absorbent articles

Abstract

To provide an absorbent article which smoothly scatters body fluid toward an absorber even in a heat-sealed periphery of compressed grooves and prevents body fluid leakage, especially leakage of body fluid around the buttocks.SOLUTION: An absorbent article 50 provided with a liquid permeable top sheet 10, a liquid impermeable back sheet 30, and an absorber 20 arranged between them has a pair of embossments 80 that extend in a longitudinal direction of the absorbent article 50 and face the width direction that deform the absorbent article 50 so that it goes along the skin of a wearer when the absorbent article 50 is put on. The respective embossments 80 include: compressed groove parts 81 reaching the inside of the absorber 20 from a skin side surface of the top sheet 10 and non-compressed groove parts 82 where no compressed groove parts 81 are formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Absorbent articles generally comprise a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and a fluff absorbent core containing absorbent fibers such as fluff pulp, disposed between them, and are configured so that the fluff absorbent core absorbs and retains body fluids such as urine that have permeated the top sheet. Absorbent articles come in a variety of forms depending on the intended use, such as light incontinence pads, light incontinence liners, urine absorption pads, sanitary napkins, pants-type disposable diapers, and tape-type disposable diapers, and are widely used by both adults and infants.

[0003] Conventional absorbent articles are provided with embossments that are primarily made up of compressed grooves (recessed grooves) that extend in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article and are recessed from the surface of the top sheet toward the inside of the absorbent body. For example, when wearing the absorbent article, such embossments facilitate contact of the absorbent article with the wearer's skin along the longitudinal direction by sandwiching the longitudinal center portion of the absorbent article between the wearer's legs from both sides in the width direction, and also improve the longitudinal diffusion of excreted body fluids by allowing them to flow into the compressed grooves (recessed grooves). Various proposals have been made for absorbent articles that include such useful embossments (compressed grooves or recessed grooves).

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses an absorbent article comprising a top sheet, a back sheet, an absorbent body positioned therebetween, a pair of embossments (compressed grooves) spaced apart in the width direction in the region where the absorbent body and the top sheet overlap in the thickness direction, recessed in the thickness direction from the top sheet toward the absorbent body and extending along the longitudinal center along the longitudinal direction to pass through the longitudinal center, and a pair of longitudinally stretchable side flaps located at both widthwise ends of the longitudinal center in the region where the absorbent body and the top sheet do not overlap in the thickness direction, wherein the distance from one edge of the absorbent body to the outer edge of the side flap facing that edge is longer than half the widthwise length between the pair of embossments at the longitudinal center. Patent Document 1 states that this configuration makes it possible to diffuse body fluids in the longitudinal direction to improve absorption performance while suppressing widthwise leakage of body fluids regardless of the wearer's posture, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-198579 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In conventional absorbent articles with embossing, such as that described in Patent Document 1, the compressed grooves that form the main part of the embossing are processed by a method such as thermal embossing so as to penetrate through the top sheet and the second sheet that may be interposed between the top sheet and the absorbent core and reach the inside of the absorbent core, resulting in the top sheet and second sheet being heat-sealed around the compressed grooves. This heat-sealed area presents a problem in that it is difficult for bodily fluids to move toward the absorbent core. Furthermore, because the compressed grooves are compressed all the way to the inside of the absorbent core, this results in a problem in that bodily fluids are more likely to leak longitudinally along the compressed grooves, particularly toward the buttocks, when the wearer is lying on their back or sitting.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article that prevents leakage of body fluids, particularly around the buttocks, while smoothly diffusing body fluids toward the absorbent body even around the heat-sealed compressed grooves. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] As a result of extensive research into solving the above problems, the present inventors have discovered that a desired absorbent article can be obtained by providing an absorbent article with a pair of embossments extending in the longitudinal direction of the article, and by configuring these embossments to include a compressed groove portion where compressed grooves are formed and a non-compressed groove portion where no compressed grooves are formed, and have thus completed the present invention. That is, the present invention relates to the following absorbent article.

[0009] (1) An absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent body disposed therebetween, a pair of embossments extending in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article and facing each other in the width direction, which deform the absorbent article so as to conform to the wearer's skin when the absorbent article is worn; Each of the embossments is a compressed groove portion that extends from the skin side of the top sheet to the inside of the absorbent body; a non-compressed groove portion in which the compressed groove portion is not formed, The compressed groove portions and the non-compressed groove portions are formed alternately, The recessed grooves constituting the compressed groove portion Chief The non-compressed groove portion has a depth of 3 mm or more and 30 mm or less. Chief The thickness of the embossing is 3 mm or more and 30 mm or less, full length The compression groove portion The combination The proportion of the total length is between 3% and 20%. An absorbent article in which a pair of compressed grooves is not provided in the width direction of the absorbent article. (2) The absorbent article of (1) above, wherein when the absorbent article is divided in the longitudinal direction into a front portion that mainly contacts the wearer's abdomen, a central portion that is connected to the front portion and mainly contacts the wearer's crotch, and a rear portion that is connected to the central portion and mainly contacts the wearer's back, the central portion is an area that is 15% to 70% of the longitudinal dimension of the absorbent article from one longitudinal end of the absorbent article, and the pair of embossments are located in the central portion and are arranged so as to curve inward in the width direction along the longitudinal direction and / or are arranged in a straight line along the longitudinal direction. (3) The absorbent article according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the width of the groove is 0.5 mm or more and 15 mm or less. (4) The absorbent article according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the thickness of the groove is 20% to 50% of the total thickness of the absorbent article. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, an absorbent article is provided which prevents leakage of body fluids, particularly around the buttocks, while smoothly diffusing body fluids toward the absorbent body even around the heat-sealed compressed grooves. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a configuration of an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view in the width direction taken along the X1-X1 cutting line shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are schematic plan views showing the arrangement of embossed or compressed grooves in Examples, with two types of arrangements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] In this specification, "wearing an absorbent article" refers to the state in which the absorbent article is worn on the body, regardless of whether bodily fluids have been absorbed or not. In an absorbent article, the length direction is the direction indicated by Y in the figure that extends from the front to the back of the body via the wearer's crotch when the absorbent article is worn on the body; the width direction is the direction indicated by X in the figure that is perpendicular to the length direction; and the thickness direction is the direction indicated by Z in the figure in which the various components are stacked. The skin side is the surface that contacts the wearer's skin or faces the skin when the absorbent article is worn, and the non-skin side is the surface that contacts the wearer's clothing or faces the clothing. Body fluids refer to liquids excreted from the body to the outside, such as urine, blood, and water in loose stools.

[0013] <Absorbent articles> Hereinafter, an absorbent article 50 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 and 2 show the absorbent article 50. These drawings do not stipulate the shape, dimensions, size relationship, etc. of each component of the absorbent article 50.

[0014] The absorbent article 50 of this embodiment can be used as a variety of absorbent articles for babies and adults, including pad products such as light incontinence pads, light incontinence liners, urine absorption pads, and sanitary napkins, as well as disposable diaper products such as pants-type disposable diapers and tape-fastened disposable diapers. Various types of disposable diapers may be combined as outerwear with the absorbent article 50 as innerwear. The longitudinal and width dimensions of the absorbent article 50 are not particularly limited, but are, for example, in the ranges of 100 mm to 800 mm and 50 mm to 500 mm, respectively. By adjusting the dimensions of the absorbent article 50 within the above ranges, various types of absorbent articles can be easily obtained.

[0015] 1 and 2 comprises a liquid-permeable top sheet 10 positioned on the skin side, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 30 positioned opposite the top sheet 10 and on the non-skin side, an absorbent body 20 positioned between the top sheet 10 and the back sheet 30, a second sheet 60 positioned between the top sheet 10 and the absorbent body 20, a carrier sheet 70 that wraps around the absorbent body 20, and a pair of three-dimensional gathers 40 provided on the skin side of the top sheet 10. Furthermore, the skin side of the top sheet 10 is provided with a pair of embossments 80 that extend in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article 50 and face each other in the width direction, and the embossments 80 include compressed groove portions 81 that are recessed grooves that penetrate through the top sheet 10 and the second sheet 60 in the thickness direction and whose bottom surfaces reach the inside of the absorbent body 20, and uncompressed groove portions 82 that have not been subjected to a compression treatment, and the compressed groove portions 81 and uncompressed groove portions 82 are formed alternately.

[0016] According to this embodiment, a pair of embossments 80 formed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent article 50 (or top sheet 10) extending in the longitudinal direction and facing each other in the width direction are composed of compressed groove portions 81 that have been compressed to form recessed grooves and uncompressed groove portions (non-recessed groove portions) 82 that have not been compressed. This allows body fluids to flow smoothly toward the absorbent body 20, preventing excessive diffusion of body fluids in the longitudinal direction, unlike when the entire embossment 80 is made up of compressed groove portions 81, and also prevents body fluids from diffusing excessively in the longitudinal direction, as part of the embossment 80 is made up of uncompressed groove portions 82, allowing body fluids to diffuse appropriately outward in the width direction, thereby suppressing leakage toward the buttocks. Note that the diffusion of body fluids outward in the width direction caused by the uncompressed groove portions 82 can be sufficiently prevented from further diffusion in the width direction by the provision of three-dimensional gathers 40, etc. Furthermore, by providing a compressed groove portion 81 in a part of the embossment 80, the adhesion and fit between the absorbent article 50 and the wearer's urination opening can be improved, and twisting of the absorbent body 20 can be prevented, thereby further preventing leakage of bodily fluids.

[0017] The absorbent article 50 of this embodiment has a top sheet 10, absorbent body 20, and back sheet 30 as basic structural units, with a pair of embossments 80 provided on the skin-facing side thereof, but various known modifications can be made, such as providing the above-mentioned three-dimensional gathers 40, providing a transfer sheet (not shown) or a second sheet 60 between the top sheet 10 and absorbent body 20, or wrapping the absorbent body 20 in a carrier sheet 70. Below, the components of the absorbent article 50 of this embodiment will be described in more detail in the order of the top sheet 10, second sheet 60, absorbent body 20, carrier sheet 70, embossments 80, back sheet 30, and three-dimensional gathers 40.

[0018] <Top sheet> The top sheet 10 is a liquid-permeable sheet-like substrate that allows bodily fluids to quickly pass through toward the absorbent body 20. Because the top sheet 10 may come into contact with the wearer's skin, a substrate that is soft to the touch and does not irritate the skin is preferred. Examples of such substrates include hydrophilic sheets, composite nonwoven fabrics that are laminates of the same or different hydrophilic sheets, apertured films such as apertured polyethylene films, and foamed films such as polyethylene foam and urethane foam. Examples of hydrophilic sheets include air-through nonwoven fabrics, thermobonded nonwoven fabrics, spunlace nonwoven fabrics, and spunbonded nonwoven fabrics made from synthetic fibers made from synthetic resins such as polypropylene and polyethylene, regenerated fibers such as rayon, and natural fibers such as cotton. Among these, nonwoven fabrics are preferred, and air-through nonwoven fabrics, spunbonded nonwoven fabrics, and the like are more preferred from the viewpoint of stably forming the embossments 80 on the skin-side surface of the top sheet 10.

[0019] The surface of the top sheet 10 may be embossed or perforated to improve liquid permeability. The top sheet 10 may contain one or more of lotions, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory ingredients, pH adjusters, antibacterial agents, moisturizers, etc. to reduce irritation to the skin. The basis weight of the top sheet 10 is set to, for example, 15 g / m² from the viewpoints of strength, processability, and liquid wetting-back. 2 More than 40g / m 2The shape of the top sheet 10 is not particularly limited, and may be any shape that covers part or all of the absorbent body 20 necessary to guide bodily fluids to the absorbent body 20 without leakage.

[0020] <Second seat> The second sheet 60 is placed on the non-skin side of the top sheet 10, more specifically, between the top sheet 10 and the absorbent body 20. By placing the second sheet 60, cushioning properties are increased, and the fit and wearing comfort are improved, and bodily fluids that have permeated the top sheet 10 can be dispersed almost uniformly throughout the absorbent body 20.

[0021] The base material of the second sheet 60 is, for example, a bulky nonwoven fabric that has a faster body fluid permeation rate than the top sheet 10 and quickly diffuses body fluid into the absorbent body 20. Air-through nonwoven fabrics, spunbond nonwoven fabrics, etc. are preferred as such nonwoven fabrics. The thickness of the second sheet 60 is, for example, in the range of 0.1 mm to 4 mm, and its basis weight is, for example, 20 g / m 2 More than 60g / m 2 The following range or 22 g / m 2 More than 37g / m 2 The thickness is less than 0.1 mm or the basis weight is 20 g / m 2 Less than or 60g / m 2 If it is larger, bodily fluids will not be sufficiently spread over the entire skin side of the absorbent body 20, and the wearing comfort of the absorbent article 50 will tend to decrease. Furthermore, there are no particular restrictions on the shape of the second sheet 60, but in a preferred embodiment, it has a shape that can completely cover the surface of the absorbent body 20.

[0022] <Absorbent> The absorbent body 20 has a longitudinal dimension (maximum length) in the range of, for example, 100 mm to 800 mm, 150 mm to 500 mm, or 270 mm to 500 mm. The widthwise dimension (maximum width) of the absorbent body 20 is, for example, 50 mm to 500 mm, 60 mm to 400 mm, or 70 mm to 105 mm. When the absorbent body 20 has an hourglass-shaped planar shape, the longitudinal dimension is in the range of 180 mm to 800 mm, the widthwise dimensions of the front portion A and the rear portion C that come into contact with the wearer's abdomen and back, respectively, are both in the range of 60 mm to 400 mm, and the widthwise dimension of the central portion B that comes into contact with the wearer's crotch is in the range of 90 mm to 250 mm. Examples of the shape of the absorber 20 in plan view include an hourglass shape, an I-shape, a rectangle, a rounded rectangle with rounded corners, and an oval.

[0023] A fluff absorbent body is an example of the absorbent body 20. The fluff absorbent body contains absorbent fibers and superabsorbent polymer (hereinafter also referred to as "SAP") as an absorbent base material.

[0024] (absorbent fiber) The absorbent fibers are not particularly limited as long as they are generally used in absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, and urine absorption pads, and examples thereof include fluff pulp, cotton, rayon, acetate, tissue, absorbent paper, and hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics. Among these, fluff pulp is preferred from the viewpoint of absorbency. Examples of fluff pulp include wood pulp (for example, bleached coniferous kraft pulp (N-BKP) such as southern pine and Douglas fir), synthetic fibers, resin fibers, and cotton-like defibrated materials such as non-wood pulp. When fluff pulp is used as the absorbent fiber in the absorber 20, the basis weight of the absorbent fiber is, for example, 100 g / m 2 More than 800g / m 2 The following range or 325g / m 2 More than 615g / m 2 This allows the fabric to absorb more body fluids without compromising the feel against the skin.

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

[0026] The superabsorbent polymer is used in the form of particles, fibers, etc., but is preferably used in the form of particles from the viewpoint of ease of handling, etc. In this case, by avoiding the use of a finely powdered superabsorbent polymer that has poor powder flowability and using a superabsorbent polymer with a median particle size, basic absorption performance can be improved and the rough feel caused by the hardness of the absorbent body 20 can be reduced. The median particle size of the superabsorbent polymer is, for example, in the range of 50 μm to 600 μm or in the range of 100 μm to 500 μm.

[0027] The basis weight of the SAP in the absorbent body 20 is, for example, 60 g / m 2 More than 450g / m 2 The following range or 245g / m 2 More than 445g / m 2 The SAP basis weight is within the following range. By setting the basis weight of the SAP within the aforementioned range, gel blocking in the absorbent body 20 can be prevented and a large amount of body fluid can be absorbed by the absorbent body 20. Furthermore, in the absorbent body 20, the ratio of the weight of the superabsorbent polymer to the total weight of the absorbent body 20, (weight of superabsorbent polymer / total weight of absorbent body 20) × 100 (%), is, for example, in the range of 15% by weight or more, or in the range of 15% by weight to 70% by weight.

[0028] In the fluff absorbent body 20, the absorbent fibers and SAP may be in the form of a mixture of absorbent fibers and SAP particles, or may be an SAP sheet in which SAP particles are fixed between absorbent fibers.

[0029] <Carrier sheet> The carrier sheet 70 is a hydrophilic sheet that completely or partially encases the absorbent body 20. For example, the absorbent body 20 is placed in the widthwise center of the carrier sheet 70, and the carrier sheet 70 and the absorbent body 20 are bonded together with a hot melt adhesive or the like as needed. Then, both widthwise ends of the carrier sheet 70 are overlapped with the skin side of the absorbent body 20 and bonded together with a hot melt adhesive or the like as needed, thereby obtaining the absorbent body 20 folded in a C shape with the carrier sheet 70. Any hydrophilic sheet commonly used in this field can be used as the carrier sheet 70, including, for example, hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics such as thermal-bonded nonwoven fabrics, spunbonded nonwoven fabrics, air-laid nonwoven fabrics, air-through nonwoven fabrics, and pulp-containing nonwoven fabrics, tissue paper, and absorbent paper. Among hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics, hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics such as thermal-bonded nonwoven fabrics, spunbonded nonwoven fabrics, air-through nonwoven fabrics, and pulp-containing nonwoven fabrics are more preferred, with air-through nonwoven fabrics, pulp-containing nonwoven fabrics, and spunbonded nonwoven fabrics being even more preferred. The thickness of the carrier sheet 70 is, for example, in the range of 0.10 mm to 0.25 mm, and the basis weight is, for example, 5 g / m 2 More than 40g / m 2 The range is as follows:

[0030] <Embossing> The embossments 80 function, for example, to deform the absorbent article 50 to conform to the wearer's body surface when the absorbent article 50 is worn, improving comfort and preventing leakage of bodily fluids. As shown in Fig. 1, when a wearer puts on the absorbent article 50, the absorbent article 50 may be divided along its longitudinal direction into a front portion A that mainly contacts the wearer's abdomen, a central portion B that is connected to the front portion A and mainly contacts the wearer's crotch, and a rear portion C that is connected to the central portion B and mainly contacts the wearer's back. Here, the central portion B is, for example, a longitudinal region that extends from one longitudinal end of the front portion A of the absorbent article 50 to 15% to 70% of the total length (longitudinal dimension) of the absorbent article 50.

[0031] The pair of embossments 80 of this embodiment extend in a curved shape from one longitudinal end to the other longitudinal end of the central portion B of the absorbent article 50, on the widthwise inner side of the pair of three-dimensional gathers 40, and are opposed to each other in a convex shape facing inward in the widthwise direction. The embossments 80 are not limited to the curved shape of this embodiment, and may be linear, extending approximately linearly in the longitudinal direction. Each embossment 80 is composed of a compressed groove portion 81, which is a recessed groove formed by a compression process and which penetrates the top sheet 10 and the second sheet 20 in the thickness direction of the absorbent article 20, with its bottom surface reaching the interior of the absorbent body 20, and a non-compressed groove portion 82 that has not been subjected to a compression process and does not have the aforementioned recessed groove. The compressed groove portion 81 can be formed on the skin-facing side of the top sheet 10 using, for example, heat embossing, ultrasonic embossing, high-frequency embossing, etc. The embossments 80 of this embodiment are composed of an alternating arrangement of relatively long, linear compressed groove portions 81 and relatively short, linear non-compressed groove portions 82. If the relatively long compressed groove portions 81 are represented as line portions and the relatively short non-compressed groove portions 82 are represented as dotted portions, this embodiment can be said to be a dotted line arrangement.

[0032] Alternatively, a dotted line arrangement in which the compressed grooves 81 are relatively short dotted portions and the non-compressed portions 82 are relatively long line portions, or a dotted line arrangement in which the compressed grooves 81 and non-compressed grooves 82 are the same length, etc. are also possible. Without being limited to the dotted line arrangement of this embodiment, for example, compressed grooves 81 of two different lengths (the longer one is a line portion and the shorter one is a dotted portion) and non-compressed grooves 82 (line portions or dotted portions) of an intermediate length may be used, or non-compressed grooves 82 of two different lengths (the longer one is a line portion and the shorter one is a dotted portion) and compressed grooves 81 (line portions or dotted portions) of an intermediate length may be used, and a dash-dot line arrangement, a two-dot line arrangement, etc. may also be used.

[0033] From the viewpoint of the longitudinal diffusion of body fluids by the compressed groove portion 81 and the widthwise diffusion of body fluids by the non-compressed groove portion 82, the concave grooves constituting the compressed groove portion 81 are Chief The thickness is, for example, in the range of 3 mm to 30 mm, and the non-compressed groove portion 82 Chief The thickness is, for example, 3 mm or more and 30 mm or less. full length Compression groove 81 The combination The ratio of the total length is, for example, in the range of 3% to 20%. Within this range, a good balance is maintained between the longitudinal and transverse diffusivities of body fluids, sufficiently preventing leakage of body fluids around the buttocks when lying on one's back or sitting, and also preventing side leakage. If it is less than 3%, the longitudinal diffusibility of body fluids becomes insufficient, and absorption performance such as absorption speed and absorption amount tends to decrease when absorbing body fluids multiple times. If it exceeds 20%, the longitudinal diffusibility of body fluids becomes too high, and body fluid leakage around the buttocks tends to occur more easily.

[0034] The width of the recessed grooves that form the compressed groove portion 81 is, for example, in the range of 0.5 mm to 15 mm, 3 mm to 13 mm, or 5 mm to 12 mm. If the width is less than 0.5 mm, the longitudinal diffusion of bodily fluids tends to decrease, while if it exceeds 15 mm, bodily fluids tend to diffuse too much in the longitudinal direction, which in turn reduces the rigidity of the absorbent article 50, resulting in a poorer fit to the wearer's body and a poorer wearing comfort, as well as a poorer ability to absorb and retain bodily fluids. The thickness (depth) of the recessed grooves that form the compressed groove portion 81 is, for example, in the range of 20% to 50% of the overall thickness of the absorbent article 50. Within these ranges, it is possible to achieve both ease of folding the absorbent article 50 into a compact fold in the final step of manufacturing the absorbent article 50 and reduced generation of unwanted creases and creases when the absorbent article 50 is unfolded.

[0035] <Back seat> The backsheet 30 may be formed using a liquid-impermeable substrate that prevents the body fluids held by the absorber 20 from wetting the wearer's clothing. Examples of such substrates include resin films and composite sheets that are laminates of resin films and nonwoven fabrics. The nonwoven fabrics used in the composite sheets may be made by any method, and examples include single-layer nonwoven fabrics such as spunbonded nonwoven fabrics and meltblown nonwoven fabrics, composite nonwoven fabrics such as spunbonded nonwoven fabric / meltblown nonwoven fabric laminates, and spunbonded nonwoven fabric / meltblown nonwoven fabric / spunbonded nonwoven fabric laminates, as well as composite materials thereof. Examples of resin films include polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polypropylene, and composite films of polyethylene and polypropylene.

[0036] The basis weight of the back sheet 30 is, for example, 15 g / m from the viewpoint of strength and processability. 2 More than 60g / m 2The range is as follows. In order to prevent stuffiness during wear, it is preferable that the back sheet 30 be breathable. To make the back sheet 30 breathable, for example, a filler may be blended into the resin film of the base material, or the back sheet 30 may be embossed. An example of the filler is calcium carbonate, and the blending method may be any known method without any restrictions.

[0037] <3D gathers> The three-dimensional gathers 40 are fixed to the skin-facing side of the top sheet 10 near both widthwise ends of the absorbent article 50 along the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article 50 in order to prevent, for example, lateral leakage of bodily fluids excreted by the wearer of the absorbent article 50. The three-dimensional gathers 40 include an elastic stretchable member 40a and a water-repellent and / or waterproof sheet member 40b.

[0038] The elastically stretchable member 40a is disposed along the longitudinal direction near the free end (other end) of the sheet member 40b, imparting upstanding property to the free end and allowing the free end and its neighboring area of the sheet member 40b to deform to fit the wearer's body shape. In this embodiment, one widthwise end (fixed end) of the sheet member 40b is fixed to near both widthwise ends of the skin-side surface of the backsheet 30, a middle portion in the widthwise direction is fixed to near both widthwise ends of the skin-side surface of the topsheet 10, and the other widthwise end is a free end that is upstanding. The fixing position of the fixed end (one widthwise end) of the sheet member 40b is not limited to this embodiment, and examples include the non-skin-side surface of the backsheet 30, near both widthwise ends of the skin-side surface or non-skin-side surface of the joint between the topsheet 10 and the backsheet 30, which has the absorbent body 20 housed therein, and near both widthwise ends of the skin-side surface of the topsheet 10.

[0039] The sheet member 40b is a water-repellent and / or waterproof sheet, and is made of, for example, a nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven fabric for the first sheet member can be any water-repellent and / or waterproof (liquid-impermeable) nonwoven fabric made of hydrophobic fibers, and examples thereof include spunbond nonwoven fabric, meltblown nonwoven fabric, and composite nonwoven fabric (SMS nonwoven fabric) which is a spunbond nonwoven fabric / meltblown nonwoven fabric / spunbond nonwoven fabric laminate. The basis weight of the sheet member 40b is, for example, 13 g / m 2 More than 20g / m 2 The range is as follows: As the elastic and stretchable member 40a, for example, thread-, string- or band-shaped members made of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, polyurethane or the like can be used as appropriate.

[0040] <Method for manufacturing absorbent articles> The absorbent article 50 can be manufactured by known manufacturing methods, including, for example, a manufacturing method including the steps of forming a recessed groove, which is a compressed groove portion 81, extending from the skin side of the top sheet 10 to the inside of the absorbent body 20 while overlapping the top sheet 10, the second sheet 60, and the absorbent body 20 in this order; overlapping the back sheet 30 on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 20 and fixing the edge of the top sheet 10 to the edge of the back sheet 30 partially or entirely using a hot melt adhesive, heat embossing, ultrasonic embossing, high-frequency embossing, or the like; and providing three-dimensional gathers 40 at predetermined positions on the back sheet 30 and the top sheet 10. Leg gathers, waist gathers, side flaps, and the like may be provided in the absorbent article 50 as needed. The absorbent article 50 thus obtained is folded to produce a product.

[0041] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments and examples. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. Furthermore, it is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention. [Example]

[0042] The present embodiment will be described in more detail below with reference to examples.

[0043] (Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6) (Production of absorbent articles) The absorbent body was a fluff absorbent body with a longitudinal dimension of 270 mm and a width dimension of 105 mm, which was formed by mixing 7 g of fluff pulp and 6 g of SAP as absorbent fibers, and an air-through nonwoven fabric (basis weight 25 g / m) was used as a liquid-permeable top sheet. 2 ) was used, and a breathable polyethylene sheet (basis weight 32 g / m) was used as a liquid-impermeable back sheet. 2 ) was used as the second sheet, and an air-through nonwoven fabric (basis weight 30 g / m 2 ) was used, and a composite nonwoven fabric (basis weight 15 g / m) was used as the three-dimensional gather, which is a laminate of spunbond nonwoven fabric / meltblown nonwoven fabric / spunbond nonwoven fabric. 2 ) was used, and the absorbent was a carrier sheet made of wood pulp (basis weight 16 g / m 2 ), and when the top sheet, back sheet, and absorbent body are integrated, the top sheet and the upper surface of the absorbent body are joined using a hot melt adhesive, and the skin-facing side of the top sheet is embossed in the arrangement shown in Figure 3(a) or (b) (the arrangement shown by reference symbol 83A in Figure 3(a) and the arrangement shown by reference symbol 83B in Figure 3(b); the longitudinal lengths of the compressed groove portions and non-compressed groove portions are shown in Table 1), and absorbent articles of Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6 having the configuration shown in Figures 1 and 2 were produced, with a longitudinal dimension of 245 mm and a width dimension of 90 mm.

[0044] [evaluation] The following evaluations were carried out on each of the absorbent articles of Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6. The results are shown in Table 1. (Body fluid diffusion in the surface direction) With the top sheet of the absorbent article facing upwards, 120 ml of saline solution was poured toward the center of the absorbent body in the longitudinal and width directions, and the time (seconds) until the saline solution spread 5 cm from the absorption area in the width direction of the product was measured. (Body fluid diffusion in a three-dimensional state) The absorbent article was attached to the outer surface of an 18 cm diameter cooking bowl, and with the top sheet facing up, 120 ml of saline solution was poured toward the center of the absorbent body in the longitudinal and width directions, and the time (seconds) until the water spread 5 cm in the width direction from the poured area was measured. (Less leakage from the rear of the product) Twenty test subjects were asked to wear the absorbent articles and a sensory evaluation was conducted to assess their ability to prevent leakage from the rear of the product. All test results were answered with two choices: "No leakage" or "Some leakage," and were evaluated according to the following criteria. ○: When "No missing information" is given to 15 or more but less than 20 people ×: When there are no people who "did not miss anything" or when there are between 1 and 14 people (Less leakage along the width of the product) Twenty test subjects were asked to wear the absorbent articles and a sensory evaluation was conducted to assess their resistance to leakage across the width of the product. All test results were answered with two choices: "No leakage occurred" or "Some leakage occurred," and the results were evaluated according to the following criteria. ○: When "No missing information" is given to 15 or more but less than 20 people ×: When there are no people who "did not miss anything" or when there are between 1 and 14 people (Absorbent body resistance to twisting) The absorbent articles were worn by 20 test subjects, and a sensory evaluation was conducted on the resistance of the absorbent body to twisting. All evaluations were conducted by selecting either "good" or "bad," and were rated according to the following criteria. ○: When 12 to 20 people answered "Good" △: When 5 to 11 people say "Good" ×: When there are no "good" people or when there are 1 to 4 people (Body fit) Twenty test subjects were asked to wear the absorbent articles and a sensory evaluation was conducted on the fit of the articles when worn. All evaluations were conducted using the survey with two choices of "good" or "bad," and were rated according to the following criteria. ○: When 12 to 20 people answered "Good" △: When 5 to 11 people say "Good" ×: When there are no "good" people or when there are 1 to 4 people

[0045] [Table 1]

[0046] The results in Table 1 show that Examples 1 to 6, which have appropriate non-compressed grooves in the longitudinal direction, have excellent body fluid diffusion properties in the planar and three-dimensional states, are less likely to leak along the rear and width directions of the product, have a good fit, and the absorbent body is less likely to twist. On the other hand, Comparative Example 1, which has no non-compressed groove portions, is inferior in diffusion in the plane direction and in a three-dimensional state, and Comparative Example 2, which has no compressed groove portions, and Comparative Examples 3 and 4, which have long non-compressed groove portions, provide a poor fit and the absorbent body is prone to twisting while being worn.Furthermore, Comparative Examples 5 and 6, which have a pair of compressed grooves in the width direction of the product in addition to the longitudinal compressed grooves, are prone to leakage from the width direction of the product and have increased rigidity in the width direction, resulting in a poor fit. Therefore, according to this embodiment, when bodily fluids such as urination are received, the amount of bodily fluid that can be absorbed by the three-dimensional gathers, etc., is quickly diffused outward in the width direction, preventing leakage toward the buttocks, and an absorbent article can be provided that fits the body well and is less likely to wrinkle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 10 Topsheet 20 Absorbent 30 Back Seat 40 Three-dimensional gathers 40a Elastic and stretchable member 50 Absorbent articles 60 Second seat 70 Carrier Sheet 80 Emboss 81 Compression groove 82 Non-compressed groove

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent body disposed therebetween, a pair of embossments extending in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article and facing each other in the width direction, which deform the absorbent article so as to conform to the wearer's skin when the absorbent article is worn; Each of the embossments is a compressed groove portion that extends from the skin side of the top sheet to the inside of the absorbent body; a non-compressed groove portion in which the compressed groove portion is not formed, The compressed groove portions and the non-compressed groove portions are formed alternately, the length of the recessed grooves constituting the compressed groove portion is 3 mm or more and 30 mm or less, the length of the non-compressed groove portion is 3 mm or more and 30 mm or less, and the ratio of the total length of the compressed groove portions to the total length of the embossment is 3% or more and 20% or less, An absorbent article in which a pair of compressed grooves is not provided in the width direction of the absorbent article.

2. 2. The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein when the absorbent article is divided in the longitudinal direction into a front portion that mainly contacts the wearer's abdomen, a central portion that is connected to the front portion and mainly contacts the wearer's crotch portion, and a rear portion that is connected to the central portion and mainly contacts the wearer's back, the central portion is an area from one longitudinal end of the absorbent article to 15% to 70% of the longitudinal dimension of the absorbent article, and the pair of embossments are arranged in the central portion and are arranged so as to curve inward in the width direction along the longitudinal direction and / or are arranged in a straight line along the longitudinal direction.

3. 3. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the width of the recessed groove is 0.5 mm or more and 15 mm or less.

4. The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the groove is 20% to 50% of the total thickness of the absorbent article.

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