Absorbent articles

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of improving wearing feeling of an absorbent article.SOLUTION: An absorbent article for absorbing liquid discharged from a wearer, includes an absorber, a first recess formed on the skin surface side of the absorber, and a skin surface side sheet stuck on the skin surface side of the absorber, and bonded to at least a part of a surface of the first recess.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art It is known that in absorbent articles for absorbing liquids such as urine and body fluids, recesses such as compressed grooves are provided on the skin-facing side of an absorbent body (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-103782 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The recesses formed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body expand and collapse when the absorbent body absorbs urine. When the recesses of the absorbent article collapse, the breathability secured by the recesses is lost. Therefore, the absorbent article has a problem in that the breathability decreases after the absorbent body absorbs urine, and the wearing comfort decreases.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of improving the wearing comfort of an absorbent article. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a first recess formed on the skin-facing side of an absorbent body, and a skin-facing side sheet adhered to at least a part of the surface of the first recess.

[0007] In detail, the present invention relates to an absorbent article that absorbs liquid excreted by a wearer, comprising an absorbent body, a first recess formed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body, and a skin-facing side sheet attached to the skin-facing side of the absorbent body, the skin-facing side sheet being adhered to at least a portion of the surface of the first recess.

[0008] In the above absorbent article, the skin-facing sheet may be adhered to the entire surface of the first recess.

[0009] In the absorbent article, the first recess may be groove-shaped.

[0010] In the above absorbent article, the skin-facing sheet may be adhered to a part of a surface of the first recess.

[0011] In the above absorbent article, the first recess may have a pair of walls and a bottom portion disposed between the pair of walls, and the skin-facing side sheet may be adhered to a portion of the walls.

[0012] The absorbent article may include a second recess formed on a non-skin facing side of the absorbent body, and the first recess may be formed at a position corresponding to the second recess.

[0013] The absorbent article may further comprise a non-skin facing sheet attached to the non-skin facing side of the absorbent body. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the wearing comfort of an absorbent article. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [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 plan view of the diaper according to the first embodiment in a stretched state, as viewed from the skin-facing side. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the diaper according to the first embodiment taken along the width direction. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the recessed portion of the diaper according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the recessed portion of the diaper according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a method for producing the diaper according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a manufacturing apparatus used in the method for manufacturing the diaper according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a compression section forming device of the manufacturing apparatus used in the method for manufacturing the diaper according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the absorbent body as viewed from the skin side. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a recess of a diaper according to Modification 1-1 of the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a recess of a diaper according to Modification 1-1 of the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a method for producing a diaper according to Modification 1-2 of the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a manufacturing apparatus used in the method for manufacturing a diaper according to Modification 1-2 of the first embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a plan view of a diaper according to the second embodiment in a stretched state, as viewed from the skin facing side. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the diaper according to the second embodiment cut in the width direction. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a compression section forming device of a manufacturing apparatus used in a method for manufacturing a diaper according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] 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.

[0017] <Embodiment 1> In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of a tape-type disposable diaper (an example of an "absorbent article" in the present application, hereinafter simply referred to as a "diaper") is the direction connecting the front body arranged opposite the wearer's abdomen and the rear body arranged opposite the wearer's back. Between the front body (one side in the longitudinal direction) and the rear body (the other side in the longitudinal direction) (the center in the longitudinal direction), a crotch portion arranged under the wearer's crotch (opposed to 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 inner side when worn) is the skin-facing side, and the opposite side of the skin-facing side (the outer side 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. In addition, the view from the thickness direction is the planar view.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a diaper according to the present embodiment. The diaper 1 is in a worn state. The diaper 1 has a crotch region 1B, which is a region corresponding to the crotch of the wearer covering the pubic area, 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 back body region 1R, which is located behind the crotch region 1B and corresponds to the back body of the wearer. Tapes 2L and 2R are provided on both left and right edges of the back body region 1R, which can be attached to a front patch 2F provided on the non-skin-facing surface of the front body region 1F. When the tapes 2L and 2R are attached to the front patch 2F with the front body region 1F positioned on the wearer's abdomen and the back body region 1R positioned on the wearer's back, the diaper 1 is fixed to the wearer's body in a state surrounding the wearer's waist 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.

[0019] In the diaper 1, an absorbent capable of absorbing and retaining liquid is mainly disposed near the crotch region 1B. In addition, in order to prevent the formation of a gap between the diaper 1 and the wearer's skin that can be a liquid outflow path, the diaper 1 is provided with leg gathers 3AL, 3AR at a portion surrounding the wearer's legs (thighs), and three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR are provided on the inside of the leg gathers 3AL, 3AR in the width direction of the diaper 1, and a waist gather 3R is provided at a portion surrounding the wearer's abdominal circumference. The leg gathers 3AL, 3AR, the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR, and the waist gathers 3R are in close contact with the wearer's skin by the elastic force of the elastic members. Therefore, liquid discharged from the wearer's private parts is absorbed by the absorbent of the diaper 1 without leaking out of the diaper 1. Note that the elastic member may be a thread-like or strip-like rubber or the like.

[0020] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the diaper 1. The diaper 1 has a cover sheet 4 that forms an outer surface when worn. The cover sheet 4 is a sheet-like member having a substantially rectangular appearance with constrictions 4KL, 4KR at the portions corresponding to the long sides, and forms the exterior surface of the diaper 1. The constrictions 4KL, 4KR are provided at the portions 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 liquid-impermeable nonwoven fabric made of a thermoplastic resin can be used as the material for the cover sheet 4. Examples of thermoplastic resins include polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). The cover sheet 4 is not limited to a single-layer structure, but may be a multi-layer structure having an inner cover sheet and an outer cover sheet.

[0021] The diaper 1 has a back sheet 5 (an example of the "non-skin-facing sheet" in the present application), an absorbent 6, and a top sheet 7 (an example of the "skin-facing sheet" in the present application) which are laminated in this order on the wearer-facing surface of the cover sheet 4. The back sheet 5, the absorbent 6, and the top sheet 7 are all sheet-like members having a substantially rectangular appearance, and are laminated 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, like the cover sheet 4, 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 in order to suppress stuffiness when worn. The top sheet 7 is made of an air-through nonwoven fabric formed containing thermoplastic resin fibers, and is disposed on the wearer's skin-facing surface so as to cover the water-absorbing surface of the absorbent 6. The top sheet 7 is liquid-permeable in part or in whole. Therefore, when the diaper 1 is worn, liquid excreted by the wearer passes through the top sheet 7, which may come into contact with the wearer's skin, and enters the absorbent body 6, where it is absorbed. The top sheet 7 may be hydrophilic. The longitudinal direction of the diaper 1 is the same as the longitudinal directions of the absorbent body 6 and the top sheet 7.

[0022] The back sheet 5, absorbent body 6, and 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, absorbent body 6, and top sheet 7 are laminated, both ends in the longitudinal direction of the back sheet 5, absorbent body 6, and top sheet 7 are positioned on the wearer's ventral and dorsal sides. The wearer's genitals are covered from the ventral side to the dorsal side by the absorbent body 6. Therefore, whether the wearer is in a ventral or dorsal position when excreting liquid, the excreted liquid comes into contact with the absorbent body 6 via the top sheet 7.

[0023] The diaper 1 also has elastic members 4SL, 4SR for forming the leg gathers 3AL, 3AR described above, which are provided between the cover sheet 4 and the back sheet 5 so as to stretch in the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1. The elastic members 4SL, 4SR are provided in an appropriate number (three in this embodiment) determined according to the elastic force (contractile force) required for the design of the diaper 1.

[0024] The diaper 1 also has long, narrow, strip-like side sheets 8L, 8R. The side sheets 8L, 8R are liquid-impermeable sheets provided on the long sides of the top sheet 7. Like the cover sheet 4, the side sheets 8L, 8R have constrictions 8KL, 8KR at the locations where the wearer's thighs are located. The side sheets 8L, 8R have elastic members 8EL, 8ER arranged along the longitudinal direction for forming three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR. When the diaper 1 is worn, i.e., when the diaper 1 is U-shaped in side view, the side sheets 8L, 8R are pulled in the longitudinal direction by the contractile force of the elastic members 8EL, 8ER and rise from the top sheet 7, forming three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR that prevent liquid from leaking out.

[0025] The cover sheet 4 is provided with elastic members 4C, which prevent a gap from being formed between the diaper 1 and the wearer's abdominal circumference, on the inner side in the width direction of the diaper 1 than the elastic members 4SL, 4SR and along the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1. The elastic members 4C are provided according to the elastic force (contractile force) required for the design of the diaper 1.

[0026] Furthermore, the elastic member 9ER for forming the above-mentioned waist gather 3R is provided between the back sheet 5 and the top sheet 7, at a position further back than the end of the absorbent body 6. The elastic member 9ER is provided between the back sheet 5 and the top sheet 7 with its longitudinal direction, which is the stretch direction, 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 elastic member 9ER are attached to the front patch 2F on the abdominal side of the wearer, the elastic member 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.

[0027] The absorbent body 6 has an absorbent core and a core wrap sheet that wraps the entire absorbent core (see FIG. 4). For the core wrap sheet, tissue paper or liquid-permeable nonwoven fabric is used. The absorbent core has a structure in which granular absorbent resin such as SAP (Super Absorbent Polymer), which is a hydrophilic polymer with a cross-linked structure that can absorb and retain 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 core, the volume 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 entire absorbent core is viewed from the outside, it can be said that the expansion rate of the thickness of the absorbent core that absorbs liquid is not as large as the expansion rate of the absorbent resin itself.

[0028] 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 includes both a composition consisting of SAP alone and a composition containing SAP as the main component and containing other substances to the extent that they do not adversely affect the water absorption. Examples of "other substances" include additives (such as surface modifiers added to make the particle surface hydrophobic) and unreacted monomers remaining during the synthesis of SAP.

[0029] Fig. 3 is a plan view of the diaper 1 in an extended state, as viewed from the skin side. Fig. 4 is a widthwise cross-sectional view of the diaper 1 taken along line AA in Fig. 3. Note that the front patch 2F, elastic members 4C, 4SR, 4SL, 8EL, 8ER, 9ER, and side sheets 8L, 8R are omitted from Figs. 3 and 4.

[0030] The diaper 1 according to this embodiment includes compressed portions 20 (an example of the "second recess" in this application) and recesses 21 (an example of the "first recess" in this application) formed in a diagonal lattice pattern on a rectangular absorbent body 6. The compressed portions 20 are formed by squeezing the absorbent body 6 from the non-skin-facing side. The recesses 21 are formed at positions corresponding to the compressed portions 20 on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6 by pressing the absorbent body 6 after forming the compressed portions 20. Here, the corresponding positions refer to positions that overlap in the thickness direction of the diaper 1. In this embodiment, when forming the recesses 21, the absorbent body 6 and the top sheet 7 are pressed to cause the top sheet 7 to fall into the recesses 21. The process of forming the compressed portions 20 and the recesses 21 will be described later.

[0031] In this embodiment, the compressed parts 20 and the recesses 21 are formed in the shape of grooves extending obliquely in the absorbent body 6. In the diaper 1, urine discharged by the wearer can be diffused throughout the absorbent body 6 along the recesses 21 provided on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6. In addition, in the diaper 1, urine that has permeated the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6 can be diffused throughout the absorbent body 6 along the compressed parts 20. This allows the diaper 1 to efficiently absorb urine discharged by the wearer with the entire absorbent body 6. In addition, the diaper 1 can make the absorbent body 6 easier to bend by providing the compressed parts 20 and the recesses 21 in the absorbent body 6, thereby improving the fit of the diaper 1 to the wearer. In addition, the diaper 1 can ensure breathability on the skin-facing side by providing the recesses 21 on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6, thereby suppressing stuffiness when worn.

[0032] In this embodiment, the top sheet 7 attached to the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6 is adhered to at least a part of the surface of the recess 21. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the recess 21 and its vicinity in Fig. 4. The recess 21 has a pair of walls 21L, 21R and a bottom 21B disposed between the pair of walls 21L, 21R. The pair of walls 21L, 21R and the bottom 21B are formed by the surface of the absorbent body 6 (the surface of the core wrap sheet 6). In the example shown in Fig. 5, the top sheet 7 is adhered to the entire surface of the recess 21, i.e., the pair of walls 21L, 21R and the entire bottom 21B, by a hot melt adhesive 30.

[0033] Next, the absorbent 6 after the wearer urinates once or more in the diaper 1 in which the top sheet 7 and the recessed portion 21 are bonded to the entire surface will be described. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the recessed portion 21 of the absorbent 6 that has absorbed urine. The absorbent core 6A absorbs urine and expands, causing the recessed portion 21 to collapse. Note that FIG. 6 does not show the collapse of the compressed portion 20. The top sheet 7 falls into the recessed portion 21 when pressed, and the depressed portion is stretched by the press to expand the surface area. The portion of the top sheet 7 that fell into the recessed portion 21 is lifted to the skin side by the depression 21 being crushed, but the skin side surface of the portion of the top sheet 7 that is bonded to the absorbent 6 on the non-skin side becomes loose, and this forms a loose portion 7C. The loose portion 7C has minute irregularities, and this forms a plurality of minute spaces between the loose portion 7C and the skin. These minute spaces ensure that the diaper 1 is breathable between the wearer's skin even after absorbing urine, improving the wearing comfort.

[0034] In this way, the diaper 1 according to this embodiment ensures breathability by the groove-like recesses 21 before urine absorption, and ensures breathability after urine absorption by forming loose portions 7C on the skin-facing side of the top sheet 7 at positions where the recesses 21 were previously located. The diaper 1 ensures breathability both before and after urine absorption, improving the wearing comfort.

[0035] Next, a method for manufacturing the diaper 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. The manufacturing method of the diaper 1 according to the present embodiment is characterized by the steps of forming the compressed parts 20 and the recesses 21 in the absorbent body 6, and therefore these steps will be mainly described below. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing an outline of the manufacturing method of the diaper 1 according to the present embodiment. In the manufacturing method of the diaper according to the present embodiment, the absorbent body 6 is first compressed from the non-skin side to form the compressed parts 20 (step S101). Next, the top sheet 7 is attached in a stretched state to the skin side of the absorbent body 6 (step S102). Next, the absorbent body 6 is pressed to form the recesses 21 at positions corresponding to the compressed parts 20 on the skin side of the absorbent body 6 (step S103). By pressing the absorbent body 6, the skin side at the position corresponding to the compressed parts 20 is recessed to the non-skin side, and the recesses 21 are formed. At this time, the top sheet 7 falls into the recesses 21.

[0036] Next, the manufacturing method of the diaper 1 according to this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 8 and 9. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of an apparatus for manufacturing the diaper 1. The manufacturing apparatus M used in the manufacturing method of the diaper 1 includes a conveying line M1, a compression section forming device M2, an application device M4, a top sheet supply roller M5, and a pressing device M6. The conveying line M1 is a conveyor that conveys the absorbent body 6 and the top sheet 7 in a fixed direction (the direction of the arrow A1 in the figure). In the manufacturing process, the absorbent body 6 and the top sheet 7 are continuous bodies, and the absorbent body 6 and the top sheet 7 for one diaper are obtained by dividing them into individual bodies.

[0037] The compression section forming device M2 has an anvil roller M21 and a compression roller M22. FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the compression section forming device M2. The anvil roller M21 is disposed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6 (upper side in the figure), and the compression roller M22 is disposed on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6 (lower side in the figure). The anvil roller M21 and the compression roller M22 are disposed opposite each other with a predetermined clearance. The compression roller M22 has protrusions M22C that compress the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6. The protrusions M22C are formed in a diagonal lattice pattern with respect to the absorbent body 6 that passes through. In FIG. 11, the protrusions M22C hidden by the absorbent body 6 are also shown by solid lines for the sake of explanation. The anvil roller M21 and the compression roller M22 are made of metal such as iron. The compressed-portion forming device M2 passes the absorbent body 6, which has flowed from the upstream side of the conveyor line M1, between the anvil roller M21 and the compression roller M22, thereby compressing the non-skin-facing side with the convex portions M22C (step S101 shown in FIG. 7). As a result, compressed portions 20 are formed in the absorbent body 6.

[0038] An applicator M4 is provided downstream of the compression section forming device M2 on the conveying path of the conveying line M1. The applicator M4 applies hot melt adhesive to the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6. The applicator M4 has multiple nozzles, and the hot melt adhesive is discharged from each nozzle. In this embodiment, the hot melt adhesive is applied to the entire surface of the recess 21.

[0039] A top sheet supply roller M5 is provided downstream of the press device M3 on the conveying path of the conveying line M1. The top sheet supply roller M5 places a continuous top sheet 7 from a long raw fabric roll onto the absorbent body 6 placed on the conveying line M1. At this time, the top sheet 7 is placed on the absorbent body 6 in a stretched state (step S102 shown in FIG. 7).

[0040] A press device M6 is provided downstream of the top sheet supply roller M5 in the conveying path of the conveying line M1. The press device M6 has a press roller M61 and an anvil roller M62. The press roller M61 and the anvil roller M62 are disposed opposite each other with a predetermined clearance provided. The press roller M61 and the anvil roller M62 are made of a metal such as iron. The press device M6 presses the absorbent body 6 by passing the absorbent body 6 and the top sheet 7 flowing from the upstream side of the conveying line M1 between the press roller M61 and the anvil roller M62, thereby forming a recess 21 on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6 (step S203 shown in FIG. 7).

[0041] In the manufacturing method of the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, after the top sheet 7 is attached to the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6, the absorbent body 6 is pressed to form recesses 21 on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6. This allows the top sheet 7 to be dropped into the recesses 21, allowing the recesses 21 to function as flow paths and ventilation paths formed on the skin-facing side of the diaper 1. It also reduces the contact area between the wearer's skin and the top sheet 7, improving the feel against the skin.

[0042] In the manufacturing method of the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, the absorbent body 6 is compressed from the non-skin facing side to form compressed parts 20, and the absorbent body 6 is pressed to form recesses 21 at positions corresponding to the compressed parts 20 on the skin facing side of the absorbent body 6. The recesses 21 are formed by pressing, not by compression, and are therefore less hard than the compressed parts 20. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, even if the recesses 21 come into contact with the wearer through the top sheet 7, a decrease in fit can be suppressed, and the fit can be improved.

[0043] Furthermore, if the absorbent body 6 is squeezed from the skin-facing side with the top sheet 7 attached to the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6, the top sheet 7 may be subjected to a load and may tear. In this embodiment, the absorbent body 6 is squeezed from the non-skin-facing side before the top sheet 7 is attached to the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6, so that the top sheet 7 is not squeezed as well, and squeezing the absorbent body 6 from the non-skin-facing side prevents the skin-facing side of the core wrap sheet 6B from tearing due to squeezing. This prevents the SAP contained in the absorbent core 6A from spilling onto the skin-facing side.

[0044] <Variation 1-1> Next, a diaper 1 according to the modification 1-1 of this embodiment will be described. In the diaper 1 according to this modification, the top sheet 7 is bonded to a part of the surface of the recess 21. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the absorbent body 6 to which the hot melt adhesive 30 has been applied, as viewed from the skin-facing side. By applying the hot melt adhesive 30 in a stripe pattern in this way, it is possible to form a part on the surface of the recess 21 that is bonded to the top sheet 7 and a part that is not bonded to the top sheet 7. Therefore, after applying the hot melt adhesive 30, the top sheet 7 can be bonded to a part of the surface of the recess 21 by attaching the top sheet 7 to the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6 and pressing a part of the top sheet 7 into the recess 21. In the diaper 1 according to this modification, after the absorbent body 6 absorbs urine, the part of the top sheet 7 that has fallen into the recess 21 is lifted to the skin-facing side by the collapse of the recess 21, but the skin-facing surface of the part of the top sheet 7 that is bonded to the absorbent body 6 on the non-skin-facing side is loose, resulting in a loose part 7C. The loose portion 7C has minute irregularities, and a plurality of minute spaces are formed between the loose portion 7C and the skin. These minute spaces allow the diaper 1 to ensure breathability between the loose portion 7C and the wearer's skin even after urine absorption, improving the wearing comfort.

[0045] In addition, the area where the hot melt adhesive 30 is applied has low liquid permeability. Therefore, by providing areas on the surface of the recess 21 with and without the hot melt adhesive 30, it is possible to provide areas with high and low liquid permeability, and urine is diffused in the areas with low permeability and urine is permeated into the absorbent body 6 in the areas with high permeability, thereby achieving a balance between urine permeability and diffusibility. Note that the top sheet 7 is bonded to the areas on the surface of the recess 21 where the hot melt adhesive 30 is applied, and the top sheet 7 is not bonded to the areas on the surface of the recess 21 where the hot melt adhesive is not applied.

[0046] <Variation 1-2> Next, a diaper 1 according to Modification 1-2 of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the recess 21 of the absorbent body 6, similar to Fig. 5. Fig. 12 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the recess 21 of the absorbent body 6 that has absorbed urine. In the diaper 1 according to this modification, the top sheet 7 is bonded to a part of the pair of walls 21L, 21R of the recess 21 with a hot melt adhesive 30. When the absorbent body 6 expands after absorbing urine, the bottom 21B expands in the same manner as the non-recessed portion of the absorbent body 6. The top sheet 7 is then at the same height as the upper surface of the absorbent body 6, and the skin-facing surface of the portion of the top sheet 7 that was adhered to the walls 21L, 21R becomes loose, thereby forming the loose portion 7C. The loose portion 7C has minute irregularities, and a number of minute spaces are formed between the loose portion 7C and the skin. Also, the absorbent body 6 in the portion that was originally the bottom portion 21B remains slightly recessed, thereby forming the recesses 7D on the skin-facing side of the top sheet 7. The minute spaces created by the loose portion 7C and the recesses 7D ensure that the diaper 1 is breathable between the wearer's skin even after urine absorption, improving the wearing comfort.

[0047] <Modification 1-3> Next, a diaper 1 according to Modification 1-2 of this embodiment will be described. The manufacturing method of the diaper 1 according to this modification includes a step of adhering a back sheet 5 to the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6. FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing an outline of the manufacturing method of the diaper 1 according to this modification. In the manufacturing method of the diaper according to this modification, after forming the recesses 21 on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6 (after step S103), the back sheet 5 is adhered to the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6 (step S104). By covering the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6, which is the side to be compressed, with the back sheet 5, it is possible to prevent SAP from spilling out of the diaper 1 even if the non-skin-facing side of the core wrap sheet 6B is torn.

[0048] Next, the manufacturing method of the diaper 1 according to this modification will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a manufacturing apparatus for the diaper 1. The manufacturing apparatus M used in the manufacturing method for the diaper 1 includes a conveying line M1, an applicator M7, and a backsheet supply roller M8. The conveying line M1 is a conveyor that conveys the backsheet 5, the absorbent body 6, and the topsheet 7 in a fixed direction (the direction of the arrow A1 in the figure). In the manufacturing process, the backsheet 5, the absorbent body 6, and the topsheet 7 are continuous bodies, and the backsheet 5, the absorbent body 6, and the topsheet 7 for one diaper are obtained by dividing them individually. Note that the topsheet 7 has already been attached to the absorbent body 6, and the absorbent body 6 and the topsheet 7 are conveyed with the absorbent body 6 facing up.

[0049] The applicator M7 has a plurality of nozzles for discharging hot melt adhesive, and applies the hot melt adhesive to the absorbent body 6. A backsheet supply roller M8 is provided downstream of the applicator M7 on the conveying path of the conveying line M1. The backsheet supply roller M8 places the backsheet 5, which is a continuous body, from a long original roll onto the absorbent body 6 placed on the conveying line M1. At this time, the backsheet 5 is placed on the absorbent body 6 in a stretched state (step S104 shown in FIG. 13). By covering the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6, which is the side to be squeezed, with the backsheet 5, the diaper 1 can prevent the SAP from spilling out of the diaper 1 even if the non-skin-facing side of the core wrap sheet 6B is torn. In this modified example, the back sheet 5 is attached to the absorbent body 6 (step S104) after the recesses 21 are formed (after step S103), but this is not limited thereto, and the recesses 21 may be formed after the back sheet 5 is attached to the absorbent body 6. In this case, the back sheet 5 is attached to the absorbent body 6 after the compressed portions 20 are formed in the absorbent body 6. By attaching the back sheet 5 to the absorbent body 6 after squeezing the absorbent body 6, the back sheet 5 is prevented from being torn by squeezing, and even if the core wrap sheet 6B is torn by squeezing, the back sheet 5 can prevent the SAP from spilling out from the non-skin facing side.

[0050] <Embodiment 2> Next, a diaper 1 according to a second embodiment will be described. The same components as those of the diaper 1 and manufacturing apparatus M according to the above-mentioned embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described. Fig. 15 is a plan view of the diaper 1 in a stretched state as viewed from the skin-facing side. Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the diaper 1 in the width direction taken along line BB in Fig. 15. The front patch 2F, elastic members 4C, 4SR, 4SL, 8EL, 8ER, 9ER, and side sheets 8L, 8R are not shown in Figs. 15 and 16.

[0051] In the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, the absorbent body 6 is squeezed from the skin-facing side to form compressed parts 23 (an example of the "first recess" in the present application) on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6, and recesses 24 (an example of the "second recess" in the present application) on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6. In this manner, the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6 may be squeezed.

[0052] Next, a manufacturing method of the diaper 1 according to this embodiment will be described. The manufacturing method of the diaper 1 according to this embodiment is generally the same as that of the diaper 1 according to the above-mentioned embodiment 1, except that the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6 is compressed. For example, a compression-part forming device M9 shown in FIG. 17 is provided instead of the compression-part forming device M2 of the manufacturing apparatus M shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 17 is an enlarged perspective view of the compression-part forming device M9. The compression-part forming device M9 has a compression roller M91 and an anvil roller M92. The compression roller M91 is disposed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6 (upper side in the figure), and the anvil roller M92 is disposed on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6 (lower side in the figure). The compression roller M91 and the anvil roller M92 are disposed opposite to each other with a predetermined clearance. The compression roller M91 has a convex portion M91C that compresses the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6. The convex portions M91C are formed in a diagonal lattice pattern on the absorbent body 6. The compression roller M91 and the anvil roller M92 are made of metal such as iron. The compression portion forming device M9 squeezes the absorbent body 6, which has flowed from the upstream side of the conveyor line M1, from the skin side by the convex portions M91C by passing the absorbent body 6 between the compression roller M91 and the anvil roller M92 (step S101 shown in FIG. 7). This forms compressed portions 23 in the absorbent body 6. Next, as in the first embodiment, a top sheet attachment step (step S102 shown in FIG. 7) is performed, and then the absorbent body 6 is pressed to form recesses 24 (similar to step S103 shown in FIG. 7).

[0053] In the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, similarly to the diaper 1 according to the above embodiment, breathability can be ensured by minute spaces formed between the loose portion 7C and the skin before urine absorption.

[0054] <Other embodiments> Next, other embodiments will be described. The diaper 1 according to the above embodiment is a tape-type diaper, but the manufacturing method and manufacturing device for absorbent articles according to the present invention can be applied to the manufacture of pants-type diapers. In the above embodiment, the compressed parts 20, 23 and the recesses 21, 24 are formed in a lattice pattern, but this is not limiting and they may be formed in a dot pattern or stripe pattern. By providing the recesses 21 on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 6, the diaper 1 can reduce the area that comes into contact with the wearer's skin, improving the wearing comfort.

[0055] Furthermore, the absorbent body 6 may not have the core wrap sheet 6 B. The above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1. Diapers 1B...Inseam area 1F: Front body area 1R: Back body area 2F: Front patch 2L, 2R Tape 3BL, 3BR: 3D gathers 3R: Waist gather 4. Cover sheet 4KL, 4KR... Constriction 4C, 4SL, 4SR, 8EL, 8ER, 9ER Elastic material 5. Back sheet 6. Absorber 6A··Absorbent core 6B··Core wrap sheet 7. Top sheet 7C··Loose part 7D Recess 8. Side seat 20. Pressing section 21. Recess 23 Pressing section 24 Recess 30. Hot melt adhesive M··Manufacturing equipment M1··Conveyor line M2･･･Compression part forming device M4...Coating device M5··Top sheet feed roller M6··Press device M7··Applicator M8··Backsheet supply roller M9··Compression section forming device

Claims

1. An absorbent article for absorbing liquid discharged by a wearer, comprising: An absorber; A first recess formed on a skin surface side of the absorbent body; a skin-facing sheet attached to a skin-facing side of the absorbent body, the skin-facing sheet being adhered to at least a portion of a surface of the first recess; Equipped with The first recess is groove-shaped, The first recess has a pair of walls and a bottom disposed between the pair of walls, The skin-facing sheet is adhered to a part of the wall portion and is not adhered to the bottom portion. Absorbent articles.

2. A second recess is formed on the non-skin facing side of the absorbent body, The first recess is formed at a position corresponding to the second recess. The absorbent article of claim 1.

3. A non-skin-facing sheet is attached to the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2.

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