Absorbent articles

Abstract

To provide an absorptive product in which a fitting feeling can be improved.SOLUTION: An absorptive product is provided with, in this order in a longitudinal direction: a front body region positioned on an abdominal side of a wearer during fitting; a crotch region positioned on a crotch area; and a back body region positioned on a back side. The absorptive product includes: an absorptive body provided so as to include the crotch region; a pair of groove parts extending in a longitudinal direction and formed at least in the crotch region of the absorptive body; and a pair of creases extending in a longitudinal direction and formed on a sheet member provided in the front body region on a pair of virtual lines which is a line extended from the pair of groove parts in a longitudinal direction on the side of the front body region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an absorbent article. [Background technology]

[0002] Absorbent articles such as disposable diapers, urine pads, and sanitary products include an absorbent body that absorbs liquids such as urine and body fluids discharged by a wearer. If the absorbent body is irregularly folded or twisted when the absorbent article is worn by a wearer, the tactile sensation and liquid absorption properties of the absorbent article may be deteriorated, and the comfort of wearing the absorbent article may be deteriorated. Therefore, in the absorbent article described in Patent Document 1, a groove-shaped portion is formed in the crotch region of the absorbent body so that the absorbent body is folded along the skin surface of the wearer when worn by the wearer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6369507 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a configuration in which no grooves are formed in the front and rear regions of the absorbent body, the grooves are relatively short in comparison with the absorbent body, making it difficult for the absorbent body to bend. If the absorbent body does not bend along the wearer's skin surface, this may result in a decrease in the comfort of the absorbent article when worn.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article that can improve the wearing comfort. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, a pair of groove-shaped portions are formed on a sheet member arranged in the front body region on a pair of imaginary lines extending longitudinally toward the front body region, and a pair of wrinkle portions are provided extending in the longitudinal direction.

[0007] In detail, the present invention is an absorbent article which, when worn, has a front body region which is located on the abdominal side of the wearer, a crotch region which is located under the crotch, and a back body region which is located on the back side, arranged in that order in the longitudinal direction, and which comprises an absorbent body arranged to include the crotch region, a pair of groove-like portions which extend in the longitudinal direction and are formed at least in the crotch region of the absorbent body, and a pair of wrinkled portions which extend in the longitudinal direction and are formed in a sheet member arranged in the front body region on a pair of imaginary lines which extend the pair of groove-like portions in the longitudinal direction towards the front body region.

[0008] In the absorbent article, the pair of wrinkled portions may be formed by an adhesive applied to the sheet member.

[0009] In the absorbent article, the pair of wrinkled portions may be formed by embossed grooves formed in the sheet member.

[0010] In the absorbent article, the pair of wrinkled portions may be formed by an elastic member attached in a stretched state to the sheet member.

[0011] The absorbent article is joined to an exterior sheet that forms an exterior surface of the absorbent article in the front body region, and a tape is attached to the exterior sheet for fixing the absorbent article to the wearer. and a tape protruding from the rear body region on both sides in the width direction and attached to the front sheet to secure the absorbent article around the waist of the wearer.

[0012] In the absorbent article, when viewed in the thickness direction, the pair of wrinkled portions may be arranged to include at least a region overlapping with the front sheet.

[0013] In the above-mentioned absorbent article, the front sheet may be a hook-and-loop fastener having loops arranged on a surface thereof, the loops being adapted to engage with hooks formed on a surface of the tape.

[0014] In the above absorbent article, the absorbent body may have a first absorbent section in which the pair of groove-shaped portions are formed, and a second absorbent section which is arranged closer to the front body region than the first absorbent section and has a smaller basis weight than the first absorbent section.

[0015] The absorbent article may include a pair of elastic members arranged to include at least the crotch region, extending in the longitudinal direction at positions overlapping the absorbent body in the thickness direction, and attached in a stretched state.

[0016] The absorbent article may include a liquid-permeable top sheet disposed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body, and the groove-shaped portions may be formed in the absorbent body and the top sheet. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, the wearing comfort of the absorbent article is improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a diaper according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the diaper according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the diaper when not being worn, taken along the width direction at the center in the longitudinal direction. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the diaper according to the first embodiment as viewed from the skin side. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the diaper according to the first embodiment as viewed from the non-skin facing side. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the diaper according to the first embodiment as viewed from the non-skin facing side. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view of the diaper according to the first embodiment as viewed from the non-skin facing side. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan view of the diaper according to the first embodiment as viewed from the non-skin facing side. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the diaper in a worn state, taken along the width direction at the center in the longitudinal direction. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the diaper according to the second embodiment as viewed from the non-skin facing side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, absorbent articles according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the configurations of the following embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of these embodiments.

[0020] <Embodiment 1> In this embodiment, for a tape-type disposable diaper (one example of an "absorbent article" as referred to in the present application, hereinafter simply referred to as a "diaper"), the longitudinal direction is defined as the direction connecting the front body (front body region 1F shown in Figs. 1 and 3) arranged opposite the wearer's abdomen and the rear body (rear body region 1R shown in Figs. 1 and 3) arranged opposite the back. Between (in the longitudinal center) the front body (one side) and the rear body (the other side), there is located a crotch portion (crotch region 1B shown in Figs. 1 and 3) arranged under the wearer's crotch (opposing the crotch). In addition, When the diaper is worn by a wearer (hereinafter abbreviated as "worn state"), the side facing the wearer's skin (the inside when worn) is the skin-facing side, and the side opposite the skin-facing side (the outside when worn) is the non-skin-facing side. Furthermore, the direction connecting the skin-facing side and the non-skin-facing side is the thickness direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction and the thickness direction is the width direction. Additionally, the view from the thickness direction is referred to as a planar view.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a diaper according to this embodiment. The diaper 1 has a crotch region 1B, which is a region corresponding to the crotch region covering the pubic area of ​​the wearer when worn, a front body region 1F, which is located in front of the crotch region 1B and corresponds to the front body of the wearer, and a rear body region 1R, which is located behind the crotch region 1B and corresponds to the rear body of the wearer. Tapes 2L and 2R that can be attached to a front patch 2F (an example of a "front sheet") provided on the non-wearer side surface of the front body region 1F are provided on the left and right edges of the rear body region 1R. Thus, when the tapes 2L and 2R are attached to the front patch 2F with the front body region 1F positioned on the wearer's abdominal side and the rear body region 1R positioned on the wearer's back side, the diaper 1 is fixed to the wearer's body in a state surrounding the wearer's abdominal circumference and thighs. Since the diaper 1 is fixed to the wearer's body in this manner, the wearer can stand and walk while wearing the diaper 1.

[0022] The diaper 1 is provided with an absorbent body capable of absorbing and retaining liquid, including the crotch region 1B. The diaper 1 also has three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR in areas surrounding the wearer's thighs and a waist gather 3R in areas surrounding the wearer's abdominal circumference, in order to prevent the formation of gaps between the diaper 1 and the wearer's skin that could serve as a path for liquid to escape. The three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR and the waist gather 3R are fitted closely to the wearer's skin by the elasticity of the rubber thread. Thus, liquid discharged from the wearer's genitals is absorbed into the absorbent body of the diaper 1 without leaking out of the diaper 1.

[0023] The width dimension of the crotch region 1B of the diaper 1 is set to be slightly larger than the dimension between the bases of the legs of an average wearer, so that the diaper 1 can be worn with the absorbent core in the crotch region 1B folded in the width direction.

[0024] Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the diaper 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the diaper 1 when not worn, cut widthwise at the longitudinal center. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the diaper 1 in an extended state, viewed from the skin-facing side.

[0025] The diaper 1 has a cover sheet 4 (an example of an "outer sheet") that forms the outer surface when worn. The cover sheet 4 is a sheet-like member having a substantially rectangular appearance with constrictions 4KL, 4KR at the positions corresponding to the long sides, and forms the outer surface of the diaper 1. The constrictions 4KL, 4KR are provided at the positions where the wearer's thighs are located. The cover sheet 4 is provided to reinforce the back sheet 5 described later and to improve the feel. For example, in order to suppress leakage of excrement, a nonwoven fabric made of a liquid-impermeable thermoplastic resin can be used as the material for the cover sheet 4. Examples of liquid-impermeable thermoplastic resins include polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). The cover sheet 4 is not limited to a single-layer structure, and may be a multi-layer structure having an inner cover sheet and an outer cover sheet.

[0026] The diaper 1 has a back sheet 5, an absorbent body 6C, and a top sheet 7, which are layered in this order on the wearer-facing surface of the cover sheet 4. The back sheet 5 and the top sheet 7 are sheet-like members having a generally rectangular appearance. The absorbent body 6C is a sheet-like member formed so that the width dimension in the crotch region 1B is smaller than that in the front body region 1F and the back body region 1R. Alternatively, an absorbent body 6C having a generally rectangular appearance and a generally constant width dimension may be used. The back sheet 5, the absorbent body 6C, and the top sheet 7 are layered in this order on the cover sheet 4 with their longitudinal directions coinciding with the longitudinal direction of the cover sheet 4. The back sheet 5 is a sheet-like member formed so that the width dimension in the crotch region 1B is smaller than that in the front body region 1F and the back body region 1R. Alternatively, an absorbent body 6C having a generally rectangular appearance and a generally constant width dimension may be used. The back sheet 5, the absorbent body 6C, and the top sheet 7 are layered in this order on the cover sheet 4 with their longitudinal directions coinciding with the longitudinal direction of the cover sheet 4. Like the sheet 4, the back sheet 5 is a sheet formed of a liquid-impermeable thermoplastic resin material to suppress leakage of excrement. The back sheet 5 is preferably made of a material that also has moisture permeability to suppress stuffiness when worn. The top sheet 7 is disposed on the wearer's skin side so as to cover the water-absorbing surface of the absorbent 6C. This top sheet 7 is liquid permeable in part or in whole. Therefore, when the diaper 1 is worn, liquid excreted from the wearer passes through the top sheet 7 that may come into contact with the wearer's skin and enters the absorbent 6C, where it is absorbed. For example, woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, and porous film can be used as the material for the top sheet 7. The top sheet 7 may be hydrophilic. The absorbent 6C is disposed including the crotch region 1B.

[0027] The back sheet 5, the absorbent 6C, and the top sheet 7 all extend from the front body region 1F to the rear body region 1R. Therefore, when the wearer's private parts are covered with the cover sheet 4 in which the back sheet 5, the absorbent 6C, and the top sheet 7 are laminated, the longitudinal ends of the back sheet 5, the absorbent 6C, and the top sheet 7 are located on the wearer's ventral side and back side. In other words, the wearer's private parts are covered by the absorbent 6C from the wearer's ventral side to the back side. Therefore, whether the wearer is in a ventral or back-facing position when excreting liquid, the excreted liquid comes into contact with the absorbent 6C via the top sheet 7.

[0028] The diaper 1 also has long, strip-like side sheets 8L, 8R for forming the above-mentioned three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR. The side sheets 8L, 8R are liquid-impermeable sheets provided on the long sides of the top sheet 7. The side sheets 8L, 8R have constrictions 8KL, 8KR at the locations where the wearer's thighs are located, similar to the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR of the diaper 1. Rubber threads 8EL, 8ER are knitted into the side sheets 8L, 8R along the longitudinal direction. Therefore, when the diaper 1 is worn, i.e., when the diaper 1 is in the form shown in Fig. 6, the side sheets 8L, 8R are drawn in the longitudinal direction by the contraction force of the rubber threads 8EL, 8ER and rise from the top sheet 7, forming three-dimensional gathers that prevent liquid from leaking out.

[0029] Furthermore, the rubber thread 9ER for forming the waist gather 3R described above is provided between the back sheet 5 and the top sheet 7, at a position further back than the end of the absorbent body 6C. The rubber thread 9ER is provided between the back sheet 5 and the top sheet 7 with its longitudinal direction, which is the direction of expansion and contraction, oriented in the left-right direction of the diaper 1. Thus, when the tapes 2L, 2R provided on both the left and right sides of the rubber thread 9ER are attached to the front patch 2F on the abdominal side of the wearer, the rubber thread 9ER exerts a contractile force to bring the diaper 1 into close contact with the wearer and prevent the formation of a gap between the diaper 1 and the wearer's abdominal circumference.

[0030] The absorbent 6C has a structure in which granular absorbent resin such as SAP (Super Absorbent Polymer), which is a hydrophilic polymer with a cross-linked structure capable of absorbing and retaining water, is held in the gaps between short fibers of cellulosic fibers such as pulp fibers, rayon fibers, or cotton fibers, or short fibers obtained by hydrophilizing synthetic fibers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyethylene terephthalate. Therefore, in the absorbent 6C, the volumetric change of the absorbent resin before and after absorbing liquid basically occurs within the short fibers that hold the absorbent resin in the gaps. Therefore, when the absorbent 6C is viewed as a whole, it can be said that the expansion rate of the thickness of the absorbent 6C that has absorbed liquid is not as large as the expansion rate of the absorbent resin itself.

[0031] The SAP particles of this embodiment refer to a resin composition containing SAP in a granular form. The term "SAP-containing resin composition" as used herein is a concept that includes both a composition consisting of SAP alone and a composition that contains SAP as the main component and contains other substances to the extent that they do not adversely affect the water absorption. Examples of "other substances" include additives (added for the purpose of making the particle surface hydrophobic). Examples of the unreacted monomers include surface modifiers that are added to the resin, and unreacted monomers that remain during the synthesis of SAP.

[0032] Next, a folding and holding structure for folding the absorbent 6C in the crotch region 1B along the skin of the wearer and putting the diaper 1 in a worn state will be described. The folding and holding structure is a structure for folding and holding the absorbent 6C in the crotch region 1B in a predetermined shape. Irregular folding and twisting of the absorbent 6C in the crotch region 1B reduces the wearing comfort of the absorbent article. For this reason, the diaper 1 according to this embodiment has a folding and holding structure for folding and holding the absorbent 6C in the crotch region 1B in a predetermined shape, thereby improving the wearing comfort.

[0033] The diaper 1 according to this embodiment has, as a folding and holding structure, a pair of grooves 6CH extending in the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1 and formed in the crotch region 1B of the absorbent body 6C, and a pair of grooves 7H extending in the longitudinal direction and formed in the crotch region 1B of the top sheet 7. As shown in Fig. 4, the pair of grooves 6CH and 7H are formed in parallel to each other, two on either side of an imaginary center line C extending in the longitudinal direction, at the widthwise center of the diaper 1.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 4, the groove-like portion 6CH and the groove-like portion 7H overlap in the thickness direction. The groove-like portion 6CH and the groove-like portion 7H are recessed by forming a through hole or a slit of a groove in the absorbent body 6C, or recessed (embossed) by partially pressing (squeezing) the absorbent body 6C on which the top sheet 7 is laminated. In the latter case, the absorbent body 6C provided with the groove-like portion 6CH is in a compressed (densified) state. In other words, the groove-like portion 6CH is formed by squeezing the absorbent body 6C. In addition, when the groove-like portion 6CH alone is sufficient to fold the absorbent body 6C, the diaper 1 may include the groove-like portion 6CH as a folding and holding structure, and the groove-like portion 7H may not be formed in the top sheet 7. In this case, the groove-like portion 6CH is formed by partially pressing the absorbent body 6C before the top sheet 7 is laminated, and the groove-like portion 7H is not formed in the top sheet 7. Moreover, the groove-shaped portion 6CH may be formed, for example, by a hole penetrating the absorbent body 6C.

[0035] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the groove-shaped portion 6CH and the groove-shaped portion 7H are formed as a pair of straight lines parallel to each other with the center line C in the width direction therebetween. The groove-shaped portion 6CH and the groove-shaped portion 7H may be shaped so that they move apart or approach each other from one side in the longitudinal direction to the other, or may be shaped in other ways such as an arc or a wave shape. Also, three or more groove-shaped portions 6CH and 7H may be formed.

[0036] In order to easily maintain the above-mentioned folding and holding structure, the diaper 1 includes a pair of rubber threads 4CL, 4CR arranged at least in the crotch region 1B, extending in the longitudinal direction at a position overlapping the absorbent body 6C in the thickness direction, and attached in a stretched state. The rubber threads 4CL, 4CR are an example of an elastic member. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in this embodiment, three rubber threads 4CL, 4CR are attached in parallel to each other in a stretched state. The diaper 1 may include an appropriate number of rubber threads 4CL, 4CR determined according to the elastic force (contractile force) required in the design.

[0037] The rubber threads 4CL, 4CR are disposed on the outer side in the width direction than the grooves 6CH and 7H. In this embodiment, the rubber threads 4CL, 4CR are disposed parallel to the grooves 6CH and 7H. In the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1, the ends of the rubber threads 4CL, 4CR on the front body region 1F side are generally aligned with the ends of the grooves 6CH and 7H on the front body region 1F side. In the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1, the ends of the rubber threads 4CL, 4CR on the rear body region 1R side are disposed rearward of the ends of the grooves 6CH and 7H on the front body region 1F side and in the middle of the rear body region 1R.

[0038] The rubber threads 4CL, 4CR are provided to contract the absorbent body 6C in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the rubber threads 4CL, 4CR are disposed between the cover sheet 4 and the back sheet 5, and the cover sheet 4 and the back sheet 5 are fixed to at least the portion of the rubber threads 4CL, 4CR in the stretched state within the crotch region 1B by gluing, sewing, or the like. Therefore, the cover sheet 4, the back sheet 5, and the absorbent body 6C are contracted in the longitudinal direction by the elastic force of the rubber threads 4CL, 4CR in the contraction direction. Note that the rubber threads 4CL, 4CR are disposed including the crotch region 1B, and may be attached in a stretched state to any of the back sheet 5, the absorbent body 6C, or the top sheet 7 as long as they can contract the absorbent body 6C in the longitudinal direction.

[0039] The elastic threads 4CL, 4CR form a pair of support gathers 10L, 10R in the crotch region 1B. When the diaper 1 is worn, the support gathers 10L, 10R lift and support the absorbent body 6C toward the skin-facing side.

[0040] The cover sheet 4 is provided with rubber threads 4SL, 4SR extending along the longitudinal direction of the rubber threads 4CL, 4CR to prevent a gap from being formed between the diaper 1 and the wearer's abdominal circumference. The rubber threads 4SL, 4SR are provided in appropriate positions and in appropriate numbers depending on the elasticity (contractile force) required for the design of the diaper 1.

[0041] In this embodiment, the absorbent body 6C has a first absorbent section 6CR in which a groove 6CH is formed, and a second absorbent section CF arranged closer to the front body region 1F than the first absorbent section 6CR. The first absorbent section 6CR and the second absorbent section 6CF are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1. The groove 6CH is present in the first absorbent section 6CR, and no groove 6CH is formed in the second absorbent section 6CF.

[0042] The second absorbent section 6CF is disposed on the front body region 1F side of the first absorbent section 6C. Therefore, the second absorbent section 6CF is disposed in a region that virtually extends toward the front body region 1F along the extending direction of the groove-shaped section 6CH. That is, the second absorbent section 6CF is disposed in a region where the fold can spread along the groove-shaped section 6CH. The absorbent body 6C has an adjusted basis weight for each region in order to relatively reduce the resistance of the second absorbent section 6CF against the folding along the groove-shaped section 6CH. In order to easily maintain the above-mentioned folding and holding structure, the basis weight of the second absorbent section CF is smaller than that of the first absorbent section 6CR. For example, the basis weight of each absorbent section can be adjusted by reducing the amount of lamination of the molding material in the second absorbent section 6CF compared to the first absorbent section 6CR. In this case, the second absorbent section 6CF has a smaller dimension in the thickness direction than the first absorbent section 6CR excluding the groove-shaped section 6CH.

[0043] In addition, if a molding material with a lower specific gravity is used for the second absorbent section 6CF than for the first absorbent section 6CR, the absorbent sections can be formed to the same thickness while adjusting the basis weight. In this case, the density of the second absorbent section 6CF is lower than that of the first absorbent section 6CR. Note that "basis weight" refers to mass per unit area, and "density" refers to mass per unit volume.

[0044] In this way, by making the basis weight of the second absorbent section 6CF smaller than that of the first absorbent section 6CR, the resistance to bending in the second absorbent section 6CF can be reduced, making it easier to fold the absorbent body 6C along the groove sections 6CH and 7H.

[0045] In addition, when the grooves 6CH and 7H are formed by squeezing the absorbent body 6C, the rigidity is increased in the non-skin-facing areas of the grooves 6CH and 7H in the first absorbent section 6CR. Therefore, the first absorbent section 6CR is reinforced in the longitudinal direction by the grooves 6CH and 7H, and the formation of creases extending in the width direction in the first absorbent section 6CR is suppressed. This makes it easier to fold the crotch region 1B into a predetermined shape.

[0046] In addition, since the crotch region 1B of the diaper 1 is disposed opposite the wearer's excretory area, the absorbent body 6C requires a larger absorption capacity than the front body region 1F and the back body region 1R. The first absorbent section 6CR disposed including the crotch region 1B has a larger basis weight than the second absorbent section 6CF, and therefore has a larger absorption capacity than the second absorbent section 6CF. In this way, the first absorbent section 6CR and the second absorbent section 6CF can be disposed to have the absorption capacity required for each part of the absorbent body 6C, thereby improving the wearing comfort.

[0047] In addition, as described above, the diaper 1 of this embodiment is provided with a front patch 2F in the front body region 1F. The front patch 2F functions as a hook-and-loop fastener capable of adhering the tapes 2L and 2R, and is formed of fine threads bonded lengthwise and crosswise to the surface of a plastic film to hook fine hooks provided on the tapes 2L and 2R. The loops of the front patch 2F are formed, for example, by bonding fine lattice-shaped polyester fiber threads to the surface of the plastic film with a polyurethane adhesive. Examples of the plastic film of the front patch 2F include plastic films made of polyolefin, polyester, vinyl chloride, and various other materials. The front patch 2F may have ventilation holes and be breathable. The front patch 2F may also be made of nonwoven fabric.

[0048] Here, the front body region 1F where the front patch 2F is provided will be described in more detail. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the diaper 1 in an extended state as viewed from the non-skin-facing side. The diaper 1 according to this embodiment has a pair of wrinkled portions SL, SR extending in the longitudinal direction, which are formed on a sheet member arranged in the front body region 1F on a pair of imaginary lines 41L, 41R that extend a pair of groove-shaped portions 6CH, 7H in the longitudinal direction toward the front body region 1F. In other words, the wrinkled portions SL, SR are arranged on a line along which the folds can spread along the groove-shaped portions 6CH, 7H. This prevents the front body region 1F from interfering with the folding of the absorbent body 6C in the crotch region 1B, and allows the absorbent body 6C to be folded when worn. This allows the diaper 1 to improve the wearing comfort.

[0049] In addition, when the absorbent body is folded up to the region corresponding to the lower abdomen or buttocks, the absorbent body may rise up toward the skin side in the region, and the skin of the lower abdomen may rub against the absorbent article. For this reason, it is preferable to form a groove-shaped portion that serves as a folding line of the absorbent body in the crotch region, so that the absorbent body does not fold up to the front body region corresponding to the lower abdomen or the back body region corresponding to the buttocks. However, in this configuration, the groove-shaped portion is relatively short with respect to the absorbent body, making it difficult for the absorbent body to fold. Furthermore, since a front patch is provided in the front body region of the tape-type absorbent article, the resistance in the front body region against the folding along the groove-shaped portion becomes relatively large. For example, when an absorbent article is put on a wearer, it is common to pinch the front body region with hands and fold the absorbent body so that it fits the wearer's skin, but if the resistance to folding in the front body region where the front patch is provided is relatively large, it hinders the folding of the absorbent body in the crotch region, and there is a risk that the absorbent body will not fold when put on.

[0050] In contrast, the diaper 1 according to the present embodiment has a pair of wrinkled portions SL, SR extending in the longitudinal direction on a pair of imaginary lines 41L, 41R. The wrinkled portions SL, SR are arranged on lines along which the folds can spread along the grooves 6CH and 7H, so that the front body region 1F does not hinder the folding of the absorbent body 6C in the crotch region 1B, and the absorbent body 6C can be folded in the worn state, thereby improving the wearing comfort. In addition, when viewed in the thickness direction of the diaper 1, the pair of wrinkled portions SL, SR are arranged to include at least an area overlapping with the front patch 2F. This allows the diaper 1 to reduce the resistance of the front body region 1F against folding along the grooves 6CH, 7H, and makes it easier to fold the absorbent body 6C in the crotch region 1B.

[0051] Here, the formation mode of the wrinkled portions SL, SR will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 8. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the diaper 1 in an extended state as viewed from the non-skin-facing side, showing a first formation mode of the wrinkled portions SL, SR. In the first formation mode, the wrinkled portions SL, SR are formed by adhesive applied to a sheet member. In Fig. 6, the adhesive application areas 33L, 33R are shown by solid lines. Note that hot melt is used as the adhesive. Here, this sheet member may be any sheet member that is arranged in the front body region 1F. In this embodiment, hot melt is applied to the skin-facing side of the cover sheet 4, so that the cover sheet 4 and the back sheet 5 are wrinkled along the application areas 33L, 33R.

[0052] 7 is a plan view of the diaper 1 in an extended state as viewed from the non-skin side, showing a second formation mode of the wrinkled portions SL, SR. In the second formation mode, the wrinkled portions SL, SR are formed by embossed grooves formed in a sheet member, which may be any sheet member that is arranged in the front body region 1F. In this embodiment, the wrinkled portions SL, SR are formed in the top sheet 7 by embossed grooves 34L, 34R that are formed by pressing (squeezing) the top sheet 7 from the skin side to form recesses (embossing).

[0053] 8 is a plan view of the diaper 1 in a stretched state as viewed from the non-skin-facing side, showing a third formation mode of the wrinkled portions SL, SR. In the third formation mode, the wrinkled portions SL, SR are formed by rubber threads 35L, 35R (an example of an "elastic member") attached in a stretched state to a sheet member, which may be any sheet member disposed in the front body region 1F. In this embodiment, the wrinkled portions SL, SR are formed in the back sheet 5 by rubber threads 35L, 35R attached in a stretched state to the skin-facing side of the back sheet 5.

[0054] In this way, the wrinkled portions SL, SR can be formed. The above first to third forming modes can be appropriately selected or combined with each other. In addition to the first to third forming modes, the wrinkled portions SL, SR may be formed by forming the sheet member into a film using ultrasonic waves. The diaper 1 has the wrinkled portions SL, SR arranged on the lines along which the folds can spread along the groove portions 6CH, 7H, thereby preventing the front body region 1F from interfering with the folding of the absorbent body 6C in the crotch region 1B, and making it possible to fold the absorbent body 6C when worn. This improves the wearing comfort of the diaper 1.

[0055] Next, the crotch region 1B of the diaper 1 according to this embodiment in a worn state will be described in detail. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the crotch region 1B of the diaper 1 in a worn state, cut along the width direction at the longitudinal center. As shown in Fig. 9, when the diaper 1 is worn, the crotch region 1B is folded in a predetermined shape. Specifically, the width-direction cross section of the crotch region 1B is folded in a predetermined W-shape. Of the two V-shaped portions constituting this "W" shape, the left one is V-shaped portion 12L and the right one is V-shaped portion 12R. In addition, the fold that is folded toward the skin-facing side is a mountain fold, and the fold that is folded toward the non-skin-facing side is a valley fold.

[0056] In the worn state, the grooves 6CH and 7H form the folds that form the valley folds in the crotch region 1B. Specifically, the two grooves 6CH and 7H form the folds that form the valley folds in the crotch region 1B, forming two valley folds. The two grooves 6CH and 7H are located at the positions corresponding to the corners of the V-shaped portions 12L and 12R. In the crotch region 1B at this time, the widthwise middle portions of the two grooves 6CH and 7H are mountain-folded into an inverted V shape, with the widthwise center forming the fold. In the crotch region 1B thus folded into a predetermined shape, the support gathers 10L and 10R formed of the rubber threads 4CL and 4CR are disposed on the widthwise outer sides of the V-shaped portions 12L and 12R. The rubber threads 4CL and 4CR As a result, the absorbent 6C is contracted in the longitudinal direction, and the crotch region 1B is generally lifted toward the skin-facing side. As the absorbent 6C is contracted in the longitudinal direction by the elastic threads 4CL and 4CR, the absorbent 6C is lifted toward the skin-facing side, and the folding of the absorbent 6C at the grooves 6CH and 7H can be maintained. Furthermore, as described above, the diaper 1 includes the front patches 2F arranged opposite each other across a pair of imaginary lines 41L and 41R extending from the pair of grooves 6CH and 7H in the width direction. This allows the diaper 1 to relatively reduce the resistance in the front body region 1F against the folding along the grooves 6CH and 7H, and allows the absorbent 6C in the crotch region 1B to be folded when worn. This allows the diaper 1 to improve the wearing comfort.

[0057] Furthermore, since the support gathers 10 and the rubber threads 4CL, 4CR are positioned widthwise outside the pair of groove portions 6CH and groove portions 7H, the first absorbent portion 6CR can be biased to lift toward the skin side from the widthwise outside of the valley fold in the groove portions 6CH and 7H, thereby maintaining the folding of the absorbent body 6C.

[0058] Furthermore, if the second absorbent section 6CF has a smaller dimension in the thickness direction than the first absorbent section 6CR, the bulkiness of the diaper 1 in the front body region 1F can be suppressed. This improves the feel on the wearer's abdomen and the ease of wearing the diaper 1. Furthermore, by improving the gripability (ease of gripping) of the front body region 1F, the ease of wearing the diaper 1 can be improved. If the second absorbent section 6CF has a lower density than the first absorbent section 6CR, the second absorbent section 6CF can be deformed more smoothly than the first absorbent section 6CR. This allows the absorbent body 6C to be folded when worn, and also improves the ability of the second absorbent section 6CF to conform to the wearer's body.

[0059] <Embodiment 2> Next, a diaper 1 according to a second embodiment will be described. The same components as those of the diaper 1 according to the above embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the diaper 1 in an extended state, viewed from the non-skin-facing side. In this embodiment, the diaper 1 has a pair of front patches 2FL, 2FR. The pair of front patches 2FL, 2FR are arranged opposite each other across a pair of imaginary lines 41L, 41R that extend the pair of grooves 6CH, 7H toward the front body region 1F in the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1. In other words, no front patch is arranged between the imaginary lines 41L, 41R, and the front patches 2FL, 2FR are arranged on both sides of the width of the diaper 1 across the pair of imaginary lines 41L, 41R. The diaper 1 of this embodiment further prevents the front body region 1F from impeding the folding of the absorbent body 6C in the crotch region 1B, making it easier to fold the absorbent body 6C when worn, thereby further improving the wearing comfort.

[0060] <Other embodiments> Next, other embodiments will be described. The second absorbent section 6CF only needs to have a smaller basis weight in the area overlapping the imaginary lines 41L, 41R in the thickness direction than the first absorbent section 6CR. That is, the second absorbent section 6CF may have a reduced basis weight not in the entire area but in a part of it. In this case, the absorbent body 6C can be folded into a predetermined shape while ensuring the liquid absorption capacity of the second absorbent section 6CF.

[0061] The rubber threads 4CL, 4CR are not limited to those arranged symmetrically in the width direction, but may extend in the longitudinal direction along the center in the width direction. In this case, the diaper 1 can be easily folded along the center line C in the width direction, improving comfort for the wearer. The rubber threads 4CL, 4CR may be arranged at a position overlapping the groove portions 6CH and 7H in a plan view, or may be arranged inward in the width direction of the groove portions 6CH and 7H.

[0062] Further, the grooves 6CH and 7H are provided in a part of the front body region 1F and the back body region 1R. Alternatively, or in addition to the groove portions 6CH and 7H, the absorbent body 6C may be hollowed out at the corresponding portions, or a through groove may be recessed into the absorbent body 6C. The absorbent body 6C and the groove portions 7H may be provided on the non-skin facing side of the absorbent body 6C, or on both the skin facing side and the non-skin facing side of the absorbent body 6C. The front patch 2F may be laminated so as to overlap at least a portion of the second absorbent section 6CF (at least a portion overlaps in a plan view).

[0063] Alternatively, the first absorbent section may be disposed in the crotch region 1B, and the second absorbent section may be disposed in the front body region 1F and the back body region 1R. That is, the second absorbent sections may be disposed on both sides of the first absorbent section in the absorber 6C in the longitudinal direction. In this case, the absorber 6C can be further easily folded into a predetermined shape, and the amount of material required for forming the absorber 6C can be further reduced, reducing material costs and making the diaper 1 lighter.

[0064] In addition, in this embodiment, the absorbent body 6C in which the first absorbent section 6CR and the second absorbent section 6CF are integrally formed is used, but this is not limited thereto, and the first absorbent section 6CR and the second absorbent section 6CF may be formed separately in the absorbent body 6C. Moreover, natural rubber or an elastic film may be used instead of the above-mentioned rubber thread. The sheet member arranged in the front body region 1F may be a sheet member arranged only in the front body region 1F, or may be a sheet member arranged including the front body region 1F.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the tape-type disposable diaper 1 is exemplified, but examples of absorbent articles to which the above configuration can be applied include pants-type disposable diapers, urine pads, etc. These absorbent articles include an absorbent body arranged including the crotch region, a pair of grooves extending in the longitudinal direction and formed at least in the crotch region of the absorbent body, and a pair of wrinkles extending in the longitudinal direction formed on a sheet member arranged in the front body region on a pair of imaginary lines extending in the longitudinal direction from the pair of grooves toward the front body region, thereby allowing the absorbent body to be folded into a predetermined shape in a worn state, improving the wearing comfort. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1. Diapers 1B...Inseam area 1F: Front body area 1R: Back body area 2FL, 2FR Front patch 2FT Ventilation hole 2L, 2R Tape 3BL, 3BR: 3D gathers 3R: Waist gather 4. Cover sheet 4KL, 4KR... Constriction 5. Back sheet 6C··Absorbent 6CH··Groove part 7. Top sheet 7H·Groove 8. Side seat 4CKL,8KR ··Constriction 4CL, 4CR, 4SL, 4SR, 8EL, 8ER, 9ER... Rubber thread 10 Support gathers 12L,12R··V-shaped part 33L, 33R: Coating area SL,SR··Wrinkle area 34L, 34R: Embossed groove 35L, 35R... Elastic thread 41L, 41R: Virtual line

Claims

1. An absorbent article having a front body region located on the abdomen side of a wearer when worn, a crotch region located between the crotch of the wearer, and a rear body region located on the back side, arranged in this order in a longitudinal direction, An absorbent body disposed including the crotch region; A pair of grooves extending in the longitudinal direction and formed at least in the crotch region of the absorbent body; a pair of wrinkled portions extending in the longitudinal direction, the wrinkled portions being formed on a sheet member disposed in the front body region and extending along a pair of imaginary lines along which folds can spread along the pair of grooved portions extending toward the front body region in the longitudinal direction, the pair of wrinkled portions extending in the longitudinal direction, the pair of wrinkled portions reducing resistance in the front body region against folding along the pair of grooved portions; Equipped with The pair of wrinkled portions are formed by squeezing the sheet member from the skin side to form a concave shape as viewed from the skin side, and are formed by embossed grooves extending along the imaginary line, and extend along the imaginary line. Absorbent articles.

2. a front sheet joined to an exterior sheet forming an exterior surface of the absorbent article in the front body region, to which a tape is attached for fixing the absorbent article to the wearer; the tape protruding from the rear body region on both sides in the width direction and adapted to fix the absorbent article around the waist of the wearer in a state where the tape is attached to the front sheet; The absorbent article of claim 1 .

3. When viewed in the thickness direction, the pair of wrinkled portions are arranged to include at least an area overlapping with the front sheet. The absorbent article of claim 2.

4. The front sheet is a hook-and-loop fastener having loops arranged on its surface, the loops being adapted to engage with hooks formed on the surface of the tape. The absorbent article according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The absorbent body is A first absorbent section in which the pair of groove-shaped sections are formed; A second absorbent section is disposed closer to the front body region than the first absorbent section and has a smaller basis weight than the first absorbent section; having 5. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A pair of elastic members are provided, the elastic members being arranged to include at least the crotch region, extending in the longitudinal direction at positions overlapping the absorbent body in the thickness direction, and attached in a stretched state.

6. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A liquid-permeable top sheet is provided on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body, The groove portion is formed in the absorbent body and the top sheet.

7. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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