Absorbent articles

Abstract

To provide an absorbent article having a characteristic hardly generating liquid return by improving diffusibility or liquid permeability by being quickly wetted and spread, when receiving liquid by urination or the like.SOLUTION: There is provided an absorbent article in which an open hole film having a plurality of funnel-shaped apertures are arranged between a top sheet and an absorber. In the absorbent article, the open hole film to which an aperture with a small aperture diameter is applied onto one surface in a thickness direction, and an aperture with a large aperture diameter is applied onto the other surface, and is arranged so that the aperture on the side with a larger aperture diameter is faced to the absorber side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In general, absorbent articles such as light incontinence pads, pants-type paper diapers, and tape-fastened paper diapers are composed of a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent body arranged between the two sheets. As a result, body fluids such as urine are absorbed into the absorbent body through the top sheet, and the back sheet prevents the body fluids from leaking to the outside. Various ideas have been implemented in such absorbent articles to improve the absorbency of body fluids, improve the wearing comfort of the wearer, prevent leakage, etc.

[0003] For example, there is a technology for improving absorbent performance such as wet back and absorption speed by providing an apertured film at a predetermined position of an absorbent article, and by making the open area of ​​the apertured film on the skin side and non-skin side larger than the skin side, wet back and absorption speed are improved.

[0004] As an example of an absorbent article using a perforated film, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which, in an absorbent article having a liquid-permeable surface material, a liquid-retaining absorbent material, and a liquid-impermeable leakproof material, the surface material is made of at least a liquid-permeable sheet formed by laminating together a skin-contacting surface layer and a non-skin-contacting surface layer, and the skin-contacting surface layer is formed of a perforated film made of a thermoplastic resin or a nonwoven fabric made of synthetic fibers.

[0005] Patent Document 2 discloses a urine pad which comprises a surface layer, an absorbent layer, and a bottom layer which are arranged in that order from top to bottom, and the absorbent layer has, from top to bottom, a perforated film layer, a core layer, and a bottom attachment layer, the perforated film layer being located between the surface layer and the core layer, and the bottom attachment layer being located between the core layer and the bottom layer.

[0006] Patent Document 3 discloses an absorbent having an absorbent layer containing at least one of SAP and fluff pulp as an absorbent component, the absorbent comprising an absorbent covering layer arranged in contact with the absorbent layer and made of a water-resistant, highly breathable synthetic resin perforated film, the absorbent covering layer being configured to prevent the absorbent components from coming off the absorbent and to maintain shape stability, the perforated film having numerous protrusions with a funnel-shaped structure with small openings at the top and large openings at the bottom, and the tops of the protrusions being arranged so as to be in contact with the absorbent layer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-66425 [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3215515 [Patent Document 3] JP 2002-355271 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, which are provided with the above-mentioned perforated films, although both have excellent properties for preventing liquid backflow such as wet bags and excellent absorption speed, they cannot be said to be effective in diffusing liquid in absorbent articles, and the absorption performance of the absorbent body is not fully demonstrated.

[0009] In addition, Patent Document 3 uses an apertured film with a smaller opening area on the skin side than on the conventional non-skin side, and is configured so that the surface with the smaller opening area contacts the absorbent body. However, even in this case, there is no technical idea of ​​improving the diffusibility of the liquid.

[0010] As described in the above literature, some sanitary napkins and disposable diapers use perforated films as the liquid-receiving surface material, and the placement of the perforated film improves liquid permeability and liquid backflow prevention. However, although perforated films are often more expensive than normal nonwoven fabrics, they are insufficient to provide more beneficial liquid permeability and liquid backflow prevention properties, and because they are resin films, they feel hard to the touch.

[0011] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide an absorbent article that has the characteristic of quickly wetting and spreading when it receives liquid from urination, etc., thereby improving diffusion properties and liquid permeability, and improving prevention of liquid backflow.

[0012] Specifically, the objective of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article in which the hardness of the resin film can be suppressed by disposing a perforated film between the top sheet and the absorbent body, and excreted urine can be diffused throughout the entire absorbent article, thereby allowing liquid to be widely absorbed throughout the entire absorbent body, thereby improving the ability to prevent liquid backflow. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In view of the above problems, the inventors of the present invention have conducted intensive research. As a result, they have found that the above problems can be solved by providing a perforated film with a specific configuration between the top sheet and the absorbent body, and have completed the present invention. Specifically, the present invention provides the following.

[0014] (1) A first aspect of the present invention is an absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, and a perforated film having a plurality of funnel-shaped openings disposed between the top sheet and the absorbent body, characterized in that the perforated film has openings with a small opening diameter on one side in the thickness direction and a large opening diameter on the other side, and is disposed so that the openings with the larger opening diameter face the absorbent body.

[0015] (2) A second aspect of the present invention is the absorbent article according to (1), wherein the aperture diameter of the aperture film is 2 mm or less, and the number of apertures is 50 per cm. 2 and the basis weight is 20 g / m 2 More than 60g / m 2 It is characterized in that:

[0016] (3) A third aspect of the present invention is an absorbent article according to (1) or (2), characterized in that the difference between the aperture diameter of one surface having a larger aperture diameter and the aperture diameter of the other surface having a smaller aperture diameter is 0.03 mm or more and 0.15 mm or less.

[0017] (4) A fourth aspect of the present invention is an absorbent article according to any one of (1) to (3), characterized in that a liquid-diffusive second sheet is disposed between the top sheet and the perforated film.

[0018] (5) A fifth aspect of the present invention is the absorbent article according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the second sheet has a basis weight of 10 g / m 2 More than 60g / m 2 It is characterized in that: Effect of the Invention

[0019] Therefore, according to the present invention, by having the side with the smaller pore diameter of the perforated film face the skin side, it is possible to provide an absorbent article which not only has excellent penetration into the absorbent body (downward), but also excellent diffusion in the lateral direction (front, back, left and right), and as a result, when it receives liquid from urination, etc., it quickly wets and spreads, improving diffusion and liquid permeability and improving prevention of liquid backflow. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an absorbent article of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X1-X1 of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the apertured film of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these are presented for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the description of the embodiments.

[0022] In the description of this specification, the absorbent article 1 is worn when it is at least one of the time when it is worn and the time after it is worn. The longitudinal direction of the absorbent article 1 is the direction from the front to the back of the wearer when the absorbent article 1 is worn, and is the direction indicated by the symbol Y in the figure. The width direction of the absorbent article 1 is the direction horizontal to or perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and is the direction indicated by the symbol X in the figure. Furthermore, the skin contact surface is the surface of each member such as the absorbent body that is placed on the skin side of the wearer when worn, and the non-skin contact surface is the surface of each member such as the absorbent body that is placed on the opposite side to the skin side of the wearer when worn. Body fluids refer to liquids discharged from the body to the outside, such as urine, blood, and water in loose stool. Furthermore, examples of the absorbent article 1 include light incontinence pads, pants-type paper diapers, and tape-fastened paper diapers, regardless of whether they are for babies or adults, but are not limited to these and may be other absorbent articles.

[0023] <Absorbent articles> Fig. 1 is a plan view of an absorbent article 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the top sheet 10 side. As shown in Fig. 1, the absorbent article 1 includes a liquid-permeable top sheet 10 arranged on the skin contact side, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 20 arranged on the non-skin contact side facing the top sheet 10, and an absorbent body 30 arranged between the top sheet 10 and the back sheet 20. As a result, the absorbent body 30 is sandwiched between the top sheet 10 and the back sheet 20.

[0024] The longitudinal dimension of the absorbent article 1 is preferably 100 mm to 800 mm, and the width dimension is preferably 50 mm to 500 mm. By adjusting the dimensions of the absorbent article 1 to fall within the above ranges, it is possible to obtain an absorbent article 1 suitable for use as a light incontinence pad, pants-type paper diaper, tape-fastened paper diaper, etc.

[0025] In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the absorbent article 1 may have a pair of three-dimensional gathers 60 having an elastic member for three-dimensional gathers on the top sheet 10 along the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article 1 in order to prevent side leakage of bodily fluids excreted by the user. The three-dimensional gather sheet is arranged so that the outer end of the three-dimensional gathers 60 in the width direction of the absorbent article 1 is fixed to the back sheet, the inner end is fixed to the top sheet 10, and the center is a free end that is not fixed to the top sheet 10. By providing the elastic member for three-dimensional gathers along the longitudinal direction, the three-dimensional gathers 60 have a standing property and can be deformed to fit the body shape of the wearer. For example, polyurethane thread, a belt-shaped polyurethane film, thread-shaped or belt-shaped natural rubber, etc. are used as the elastic member for three-dimensional gathers, and for the three-dimensional gather sheet, a water-repellent or liquid-impermeable nonwoven fabric formed of hydrophobic fibers, such as a spunbond nonwoven fabric, a meltblown nonwoven fabric, or a composite nonwoven fabric obtained by laminating spunbond / meltblown / spunbond, etc., are used.

[0026] <Top sheet> The top sheet 10 may be formed from a substrate having liquid permeability that allows bodily fluids to move to the absorbent 30, and may be formed from a material such as a nonwoven fabric such as an air-through nonwoven fabric, a thermal bond nonwoven fabric, or a spunbond nonwoven fabric, a composite nonwoven fabric in which thermal bond / spunbond are laminated, a foam film such as urethane foam, or a composite sheet in which these are laminated. In addition, the top sheet 10 may be embossed or perforated on the surface in order to improve liquid permeability. As a method for performing these embossing and perforation processes, any known method may be used without limitation. In addition, in order to reduce irritation to the skin, the top sheet 10 may contain lotion, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory component, pH adjuster, antibacterial agent, moisturizer, etc. From the viewpoints of strength, processability, and liquid return, the basis weight of the top sheet 10 is 18 g / m 2 More than 40g / m 2 The following is preferable. There are no particular limitations on the shape of the top sheet 10, so long as it has a shape that covers the absorbent body 30 and is necessary to guide bodily fluids to the absorbent body 30 without leakage.

[0027] <Back sheet> The back sheet 20 may be formed using a liquid-impermeable substrate that prevents the body fluid held by the absorber 30 from wetting clothing, and is formed from a material such as a resin film or a composite sheet in which a resin film and a nonwoven fabric are laminated. The manufacturing method of the nonwoven fabric used in the composite sheet is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include spunbond nonwoven fabric, meltblown nonwoven fabric, composite nonwoven fabric in which spunbond / meltblown or spunbond / meltblown / spunbond are laminated, and composite materials thereof. Examples of the resin film include polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polypropylene, and composite films of polyethylene and polypropylene.

[0028] From the viewpoint of strength and processability, the basis weight of the back sheet 20 is 15 g / m 2 More than 60g / m 2 It is preferable that the back sheet 20 has a breathability in order to prevent stuffiness during wearing. In order to provide the back sheet 20 with breathability, for example, a filler may be blended into the resin film of the base material, or the back sheet 20 may be embossed. An example of the filler is calcium carbonate, and the blending method may be any known method without any restrictions.

[0029] <Perforated film> In the present invention, an apertured film 70 having a plurality of funnel-shaped apertures is disposed between the top sheet 10 and the absorbent body 30 . The porous film 70 preferably has liquid permeability and liquid diffusibility such that bodily fluids move to the absorbent body 30. There are no particular limitations on the shape of the porous film 70, but from the standpoint of strength and processability, the basis weight of the porous film 70 is preferably 20 g / m 2 More than 60g / m 2 It is preferable that the thickness is less than 23 g / m 2 More than 30g / m 2 From the viewpoint of liquid permeability, the number of openings is preferably 50 / cm. 2 More than this is preferable. Furthermore, in terms of liquid diffusibility, the aperture diameter is preferably 2 mm or less, and more preferably 0.50 mm or more and 0.65 mm or less. By setting the number of apertures, aperture diameter and basis weight of the perforated film 70 within the above ranges, a perforated film 70 excellent in strength and processability, and excellent in liquid permeability and liquid diffusibility can be obtained. The perforated film 70 is formed from a material such as polyethylene, for example.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 3, the perforated film 70 has perforations in the thickness direction, with one surface having a small perforation diameter L1 and the other surface having a large perforation diameter L2. Conventional perforated films used in absorbent articles are arranged so that the perforations on the side of the funnel with the smaller perforation diameter, i.e., the side with the perforation diameter L1, face the absorbent body, whereas the perforated film 70 of the present invention is arranged so that the perforations on the side with the perforation diameter L2 face the absorbent body 30. This makes it possible to obtain an absorbent article 1 that is excellent not only in permeation into the absorbent body 30 at the bottom, but also in diffusion in the lateral direction (front, back, left, right). From the viewpoint of liquid diffusion, it is preferable that the difference between the perforation diameter L2 on one surface with the larger perforation diameter and the perforation diameter L1 on the other surface with the smaller perforation diameter is 0.03 mm or more and 0.15 mm or less.

[0031] <Absorbent> In the absorbent article 1 of the present invention, the longest width dimension LO of the absorbent body 30 in the longitudinal direction is preferably 100 mm or more and 800 mm or less, more preferably 150 mm or more and 500 mm or less. The longest width dimension WO of the absorbent body 30 in the width direction is preferably 50 mm or more and 500 mm or less, more preferably 70 mm or more and 105 mm or less. As shown in Fig. 2, the absorbent body 30 of the present invention may be two-layered, consisting of an upper absorbent body 301 located on the skin contact side and a lower absorbent body 302 located on the non-skin contact side, and a carrier sheet 50 may be disposed between the upper absorbent body 301 and the lower absorbent body 302.

[0032] (Absorbent Fiber) The absorbent body 30 contains absorbent fibers as a base material and a superabsorbent polymer (SAP). The absorbent fibers are not particularly limited as long as they are generally used in absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, paper diapers, and urine pads, and examples thereof include fluff pulp, cotton, rayon, acetate, tissue, absorbent paper, hydrophilic nonwoven fabric, etc. Among these, it is preferable to use fluff pulp from the viewpoint of absorbency. Examples of fluff pulp include wood pulp (for example, bleached coniferous kraft pulp (N-BKP) such as southern pine and Douglas fir), synthetic fibers, resin fibers, non-wood pulp, etc. that have been defibrated into a cotton-like state. When fluff pulp is used as the absorbent fiber as the base material for the absorbent body 30, the basis weight of the absorbent fiber is 100 g / m 2 More than 800g / m 2 Preferably, it is 325 g / m or less. 2 More than 615g / m 2 This allows the fabric to absorb a larger amount of body fluid without impairing the feel on the skin.

[0033] (Superabsorbent polymer) The highly absorbent polymer of the absorbent body 30 is not particularly limited as long as it can absorb body fluids and prevent backflow, and can be made of materials such as sodium polyacrylate, polyaspartate, (starch-acrylic acid) graft copolymer, (acrylic acid-vinyl alcohol) copolymer, (isobutylene-maleic anhydride) copolymer, and saponified materials thereof. Among these, sodium polyacrylate is preferred from the viewpoint of absorption per weight.

[0034] The basis weight of the SAP contained in the absorbent body 30 is 240 g / m 2 More than 450g / m 2 Preferably, it is 245 g / m or less. 2 More than 445g / m 2 By setting the value within the above range, gel blocking in the absorbent body 30 can be prevented, and the absorbent body 30 can absorb a large amount of body fluid. In addition, in the absorbent body 30, the ratio of the weight of superabsorbent polymer to the weight of fluff pulp, that is, weight of superabsorbent polymer / weight of fluff pulp × 100 (%), is preferably 40% or more and 120% or less, and more preferably 50% or more and 100% or less.

[0035] In the absorbent body 30, the absorbent fibers and SAP may be in the form of a mixture of SAP particles in absorbent fibers, or may be in the form of a SAP sheet with SAP particles fixed between absorbent fibers. In addition, the absorbent body 30 may be wrapped in a carrier sheet 50 for the purpose of preventing leakage of the SAP particles and stabilizing the shape of the absorbent body 30. The base material of the carrier sheet 50 may be any material that has hydrophilicity, and examples of the base material include tissue, absorbent paper, and hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics such as airlaid nonwoven fabrics. When a plurality of carrier sheets 50 are provided, the base materials of the plurality of carrier sheets 50 may be the same or different.

[0036] <Second seat> 2, a liquid-diffusing second sheet 40 is preferably disposed between the top sheet 10 and the perforated film 70 in order to improve the liquid diffusion of the absorbent article 1, suppress the hardness of the perforated film 70, and improve the feel against the skin. The base material of the second sheet 40 may be any material that has a faster body fluid permeation rate than the top sheet 10 and quickly diffuses body fluid into the absorbent body 30, and is preferably, for example, a hydrophilic nonwoven fabric, in particular an air-through nonwoven fabric. The thickness of the second sheet 40 is preferably 0.1 mm or more, and its basis weight is 10 g / m 2 More than 60g / m 2 Less than 15 g / m is preferred. 2 More than 40g / m 2 More preferably, the thickness is less than 0.1 mm or the basis weight is less than 10 g / m 2 Less than or 60g / m 2 If it is larger, the liquid will not be sufficiently diffused over the entire upper surface of the absorbent body 30. Furthermore, the shape of the second sheet 40 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the shape be such that it can completely cover the surface of the absorbent body 30 so that bodily fluids can be diffused throughout the absorbent body 30.

[0037] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments and examples. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. In addition, it is clear from the description of the claims that forms with such modifications or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention. EXAMPLES

[0038] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the examples shown below.

[0039] (Creating absorbent articles) The absorbent body is made by mixing 6g of SAP with 7g of fluff pulp as the base material, and the top sheet is made of air-through nonwoven fabric (basis weight 25g / m 2) was used as a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and a breathable polyethylene sheet (basis weight 32 g / m 2 ) was used as the second sheet, and an air-through nonwoven fabric (basis weight 30 g / m 2 ), and for the three-dimensional gathers, a composite nonwoven fabric (basis weight 15g / m2) made by laminating spunbond / meltblown / spunbond. 2 ), upper and lower carrier sheets were used. In addition, an aperture film (grammage 26 g / m2) was placed under the second sheet. 2 ) was positioned with the side with the smaller opening diameter as the second sheet side, the dimensions of the absorbent article were 273 mm in the longitudinal direction and 105 mm in width, and the dimensions of the absorbent body were 220 mm in the longitudinal direction and 71 mm in width, and this was used as the sample of the embodiment. In Comparative Example 1, an absorbent article was prepared in the same manner as in the Examples, except that no perforated film was inserted, and this was used as a sample of Comparative Example 1. In Comparative Example 2, a perforated film (basis weight 26 g / m 2 An absorbent article was produced in the same manner as in Example, except that the side with the larger opening diameter of the second sheet was disposed as the second sheet side, and this was used as a sample of Comparative Example 2.

[0040] (Skin feel of absorbent article surface) Eight panelists evaluated the texture of the absorbent article's surface. When 6 to 8 evaluators felt that the surface was soft, the rating was "○", when 3 to 5 evaluators felt that the surface was soft, the rating was "△", and when only 1 or 2 evaluators or no evaluators felt that the surface was soft, the rating was "×". The results are shown in Table 1.

[0041] (Absorption speed 3 times method) Bottom area 16.8cm 2A measuring jig with a weight of 755.6 g and a hole with an inner diameter of 19 mm in the center of the cylinder was placed on the center of the absorbent article in the longitudinal and width directions, and 20 ml of saline was dropped from the hole at the top. The time was measured from the point when the saline came into contact with the absorbent article to the point when the liquid was completely absorbed into the circumference of the center circle of the jig (first time). The same time was then measured after 3 minutes had passed (second time), and a third time was measured in the same way. The results of the first measurement, as well as the results of each of the three measurements and the total are shown in Table 1.

[0042] (Amount of liquid returned) With the top sheet facing up, 120 ml of saline was poured towards the centre of the absorbent body and left for 10 minutes. After that, a filter paper (Advantec No. 2 filter paper, diameter 55 mm) whose weight had been measured in advance was placed on the area where the saline was absorbed, and a pressure of 35 kgf / cm was applied on top of it. 2 The weight of the filter paper was measured after 30 seconds, and the difference in the weight of the filter paper was recorded as the amount of liquid returning. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0043] (Wetting and spreading) With the top sheet facing up, 120 ml of saline was poured toward the center of the absorbent body, and the time it took for the saline to spread 10 cm from the absorption site in the longitudinal direction of the product was measured to evaluate wettability. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0044] [Table 1]

[0045] From the results in Table 1, Comparative Example 1, which does not include a perforated film, had a poor surface feel, was inferior in lateral diffusion and absorption speed of simulated urine (saline solution), and had a large amount of liquid returning. Comparative Example 2, which includes a perforated film but in which the larger pore size of the perforated film faces the skin, had a good surface feel and less liquid returning than Comparative Example 1, but was inferior in lateral diffusion and absorption speed, and in particular the absorption speed was slower than Comparative Example 1. On the other hand, it was found that the examples in which the porous film with smaller pores faced the skin side had a pleasant surface feel, excellent lateral diffusion and absorption speed, and were less susceptible to liquid return. Therefore, according to the present invention, an absorbent article can be provided that, when it receives liquid from urination or the like, quickly wets and spreads, thereby improving diffusion properties and liquid permeability, and improving prevention of liquid backflow. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1. Absorbent articles 10 Top sheet 20 Back Seat 30, 301, 302 Absorber 40 Second seat 50 Carrier Sheet 60 Three-dimensional gathers 70 Perforated Film

Claims

[Claim 1] The device has a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, An absorbent article in which an apertured film having a plurality of funnel-shaped apertures is disposed between the top sheet and the absorbent body, the perforated film has perforations in a thickness direction, one surface of which has a smaller perforation diameter and the other surface of which has a larger perforation diameter, the perforations being arranged so that the perforations on the side of the larger perforation diameter face the absorbent body; The aperture diameter of the porous film on one side where the aperture diameter is large and the aperture diameter of the other side where the aperture diameter is small are both 0.50 mm or more and 0.65 mm or less, and the basis weight is 20 g / m ２ 60g / m or more ２ is as follows: a difference between the aperture diameter of the one surface having a larger aperture diameter and the aperture diameter of the other surface having a smaller aperture diameter is 0.03 mm or more and 0.15 mm or less; A liquid-dispersible second sheet is disposed between the top sheet and the perforated film, The second sheet has a basis weight of 10 g / m ２ 60g / m or more ２ 13. An absorbent article as described below, characterized in that the second sheet has a shape capable of completely covering a surface of the absorbent body.

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