacent slits in the vertical direction that is not joined to the front body and the back body, A pair of shorts, in which the end flaps of the absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 7 are inserted through the slits.

9. It has a front body, a back body and a crotch part, The front body and the rear body each have a belt-shaped attachment portion for attaching an absorbent article to a skin-facing surface thereof, Both side edges of each of the belt-shaped attachment parts are joined to the front body and the back body, respectively; Each of the belt-shaped attachment portions has a region that is laterally inward from the side edges and is not joined to the front body and the back body, 8. A pair of shorts, in which the end flaps of the absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 7 are inserted through the non-jointed regions of the band-shaped attachment portions.

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