Pants-type absorbent article and method for manufacturing pants-type absorbent article

Abstract

To provide a pant-type absorbent article that has good texture in a girth opening.SOLUTION: A pant-type absorbent article (1) is provided as follows: skin side sheets (22, 23) and a non-skin side sheet (21) have an exterior sheet (20) bonded by multiple bonding parts (50); the exterior sheet (20) includes a folded part (21bf) folded back to the lower side in an upper end, and a non-folded part (21bn) being not folded back; and at least a portion of the folded part (21bf) is overlapped with the non-folded part (21bn) in the thickness direction. When viewed from one side of the thickness direction, a bonding part column (L50) comprising multiple bonding parts (50) adjacently arranged in the vertical direction is inclined to one side in the lateral direction in the folded part (21bf), and the bonding part column (L50) is inclined to the other side in the lateral direction in the non-folded part (21bn).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pant-type absorbent article and a method for manufacturing a pant-type absorbent article. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, pants-type absorbent articles such as disposable diapers have been known in which an exterior is constructed by joining two or more sheet members stacked in the thickness direction together at a number of intermittently arranged joints. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a disposable diaper having an exterior (exterior sheet 20) in which a skin-side sheet, a non-skin-side sheet, and a stretchable nonwoven fabric are joined together at a number of scattered welds (joints). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-118973 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the disposable diaper of Patent Document 1, the upper end of the outer sheet is folded downward at the waist opening, and an elastic member such as rubber thread is sandwiched between the overlapping outer sheets in the thickness direction, thereby imparting appropriate stretchability to the waist opening while improving the durability of the waist opening. However, in the area where the outer sheet is folded over at the waist opening, multiple welded portions overlap in the thickness direction, which can make the overlapping portions feel hard against the skin and cause discomfort to the wearer. In particular, when multiple welded portions are arranged in a row along the vertical direction, there is a high possibility that welded portions in the same row will overlap in the thickness direction when the outer sheet is folded over, which can easily deteriorate the feel against the skin.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pants-type absorbent article that has a waist-opening that feels good against the skin. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The main invention to achieve the above object is: having a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a thickness direction which intersect with one another, The outer sheet is formed by joining the skin side sheet and the non-skin side sheet stacked in the thickness direction at a plurality of joints scattered therebetween, the exterior sheet has a folded portion folded downward at an upper end thereof and a non-folded portion that is not folded back, At least a portion of the folded portion overlaps with the non-folded portion in the thickness direction, A pants-type absorbent article having an absorbent main body having an absorbent core and a back sheet arranged on the non-skin side of the absorbent core, The plurality of joints are regularly arranged, The absorbent body and the exterior sheet are folded in half at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent body as a folding position, At the predetermined position, the non-skin side sheet is disposed closest to the skin side, When viewed from one side in the thickness direction, In the folded portion, a joint row consisting of a plurality of the joints that are adjacent to each other in the up-down direction and that are closest to each other is inclined to one side in the left-right direction, In the non-folded portion, the joint row is inclined toward the other side in the left-right direction, a rubber thread is provided along the left-right direction between the folded-back portion and the non-folded portion in the thickness direction, In each of the folded portion and the non-folded portion, for any one of the joint portions, there is only one joint portion that is adjacent to the joint portion on the lower side in the up-down direction and is closest to the joint portion on the lower side in the up-down direction, the skin side sheet has an overlapping portion that overlaps with the absorbent core on a side away from the skin side of the absorbent core, The overlapping portion is adjacent to the back sheet from the non-skin side in the thickness direction. are placed, The positions of the joints arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction in the up-down direction are the same, positions in the up-down direction of the plurality of joints that are adjacent to each other in the left-right direction and are closest to each other in the folded-back portion; In the non-folded portion, a plurality of the joint portions are arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction, The positions of the joints that are closest to each other in the vertical direction are different. The pants-type absorbent article is characterized by the above. Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pants-type absorbent article that has a waist opening that feels good against the skin. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a napkin 1. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic plan view of a napkin 1 in an unfolded and stretched state, as viewed from the skin side in the thickness direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 along the line AA. [Figure 4] Fig. 4A is an enlarged plan view of region A in Fig. 2. Fig. 4B is an enlarged view of region C in Fig. 4A. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of region B in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the formation of a joint 50. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a plan view illustrating the arrangement of welded parts 60 provided on the non-skin side sheet 21. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of welded portions 60 and joining portions 50 arranged on an exterior sheet 20. FIG. [Figure 9]Fig. 9A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state when the exterior sheet 20 is stretched in the left-right direction, and Fig. 9B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state when the exterior sheet 20 is contracted in the left-right direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] At least the following matters will become clear from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0010] A pants-type absorbent article having an outer sheet with a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a thickness direction that intersect with each other, in which a skin-side sheet and a non-skin-side sheet that are stacked in the thickness direction are joined by a plurality of scattered joints, the outer sheet having a folded-back portion that is folded downward at the upper end and a non-folded portion that is not folded back, at least a portion of the folded-back portion overlapping with the non-folded portion in the thickness direction, characterized in that, when viewed from one side in the thickness direction, in the folded-back portion, a row of joints consisting of a plurality of the joints that are lined up adjacent to each other in the vertical direction is inclined to one side in the horizontal direction, and in the non-folded portion, the row of joints is inclined to the other side in the horizontal direction.

[0011] In such a pants-type absorbent article, the rows of seams are inclined in opposite directions in the unfolded portion and the folded portion, making it difficult for the rows of seams to overlap in the thickness direction. This prevents the outer sheet from becoming locally hard and the feel from becoming worse against the skin, which would otherwise occur if the rows of seams overlap in the thickness direction. This makes it possible to provide a pants-type absorbent article that has a good feel against the skin at the waist opening.

[0012] In such a pants-type absorbent article, it is desirable that the positions in the up-down direction of the multiple joints that are adjacent to each other in the left-right direction are the same, and that the positions in the up-down direction of the multiple joints that are adjacent to each other in the left-right direction in the folded-back portion are different from the positions in the up-down direction of the multiple joints that are adjacent to each other in the left-right direction in the non-folded portion.

[0013] In such a pants-type absorbent article, the positions of the joints in the non-folded portion and the folded portion are offset in the vertical direction, making it difficult for the joints to overlap in both the left-right and vertical directions. This distributes the areas where the outer sheet hardens due to the joints, making it possible to improve the feel against the skin near the waist opening.

[0014] In such a pants-type absorbent article, it is desirable that the angle of inclination of the row of joint portions with respect to the vertical direction is smaller than 45°.

[0015] With such a pants-type absorbent article, when the outer sheet contracts in the left-right direction, it is possible to prevent the wrinkles from being interrupted midway or the formation of irregular wrinkles that are more aligned in the left-right direction than in the up-down direction, which makes it easier to form regular, neat wrinkles on the surface of the outer sheet, thereby improving the appearance and feel of the outer sheet.

[0016] In such a pants-type absorbent article, it is desirable that the angle of inclination of the row of joint portions with respect to the vertical direction is 5° or more and 10° or less.

[0017] Such a pants-type absorbent article prevents wrinkles from being formed at large angles on the outer sheet, and makes it easier for wrinkles to be formed that are parallel in the vertical direction, thereby preventing the user from feeling that the pants-type absorbent article is asymmetrical, and making it less likely to cause anxiety.

[0018] In such a pants-type absorbent article, it is desirable that the row of joints has a first joint and a second joint that are arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, and that the first joint and the second joint do not overlap in the horizontal direction.

[0019] In this pants-type absorbent article, when ultrasonic vibrations are applied to the skin-side sheet and non-skin-side sheet conveyed in the left-right direction (conveyance direction) to form joints during the manufacturing process of the outer sheet, appropriate ultrasonic vibrations can be applied to each of the first and second joints. In other words, because the positions of the first and second joints are offset in the left-right direction, the timing at which pressure is applied is offset, making it easier for pressure to be applied to each joint. This makes it less likely for welding defects to occur.

[0020] In such a pants-type absorbent article, it is desirable that the row of joints has a first joint and a second joint that are arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, and that the position of one side end of the first joint and the position of the other side end of the second joint are the same in the left-right direction.

[0021] With such a pants-type absorbent article, when ultrasonic vibrations are applied to the skin-side sheet and non-skin-side sheet conveyed in the left-right direction (conveyance direction) to form joints during the manufacturing process of the outer sheet, appropriate ultrasonic vibrations can be applied to each of the first and second joints. Furthermore, since the inclination of the joint rows is not too large, it is easy to form straight wrinkles that are aligned in the up-down direction of the outer sheet.

[0022] In such a pants-type absorbent article, it is desirable that the distance in the vertical direction between two adjacent joints in the vertical direction is larger than the distance in the horizontal direction between two adjacent joints in the horizontal direction.

[0023] In such a pants-type absorbent article, when the outer sheet contracts in the left-right direction, the distance between two adjacent joints in the left-right direction decreases while the distance between two adjacent joints in the up-down direction remains the same. This makes it easier for long, straight wrinkles in the up-down direction to be formed in a row, with fine wrinkles in the left-right direction. This further improves the appearance and feel of the outer sheet.

[0024] In the pants-type absorbent article, the length of the joint in the vertical direction is It is desirable that the length be longer than the length of the joint in the left-right direction.

[0025] In such a pants-type absorbent article, when the outer sheet contracts in the left-right direction, the nonwoven fabric is sandwiched between the long sides of the two laterally adjacent joints, and these long sides act as guides to facilitate the formation of wrinkles along the up-down direction. This facilitates the formation of neat, aligned wrinkles in the up-down direction, which tends to give the user a softer impression.

[0026] In such a pants-type absorbent article, it is desirable that the skin side sheet is a stretchable sheet having stretchability in the left-right direction.

[0027] In such a pants-type absorbent article, when the skin-side sheet arranged on the skin side of the outer sheet shrinks in the left-right direction, the non-skin-side sheet is convexly deformed toward the non-skin side in the contracted portion, making it easier for wrinkles to form on the surface of the outer sheet, thereby making the outer sheet softer to the touch.

[0028] In such a pants-type absorbent article, it is desirable that the non-skin side sheet has a plurality of welded portions arranged in a staggered pattern, and the area of ​​each of the welded portions is larger than the area of ​​each of the bonded portions.

[0029] In such a pants-type absorbent article, the rigidity of the parts of the outer sheet where the joints are formed is higher than that of the parts where the welded parts are formed, so by making the area of ​​the joints smaller than the area of ​​the welded parts, it is possible to make it difficult for the user to touch the rigid parts of the outer sheet, thereby preventing the outer sheet from becoming soft to the touch.

[0030] In such a pants-type absorbent article, it is desirable that the total area of ​​the welded portions provided per unit area of ​​the outer sheet is larger than the total area of ​​the joining portions provided per unit area of ​​the outer sheet.

[0031] In such a pants-type absorbent article, the area of ​​the joints arranged per unit area is made smaller than the area of ​​the welded parts, thereby preventing the stiffness of the entire outer sheet from increasing, which makes it difficult for the natural texture and stretchability of the outer sheet to be lost and achieves a pleasant feel against the skin.

[0032] In such a pants-type absorbent article, it is desirable that the length of the welded portion in the left-right direction is smaller than the distance in the left-right direction between two of the joining portions adjacent in the left-right direction.

[0033] In such a pants-type absorbent article, each welded portion is positioned between adjacent rows of welded portions (jointed portions) in the left-right direction, and there is a high probability that the welded portions will not overlap with the joints. This makes it easier for the welded portions to be positioned in the convex portions of the wrinkles that are deformed convexly toward the non-skin side when the outer sheet contracts in the left-right direction. Therefore, the wrinkles are more likely to deform due to the difference in rigidity between the convex portions of the wrinkles, resulting in a pleasant feel.

[0034] In such a pants-type absorbent article, it is desirable that the length of the welded portion in the vertical direction is smaller than the distance in the vertical direction between two of the joining portions adjacent to each other in the vertical direction.

[0035] According to such a pants-type absorbent article, the welded portions and the joined portions are less likely to overlap in the vertical direction, and the outer sheet is prevented from becoming hard to the touch.

[0036] In such a pants-type absorbent article, the area of ​​the joint is 0.03 mm 2 Over 0.2mm 2 It is desirable that the following is true:

[0037] In such pants-type absorbent article, the area of ​​the joint is 0.2 mm 2 By setting the area of ​​the joint to 0.03 mm or less, it is possible to prevent the rigidity of the portion where the joint is formed from becoming too high. 2 By doing so, it becomes easier to ensure sufficient bonding strength between the skin side sheet and the non-skin side sheet.

[0038] Furthermore, a method for manufacturing pants-type absorbent articles has been clarified, which manufactures pants-type absorbent articles using an outer sheet in which a skin-side sheet and a non-skin-side sheet are overlapped in the thickness direction and joined together at multiple joints, the method comprising: a conveying process including: conveying a skin-side continuous sheet that is continuous in the MD direction in the MD direction; and conveying a non-skin-side continuous sheet that is continuous in the MD direction in the MD direction while overlapping the skin-side continuous sheet in the thickness direction; and a joining process including: sandwiching the skin-side continuous sheet and the non-skin-side continuous sheet in the thickness direction with a pair of seal rolls that are provided at predetermined positions in the MD direction and rotate around a rotation axis along the CD direction perpendicular to the MD direction, to form the joint; and wherein a row of convex portions for forming the joint is provided on the outer peripheral surface of one of the pair of seal rolls, where the row of convex portions is formed by lining up multiple convex portions adjacent to each other in the CD direction, and two convex portions adjacent to each other in the CD direction in the row of convex portions are positioned at offset positions in the circumferential direction of the seal roll.

[0039] According to this method for manufacturing pants-type absorbent articles, when the skin-side sheet and the non-skin-side sheet are joined by sandwiching them with sealing rolls, pressure is applied sequentially to each of the convex portions constituting the row of convex portions, making it possible to reduce the occurrence of welding defects. This makes it possible to produce an outer sheet that can form wrinkles on its surface, thereby manufacturing pants-type absorbent articles that are comfortable against the skin.

[0040] In the method for manufacturing such pants-type absorbent articles, it is desirable that the angle of inclination of two of the convex portions adjacent to each other in the CD direction with respect to the CD direction is greater than 0° and smaller than 20°.

[0041] According to this method for manufacturing pants-type absorbent articles, by setting the inclination angle to be greater than 0°, it is possible to prevent pressure from being dispersed among adjacent convex portions in the CD direction, which would reduce the strength of the joints. Also, by setting the inclination angle to be less than 20°, it is possible to prevent the pitch between adjacent joints in the CD direction from becoming too large, which would cause wrinkles to form in the exterior sheet to become uneven and detract from the appearance.

[0042] === Implementation form === As an example of a pants-type absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention, a pants-type napkin (hereinafter simply referred to as "napkin 1") will be described. Note that pants-type absorbent articles also include pants-type diapers, pants-type absorbent pads, etc.

[0043] <Basic structure of napkin 1> Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing one example of the configuration of a napkin 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the napkin 1 in an unfolded and stretched state, as seen from the skin side in the thickness direction. Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 2.

[0044] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the napkin 1 has a "vertical direction" and a "lateral direction" that intersects the vertical direction, and as shown in Figure 3, it also has a "thickness direction" in which the various components are layered. In the vertical direction, the side that faces the wearer's torso when the napkin 1 is worn by a wearer is referred to as the "upper side," and the side that faces the wearer's crotch is referred to as the "lower side." In the thickness direction, the side that comes into contact with the wearer's skin when the napkin 1 is worn by a wearer is referred to as the "skin side," and the opposite side is referred to as the "non-skin side." In addition, as shown in Figure 1, the napkin 1 has a "front-to-back direction" in which the side that faces the wearer's stomach when worn is referred to as the "front side," and the side that faces the wearer's back is referred to as the "rear side."

[0045] The "stretched state" of napkin 1 refers to the state in which the entire napkin 1 (the entire product) is stretched without wrinkles by stretching each elastic member of napkin 1 (for example, the rubber thread described below and stretchable sheets such as skin-side sheets 22 and 23), specifically, the state in which each member constituting napkin 1 (for example, the non-skin-side sheet 21 and skin-side sheets 22 and 23 described below) is stretched until its dimensions match or are close to the dimensions of the member alone.

[0046] The napkin 1 comprises a strip-shaped absorbent body 10 for absorbing liquids such as menstrual blood, and an exterior sheet 20 positioned on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 10.

[0047] (Absorbent body 10) As shown in Fig. 2, the absorbent main body 10 has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view, with the longitudinal direction (i.e., the long side direction of the absorbent main body 10) in the unfolded and stretched state aligned with the vertical direction of the napkin 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the absorbent main body 10 has an absorbent core 11 aligned with the longitudinal direction (vertical direction), a top sheet 12 and a second sheet 13 arranged on the skin side of the absorbent core 11, and a back sheet 14 arranged on the non-skin side of the absorbent core 11.

[0048] The absorbent core 11 is a member that absorbs and retains liquids such as urine, and is formed from liquid-absorbent fibers such as pulp fibers mixed with superabsorbent polymer (SAP). The outer periphery of the absorbent core 11 may be covered with a liquid-permeable sheet member (core wrap sheet) such as tissue paper or nonwoven fabric.

[0049] The top sheet 12 is a liquid-permeable sheet member that can come into contact with the wearer's skin when worn, and is made of, for example, a hydrophilic air-through nonwoven fabric or a spunbond nonwoven fabric. The second sheet 13 is a sheet member that has substantially the same function and structure as the top sheet 12, and is laminated on the non-skin side of the top sheet 12. Note that the second sheet 13 does not necessarily have to be provided in the absorbent main body 10.

[0050] The backsheet 14 has a two-layer structure including a liquid-impermeable sheet 14a for preventing leakage of liquids such as urine absorbed in the absorbent core 11 to the outside, and a liquid-permeable sheet 14b disposed on the non-skin side of the liquid-impermeable sheet 14a. For example, a resin film is used as the liquid-impermeable sheet 14a, and for example, a flexible nonwoven fabric is used as the liquid-permeable sheet 14b.

[0051] At both ends in the left-right direction (short direction) of the absorbent main body 10, absorbent main body elastic members 31 are provided along the longitudinal direction. For example, rubber thread or the like can be used for the absorbent main body elastic members 31, and when the absorbent main body elastic members 31 contract in the longitudinal direction, the absorbent main body 10 fits around the wearer's legs. This makes it easier to prevent side leakage of body waste.

[0052] (Exterior sheet 20)

[0053] The outer sheet 20 is a sheet member arranged on the non-skin side of the absorbent main body 10, and includes a non-skin side sheet 21 and skin side sheets 22 and 23. In the following description, the portion of the outer sheet 20 that is in front (ventral side) of a predetermined position CL in the longitudinal direction will also be referred to as the front outer sheet 20f, and the portion that is behind (dorsal side) of the predetermined position CL will also be referred to as the rear outer sheet 20b.

[0054] The non-skin side sheet 21 is a non-stretchable sheet member placed closest to the skin side of the napkin 1, and is made of, for example, a spunbond nonwoven fabric or an SMS nonwoven fabric. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the non-skin side sheet 21 has a shape that is narrowed toward the inside in the left-right direction at the longitudinal center (a portion including the predetermined position CL). In addition, a plurality of welded portions 60 are provided over the entire surface of the non-skin side sheet 21. The welded portions 60 are formed, for example, by embossing, and the provision of the welded portions 60 ensures sufficient strength of the non-skin side sheet 21. Details of the welded portions 60 will be described later.

[0055] The skin side sheet 22 is a stretchable sheet member laminated on the skin side of the non-skin side sheet 21 on the front side (ventral side) in the longitudinal direction, and is arranged in the shaded area in FIG. 2. The skin side sheet 22 is formed, for example, from a stretchable nonwoven fabric. The term "stretchable nonwoven fabric" refers to a nonwoven fabric that contains stretchable fibers with stretchability and extensible fibers with lower shrinkage than the stretchable fibers, and that has been subjected to an appropriate stretching process such as gear stretching. The skin side sheet 22 of this embodiment can use, as the stretchable fibers, fibers of polyurethane-based elastomer, which is a type of elastic thermoplastic elastomer, and can use, as the extensible fibers, fibers of polypropylene (PP), a polyolefin-based resin, which is a type of inelastic thermoplastic resin.

[0056] The skin side sheet 22 is joined to the non-skin side sheet 21 at a plurality of scattered joints 50 (see FIG. 4), which provide the front outer sheet 20f with stretchability at least in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the joints 50 are formed using a known joining method such as ultrasonic welding. Details of the joints 50 will be described later.

[0057] The skin side sheet 23 is a stretchable sheet member laminated on the skin side of the non-skin side sheet 21 on the rear side (back side) in the longitudinal direction, and is arranged in the shaded area in Fig. 2. The skin side sheet 23 has a similar structure to the skin side sheet 22, and is joined to the non-skin side sheet 21 by a plurality of scattered joints 50 (see Fig. 4). This provides stretchability to the rear outer sheet 20b at least in the left-right direction.

[0058] The outer covering sheet 20 has a portion folded downward at its upper end in the vertical direction. In FIG. 3, the front outer covering sheet 20f has a folded-back portion 20ff, which is a portion folded downward in the vertical direction (toward the inside in the longitudinal direction) and toward the skin in the thickness direction at the front folding position FL20f. The portion of the front outer covering sheet 20f that is not folded downward is referred to as a non-folded portion 20fn. The folded-back portion 20ff is laminated with the non-folded portion 20fn in the thickness direction, and at least a portion of the folded-back portion 20ff is joined to the non-folded portion 20fn by a joining portion 25f made of an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive. A waistline elastic member 32f is provided between the folded-back portion 20ff and the non-folded portion 20fn in the thickness direction, extending in the width direction. The waistline elastic member 32f can be, for example, rubber thread, and is fixed to the outer covering sheet 20 (between 20ff and 20fn) in a stretched state in the width direction. The waist-line elastic members 32f contract in the width direction, thereby imparting stretchability to the waist-line portion (waist-line opening 1a described later) on the front side (belly side) of the napkin 1.

[0059] In the front outer sheet 20f, both the skin side sheet 22 and the non-skin side sheet 21 are folded back at the front folding position FL20f, and it is desirable that the vertical length of the folded back portion of the skin side sheet 22 is shorter than the vertical length of the folded back portion of the non-skin side sheet 21. In other words, it is desirable that the vertical length of the skin side sheet 22 at the folded back portion 20ff is shorter than the vertical length of the non-skin side sheet 21. In this way, the stretchability of the skin side sheet 22 is less likely to act excessively on the region near the waist opening 1a of the napkin 1, which prevents a deterioration in the fit around the waist of the wearer and makes it easier to prevent the folded back portion 20ff from rolling up.

[0060] Similarly, in Fig. 3, the rear outer sheet 20b has a folded-back portion 20bf, which is a portion folded back at a rear folding position FL20b toward the lower side in the up-down direction (inward in the longitudinal direction) and toward the skin in the thickness direction. The portion of the front outer sheet 20b that is not folded back toward the lower side is referred to as a non-folded portion 20bn. The folded-back portion 20bf is laminated with the non-folded portion 20bn in the thickness direction, and at least a portion of the folded-back portion 20bf is joined to the non-folded portion 20bn by a joining portion 25b made of an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive. Between the folded-back portion 20bf and the non-folded portion 20bn in the thickness direction, waist elastic members 32b such as thread elastic are fixed in a state stretched in the width direction, similar to the waist elastic members 32f. The waist elastic members 32b impart stretchability to the waist opening 1a (described later) at the rear side (back side) of the napkin 1.

[0061] As with the above-described skin side sheet 22, the vertical length of the folded-back portion of the skin side sheet 23 is desirably shorter than the vertical length of the folded-back portion of the non-skin side sheet 21. In other words, at the folded-back portion 20bf, the vertical length of the skin side sheet 23 is desirably shorter than the vertical length of the non-skin side sheet 21.

[0062] The napkin 1 is folded in half in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body 10 from the unfolded state shown in Fig. 2, with the absorbent main body 10 and the outer sheet 20 folded in half at a predetermined position CL (shown by a dashed line in Fig. 2) in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body 10 as the folding position. In this folded state, both widthwise ends 20fe of the front outer sheet 20f and both widthwise ends 20be of the rear outer sheet 20b, which are overlapped in the front-to-rear direction, are joined using a known joining method such as seal welding. As a result, the folded outer sheet 20 (20f and 20b) is connected in an annular shape at the front side (ventral side) and the rear side (back side), forming one waist opening 1a and a pair of leg openings 1b as shown in Fig. 1, thereby forming a pants-type napkin 1.

[0063] 2 and 3, the front outer sheet 20f and the rear outer sheet 20b of the outer sheet 20 have substantially the same configuration. Therefore, in the following description, the rear outer sheet 20b will be mainly described, and a description of the front outer sheet 20f will be omitted.

[0064] <Regarding the joint 50> As described above, the exterior sheet 20 of the napkin 1 is formed by laminating the non-stretchable non-skin side sheet 21 and the skin side sheets 22, 23, which are stretchable at least in the width direction, in a thickness direction and joining them together at a plurality of joining sections 50. The joining sections 50 will be described in detail below.

[0065] 4A is an enlarged plan view of region A in FIG. 2. FIG. 4B is an enlarged plan view of region C in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4 shows the arrangement of joints 50 formed in the non-folded portions 20bn of the rear outer sheet 20b, as viewed from the non-skin side. FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of region B in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 shows the arrangement of joints 50 formed in the overlapping region of the folded-back portion 20bf and the non-folded portion 20bn of the rear outer sheet 20b, as viewed from the non-skin side (the same direction as FIG. 4A). For ease of explanation, the welded portions 60 are not shown in both FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0066] As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the exterior sheet 20 (20b) has a plurality of joints 50 arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical (longitudinal) and horizontal (widthwise) directions. Each joint 50 has a substantially rectangular shape in which the length L50 in the longitudinal direction is longer than the length (width) W50 in the widthwise direction (L50 > W50). In this embodiment, L50 is approximately 0.3 mm, and W50 is approximately 0.22 mm. The lengths L50 and W50 can be changed as appropriate. The shape of the joint 50 is not limited to a rectangle and may be, for example, an ellipse or a polygon.

[0067] The multiple joints 50, 50... are arranged at equal intervals (equal pitch) in the vertical and horizontal directions. In other words, the interval (pitch) P50r between two adjacent joints 50, 50 in the vertical direction is the same. Also, the interval (pitch) P50l between two adjacent joints 50, 50 in the horizontal direction is the same (see FIG. 4A). The interval P50r in the vertical direction is longer than the interval P50l in the horizontal direction (P50r>P50l).

[0068] Furthermore, a set of multiple joints 50, 50... lined up adjacent to each other in the vertical direction is referred to as a joint row L50. For example, in Fig. 4A, a joint row including a first joint 50a and a second joint 50b adjacent to each other in the vertical direction is referred to as a first joint row L50a, and a joint row including a third joint 50c and a fourth joint 50d adjacent to each other in the vertical direction is referred to as a second joint row L50c.

[0069] Each joint row L50 is inclined to one side in the left-right direction. That is, two adjacent joints 50, 50 (for example, the first joint 50a and the second joint 50b) arranged vertically are positioned offset in the left-right direction. In Fig. 4, when viewed from one side in the thickness direction (the side opposite the skin), both the first joint row L50a and the second joint row L50c are inclined by a predetermined angle θ50 with respect to the vertical direction.

[0070] On the other hand, the plurality of joints 50, 50... (for example, the first joint 50a and the third joint 50c) that are arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction are arranged at the same position in the up-down direction.

[0071] When the rear outer sheet 20b having the joint row L50 inclined to one side in the left-right direction (the lower right direction in FIG. 4) is folded back at the rear folding position FL20b, the joint row L50 in the folded-back portion 20bf is inclined to the opposite side in the left-right direction (the other side). In FIG. 5, the joint row L50 provided in the non-folded portion 20bn of the rear outer sheet 20b is indicated by a solid line, and the joint row L50 provided in the folded-back portion 20bf is indicated by a dotted line. When viewed from one side in the thickness direction (the non-skin side) in this state, the joint row L50 in the non-folded portion 20bn is inclined to the right in the up-down direction, whereas the joint row L50 in the folded-back portion 20bf is inclined to the left in the up-down direction. When the rear bending position FL20b is parallel to the left-right direction, the joint row L50 in the non-folded portion 20bn and the joint row L50 in the folded portion 20bf have the same inclination but opposite directions. In Fig. 5, the inclination of the joint row L50 in the folded portion 20bf and the inclination of the joint row L50 in the non-folded portion 20bn are both θ50.

[0072] In the napkin 1, in the region of the rear outer sheet 20b where the non-folded portion 20bn and the folded portion 20bf overlap in the thickness direction, the inclination of the joint row L50 is opposite as shown in Fig. 5, thereby improving the feel against the skin in that region. The joint row 50 is formed by ultrasonic welding or the like, and the nonwoven fabric constituting the non-skin side sheet 21 is partially hardened in the region where the joint row 50 is formed. Therefore, if the joint row L50 is not inclined in the vertical direction (i.e., if the joint row 50 is aligned parallel to the vertical direction), the joint row L50 between the non-folded portion 20bn and the folded portion 20bf overlaps in the thickness direction, and the hardening of the non-skin side sheet 21 along the vertical direction in the region where the joint row L50 is provided is significant, which is likely to deteriorate the feel against the skin. In particular, the folded portion 20bf is the portion that tightens around the wearer's waist when putting on the napkin 1 (the waist opening 1a), and is also the portion that the wearer's fingers are likely to touch in order to widen the waist opening 1a or adjust the position of the napkin 1. Therefore, if the nonwoven fabric in the portion of the folded portion 20bf where the joint row L50 is provided hardens locally and becomes uncomfortable to the touch, this is likely to cause discomfort to the wearer.

[0073] In contrast, in this embodiment, the joint rows L50 are inclined in opposite directions in the non-folded portion 20bn and the folded portion 20bf, making it difficult for the joint rows L50 to overlap in the thickness direction. This makes it easier to prevent the joint rows L50 in the folded portion 20bf from overlapping in the thickness direction, which would otherwise cause the nonwoven fabric to harden locally. This allows for a comfortable feel near the waist opening 1a.

[0074] Furthermore, in the napkin 1, the positions of the joining portions 50, 50... lined up in the left-right direction are offset in the up-down direction between the non-folded portion 20bn and the folded-back portion 20bf. In the exterior sheet 20 of this embodiment, the joining portions 50, 50... lined up in the left-right direction are formed at the same positions in the up-down direction, so when the rear exterior sheet 20b is folded at the rear folding position FL20b parallel to the left-right direction, there is a high probability that the positions of the joining portions 50 will be offset in the up-down direction between the non-folded portion 20bn and the folded-back portion 20bf.

[0075] Therefore, the joints 50 in the non-folded portions 20bn and the joints 50 in the folded-back portions 20bf tend to be misaligned in both the vertical and horizontal directions, as shown in Fig. 5. That is, the portions of the nonwoven fabric hardened by the joints 50 are dispersed between the non-folded portions 20bn and the folded-back portions 20bf. This improves the feel against the skin near the waist opening 1a.

[0076] Incidentally, when the surface (non-skin side) of the rear outer sheet 20b of the napkin 1 is shrunk from a state stretched in the left-right direction, multiple wrinkles are formed in the up-down direction. Specifically, when the stretchable skin side sheet 23 shrunk in the left-right direction, the interval P50r between two adjacent joint portions 50, 50 in the left-right direction narrows, whereas the non-skin side sheet 21 does not shrunk in the left-right direction, and therefore deforms to become convex toward the non-skin side in the thickness direction, forming wrinkles (see FIG. 8 described later).

[0077] In this embodiment, the vertical spacing (pitch) P50r between two adjacent joints 50, 50 is longer than the horizontal spacing (pitch) P50l (P50r > P50l). Therefore, when the rear outer sheet 20b contracts in the horizontal direction, the vertical spacing P50r is maintained while the horizontal spacing P50l narrows, making it easier for straight wrinkles that are long in the vertical direction to form in a fine, horizontal array. The numerous, neat, fine wrinkles on the surface of the rear outer sheet 20b maintain the breathability of the rear outer sheet 20b, creating a beautiful appearance and impressing the user with the softness of the napkin 1. Furthermore, the actual contact area between the wearer's body and the wrinkles can be controlled, improving the feel against the skin.

[0078] Furthermore, because the shape of the joints 50 is a rectangle that is long in the vertical direction (see FIG. 4B), when the non-skin side sheet 21 shrinks in the horizontal direction and wrinkles are formed, the non-skin side sheet 21 is sandwiched between the long sides of the joints 50 that are adjacent in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the long sides act as guides, making it easier to form wrinkles that are aligned in the vertical direction. In other words, the wrinkles that are formed tend to be aligned in the same direction, making it easier to form neat wrinkles in appearance, and making it easier to create a softer impression on the user.

[0079] To form such clean wrinkles along the vertical direction, the inclination of the joint row L50 must not be too large. Specifically, the inclination angle θ50 of the joint row L50 must be less than 45° (θ50<45°). If the angle θ50 were 45° or greater, when the rear outer sheet 20b shrinks in the horizontal direction, the force acting in the shear direction between adjacent joint rows L50, L50 would be so large that the wrinkles would be interrupted midway, or the wrinkles would be unevenly aligned in the horizontal direction rather than the vertical direction. In contrast, if the inclination angle θ50 of the joint row L50 is smaller than 45°, the force acting in the shear direction would be small, making it easier to form clean wrinkles along the vertical direction.

[0080] However, if the inclination angle θ50 of the joint row L50 is large, the wrinkles that are formed may appear to be tilted at an angle. Furthermore, if wrinkles that are tilted to one side in the left-right direction are visible throughout the entire rear outer sheet 20b, the user may get the impression that the napkin 1 is asymmetrical, which may cause anxiety when wearing the napkin. Therefore, the inclination angle θ50 of the joint row L50 is preferably set to 5° or more and 10° or less (5°≦θ50≦10°). In this embodiment, the joints 50 are arranged so that θ50 = 6.6°. With this arrangement, when the rear outer sheet 20b contracts in the left-right direction while the joint row L50 is tilted in the up-down direction, wrinkles that are parallel to the up-down direction are likely to be formed, which is less likely to cause anxiety to the user.

[0081] Here, a brief description will be given of a method for forming the joints 50 (joining row L50) when joining the non-skin side sheet 21 and the skin side sheet 23 (22) in the manufacturing process of the napkin 1 (exterior sheet 20). Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the formation of the joints 50. Fig. 6 also shows a schematic view of a part of a manufacturing device for manufacturing an absorbent article (napkin 1) using the exterior sheet 20. In Fig. 6, the direction in which the exterior sheet 20 is conveyed is defined as the MD direction, and the direction perpendicular to the MD direction is defined as the CD direction. The MD direction corresponds to the left-right direction of the napkin 1 (exterior sheet 20), and the CD direction corresponds to the up-down direction of the napkin 1 (exterior sheet 20).

[0082] The joint 50 is formed by transporting a continuous sheet 21a, in which non-skin side sheets 21 are connected in the left-right direction, and a continuous sheet 23a, in which skin side sheets 23 are connected in the left-right direction, in the MD (transport direction) while overlapping each other in the thickness direction, using a pair of seal rolls 110A and 110B provided at predetermined positions in the MD. The seal rolls 110A and 110B are rotating bodies that rotate around rotation axes 111A and 111B aligned in the CD. The outer circumferential surface of the seal roll 110A is provided with a plurality of protrusions 112 for applying pressure (ultrasonic vibrations) when forming the joint 50. Each of the protrusions 112 has the same size and shape as the joint 50. A plurality of protrusions 112, 112 lined up adjacent to each other in the CD on the outer circumferential surface of the seal roll 110A form a protrusion row L112. This protrusion row L112 is tilted by θ112 with respect to the CD.

[0083] Then, the continuous sheet 21a and the continuous sheet 23a are sandwiched in the thickness direction between the convex portion 112 (convex portion row L112) of the seal roll 110A and the anvil portion (not shown) of the seal roll 110B, and ultrasonic vibrations or the like are applied to form joints 50 (joining portion row L50) having the same shape as the convex portion 112 (convex portion row L112), thereby joining the continuous sheet 21a and the continuous sheet 23a.

[0084] 6, when forming the joint row L50, it is desirable that the convex row L112 of the seal roll 110A has a predetermined inclination with respect to the CD direction. In other words, it is desirable that two convex portions 112, 112 adjacent to each other in the CD direction in the convex row L112 are arranged at positions offset in the circumferential direction (corresponding to the MD direction) of the seal roll 110A. If the convex row L112 were arranged parallel to the CD direction (if the convex portions 112, 112 were not offset in the circumferential direction), all of the convex portions 112 included in a certain convex row L112 would form joints 50 at the same time for the continuous sheets 21a, 23a conveyed in the MD direction. That is, because the multiple protrusions 112 included in the protrusion row L112 are all positioned in the same circumferential direction (MD direction), the pressure applied to the continuous sheets 21a, 23a by the seal roll 110A is dispersed among the multiple protrusions 112, and appropriate ultrasonic vibrations are not applied to each of the protrusions 112, which may result in poor welding. In contrast, if the positions of the individual protrusions 112 constituting the protrusion row L112 in the circumferential direction (MD direction) are offset, pressure is applied to each protrusion 112 in sequence as the seal roll 110A rotates, making it easier to apply appropriate ultrasonic vibrations. That is, by tilting the protrusion row L112 with respect to the CD direction, poor welding can be made less likely to occur.

[0085] Specifically, the inclination angle (θ112) of two adjacent convex portions 112, 112 in the CD direction on the outer peripheral surface of the seal roll 110A with respect to the CD direction is preferably greater than 0° and less than 20°. As described above, if θ112 is 0°, pressure may be dispersed among the multiple convex portions 112, 112 adjacent in the CD direction, potentially reducing the strength of the joints. On the other hand, if θ112 is 20° or greater, when attempting to form joints 50 uniformly in the CD direction, the pitch between adjacent joints 50, 50 becomes too large, which tends to result in uneven wrinkles and a poor appearance. Therefore, the inclination angle θ112 is preferably greater than 0° and less than 20° (0°<θ112<20°), and more preferably 5° or greater and 10° or less (5°≦θ112≦10°).

[0086] To more reliably prevent the occurrence of welding defects as described above, it is desirable that the positions of two adjacent protrusions 112, 112 in the CD direction on the outer peripheral surface of the sealing roll 110A do not overlap in the MD direction (corresponding to the left-right direction). In other words, in the joint row L50 formed on the exterior sheet 20, it is desirable that two adjacent joints 50, 50 in the vertical direction (e.g., the first joint 50a and the second joint 50b in FIG. 4) do not overlap in the left-right direction. In this way, the pressure applied by the sealing roll 110A acts sequentially on the multiple protrusions 112 constituting the protrusion row L112 one by one, thereby firmly forming each joint 50. Therefore, it is desirable that two adjacent joints 50, 50 in the vertical direction (e.g., the first joint 50a and the second joint 50b in FIG. 4) in the joint row L50 formed on the exterior sheet 20 do not overlap in the left-right direction.

[0087] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4B, the right-side end 50aer of the first joint 50a and the left-side end 50bel of the second joint 50b are located at the same position in the left-right direction. This arrangement allows the pressure (ultrasonic vibration) from the protrusions 112 of the seal roll 110A to be appropriately applied to each joint 50a, 50b when forming the joints 50a, 50b, reducing the likelihood of welding defects. Furthermore, because the inclination angle θ50 of the joint row L50 is not too large, it is easier to form straight wrinkles in the top-bottom direction in the exterior sheet 20 of the napkin 1. The inclination angle θ50 (= 6.6°) of the joint row L50 in this embodiment is determined by the arrangement of the joints 50, 50.

[0088] <About the welded part 60> Of the exterior sheet 20, the non-skin side sheet 21 has a plurality of welded portions 60. Fig. 7 is a plan view illustrating the arrangement of the welded portions 60 provided on the non-skin side sheet 21. Fig. 7 shows an enlarged view of a portion of the non-skin side sheet 21 in an extended state, and for ease of explanation, the joints 50 are not shown.

[0089] In this embodiment, the welds 60 are squares with sides of 0.5 mm, as shown in FIG. 7, and are arranged in a staggered pattern. However, the shape of the welds 60 does not necessarily have to be square, and they may be other shapes, such as rectangular, circular, or polygonal. The welds 60 are arranged regularly so that the spacing (pitch) P60r between adjacent welds 60 in the vertical direction is equal to the spacing (pitch) P60l between adjacent welds 60 in the horizontal direction (P60r = P60l). In this embodiment, the spacing P60r between the welds 60 in the horizontal direction is equal to the spacing P50r between the joints 50 in the horizontal direction (P60r = P50r).

[0090] Fig. 8 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of the welding parts 60 and the joining parts 50 arranged on the exterior sheet 20. Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of a part of the exterior sheet 20 in a stretched state. Fig. 9A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state when the exterior sheet 20 is stretched in the left-right direction. Fig. 9B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state when the exterior sheet 20 is contracted in the left-right direction.

[0091] The exterior sheet 20 (non-skin side sheet 21) is provided with welded sections 60 and joint sections 50, which are arranged as shown in FIG. 8, for example. Note that in some parts of the exterior sheet 20, the positions of the welded sections 60 and the joint sections 50 may overlap. However, the welded sections 60 and the joint sections 50 differ from each other at least in the vertical pitch (P50r and P60r), and the joint section row L50 is arranged at an angle relative to the vertical direction. Therefore, in the exterior sheet 20, the positions of the welded sections 60 and the joint sections 50 are likely not to overlap each other. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, at least one welded section 60 will be arranged between adjacent joint section rows L50, L50 in the horizontal direction.

[0092] FIG. 9A shows a state in which one welded portion 60 is disposed between two laterally adjacent joints 50, 50. When the outer covering sheet 20 (skin side sheet 23) contracts laterally from this state, the non-stretchable non-skin side sheet 21 deforms convexly toward the non-skin side in the region between the joints 50, 50, forming wrinkles, as shown in FIG. 9B. At this time, at least one welded portion 60 is disposed in the convex portion of the wrinkle. Since a difference in rigidity occurs between the portion of the surface of the non-skin side sheet 21 (nonwoven fabric) where the welded portions 60 are disposed and the portion without the welded portions, the placement of the welded portions 60 in the convex portion of the wrinkle also creates a difference in rigidity in the convex portion of the wrinkle. This difference in rigidity facilitates the deformation of the wrinkles, resulting in a pleasant feel when the user touches the wrinkles on the surface of the outer covering sheet 20. Furthermore, when the napkin 1 is worn, the wrinkles easily deform in response to the wearer's body movements, improving the fit.

[0093] 8, in this embodiment, the length of the welded portions 60 in the left-right direction is shorter than the spacing (pitch) P50l between the joints 50, 50 in the left-right direction. This increases the probability that each welded portion 60 will be located between two adjacent joint rows L50, L50 in the left-right direction and will not overlap with the joints 50. This makes it easier for the welded portions 60 to be located in the convex portions of the wrinkles that are convexly deformed toward the non-skin side when the exterior sheet 20 (skin side sheet 23) shrinks in the left-right direction.

[0094] 8, the length of the welded portion 60 in the up-down direction is shorter than the spacing (pitch) P50r between the joining portions 50, 50 in the up-down direction. This makes it difficult for the welded portion 60 to overlap the joining portion 50 in the up-down direction (and left-right direction), and prevents the exterior sheet 20 from becoming hard to the touch.

[0095] In this embodiment, the area S50 (=0.3 mm × 0.22 mm) of each joint 50 is smaller than the area S60 (=0.5 mm × 0.5 mm) of each welded portion 60. Since the joints 50 formed by ultrasonic welding or the like are more rigid than the welded portions 60 formed by embossing, making the area S50 of the joints 50 smaller than the area S60 of the welded portions 60 makes it difficult for the user to touch the highly rigid portions of the exterior sheet 20. This prevents the feel of the exterior sheet 20 from deteriorating.

[0096] As described above, the area where the joint 50 is formed becomes more rigid, and if the area S50 of the joint 50 is too large, the natural texture of the outer sheet 20 is likely to be lost. Furthermore, the stretchability of the skin-side sheet 23 is likely to be lost, resulting in a poor fit when worn. To prevent these problems, the area S50 of the joint 50 is preferably 0.2 mm or less, and more preferably 0.14 mm or less (S50≦0.2 mm). On the other hand, if the joint 50 is too small, sufficient joint strength cannot be obtained. Therefore, to ensure sufficient joint strength, the area S50 of the joint 50 is preferably 0.03 mm or more, and more preferably 0.05 mm or more (0.03 mm≦S50).

[0097] 8, the total area of ​​the joints 50 arranged per unit area of ​​the exterior sheet 20 is smaller than the total area of ​​the welded sections 60 arranged per unit area of ​​the exterior sheet 20. For the same reason as above, if the area of ​​the joints 50 formed per unit area is too large, the natural texture of the exterior sheet 20 is likely to be impaired, and stretchability is likely to be impaired. In this embodiment, by appropriately adjusting the ratio of the areas of the joints 50 and welded sections 60 arranged per unit area of ​​the exterior sheet 20, the texture and stretchability of the exterior sheet 20 can be improved.

[0098] ===Other=== The above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the napkin 1 has been described as an example of a pants-type absorbent article, but the present invention can also be applied to absorbent articles other than napkins. For example, pants-type absorbent articles may be pants-type diapers for children or adults, pants-type absorbent pads, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1 napkins (pants-type absorbent articles), 1a waist opening, 1b leg opening, 10. Absorbent body; 11 absorbent core, 12 top sheet, 13 second sheet, 14 back sheet, 20 exterior sheets, 20f front exterior sheet, 20ff folded part, 20fn non-folded part, 20fe both ends, 20b rear exterior sheet, 20bf folded portion, 20bn non-folded portion, 20be both ends, 21 non-skin side sheet, 21a continuous sheet, 22 skin side sheet, 23 skin side sheet, 23a continuous sheet, 25f joint, 25b joint, 31 absorbent main body elastic member, 32f waist circumference elastic member, 32b waist circumference elastic member, 50 joints, 50a 1st joint, 50b 2nd joint, 50c 3rd joint, 50d 4th joint, 60 Welds, 110A Seal Roll, 110B Seal Roll 111A rotating shaft, 111B rotating shaft, 112 convex part, L112 convex part row, FL20f front bending position, FL20b rear bending position, L50 joint row, L112 convex row

Claims

1. having a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a thickness direction which intersect with one another, The outer sheet is formed by joining the skin side sheet and the non-skin side sheet stacked in the thickness direction at a plurality of joints scattered therebetween, the exterior sheet has a folded portion folded downward at an upper end thereof and a non-folded portion that is not folded back, At least a portion of the folded portion overlaps with the non-folded portion in the thickness direction, A pants-type absorbent article having an absorbent main body having an absorbent core and a back sheet arranged on the non-skin side of the absorbent core, The plurality of joints are regularly arranged, The absorbent body and the exterior sheet are folded in half at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent body as a folding position, At the predetermined position, the non-skin side sheet is disposed closest to the skin side, When viewed from one side in the thickness direction, In the folded portion, a joint row consisting of a plurality of the joints that are adjacent to each other in the up-down direction and that are closest to each other is inclined to one side in the left-right direction, In the non-folded portion, the joint row is inclined toward the other side in the left-right direction, a rubber thread is provided along the left-right direction between the folded-back portion and the non-folded portion in the thickness direction, In each of the folded portion and the non-folded portion, for any one of the joint portions, there is only one joint portion that is adjacent to the joint portion on the lower side in the up-down direction and is closest to the joint portion on the lower side in the up-down direction, the skin side sheet has an overlapping portion that overlaps with the absorbent core on a side away from the skin side of the absorbent core, the overlapping portion is disposed adjacent to the back sheet from the non-skin side in the thickness direction, The positions of the joints arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction in the up-down direction are the same, positions in the up-down direction of the plurality of joints that are adjacent to each other in the left-right direction and are closest to each other in the folded-back portion; In the non-folded portion, a plurality of the joint portions are arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction, A pants-type absorbent article, characterized in that the positions in the up-down direction of the plurality of joints that are closest to each other are different.

2. A pants-type absorbent article as described in claim 1, A pants-type absorbent article, wherein the angle of inclination of the row of joints with respect to the vertical direction is less than 45°.

3. A pants-type absorbent article as described in claim 2, A pants-type absorbent article, characterized in that the angle of inclination of the row of joints with respect to the vertical direction is 5° or more and 10° or less.

4. A pants-type absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The joint row includes a first joint and a second joint arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, A pants-type absorbent article, characterized in that the first joint portion and the second joint portion do not overlap in the left-right direction.

5. A pants-type absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The joint row includes a first joint and a second joint arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, A pants-type absorbent article, characterized in that the position of one side end of the first joint portion is the same as the position of the other side end of the second joint portion in the left-right direction.

6. A pants-type absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The distance in the vertical direction between two of the joints that are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction and are closest to each other is a distance in the left-right direction greater than the distance between two of the joints that are adjacent to each other in the left-right direction and that are closest to each other;

7. A pants-type absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The length of the joint in the vertical direction is A pants-type absorbent article, characterized in that the length of the diaper is longer than the length of the joint portion in the left-right direction.

8. A pants-type absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The underpants-type absorbent article is characterized in that the skin side sheet is a stretchable sheet having stretchability in the left-right direction.

9. A pants-type absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the non-skin side sheet is provided with a plurality of welded portions arranged in a staggered pattern, A pants-type absorbent article, characterized in that the area of ​​each of the welded portions is larger than the area of ​​each of the bonded portions.

10. A pants-type absorbent article according to claim 9, The total area of ​​the welded portions provided per unit area of ​​the exterior sheet is a total area of ​​the joints provided per unit area of ​​the outer sheet, the total area being larger than the total area of ​​the joints provided per unit area of ​​the outer sheet.

11. A pants-type absorbent article according to claim 9 or 10, The length of the welded portion in the left-right direction is a distance in the left-right direction between the two joining portions that are adjacent to each other in the left-right direction and that are closest to each other in the left-right direction;

12. A pants-type absorbent article according to any one of claims 9 to 11, The length of the welded portion in the vertical direction is a distance between the first and second joining portions in the vertical direction, the distance being smaller than the distance between the first and second joining portions in the vertical direction.

13. A pants-type absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 12, A pants-type absorbent article, characterized in that the area of ​​the joint is 0.03 mm2 or more and 0.2 mm2 or less.

14. A method for manufacturing a pants-type absorbent article for manufacturing the pants-type absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising: a conveying step including: conveying, in the MD direction, a skin-side continuous sheet in which the skin-side sheet is continuous in the MD direction; and conveying, in the MD direction, a continuous non-skin-side continuous sheet in which the non-skin-side sheet is continuous in the MD direction while overlapping in the thickness direction of the skin-side continuous sheet; a joining step in which the skin side continuous sheet and the non-skin side continuous sheet are sandwiched in the thickness direction by a pair of seal rolls that are provided at predetermined positions in the MD direction and rotate about a rotation axis along a CD direction perpendicular to the MD direction, thereby forming the joint; and In the conveying step, the skin side continuous sheet is conveyed so that the left-right direction of the skin side sheet is the MD direction, and the non-skin side continuous sheet is conveyed so that the left-right direction of the non-skin side sheet is the MD direction, a row of protrusions for forming the joints is provided on an outer peripheral surface of one of the pair of seal rolls, the protrusions being arranged adjacent to each other in the CD direction and being closest to each other in the CD direction; A method for manufacturing pants-type absorbent articles, characterized in that two adjacent convex portions in the row of convex portions in the CD direction are arranged at offset positions in the circumferential direction of the sealing roll.

15. A method for manufacturing the pants-type absorbent article according to claim 14, comprising: A method for manufacturing pants-type absorbent articles, characterized in that the angle of inclination of two adjacent convex portions in the CD direction in the convex portion row with respect to the CD direction is greater than 0° and smaller than 20°.

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