How to replace absorbent articles

Abstract

To provide a replacement method capable of easily executing with sanitation, replacement work of an absorbent article.SOLUTION: A replacement method of an absorbent article 50 is configured so that, an absorbent article 50 has an individual package sheet 70 on a non skin face of the back sheet 30, and the individual package sheet 70 has, in an order from a skin side: a first adhesive layer 80; a first peeling layer 85; a first individual package sheet 71; a second adhesive layer 81; a second peeling layer 86; and a second individual package sheet 72. A new absorbent article 50b is adhered on an absorbent article 50a which has been used and adhered to an underwear 90 for forming a laminate. The method comprises: a first step for detaching the laminate from the underwear 90; a second step for folding the laminate into half in a state of directing the absorbent article 50a which has been used to inside; a third step for, in a state in which the laminate is folded into half, separating the absorbent article 50b which has been used and wrapped by a first individual package sheet 71, and the new absorbent article 50b on which the first adhesive layer 80 is left; and a fourth step for, adhering the new absorbent article 50b to the underwear 90.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for replacing an absorbent article. [Background technology]

[0002] An absorbent article generally comprises a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent disposed therebetween, and is configured such that body fluids such as urine that have permeated the top sheet are absorbed by the absorbent, and the back sheet prevents the body fluids from adhering to the wearer's clothing, etc. Absorbent articles come in various forms depending on the application, such as pad products such as light incontinence pads, light incontinence liners, urine absorption pads, and sanitary napkins, and paper diaper products such as pants-type paper diapers and tape-fastened paper diapers, and are widely used by elderly people, adults, and infants alike. Absorbent articles are usually published as products stored in a predetermined individual package.

[0003] Among absorbent articles, pad products, in particular, are generally used by fixing the non-skin side surface of the back sheet to the wearer's underwear. Since both hands are required to remove a used pad product from the underwear, it is difficult to remove the used pad product while holding the individual package of a new pad product.

[0004] When replacing an absorbent article, many people wrap the used absorbent article in an individual package of a new absorbent article and throw it away. At this time, there may be no place to put the new absorbent article between the time of taking out the new absorbent article from the individual package and wrapping and throwing away the used absorbent article. Even if there is a stand in the toilet stall, it is troublesome that the slip-prevention tape of the absorbent article sticks to it, and placing it with the skin side down is unhygienic. For this reason, people temporarily stick it to their own body or gently place it on their lap to prevent it from falling, but in that case, the adhesive strength of the slip-prevention tape may weaken or it may slide to the floor when they move.

[0005] Some people also roll up and wrap used absorbent articles in toilet paper before throwing them away, but toilet paper packaging is easier to open than individual packaging, and there is a risk that the used absorbent article may be seen by cleaners or the next person who uses it. Also, if used absorbent articles are wrapped in toilet paper multiple times to prevent them from being exposed, the bulk increases and the trash can becomes more likely to fill up.

[0006] In order to solve such problems, various proposals have been made. Patent Document 1 discloses a package for absorbent articles, which includes a packaging sheet for individually packaging absorbent articles, and an adhesive tape having one end releasably attached to the surface of the packaging sheet and the other end joined to an end in the longitudinal direction of the packaging sheet, in which the adhesive tape is formed by laminating a first adhesive layer, a first substrate, a second adhesive layer, and a second substrate in this order, the first adhesive layer abutting against the non-opposing surface of the packaging sheet, a connecting portion connecting the first substrate and the second substrate is provided, the second adhesive layer is joined to the second substrate and releasably attached to the first substrate, and the second substrate and the second adhesive layer are peeled from the first substrate and folded back from the connecting portion to expose the second adhesive layer (claim 1). According to Patent Document 1, even if there is no space to place the individual package of the absorbent article, the package of the absorbent article can be attached to the wall of the toilet stall or the wearer's body via the second adhesive layer, making it easy to replace the absorbent article using both hands (paragraph 0015). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-198586 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] In the absorbent article package described in Patent Document 1, even if the package is temporarily attached to a wall or the body with the second adhesive layer, the package may still fall off, so it is not a fundamental solution. Also, in a toilet cubicle when going out, the walls are not necessarily hygienic.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a method for replacing an absorbent article, which enables the replacement of the absorbent article to be carried out hygienically and easily, and enables the disposal of the used absorbent article with good concealment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In the course of research to solve the above problems, the inventor came up with the idea of ​​attaching a new replacement absorbent article to the skin-facing surface of a used absorbent article that is attached to underwear, rather than attaching the new replacement absorbent article to the wearer's body or the wall of a toilet cubicle, as in the conventional method. As a result of extensive research to realize the above idea, the inventor discovered that by using an absorbent article in which an individual packaging sheet of a predetermined structure is provided on the non-skin-facing surface of the back sheet, the used absorbent article and the new absorbent article can be handled as a laminated integrated unit, and replacement of the used absorbent article can be carried out smoothly, easily and hygienically, and further the used absorbent article can be disposed of with good concealment, which led to the completion of the present invention. The present invention provides the following method for replacing an absorbent article.

[0011] (1) A method for replacing a used absorbent article with a new absorbent article, comprising the steps of: The absorbent article comprises a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, an absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, and an individually wrapped sheet disposed on a non-skin-facing surface of the back sheet, The individually wrapped sheet includes a first individually wrapped sheet positioned on the skin side and a second individually wrapped sheet positioned on the non-skin side, the individual package sheet further comprises a first adhesive layer bonding the non-skin side surface of the back sheet to the skin side surface of the first individual package sheet, a second adhesive layer bonding the non-skin side surface of the first individual package sheet to the skin side surface of the second individual package sheet, a first release layer interposed between the first individually packaged sheet and the first adhesive layer to assist in peeling the first individually packaged sheet from the first adhesive layer, and a second release layer interposed between the second individually packaged sheet and the second adhesive layer to assist in peeling the second individually packaged sheet from the second adhesive layer, A first step of adhering a skin-facing surface of the used absorbent article adhered to a wearer's underwear to the second adhesive layer of a new absorbent article to obtain a laminate, and removing the laminate from the underwear; A second step of folding the laminate in half with the used absorbent article on the inside; a third step of separating the laminate in half at an interface between the first adhesive layer and the first individually wrapped sheet of the new absorbent article to separate the used absorbent article wrapped with the first individually wrapped sheet and the second adhesive layer from the new absorbent article in which only the first adhesive layer remains on the non-skin-facing surface of the backsheet; and a fourth step of attaching a new absorbent article B to the wearer's underwear. (2) A method for replacing an absorbent article as described above in (1), wherein the absorbent article further has a pair of liquid-impermeable side sheets at both longitudinal ends of the absorbent article on the skin-facing surface of the top sheet. (3) A method for replacing an absorbent article according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the first individual packaging sheet and the second individual packaging sheet are each a resin film, paper, a nonwoven fabric, an antibacterial nonwoven fabric, or a laminate of two or more of these. (4) A method for replacing an absorbent article according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the first release layer and the second release layer each contain a silicone-based release agent or a fluorine-based release agent. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, there is provided a method for replacing absorbent articles, which enables the replacement of absorbent articles to be carried out hygienically and easily, and enables used absorbent articles to be disposed of with good concealment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view, viewed from the top sheet side, that illustrates a schematic configuration of an absorbent article used in a method for replacing an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the absorbent article in the width direction taken along the XX cutting line shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams showing a method for replacing the absorbent article of the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of an individual package of a product (an absorbent article used in the present embodiment). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] In this specification, wearing the absorbent article 50 refers to a state where the absorbent article 50 is attached to the wearer's body, regardless of whether it is before or after absorbing bodily fluids. The longitudinal direction of the absorbent article 50 is the direction indicated by Y in the figure, which extends from front to back through the crotch of the wearer when the absorbent article 50 is worn, the width direction is the direction indicated by X in the figure, which is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the thickness direction is the direction indicated by Z in the figure, in which each component is stacked. The skin-side surfaces of the absorbent article 50 and each component thereof are the surfaces that contact the wearer's skin or face the skin, and the non-skin-side surfaces are the surfaces that contact the wearer's clothing or face the clothing. Body fluids refer to liquids discharged from the body to the outside, such as urine, blood, and water in loose stool.

[0015] <Absorbent articles> Hereinafter, a method for replacing an absorbent article according to this embodiment and an absorbent article 50 used in the replacement method will be described with reference to the drawings. Figs. 1 and 2 show the absorbent article 50. Fig. 3 shows a method for replacing the absorbent article 50. Fig. 4 shows a product 51 which is an individual package of the absorbent article 50. The drawings do not stipulate the shapes of the absorbent article 50 and each of its components, or the size relationships of the absorbent article 50 and its components.

[0016] In the method for replacing an absorbent article of this embodiment, an absorbent article 50 is used. The absorbent article 50 can be used as various absorbent articles for babies, adults, and the elderly, and is particularly suitable for use as pad products such as light incontinence pads, light incontinence liners, sanitary napkins, and panty liners. The longitudinal dimension of the absorbent article 50 is, for example, in the range of 100 mm to 800 mm, and the width dimension is, for example, in the range of 50 mm to 500 mm. By setting each dimension within the above-mentioned numerical range, an absorbent article 50 suitable for pad products such as light incontinence products, sanitary napkins, and panty liners can be obtained.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the absorbent article 50 of this embodiment comprises a liquid-permeable top sheet 10 located on the skin side, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 30 arranged opposite the top sheet 10 and located on the non-skin side, an absorbent body 20 arranged between the top sheet 10 and the back sheet 30, a pair of three-dimensional gathers 40 provided at both widthwise ends of the skin side surface of the top sheet 10, a pair of liquid-impermeable side sheets 60 provided at both longitudinal ends of the skin side surface of the top sheet 10, and an individually packaged sheet 70 provided on the non-skin side surface of the back sheet 30. The individual packaging sheet 70 includes a first individual packaging sheet 71 and a second individual packaging sheet 72, the first individual packaging sheet 71 is adhered to the non-skin side surface of the back sheet 30 via a first adhesive layer 80, the second individual packaging sheet 72 is adhered to the non-skin side surface of the first individual packaging sheet 70 via a second adhesive layer 81, and the first individual packaging sheet 71 and the second individual packaging sheet 72 have a first release layer 85 and a second release layer 86 formed on the skin side surfaces by applying a release agent, respectively. Note that imaginary lines of fold lines 61, 62 extending in the width direction and arranged in the longitudinal direction are set on the skin side surface of the absorbent article 50, which are used when folding the absorbent article 50 to manufacture it. The manufacture of the absorbent article 50 will be described later.

[0018] According to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a new absorbent article 50b is attached to the skin-facing surface of a used absorbent article 50a attached to an undergarment 90 via a second adhesive layer 81, and the resulting laminate can be easily removed from the undergarment 90 using both hands (FIG. 3(a)). The removed laminate can be folded in half with the used absorbent article 50a on the inside (FIG. 3(b)), and the laminate can be cut away at the boundary between the first individually wrapped sheet 71 and the first adhesive layer 80 of the new absorbent article 50b while still folded in half. The used absorbent article 50a is then separated into a used absorbent article 50a that has been folded in half and wrapped in the second adhesive layer 81 and the first individual packaging sheet 71 of the new absorbent article 50b, and a new absorbent article 50b in which only the first adhesive layer 80 remains on the non-skin side surface of the back sheet 30 (Figure 3(c)). The separated absorbent article 50a is discarded while still folded in half, and the separated absorbent article 50b is attached to underwear 90 with the first adhesive layer 80 (Figure 3(d)), thereby replacing the used absorbent article 50a with the new absorbent article 50b.

[0019] That is, according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, firstly, the new absorbent article 50b is attached to the absorbent article 50a attached to the underwear 90 via the second adhesive layer 81 to form an integrated laminate which is grasped with both hands, so that the new absorbent article 50b is more reliably prevented from falling off, and also there is no need to attach the new absorbent article 50b to the wall of a toilet cubicle when going out, the sanitary condition of which is unknown, and furthermore, the absorbent article 50a can be easily removed from the underwear 90 as a laminate with the absorbent article 50b using both hands. Secondly, the laminate can be easily separated into an absorbent article 50a wrapped in the first individual packaging sheet 71 via the second adhesive layer 81, and a new absorbent article 50b in which only the first adhesive layer 80 of the individual packaging sheet 70 remains. The new absorbent article 50b can be attached to the underwear 90 as is with the first adhesive layer 80, and the used absorbent article 50a can be sufficiently wrapped in the first individual packaging sheet 71 and discarded, thereby significantly improving concealment.

[0020] The absorbent article 50 used in this embodiment has the top sheet 10, absorbent body 20, back sheet 30, and individual packaging sheet 70 as basic constituent units, and may be modified in various known ways, such as providing the three-dimensional gathers 40 and side sheets 60 as described above, arranging a second sheet or transfer sheet (not shown) between the top sheet 10 and absorbent body 20, and covering the absorbent body 20 with a carrier sheet (not shown). The constituent members of the absorbent article 50 will be described in more detail below in the order of the top sheet 10, absorbent body 20, back sheet 30, three-dimensional gathers 40, side sheets 60, and individual packaging sheet 70.

[0021] <Top sheet> The top sheet 10 is a liquid-permeable sheet-like substrate that quickly passes bodily fluids toward the absorbent 20 and diffuses the bodily fluids in the surface direction of the absorbent 20. The top sheet 10 is preferably a substrate that is soft to the touch and does not irritate the skin so that it may be directly in contact with the wearer's skin. Examples of the substrate include hydrophilic sheets, composite nonwoven fabrics that are laminates of the same or different hydrophilic sheets, open-ended films such as open-ended polyethylene films, and foamed films such as polyethylene foam and urethane foam. Examples of hydrophilic sheets include air-through nonwoven fabrics, thermal bond nonwoven fabrics, spunlace nonwoven fabrics, spunbond nonwoven fabrics, and the like, which are made using synthetic fibers made of synthetic resins such as polypropylene and polyethylene, regenerated fibers such as rayon, and natural fibers such as cotton. Among these, each nonwoven fabric is preferable.

[0022] The surface of the top sheet 10 may be embossed or perforated to improve liquid permeability. The top sheet 10 may contain one or more of lotions, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory components, pH adjusters, antibacterial agents, moisturizers, etc. to reduce irritation to the skin. The basis weight of the top sheet 10 is, for example, 15 g / m2 from the viewpoints of strength, processability, and liquid return. 2 More than 40g / m 2 The following range or 19g / m 2 More than 35g / m 2The range is as follows: The shape of the top sheet 10 is not particularly limited, and may be any shape that covers all or a part of the absorbent body 20, which is necessary for guiding bodily fluids to the absorbent body 20 without leakage.

[0023] <Absorbent> The absorbent body 20 has a longitudinal dimension (maximum length) in the range of, for example, 100 mm to 800 mm, 150 mm to 500 mm, or 270 mm to 500 mm. The widthwise dimension (maximum width) of the absorbent body 20 is, for example, 50 mm to 500 mm, 60 mm to 400 mm, or 70 mm to 105 mm. When the absorbent body 20 has an hourglass-shaped planar shape, the longitudinal dimension is in the range of 180 mm to 800 mm, the widthwise dimensions of the front and rear parts that contact the wearer's abdomen and back, respectively, are both in the range of 60 mm to 400 mm, and the widthwise dimension of the central part that contacts the wearer's crotch is in the range of 90 mm to 250 mm. Examples of the planar shape of the absorbent body 20 include an hourglass shape, an I-shape, a rectangle, a rounded rectangle, an oval, and the like. The absorbent body 20 may be, for example, a fluff absorbent body containing absorbent fibers and a highly absorbent polymer.

[0024] (Absorbent fiber) 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 (e.g., coniferous bleached 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 20, the basis weight of the absorbent fiber is, for example, 100 g / m2 from the viewpoint of skin feel, body fluid absorption capacity, etc. 2 More than 800g / m 2 Below range, 325g / m2 More than 615g / m 2 The range is as follows:

[0025] (Superabsorbent polymer) The superabsorbent polymer (hereinafter also referred to as "SAP") is not particularly limited as long as it can absorb body fluids and prevent backflow, and examples thereof include polyacrylates, polyaspartates, (starch-acrylic acid) graft copolymers, (acrylic acid-vinyl alcohol) copolymers, (isobutylene-maleic anhydride) copolymers, and saponification products thereof. Among these, from the viewpoint of the absorption amount per weight, polyacrylates are preferred, alkali metal polyacrylates are more preferred, and sodium polyacrylate is even more preferred. The superabsorbent polymers can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0026] The superabsorbent polymer is used in the form of particles, fibers, etc., for example, but is preferably used in the form of particles from the viewpoint of ease of handling. In this case, by avoiding the use of a fine powder of superabsorbent polymer that has poor flowability as a powder and using a superabsorbent polymer having a median particle size, it is possible to improve the basic performance regarding absorption and reduce the rough feel caused by the absorbent body 20 hardening after absorbing body fluids. The median particle size of the superabsorbent polymer 12 is, for example, in the range of 50 μm to 600 μm or in the range of 100 μm to 500 μm. The content of the superabsorbent polymer in the absorbent body 20 is, for example, in the range of 40% by weight or more of the total amount of the absorbent body 20, or in the range of 40% by weight or more to 70% by weight or less.

[0027] In the absorbent body 20, 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 in which SAP particles are fixed between absorbent fibers. In addition to the above-mentioned fluff absorbent body, an absorbent sheet containing a plurality of hydrophilic sheets and a superabsorbent polymer fixed and supported between them may be used as the absorbent body 20. From the viewpoint of preventing leakage of SAP particles from the absorbent body 20 and stabilizing the shape of the absorbent body 20, a carrier sheet may be provided under the absorbent body 20 or so as to wrap the absorbent body 20 as a whole (not shown). The substrate of the carrier sheet may be any one that has hydrophilicity, and examples of the substrate include tissue, absorbent paper, and hydrophilic nonwoven fabric such as airlaid nonwoven fabric. When a plurality of carrier sheets are provided, the substrates of the plurality of carrier sheets may be the same or different.

[0028] <Back sheet> The back sheet 30 may be formed using a liquid-impermeable substrate that prevents the body fluid held by the absorbent sheet 20 from wetting the wearer's clothing, and examples of the substrate include a resin film and a composite sheet that is a laminate of a resin film and a nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven fabric used in the composite sheet is not particularly limited in its manufacturing method, and examples thereof include single-layer nonwoven fabrics such as spunbond nonwoven fabrics and meltblown nonwoven fabrics, composite nonwoven fabrics such as spunbond nonwoven fabrics / meltblown nonwoven fabric laminates, and composite materials thereof. Examples of the resin film include polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polypropylene, and composite films of polyethylene and polypropylene.

[0029] The basis weight of the back sheet 30 is, for example, 15 g / m 2 More than 60g / m 2The range is as follows. In order to prevent stuffiness during wearing, it is preferable that the back sheet 30 has breathability. In order to provide the back sheet 30 with breathability, for example, a filler may be blended into the resin film of the base material, or the back sheet 30 may be embossed. An example of the filler is calcium carbonate, and the blending method may be a known method without any restrictions.

[0030] <3D gathers> The three-dimensional gathers 40 may be provided at both widthwise ends of the skin-facing surface of the top sheet 10 so as to extend along the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article 50, for example, in order to prevent lateral leakage of bodily fluids excreted by the wearer of the absorbent article 50. The three-dimensional gathers 40 include an elastic stretchable member 40a and a water-repellent and / or waterproof sheet member 40b.

[0031] The elastically stretchable member 40a is disposed in the vicinity of the free end (other end) of the sheet member 40b along the longitudinal direction, imparting uprightness to the free end, and enabling the free end of the sheet member 40b and its neighboring area to be deformed to fit the wearer's body shape. In this embodiment, the sheet member 40b has one widthwise end (fixed end) fixed to the vicinity of both widthwise ends of the skin side of the back sheet 30, a widthwise intermediate portion fixed to the vicinity of both widthwise ends of the skin side of the top sheet 10, and the other widthwise end being a free end having uprightness. The fixing position of the fixed end (one widthwise end) of the sheet member 40b is not limited to this embodiment, and examples thereof include the non-skin side of the back sheet 30, the vicinity of both widthwise ends of the skin side or non-skin side of the joint of all or part of each edge of the top sheet 10 and the back sheet 30 containing the absorbent body 20 therein, and the vicinity of both widthwise ends of the skin side of the top sheet 10.

[0032] The sheet member 40b is a water-repellent and / or waterproof sheet, and is made of, for example, a nonwoven fabric. As the nonwoven fabric for the first sheet member, any water-repellent and / or waterproof (liquid-impermeable) nonwoven fabric made of hydrophobic fibers can be used without any particular limitation, and examples thereof include spunbond nonwoven fabric, meltblown nonwoven fabric, and composite nonwoven fabric (SMS nonwoven fabric) which is a spunbond nonwoven fabric / meltblown nonwoven fabric / spunbond nonwoven fabric laminate. The basis weight of the sheet member 40b is, for example, 13 g / m 2 More than 20g / m 2 The range is as follows: As the elastic stretchable member 40a, for example, thread-, string- or band-shaped members made of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, polyurethane or the like can be appropriately used.

[0033] <Side sheet> The side sheets 60 may be provided so as to extend in the width direction of the absorbent article 50 at both longitudinal ends of the skin-side surface of the top sheet 10, for example, in order to facilitate the attachment of the second adhesive layer 81 when the absorbent article 50 described below is attached to the top sheet 10 and wrapped and discarded, and to more reliably prevent a new absorbent article 50 for replacement from falling off. That is, a pair of liquid-impermeable side sheets 60 may be provided at both longitudinal ends of the skin-side surface of the top sheet 10. The side sheets 60 are provided, for example, so as to cover the three-dimensional gathers 40. As the material of the side sheets 60, liquid-impermeable nonwoven fabrics or resin films similar to those used for the back sheet 30 can be used without any particular limitation. The side sheets 60 are provided, for example, so as to cover both longitudinal ends of the top sheet 10 along its shape, and the longitudinal dimensions of one and the other are, for example, in the range of 10 mm to 30 mm.

[0034] <Individually wrapped sheets> The individual packaging sheet 70 is provided on the non-skin side surface of the back sheet 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the individual packaging sheet 70 is a laminate in which a first adhesive layer 80, a first peeling layer 85, a first individual packaging sheet 71, a second adhesive layer 81, a second peeling layer 86, and a second individual packaging sheet 72 are sequentially stacked from the skin side of the wearer of the absorbent article 50. The first adhesive layer 80 is used, for example, to adhere and fix the entire individual packaging sheet 70 to the non-skin side surface of the back sheet 30, and to attach the main body portion of the absorbent article 50 (portion other than the individual packaging sheet 70) to the underwear 90 of the wearer. The first individual packaging sheet 71 and the second adhesive layer 81 are used, for example, in the replacement method of this embodiment, to wrap and conceal the used absorbent article 50. The second individual packaging sheet 72 is used, for example, to protect the second adhesive layer 81, and is peeled off when the absorbent article 50 is worn. In addition, since the first individual packaging sheet 71 is also used as a packaging material for wrapping the used absorbent article 50, by configuring it to be wider than the main body portion of the absorbent article 50 excluding the individual packaging sheet 70, the used absorbent article 50 can be wrapped reliably and with good concealment.

[0035] (First and second individually wrapped sheets) The first individual packaging sheet 71 and the second individual packaging sheet 72 are made of, for example, a resin film, paper, a nonwoven fabric, or a laminate of two or more of these. The nonwoven fabric may be an antibacterial nonwoven fabric. The use of an antibacterial nonwoven fabric prevents the proliferation of bacteria in the first individual packaging sheet 71 and the second individual packaging sheet 72 and the associated generation of odor, making it possible to replace the absorbent article 50 more hygienically and more safely. The basis weight of the antibacterial nonwoven fabric used here is, for example, 15 g / m2 from the standpoint of strength and processability. 2 More than 50g / m 2 The basis weight of the resin film or nonwoven fabric is, for example, 15 g / m from the viewpoint of strength and processability. 2 More than 30g / m 2 The paper has a basis weight of, for example, 30 g / m 2 More than 70g / m 2 The range is as follows:

[0036] An antibacterial nonwoven fabric is a nonwoven fabric containing antibacterial fibers with an antibacterial activity of 2.0 or more. Examples of antibacterial nonwoven fabrics include nonwoven fabrics containing antibacterial fibers with an antibacterial activity of 2.0 or more as the main component and also containing other fibers, and nonwoven fabrics made of antibacterial fibers with an antibacterial activity of 2.0 or more. "Containing as the main component" means that it contains more than 50% by weight of the whole. Examples of fibers that can be contained other than antibacterial fibers include synthetic fibers made of synthetic resins such as polypropylene and polyethylene, regenerated fibers such as rayon, and natural fibers such as cotton.

[0037] The antibacterial fiber is not particularly limited as long as it is a fiber having antibacterial properties, but is preferably a fiber made from synthetic fibers kneaded with an inorganic antibacterial agent. As the inorganic antibacterial agent, an inorganic compound containing antibacterial metal ions such as silver, copper, zinc, etc. can be used without any particular limitation, and examples thereof include metal compounds containing the above-mentioned antibacterial metal ions, zeolite, hydrotalcite, hydroxyapatite, clay minerals, inorganic porous bodies such as alumina, silica, and bentonite. The inorganic antibacterial agent can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The antibacterial fiber can be produced, for example, by adding one or more inorganic antibacterial agents to a synthetic resin in a molten state and kneading the mixture, and then spinning the synthetic resin. Here, examples of the synthetic resin to which the inorganic antibacterial agent is mixed include polyester resins such as polyester and polyethylene terephthalate, polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyacrylamide, polyvinyl alcohol, crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinyl formal, etc. The amount of inorganic antibacterial agent to be mixed with synthetic resin is, for example, in the range of 0.005% by weight or more and 0.5% by weight or less, based on 100% by weight of the total amount of inorganic antibacterial agent and synthetic resin, from the viewpoint of setting the antibacterial activity value within a predetermined range and from the viewpoint of the strength of the obtained antibacterial fiber.

[0038] In this embodiment, an antibacterial test is carried out using Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in accordance with the JIS L 1902 bacterial liquid absorption method, and a standard cloth (cotton cloth) is used as a control. An antibacterial fiber having an antibacterial activity value of 2.0 or more is used. Here, the antibacterial activity value is measured according to the JIS L 1902 bacterial liquid absorption method.

[0039] (Adhesive layer) Both the first adhesive layer 80 and the second adhesive layer 81 contain an adhesive that exhibits adhesiveness to resin films, paper, nonwoven fabrics, and the like. The adhesive contained in the first adhesive layer 80 and the second adhesive layer 81 is not particularly limited, and known adhesives can be used, for example, hot melt adhesives. Hot melt adhesives having a melting point of 100°C or more and 180°C or less can be used without particular limitation, and examples thereof include synthetic rubber hot melt adhesives such as styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymers and styrene-isoprene-styrene copolymers, and olefin hot melt adhesives such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers. As a method for applying the hot melt adhesive to each skin-side surface of the first individual packaging sheet 71 and the second individual packaging sheet 72, known methods such as a curtain coat method or a spiral method in which the hot melt adhesive in a molten state is applied from a nozzle in a non-contact manner, and a slot method in which the adhesive is applied in a contact manner can be used. The first adhesive layer 80 and the second adhesive layer 81 may use the same adhesive, or different adhesives. Also, double-sided tape may be used for the first adhesive layer 80 and the second adhesive layer 81 instead of an adhesive.

[0040] Preferred embodiments include an embodiment in which the basis weight of the adhesive in the first adhesive layer 80 is greater than the basis weight of the adhesive in the second adhesive layer 81, an embodiment in which the adhesive in the first adhesive layer 80 has stronger adhesive strength than the adhesive in the second adhesive layer 81, an embodiment in which the area of ​​the first adhesive layer 80 is greater than the area of ​​the second adhesive layer 81, etc. According to these embodiments, it is possible to prevent the first individually wrapped sheet 71 from being accidentally peeled off when the second individually wrapped sheet 72 is peeled off.

[0041] (Release layer) In this embodiment, a release agent is applied to each of the skin-side surfaces of the first individual packaging sheet 71 and the second individual packaging sheet 72. More specifically, a first release layer 85 and a second release layer 86, which are thin layers containing a release agent (or a release agent), are formed on each of the skin-side surfaces of the first individual packaging sheet 71 and the second individual packaging sheet 72. The first release layer 85 and the second release layer 86 may be provided on the entire surface of each skin-side surface, or on a part of the entire surface, or may be provided in a scattered manner. According to this embodiment, the first individual packaging sheet 71 and the second individual packaging sheet 72 can be easily peeled off, and the absorbent article 50 can be easily replaced. The release agent is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include silicone-based release agents and fluorine-based release agents. Furthermore, by making the total area of ​​the first peel-off layer 85 on the skin-side surface of the first individually packaging sheet 71 smaller than the total area of ​​the second peel-off layer 86 on the skin-side surface of the second individually packaging sheet 72, it is possible to prevent the first individually packaging sheet 71 from being accidentally peeled off when the second individually packaging sheet 72 is peeled off.

[0042] <Method of manufacturing absorbent articles> The absorbent article 50 can be manufactured by a known manufacturing method, and examples of the manufacturing method include a process of accommodating the absorbent body 20 between the top sheet 10 and the back sheet 30, a process of fixing the edge of the top sheet 10 and the edge of the back sheet 30 partially or entirely using a hot melt adhesive, heat embossing, ultrasonic embossing, high frequency embossing, etc., a process of placing the three-dimensional gathers 40 at predetermined positions on the back sheet 30 and the top sheet 10, a process of disposing a pair of side sheets 60 as necessary, and a process of adhering the individual packaging sheet 70 to the non-skin side surface of the back sheet 30 with the first adhesive layer 80. The absorbent article 50 is appropriately provided with leg gathers, waist gathers, side flaps, etc. as necessary. The absorbent article 50 thus obtained is folded and, as necessary, stored in an individual packaging body made of a resin film or the like to be manufactured.

[0043] The absorbent article 50 produced as described above has two fold lines (imaginary lines) 61, 62 extending in the width direction, which are set at predetermined positions in the longitudinal direction, as shown in Fig. 1. The area from the fold line 61 to one end in the longitudinal direction on the side closest to it is region 50B, and the area from the fold line 62 to the other end in the longitudinal direction on the side closest to it is region 50A. When the absorbent article 50 is manufactured, the areas 50A, 50B are each folded toward the skin-facing surface of the top sheet 10 to obtain a folded body of the absorbent article 50, as shown in Fig. 4, and this folded body is packaged in a resin film 55. The folded body is packaged in resin film 55, for example, by folding resin film 55 in the longitudinal direction, sealing the end of resin film 55 on the outer periphery side and the end of resin film 55 on the inner periphery side with tape (e.g., tag tape) 87, and sealing both ends in the width direction with heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, or the like to form sealed portion 55a, thereby packaging the folded body of absorbent article 50 in resin film 55 and obtaining product 51, which is an individually packaged body. When seal 87 of product 51 is opened and absorbent article 50 is taken out, used absorbent article 50, which is folded in two and covered with first individually packaged sheet 71 and second adhesive layer 81, can be stored and disposed of with even greater concealment.

[0044] <How to replace absorbent articles> Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a method for replacing a used absorbent article 50 (50a) with a new absorbent article 50 (50b). The replacement method shown in Fig. 3 includes a first step (Fig. 3(a)), a second step (Fig. 3(b)), a third step (Fig. 3(c)), and a fourth step (Fig. 3(d)), which are carried out in this order. Note that in Figs. 3(b) to 3(d), each main body part of the absorbent articles 50a, 50b except for the individual packaging sheet 70 is abbreviated as one layer, and the first peeling layer 85 and the second peeling layer 86 are omitted from the illustration.

[0045] In the first step shown in FIG. 3(a), the second individual packaging sheet 72 of the new absorbent article 50b is peeled off to expose the second adhesive layer 81, and then the new absorbent article 50b is attached to the skin-facing surface of the used absorbent article 50a attached to the underwear 90 via the exposed second adhesive layer 81 to obtain a laminate (hereinafter simply referred to as "laminate") of the absorbent article 50b and the absorbent article 50a. By removing this laminate from the underwear 90 using both hands (not shown), it becomes unnecessary to adhere the new absorbent article 50b to the wearer's body or the wall surface of the toilet stall. In addition, since the second peeling layer 86 is formed between the second individual packaging sheet 72 and the second adhesive layer 81, only the second individual packaging sheet 72 can be easily peeled off by applying a small force to the end of the second individual packaging sheet 72 and pulling it.

[0046] 3(b), the laminate obtained in the first step is folded in half so that the used absorbent article 50a is on the inside. At this time, the folding direction may be either the lengthwise direction or the widthwise direction, but folding in the lengthwise direction is preferable from the viewpoint of ease of folding.

[0047] 3(c), the folded laminate obtained in the second step is gradually separated with both hands at the interface (first peeling layer 85) between the first individual packaging sheet 71 and the first adhesive layer 80 of the new absorbent article 50b while maintaining the folded state of the used absorbent article 50a, to obtain the used absorbent article 50a folded in two and wrapped in the first individual packaging sheet 71 via the second adhesive layer 81, and the new absorbent article 50b in which only the first adhesive layer 80 of the individual packaging sheet 70 remains on the non-skin side surface of the back sheet 30. Note that the first individual packaging sheet 71 is configured to be wider than the main body portion of the absorbent article 50b excluding the individual packaging sheet 70, so that the used absorbent article 50a can be reliably wrapped.

[0048] In the fourth step shown in FIG. 3(d), the new absorbent article 50b obtained in the third step, in which only the first adhesive layer 80 remains on the non-skin side surface of the backsheet 30, is attached to the underwear 90 by the first adhesive layer 80, and the used absorbent article 50a obtained in the third step, folded in half and wrapped with good concealment in the first individual packaging sheet 71, is disposed of in a trash can or the like, thereby completing the replacement process.

[0049] Thus, according to this embodiment, both hands are free during the replacement procedure, there is no need to attach the new absorbent article 50b to a wall surface or the like, and there is no risk of it dropping to the floor, so the replacement procedure can be carried out hygienically and safely.

[0050] 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 10 Top sheet 20 Absorber 30 Back Seat 40 Three-dimensional gathers 40a Elastic elastic member 40b Sheet member 50, 50a, 50b Absorbent article 51 products (individually packaged) 55 Resin Film 55a Seal part 60 Side seat 61, 62 Turn-around lines 70 individual sheets 71 First individually wrapped sheet 72 Second individually wrapped sheet 80 First adhesive layer 81 Second adhesive layer 85 First peeling layer 86 Second peeling layer 87 Tape 90 Underwear

Claims

1. A method for replacing a used absorbent article with a new absorbent article, comprising the steps of: The absorbent article comprises a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, an absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, and an individually wrapped sheet disposed on a non-skin-facing surface of the back sheet, The individually wrapped sheet includes a first individually wrapped sheet positioned on the skin side and a second individually wrapped sheet positioned on the non-skin side, the individual package sheet further comprises a first adhesive layer bonding the non-skin side surface of the back sheet to the skin side surface of the first individual package sheet, a second adhesive layer bonding the non-skin side surface of the first individually package sheet to the skin side surface of the second individually package sheet, a first release layer interposed between the first individually package sheet and the first adhesive layer and assisting in peeling the first individually package sheet from the first adhesive layer, and a second release layer interposed between the second individually package sheet and the second adhesive layer and assisting in peeling the second individually package sheet from the second adhesive layer, A first step of adhering a skin-facing surface of the used absorbent article adhered to a wearer's underwear to the second adhesive layer of the new absorbent article to obtain a laminate, and removing the laminate from the underwear; A second step of folding the laminate in half with the used absorbent article on the inside; a third step of separating the laminate in half at an interface between the first adhesive layer and the first individually wrapped sheet of the new absorbent article to separate the used absorbent article wrapped with the first individually wrapped sheet and the second adhesive layer from the new absorbent article in which only the first adhesive layer remains on the non-skin-facing surface of the back sheet; and a fourth step of attaching a new absorbent article to the wearer's undergarments.

2. The method for replacing an absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the absorbent article further comprises a pair of liquid-impermeable side sheets at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article on the skin-facing surface of the top sheet.

3. The method for replacing an absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first individual packaging sheet and the second individual packaging sheet are each a resin film, paper, a nonwoven fabric, an antibacterial nonwoven fabric, or a laminate of two or more of these.

4. The method for replacing an absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first release layer and the second release layer each contain a silicone-based release agent or a fluorine-based release agent.

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