Absorbent article, and method for manufacturing an absorbent article

Abstract

To achieve both to improve absorption performance and to facilitate detachment of an auxiliary absorbent sheet.SOLUTION: A disclosed absorbent article 10 includes: an absorbent article body 11 having a top sheet 13 on a skin surface side, a back sheet 14 on a non-skin surface side, and an absorber 15 provided between the top sheet 13 and the back sheet 14; and an auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 which includes a skin surface side sheet 20 on the skin surface side, a non-skin surface side sheet 21 on the non-skin surface side, and a high water-absorbent polymer 22 provided between the skin surface side sheet 20 and the non-skin surface side sheet 21 and is detachably attached to the skin surface side of the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article body 11. The top sheet 13 of the absorbent article body 11 and the non-skin surface side sheet 21 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 are bonded by a water-soluble binder 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to absorbent articles and methods for manufacturing absorbent articles.

Background Art

[0002] Some absorbent articles such as light incontinence care products, urine collection pads, pant-type disposable diapers, and tape-fastened disposable diapers have an auxiliary absorbent sheet attached to the skin side thereof, and the auxiliary absorbent sheet that has absorbed body fluids such as urine can be removed and discarded.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a stacked pad in which disposable pads are stacked and only the soiled pads are replaced and used.

[0004] Further, Patent Document 2 describes a disposable diaper. The disposable diaper includes a disposable diaper body and a laminated absorbent sheet that is fixed on the inner surface of the diaper body and is an absorbent article that receives excrement from the wearer. The laminated absorbent sheet includes a plurality of absorbent sheets laminated in the vertical direction. The absorbent sheet is joined to the diaper body by heat fusion bonding or a hot melt adhesive only at both side portions in the width direction.

[0005] Moreover, Patent Document 3 describes a laminate of absorbent articles. The upper napkin and the lower napkin each include an absorbent body. An adhesive for fixing the napkin laminate or the lower napkin to clothing is applied to the outer surface of the non-skin-contact side sheet of the lower napkin that is directed toward clothing such as underwear during use.

[0006] In addition, Patent Document 4 describes an absorbent pad laminate in which a plurality of absorbent pads are laminated. The absorbent pad laminate is used, for example, by being placed on the upper surface of a separate absorbent article. The laminated absorbent pads are removably joined to each other by, for example, adhesives applied intermittently, pressing (embossing), heat fusion, etc. On the lower surface of the absorbent pad laminate, fixing means such as adhesives and hook members of hook-and-loop fasteners are provided for attaching to a separate absorbent article or underwear (pants).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] By the way, for absorbent articles such as light incontinence care products, urine collection pads, pants-type disposable diapers, and tape-fastened disposable diapers, improvement in absorption performance (such as the amount of urine absorbed and the dry feeling during repeated absorption) is required. In addition, facilitation of removal when removing the auxiliary absorbent sheet is also required.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an absorbent article capable of achieving both improvement in absorption performance and facilitation of removal of the auxiliary absorbent sheet, and a method for manufacturing the absorbent article.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the absorbent article according to the first aspect of the present invention includes an absorbent article main body having a topsheet on the skin side, a backsheet on the non-skin side, and an absorber provided between the topsheet and the backsheet, a skin-side sheet on the skin side, a non-skin-side sheet on the non-skin side, and a superabsorbent polymer provided between the skin-side sheet and the non-skin-side sheet, and an auxiliary absorbent sheet removably attached to the skin side of the topsheet of the absorbent article main body. The topsheet of the absorbent article main body and the non-skin-side sheet of the auxiliary absorbent sheet are adhered with a water-soluble binder.

[0011] The second aspect of the present invention is the absorbent article according to the first aspect, wherein the water-soluble binder is provided at both end portions in the width direction of the auxiliary absorbent sheet.

[0012] The third aspect of the present invention is the absorbent article according to the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the skin-side sheet and the non-skin-side sheet of the auxiliary absorbent sheet are water-permeable nonwoven fabrics, and a region at the center in the width direction of the non-skin-side sheet is subjected to a water-repellent treatment.

[0013] The fourth aspect of the present invention is the absorbent article according to the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the skin-side sheet and the non-skin-side sheet of the auxiliary absorbent sheet are water-permeable nonwoven fabrics, and a water-impermeable film is adhered to at least one of the skin side and the non-skin side of the region at the center in the width direction of the non-skin-side sheet.

[0014] The fifth aspect of the present invention is the absorbent article according to the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the skin-side sheet of the auxiliary absorbent sheet is a water-permeable nonwoven fabric, the non-skin-side sheet of the auxiliary absorbent sheet is a water-impermeable film, and the length in the width direction of the non-skin-side sheet is shorter than the length in the width direction of the skin-side sheet.

[0015] A sixth aspect of the present invention is an absorbent article according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the auxiliary absorbent sheet has a polymer presence region where a superabsorbent polymer is present and a polymer absence region where no superabsorbent polymer is present, and the polymer presence region and the polymer absence region each extend in the longitudinal direction and are alternately arranged with each other in the width direction.

[0016] A seventh aspect of the present invention is an absorbent article according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the auxiliary absorbent sheet is provided in a region of the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article main body that is located under the crotch of the wearer.

[0017] An eighth aspect of the present invention is an absorbent article according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the absorber of the absorbent article main body contains a superabsorbent polymer.

[0018] A ninth aspect of the present invention is an absorbent article according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the absorbent article main body has a pair of gathers that are arranged on both sides in the width direction on the skin side of the topsheet and extend in the longitudinal direction intersecting the width direction, the auxiliary absorbent sheet is arranged between the pair of gathers, and both ends in the width direction of the auxiliary absorbent sheet are close to or in contact with the bases of the pair of gathers.

[0019] A tenth aspect of the present invention is the absorbent article according to the ninth aspect, wherein the water-soluble binder is located on the non-skin side of the pair of gathers and provided in a region overlapping the pair of gathers when the pair of gathers are lying down.

[0020] The eleventh aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing an absorbent article, comprising a topsheet on the skin side, a backsheet on the non-skin side, an absorber provided between the topsheet and the backsheet, left and right gathersheets that form gathers on the skin side of the topsheet, and an auxiliary absorbent sheet provided on the skin side of the topsheet. The method includes: a first step of conveying the continuous topsheet, the auxiliary absorbent sheet, the left and right gathersheets, and the backsheet; a second step of separating the auxiliary absorbent sheet in the longitudinal direction; a third step of adhering the separated auxiliary absorbent sheet to the skin side of the topsheet with a water-soluble binder; a fourth step of adhering the left and right gathersheets to regions on both sides in the width direction of the topsheet that are wider than the auxiliary absorbent sheet to obtain a composite sheet; and a fifth step of sandwiching the absorber between the composite sheet and the backsheet, in this order of steps.

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to achieve both an improvement in the absorption performance of the absorbent article and an ease of removal of the auxiliary absorbent sheet.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These are presented for illustrative purposes and do not limit the present invention. Throughout the description of the embodiment, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0024] In addition, in the description of this specification, the time of wearing the absorbent article 1 refers to at least one of the time of wearing and after wearing the absorbent article 1. The longitudinal direction of the absorbent article 1 is the direction extending across the front and back of the wearer when the absorbent article 1 is worn. The symbol Y in the figure indicates the front side in the longitudinal direction. Also, the width direction of the absorbent article 1 is a direction horizontal or orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (the direction extending across the left and right of the wearer when worn). The symbol X in the figure indicates the left side in the width direction. Further, the skin side refers to the direction facing the wearer's skin side in the thickness direction of the absorbent article 1 (the direction indicated by the symbol Z in the figure), and the non-skin side refers to the direction facing the side opposite to the wearer's skin side when worn (the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the symbol Z in the figure). Body fluid refers to a liquid discharged from the body to the outside, such as urine, blood, and moisture in soft feces. Furthermore, examples of the absorbent article 1 include light incontinence care products, urine collection pads, pant-type disposable diapers, and tape-fastened disposable diapers, regardless of whether they are for babies or adults. However, the absorbent article 1 is not limited thereto, and other absorbent articles may also be used.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an absorbent article 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. The white arrow in FIG. 2 schematically indicates the moving direction of body fluid.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the absorbent article 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is, for example, a disposable diaper, and includes an absorbent article main body 11 and an auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 removably attached to the skin side of the absorbent article main body 11.

[0027] The absorbent article body 11 includes a topsheet 13 disposed on the skin side, a backsheet 14 disposed on the non-skin side facing the topsheet 13, an absorber 15 disposed between the topsheet 13 and the backsheet 14, and left and right gathersheets 17 that form a pair of left and right gathers 17c on the topsheet 13. As a result, the absorber 15 has a structure sandwiched between the topsheet 13 and the backsheet 14.

[0028] Preferably, the longitudinal dimension of the absorbent article body 11 is 100 mm or more and 800 mm or less, and the widthwise dimension is 50 mm or more and 500 mm or less. By adjusting the dimensions of the absorbent article body 11 within the above ranges, an absorbent article body 11 suitable for light incontinence pads, pant-type paper diapers, tape-fastened paper diapers, etc. can be obtained.

[0029] The topsheet 13 is formed of a water-permeable (liquid-permeable) nonwoven fabric that allows body fluids to move to the absorber 15. Examples of nonwoven fabrics include, for example, air-through nonwoven fabrics, thermal-bonded nonwoven fabrics, spunbond nonwoven fabrics, etc., and composite nonwoven fabrics laminated with thermal-bond / spunbond. In this embodiment, the topsheet 13 is formed of a water-permeable nonwoven fabric, but it is not limited thereto. For example, it may be formed of a foamed film such as a water-permeable urethane foam, or a composite sheet laminated with a nonwoven fabric or a foamed film. Further, the topsheet 13 may be embossed or perforated on the surface to improve water permeability. As methods for performing these embossing and perforating processes, known methods can be implemented without limitation. Further, in order to reduce irritation to the skin, the topsheet 13 may contain a lotion, an antioxidant, an anti-inflammatory component, a pH adjuster, an antibacterial agent, a moisturizing agent, etc.

[0030] The basis weight of the topsheet 13 is 18 g / m 2 or more and 40 g / m 2The following are preferred. The shape of the topsheet 13 is not particularly limited, as long as it covers the absorber 15 and is necessary for guiding body fluids to the absorber 15 so as to prevent leakage.

[0031] The backsheet 14 may be formed using a water-impermeable (liquid-impermeable) base material that prevents the body fluids held by the absorber 15 from wetting the clothing, and is formed from materials such as a resin film or a composite sheet formed by laminating a resin film and a nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven fabric used for the composite sheet is not particularly limited in terms of the manufacturing method, and examples include spunbond nonwoven fabric, meltblown nonwoven fabric, or a composite nonwoven fabric formed by laminating spunbond / meltblown, spunbond / meltblown / spunbond, and their composite materials. Examples of the resin film include polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polypropylene, and a composite film of polyethylene and polypropylene.

[0032] The basis weight of the backsheet 14 is preferably 15 g / m 2 or more and 60 g / m 2 or less from the viewpoints of strength and processability. Further, in order to prevent stuffiness during wearing, it is preferable to provide the backsheet 14 with air permeability. In order to provide the backsheet 14 with air permeability, for example, a filler may be blended into the resin film of the base material, or the backsheet 14 may be embossed. Examples of the filler include calcium carbonate, and the blending method can be carried out without limitation using known methods.

[0033] The absorber 15 contains a superabsorbent polymer 18 (SAP (super absorbent polymer)) that can absorb urine and prevent backflow. As the superabsorbent polymer 18, those formed from materials such as sodium polyacrylate-based, polyaspartate-based, (starch-acrylic acid) graft copolymer, (acrylic acid-vinyl alcohol) copolymer, (isobutylene-maleic anhydride) copolymer and its saponified product can be used. For the purpose of preventing leakage of the superabsorbent polymer 18 and stabilizing the overall shape of the absorber 15, the absorber 15 may be wrapped with a carrier sheet. As the base material of the carrier sheet, any hydrophilic material may be used, and examples include hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics such as tissue, absorbent paper, and airlaid nonwoven fabric.

[0034] The dimension of the longest width in the longitudinal direction of the absorber 15 is preferably 80 mm or more and 780 mm or less, and more preferably 150 mm or more and 500 mm or less. Also, the dimension of the longest width in the width direction of the absorber 15 is preferably 30 mm or more and 480 mm or less, and more preferably 70 mm or more and 105 mm or less.

[0035] The left and right gather sheets 17 are sheets that form a pair of left and right gathers 17c. The outer end portions 17a in the width direction are fixed to the outer end portions in the width direction of the back sheet 14, and the portions 17b inside the outer end portions 17a in the width direction are fixed to the outer end portions in the width direction of the top sheet 13. The regions 17c inside the portions 17b fixed to the top sheet 13 in the width direction are free ends. Among the left and right gather sheets 17, the regions 17c (regions on the free end side) inside the portions 17b fixed to the top sheet 13 in the width direction function as gathers 17c extending in the longitudinal direction. An elastic member 19 for three-dimensional gathers is provided along the longitudinal direction on the gathers 17c. Thereby, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, the gathers 17c have standing properties and can be deformed according to the body shape of the wearer. As the gather sheet 17, a water-repellent or non-water-permeable non-woven fabric formed of hydrophobic fibers, for example, a spunbond non-woven fabric, a meltblown non-woven fabric, a composite non-woven fabric in which spunbond / meltblown / spunbond is laminated, etc. are used. Further, as the elastic member 19 for three-dimensional gathers, for example, a polyurethane thread, a strip-shaped polyurethane film, a thread-shaped or strip-shaped natural rubber, etc. are used.

[0036] The auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 has a skin-side sheet 20 disposed on the skin side, a non-skin-side sheet 21 disposed on the non-skin side facing the skin-side sheet 20, and a superabsorbent polymer 22 provided between the skin-side sheet 20 and the non-skin-side sheet 21, and is formed in a sheet shape. Thereby, the superabsorbent polymer 22 has a structure sandwiched between the skin-side sheet 20 and the non-skin-side sheet 21. Note that the skin-side sheet 20 and the non-skin-side sheet 21 have a structure in which the peripheries of both sheets 20 and 21 are joined to each other so that the superabsorbent polymer 22 does not spill out. This joining can be performed by a known water-insoluble hot melt or heat seal. By adopting this processing method, it is possible to prevent the sheets 20 and 21 from separating from each other due to the force of water absorption or the swelling of the superabsorbent polymer 22 even during water absorption, and it is possible to prevent the superabsorbent polymer 22 from spilling out.

[0037] The auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is disposed between the left and right gathers 17c of the absorbent article main body 11. Further, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is disposed in a region of the absorbent article main body 11 in the longitudinal direction that is located under the crotch of the wearer. The auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is removably adhered to the topsheet 13 of the absorbent article main body 11 by a water-soluble binder 23 described later. Both ends 12a in the width direction of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 are close to or in contact with the bases of the left and right gathers 17c. That is, the length in the width direction of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is set to be substantially the same as the distance L1 in the width direction between the bases of the left and right gathers 17c. When they are close, the distance between both ends 12a in the width direction of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 and the inner portions 17b of the left and right gather sheets 17 may be 10 mm or less. By separating the distance between the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 and the gather sheet 17 to some extent in this way, the two sheets 12 and 17 can be surely adhered to the skin side of the topsheet 13 of the absorbent article main body 11 in the Z direction without overlapping each other in the manufacturing process.

[0038] The skin-side sheet 20 is formed of a nonwoven fabric having water permeability (liquid permeability) such that body fluid moves to the superabsorbent polymer 22, like the topsheet 13 of the absorbent article main body 11.

[0039] The non-skin-side sheet 21 is a sheet formed of a nonwoven fabric having water permeability (liquid permeability), and has adhesive regions 21a at the outer ends on both sides in the width direction and a water-repellent region 21b between the left and right adhesive regions 21a.

[0040] The left and right adhesive regions 21a of the non-skin-side sheet 21 are water-permeable and are adhered to the skin-side surface of the topsheet 13 of the absorbent article body 11 by a water-soluble binder 23. That is, the non-skin-side surfaces of the left and right adhesive regions 21a of the non-skin-side sheet 21 are adhered to the skin-side surface of the topsheet 13 of the absorbent article body 11 by the water-soluble binder 23. The left and right adhesive regions 21a of the non-skin-side sheet 21 face both ends in the width direction of the region between the left and right gathers 17c in the topsheet 13 of the absorbent article body 11. The left and right adhesive regions 21a of the non-skin-side sheet 21 are located on the non-skin side of the left and right gathers 17c in a state where the left and right gathers 17c are laid down (the state shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2), and are regions that overlap the left and right gathers 17c in the thickness direction (the direction along the symbol Z) of the absorbent article 10.

[0041] The water-repellent region 21b of the non-skin-side sheet 21 is a region at the center in the width direction of the non-skin-side sheet 21 (at the center in the width direction rather than the left and right adhesive regions 21a), and is subjected to a water-repellent treatment. The water-repellent region 21b of the non-skin-side sheet 21 is subjected to a water-repellent treatment, for example, by coating the skin-side surface of the non-skin-side sheet 21 with a coating agent such as silicon or fluorine. In the water-repellent region 21b of the non-skin-side sheet 21, moisture from the superabsorbent polymer 22 side (skin side) is repelled by the coating agent. Note that the water-repellent region 21b of the non-skin-side sheet 21 ensures air permeability even though it is subjected to a water-repellent treatment.

[0042] The superabsorbent polymer 22 can be formed from materials such as sodium polyacrylate-based, polyaspartate-based, (starch-acrylic acid) graft copolymer, (acrylic acid-vinyl alcohol) copolymer, (isobutylene-maleic anhydride) copolymer and its saponified product, similar to the superabsorbent polymer 18 of the absorber 15 of the absorbent article body 11. The superabsorbent polymer 22 may be wrapped in a carrier sheet. The base material of the carrier sheet may be any hydrophilic material, and examples thereof include hydrophilic non-woven fabrics such as tissue, absorbent paper, and airlaid non-woven fabric.

[0043] The water-soluble binder 23 that adheres the left and right adhesive regions 21a of the non-skin-side sheet 21 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 to the topsheet 13 of the absorbent article body 11 is a binder having the property of dissolving in water. For example, it can be any of a water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol-based binder, a water-soluble acrylic-based binder, a water-soluble urethane-based binder, a water-soluble urethane-modified ether-based binder, a water-soluble polyethylene oxide-based binder, a water-soluble polyamide-based binder, a water-soluble phenol-based binder, a water-soluble vinyl acetate-based binder, a water-soluble styrene acrylic acid-based binder, a water-soluble styrene maleic acid-based binder, a water-soluble styrene acrylic maleic acid-based binder, a water-soluble polyester-based binder, a water-soluble polyvinyl acetal-based binder, a water-soluble polyester-urethane-based binder, a water-soluble polyether-urethane-based binder, and a water-soluble hot melt adhesive. Among them, the water-soluble hot melt adhesive is preferable in terms of water solubility and temporary adhesiveness (it adheres by heating but the adhesive force decreases in a wet state). Water-soluble hot melts that are known (such as Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. Sho 51-77632, Hei 5-5084, Hei 6-49423, Hei 07-305041, Hei 08-092537, Hei 09-031431, Hei 11-323305, etc.) can be used. Among them, a water-soluble hot melt having excellent high-speed adhesiveness (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 11-323305) is preferable.

[0044] The water-soluble binder 23 is provided in the left and right adhesive regions 21a of the non-skin-side sheet 21. That is, the water-soluble binder 23 is located on the non-skin side of the left and right gathers 17c in a state where the left and right gathers 17c are laid down (the state shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2), and is provided in a region that overlaps the left and right gathers 17c in the thickness direction (the direction along the symbol Z) of the absorbent article 10.

[0045] In the absorbent article 10 configured as described above, since the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 having the superabsorbent polymer 22 is removably attached to the skin side of the absorbent article main body 11 having the absorber 15, after the body fluid is absorbed by the superabsorbent polymer 22 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 can be removed from the absorbent article main body 11. Therefore, since the absorber 15 of the absorbent article main body 11 can absorb the body fluid again, the absorption amount (absorption performance) can be improved.

[0046] Further, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is removably adhered to the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article main body 11 by the water-soluble binder 23. Since the water-soluble binder 23 has the property of dissolving in water, when the body fluid is absorbed by the superabsorbent polymer 22 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 or after absorption, the water-soluble binder 23 can be dissolved by the body fluid flowing from the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 side to the absorbent article main body 11 side. Therefore, after the body fluid is absorbed by the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 can be easily removed from the absorbent article main body 11.

[0047] Also, both ends 12a in the width direction of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 are close to or in contact with the bases of the left and right gathers 17c. In this way, since the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is provided wide between the left and right gathers 17c, the area of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 can be secured widely, and the body fluid can be absorbed in a wide area.

[0048] Further, since the water-soluble binder 23 is provided at both end portions (outer end adhesive regions 21a) in the width direction of the non-skin side sheet 21, unlike the case where the water-soluble binder 23 is provided at the central portion in the width direction of the non-skin side sheet 21, the water-soluble binder 23 can be disposed at a position shifted in the width direction from the wearer's excretion part. Therefore, when the water-soluble binder 23 dissolves, contact of the water-soluble binder 23 with the wearer's excretion part can be suppressed, and a decrease in the wearing feeling can be prevented.

[0049] Further, the water-soluble binder 23 is provided at both end portions in the width direction of the non-skin surface side sheet 21 (adhesive regions 21a at the outer end portions), and the left and right adhesive regions 21a of the non-skin surface side sheet 21 face both end portions in the width direction of the region between the left and right gathers 17c of the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article body 11. That is, since the water-soluble binder 23 is located at both end portions in the width direction of the region between the left and right gathers 17c of the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article body 11, even if the melted water-soluble binder 23 remains on the top sheet 13 after the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is removed from the absorbent article body 11, it will not remain at the central portion in the width direction of the top sheet 13. For this reason, different from the case where the melted water-soluble binder 23 remains at the central portion in the width direction of the top sheet 13 after the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is removed from the absorbent article body 11, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the absorbency of the absorbent article body 11 due to the melted water-soluble binder 23.

[0050] Further, the water-soluble binder 23 is located on the non-skin surface side of the left and right gathers 17c in a state where the left and right gathers 17c are laid down (the state shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2), and is provided in a region overlapping the left and right gathers 17c in the thickness direction (the direction along the symbol Z) of the absorbent article 10. That is, since the region where the water-soluble binder 23 is provided can be covered from the skin surface side by the left and right gathers 17c in the laid-down state, even if the melted water-soluble binder 23 moves to the skin surface side after the water-soluble binder 23 melts, it is possible to prevent the melted water-soluble binder 23 from directly touching the skin of the wearer by the left and right gathers 17c in the laid-down state.

[0051] Further, the left and right adhesive regions 21a of the non-skin surface side sheet 21 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 have water permeability, and the water-repellent region 21b at the center in the width direction of the non-skin surface side sheet 21 is subjected to a water-repellent treatment. Therefore, as indicated by the white arrow in FIG. 2, the body fluid absorbed from the skin surface side of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 hardly moves from the water-repellent region 21b at the center in the width direction of the non-skin surface side sheet 21 to the absorbent article main body 11 side, but moves to both sides in the width direction. For this reason, since the body fluid can be guided to the adhesive regions 21a on both sides in the width direction of the non-skin surface side sheet 21, the water-soluble binder 23 can be surely dissolved by a large amount of body fluid, and the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 can be easily removed from the absorbent article main body 11.

[0052] Further, the water-repellent region 21b at the center in the width direction of the non-skin surface side sheet 21 is subjected to a water-repellent treatment, and the body fluid absorbed from the skin surface side of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 hardly moves from the water-repellent region 21b at the center in the width direction of the non-skin surface side sheet 21 to the absorbent article main body 11 side. For this reason, after the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is removed from the absorbent article main body 11, the region at the center in the width direction of the absorbent article main body 11 can be made in a state where the body fluid is not absorbed, and a dry surface state can be created in the region at the center in the width direction of the absorbent article main body 11, so that a state suitable for repeated absorption can be ensured.

[0053] Further, since the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is disposed in the region of the absorbent article main body 11 that is located under the crotch of the wearer in the longitudinal direction, the absorption performance of the crotch region can be enhanced, and the absorption performance of the necessary region can be improved.

[0054] When the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is present and body fluid is absorbed, the body fluid is absorbed by the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 and the regions on both sides in the width direction of the absorbent article main body 11, and it is difficult to be absorbed by the absorbent article main body 11 directly below the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12. Since the absorbent body 15 of the absorbent article main body 11 contains the superabsorbent polymer 18, the superabsorbent polymer 18 in the regions on both sides in the width direction of the absorbent article main body 11 swells, and the superabsorbent polymer 18 in the region directly below the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 does not swell. Therefore, the cross-sectional shape of the absorbent article main body 11 in the width direction is a shape in which the central portion in the width direction is recessed toward the non-skin surface side (hereinafter referred to as a "recess"). After the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is peeled off, the excretory part of the wearer comes into contact with the recess of the absorbent article main body 11. As a result, the recess of the absorbent article main body 11 functions like an absorbent body slit, and lateral leakage of body fluid can be prevented.

[0055] Thus, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to achieve both an improvement in the absorption performance of the absorbent article 10 and facilitation of the removal of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12.

[0056] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The absorbent article 30 of the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a water-impermeable film 32 is provided on the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31. Regarding the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and the description thereof is omitted.

[0057] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31 of the absorbent article 30 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, for easy understanding, the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article main body 11 is shown, and the illustration of other parts of the absorbent article main body 11 is omitted.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 3, the absorbent article 30 according to the present embodiment includes an absorbent article main body 11 and an auxiliary absorbent sheet 31 that is removably attached to the skin surface side of the absorbent article main body 11.

[0059] The auxiliary absorbent sheet 31 has a skin-side sheet 33 disposed on the skin side, a non-skin-side sheet 34 disposed on the non-skin side facing the skin-side sheet 33, and a superabsorbent polymer 22 provided between the skin-side sheet 33 and the non-skin-side sheet 34, and is formed in a sheet shape. Thereby, the superabsorbent polymer 22 has a structure sandwiched between the skin-side sheet 33 and the non-skin-side sheet 34. The skin-side sheet 33 and the non-skin-side sheet 34 have a structure in which the peripheries of the superabsorbent polymer 22 of both sheets 33, 34 are joined to each other so that the superabsorbent polymer 22 does not spill out, similar to the skin-side sheet 20 and the non-skin-side sheet 21 of the first embodiment. Note that, although the configuration of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31 of the absorbent article 30 according to the present embodiment is different from that of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 of the absorbent article 10 of the first embodiment, the arrangement position and the adhesion mode with respect to the absorbent article main body 11 are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0060] The skin-side sheet 33 is formed of a non-woven fabric having water permeability (liquid permeability) such that body fluid moves to the superabsorbent polymer 22, similar to the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article main body 11.

[0061] The non-skin-side sheet 34 is a sheet formed of a water-permeable (liquid-permeable) non-woven fabric, and has an adhesion region 34a at both outer end portions on both sides in the width direction and a central region 34b between the left and right adhesion regions 34a. The left and right adhesion regions 34a are water-permeable and are adhered to the skin-side surface of the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article main body 11 by a water-soluble binder 23. The left and right adhesion regions 34a face both ends in the width direction of the region between the left and right gathers 17c in the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article main body 11. The left and right adhesion regions 34a are located on the non-skin side of the left and right gathers 17c in a state where the left and right gathers 17c are laid down (the state shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2), and are regions that overlap the left and right gathers 17c in the thickness direction (the direction along the symbol Z) of the absorbent article 30. A water-impermeable (liquid-impermeable) water-impermeable film 32 is adhered to the non-skin side of the central region 34b of the non-skin-side sheet 34. In addition to the water-impermeable film 32, the central region 34b of the non-skin-side sheet 34 may be subjected to a water-repellent treatment as in the first embodiment.

[0062] The water-impermeable film 32 may be a resin film, and examples thereof include polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polypropylene, and a composite film of polyethylene and polypropylene.

[0063] In the absorbent article 30 configured as described above, since the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31 having the superabsorbent polymer 22 is detachably attached to the skin side of the absorbent article main body 11, after the body fluid is absorbed by the superabsorbent polymer 22 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31 can be removed from the absorbent article main body 11. By removing the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31 from the absorbent article main body 11, the body fluid can be reabsorbed by the absorbent body 15 of the absorbent article main body 11, so that the absorption amount (absorption performance) can be improved.

[0064] Further, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31 is removably adhered to the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article main body 11 by a water-soluble binder 23. Since the water-soluble binder 23 has the property of dissolving in water, when the highly water-absorbent polymer 22 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31 absorbs body fluid or after absorption, the water-soluble binder 23 can be dissolved by the body fluid flowing from the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31 side to the absorbent article main body 11 side. Therefore, after the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31 absorbs body fluid, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31 can be easily removed from the absorbent article main body 11.

[0065] Also, a water-impermeable (liquid-impermeable) water-impermeable film 32 is adhered to the non-skin surface side of the central region 34b of the non-skin surface side sheet 34 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31. For this reason, since the body fluid from the skin surface side of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31 is guided to both sides in the width direction of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31, the body fluid is guided to the adhesion regions 34a on both sides in the width direction of the non-skin surface side sheet 34, and the water-soluble binder 23 can be surely dissolved by a large amount of body fluid, and the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31 can be easily removed from the absorbent article main body 11.

[0066] Also, a water-impermeable (liquid-impermeable) water-impermeable film 32 is adhered to the non-skin surface side of the central region 34b of the non-skin surface side sheet 34 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31, and since the body fluid from the skin surface side of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31 is guided to both sides in the width direction of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31, the movement of the body fluid to the center in the width direction of the absorbent article main body 11 can be suppressed. For this reason, after the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31 is removed from the absorbent article main body 11, the region in the center in the width direction of the absorbent article main body 11 can be kept in a state where body fluid is not absorbed, and a surface state with a dry feeling can be created in the region in the center in the width direction of the absorbent article main body 11, so a state suitable for repeated absorption can be ensured.

[0067] Thus, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to achieve both an improvement in the absorption performance of the absorbent article 30 and an easy removal of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31.

[0068] In the present embodiment, the water-impermeable (liquid-impermeable) water-impermeable film 32 is provided on the non-skin surface side of the central region 34b of the non-skin surface side sheet 34 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31. However, it may be provided on the skin surface side of the central region 34b of the non-skin surface side sheet 34. Alternatively, the water-impermeable film 32 may be provided on both surfaces (both the skin surface side and the non-skin surface side) of the central region 34b of the non-skin surface side sheet 34 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 31.

[0069] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The absorbent article 40 of the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the non-skin surface side sheet 43 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 is composed of a water-impermeable film. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

[0070] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 of the absorbent article 40 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, for easy understanding, the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article main body 11 is shown, and the illustration of other parts of the absorbent article main body 11 is omitted.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 4, the absorbent article 40 according to the present embodiment includes an absorbent article main body 11 and an auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 detachably attached to the skin surface side of the absorbent article main body 11.

[0072] The auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 has a skin-side sheet 42 disposed on the skin side, a non-skin-side sheet 43 disposed on the non-skin side facing the skin-side sheet 42, and a superabsorbent polymer 22 provided between the skin-side sheet 42 and the non-skin-side sheet 43, and is formed in a sheet shape. As a result, the superabsorbent polymer 22 has a structure sandwiched between the skin-side sheet 42 and the non-skin-side sheet 43. The skin-side sheet 42 and the non-skin-side sheet 43 have a structure in which the peripheries of the superabsorbent polymer 22 of both sheets 42 and 43 are joined to each other so that the superabsorbent polymer 22 does not spill out, similar to the skin-side sheet 20 and the non-skin-side sheet 21 of the first embodiment. Note that although the configuration of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 of the absorbent article 40 according to the present embodiment is different from that of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 of the absorbent article 10 of the first embodiment, the arrangement position and the adhesion mode with respect to the absorbent article main body 11 are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0073] The skin-side sheet 42 is formed of a non-woven fabric having water permeability (liquid permeability) such that body fluid moves to the superabsorbent polymer 22, similar to the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article main body 11.

[0074] The non-skin surface side sheet 43 is a sheet formed of a water-impermeable (liquid-impermeable) water-impermeable film, and the length L2 in the width direction of the non-skin surface side sheet 43 is shorter than the length L3 in the width direction of the skin surface side sheet 42. The non-skin surface side sheet 43 has adhesive regions 43a at both outer ends in the width direction. The left and right adhesive regions 43a are adhered to the skin surface side of the topsheet 13 of the absorbent article body 11 by a water-soluble binder 23. The left and right adhesive regions 43a face both ends in the width direction of the region between the left and right gathers 17c in the topsheet 13 of the absorbent article body 11. The left and right adhesive regions 43a are located on the non-skin surface side of the left and right gathers 17c in a state where the left and right gathers 17c are laid down (the state shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2), and are regions that overlap the left and right gathers 17c in the thickness direction (the direction along the symbol Z) of the absorbent article 40. The water-impermeable film constituting the non-skin surface side sheet 43 may be a resin film, and examples thereof include a polyester, a polyvinyl alcohol, a polyethylene, a polypropylene, and a composite film of polyethylene and polypropylene.

[0075] In the absorbent article 40 configured as described above, since the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 having the superabsorbent polymer 22 is detachably attached to the skin surface side of the absorbent article body 11, after the body fluid is absorbed by the superabsorbent polymer 22 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 can be removed from the absorbent article body 11. By removing the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 from the absorbent article body 11, the body fluid can be re-absorbed by the absorber 15 of the absorbent article body 11, so that the absorption amount (absorption performance) can be improved.

[0076] Further, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 is removably adhered to the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article body 11 by a water-soluble binder 23. Since the water-soluble binder 23 has the property of dissolving in water, when the highly water-absorbent polymer 22 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 absorbs body fluid or after absorption, the water-soluble binder 23 can be dissolved by the body fluid flowing from the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 side to the absorbent article body 11 side. Therefore, after the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 absorbs body fluid, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 can be easily removed from the absorbent article body 11.

[0077] Further, since the non-skin surface side sheet 43 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 is formed of a water-impermeable (liquid-impermeable) water-impermeable film, the body fluid absorbed from the skin surface side of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 is guided to both sides in the width direction on the skin surface side of the non-skin surface side sheet 43. Also, since the length L2 in the width direction of the non-skin surface side sheet 43 is shorter than the length L3 in the width direction of the skin surface side sheet 42, the water-soluble binder 23 can be disposed outside the non-skin surface side sheet 43 in the width direction. Therefore, the water-soluble binder 23 can be dissolved by a large amount of body fluid guided to the adhesion regions 43a on both sides in the width direction of the non-skin surface side sheet 43, so that the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 can be easily removed from the absorbent article body 11.

[0078] Also, since the length L2 in the width direction of the non-skin surface side sheet 43 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 is shorter than the length L3 in the width direction of the skin surface side sheet 42, the joining between the skin surface side sheet 42 sandwiching the highly water-absorbent polymer 22 and the non-skin surface side sheet 43 is performed between the peripheral region of the non-skin surface side sheet 43 (water-impermeable film) and the region of the skin surface side sheet 42 facing it. At this time, the water-soluble binder 23 is preferably disposed on the non-skin surface side of the skin surface side sheet 42. By disposing the water-soluble binder 23 at this position, the movement of body fluid can be promoted so as to move downward to the absorbent article body 11 through this region. Therefore, the water-soluble binder 23 can be dissolved by a large amount of body fluid, and the ease of removing the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 from the absorbent article body 11 can be improved.

[0079] In addition, since the non-skin surface side sheet 43 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 is formed of a water-impermeable (liquid-impermeable) water-impermeable film, the body fluid absorbed from the skin surface side of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 does not pass through the non-skin surface side sheet 43 and move to the absorbent article main body 11 side. For this reason, after removing the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41 from the absorbent article main body 11, the region at the center in the width direction of the absorbent article main body 11 can be made in a state where body fluid is not absorbed, and a dry surface state can be created in the region at the center in the width direction of the absorbent article main body 11. Therefore, a state suitable for repeated absorption can be ensured.

[0080] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to achieve both an improvement in the absorption performance of the absorbent article 40 and facilitation of the removal of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 41.

[0081] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the absorbent article 50 of the present embodiment, the arrangement position of the superabsorbent polymer 22 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 51 is different from that in the first embodiment. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description is omitted.

[0082] FIG. 5 is a plan view of an auxiliary absorbent sheet 51 of an absorbent article 50 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5, showing (a) the state before absorption and (b) the state after absorption, respectively. In FIG. 6, for easy understanding, the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article main body 11 is shown, and the illustration of other parts of the absorbent article main body 11 is omitted.

[0083] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the absorbent article 50 according to the present embodiment includes an absorbent article main body 11 and an auxiliary absorbent sheet 51 detachably attached to the skin surface side of the absorbent article main body 11.

[0084] The auxiliary absorbent sheet 51 has a skin-side sheet 52 disposed on the skin side, a non-skin-side sheet 53 disposed on the non-skin side facing the skin-side sheet 52, and a superabsorbent polymer 22 provided between the skin-side sheet 52 and the non-skin-side sheet 53, and is formed in a sheet shape. Thereby, the superabsorbent polymer 22 has a structure sandwiched between the skin-side sheet 52 and the non-skin-side sheet 53. The skin-side sheet 52 and the non-skin-side sheet 53 have a structure in which the peripheries of the superabsorbent polymer 22 of both sheets 52 and 53 are joined to each other so that the superabsorbent polymer 22 does not spill out, similar to the skin-side sheet 20 and the non-skin-side sheet 21 of the first embodiment. Note that, although the configuration of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 51 of the absorbent article 50 according to the present embodiment is different from that of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 of the absorbent article 10 of the first embodiment, the arrangement position and the adhesion mode with respect to the absorbent article main body 11 are the same as those of the first embodiment, and thus the detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0085] The skin-side sheet 52 is formed of a non-woven fabric having water permeability (liquid permeability) such that body fluid moves to the superabsorbent polymer 22, similar to the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article main body 11.

[0086] The non-skin-side sheet 53 is a sheet formed of a non-woven fabric having water permeability (liquid permeability), and has adhesion regions 53a at both outer ends in the width direction and a central region 53b between the left and right adhesion regions 53a. The left and right adhesion regions 53a have water permeability and are adhered to the skin-side surface of the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article main body 11 by a water-soluble binder 23. The left and right adhesion regions 53a face both ends in the width direction of the region between the left and right gathers 17c of the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article main body 11. The left and right adhesion regions 53a are located on the non-skin side of the left and right gathers 17c in a state where the left and right gathers 17c are laid down (the state shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2), and overlap the left and right gathers 17c in the thickness direction (the direction along the symbol Z) of the absorbent article 50. Note that, similar to the first embodiment, a water-repellent treatment may be performed on the central region 53b of the non-skin-side sheet 53.

[0087] The auxiliary absorbent sheet 51 has a plurality (three in this embodiment) of polymer presence regions 54 where the superabsorbent polymer 22 is present and a polymer non-presence region 55 where the superabsorbent polymer 22 is not present. The plurality of polymer presence regions 54 extend in the longitudinal direction while being spaced apart from each other in the width direction. The polymer non-presence region 55 is a region sandwiched between the plurality of polymer presence regions 54 and extends in the longitudinal direction. That is, the polymer presence regions 54 and the polymer non-presence region 55 each extend in the longitudinal direction and are alternately arranged with each other in the width direction. The skin-side sheet 52 and the non-skin-side sheet 53 of the polymer non-presence region 55 are fixed to each other. Note that the number of the plurality of polymer presence regions 54 is not limited to three.

[0088] In the absorbent article 50 configured as described above, since the auxiliary absorbent sheet 51 having the superabsorbent polymer 22 is detachably attached to the skin side of the absorbent article main body 11, after the body fluid is absorbed by the superabsorbent polymer 22 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 51, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 51 can be removed from the absorbent article main body 11. By removing the auxiliary absorbent sheet 51 from the absorbent article main body 11, the body fluid can be re-absorbed by the absorber 15 of the absorbent article main body 11, so that the absorption amount (absorption performance) can be improved.

[0089] Further, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 51 is detachably adhered to the topsheet 13 of the absorbent article main body 11 by a water-soluble binder 23. Since the water-soluble binder 23 has the property of dissolving in water, when the superabsorbent polymer 22 of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 51 absorbs the body fluid or after absorption, the water-soluble binder 23 can be dissolved by the body fluid flowing from the auxiliary absorbent sheet 51 side to the absorbent article main body 11 side. For this reason, after the auxiliary absorbent sheet 51 absorbs the body fluid, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 51 can be easily removed from the absorbent article main body 11.

[0090] Further, since the plurality of polymer presence regions 54 extend in the longitudinal direction while being spaced apart from each other in the width direction, the diffusion of the body fluid in the longitudinal direction can be promoted during repeated absorption of the body fluid.

[0091] Further, since it has a plurality of polymer presence regions 54 extending in the longitudinal direction while being spaced apart from each other in the width direction, unlike the case where one polymer presence region 54 is provided over the entire auxiliary absorbent sheet 51, even when a small amount of body fluid is absorbed, the polymer presence region 54 can be swollen in the thickness direction (the direction along the symbol Z) of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 51. As shown in FIG. 6(b), when the polymer presence region 54 swells in the thickness direction of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 51, a force in the direction of separating from the top sheet 13 of the absorbent article body 11 acts on the adhesion region 53a of the non-skin surface side sheet 53, so that the auxiliary absorbent sheet 51 can be more easily removed from the absorbent article body 11.

[0092] Thus, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to achieve both an improvement in the absorption performance of the absorbent article 50 and an ease of removal of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 51.

[0093] Next, a method for manufacturing the absorbent article 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, the method for manufacturing the absorbent article 10 according to the first embodiment will be described as an example. The manufacturing method according to the present embodiment is a method for manufacturing the absorbent article 10 including a top sheet 13 on the skin surface side, a back sheet 14 on the non-skin surface side, an absorber 15 provided between the top sheet 13 and the back sheet 14, a gather sheet 17 that forms gathers 17c on the skin surface side of the top sheet 13, and an auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 provided on the skin surface side of the top sheet 13.

[0094] FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a method for manufacturing the absorbent article 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the white arrows indicate the directions in which the respective members are conveyed. Also, each step is performed in the order of the steps in the order described (in the order of the first step, the second step, the third step, the fourth step, and the fifth step).

[0095] As shown in FIG. 7, in this manufacturing method, the topsheet 13, the backsheet 14, the gather sheet 17, and the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 are each prepared in a continuous state in advance. The continuous state means a state in which each of the sheets 12, 13, 14, 17 for a plurality of absorbent articles 10 is not cut.

[0096] First, in the first step, the continuous topsheet 13, backsheet 14, gather sheet 17, and auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 are conveyed along a predetermined conveyance line. The conveyance direction of this conveyance line is the same as the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article 10. Each of the sheets 12, 13, 14, 17 is conveyed in a state crossing the vertical direction.

[0097] Next, in the second step, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 conveyed in a continuous state is cut and separated in the longitudinal direction. The longitudinal length of the cut auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is the length for one absorbent article 10.

[0098] Next, in the third step, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 separated in the second step is adhered to the skin side (the upper surface in this embodiment) of the topsheet 13 conveyed on the conveyance line with a water-soluble binder 23.

[0099] Next, in the fourth step, the left and right gather sheets 17 (portion 17b) are adhered to the topsheet 13 in a state of being close to or in contact with the outer sides in the width direction of both end portions in the width direction of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 on the topsheet 13 to obtain a composite sheet 61. That is, in the fourth step, the left and right gather sheets 17 are adhered to the regions on both sides in the width direction of the topsheet 13 that are wider than the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 to obtain a composite sheet 61.

[0100] Next, in the fifth step, the absorber 15 is placed between the top sheet 13 and the back sheet 14 of the composite sheet 61, and the top sheet 13, the back sheet 14, and the left and right gather sheets 17 are joined. In the present embodiment, with the absorber 15 placed between the top sheet 13 and the back sheet 14 of the composite sheet 61, the outer end portions 17a in the width direction of the left and right gather sheets 17 are joined to the outer end portions in the width direction of the back sheet 14. That is, in the fifth step, the absorber 15 is sandwiched between the composite sheet 61 and the back sheet 14. Note that FIG. 7 shows a state in which a carrier sheet 62 is disposed between the absorber 15 and the back sheet 14.

[0101] Note that after the fifth step, a step of cutting the continuous absorbent article 10 so as to obtain a single absorbent article 10 may be provided.

[0102] In the method for manufacturing the absorbent article 10, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is adhered to the top sheet 13 in the third step, and the left and right gather sheets 17 are fixed to the top sheet 13 side (the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12) in the next fourth step to obtain the composite sheet 61. In this way, since the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is adhered to the top sheet 13 before attaching the left and right gather sheets 17 to the top sheet 13, there is no interference with the gathers 17c when the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is adhered to the top sheet 13. Therefore, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 can be easily adhered to the top sheet 13.

[0103] Also, the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is adhered to the top sheet 13 before attaching the left and right gather sheets 17 to the top sheet 13. That is, after the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 is adhered to the top sheet 13, the left and right gather sheets 17 are joined to the top sheet 13, so that both ends 12a in the width direction of the auxiliary absorbent sheet 12 can be easily arranged close to or in contact with the bases of the left and right gathers 17c.

[0104] As described above, the present invention has been explained based on the above embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the contents of the above embodiments, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the scope of the present invention. That is, of course, other embodiments, examples, operation techniques, etc. made by those skilled in the art based on this embodiment are all included in the scope of the present invention.

Explanation of Signs

[0105] 1, 10, 30, 40, 50: Absorbent article 11: Absorbent article main body 12, 31, 41, 51: Auxiliary absorbent sheet 13: Top sheet 14: Back sheet 15: Absorbent body 17: Gather sheet 17c: Gather 20, 33, 42, 52: Skin-side sheet 21, 34, 43, 53: Non-skin-side sheet 22: Superabsorbent polymer 23: Water-soluble binder 32: Non-water-permeable film 54: Polymer presence region 55: Polymer non-presence region 61: Composite sheet

Claims

1. An absorbent article main body having a topsheet on the skin side, a backsheet on the non-skin side, and an absorber provided between the topsheet and the backsheet, An auxiliary absorbent sheet having a skin-side sheet on the skin side, a non-skin-side sheet on the non-skin side, and a superabsorbent polymer provided between the skin-side sheet and the non-skin-side sheet, and removably attached to the skin-side surface of the topsheet of the absorbent article main body, The topsheet of the absorbent article main body and the non-skin-side sheet of the auxiliary absorbent sheet are adhered with a water-soluble binder An absorbent article, characterized by the above.

2. The water-soluble binder is provided at both end portions in the width direction of the auxiliary absorbent sheet The absorbent article according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The skin-side sheet and the non-skin-side sheet of the auxiliary absorbent sheet are water-permeable nonwoven fabrics, The outer end portions on both sides in the width direction of the non-skin-side sheet are adhesive regions having water permeability and adhered to the skin-side surface of the topsheet of the absorbent article main body by the water-soluble binder, The region between the adhesive regions on both sides in the width direction of the non-skin-side sheet is a water-repellent region subjected to water-repellent treatment The absorbent article according to claim 2, characterized by the above.

4. The skin-side sheet and the non-skin-side sheet of the auxiliary absorbent sheet are water-permeable nonwoven fabrics, The outer end portions on both sides in the width direction of the non-skin-side sheet are adhesive regions having water permeability and adhered to the skin-side surface of the topsheet of the absorbent article main body by the water-soluble binder, A non-water-permeable film is adhered to at least one of the skin side and the non-skin side of the central region, which is the region between the adhesive regions on both sides in the width direction of the non-skin-side sheet The absorbent article according to claim 2, characterized by the above.

5. The skin-side sheet of the auxiliary absorbent sheet is a water-permeable non-woven fabric, The non-skin-side sheet of the auxiliary absorbent sheet is a non-water-permeable film, The length of the non-skin-side sheet in the width direction is shorter than the length of the skin-side sheet in the width direction, Outer end portions on both sides in the width direction of the skin-side sheet are disposed on both sides in the width direction of the non-skin-side sheet, The water-soluble binder is provided at both end portions in the width direction of the auxiliary absorbent sheet and on the non-skin-side surfaces in the width direction of the skin-side sheet located on both sides in the width direction of the non-skin-side sheet The absorbent article according to claim 2, characterized in that.

6. The auxiliary absorbent sheet has a polymer presence region where a superabsorbent polymer is present and a polymer non-presence region where a superabsorbent polymer is not present, The polymer presence region and the polymer non-presence region each extend in the longitudinal direction and are alternately arranged with each other in the width direction The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that.

7. The auxiliary absorbent sheet is provided in a region of the absorbent article main body that is located under the crotch of the wearer in the longitudinal direction The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that.

8. The absorber of the absorbent article main body contains a superabsorbent polymer The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that.

9. The absorbent article main body has a pair of gathers that are disposed on both sides in the width direction on the skin side of the topsheet and extend in the longitudinal direction intersecting the width direction, The auxiliary absorbent sheet is disposed between the pair of gathers, Both ends in the width direction of the auxiliary absorbent sheet are close to or in contact with the bases of the pair of gathers. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that.

10. The water-soluble binder is located on the non-skin side of the pair of gathers and is provided in a region overlapping the pair of gathers in a state where the pair of gathers are laid down. The absorbent article according to claim 9, characterized in that.

11. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, comprising a topsheet on the skin side, a backsheet on the non-skin side, an absorber provided between the topsheet and the backsheet, left and right gather sheets forming gathers on the skin side of the topsheet, and an auxiliary absorbent sheet provided on the skin side of the topsheet, A first step of conveying the continuous topsheet, the auxiliary absorbent sheet, the left and right gather sheets, and the backsheet; A second step of separating the auxiliary absorbent sheet in the longitudinal direction; A third step of adhering the separated auxiliary absorbent sheet to the skin side of the topsheet with a water-soluble binder; A fourth step of adhering the left and right gather sheets to regions on both sides in the width direction of the topsheet that are wider than the auxiliary absorbent sheet to obtain a composite sheet; A fifth step of sandwiching the absorber between the composite sheet and the backsheet, including these steps in this order. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article.

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