absorbent articles

Abstract

To provide an absorbent article excellent in fitness property for a wearer's body.SOLUTION: An absorber 4 has a vertical recess 7 which recesses from a skin facing surface to a non-skin facing surface and extends in a vertical direction X. The vertical recess 7 includes a first vertical recess 71 positioned in a rear area R and a second vertical recess 72 positioned in an excretion part facing area M. A gap W71 in a horizontal direction Y between a pair of first vertical recesses 71, 71 gradually becomes shorter as they go backward in the vertical direction X along the vertical direction X and has a shortest interval that is not zero at a rear end 71R in the vertical direction of the first recess 71. Length W4 in the horizontal direction Y of a part at the same position in the vertical direction X as the rear end 71R in the vertical direction of the first vertical recess 71 in the absorber 4 is shorter than a maximum length in the horizontal direction Y of the absorber 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an absorbent article that is worn in the crotch area and used to absorb body exudates. [Background technology]

[0002] Known feminine absorbent articles, such as sanitary napkins, include an absorbent core that absorbs and retains exudates such as menstrual blood, and flaps that extend outward from the outer edge of the absorbent core and define the contours of the absorbent article. The skin-facing surface of the absorbent core is recessed by the topsheet and absorbent core, which form the skin-facing surface and are integrally recessed toward the non-skin-facing surface. The recessed portion is typically formed by compressing the skin-facing surface of the absorbent article and is also referred to as a compressed portion. The recessed portion is provided for purposes such as controlling the movement of exudates on the skin-facing surface of the absorbent article to prevent leakage and inducing appropriate deformation of the absorbent core when the absorbent article is worn to improve fit. Various shapes have been proposed to suit these purposes. For example, Patent Document 1 (Patent Document 1) describes a urine absorption pad that uses embossments (recessed portions) that can prevent leakage of low-viscosity exudates such as urine, including multiple pairs of linear embossments provided in the front and rear longitudinal regions and both lateral end portions of the absorbent article. The "longitudinal direction" referred to here is the direction corresponding to the front-to-back direction of a wearer of the absorbent article, and the "lateral direction" is the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0003] Patent Document 2 describes an absorbent article having a plurality of pairs of linear depressions extending in the vertical direction arranged on the skin-facing surface from the vertical central region to the rear region. The horizontal distance between one depression and the other depression in each pair gradually decreases toward the rear in the vertical direction, and the two depressions are connected to each other at their rear ends in the vertical direction. The absorbent article described in Patent Document 2 is said to have an improved fit around the buttocks, which are behind the wearer's excretory opening, and to be able to suppress rearward leakage of menstrual blood and the like.

[0004] Patent Document 3 describes an absorbent article capable of reducing irritation to the skin near the sacrum of a wearer, which has a pair of hip flaps extending significantly outward in the horizontal direction from both vertical edges of the absorbent body in a rear vertical region, and a pair of rear compressed portions spaced apart in the horizontal direction on the skin-facing surface of the rear region. The pair of rear compressed portions are located rearward in the vertical direction from the position of the maximum width of the hip flaps, and the horizontal distance between one rear compressed portion and the other rear compressed portion gradually increases toward the rear in the vertical direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-181080 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-223215 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-328 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article that has excellent fit to the body of a wearer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides an absorbent article that includes an absorbent body capable of absorbing and retaining bodily fluids, has a vertical direction corresponding to the front-to-back direction of the wearer, and a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, and has an excretory part-facing region that is positioned opposite the wearer's excretory part when worn, a front region that is positioned forward in the vertical direction from the excretory part-facing region, and a rear region that is positioned rearward in the vertical direction from the excretory part-facing region. One embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention includes flap portions that extend outward from the outer edge of the absorbent body and define the outline of the absorbent article. In one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention, the absorbent body has a vertical recess that is recessed from the skin-facing surface toward the non-skin-facing surface and extends in the vertical direction, and the vertical recess includes a first vertical recess located at least in the rear region and a second vertical recess located at least in the excretory part-facing region, and both vertical recesses are present in pairs on both sides of a horizontal center line that divides the absorbent article in half in the horizontal direction and extends virtually in the vertical direction. In one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention, the horizontal distance between a pair of the first vertical recesses gradually decreases along the vertical direction toward the rear, and has a shortest distance that is not zero at the vertical rear end of the first vertical recesses. In one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention, the horizontal length of a portion of the absorbent body that is at the same position in the vertical direction as the vertical rear end of the first vertical recess is shorter than the maximum horizontal length of the absorbent body. Other features, advantages and embodiments of the present invention are described below. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The present invention provides an absorbent article that has excellent fit to the wearer's body. The absorbent article of the present invention easily fits the wearer's gluteal crease (gluteal cleft), is less likely to cause the wearer to feel uncomfortable (a feeling that the absorbent article is not responding to the wearer's body movements), and has excellent leak prevention properties. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the skin-facing side of a sanitary napkin, which is one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II in FIG. 1 (a cross-section taken along the thickness and width directions of the sanitary napkin). [Figure 3] 3(a) is a schematic plan view of the skin-facing side of the rear region of the sanitary napkin shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3(b) is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 3(a). [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sanitary napkin shown in FIG. 1 taken along the thickness direction and the width direction when worn. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are designated by the same or similar reference numerals. The drawings are basically schematic, and the ratios of the dimensions may differ from those of the actual ones.

[0011] 1 to 3 show a sanitary napkin 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "napkin 1"), which is one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention. Napkin 1 has a longitudinal direction X that corresponds to the front-to-back direction of a wearer and extends from the front side (belly side) of the wearer through the crotch area to the rear side (dorsal side), and a lateral direction Y that is perpendicular to longitudinal direction X. In the present invention, "forward in the longitudinal direction" refers to a position forward of a reference position in the longitudinal direction (toward the wearer's ventral side), and "rearward in the longitudinal direction" refers to a position rearward of a reference position in the longitudinal direction (toward the wearer's back side). of Point to the location.

[0012] In this embodiment, the napkin 1 is elongated in the vertical direction X, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the napkin 1 is formed symmetrically on one side and the other side with respect to the horizontal centerline CLy. The horizontal centerline CLy is an imaginary line extending in the vertical direction X, dividing the napkin 1 in the unfolded state as shown in Fig. 1 into two equal parts in the horizontal direction Y.

[0013] The napkin 1 comprises an absorbent body 4 capable of absorbing and retaining bodily fluids (menstrual blood, urine, feces, sweat, etc.). In addition, the napkin 1 preferably further comprises a liquid-permeable topsheet 2 that can come into contact with the wearer's skin, and a leak-proof backsheet 3. In this case, the absorbent body 4 is disposed between the topsheet 2 and the backsheet 3, as shown in FIG. 2. In the napkin 1, the topsheet 2 covers the entire skin-facing side of the absorbent body 4, and the backsheet 3 covers the entire non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body 4. Both sheets 2 and 3 can be made of any material commonly used in this type of absorbent article, without any particular restrictions. The topsheet 2 can be made of any liquid-permeable sheet, such as a nonwoven fabric, a woven fabric, or paper. The back sheet 3 may be a leakproof sheet, specifically a liquid-impermeable sheet (a sheet that does not allow liquid to pass through at all) or a sheet that is difficult to liquid-permeable (a sheet that is not liquid-impermeable but does allow liquid to pass through with difficulty), for example, a moisture-permeable resin film or a laminate of such a resin film and nonwoven fabric.

[0014] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , a pair of side sheets 5, 5 are arranged on both sides of the skin-facing surface of the napkin 1 (the skin-facing surface of the topsheet 2) along the longitudinal direction X. The pair of side sheets 5, 5 are arranged over substantially the entire length of the longitudinal direction X so as to overlap both sides of the absorbent body 4 along the longitudinal direction X in a plan view. As shown in FIG. 2 , of both sides of the side sheet 5 along the longitudinal direction X, the outer portions including the outer edges located on the outer sides in the lateral direction Y are fixed to other members (the backsheet 3 in the illustrated embodiment) to form fixed edges, while the inner portions including the inner edges located on the inner sides in the lateral direction Y are free edges that are not fixed to other members. When the napkin 1 is worn, the free edges of the side sheets 5 rise toward the wearer's skin, thereby preventing the outflow of exudates such as menstrual blood outward in the lateral direction Y. The side sheets 5 can be made of a sheet with the same leak-proof properties as the backsheet 3.

[0015] In the present invention, the "skin-facing side" refers to the side of the absorbent article or its constituent member (e.g., absorbent core 4) that faces the skin of the wearer when the absorbent article is worn, i.e., the outer surface that is relatively closer to the wearer's skin. The "non-skin-facing side" refers to the outer surface of the absorbent article or its constituent member that faces the opposite side to the skin side when the absorbent article is worn, i.e., the outer surface that is relatively farther from the wearer's skin. Note that "when worn" here refers to the normal, appropriate wearing position, i.e., a state in which the correct wearing position of the absorbent article is maintained.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the napkin 1 has an excretory area facing region M that is positioned facing the excretory area of ​​the wearer, a front region F that is located forward (toward the ventral side) of the excretory area facing region M in the longitudinal direction X, and a rear region R that is located behind (toward the back) of the excretory area facing region M in the longitudinal direction X.

[0017] In the present invention, the "excretory part-facing region" refers to a region of the absorbent article in the absorber-arranged region (region overlapping the absorber in a planar view) that includes a region facing the excretory part and that faces the excretory part. The "excretory part" refers to the site where bodily fluids (menstrual blood, urine, feces, sweat, etc.) of the wearer of the absorbent article are excreted, and is typically the vaginal opening, penis, or anus, depending on the intended use of the absorbent article. The "excretory part-facing region" refers to a region of the absorbent article that overlaps with the excretory part in a planar view when worn. The excretory part-facing region may be, for example, the entire region of the absorber-arranged region of the absorbent article that is aligned vertically with the excretory part-facing region (a region that overlaps with the projected image of the excretory part-facing region when projected horizontally). When the absorbent article is a feminine absorbent article such as a sanitary napkin 1 or a panty liner, the excretory part-facing region refers to a region that faces the vaginal opening when worn.

[0018] The boundary between the front region F and the excretory region M (the front end of the excretory region M in the longitudinal direction X) is typically located rearward from the front longitudinal end 1F of the napkin 1 in the longitudinal direction X by 10 to 40% of the total length of the napkin 1 in the longitudinal direction X. Also, the boundary between the rear region R and the excretory region M (the rear end of the excretory region M in the longitudinal direction X) is typically located forward from the rear longitudinal end 1R of the napkin 1 in the longitudinal direction X by 10 to 40% of the total length of the napkin 1 in the longitudinal direction X. Here, the "total length of the napkin 1 in the longitudinal direction X" refers to the length along the longitudinal direction X between the front longitudinal end 1F and the rear longitudinal end 1R of the napkin 1 in its natural state (when no external force is applied).

[0019] The absorbent body 4 includes at least an absorbent core 40. In this embodiment, the absorbent core 40 has a shape that is elongated in the longitudinal direction X in a plan view, and its longitudinal direction coincides with the longitudinal direction X of the napkin 1. The absorbent core 40 constitutes the main body of the absorbent body 4 and contains a water-absorbent material, which enables it to absorb and retain body fluids. Examples of the water-absorbent material include water-absorbent fibers and water-absorbent polymers, which can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Examples of the water-absorbent fibers include natural fibers such as wood pulp and hydrophilic fibers such as hydrophilic synthetic fibers. Examples of the water-absorbent polymers that can be used include those conventionally used in this type of absorbent body, without particular limitation, and include, for example, polymers or copolymers of acrylic acid or alkali metal acrylates. The absorbent core 40 may be of either a stacked fiber type or a sheet type. The stacked fiber type absorbent core typically comprises an aggregate of fibrous materials such as absorbent fibers, with absorbent polymer particles optionally supported on the aggregate. The stacked fiber type absorbent core can be manufactured by a conventional method using a known stacking device equipped with a rotating drum. On the other hand, the sheet type absorbent core typically comprises a fibrous sheet having absorbent polymer particles fixed to the interior or surface thereof, and is also referred to as an absorbent sheet. Examples of the fibrous sheet include paper and nonwoven fabric. The sheet type absorbent core is thinner and more flexible than the stacked fiber type absorbent core. The sheet type absorbent core may, for example, comprise two opposing fibrous sheets with absorbent polymer particles interposed between them.

[0020] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the absorbent body 4 includes, in addition to the absorbent core 40, a liquid-permeable core wrap sheet 41 that covers the outer surfaces (skin-facing surface and non-skin-facing surface) of the absorbent core 40. The core wrap sheet 41 is used for purposes such as improving the shape retention of the absorbent core 40 and preventing the materials that form the absorbent core 40, such as water-absorbent polymer particles, from falling off, and is typically made of paper, water-permeable nonwoven fabric, or the like. The core wrap sheet 41 may be made of only one sheet, or may be made up of multiple sheets. The absorbent core 40 and the core wrap sheet 41 may be bonded together with an adhesive, such as a hot-melt adhesive.

[0021] In this embodiment, the absorbent body 4 has a fiber agglomerate layer 42 in the excretory-part-facing region M, as shown in Fig. 2, which is mainly made of fiber agglomerates 11 containing non-absorbent fibers. The fiber agglomerate layer 42 is covered with a core wrap sheet 41 together with an absorbent core 40. In this embodiment, the fiber agglomerate layer 42 is disposed only over the entire excretory-part-facing region M, and the region where the fiber agglomerate layer 42 is disposed is the excretory-part-facing region M. Regions in the absorbent body 4 where the fiber agglomerate layer 42 is not disposed (portions located in the front region F and rear region R of the absorbent body 4) include an absorbent core 40 but do not include the fiber agglomerate layer 42. Therefore, the region where the fiber agglomerate layer 42 is disposed is thicker and bulkier than the region where the fiber agglomerate layer 42 is not disposed. Due to the difference in thickness of the absorbent body 4 caused by the presence or absence of such fiber agglomeration layer 42, the excretory part facing region M, which is the region where the fiber agglomeration layer 42 is arranged, is raised on the skin facing side compared to the front region F and rear region R, which are regions where the fiber agglomeration layer 42 is not arranged, forming a so-called middle-height portion.

[0022] The fiber agglomerate layer 42 is present in an inter-lateral recess region sandwiched between a first transverse recess 81 and a second transverse recess 82, which will be described later, and the presence of the fiber agglomerate layer 42 gives the inter-lateral recess region higher compression recovery than the region adjacent to the inter-lateral recess region in the longitudinal direction X. The fiber agglomerate layer 42 will be described in detail later.

[0023] 1, the napkin 1 has flap portions 6 that extend outward from the outer edge (periphery) of the absorbent body 4 and form the outline of the napkin 1. The flap portions 6 are areas where the absorbent body 4 is not placed. In this embodiment, the flap portion 6 is composed of members arranged so as to straddle the outer edge of the absorbent body 4 from the inside to the outside, and in the illustrated embodiment, is composed of one or more of the topsheet 2, the backsheet 3, and the sidesheet 5. The multiple members constituting the flap portion 6 are joined to each other by a joining means such as adhesive, thermal or ultrasonic fusion. In this embodiment, an end seal portion 60 is formed by fusion-bonding the outer edge portion of the flap portion 6 (the outer edge of the flap portion 6 and its vicinity) all around.

[0024] The flap portions 6 are composed of a pair of side flap portions 6S, 6S located outward in the horizontal direction Y from a pair of imaginary straight lines VL, VL that pass through the outermost ends in the horizontal direction Y of the absorbent body 4, a front flap portion 6F located inward in the horizontal direction Y from the reference point and in a front region F, and a rear flap portion 6R located inward in the horizontal direction Y from the reference point and in a rear region R. The "outermost ends in the horizontal direction of the absorbent body" are the portions located furthest outward in the horizontal direction Y on each of the sides of the absorbent body 4 in the horizontal direction Y, and in this embodiment, are a pair of side edges 4S, 4S along the vertical direction of the absorbent body 4.

[0025] Typically, a fastening part (not shown) for fastening the napkin 1 to the wearer's clothing is arranged on the non-skin-facing surface of the napkin 1 (the non-skin-facing surface of the backsheet 3). As the fastening part, any of the conventional means used to fasten this type of absorbent article to clothing such as shorts can be used without any particular limitation, and for example, a pressure-sensitive adhesive, a pressure-sensitive adhesive, etc. can be used.

[0026] 1 and 3, the absorbent body 4 has vertical recesses 7 that are recessed from the skin-facing surface toward the non-skin-facing surface and extend in the vertical direction X. The vertical recesses 7 include a first vertical recess 71 located at least in the rear region R and a second vertical recess 72 located at least in the excretory part-facing region M. The vertical recesses 71, 72 are each present in pairs on both sides of the horizontal center line CLy of the napkin 1.

[0027] 1, the absorbent body 4 further has lateral recesses 8 that are recessed from the skin-facing surface toward the non-skin-facing surface and extend in the lateral direction Y. The lateral recesses 8 include a first lateral recess 81 arranged in the rear region R or in a portion of the excretory part-facing region M closer to the rear region R, and a second lateral recess 82 arranged in the front region F or in a portion of the excretory part-facing region M closer to the front region F.

[0028] The vertical recesses 7 (first vertical recesses 71, second vertical recesses 72) extend in the vertical direction X, and the horizontal recesses 8 (first horizontal recesses 81, second horizontal recesses 82) extend in the horizontal direction Y. Here, "extending" encompasses a configuration in which a continuous linear recess (single recess unit) in plan view extends in a predetermined direction (for example, the vertical direction X or the horizontal direction Y), and a configuration in which a plurality of recess units that are not continuous linear in plan view are arranged intermittently in the predetermined direction and extend as a whole in the predetermined direction. In the latter configuration, the distance in the predetermined direction between the two recess units that are closest to each other in the predetermined direction is preferably 5 mm or less, more preferably 4 mm or less, from the viewpoint of ensuring that the effects of the recesses (such as improved fit and leakproofness of the absorbent article) are achieved.

[0029] When another member such as the topsheet 2 is disposed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 4, it is preferable that the recesses 7, 8 are formed by integrally recessing the absorbent body 4 and the other member disposed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 4. This more reliably achieves the effects of the recesses 7, 8, such as improved fit and leak resistance. This embodiment employs such a configuration, and specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the vertical recess 7 is formed by integrally recessing the topsheet 2 and the core wrap sheet 41 (more specifically, the core wrap sheet 41 disposed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent core 40) and the absorbent core 40 as the absorbent body 4, and the horizontal recess 8 is formed in the same manner. In this embodiment, the recesses 7, 8 do not penetrate the absorbent body 4, but have an opening on the skin-facing surface of the napkin 1 and a bottom on the opposite side of the opening. The recesses 7, 8 having an opening on the skin-facing surface of the napkin 1 thus function to inhibit the movement of excrement such as menstrual blood in the planar direction, particularly in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the recesses 7, 8. The width of the recesses 7 and 8 (the length in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction) is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of ensuring that the effects of the recesses 7 and 8 are more reliably achieved, it is preferably 1 mm or more, more preferably 2 mm or more, and preferably 5 mm or less, more preferably 4 mm or less.

[0030] In this embodiment, the recesses 7, 8 are formed by compressing the napkin 1 from the side of the topsheet 2 that forms the skin-facing surface of the napkin 1. Therefore, they can also be called "compressed portions" based on the method of formation. Due to this formation method, the recesses 7, 8 have a higher density than their surrounding areas. That is, in the area of ​​the napkin 1 where the absorbent body 4 is located (the area that overlaps with the absorbent body 4 in a planar view), there are high-density areas of the recesses 7, 8 and low-density areas where the recesses 7, 8 are not located (areas that do not overlap with the recesses 7, 8 in a planar view), resulting in a difference in density in the planar direction. The compression process can be performed by known embossing processes, such as embossing with or without heat application, ultrasonic embossing, and the like. When the recesses 7, 8 are formed by a compression process that involves heat, the topsheet 2, the core wrap sheet 41, and the absorbent core 40 can be heat-sealed and integrated at the bottoms of the recesses 7, 8.

[0031] 3, the distance W71 between the pair of first vertical recesses 71, 71 in the horizontal direction Y gradually decreases toward the rear in the vertical direction X, and has a non-zero minimum distance at the vertical rear end 71R of the first vertical recess 71. In other words, the pair of first vertical recesses 71, 71 are not connected to each other. In this embodiment, the space between the vertical rear ends 71R, 71R of the pair of first vertical recesses 71, 71 is located in the center of the napkin 1 in the horizontal direction Y (on the horizontal center line CLy).

[0032] In this embodiment, the pair of first vertical recesses 71, 71 are each linear in plan view and extend in a direction intersecting both the vertical direction X and the horizontal direction Y. Each of the pair of second vertical recesses 72, 72 has an arc shape that is curved and convex outward in the horizontal direction Y, extends over the entire length of the excretory part facing region M in the vertical direction X, and further extends into the front region F and the rear region R. The apex of the convexity of the second vertical recess 72 and its vicinity extend in the vertical direction X along a portion (curved portion 63) sandwiched between a front constricted portion 61 and a rear constricted portion 62 (described later) at the outer edge of the flap portion 6 (side flap portion 6S). The first horizontal recess 81 has a convex, curved arc shape toward the longitudinal rear end 1R of the napkin 1, and the second horizontal recess 82 has a convex, curved arc shape toward the longitudinal front end 1F of the napkin 1. The apex of each of the convex horizontal recesses 81, 82 is located at the center of the napkin 1 in the transverse direction Y (on the transverse center line CLy). Furthermore, these recesses 71, 72, 81, and 82 are not connected to one another.

[0033] As mentioned above, the pair of first vertical recesses 71, 71, which are the vertical recesses 7 closest to the longitudinal rear end 1R of the napkin 1, have a distance W71 (see Figure 3) between them that gradually decreases toward the rear in the longitudinal direction X, and the first vertical recesses 71, 71 are not connected to each other but are spaced apart in the transverse direction Y. In addition to this, in the napkin 1, the length (width) W4 in the transverse direction Y of the portion of the absorbent body 4 that is at the same position in the longitudinal direction X as the longitudinal rear end 71R of the first vertical recess 71 is shorter than the maximum length (maximum width) W4max in the transverse direction Y of the absorbent body 4. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the absorbent 4 has a front region F (located forward in the longitudinal direction X from a front constricted portion 61 described later) and a rear region R on the longitudinal rear end 1R side (located rearward in the longitudinal direction X from a rear convex portion 65 described later) that each have a tapered shape with their width gradually decreasing outward in the longitudinal direction X. The portion sandwiched between these front and rear ends in the longitudinal direction X, including the excretory part-facing region M, has a constant width, and this constant width portion of the absorbent 4 is the portion having the maximum width W4max. Since the excretory part-facing region M is the area where excreta is most concentrated, it is preferable that the excretory part-facing region M has high bodily fluid absorption capacity in order to improve leakproofness. In consideration of this, it is preferable that the portion of the absorbent 4 having the maximum width W4max includes the excretory part-facing region M.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 3, the napkin 1 has the following features: 1) The distance W71 between a pair of first longitudinal recesses 71, 71 located at the rearmost part in the longitudinal direction X gradually decreases as it approaches the longitudinal rear end 1R of the napkin 1, and their longitudinal rear ends 71R are separated in the lateral direction Y without being connected to form a separation part; 2) Regarding the length in the lateral direction Y of each part of the absorber 4 in the rear region R, the relationship of "W4 < W4max" holds. Therefore, when the napkin 1 is worn, it is easy to bend convexly toward the wearer's body side along the wearer's gluteal cleft and the bulging part between the gluteal cleft and the gluteal sulcus at the separation part, and the bent shape is easily maintained. For this reason, the bent part at the separation part, that is, the bent part at the separation part between the longitudinal rear ends 71R of the pair of first longitudinal recesses 71, 71, easily fits the wearer's gluteal cleft so that the wearer hardly perceives discomfort. Also, since the napkin 1 fits the gluteal cleft in this way, the inconvenience that excrement discharged from the excretion part such as the vaginal opening leaks from the front and rear in the longitudinal direction X of the napkin 1 along the gluteal cleft (so-called side leakage) is suppressed, so the napkin 1 also has excellent leak prevention performance.

[0035] From the viewpoint of making the above-described effects more reliable, particularly from the viewpoint of further improving the fit of the napkin 1 to the gluteal cleft, the length in the lateral direction Y of the separation part between the longitudinal rear ends 71R, ...... 71R of the pair of first longitudinal recesses 71, 71, that is, the minimum value of the interval W71 is preferably 7 mm or more, more preferably 8 mm or more, and preferably 30 mm or less, more preferably 25 mm or less.

[0036] From the viewpoint of making the above-described effects more reliable, particularly from the viewpoint of further improving the fit of the napkin 1 to the gluteal cleft, the width W4 (see Fig. 3) of the absorber 4 is preferably 85% or less, more preferably 80% or less, still more preferably 76% or less with respect to the maximum width W4max of the absorber 4. On the other hand, with respect to the maximum width W4max of the absorber 4 versusThe lower limit of the ratio of the width W4 is preferably 20% or more, and more preferably 30% or more, from the viewpoint of imparting sufficient bodily fluid absorption capacity to the region (rear region R) sandwiched between the vertical rear ends 71R, 71R of both of the pair of first vertical recesses 71, 71.

[0037] The width W4 of the absorbent body 4, i.e., the length in the horizontal direction Y of the part of the absorbent body 4 that is at the same position in the vertical direction X as the vertical rear end 71R of the first vertical recess 71, is preferably 20 mm or more, more preferably 25 mm or more, and preferably 80 mm or less, more preferably 70 mm or less, provided that this is shorter than the maximum width W4max of the absorbent body 4. The maximum width W4max of the absorbent body 4 (in this embodiment, the length of the absorbent body 4 in the lateral direction Y in the excretory region M) is preferably 40 mm or more, more preferably 50 mm or more, and preferably 100 mm or less, more preferably 90 mm or less, provided that this is longer than the width W4 of the absorbent body 4.

[0038] 3, the absorbent body 4 has a rear tapered portion 45 in the rear region R, in which the length (width) in the transverse direction Y of the absorbent body 4 gradually decreases toward the longitudinal rear end 4R of the absorbent body 4, and at least a part of the first vertical recess 71, including the longitudinal rear end 71R of the first vertical recess 71, is disposed in the rear tapered portion 45. A portion of the outer edge of the rear tapered portion 45 of the absorbent body 4 extending along the first vertical recess 71, particularly a portion extending along the longitudinal rear end 71R side of the first vertical recess 71, has a rear curved portion 47 having a center of curvature outside the outer edge. As a result, a portion of the outer edge of the absorbent body 4 that is at the same position in the longitudinal direction X as the longitudinal rear end 71R of the first vertical recess 71 has the rear curved portion 47. This configuration improves the flexibility of the outer edge of the rear region R of the napkin 1 and its vicinity (edge), which, combined with the characteristic configuration of the first vertical recess 71 described above, can further improve the fit of the napkin 1 to the intergluteal cleft.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 3 , if the angle formed by two imaginary straight lines V1, V1 connecting the longitudinal rear end 4R of the absorbent body 4 and the longitudinal front ends 48 of a pair of contour lines of the rear tapered portion 45 extending outward in both directions in the transverse direction Y from the longitudinal rear end 4R of the absorbent body 4 is θ1, and the angle formed by the pair of first vertical recesses 71, 71 is θ2, the absolute value of the difference between the angles θ1 and θ2 is preferably 60° or less, more preferably 45° or less, and even more preferably 40° or less, or may be zero, i.e., angle θ1 = θ2. This configuration, combined with the characteristic configuration of the first vertical recess 71 described above, can further improve the fit of the napkin 1 to the intergluteal cleft. In this embodiment, angle θ1 > angle θ2, but the opposite relationship may also be true: angle θ1 < angle θ2. An angle θ1 > angle θ2 is particularly preferred. The angles θ1 and θ2 are each preferably 30° or more, more preferably 40° or more, and preferably 120° or less, more preferably 100° or less.

[0040] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the flap portion 6 has a rear tapered portion 68 in the rear region R, where the length (width) of the flap portion 6 in the transverse direction Y gradually decreases toward the rear longitudinal end of the flap portion 6 (the rear longitudinal end 1R of the napkin 1). The portion of the rear tapered portion 68 of the flap portion 6 that extends along the outer edge of the first vertical recess 71, particularly the portion that extends along the rear longitudinal end 71R side of the first vertical recess 71, has an inwardly convex curved portion 66 having a center of curvature outside the outer edge. As a result, the portion of the outer edge of the flap portion 6 that is located at the same position in the longitudinal direction X as the rear longitudinal end 71R of the first vertical recess 71, has the inwardly convex curved portion 66. This configuration, together with the characteristic configuration of the first vertical recess 71 described above, can further improve the fit of the napkin 1 to the intergluteal cleft. In particular, in this embodiment, the rearward curved portion 47 of the outer edge of the absorbent body 4 and the inward convex curved portion 66 of the outer edge of the flap portion 6 are present along the first vertical recess 71, so the above-mentioned effects can be achieved even more reliably.

[0041] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, in the rear region R or in the region M facing the excretory part, there is a separation portion P (encircled by a dotted line in Fig. 3) in which the front end portion of the first vertical recess 71 (i.e., the front end 71F of the first vertical recess 71 and its vicinity) and the rear end portion of the second vertical recess 72 (i.e., the rear end 72R of the second vertical recess 72 and its vicinity) are separated in the longitudinal direction X or the lateral direction Y. The separation portion P functions as a bending guide portion (flexible axis) of the napkin 1, similar to the separation portion between the rear ends 71R of the first vertical recesses 71 described above, and can promote a preferable deformation of the napkin 1 while it is being worn. The outer edge of the flap portion 6, located at the same position in the longitudinal direction X as the separation portion P, has a constricted portion (rear constricted portion) 62. This configuration, combined with the characteristic configuration of the first vertical recess 71 described above, can further improve the fit of the napkin 1 to the intergluteal cleft. In order to more reliably achieve the effect of such a separation portion P, the distance between the longitudinal front end 71F of the first vertical recess 71 and the longitudinal rear end 72R of the second vertical recess 72 is preferably 6 mm or more, more preferably 7 mm or more, and preferably 30 mm or less, more preferably 25 mm or less.

[0042] In this embodiment, the front vertical end of the first vertical recess 71 is located further outward in the horizontal direction Y than the rear vertical end of the second vertical recess 72, but on the assumption that a separation portion P is present, the rear vertical end of the second vertical recess 72 may be located further outward in the horizontal direction Y than the front vertical end of the first vertical recess 71. However, from the viewpoints of further preventing side leakage and improving the flexibility of the outer edge of the napkin 1, the configuration as in this embodiment is preferable. In addition, in this embodiment, the vertical front end of the first vertical recess 71 and the vertical rear end of the second vertical recess 72 are spaced apart in the horizontal direction Y; in other words, the projected images of the two in the horizontal direction Y overlap each other, but they may also be spaced apart in the vertical direction X rather than in the horizontal direction Y.

[0043] Regarding the outer edge of the flap portion 6 of the napkin 1, in this embodiment, the outer edge of the side flap portion 6S, more specifically, the side edge of the side flap portion 6S along the longitudinal direction X, has a front constricted portion 61 located in the front region F and a rear constricted portion 62 located in the rear region R, as shown in Fig. 1, and the portion sandwiched between the two constricted portions 61, 62 (the inter-constricted portion region) has a curved portion 63 that convex outward in the transverse direction Y. The curved portion 63 extends over the entire length of the excretory portion-facing region M in the longitudinal direction X. The inter-constricted portion region overlaps in the longitudinal direction X with the inter-lateral recessed portion region sandwiched between the first transverse recessed portion 81 and the second transverse recessed portion 82. The portion of the outer edge of the side flap portion 6S sandwiched between the two constricted portions 61, 62 has a curved shape that convexly faces outward in the lateral direction Y, and no inflection point exists in this portion. Both the constricted portions 61, 62 are curved inward in the lateral direction Y and are configured as curved lines. In the present invention, either or both of the constricted portions 61, 62 may be bent inward in the lateral direction Y and configured as straight lines.

[0044] 1, the outer edges of the flap portions 6 (side flap portions 6S, front flap portions 6F, and rear flap portions 6R) have a front convex portion 64 located forward of the front constricted portion 61 in the longitudinal direction X, connected to the front constricted portion 61, and protruding in a direction away from the absorbent body 4, and a rear convex portion 65 located rearward of the rear constricted portion 62 in the longitudinal direction X, connected to the rear constricted portion 62, and protruding in a direction away from the absorbent body 4. Because the side flap portions 6S have the rear convex portion 65, when an external force is applied to the side flap portions 6S due to movement of the wearer's groin, the side flap portions 6S deform so as to be folded back toward the non-skin-facing side, thereby absorbing the external force and making it difficult for wrinkles to occur in the rear region R. The region extending from the rear convex portion 65 to the longitudinal rear end of the flap portions 6 (the longitudinal rear end 1R of the napkin 1) is the rear tapered portion 68 of the flap portions 6 described above. The portion of the outer edge of the flap portion 6 sandwiched between the rear end of the flap portion 6 in the vertical direction and the rear convex portion 65 extends along the first vertical recessed portion 71 and has the aforementioned inwardly convex curved portion 66. This makes it easier to maintain the uprightness of the gentle bending structure guided by the first vertical recessed portion 71 from the rear end of the intergluteal cleft toward the front.

[0045] 3(b), when a triangle is imagined with a base defined by an imaginary straight line V2 connecting the longitudinal front end 66a and the longitudinal rear end 66c of the inwardly convexly curved portion 66 and with two imaginary straight lines V3, V3 connecting the maximum point 66b of the inwardly convexly curved portion 66 with the front end 66a and the rear end 66c, respectively, as its two sides, the angle θ3 formed by the vertex of the rear end 66c of the triangle is preferably 3° to 35°, more preferably 5° to 25°. When the angle θ3 is within this range, the fit of the bent portion at the separation between the longitudinal rear ends 71R of the pair of first vertical recesses 71, 71 to the bulging region between the gluteal cleft and gluteal sulcus of the wearer is further improved, and improved absorbency can be expected.

[0046] In this embodiment, the napkin 1 is a pad-type absorbent article. In the present invention, the term "pad-type absorbent article" refers to an absorbent article that does not have wing portions. The "wing portions" are areas that are manually folded over with fingers toward the non-skin-facing side of the crotch portion when fastening the absorbent article to the skin-facing side of the crotch portion of clothing such as shorts. Typically, in the case of the napkin 1, these are portions of the side flap portions 6S that are located in the excretory area M and extend farther outward in the lateral direction Y than the surrounding area. The napkin 1 does not have portions, such as wing portions, that are manually folded over with fingers toward the non-skin-facing side of clothing when worn.

[0047] In the napkin 1, as shown in FIG. 1, one of the outer edges of the side flap portion 6S is Department , a curved portion convex outward in the lateral direction Y 63 and extend outward in the lateral direction Y beyond the peripheral portion, but the side flap portions 6S are not folded back toward the non-skin-facing side of the garment by manual manipulation using fingers when fastening the napkin 1 to the garment, as are the wing portions, and are therefore clearly distinguishable from the wing portions. Therefore, in the napkin 1 of this embodiment, the non-skin-facing side of the region defined by the curved portions 63 of the side flap portions 6S does not have a fastening means such as an adhesive (means for fastening the absorbent article to clothing such as underwear) that is usually provided on the wing portions of a sanitary napkin. In the napkin 1, the distance G1 (see FIG. 1) in the horizontal direction Y between the outer edge (side edge along the vertical direction X) of the side flap portion 6S and the absorbent body 4 is typically a maximum of about 35 mm. In contrast, in absorbent articles with wing portions, the horizontal length of the wing portions, i.e., the distance between the tip (outermost end in the horizontal direction) of the wing portions and the absorbent body, usually significantly exceeds the typical maximum value of 35 mm for the distance G1, in order to facilitate the manual folding operation of the wing portions using fingers.

[0048] Because the napkin 1 is a pad-type absorbent article without wings, it can be easily put on without the complicated putting-on operation that is a problem specific to absorbent articles with wings. That is, when putting the napkin 1 on the crotch area of ​​a wearer, the wearer first puts shorts on both legs, and before fitting the shorts to the crotch area, fastens the napkin 1 to the skin-facing surface (inner surface) of the crotch area of ​​the shorts via a fastening part (not shown) that the napkin 1 has, and then pulls the shorts toward the crotch area to put the napkin 1 on the crotch area. 4 shows the napkin 1 in this state when worn in the crotch area of ​​the wearer, with the napkin 1 fastened to the skin-facing surface of the crotch area 21 of the shorts 20 via the fastening part, and with a part of the side flap area 6S (the curved area 63 and its vicinity) folded along the side edge of the crotch area 21 toward the side opposite the crotch area and positioned along the wearer's thighs 30. The folded areas of the side flap areas 6S in the napkin 1 in this worn state have the same function as the wing areas of conventional sanitary napkins, and can prevent the napkin 1 from shifting from its correct position while being worn, improve the fit of the napkin 1 to the wearer's body, and prevent leakage of body waste, but achieving this folded state does not require the manual folding operation using fingers that is required for wing areas. That is, when the napkin 1 is fastened via the fastening portion to the skin-facing surface of the crotch portion 21 of the shorts 20 with both legs 30, 30 of the wearer passed through, the portions sandwiched between the front constricted portion 61 and the rear constricted portion 62 of each of the pair of side flap portions 6S, 6S (portions whose outer edges are curved portions 63) extend from both side edges of the crotch portion 21. When the shorts 20 are pulled toward the wearer's crotch in this state, the extending portions of the side flap portions 6S from the crotch portion 21 naturally bend along the side edges of the crotch portion 21 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the shorts 20 are pulled, and when the napkin 1 comes into contact with the crotch, as shown in FIG. 4 As shown in FIG. 1, the extension portion is in a state where it fits along the leg (thigh) 30 of the wearer. In this way, the extension portion of the side flap portion 6S from the crotch portion 21 can be naturally folded along the side edge of the crotch portion 21 simply by pulling it toward the crotch side of the shorts 20, without any artificial folding operation using fingers, largely due to the action of the two constricted portions 61, 62 provided on the outer edge of the side flap portion 6S. In other words, the front constricted portion 61 and the rear constricted portion 62 are arranged at a distance from each other on the outer edge of the side flap portion 6S with the curved portion 63 in between, so that the curved portion 63 of the side flap portion 6S and its vicinity are easily deformed when subjected to an external force. Therefore, once the napkin 1 is fastened at an appropriate fastening position in the crotch portion 21 so that the curved portion 63 and its vicinity extend from the side edge of the crotch portion 21, all that is required is to pull the shorts 20 toward the crotch, and the curved portion 63 extending from the side edge of the crotch portion 21 and its vicinity will be easily deformed by the external force acting through the wearer's legs (thighs).

[0049] In order to ensure the aforementioned effect of easy putting on of the napkin 1, it is preferable that the fastening portion (a component for fastening the napkin 1 to the wearer's clothing) is arranged in an area that overlaps with the absorbent body 4 in a planar view, and is not arranged in the flap portion 6 (side flap portion 6S).

[0050] In order to ensure that the above-described effects of the flap portion 6 are achieved more reliably, it is preferable that the dimensions of each portion of the napkin 1 be set as follows. The front constricted portion 61 is preferably positioned at a position rearward in the longitudinal direction X from the longitudinal front end 1F of the napkin 1 (the longitudinal front end of the flap portion 6), preferably at least 40 mm, more preferably at least 50 mm, and preferably within 150 mm, more preferably within 140 mm. The rear constricted portion 62 is preferably positioned at a position forward in the longitudinal direction X from the longitudinal rear end 1R of the napkin 1 (the longitudinal rear end of the flap portion 6), preferably at least 100 mm, more preferably at least 120 mm, and preferably within 350 mm, more preferably within 330 mm. The distance G2 (see FIG. 1) between the front constricted portion 61 and the rear constricted portion 62 in the longitudinal direction X is preferably 40 mm or more, more preferably 60 mm or more, and is preferably 250 mm or less, more preferably 230 mm or less. The maximum length (maximum width) of the napkin 1 in the lateral direction Y is preferably 60 mm or more, more preferably 80 mm or more, and preferably 200 mm or less, more preferably 180 mm or less. The portion of the napkin 1 having the maximum width is typically located in the excretory region M, which in the illustrated embodiment is the portion where the apex of the convex curved portion 63 of the side flap portion 6S is located. The total length of the napkin 1 in the longitudinal direction X is preferably 100 mm or more, more preferably 140 mm or more, and preferably 450 mm or less, more preferably 420 mm or less.

[0051] In this embodiment, referring to FIG. 1 , in the region overlapping with the absorbent body 4 in a plan view (absorbent body arrangement region), the inter-lateral recess region sandwiched between the first transverse recess 81 and the second transverse recess 82 has higher compression recovery than the region adjacent to the inter-lateral recess region in the longitudinal direction X. The inter-lateral recess region with high compression recovery has excellent cushioning properties, deforms responsively to external forces, and quickly returns to its original state when the external force is released. The inter-lateral recess region extends over the entire length of the excretory part-facing region M in the longitudinal direction X, and therefore the excretory part-facing region M is a region with relatively high compression recovery. This configuration improves the fit of the excretory part-facing region M to the wearer's body, and together with the effects of the aforementioned longitudinal recesses 71, 72, the fit and conformability of the entire napkin 1 to the body are improved, which is expected to further improve leak prevention and wearing comfort.

[0052] The "compression recovery" refers to the compression work (hereinafter also referred to as "WC") and the recovery work (hereinafter also referred to as "WC"). ′ WC is an index of cushioning properties of the object being measured, and the larger the WC value, the better the cushioning properties of the object being measured, and therefore the better the compression recovery properties of the object being measured. WC ′is an index of the recovery (compression recovery) of the object to be measured when an external force is applied to the object to be measured, compressing it, and then the external force is removed. ′ The larger the value, the better the compression recovery of the object being measured. ′ are measured by the following methods.

[0053] <Compression work (WC) and recovery work (WC ′ ) Measurement method> WC and WC to be measured ′ It is generally known that the values ​​of WC, WC can be expressed as measurements taken using the KES (Kawabata Evaluation System) manufactured by Kato Tech Co., Ltd. (Reference: Standardization and Analysis of Hand Evaluation (2nd Edition), author: Toshio Kawabata, published July 10, 1980). Specifically, the compression tester KES-G5 manufactured by Kato Tech Co., Ltd. was used to measure the values ​​of WC, WC ′ The measurement procedure is as follows. First, a sample is attached to the test stand of the compression tester. The sample is, for example, an absorbent article such as a napkin 1 or a component thereof (for example, an absorbent body 4). The sample is in a dry state and has a rectangular shape in plan view, measuring 5 mm in length and 5 mm in width. If the dry sample is an absorbent body or an absorbent article containing the same, the absorbent body is unused, has not absorbed any liquid, and is in a dry state. Next, the sample is placed on a surface of 2 cm2. 2 The specimen is compressed between steel plates with circular flat surfaces. The part to be compressed is the non-concave part of the specimen, i.e., the part that has not been subjected to compression processing and retains its original shape. The compression speed is 0.2 cm / sec, and the maximum compression load is 2450 mN / cm. 2 , SENS is 10, DEF is 20. The recovery process is also measured at the same speed. WC is calculated using the following formula (1), WC ′ are expressed by the following formula (2), and the units are "mN cm / cm 2 " In the following formula, T m is 2450mN / cm 2 Thickness under load (4.9 kPa), T O is 4.902mN / cm 2(49 Pa). In addition, Pa in the following formula (1) and Pb in the following formula (2) respectively represent the measurement load (mN / cm) during the compression process. 2 ), measurement load during thickness recovery process (mN / cm 2 ) is shown.

[0054]

number

[0055]

number

[0056] In addition, WC ′ is not displayed on the measurement result screen of the KES-G5, and only WC and WC are displayed on the measurement result screen. ′ The compression recovery rate or compression resilience (hereinafter also referred to as "RC") is calculated from the following. In such cases, test Using the parameters (WC, RC) displayed on the device, WC is calculated using the following formula: ′ Calculate.

[0057]

number

[0058] The ratio of the WC of the region between the horizontal recesses to the WC of the region in front of the region (for example, the front region F) or the region behind the region (for example, the rear region R) in the longitudinal direction X is given as the former / latter, assuming that the former is greater than the latter. Preferably It is 1.5 or more, more preferably 1.7 or more. The WC of the region between the lateral recesses is preferably 100 mN·cm / cm 2 More than 120 mN·cm / cm 2 That's all. horizontal depression The upper limit of the WC of the inter-part region is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of reducing the thickness of the absorbent article in an individually packaged state, it is preferably 300 mN·cm / cm 2 Less than or equal to 280 mN·cm / cm2 The following is the result.

[0059] WC in the region between the lateral recesses ′ and the WC of the area in front of it (for example, the front area F) or the area behind it (for example, the rear area R) in the longitudinal direction X. ′ The ratio of the former to the latter is preferably 1.5 or more, more preferably 1.7 or more, assuming that the former is greater than the latter. WC in the region between the lateral recesses ′ is preferably 100 mN cm / cm 2 More than 120 mN cm / cm 2 That's all. horizontal depression Inter-departmental WC ′ There is no particular upper limit to the elastic modulus of elasticity, but from the viewpoint of reducing the thickness of the individually packaged absorbent article, it is preferably 300 mN·cm / cm 2 Less than or equal to 280 mN·cm / cm 2 The following is the result.

[0060] The difference in the compression recovery properties of the napkin 1 (absorbent body 4) described above is due to the presence or absence of the fiber agglomerate layer 42. That is, the region between the lateral recesses (the excretory part-facing region M) contains the fiber agglomerate layer 42, and therefore has higher compression recovery properties than other regions that do not contain this layer.

[0061] As shown in Figure 2, the fiber agglomerate layer 42 is mainly composed of fiber agglomerates 11 containing non-absorbent fibers. Here, "mainly composed of fiber agglomerates" means that the fiber agglomerates 11 account for 90% by mass or more of all the fibers constituting the fiber agglomerate layer 42, preferably 95% by mass or more, and more preferably 100% by mass. The fiber agglomerates 11 are fiber aggregates formed by accumulating and integrating a plurality of non-absorbent fibers into clumps, and are present in the absorbent body 4 (fiber agglomerate layer 42) while retaining their shape. The fiber agglomerates 11 primarily contribute to improving the flexibility, cushioning properties, compression recovery, and shape retention of the absorbent body 4 due to the shape of the fiber aggregate. The non-absorbent fibers constituting the fiber agglomerates 11 are preferably fibers (non-absorbent fibers) with lower absorbency than the absorbent fibers such as cellulosic fibers used as the absorbent material in the absorbent core 40, and specific examples include synthetic fibers mainly made of thermoplastic resin. By including non-absorbent fibers in the fiber agglomerates 11, the properties of the fiber agglomerates 11, such as flexibility, can be fully exhibited even when the fiber agglomerates 11 come into contact with body fluids. The shape of the fiber agglomerates 11 is not particularly limited and may be irregular, but regular shapes such as sheet pieces obtained by cutting a synthetic fiber sheet to a certain size can also be used. Examples of such regular fiber agglomerates include the fiber agglomerates described in JP 2019-063469 A, JP 2019-098157 A, and JP 2020-188918 A, specifically, fiber agglomerates having two opposing basic surfaces and a skeletal surface connecting the two basic surfaces.

[0062] The fiber agglomerate layer 42 is a region in which the fiber agglomerates 11 are present over the entire length of the absorbent body 4 in the lateral direction Y. The fiber agglomerate layer 42 may be configured to contain only the fiber agglomerates 11, or may contain a water-absorbent material in addition to the fiber agglomerates 11. The fiber agglomerate layer 42 containing a water-absorbent material is capable of absorbing and retaining body fluids, thereby improving the absorption performance of the absorbent body 4. The water-absorbent material used for the fiber agglomerate layer 42 may be any material that can be used for the absorbent core 40, without any particular restrictions.

[0063] In this embodiment, the fiber agglomerate layer 42 contains fiber agglomerates 11, as shown in FIG. 2 . Typically, the fiber agglomerate layer 42 contains only fiber agglomerates 11. Preferably, the fiber agglomerates 11 are entangled with each other in the fiber agglomerate layer 42. Such a configuration of the fiber agglomerate layer 42 improves the shape retention of the fiber agglomerate layer 42, allowing the absorbent body 4 including the fiber agglomerate layer 42 to deform appropriately and with good followability to external forces received from various directions during wear, and furthermore, to have excellent flexibility, cushioning properties, and compression recovery. The napkin 1 including such an absorbent body 4 easily deforms and recovers from external forces, is resistant to wrinkling, and has an excellent fit to the wearer's body. It is also more preferable that the fiber agglomerates 11 of the fiber agglomerate layer 42 and the absorbent core 40 disposed thereon be entangled at the interface between the former and the latter absorbent fibers. The term "entanglement" as used herein includes both: (i) a form in which the entangled objects (fiber agglomerates or fiber agglomerates and absorbent fibers) are not fused to each other, but the bonded state is maintained by the entanglement of the constituent fibers of the fiber agglomerates; and (ii) a form in which, in the natural state of the absorbent article (absorbent body) (a state in which no external force is applied), the fiber agglomerates or the fiber agglomerates and absorbent fibers are not bonded to each other, but when an external force is applied to the absorbent article (absorbent body), the fiber agglomerates or the fiber agglomerates and absorbent fibers can be bonded to each other by the entanglement of the constituent fibers.

[0064] In this embodiment, in the excretory part facing region M, as shown in FIG. 2, the skin facing side of the absorbent body 4 consists of an absorbent core 40 mainly composed of absorbent fibers 12 and absorbent polymer particles 13, and does not substantially contain fiber agglomerates 11, whereas the non-skin facing side of the absorbent body 4 consists of a fiber agglomerate layer 42 mainly composed of fiber agglomerates 11. More specifically, in this embodiment, in the absorbent body 4 in the excretory part facing region M, A) is lower on the skin-facing side than on the non-skin-facing side. That is, in this embodiment, fiber agglomerates 11 are unevenly distributed on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent 4 in the excretory part-facing region M, and the fiber agglomerates 11 are higher on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent 4 than on the skin-facing side of the absorbent 4. More specifically, in the excretory part-facing region M, absorbent fibers 12 are unevenly distributed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent 4, and the content of fiber agglomerates 11 may be zero, whereas fiber agglomerates 11 are unevenly distributed on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent 4, and the content of absorbent fibers 12 may be zero. Here, the "skin-facing side of the absorbent body" refers to the side that includes the skin-facing surface when the absorbent body 4 is divided in half in the thickness direction (the side relatively closer to the wearer's skin), and the "non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body" refers to the opposite side (the side relatively farther from the wearer's skin). In this way, in the absorbent 4 in the excretory part-facing region M, the above-mentioned relationship of "skin-facing side of absorbent 4 < non-skin-facing side of absorbent 4" is established for the fiber clump occupancy rate, and the action of the absorbent fibers unevenly distributed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent 4 improves the absorbent 4's ability to draw in body fluids (capillary force), thereby improving its liquid absorption, and the action of the fiber clumps 11 unevenly distributed on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent 4 can improve the cushioning properties of the absorbent 4.

[0065] The fiber agglomerate occupancy is determined by measuring the mass of each of the fiber agglomerates and water-absorbent material present in a predetermined measurement area of ​​the absorbent body, and dividing the measured mass of the fiber agglomerates by the total mass of the fiber agglomerates and water-absorbent material, expressed as a percentage. The water-absorbent material is as described above and is typically a water-absorbent fiber and / or a water-absorbent polymer. Fiber agglomerate occupancy rate (mass%) = {weight of fiber agglomerates / (weight of absorbent material + weight of fiber agglomerates)} x 100 ... ( A )

[0066] The present invention has been described above based on its preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the first vertical recess 71 and the second vertical recess 72 are spaced apart to form the spaced apart portion P (see FIG. 3), but the two vertical recesses 71, 72 may be connected to each other. However, as described above, the formation of the spaced apart portion P can more reliably achieve the desired effects of the present invention, so it is preferable that the two vertical recesses 71, 72 are spaced apart and not connected to each other. In addition, in the above embodiment, no adhesive or other fixing means for attaching to underwear was provided on the non-skin-facing surface of the portion formed by the curved portion 63 of the side flap portion 6S in the excretory portion-facing region M, but such fixing means may be provided on the non-skin-facing surface of that portion. The absorbent article of the present invention includes articles used to absorb body fluids discharged from the human body (menstrual blood, urine, loose stool, sweat, etc.), and is not limited to the sanitary napkins mentioned above.

[0067] The following supplementary notes are further disclosed regarding the above-described embodiment of the present invention. <1> An absorbent article comprising an absorbent body capable of absorbing and retaining bodily fluids, having a longitudinal direction corresponding to the front-to-rear direction of a wearer and a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and having an excretory part facing region that is disposed to face the excretory part of the wearer when worn, a front region that is disposed forward of the excretory part facing region in the longitudinal direction, and a rear region that is disposed rearward of the excretory part facing region in the longitudinal direction, a flap portion extending outward from the outer edge of the absorbent body and forming the outline of the absorbent article; the absorbent body has vertical recesses that are recessed from the skin-facing surface toward the non-skin-facing surface and extend in the vertical direction, the vertical recesses including a first vertical recess located at least in the rear region and a second vertical recess located at least in the excretory part-facing region, and the two vertical recesses are present in pairs on both sides of a horizontal center line that divides the absorbent article into two equal parts in the horizontal direction and extends imaginarily in the vertical direction, the lateral distance between the pair of first vertical recesses gradually decreases along the longitudinal direction toward the rear in the longitudinal direction, and has a shortest distance that is not zero at the longitudinal rear ends of the first vertical recesses; An absorbent article, wherein the horizontal length of a portion of the absorbent body that is at the same position in the vertical direction as the vertical rear end of the first vertical recessed portion is shorter than the maximum horizontal length of the absorbent body. <2> the length in the lateral direction of a portion of the absorbent body that is at the same position in the longitudinal direction as the longitudinal rear end of the first vertical recessed portion is 85% or less of the maximum length in the lateral direction of the absorbent body; <1> The absorbent article according to claim 1. <3> the length in the horizontal direction of a portion of the absorbent body that is at the same position in the vertical direction as the vertical rear end of the first vertical recess is 20% or more and 85% or less, preferably 30% or more and 80% or less, and more preferably 35% or more and 75% or less of the maximum length in the horizontal direction of the absorbent body; <1> The absorbent article according to claim 1. <4> the absorbent body has a rear tapered portion in the rear region, in which the length of the absorbent body in the lateral direction gradually decreases toward the rear end of the absorbent body in the longitudinal direction, and at least a part of the first vertical recess, including the rear end of the first vertical recess, is arranged in the rear tapered portion; a portion of the absorbent body at an outer edge of the rear tapered portion that extends along the first vertical recessed portion has a rear curved portion having a center of curvature outside the outer edge; <1> ~ <3> 1. An absorbent article according to any one of the above. <5> When the angle formed by two imaginary straight lines connecting the longitudinal rear end of the absorbent body and the longitudinal front ends of a pair of contour lines of the rear tapered portion extending from the longitudinal rear end of the absorbent body to both outward sides in the horizontal direction is θ1, and the angle formed by the pair of first longitudinal recessed portions is θ2, the absolute value of the difference between the angle θ1 and the angle θ2 is 60° or less. <3> The absorbent article according to claim 1. <6> The absolute value of the difference between the angle θ1 and the angle θ2 is 60° or less, preferably 45° or less, and more preferably 40° or less. <5> The absorbent article according to claim 1. <7> the angle θ1 is greater than the angle θ2; <5> or <6> The absorbent article according to claim 1.

[0068] <8> the flap portion has a rear tapered portion in the rear region, in which the length of the flap portion in the lateral direction gradually decreases toward a rear end of the flap portion in the longitudinal direction; a portion of the flap portion at an outer edge of the rear tapered portion that extends along the first vertical recessed portion has an inward convex curved portion having a center of curvature on the outer side of the outer edge; <1> ~ <6> 1. An absorbent article according to any one of the above. <9> the flap portion includes a pair of side flap portions located laterally outward of a pair of imaginary straight lines extending in the longitudinal direction and passing through the outermost end of the absorbent body in the laterally direction, an outer edge of the side flap portion in the rear region, the outer edge having a rear convex portion located forward of the inward convex curved portion in the longitudinal direction and connected to the inward convex curved portion; <8> The absorbent article according to claim 1. <10> When a triangle is imagined, the base of which is an imaginary line connecting the longitudinal front end and the longitudinal rear end of the inward convex curved portion, and the two sides of which are two imaginary lines connecting the maximum point of the inward convex curved portion with the longitudinal front end and the longitudinal rear end, respectively, the angle (θ3) formed by the vertex of the longitudinal rear end of the triangle is 3° or more and 35° or less, preferably 5° or more and 25° or less. <8> or <9> The absorbent article according to claim 1. <11> a separation portion is present in the rear region or in a portion of the excretory-part-facing region close to the rear region, where a front end portion of the first vertical recess and a rear end portion of the second vertical recess are separated in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction; a portion of the outer edge of the flap portion that is at the same position as the spaced portion in the longitudinal direction has a constricted portion; <1> ~ <10> 1. An absorbent article according to any one of the above. <12> the absorbent body has a lateral recess that is recessed from the skin-facing surface toward the non-skin-facing surface and extends in the lateral direction, the lateral recess including a first lateral recess disposed in the rear region or a portion of the excretory part-facing region closer to the rear region, and a second lateral recess disposed in the front region or a portion of the excretory part-facing region closer to the front region; In the region overlapping with the absorbent body in a plan view, an inter-lateral recess region sandwiched between the first transverse recess and the second transverse recess has higher compression recovery than a region adjacent to the inter-lateral recess region in the longitudinal direction. <1> ~ <11> 1. An absorbent article according to any one of the above. <13> the flap portion includes a pair of side flap portions located laterally outward of a pair of imaginary straight lines extending in the longitudinal direction and passing through the outermost end of the absorbent body in the laterally direction, The side flap portion is not provided with a fastening means (adhesive, etc.) for fastening the side flap portion to clothing. <1> ~ <12> 1. An absorbent article according to any one of the above. <14> The absorbent body has a fiber agglomeration layer in the excretory region, the fiber agglomeration layer being mainly made of fiber agglomerations containing non-absorbent fibers. <1> ~ <13> 1. An absorbent article according to any one of the above. <15> The fiber agglomerates are entangled with each other. <14> The absorbent article according to claim 1. <16> At least in the excretory part facing region, the non-skin facing side of the absorbent body has a lower tensile strength than the skin facing side of the absorbent body, as expressed by the following formula ( A ) The fiber mass occupancy rate calculated by <14> or <15> The absorbent article according to claim 1. Fiber Fiber clump occupancy rate (mass%) = {Fiber clump content mass / (water-absorbent material content mass + fiber clump content mass)} x 100 …(A) [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1. Sanitary napkins (absorbent articles) 1F: Front edge of the sanitary napkin (front edge of the flap) 1R: The rear end of the sanitary napkin (the rear end of the flap) 2 Surface sheet 3 Back sheet 4. Absorbent 40 absorbent core 41 Core Wrap Sheet 42 Fiber mass layer 45 Rear tapered section 5 Side seats 6 Flap section 6S Side flap 61 Front constriction 62 Rear constriction 66 Inward convex curved part 68 Rear tapered section 7 Vertical depression 71 First vertical recess 72 Second vertical recess 8 Horizontal depression 81 First horizontal recess 82 Second horizontal recess 11 Fiber mass 12 Absorbent fibers F Anterior area M Excretory area facing area R Rear area X vertical direction Y horizontal direction

Claims

1. An absorbent article comprising an absorbent body capable of absorbing and retaining bodily fluids, having a longitudinal direction corresponding to the front-to-rear direction of a wearer and a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and having an excretory part facing region that is disposed to face the excretory part of the wearer when worn, a front region that is disposed forward of the excretory part facing region in the longitudinal direction, and a rear region that is disposed rearward of the excretory part facing region in the longitudinal direction, a flap portion extending outward from the outer edge of the absorbent body and forming the outline of the absorbent article; the absorbent body has vertical recesses that are recessed from the skin-facing surface toward the non-skin-facing surface and extend in the vertical direction, the vertical recesses including a first vertical recess located at least in the rear region and a second vertical recess located at least in the excretory part-facing region, and the vertical recesses are present in pairs on both sides of a horizontal center line that divides the absorbent article into two equal parts in the horizontal direction and extends imaginarily in the vertical direction, the lateral distance between the pair of first vertical recesses gradually decreases along the longitudinal direction toward the rear in the longitudinal direction, and has a shortest distance that is not zero at the longitudinal rear ends of the first vertical recesses, a length in the lateral direction of a portion of the absorbent body that is at the same position in the longitudinal direction as the longitudinal rear end of the first vertical recessed portion is shorter than a maximum length in the lateral direction of the absorbent body; the absorbent body has a rear tapered portion in the rear region, in which the length of the absorbent body in the lateral direction gradually decreases toward the rear end of the absorbent body in the longitudinal direction, and at least a part of the first vertical recess, including the rear end of the first vertical recess, is arranged in the rear tapered portion; An absorbent article, wherein a portion of the outer edge of the rear tapered portion of the absorbent body extending along the first vertical recessed portion has a rear curved portion having a center of curvature outside the outer edge.

2. 2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal length of a portion of the absorbent body that is at the same position in the vertical direction as the vertical rear end of the first vertical recess is 85% or less of the maximum horizontal length of the absorbent body.

3. 3. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the angle formed by two imaginary straight lines connecting the longitudinal rear end of the absorbent body and the longitudinal front end of each of a pair of contour lines of the rear tapered portion extending from the longitudinal rear end of the absorbent body outward in both horizontal directions is θ1, and the angle formed by the pair of first longitudinal recesses is θ2, and the absolute value of the difference between the angle θ1 and the angle θ2 is 60° or less.

4. the flap portion has a rear tapered portion in the rear region, in which the length of the flap portion in the lateral direction gradually decreases toward a rear end of the flap portion in the longitudinal direction; An absorbent article as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the portion extending along the first vertical recess at the outer edge of the rear tapered portion of the flap portion has an inward convex curved portion having a center of curvature outside the outer edge.

5. a separation portion is present in the rear region or in a portion of the excretory-part-facing region close to the rear region, where a front end portion of the first vertical recess and a rear end portion of the second vertical recess are spaced apart in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction; The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a portion of the outer edge of the flap portion that is at the same position in the longitudinal direction as the spaced portion has a constricted portion.

6. the absorbent body has a lateral recess that is recessed from the skin-facing surface toward the non-skin-facing surface and extends in the lateral direction, the lateral recess including a first lateral recess disposed in the rear region or a portion of the excretory part-facing region closer to the rear region, and a second lateral recess disposed in the front region or a portion of the excretory part-facing region closer to the front region, An absorbent article as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein in a region overlapping with the absorbent body in a planar view, the inter-lateral recess region sandwiched between the first lateral recess and the second lateral recess has higher compression recovery than the region adjacent to the inter-lateral recess region in the vertical direction.

7. An absorbent article described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the portion of the absorbent body having the maximum lateral length of the absorbent body includes the excretory area facing region.

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