Absorbent articles

Abstract

To provide an absorbent article that can reduce the time and burden of a series of tasks required to attach an absorbent article. [Solution] The absorbent article 1 has a plurality of design sections 80 composed of at least letters, symbols, or pictures. The plurality of design sections have a type indicator section 81 that indicates the type of absorbent article and is visible to the wearer when selecting an absorbent article. The type indicator section has the largest maximum type indicator section 81M among the plurality of design sections when the absorbent article is extended. When the absorbent article is extended, the maximum length of the maximum type indicator section in the front-to-back direction L of the absorbent article is 15% or more of the total length of the absorbent article in the front-to-back direction when the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction. When the absorbent article is extended, the maximum length of the maximum type indicator section in the width direction W of the absorbent article is 15% or more of the total length of the absorbent article in the width direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an absorbent article having a type display section that indicates the type of the absorbent article and is visually recognized when a wearer selects the absorbent article.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an absorbent article having a type display section that indicates the type of the absorbent article and is visually recognized when a wearer selects the absorbent article has been known. For example, in the absorbent article of Patent Document 1, a type display section indicating the size of the absorbent article as the type of the absorbent article is located on the lower thigh side of the absorbent article so that the size of the absorbent article can be confirmed in a state where a plurality of pant-type diapers are stacked and stored as the absorbent article. Further, in the absorbent article of Patent Document 2, a type display section indicating the size of the absorbent article is located so as to straddle the center in the width direction of the absorbent article in order to facilitate confirmation of the size of the absorbent article after use.

[0003] In recent years, in a childcare facility where there are many wearers of absorbent articles such as a nursery school, in order to reduce the burden on guardians, a movement to introduce a subscription service for absorbent articles has been spreading. In a childcare facility where such a service has been introduced, instead of each guardian preparing absorbent articles, a plurality of absorbent articles are stored and managed for each type (for example, for each size) of absorbent article on the childcare facility side so that absorbent articles suitable for many wearers can be selected.

Prior Art Documents

[0006] In the case of the absorbent article described in Patent Document 1, when the wearer of the absorbent article (size of the absorbent article) checks the type of absorbent article (size of the absorbent article) while wearing trousers, the wearer may not be able to see the size indication by simply widening the waist opening of the trousers and looking at the absorbent article, or by rolling up the waist opening of the trousers. Furthermore, it is often troublesome for the wearer to lower the wearer's trousers to a position where the size indication located on the crotch side can be seen. Moreover, if the wearer lowers the trousers to check the size of the absorbent article, they will then need to raise the trousers again. As a result, it can take time to check the type of absorbent article, and it can be burdensome for the wearer.

[0007] Furthermore, the absorbent article described in Patent Document 2 is intended for use in medical settings, where the size of the absorbent article after use is to be confirmed. Therefore, there is a concern that if the wearer tries to check the size of the absorbent article while wearing trousers, by widening the waist opening of the trousers to look inside or by rolling up the waist opening of the trousers, it may be difficult to see the size indication.

[0008] As described above, the absorbent articles described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 raise concerns about the time and burden involved in the series of operations required to attach the absorbent articles. Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems and relates to an absorbent article that can reduce the time and burden involved in the series of operations required to attach the absorbent article. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An absorbent article according to one embodiment comprises an absorbent body including an absorbent core and at least located in the crotch area of ​​the absorbent article; a plurality of design parts composed of at least letters, symbols, or patterns; and a fold line that serves as a base point for folding the absorbent article in half in the front-to-back direction and extends in the width direction of the absorbent article. The plurality of design parts have a type indicator that indicates the type of the absorbent article and is visible to the wearer when selecting the absorbent article. The type indicator has the largest maximum type indicator among the plurality of design parts when the absorbent article is extended. When the absorbent article is extended, the maximum length of the maximum type indicator in the front-to-back direction is 15% or more of the length from the outer edge on the waist side of the absorbent article to the fold line in the front-to-back direction. When the absorbent article is extended, the maximum length of the maximum type indicator in the width direction of the absorbent article is 15% or more of the total length of the absorbent body in the width direction.

[0010] An absorbent article according to another embodiment has a plurality of design parts composed of at least letters, symbols, or pictures. The plurality of design parts indicate the type of absorbent article and have a type indicator part that is visible to the wearer when selecting an absorbent article. The type indicator part has a maximum type indicator part, which is the largest of the plurality of design parts when the absorbent article is extended. The absorbent article has a front part located in front of the fold line when the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction with respect to a fold line extending in the width direction of the absorbent article, and an indicator that changes color upon contact with excrement. The maximum type indicator part is located on the waist side of the front part of the front part, relative to the indicator, in the front-to-back direction. In the front-to-back direction when the absorbent article is extended, the shortest distance from the inner edge of the maximum type indicator part on the fold line side to the outer edge of the indicator on the waist side in the front-to-back direction is shorter than the length of the maximum type indicator part in the front-to-back direction.

[0011] An absorbent article according to another embodiment has a plurality of design parts composed of at least letters, symbols, or pictures. The plurality of design parts indicate the type of absorbent article and have a type indicator part that is visible to the wearer when selecting an absorbent article. The type indicator part has the largest maximum type indicator part among the plurality of design parts when the absorbent article is extended. The absorbent article has a front part located in front of the fold line when the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction with respect to a fold line extending in the width direction of the absorbent article, a rear part located behind the fold line when the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction, and an indicator that changes color upon contact with excrement. The type indicator part has a front type indicator part located on the waist side of the front part of the absorbent article relative to the indicator in the front-to-back direction, and a rear type indicator part located on the waist side of the rear part of the absorbent article relative to the indicator in the front-to-back direction. The indicator has a front outer edge which is the outer edge on the waist side of the front portion, and a rear outer edge which is the outer edge on the waist side of the rear portion. At least one of the front type indicator and the rear type indicator is the maximum type indicator. In the front-rear direction in the stretched state of the absorbent article, the shortest distance from the inner edge on the fold line side of the front type indicator to the front outer edge of the indicator is shorter than the shortest distance from the inner edge on the fold line side of the rear type indicator to the rear outer edge of the indicator.

[0012] An absorbent article according to another embodiment has a plurality of design sections composed of at least letters, symbols, or patterns. The plurality of design sections indicate the type of absorbent article and have a type indicator section that is visible to the wearer when selecting an absorbent article. The type indicator section has the largest maximum type indicator section among the plurality of design sections when the absorbent article is extended. The maximum type indicator section is composed of at least one of the letters, symbols, and patterns, in addition to a different color for each type of absorbent article. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a front view of an absorbent article according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view of the unfolded state of the absorbent article according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line F3-F3 shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line F4-F4 shown in Figure 2. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram for illustrating the design unit 80. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] (1) Outline of the Embodiment The following matters become clear from this specification and the accompanying drawings: In the invention according to Embodiment 1, the absorbent article comprises an absorbent body including an absorbent core, which is at least positioned in the crotch area of ​​the absorbent article; a plurality of design parts composed of at least letters, symbols, or patterns; and a fold line that serves as a base point for folding the absorbent article in half in the front-to-back direction and extends in the width direction of the absorbent article. The plurality of design parts indicate the type of the absorbent article and have a type indicator part that is visible to the wearer when selecting the absorbent article. The type indicator part has the largest maximum type indicator part among the plurality of design parts when the absorbent article is extended. In the extended state of the absorbent article, the maximum length of the maximum type indicator part in the front-to-back direction is 15% or more of the length from the outer edge on the waist side of the absorbent article to the fold line in the front-to-back direction. In the extended state of the absorbent article, the maximum length of the maximum type indicator part in the width direction of the absorbent article is 15% or more of the total length of the absorbent body in the width direction. According to this embodiment, since the type indicator is the largest, it is easier to see the type indicator even if the distance from the wearer to the type indicator is greater, compared to when the type indicator is small. Therefore, even if the wearer widens the waist opening of the trousers to check the type indicator and only a small portion of the absorbent article is exposed, the type indicator (or a part of it) will be more easily exposed. The wearer can grasp the location of the type indicator and easily determine the type of absorbent article. Furthermore, with absorbent articles having multiple design parts, it can be difficult for the wearer to find the type indicator that shows the type of absorbent article among the multiple design parts, which can be time-consuming and burdensome before confirming the type of absorbent article. However, with absorbent articles having the above features, the largest type indicator is the largest among the multiple design parts, making it easily visible to the wearer. This reduces the time and burden on the wearer to confirm the type of absorbent article, and thus reduces the time and burden of the series of tasks for putting on the absorbent article. In addition, the wearer can grasp and widen the waist opening of their trousers and immediately determine the type of absorbent article if they can confirm the largest type indicator.According to the above embodiment, the length of the maximum type indicator in the front-to-back direction relative to the absorbent article is relatively large, making it easier for the wearer to see the maximum type indicator when they widen the waist opening of the trousers and look into the absorbent article. This makes it easier for the wearer to confirm the type of absorbent article simply by widening the waist opening of the trousers, reducing the time and burden required for the wearer to confirm the type of absorbent article. Furthermore, because the length of the maximum type indicator in the width direction relative to the absorbent article is relatively large, making it easier for the wearer to see the maximum type indicator when they widen the waist opening of the trousers and look into the absorbent article. This makes it easier for the wearer to confirm the type of absorbent article simply by widening the waist opening of the trousers, reducing the time and burden required for the wearer to confirm the type of absorbent article. Although trousers are used as an example, the same applies to garments that prevent the absorbent article 1 from being fully visible (for example, bloomer-type overpants).

[0015] In the invention according to Embodiment 2, the absorbent article has a plurality of design parts composed of at least letters, symbols, or patterns. The plurality of design parts indicate the type of absorbent article and have a type indicator part that is visible to the wearer when selecting an absorbent article. The type indicator part has a maximum type indicator part, which is the largest of the plurality of design parts when the absorbent article is extended. The absorbent article has a front part located in front of the fold line when the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction with respect to a fold line extending in the width direction of the absorbent article, and an indicator that changes color upon contact with excrement. The maximum type indicator part is located on the waist side of the front part of the front part, relative to the indicator, in the front-to-back direction. In the front-to-back direction when the absorbent article is extended, the shortest distance from the inner edge of the maximum type indicator part on the fold line side to the outer edge of the indicator on the waist side in the front-to-back direction is shorter than the length of the maximum type indicator part in the front-to-back direction. According to this embodiment, since the type indicator is the largest, the wearer can easily grasp the location of the type indicator and identify the type of absorbent material. Also, since the largest type indicator is the largest of the multiple design parts, it is easily visible to the wearer. This reduces the time and burden on the wearer to confirm the type of absorbent material, and reduces the time and burden on the series of tasks involved in putting on the absorbent material. Furthermore, because the distance between the largest type indicator and the indicator is short, the wearer can easily see the largest type indicator when checking the indicator to see if there is any excrement while widening the waist opening from the front. In addition, since the indicator changes color upon contact with excrement, the indicator becomes more noticeable when there is urination, etc. Because the largest type indicator is close to the indicator, when the wearer sees the prominent indicator, the largest type indicator is also more likely to come into the wearer's field of vision, making it easier to see the largest type indicator.

[0016] In the invention according to Embodiment 3, the absorbent article has a plurality of design parts composed of at least letters, symbols, or pictures. The plurality of design parts indicate the type of absorbent article and have a type indicator part that is visible to the wearer when selecting an absorbent article. The type indicator part has the largest maximum type indicator part among the plurality of design parts when the absorbent article is extended. The absorbent article has a front part located in front of the fold line when the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction with respect to a fold line extending in the width direction of the absorbent article, a rear part located behind the fold line when the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction, and an indicator that changes color upon contact with excrement. The type indicator part has a front type indicator part located on the waist side of the front part of the front part of the absorbent article in the front-to-back direction relative to the indicator, and a rear type indicator part located on the waist side of the rear part of the absorbent article in the front-to-back direction relative to the indicator. The indicator has a front outer edge, which is the outer edge of the front part on the waist side, and a rear outer edge, which is the outer edge of the rear part on the waist side. At least one of the front type indicator and the rear type indicator is the maximum type indicator. In the front-rear direction in the stretched state of the absorbent article, the shortest distance from the inner edge of the front type indicator on the fold line side to the front outer edge of the indicator is shorter than the shortest distance from the inner edge of the rear type indicator on the fold line side to the rear outer edge of the indicator. According to this embodiment, since the type indicator is the largest, the wearer can grasp the position of the type indicator and easily grasp the type of absorbent article. Also, since the maximum type indicator is the largest of the multiple design parts, it is easily visible to the wearer. This reduces the time and burden on the wearer to confirm the type of absorbent article, and reduces the time and burden of the series of tasks for putting on the absorbent article. Furthermore, the wearer often checks the indicator from the front to confirm whether or not they have urinated. When the wearer checks the indicator from the front to see if the absorbent material needs to be replaced due to urination, the short distance between the front type indicator and the indicator makes the front type indicator easier to see.When the front - type display part is the maximum - type display part, it becomes easier for the wearer to check. On the other hand, the wearer may check the presence or absence of defecation from the rear side in order to confirm the presence or absence of defecation. When the rear - type display part is the maximum - type display part for the wearer to confirm whether replacement of the absorbent article due to defecation is necessary, it becomes easier for the wearer to check.

[0017] In the invention according to Mode 4, the absorbent article has a plurality of design parts formed by a design consisting of at least characters, symbols or pictures. The plurality of design parts indicate the type of the absorbent article and have a type display part that is visible when the wearer selects the absorbent article. The type display part has a maximum - type display part that is the largest among the plurality of design parts in the extended state of the absorbent article. The maximum - type display part is constituted by a different color for each type of a plurality of absorbent articles in addition to at least any one of the characters, the symbols and the pictures. According to this mode, since the type display part is the largest, the wearer can grasp the position of the type display part and it becomes easier to grasp the type of the absorbent article. Also, since the maximum - type display part is the largest among the plurality of design parts, it is easy to be visually recognized by the wearer. Thereby, the time and burden until the wearer confirms the type of the absorbent article can be reduced, and the time and burden of a series of operations for wearing the absorbent article can be reduced. Further, the type of the absorbent article can be grasped by the color of the maximum - type display part visually recognized by the wearer. As a result, for example, even a wearer (such as a child, a foreign - language nursery teacher, etc.) who cannot read characters when the maximum - type display part is constituted by characters can confirm the type of the absorbent article.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment, in the invention according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 4 in the invention according to Embodiment 5, the absorbent article has a fold line that serves as a reference point for folding the absorbent article in half in the front-back direction and extends in the width direction of the absorbent article. The center of the maximum type display portion in the front-back direction is closer to the outer edge on the waist side of the absorbent article in the front-back direction than the fold line. According to this embodiment, since the maximum type display portion is close to the waist opening of the trousers, when the wearer peeks at the absorbent article with the waist opening of the trousers widened, the maximum type display portion becomes easier to visually recognize.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment, in the invention according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 5 in the invention according to Embodiment 6, the absorbent article has two side stretch regions that stretch in the width direction of the absorbent article and are disposed on both the left and right sides in the width direction in the waist region, and a low stretch region that has a weaker stretch force than the two side stretch regions and is disposed between the two side stretch regions. The maximum type display portion is located in the low stretch region. According to this embodiment, since the maximum type display portion is located on the center side in the width direction, when the wearer grips the center in the width direction of the waist opening on the front side of the trousers and widens the waist opening, the maximum type display portion becomes easier to visually recognize. In addition, since the maximum type display portion is located in the low shrinkage region, the number of wrinkles entering the maximum type display portion is reduced, and the maximum type display portion becomes easier to visually recognize.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment, in the invention according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 6 in the invention according to Embodiment 7, the maximum type display portion is constituted by the pattern that reminds the type of the absorbent article. According to this embodiment, even a wearer who cannot read characters (for example, a child, a foreign caregiver, etc.) can confirm the type of the absorbent article.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the invention according to embodiment 8 is an invention according to any of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the absorbent article has a front portion located in front of the fold line when the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction with respect to a fold line extending in the width direction of the absorbent article, and a rear portion located behind the fold line when the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction. The plurality of design portions have a front type indicator portion located on the front portion and indicating the type of the absorbent article, and a rear type indicator portion located on the rear portion and indicating the type of the absorbent article. At least one of the front type indicator portion and the rear type indicator portion is the maximum type indicator portion. According to this embodiment, the type indicator portion (i.e., the front type indicator portion or the rear type indicator portion) is easily visible when the wearer widens the waist opening of the trousers from either the front or the back. If the type indicator on the front (or back) is not the maximum type indicator and is not visible to the wearer, the maximum type indicator is located on the opposite side, the back (or front), where it is more easily visible by widening the waist opening of the trousers. This makes it easier for the wearer to check the type of absorbent material simply by widening the waist opening of the trousers.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, the invention according to embodiment 9 is the same as the invention according to embodiment 8, wherein both the front type indicator and the rear type indicator are the maximum type indicator. According to this embodiment, even if the wearer widens the waist opening of the trousers from either the front or the back, the maximum type indicator becomes easier to see. In particular, even if the maximum type indicator cannot be seen from one side (front or back) due to the wearer's posture (e.g., lying face down, lying on their back, etc.), the maximum type indicator becomes easier to see from the other side (front or back), making it easier to confirm the type of absorbent material without interfering with the wearer's posture or activity.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment, the invention according to embodiment 10 is the invention according to embodiment 8, wherein one of the front type indicator and the rear type indicator is the maximum type indicator. The other of the front type indicator and the rear type indicator is smaller than the maximum type indicator. According to this embodiment, the wearer can easily determine the front and back of the absorbent article by comparing the sizes of the front type indicator and the rear type indicator.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the invention according to embodiment 11 is the invention according to embodiment 10 in which the front type indicator and the rear type indicator, which are smaller than the maximum type indicator, have a design that is a scaled-down version of the design of the maximum type indicator. According to this embodiment, since the front type indicator and the rear type indicator have the same design, it becomes easier for the wearer to recognize that the front type indicator and the rear type indicator indicate the type of absorbent article, compared to the case where the front type indicator and the rear type indicator have different designs.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the invention according to embodiment 12 is an invention according to any of embodiments 1 to 11, wherein the absorbent article has a front portion located in front of the fold line when the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction with respect to a fold line extending in the width direction of the absorbent article, and a rear portion located behind the fold line when the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction. In the waist area of ​​the absorbent article, each of the front portion and the rear portion has an elastic member extending in the width direction. The color of the elastic member located on one of the front portion and the rear portion is different from the color of the elastic member located on the other of the front portion and the rear portion. According to this embodiment, when a wearer checks the type of absorbent article by widening the waist opening of the trousers on the front (or rear) side, if the elastic member is visible, the wearer can determine the color of the elastic member on the front (or rear) side. This allows the wearer to understand which side of the absorbent material is the front (or back) when the stretchable material of the color they have identified is located. As a result, they can quickly and easily determine which side of the absorbent material is the front or back when replacing it. Consequently, the time and burden on the wearer when choosing the type of absorbent material to put on can be reduced, shortening the time and burden of the entire process of putting on the absorbent material.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the invention according to embodiment 13 is an invention according to any of embodiments 1 to 12, wherein the absorbent article has a front portion located in front of the fold line when the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction with respect to a fold line extending in the width direction of the absorbent article, and a rear portion located behind the fold line when the absorbent article is folded in half. Nonwoven fabric is arranged on each of the front portion and the rear portion. The color of the nonwoven fabric arranged on one of the front portion and the rear portion is different from the color of the nonwoven fabric arranged on the other of the front portion and the rear portion. According to this embodiment, when a wearer checks the type of absorbent article by widening the waist opening of the trousers on the front (or rear) side, if the nonwoven fabric is visible, the wearer can determine the color of the nonwoven fabric on the front (or rear) side. This allows the wearer to understand which side of the absorbent material is the front (or back) when the nonwoven fabric of the color they recognize is placed there. As a result, they can quickly and easily determine which side of the absorbent material is the front or back when replacing it. Consequently, the time and burden on the wearer when choosing the type of absorbent material to put on can be reduced, and the time and burden of the entire process of putting on the absorbent material can be reduced.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, the invention according to embodiment 14 is an invention according to any of embodiments 1 to 13, wherein the absorbent article has an indicator that changes color upon contact with excrement. The maximum thickness of the characters constituting at least a part of the maximum type display section is thicker than the width of the indicator. According to this embodiment, because the characters constituting the maximum type display section are thick, the wearer can easily read the characters indicating the type of absorbent article, and the time and burden on the wearer to confirm the type of absorbent article can be reduced.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the invention according to embodiment 15 is an invention according to any of embodiments 1 to 14, wherein the absorbent article has an indicator that changes color upon contact with excrement. The maximum thickness of the lines constituting the outline of the maximum type indicator is thicker than the width of the indicator. According to this embodiment, because the thickness of the lines constituting the outline of the maximum type indicator is thick, the wearer can more easily see the outline of the maximum type indicator and recognize the entire maximum type indicator.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the invention according to embodiment 16 is the invention according to any of embodiments 1 to 15, wherein the maximum type display section is composed of a single design in which the pattern and the characters indicating the type of absorbent article overlap. According to this embodiment, since the maximum type display section is composed of a single design consisting of a pattern in addition to characters, the wearer is more likely to notice the design (i.e., the maximum type display section).

[0030] (2) Absorptive articles according to the embodiment The absorbent article according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the ratios of dimensions, etc., may differ from those of reality. Therefore, specific dimensions, etc., should be determined by referring to the following explanation. In addition, there may be parts where the relationships and ratios of dimensions differ between drawings.

[0031] Figure 1 is a front view of the absorbent article 1 according to the embodiment, and Figure 2 is a plan view of the absorbent article 1 in its unfolded state. The plan view shown in Figure 2 is a view of the unfolded absorbent article as seen from the non-skin side. In this invention, the unfolded state refers to the state in which the absorbent article 1 is unfolded to a state in which no wrinkles are formed when the side joint portion 15, which will be described later, is unfolded. In this invention, the natural state refers to the state in which, for absorbent articles contained in a package, the absorbent article is removed from the package and left for 24 hours in an atmosphere of 20°C ± 2°C and relative humidity of 60% ± 5% RH. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line F3-F3 shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line F4-F4 shown in Figure 2. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the design portion 80, which will be described later. Note that in Figure 5, the front mounting indicator portion 84f, which will be described later, is not shown.

[0032] The absorbent article 1 can be any absorbent article that covers the wearer's waist, for example, a disposable diaper. The absorbent article 1 may be a pant-type absorbent article or a deployable (tape-type) absorbent article. This embodiment is a pant-type absorbent article. The absorbent article 1 has a front-to-back direction L, a width direction W, and a thickness direction T, all of which are perpendicular to each other. The front-to-back direction L is defined by the direction extending to the front and back of the body. In other words, the front-to-back direction L is the direction extending front to back in the deployed absorbent article 1. The absorbent article 1 also has a thickness direction T that is perpendicular to both the front-to-back direction L and the width direction W. The thickness direction T extends to the skin side T1 facing the wearer and to the non-skin side T2 facing away from the wearer.

[0033] The absorbent article 1 has a crotch area S3, a front waist area S1 located in front of the crotch area S3, and a rear waist area S2 located behind the crotch area S3. The front waist area S1 and the rear waist area S2 constitute a waist area that covers the wearer's waist. The front waist area S1 is the area that comes into contact with the wearer's abdominal side. The rear waist area S2 is the area that comes into contact with the wearer's back side. The crotch area S3 is located in the crotch of the wearer and is positioned between the front waist area S1 and the rear waist area S2. The front waist area S1, the rear waist area S2, and the crotch area S3 may be defined according to the structure of the absorbent article 1, as shown below.

[0034] Firstly, in the case of absorbent article 1 of the pant type, if a pair of side joints 15 are provided on the absorbent article 1 that join the outer part of the front waist area S1 and the outer part of the rear waist area S2, the front waist area S1, the rear waist area S2 and the crotch area S3 may be defined by the side joints 15. Here, the side joints 15 are the parts that lock the outer part of the front waist area S1 and the outer part of the rear waist area S2 together. The boundary between the front waist area S1 and the crotch area S3 may be defined by the rear edge of the side joint 15 provided on the front waist area S1. The boundary between the rear waist area S2 and the crotch area S3 may be defined by the front edge of the side joint 15 provided on the rear waist area S2.

[0035] The absorbent article 1 may have a fold line FL extending in the width direction W. The absorbent article 1 may be folded in half in the front-to-back direction L with the fold line FL as the starting point (hereinafter referred to as the folded state). In the folded state, the absorbent article 1 is formed into a pant shape by joining the outer part of the front waist area S1 and the outer part of the rear waist area S2 by the side joint 15. As shown in Figure 2, the fold line FL is located in the center of the absorbent article 1 in the front-to-back direction L. The fold line FL is a fold line that folds (or folds) the absorbent article 1 in half so that the skin-side T1 surfaces of the absorbent article 1 face each other. The center of the absorbent article 1 in the front-to-back direction L is the region surrounding the center of the absorbent article 1 in the front-to-back direction L. This region may be, for example, the region from the center of the absorbent article 1 in the front-to-back direction L to a length of 0.1% of the total length of the absorbent article 1 in the front-to-back direction L. The fold line FL may be offset in the front-to-back direction L from the center of the absorbent article 1 in the front-to-back direction L. In this embodiment, the fold line FL coincides with the center of the absorbent article 1 in the front-to-back direction L. Note that the fold line FL is formed before the absorbent article 1 is packaged and is not formed by the wearer who will be using the absorbent article 1.

[0036] Here, the outer part in this invention refers to the portion occupying a certain range in the width direction W, including the edge in the width direction W, and the outer edge refers to the edge in the width direction W. Furthermore, the outer end edge in this invention refers to the edge located on the outside in the front-rear direction L, and the inner end edge refers to the edge located on the inside in the front-rear direction L. Here, Figure 1 shows the side joint 15 in a joined state. Figure 2 shows the absorbent article 1 in a state where the joint at the side joint 15 has been released and the absorbent article 1 has been unfolded. With the side joint 15 formed, a waist opening 16 is formed in the absorbent article 1 through which the wearer's torso passes.

[0037] Secondly, in cases where the absorbent article 1 is not provided with a pair of side joints 15, such as in the case of a tape-type absorbent article 1, the front waist area S1, the rear waist area S2, and the crotch area S3 may be defined by a pair of leg openings that surround the wearer's legs when the absorbent article 1 is being worn. The boundary between the front waist area S1 and the crotch area S3 may be defined by the front edge of the leg opening, and the boundary between the rear waist area S2 and the crotch area S3 may be defined by the rear edge of the leg opening. The pair of leg openings may be, for example, portions that are recessed inward in the width direction W from the outer edge of the absorbent article 1. Instead of defining by the leg openings, for example, if the outer body 11 described later is rectangular, the absorbent article 1 may be divided into four parts in the front-to-back direction L, with the two central areas being the crotch area S3, the area in front of the crotch area S3 being the front waist area S1, and the area behind the crotch area S3 being the rear waist area S2.

[0038] The absorbent article 1 may have a front portion 12 located in front of the fold line FL when folded in half, and a rear portion 13 located behind the fold line FL. Therefore, the front portion 12 may be the portion from the fold line FL to the front edge of the front waist area S1 (i.e., the outer edge 20E in the front-rear direction L of the front outer casing 20 described later), and the rear portion 13 may be the portion from the fold line FL to the rear edge of the rear waist area S2 (i.e., the outer edge 30E in the front-rear direction L of the rear outer casing 30 described later). The front side of the absorbent article 1 may be located on the wearer's abdominal side when the absorbent article 1 is worn. The rear side of the absorbent article 1 may be located on the wearer's back side when the absorbent article 1 is worn.

[0039] The absorbent article 1 may have an outer casing 11 and an absorbent body 40. The outer casing 11 overlaps the absorbent body 40 in the thickness direction T. The outer casing 11 is positioned in at least the waist area. The outer casing 11 may have a front outer casing 20 positioned in at least the front waist area S1 and a rear outer casing 30 positioned in at least the rear waist area S2. The front outer casing 20 may be positioned in the front waist area S1 on the non-skin side T2 of the absorbent body 40. The rear outer casing 30 may be spaced apart from the front outer casing 20 in the front-rear direction L and positioned in the rear waist area S2 on the non-skin side T2 of the absorbent body 40. In other embodiments, the front outer casing 20 and the rear outer casing 30 may be integrated without being spaced apart in the front-rear direction L.

[0040] The front outer casing 20 may include, for example, a first front sheet 21 located on the non-skin side T2 of the absorbent body 40, and a second front sheet 22 located on the non-skin side T2 of the first front sheet 21. The first front sheet 21 and the second front sheet 22 may be made of a sheet such as a nonwoven fabric. The second front sheet 22 may be folded back to the skin side T1 with the outer edge 20E in the front-to-back direction L of the front outer casing 20 (outer casing 11) as a fold. The portion of the second front sheet 22 that is not folded back and is located on the skin side T1 of the absorbent body 40 may be made of a separate sheet different from the second front sheet 22.

[0041] The rear outer casing 30 may include, for example, a first rear sheet 31 located on the non-skin side T2 of the absorbent body 40, and a second rear sheet 32 ​​located on the non-skin side T2 of the first rear sheet 31. The first rear sheet 31 and the second rear sheet 32 ​​may be made of a sheet such as a nonwoven fabric. The second rear sheet 32 ​​may be folded back to the skin side T1 using the outer edge 30E in the front-to-back direction L of the rear outer casing 30 (outer casing 11) as a fold. The portion of the second rear sheet 32 ​​that is not folded back and is located on the skin side T1 of the absorbent body 40 may be made of a separate sheet different from the second rear sheet 32.

[0042] The outer casing 11 may have a stretchable waist elastic member 17. The waist elastic member 17 is arranged to extend in the width direction W and may be stretchable in the width direction W. Multiple waist elastic members 17 may be arranged at intervals in the front-to-back direction L. The waist elastic member 17 may be positioned T1 on the skin side of the absorbent body 40. For example, in the front outer casing 20, the waist elastic member 17 may be positioned between the first front sheet 21 and the second front sheet 22 in the thickness direction T. For example, in the rear outer casing 30, the waist elastic member 17 may be positioned between the first rear sheet 31 and the second rear sheet 32 ​​in the thickness direction T. The waist elastic member 17 may be made of, for example, a stretchable thread elastic and / or an elastic sheet stretchable in the width direction W. In this embodiment, the waist elastic member 17 is made of a thread elastic. The waist elastic member 17 may have a continuous elastic member 17a and a discontinuous elastic member 17b.

[0043] The continuous elastic member 17a is an elastic member that extends continuously in the width direction W at least at the center of the width direction W. The continuous elastic member 17a may extend continuously in the width direction W from one outer part to the other outer part of the girth region. The continuous elastic member 17a may be positioned outside the absorption core 41 in the front-rear direction L. The discontinuous elastic member 17b is an elastic member that does not extend continuously in the width direction W at least at the center of the width direction W. The discontinuous elastic member 17b may extend discontinuously at the center of the width direction W. On the other hand, the discontinuous elastic member 17b may extend continuously in the width direction W outside the center of the width direction W. The center of the width direction W is the region in the width direction W from at least one outer end to the other outer end of the absorption core 41.

[0044] Here, as shown in Figure 2, the absorbent article 1 may have two side stretch regions SR that expand and contract in the width direction W and are located on both the left and right sides in the width direction W around the waist, and a low stretch region LR that has weaker stretching force than the two side stretch regions SR and is located between the two side stretch regions SR. The absorbent article 1 may also have a waist stretch region WR that has stretching force due to a continuous elastic member 17a located on the end side (waist opening 16 side) in the front-rear direction L of the outer casing 11.

[0045] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the side stretch region SR is a region where at least a discontinuous elastic member 17b having stretching force is located. The side stretch region SR stretches in the width direction W due to the discontinuous elastic member 17b. On the other hand, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the low stretch region LR is a region where a continuously extending portion of the discontinuous elastic member 17b is not located. Therefore, in the low stretch region LR, the stretching force is reduced because the discontinuous elastic member 17b does not stretch continuously. For this reason, the stretching force in the low stretch region LR is weaker than that of the side stretch region SR. A discontinuously extending portion of the discontinuous elastic member 17b may be located in the low stretch region LR. As shown in Figure 3, the low stretch region LR is located inward in the front-to-back direction L than the waist stretch region WR. Note that, as shown in Figure 4, the side stretch region SR may be located inward in the front-to-back direction L than the waist stretch region WR.

[0046] The absorbent body 40 is located in at least the crotch area S3. The absorbent body 40 may be located across the front waist area S1, the rear waist area S2, and the crotch area S3. The absorbent body 40 is configured separately from the front outer casing 20 and the rear outer casing 30, and may be joined to the front outer casing 20 and the rear outer casing 30 in the front waist area S1 and the rear waist area S2. In this embodiment, the absorbent body 40 has an absorbent core 41, a top sheet 42, a back sheet 43, and an indicator 45.

[0047] The absorbent core 41 has an absorbent material that absorbs liquid. The absorbent core 41 may contain, for example, crushed pulp or a superabsorbent polymer (SAP), or a mixture thereof. The absorbent core 41 is located in at least the crotch area S3. The absorbent core 41 may be located in the front waist area S1 or in the rear waist area S2. The absorbent core 41 may extend in the front-to-back direction L from the front waist area S1 to the rear waist area S2. The absorbent core 41 may be covered by a core wrap (not shown). The core wrap may be made of, for example, tissue or nonwoven fabric.

[0048] The top sheet 42 is a sheet that covers the skin-side T1 of the absorbent core 41 and is permeable to liquids. The top sheet 42 may be made of, for example, a nonwoven fabric. The back sheet 43 is a sheet that covers the non-skin-side T2 of the absorbent core 41 and is impermeable to liquids. The back sheet 43 may be made of, for example, a film. The absorbent body 40 may have other components. For example, the absorbent body 40 may include a permeable sheet between the absorbent core 41 and the top sheet 42. The absorbent body 40 may also have a non-skin-side sheet that covers the non-skin-side T2 of the back sheet 43.

[0049] The indicator 45 changes color upon contact with excrement. The excrement may be, for example, urine or feces. The indicator 45 may be positioned between the absorbent core 41 and the backsheet 43 in the thickness direction T. The indicator 45 may be applied to the skin side of the backsheet 43, for example. The indicator 45 is positioned in at least the crotch area S3. The indicator 45 may be positioned across the fold line FL. In this embodiment, two indicators 45 are positioned spaced apart in the width direction W and extend in the front-to-back direction L. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the indicator 45 may have a front outer edge which is the outer edge 45E on the waist side of the front portion 12, and a rear outer edge which is the outer edge 45E on the waist side of the rear portion 13.

[0050] The absorbent article 1 has a plurality of design sections 80, each consisting of a design comprising at least letters, symbols, or pictures. The letters may include, for example, letters that make up a word (hiragana, katakana, kanji, alphabet, etc.) and numbers. The symbols may be marks or symbols used to indicate certain content (other than letters). The symbols may be, for example, star-shaped, heart-shaped, or musical note-shaped symbols. The pictures may be, for example, stylized letters and / or symbols, or pictures of characters.

[0051] A design section 80 is defined as a single design section 80 that is integrated by characters, symbols, patterns, or combinations thereof. For example, a single design section 80 may be composed of a single design made up of multiple meaningful characters (e.g., words, abbreviations). Alternatively, a single design section 80 may be composed of a combination of characters and patterns. For example, a single design section 80 may be composed of a single design in which characters and patterns overlap. Thus, a design section 80 may be composed of a combination of two or more of characters, symbols, and patterns. In the following, characters, symbols, patterns, or combinations thereof may be abbreviated as "characters, etc."

[0052] Furthermore, the design section 80 may be a color different from the background color of the base material (for example, the color of the nonwoven fabric (white, etc.)) or the background color of the text, etc. Therefore, a single design section 80 may consist of text, symbols, and patterns (or combinations thereof) surrounded by the base material color (for example, white) or background color. Also, the text, etc. may be recognizable by the base material color or background color. Therefore, for example, ink may be applied around the text, etc. If the base material color is white, the text will be white text.

[0053] Multiple design sections 80 are positioned in locations visible to the wearer. The design sections 80 may be, for example, positioned on the outer casing 11 or on the absorbent body 40. The design sections 80 may be provided by being applied to the skin-side and / or non-skin-side of the components constituting the outer casing 11 (for example, the first front sheet 21, the second front sheet 22, the first rear sheet 31, or the second rear sheet 32, etc.). The design sections 80 may be provided by being applied to the skin-side and / or non-skin-side of the components constituting the absorbent body 40 (for example, the back sheet 43, and the sheet positioned on the non-skin side of the back sheet 43 (excluding the sheet constituting the outer casing 11)).

[0054] The multiple design sections 80 may, for example, have display sections that show information related to the absorbent article 1. The multiple design sections 80 may have, for example, a type display section 81 and an attachment display section 84, which will be described later, as display sections. The multiple design sections 80 may also have non-display sections that consist of at least letters, symbols, or patterns and do not show information related to the absorbent article 1. The non-display sections may, for example, be simple illustrations unrelated to the absorbent article 1 (e.g., characters, circles, flowers, etc.). Note that anything that is neither letters, symbols, nor patterns, for example, a dyed portion where a component of the absorbent article is dyed with a dye, does not have to be a design section 80.

[0055] (3) Details of Design Department 80 Next, the details of the design section 80 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In this embodiment, the multiple design sections 80 are composed of a type indicator section 81 and an attachment indicator section 84. Specifically, the absorbent article 1 has multiple design sections 80, consisting of two type indicator sections 81 and two attachment indicator sections 84.

[0056] The type indicator 81 indicates the type of absorbent article 1. Absorbent article 1 is classified into several types (according to predetermined criteria). The type indicator 81 indicates which of the several types the absorbent article 1 having the type indicator 81 belongs to. The type indicator 81 may indicate the type of absorbent article 1 that is relevant among several types of absorbent article 1. The type indicator 81 may also indicate the overall function of the absorbent article 1. The type indicator 81 may indicate at least one of the following as the type of absorbent article 1, for example:

[0057] Firstly, the type indicator section 81 may indicate the size of the absorbent article 1. The type indicator section 81 that indicates the size may be specifically referred to as the size indicator section. The size of the absorbent article 1 may be classified, for example, by its dimensions. The type indicator section 81 may indicate the size using characters such as "S", "M", "L", "BIG", "Small", "Medium", "Large", or "Extra Large".

[0058] Furthermore, the type indicator 81 may indicate the size by a picture (excluding letters and symbols). The type indicator 81 may also indicate the size by the type of animal. For example, if the type indicator 81 has a picture of an ant, it may indicate a small size; if it has a picture of a lion, it may indicate a medium size; and if it has a picture of an elephant, it may indicate a large size. In this way, the type indicator 81 may indicate that the larger the type of animal it depicts, the larger the size of the absorbent article 1. The type indicator 81 may also indicate the size by the stage of the animal's growth. For example, if the type indicator 81 has a picture of an egg, it may indicate a small size; if it has a picture of a chick, it may indicate a medium size; and if it has a picture of a chicken, it may indicate a large size. In this way, the type indicator 81 may indicate that the larger the animal it depicts, the larger the size of the absorbent article 1. The type indicator 81 may also indicate the size by the wearer's developmental stage. For example, the type indicator 81 may indicate a small size if the image shows the character lying down (so-called napping), a medium size if the image shows the character sitting (so-called sitting), and a large size if the image shows the character standing (so-called standing or walking). In this way, the type indicator 81 may indicate that the size of the absorbent article 1 increases as the developmental stage progresses.

[0059] Furthermore, the type indicator 81 may indicate the size by the size of the pattern itself. For example, the size of an absorbent article 1 having a relatively small type indicator 81 may be smaller than that of an absorbent article 1 having a relatively large type indicator 81. The type indicator 81 for comparison may be the maximum type indicator 81M described later. The patterns may be similar in shape (i.e., identical in shape and different in size depending on the size) or different in shape (i.e., different in shape and size depending on the size). Also, the type indicator 81 may indicate the size by characters and patterns. Therefore, the type indicator 81 may be composed of characters and patterns. For example, the type indicator 81 may be composed of characters surrounded by patterns (see Figures 1 and 2).

[0060] Secondly, the type indicator 81 may indicate the person who will wear the absorbent article 1. For example, the person may be classified by gender. The type indicator 81 may indicate, for example, whether it is for men or women. The type indicator 81 may indicate the person by, for example, the words "male" or "female," symbols such as a symbol indicating a male or a symbol indicating a female, or images of a male character or a female character.

[0061] Thirdly, the type indicator 81 may indicate whether the absorbent article 1 is of the pant type or the tape type. Whether it is of the pant type or the tape type may be classified based on the method of wearing the absorbent article 1 (or the structure of the absorbent article 1 that causes the method of wearing to differ). The pant type absorbent article 1 is generally worn by the wearer putting their legs through the absorbent article 1 while standing. The tape type absorbent article 1 is generally worn by the wearer placing the absorbent article 1 on the wearer's stomach and back while lying down and fastening the tape. The type indicator 81 may indicate the pant type / tape type by using words such as "tape" or "pants". The type indicator 81 may also indicate the pant type / tape type by using images of tape type absorbent articles or pant type absorbent articles. Furthermore, the type indicator 81 may indicate the pant type / tape type by using both words and images.

[0062] Fourth, the type indicator 81 may indicate the intended use of the absorbent article 1. The absorbent article 1 may be classified based on its intended use. For example, the type indicator 81 may indicate whether the absorbent article 1 is for daytime or nighttime use (i.e., whether it is for nighttime or not). Whether it is for daytime or nighttime use may be classified based on, for example, whether the amount of excrement absorbed differs while maintaining comfort. Nighttime absorbent article 1 has a greater absorbency than daytime absorbent article 1. The type indicator 81 may indicate day / night using, for example, the words "day" or "night". Alternatively, the type indicator 81 may indicate day (e.g., sun) or night (e.g., moon, stars) using a picture. In another embodiment, the type indicator 81 may indicate the intended use of the absorbent article 1, for example, for training, for water play, for childcare facilities, etc.

[0063] The mounting indicator section 84 displays information used when attaching the absorbent article 1. The mounting indicator section 84 may be used in common regardless of the type of absorbent article 1. The mounting indicator section 84 does not indicate the type of absorbent article 1, and therefore is not a type indicator section 81. The mounting indicator section 84 may, for example, display at least one of the following:

[0064] Firstly, the mounting indicator section 84 may indicate the front and back of the absorbent article 1. As shown in Figure 2, the mounting indicator section 84 may have a front mounting indicator section 84f located on the front side 12 and a rear mounting indicator section 84r located on the rear side 13. The front mounting indicator section 84f may indicate the front side of the absorbent article 1, and the rear mounting indicator section 84r may indicate the rear side of the absorbent article 1. The mounting indicator section 84 may indicate the front / rear side by, for example, words such as "front" and "back". The mounting indicator section 84 may indicate the front / rear side by, for example, pictures such as a character facing forward and a character showing its back. The mounting indicator section 84 may indicate the front / rear side by, for example, words and pictures (as shown in Figure 2, a figure surrounding "front" and a figure surrounding "back"). When the wearer attaches the absorbent item 1, they can look at the attachment indicator 84 to determine whether the absorbent item 1 they are looking at is the front or the back. This reduces the time required to attach the absorbent item 1 compared to, for example, when the wearer looks at both the front and back of the absorbent item 1 to confirm the front and back, and also reduces attachment errors by preventing the wearer from attaching the absorbent item 1 without checking the front and back.

[0065] Secondly, the mounting indicator 84 may indicate the mounting order of the absorbent article 1. For example, the mounting indicator 84 may indicate the order in which the fastening tape of the tape-type absorbent article is fastened. In this case, the mounting indicator 84 may be placed on or near the fastening tape in question. The mounting indicator 84 may indicate the order by numbers, for example, indicating the fastening order.

[0066] Furthermore, the type indicator 81 is visible when the wearer selects the absorbent item 1. For example, the type indicator 81 may be visible when the wearer is actually wearing the absorbent item 1. This is because the wearer may check the type of absorbent item they are currently wearing in order to replace (select) the absorbent item. Also, the type indicator 81 may be visible on unused absorbent items 1. This is because if multiple types of unused absorbent items 1 are stored, the wearer may select the absorbent item 1 that is suitable for them.

[0067] According to this embodiment, the type indicator section 81 has the largest maximum type indicator section 81M among the multiple design sections 80 when the absorbent article 1 is extended. Because the maximum type indicator section 81M (i.e., the type indicator section 81) is the largest, it is easier to see the maximum type indicator section 81M even when it is far away from the wearer, compared to when the maximum type indicator section 81M is absent. For this reason, even if the wearer widens the waist opening of their trousers to check the maximum type indicator section 81M, and only a small portion of the absorbent article 1 is exposed, it becomes easier for the wearer to see (part of) the maximum type indicator section 81M. The wearer can grasp the location of the maximum type indicator section 81M and easily determine the type of absorbent article. In particular, in childcare facilities where a subscription service for absorbent articles is introduced, the appropriate size of the absorbent article 1 changes frequently even for the same wearer because the size of the child's body changes daily. Therefore, the wearer (specifically, a childcare worker) may visually inspect the absorbent item the wearer is actually wearing to confirm the type of absorbent item 1. When the wearer widens the waist opening of the wearer's trousers and looks inside, they can easily determine the position of the maximum type indicator 81M and identify the type of absorbent item 1. Furthermore, when the wearer is a child, children are often restless and constantly moving, so the wearer may only be able to widen the waist opening of the wearer's trousers for a brief moment. Even in such cases, the wearer can easily and instantly see the maximum type indicator 81M, reducing the time spent repeatedly widening and checking the absorbent item 1 and calming the child. As a result, the time and burden of the series of tasks for attaching absorbent item 1 can be reduced. This is particularly effective in cases where the wearer selects absorbent item 1 for a wearer they are not normally responsible for, such as during extended childcare or temporary childcare. It should be noted that this reduction in time and burden of the series of tasks for attaching absorbent item 1 can be similarly applied not only in childcare facilities but also in nursing homes with many wearers and in general households with multiple children. Furthermore, by checking the maximum type indicator 81M, the wearer can select the appropriate type of absorbent item 1, thereby reducing the likelihood of incorrect application of the absorbent item 1.

[0068] Furthermore, in absorbent articles 1 having multiple design sections 80, it can be difficult for the wearer to find the type indicator section 81 among the multiple design sections 80, which can be time-consuming and burdensome in confirming the type of absorbent article 1. For example, when a wearer checks the type of absorbent article 1 by widening the waist opening of their trousers and looking inside, they may not be able to immediately determine which of the multiple design sections 80 indicates the type of absorbent article 1. However, in the absorbent article 1 according to this embodiment, the largest type indicator section 81M is the largest among the multiple design sections 80, making it easily visible to the wearer. This reduces the time and burden required for the wearer to confirm the type of absorbent article 1. As a result, the time and burden of the series of tasks required to put on the absorbent article 1 can be reduced.

[0069] Here, the size of each design section 80 may be defined by at least one of the following:

[0070] Firstly, the size of each design section 80 may be defined by the length L in the front-to-back direction when the absorbent article 1 is extended. Therefore, the maximum type indicator section 81M may have the largest maximum length L in the front-to-back direction when extended compared to the other design sections 80. As shown in Figure 5, the maximum length Lm in the front-to-back direction of the maximum type indicator section 81M (hereinafter referred to as the maximum front-to-back length) is greater than the maximum front-to-back length Le of the mounting indicator section 84. In this embodiment, the maximum front-to-back length Lm of the front type indicator section 81f, described later, is greater than the maximum front-to-back length Ln of the rear type indicator section 81r, described later. As shown in Figure 5, the maximum front-to-back length Lm of the maximum type indicator section 81M is the length L in the front-to-back direction from the outer edge (outer edge 81Mo on the waist side) to the inner edge (inner edge 81Mi on the fold line FL side) of the maximum type indicator section 81M. The maximum front-to-back length Ln of the other type display section 81 (in this embodiment, the rear type display section 81r) that is not the largest type display section 81M is the length L in the front-to-back direction from the outer edge (waist-side outer edge 81no) to the inner edge (fold line FL-side inner edge 81ni) of the other type display section 81.

[0071] Furthermore, in the extended state of the absorbent article 1, the maximum front-to-back length Lm of the maximum type indicator section 81M may be 15% or more of the length from the outer edge on the waist side of the absorbent article 1 (in this embodiment, the outer edge 20E in the front-to-back direction L of the front outer casing 20) to the fold line FL (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as the total length of the absorbent article 1 in the folded state). The wearer can immediately determine the type of the absorbent article 1 by grasping and spreading the waist opening of the wearer's trousers and confirming the maximum type indicator section 81M. Here, because the maximum front-to-back length Lm of the maximum type indicator section 81M is relatively large relative to the absorbent article 1, the wearer can easily see the maximum type indicator section 81M when looking into the absorbent article 1 with the waist opening of the trousers spread open. As a result, the wearer can easily confirm the type of the absorbent article 1 simply by spreading the waist opening of the trousers, reducing the time and burden on the wearer to confirm the type of the absorbent article 1.

[0072] The maximum front-to-back length Lm of the maximum type indicator section 81M is preferably 18% or more of the total length of the absorbent article 1 in its folded state. The maximum front-to-back length Lm may also be 20% or more. Furthermore, the maximum front-to-back length Lm of the maximum type indicator section 81M is 3 cm or more, preferably 4 cm or more. The outer edge on the waist side of the absorbent article 1 is the outer edge 20E in the front-to-back direction L of the outer casing 11 (specifically, the front outer casing 20) where the maximum type indicator section 81M is located.

[0073] Secondly, the size of each design section 80 may be defined by the length in the width direction W of the absorbent article 1 in its extended state. Therefore, the maximum type display section 81M may have the largest maximum length in the width direction W of the extended state compared to the other design sections 80. As shown in Figure 5, the maximum length in the width direction W of the maximum type display section 81M (hereinafter, maximum width) Wm is greater than the maximum width We of the mounting display section 84. In this embodiment, the maximum width Wm of the front type display section 81f, which is the maximum type display section 81M, is greater than the front-to-back maximum length Wn of the rear type display section 81r. The maximum width Lm of the maximum type display section 81M is the length in the width direction W from one outer edge 81Me of the maximum type display section 81M to the other outer edge 81Me. Note that, as shown in Figure 5, the maximum width Lm of the maximum type display section 81M is the length in the width direction W from one outer edge 81Me of the maximum type display section 81M to the other outer edge 81Me. The maximum width length Wn of the other type display section 81 (in this embodiment, the rear type display section 81r) that is not the largest type display section 81M is the length W in the width direction from one outer edge 81ne to the other outer edge 81ne.

[0074] Furthermore, in the extended state of the absorbent article 1, the maximum width length We of the maximum type indicator section 81M may be 15% or more of the total length W in the width direction of the absorbent body 40. Because the maximum width length We of the maximum type indicator section 81M is relatively large relative to the absorbent body 40, the maximum type indicator section 81M becomes easier to see when the wearer looks into the absorbent article 1 with the waist opening of the trousers widened. This makes it easier for the wearer to confirm the type of the absorbent article 1 simply by widening the waist opening of the trousers, reducing the time and burden on the wearer in confirming the type of the absorbent article 1.

[0075] The maximum width length We of the maximum type display section 81M is preferably 20% or more, more preferably 30% or more, of the total length W in the width direction of the absorbent body 40. Also, the maximum width length We of the maximum type display section 81M is 4 cm or more, preferably 6 cm or more. The maximum width length We of the maximum type display section 81M may be longer than the maximum front-to-back length Lm of the maximum type display section 81M. Note that the total length W in the width direction of the absorbent body 40 is the maximum length (maximum width) in the width direction W of the absorbent body 40 from one outer edge to the other outer edge.

[0076] Thirdly, the size of each design section 80 may be determined by the area of ​​the absorbent article 1 in its extended state. Therefore, the largest type indicator section 81M may have the largest area in its extended state compared to the other design sections 80. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the area of ​​the largest type indicator section 81M is larger than the area of ​​the mounting indicator section 84.

[0077] Furthermore, in the extended state of the absorbent article 1, the area of ​​the maximum type indicator section 81M may be 3% or more of the area of ​​the absorbent article 1 in the folded state. Preferably, the area of ​​the maximum type indicator section 81M may be 5% or more, more preferably 7% or more of the area of ​​the absorbent article 1. The area of ​​the maximum type indicator section 81M is 10 cm². 2 Preferably 15 cm 2 More preferably, 20 cm 2 That's all.

[0078] The size of each design section 80 may also be determined by the natural state. Similar to the first to third provisions described above, the size of each design section 80 may be determined by the natural state of the absorbent article 1. In the natural state, there is considerable individual variation in the absorbent article 1, so the size of each design section 80 may be measured by the average value of, for example, 20 or more predetermined numbers (for example, the number of absorbent articles 1 contained in one package).

[0079] The largest type display section 81M may be the largest in its natural state compared to the other design sections 80. The largest type display section 81M may have the largest (a) maximum length in the front-to-back direction L in the extended state, (b) the largest maximum length in the width direction W in its natural state, and / or (c) the largest area in its natural state compared to the other design sections 80. In addition, in its natural state, the maximum front-to-back length Lm of the largest type display section 81M may be 15% or more of the total length in the front-to-back direction L of the absorbent article 1 in the folded state, preferably 17% or more, and more preferably 19% or more. In its natural state, the maximum front-to-back length Lm of the largest type display section 81M may be 3 cm or more, preferably 4 cm or more. In addition, in its natural state, the maximum width Wm of the largest type display section 81M may be 15% or more of the total length in the width direction W of the absorbent article 1 in the folded state, preferably 20% or more, and more preferably 30% or more. In its natural state, the maximum width and length We of the maximum type display section 81M may be 4 cm or more, preferably 6 cm or more. Also, in its natural state, the area of ​​the maximum type display section 81M may be 3% or more of the area of ​​the absorbent article 1 in its folded state, preferably 5% or more, more preferably 7% or more. In its natural state, the area of ​​the maximum type display section 81M may be 10 cm 2 Preferably 15 cm 2 More preferably, 20 cm 2 That's all.

[0080] Furthermore, in cases where the wearer visually confirms the type of absorbent item 1 currently being worn, the state of the absorbent item 1 is closer to its stretched state than to its natural state. For this reason, the maximum type indicator section 81M only needs to be the largest among the multiple design sections 80 in the stretched state, and does not need to be the largest among the multiple design sections 80 in the natural state.

[0081] The type indicator section 81 may have a front type indicator section 81f located on the front section 12 and a rear type indicator section 81r located on the rear section 13. The front type indicator section 81f may be located on the waist side of the front section 12 relative to the indicator 45 in the front-to-back direction L. The rear type indicator section 81r may be located on the waist side of the rear section 13 relative to the indicator 45 in the front-to-back direction L. At least one of the front type indicator section 81f and the rear type indicator section 81r may be a maximum type indicator section 81M. The type indicator section (i.e., the front type indicator section 81f or the rear type indicator section 81r) is made easily visible when the wearer widens the waist opening of the trousers from either the front or the back. If the front (or rear) type indicator 81 is not the maximum type indicator 81M and is not visible to the wearer, the maximum type indicator 81M, which is easily visible, is located on the opposite side, the rear (or front) side of the trousers' waist opening. This makes it easier for the wearer to confirm the type of absorbent article 1 simply by widening the waist opening of the trousers.

[0082] Furthermore, in other embodiments, both the front type indicator section 81f and the rear type indicator section 81r may be the maximum type indicator section 81M. Even if the wearer widens the waist opening of the trousers from either the front or the back, the maximum type indicator section 81M becomes easier to see. In particular, even if the maximum type indicator section 81M cannot be seen from one side (front or back) due to the wearer's posture (e.g., lying face down, lying on their back, etc.), it is easier to see the maximum type indicator section 81M from the other side (front or back), making it easier to confirm the type of absorbent article 1 without interfering with the wearer's posture or activity. Alternatively, as in this embodiment, one of the front type indicator section 81f and the rear type indicator section 81r may be the maximum type indicator section 81M, and the other of the front type indicator section 81f and the rear type indicator section 81r may be smaller than the maximum type indicator section 81M. The wearer can easily distinguish between the front and back of the absorbent article 1 by comparing the sizes of the front type indicator section 81f and the rear type indicator section 81r. In this embodiment, the front type indicator section 81f is the maximum type indicator section 81M, and the rear type indicator section 81r is not the maximum type indicator section 81M.

[0083] In another embodiment, the type indicator 81 smaller than the maximum type indicator 81M among the front type indicator 81f and rear type indicator 81r may have a design that is a scaled-down version of the design of the maximum type indicator 81M. That is, the front type indicator 81f and the rear type indicator 81r may be similar in that enlarging or scaling one will cause the other to overlap. Since the design itself is the same for the front type indicator 81f and the rear type indicator 81r, it becomes easier for the wearer to recognize that the front type indicator 81f and the rear type indicator 81r indicate the type of absorbent article, compared to the case where the designs of the front type indicator 81f and the rear type indicator 81r are different. All of the multiple type indicators 81 on the absorbent article 1 may be similar to each other. Also, among the multiple type indicators 81, the indicators that show the same thing (e.g., size) may be similar to each other, while the indicators that show other things (e.g., target person) may not be similar to each other. If each type display unit 81 is composed of at least characters, the font of the characters in each type display unit 81 may be the same. Also, as in this embodiment, the designs of the front type display unit 81f and the rear type display unit 81r may be different (i.e., they may not be similar).

[0084] In this embodiment, the maximum type display section 81M is a size display section. As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the maximum type display section 81M is composed of (outlined) characters formed by the background color by applying ink around the background color, and ink surrounding the characters. Therefore, since the maximum type display section 81M is a design composed of characters and a pattern integrated together, the size of the maximum type display section 81M (type display section 81) is the size of the design, including not only the (outlined) character portion but also the ink portion surrounding the characters (for example, the pattern portion). Accordingly, the maximum type display section 81M may be composed of a single design in which the pattern and characters indicating the type of absorbent article 1 overlap. Since the maximum type display section 81M is composed of a single design consisting of characters and a pattern, it is easier for the wearer to notice the maximum type display section 81M. As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 5, the entire character (for example, "L") may overlap the image (i.e., the entire character may be within the image). Alternatively, only a part of the character may overlap the image (i.e., a part of the character may be within the image, and the rest of the character may be within the image). In this embodiment, the size of the rear type display section 81r is determined by the character, and therefore the size of the design of the character portion (including the character and the outline portion that constitutes the character).

[0085] The maximum type display section 81M may consist of a picture that evokes the type of absorbent article 1. For example, this allows wearers who cannot read (e.g., children, foreign childcare workers, etc.) to confirm the type of absorbent article 1. If the maximum type display section 81M indicates the size (i.e., it is a size display section), the picture that evokes the size of the absorbent article 1 may be, for example, a picture of an animal (e.g., an ant, a lion, an elephant, etc.), a picture of an animal in its growth stage (e.g., an egg, a chick, a chicken, etc.), or a picture of a wearer's developmental stage (e.g., a character sleeping, a character sitting, a character standing, etc.). Also, if the maximum type display section 81M indicates the person who will wear the absorbent article, it may be, for example, a picture of a character representing a male or a picture of a character representing a female. This makes it easier for the wearer to recall that the absorbent item 1 is for men by viewing the maximum type display section 81M with a character image representing a male, and easier for the wearer to recall that the absorbent item 1 is for women by viewing the maximum type display section 81M with a character image representing a female. Furthermore, if the maximum type display section 81M indicates whether the absorbent item 1 is for daytime or nighttime use, it may be an image that evokes daytime (e.g., the sun) or an image that evokes nighttime (e.g., night, stars, etc.).

[0086] Furthermore, the maximum type indicator 81M may consist of at least one of letters, symbols, and pictures, as well as different colors for each type of absorbent article 1. For example, the color of the maximum type indicator 81M for an absorbent article 1 of a first size (e.g., S size) may be different from the color of the maximum type indicator 81M for an absorbent article 1 of a second size (e.g., M size). The wearer can identify the type of absorbent article by the color of the maximum type indicator 81M they see. As a result, even wearers who cannot read letters (e.g., children, foreign childcare workers, etc.) can identify the type of absorbent article 1 if the maximum type indicator 81M consists of letters.

[0087] Furthermore, the color of the maximum type indicator 81M may be darker than the background color of the maximum type indicator 81M. This makes it easier for the wearer to see the absorbent item 1 from under their trousers, as the inside of the trousers is dimly lit, and the dark color of the maximum type indicator 81M is more visible. Alternatively, as in this embodiment, the color of the letters in the maximum type indicator 81M may be the white background, and the surrounding pattern may be a color other than white. This makes it easier to see the white letters even in the dimly lit inside of trousers.

[0088] Whether or not the colors are different can be determined, for example, based on the Munsell color system. First, the color of the maximum type indicator 81M of each absorbent article 1 is determined based on the Munsell color system. If the color of the maximum type indicator 81M is composed of multiple colors, the color that accounts for the largest proportion of the colors constituting the maximum type indicator 81M may be determined as the color of that maximum type indicator 81M. Next, it is determined whether the color of each maximum type indicator 81M is located at a position 2 or more away from the main 10 hues of the Munsell color circle (the hue circle of the Munsell color system). If the colors of each maximum type indicator 81M are located at a position 2 or more away from the other, the colors can be determined to be different from each other. On the other hand, if the colors of each maximum type indicator 81M are not located at a position 2 or more away from the other, the colors can be determined to be the same (identical or similar).

[0089] Here, the ten main hues of the Munsell color circle consist of ten colors: red (R), yellow-red (YR), yellow (Y), yellow-green (GY), green (G), blue-green (BG), blue (B), blue-violet (PB), violet (P), and red-violet (RP). Furthermore, each of the ten colors may be divided into, for example, ten subdivisions. For example, if the color closest to the color of the first maximum type display unit 81M is red (5R), then yellow-red (5Y) and red-violet (5RP) are 1 unit away, and yellow (5Y) and violet (5P) are 2 units away. Therefore, the second maximum type display unit 81M can determine that colors in the range from yellow-red (5R) to blue-violet (5PB) are different from the color of the first maximum type display unit 81M. On the other hand, it can be determined that colors in the range from a color closer to red (5R) than yellow-red (5Y) (4YR) to a color closer to red (R) than blue-violet (5PB) (for example, 6RP) are no different from the color of the first maximum type display unit 81M.

[0090] Furthermore, whether or not the colors are different, that is, whether or not the colors of each maximum type display unit 81M are separated by 2 or more degrees, may be determined by the angle of the Munsell color circle. If the angle from the color of the first maximum type display unit 81M to the color of the second maximum type display unit 81M is 72 degrees or more on the Munsell color circle, the colors may be determined to be different. On the other hand, if the angle is less than 72 degrees, the colors may be determined to be similar.

[0091] Furthermore, the color of each maximum type indicator 81M may be a color located at a position 3 or more away from the main 10 hues of the Munsell color circle. Also, the type indicator 81 may be composed of different colors for each type of absorbent article 1.

[0092] Furthermore, the color of the maximum type indicator 81M may be different from the color of the indicator 45 before it changes color, or it may be different from the color of the indicator 45 after it changes color. This reduces the chance of the wearer mistaking the maximum type indicator 81M and the indicator 45 for the maximum type indicator 81M when checking the type of absorbent article 1 before and / or after the indicator 45 changes color.

[0093] The maximum type display section 81M may be located on the waist side of the front part 12, relative to the indicator 45, in the front-to-back direction L. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in the extended state, the shortest distance Df from the inner edge 81Mi on the fold line FL side of the maximum type display section 81M to the outer edge 45E (i.e., the front outer edge) on the waist side of the indicator 45 in the front-to-back direction L may be shorter than the length Lm of the maximum type display section 81M in the front-to-back direction L. Because the distance between the maximum type display section 81M and the indicator 45 is short, the maximum type display section 81M becomes easier to see when the wearer checks the indicator 45 to see if there is any excrement while widening the waist opening 16 from the front. Also, since the indicator 45 discolors upon contact with excrement, the indicator 45 becomes more noticeable due to discoloration when urination occurs. Because the maximum type display unit 81M is located near the indicator 45, when the wearer views the prominent indicator 45, the maximum type display unit 81M is also more likely to come into the wearer's field of vision, making it easier to see the maximum type display unit 81M.

[0094] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, in the front-to-back direction L when the absorbent article 1 is extended, the shortest distance Df from the inner edge 81ni on the fold line FL side of the front type indicator section 81f to the outer edge 45E on the waist side of the front part 12 of the indicator 45 (i.e., the front outer edge of the indicator 45) may be shorter than the shortest distance Dr from the inner edge 81ni on the fold line FL side of the rear type indicator section 81r to the outer edge 45E on the waist side of the rear part 13 of the indicator 45 (i.e., the rear outer edge of the indicator 45). The wearer often checks the indicator 45 from the front to confirm whether or not urination has occurred. When the wearer checks the indicator 45 from the front to confirm whether or not the absorbent article 1 needs to be replaced due to urination, the short distance between the front type indicator section 81f and the indicator 45 makes the front type indicator section 81f easier to see. If the front type indicator section 81f is the maximum type indicator section 81M, it becomes even easier for the wearer to confirm. On the other hand, the wearer may check from the rear to confirm whether or not they have defecated. If the rear type indicator 81r is the maximum type indicator 81M, it becomes easier for the wearer to confirm whether or not the absorbent material needs to be replaced due to defecation. In particular, the wearer can easily determine whether or not they have defecated compared to urination by the smell and the visual difference of the absorbent material 1 near the buttocks. For this reason, if the indicator 45, which is often used to check for urination, is close to the front type indicator 81f, the front type indicator 81f becomes easier to see. For this reason, the front type indicator 81f may be the maximum type indicator 81M.

[0095] Furthermore, the maximum thickness of the characters constituting at least a part of the maximum type display section 81M may be thicker than the width of the indicator 45. Because the characters constituting the maximum type display section 81M are thick, the wearer can easily read the characters indicating the type of absorbent article 1, reducing the time and burden on the wearer to confirm the type of absorbent article 1. In this embodiment, the maximum thickness of the character "L" in the maximum type display section 81M (i.e., the front type display section 81f) is thicker than the width of the indicator 45. The characters may be formed by applying ink, or they may be characters formed by the color of the background by applying ink around them (white outline) (see Figure 3 in particular). Also, in this embodiment, since the indicator 45 extends linearly along the front-to-back direction L, the width of the indicator 45 is the length W in the width direction of a single indicator 45.

[0096] In another embodiment, the maximum thickness of the lines forming the outline of the maximum type display section 81M may be thicker than the width of the indicator 45. The maximum type display section 81M may be composed not only of characters but also of symbols and / or pictures. For example, if the maximum type display section 81M is composed of pictures, the maximum thickness of the lines forming the outline of the pictures may be thick. Because the lines forming the outline of the maximum type display section 81M are thick, the wearer can more easily see the outline of the maximum type display section 81M and recognize the entire maximum type display section 81M. The lines forming the outline of the maximum type display section 81M may constitute the entire outline of characters, etc., or they may constitute only a portion of the outline of characters, etc.

[0097] The maximum type indicator 81M is preferably easily visible when the absorbent article 1 is being worn. In particular, when the wearer wears trousers or the like that cover the absorbent article 1, and widens the waist opening of the trousers or the like to look inside and check the type (e.g., size) of the absorbent article 1, it is preferable that the maximum type indicator 81M is easily visible. Therefore, the center of the maximum type indicator 81M in the front-to-back direction L may be closer to the outer edge (outer edge 20E in this embodiment) on the waist side of the absorbent article 1 in the front-to-back direction L than to the fold line FL. Because the maximum type indicator 81M is close to the waist opening of the trousers, the wearer can easily see the maximum type indicator 81M when they widen the waist opening of the trousers and look inside the absorbent article 1. In this way, the wearer can see the maximum type indicator 81M without lowering their trousers, so the maximum type indicator 81M can be seen even when the wearer is sitting or lying down. The wearer can identify the type of absorbent material 1 without changing their posture, reducing the time and burden required for the wearer to identify the type of absorbent material 1.

[0098] Furthermore, the maximum type indicator 81M may be located in the low-stretch area LR. Because the maximum type indicator 81M is located towards the center in the width direction W, the wearer can easily see the maximum type indicator 81M when they grasp the center of the waist opening on the front of the trousers in the width direction and widen the waist opening. In addition, because the maximum type indicator 81M is located in the low-stretch area LR, even if the absorbent article 1 is in its natural state, the number of wrinkles that enter the maximum type indicator 81M will be reduced, making the maximum type indicator 81M easier to see.

[0099] The entirety of the maximum type display section 81M may be located in the low-stretch area LR. Therefore, the outer edge 81Mo and inner edge 81Mi in the front-rear direction L of the maximum type display section 81M, and both outer edges 81Me in the width direction W of the maximum type display section 81M may be located in the low-stretch area LR. Alternatively, the outer edge 81Mo of the maximum type display section 81M may be located in the waist-stretch area WR, and the inner edge 81Mi of the maximum type display section 81M may be located in the low-stretch area LR.

[0100] Furthermore, at least the central portion of the width direction W of the maximum type display section 81M may be located in the low-stretch region LR, and at least one outer edge 81Me of the width direction W of the maximum type display section 81M may be located in the side-stretch region SR. Both outer edges 81Me of the maximum type display section 81M may be located in the side-stretch region SR, or only one outer edge 81Me of the maximum type display section 81M may be located in the side-stretch region SR. Also, all the characters constituting the maximum type display section 81M may be located in the low-stretch region LR, and the patterns constituting the maximum type display section 81M may be located in areas other than the low-stretch region LR. This makes it easier for the wearer to recognize the characters. Here, the characters may indicate the type (e.g., size) of the absorbent article 1.

[0101] The side stretch region SR is the region where continuously extending discontinuous elastic members 17b are arranged. When multiple discontinuous elastic members 17b are arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction L, the area between the multiple continuously extending discontinuous elastic members 17b is the side stretch region SR. On the other hand, this is the region where neither discontinuously extending discontinuous elastic members 17b nor the waist elastic member 17 itself is arranged.

[0102] The maximum type display unit 81M is located only on the outer body 11 and does not have to be located in the crotch area S3. For example, the maximum type display unit 81M may be located only in the front waist area S1 or only in the rear waist area S2. Therefore, when the maximum type display unit 81M is located on the front side 12, the inner edge 81Mi of the maximum type display unit 81M in the front-to-back direction L may be located in the front waist area S1. When the maximum type display unit 81M is located on the rear side 13, the inner edge 81Mi of the maximum type display unit 81M in the front-to-back direction L may be located in the rear waist area S2.

[0103] Alternatively, the maximum type indicator 81M may be positioned to straddle the boundary between the front waist area S1 and the inseam area S3. The maximum type indicator 81M may be positioned to straddle the boundary between the front waist area S1 and the inseam area S3. Therefore, when the maximum type indicator 81M is located on the front side 12, the outer edge 81Mo of the maximum type indicator 81M in the front-to-back direction L may be located on the front waist area S1, and the inner edge 81Mi of the maximum type indicator 81M may be located on the inseam area S3. When the maximum type indicator 81M is located on the rear side 13, the outer edge 81Mo of the maximum type indicator 81M may be located on the rear waist area S2, and the inner edge 81Mi of the maximum type indicator 81M may be located on the inseam area S3. Also, the inner edge 81ni of the front type indicator 81f may be located on the front waist area S1, and the inner edge 81ni of the rear type indicator 81r may be located on the inseam area S3. Alternatively, the inner edge 81ni of the front type display section 81f may be located in the crotch area S3, and the inner edge 81ni of the rear type display section 81r may be located in the rear waist area S2.

[0104] Furthermore, the inner edge 81Mi of the maximum type display section 81M may be located near the boundary between the waist area and the crotch area S3. For example, in the front-to-back direction L, the distance from the inner edge 81Mi to the boundary may be shorter than the maximum front-to-back length Lm of the maximum type display section 81M. On the other hand, the distance from the inner edge 81Mi of the maximum type display section 81M to the boundary may be longer than the distance from the boundary to the outer edge 45E on the waist side of the indicator 45.

[0105] Furthermore, in the front-to-back direction L, the distance from the outer edge 81Mo on the waist side of the maximum type indicator 81M to the outer edge 20E of the outer body 11 (for example, the front outer body 20) may be shorter than the maximum front-to-back length Lm of the maximum type indicator 81M. This makes it easier for the wearer to see the maximum type indicator 81M when they widen the waist opening of the trousers and look into the absorbent article 1.

[0106] Furthermore, in the front-to-back direction L, the outer edge 81Mo of the maximum type display section 81M may be located inside the outer edge of the absorbent body 40 in the front-to-back direction L. Also, the outer edge 81Mo of the maximum type display section 81M may be located inside the outer edge of the absorbent core 41 in the front-to-back direction L. This makes it less likely for wrinkles to form in the maximum type display section 81M due to the rigidity of the absorbent body 40 and the rigidity of the absorbent core 41, making it easier for the wearer to see the maximum type display section 81M. In particular, if at least a part of the maximum type display section 81M is composed of characters, it is preferable that all of those characters overlap with the absorbent core 41. This makes it less likely for wrinkles to form in the character portion due to the rigidity of the absorbent core 41, making it easier for the wearer to recognize the characters.

[0107] Furthermore, the outer edge 81Mo of the maximum type indicator 81M may be located outside the outer edge L in the front-rear direction of the absorbent body 40. Also, the outer edge 81Mo of the maximum type indicator 81M may be located outside the outer edge L in the front-rear direction of the absorbent core 41. This brings the maximum type indicator 81M closer to the waist opening 16, making it easier for the wearer to see the maximum type indicator 81M when they widen the waist opening of their trousers and look inside.

[0108] Furthermore, in the front-to-rear direction L, the distance from the outer edge 81no of the front type display section 81f to the outer edge 20E of the front exterior body 20 may be shorter than the distance from the outer edge 81no of the rear type display section 81r to the outer edge 30E of the rear exterior body 30. On the other hand, the distance from the outer edge 81no of the rear type display section 81r to the outer edge 30E of the rear exterior body 30 may be longer than the maximum front-to-rear length Ln of the rear type display section 81r. The distance from the outer edge 81no of the rear type display section 81r to the outer edge 30E of the rear exterior body 30 may be shorter than the distance from the inner edge 81ni of the front type display section 81f to the outer edge 20E of the front exterior body 20. In other embodiments, the positional relationship between the front type display section 81f and the rear type display section 81r may be reversed. Therefore, the front type display unit 81f (or the rear type display unit 81r) may be replaced with the rear type display unit 81r (or the front type display unit 81f).

[0109] Furthermore, both the front type indicator 81f and the rear type indicator 81r may be positioned to straddle the center of the width W of the absorbent article 1. This allows the wearer to see the type indicator 81 by looking at the center of the width W of the absorbent article 1 from either the front or the back of the wearer.

[0110] Furthermore, in the front-to-back direction L, other design parts 80 do not need to be positioned between the maximum type display unit 81M and the indicator 45. In this embodiment, the front-mounted display unit 84f, which is another design part 80, is not positioned between the front-side type display unit 81f and the indicator 45. On the other hand, other design parts 80 (for example, the rear-mounted display unit 84r) may be positioned between the rear-side type display unit 81r and the indicator 45.

[0111] In another embodiment, the absorbent article 1 may have a post-processing member for maintaining the absorbent article 1 in a rolled-up state when it is disposed of. The post-processing member is located on the non-skin side T2 of the absorbent article. At least a portion of the maximum type indicator 81M does not need to overlap with the post-processing member. This ensures that the entire maximum type indicator 81M is not hidden by the post-processing member, making it easier for the wearer to recognize the maximum type indicator 81M. Furthermore, the entire maximum type indicator 81M does not need to overlap with the post-processing member. Also, if at least a portion of the maximum type indicator 81M is composed of characters, the entirety of those characters does not need to overlap with the post-processing member. When the post-processing member is provided on the rear portion 13, at least a portion or all of the rear type indicator 81r does not need to overlap with the post-processing member.

[0112] In this embodiment, the absorbent article 1 has a front portion 12 and a rear portion 13, each of which has a waist elastic member 17 that is an elastic material extending in the width direction W in the waist area. The color of the waist elastic member 17 located on one of the front portion 12 and the rear portion 13 may be different from the color of the waist elastic member 17 located on the other of the front portion 12 and the rear portion 13. When the wearer checks the type of absorbent article 1 by widening the waist opening of the trousers on the front (or back) side, if they can see the waist elastic member 17, they can determine the color of the waist elastic member 17 on the front (or back) side. As a result, the wearer can determine that the side with the waist elastic member 17 of the determined color is the front (or back) side, and when putting on the absorbent article 1 to be replaced, they can quickly and easily determine which side of the absorbent article is the front or back without hesitation. As a result, the time and burden on the wearer when putting on the type of absorbent article 1 can be reduced. Furthermore, incorrect placement of the absorbent item 1 can lead to leakage of excrement. In this embodiment, when the absorbent item 1 is being worn, the wearer can determine the front and back of the absorbent item 1 simply by looking at the waist elastic member 17. Therefore, they can quickly notice if the absorbent item 1 is being worn incorrectly, thus preventing leakage of excrement due to incorrect placement.

[0113] For example, the waist elastic members 17 of one or more front sections 12 may be white, and the waist elastic members 17 of one or more rear sections 13 may be a color other than white (for example, black). Or the reverse may also be true. Furthermore, the waist elastic members 17 of a color other than white (i.e., colored) may be colored continuous elastic members 17a. The colored continuous elastic members 17a may be positioned closer to the waist end in the front-to-back direction L than the uncolored (i.e., white) continuous elastic members 17a.

[0114] Furthermore, in the absorbent article 1, nonwoven fabric may be placed on both the front portion 12 and the rear portion 13. The color of the nonwoven fabric placed on one of the front portion 12 and the rear portion 13 may be different from the color of the nonwoven fabric placed on the other portion. When the wearer checks the type of absorbent article 1 by widening the waist opening of the trousers on the front (or rear) side, if the nonwoven fabric is visible, the wearer can determine the color of the nonwoven fabric on the front (or rear) side. As a result, the wearer can determine that the side with the nonwoven fabric of the color they have determined is the front (or rear), and can quickly and easily determine which side of the absorbent article 1 is the front or rear when putting on a replacement absorbent article. Consequently, the time and burden on the wearer until they put on the type of absorbent article 1 can be reduced, and the time and burden of the series of tasks for putting on the absorbent article can be reduced. When the absorbent item 1 is being worn, the wearer can determine the front and back of the absorbent item 1 simply by looking at the nonwoven fabric, allowing them to quickly notice any incorrect placement of the absorbent item 1 and prevent leakage of excrement due to incorrect placement.

[0115] For example, the nonwoven fabric constituting the front outer casing 20 may be white, and at least one of the nonwoven fabrics constituting the rear outer casing 30 may be a color other than white (for example, black). The nonwoven fabric constituting the first front sheet 21 and the second front sheet 22 may be white, and at least one of the nonwoven fabrics constituting the first rear sheet 31 and the second rear sheet 32 ​​may be a color other than white (for example, black). Or the reverse may also be true. Therefore, the front outer casing 20 may have white nonwoven fabric, or it may have colored (other than white) nonwoven fabric. Or the reverse may also be true.

[0116] (4) Other embodiments In the embodiments described above, a type indicator section 81 and an attachment indicator section 84 were given as examples of multiple design sections 80, but the invention is not limited to these. The absorbent article 1 may have non-type indicator sections (including the attachment indicator section 84) that display information other than the type indicator section 81 as part of the design section 80. The non-type indicator sections may include, for example, an indicator section that shows a partial function or effect of the absorbent article 1 (e.g., a stool pocket, full breathability, instant absorption), an indicator section that shows the manufacturing method of the absorbent article 1 (e.g., recycled product), an indicator section that shows the manufacturer of the absorbent article 1, and / or an indicator section that shows the product logo of the absorbent article 1. The type indicator section 81 may be larger than all the non-type indicator sections. The size indicator section, which is the type indicator section 81, may be larger than all the non-type indicator sections. When a wearer selects (specifically replaces) an absorbent article 1, they often want to know the type (especially the size) of the absorbent article 1. The type display section 81 (especially the size display section) is larger than the non-type display section, making it easier to focus on the type display section 81.

[0117] In other embodiments, the entire maximum type indicator 81M may be located in the waist elasticity area WR. When the wearer is wearing the absorbent article 1, the waist elasticity area WR is expanded, making the maximum type indicator 81M located in the waist elasticity area WR easier to see. In addition, since the maximum type indicator 81M is larger than the other design parts 80, it is easier to see the maximum type indicator 81M even in natural conditions.

[0118] In the above-described embodiment, a pant-type disposable diaper was given as an example of the absorbent article 1, but it is not limited to this. For example, the absorbent article 1 may be a tape-type disposable diaper, a sanitary napkin, a disposable diaper for pets, etc. In the case of an absorbent article that does not have side joints 15 and leg openings (for example, a panty liner), the front waist area S1, rear waist area S2, and crotch area S3 may be defined by regions that divide the absorbent article into three equal parts in the front-to-back direction. The front waist area S1 is the region in front of the crotch area S3, the rear waist area S2 is the region behind the crotch area S3, and the crotch area S3 is the region between the front waist area S1 and the rear waist area S2.

[0119] Although the present invention has been described in detail using the embodiments described above, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present invention can be implemented as modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims for utility model registration. Therefore, the description herein is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be restrictive in any way to the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0120] 1: Absorbent articles 12: Front side 13: Rear side 80: Design Department 81: Type display section 81M: Maximum type display unit 81f: Front type display section 81r: Rear-type display unit LR: Low stretch area SR: Side stretch area L: Anteroposterior direction T: Thickness direction T1: Skin side T2: Non-skin side W: width direction

Claims

1. Absorbent articles, The absorbent article comprises an absorbent body including an absorbent core, which is at least located in the crotch area of ​​the absorbent article. Multiple design sections consisting of at least letters, symbols, or pictures, It has a fold line that serves as a starting point for folding the absorbent article in half in the front-to-back direction and extends in the width direction of the absorbent article, The aforementioned multiple design sections indicate the type of absorbent article and have a type indicator section that is visible to the wearer when selecting the absorbent article. The type indicator section has the largest type indicator section among the plurality of design sections when the absorbent article is in an extended state, In the stretched state of the absorbent article, the maximum length of the maximum type indicator in the front-to-back direction is 15% or more of the length from the outer edge on the waist side of the absorbent article to the fold line in the front-to-back direction. An absorbent article, wherein, in the extended state of the absorbent article, the maximum length of the maximum type indicator portion in the width direction of the absorbent article is 15% or more of the total length of the absorbent body in the width direction.

2. Absorbent articles, It has multiple design sections, each consisting of at least letters, symbols, or pictures. The aforementioned multiple design sections indicate the type of absorbent article and have a type indicator section that is visible to the wearer when selecting the absorbent article. The type indicator section has the largest type indicator section among the plurality of design sections when the absorbent article is in an extended state, The absorbent article is, In a folded state in which the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction with respect to a fold line extending in the width direction of the absorbent article, the front portion located in front of the fold line, It has an indicator that changes color upon contact with excrement, The maximum type display unit is located on the front side of the waist area, in the front-to-back direction, compared to the indicator. An absorbent article wherein, in the front-to-back direction in the stretched state of the absorbent article, the shortest distance from the inner edge on the fold line side of the maximum type indicator to the outer edge on the waist side of the indicator in the front-to-back direction is shorter than the length of the maximum type indicator in the front-to-back direction.

3. Absorbent articles, It has multiple design sections, each consisting of at least letters, symbols, or pictures. The aforementioned multiple design sections indicate the type of absorbent article and have a type indicator section that is visible to the wearer when selecting the absorbent article. The type indicator section has the largest type indicator section among the plurality of design sections when the absorbent article is in an extended state, The absorbent article is, In a folded state in which the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction with respect to a fold line extending in the width direction of the absorbent article, the front portion located in front of the fold line, In the aforementioned folded state, the rear portion located behind the fold line, It has an indicator that changes color upon contact with excrement, The type display unit is, A front type display unit located on the waist side of the front part of the indicator in the front-to-back direction, It has a rear-type display unit located on the waist side of the rear portion of the indicator in the front-rear direction, The indicator has a front outer edge which is the outer edge on the waist side of the front part, and a rear outer edge which is the outer edge on the waist side of the rear part, At least one of the front type display unit and the rear type display unit is the maximum type display unit, An absorbent article wherein, in the front-to-back direction in the extended state of the absorbent article, the shortest distance from the inner edge on the fold line side of the front type display portion to the front outer edge of the indicator is shorter than the shortest distance from the inner edge on the fold line side of the rear type display portion to the rear outer edge of the indicator.

4. Absorbent articles, It has multiple design sections, each consisting of at least letters, symbols, or pictures. The aforementioned multiple design sections indicate the type of absorbent article and have a type indicator section that is visible to the wearer when selecting the absorbent article. The type indicator section has the largest type indicator section among the plurality of design sections when the absorbent article is in an extended state, The maximum type display section is composed of at least one of the characters, symbols, and patterns, as well as different colors for each type of absorbent article, for an absorbent article.

5. Having a fold line that serves as a base point for folding the absorbent article in half in the front-to-back direction and extends in the width direction of the absorbent article, The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the center of the maximum type display portion in the front-to-back direction is closer to the outer edge of the waist side of the absorbent article in the front-to-back direction than the fold line.

6. The absorbent article is, The absorbent article expands and contracts in the width direction and has two side expansion regions located on both the left and right sides in the width direction around the waist, It has a low-stretch region that has weaker stretching force than the two side stretching regions and is located between the two side stretching regions, The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the maximum type display section is located in the low-stretch region.

7. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the maximum type display section is composed of a pattern that evokes the type of absorbent article.

8. The absorbent article is, In a folded state in which the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction with respect to a fold line extending in the width direction of the absorbent article, the front portion located in front of the fold line, In the folded state, it has a rear portion located behind the fold line, The aforementioned multiple design units are A front type indicator located on the front side and indicating the type of absorbent article, It has a rear type indicator located on the rear side and indicating the type of absorbent article, The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the front type indicator and the rear type indicator is the maximum type indicator.

9. The absorbent article according to claim 8, wherein both the front type indicator and the rear type indicator are the maximum type indicator.

10. The absorbent article according to claim 8, wherein one of the front type indicator and the rear type indicator is the maximum type indicator, and the other of the front type indicator and the rear type indicator is smaller than the maximum type indicator.

11. The absorbent article according to claim 10, wherein the front type display section and the rear type display section, the type display section which is smaller than the maximum type display section, have a design which is a scaled-down version of the design of the maximum type display section.

12. The absorbent article is, In a folded state in which the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction with respect to a fold line extending in the width direction of the absorbent article, the front portion located in front of the fold line, In the folded state, it has a rear portion located behind the fold line, In the waist area of ​​the absorbent article, the front portion and the rear portion each have an expandable member extending in the width direction. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the color of the stretchable member disposed on one of the front portion and the rear portion is different from the color of the stretchable member disposed on the other portion.

13. The absorbent article is, In a folded state in which the absorbent article is folded in half in the front-to-back direction with respect to a fold line extending in the width direction of the absorbent article, the front portion located in front of the fold line, In the folded state, it has a rear portion located behind the fold line, Nonwoven fabric is arranged on the front and rear portions, The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the color of the nonwoven fabric disposed on one of the front portion and the rear portion is different from the color of the nonwoven fabric disposed on the other portion of the front portion and the rear portion.

14. The absorbent article has an indicator that changes color upon contact with excrement, The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the maximum thickness of the characters constituting at least a part of the maximum type display section is thicker than the width of the indicator.

15. The absorbent article has an indicator that changes color upon contact with excrement, The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the maximum thickness of the lines constituting the outline of the maximum type display section is thicker than the width of the indicator.

16. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the maximum type display section is composed of a single design in which the pattern and the characters indicating the type of the absorbent article overlap.

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