absorbent articles

Abstract

To provide an absorbent article capable of suppressing reduction of a wearing feeling.SOLUTION: An absorbent article comprises: an absorber; an exterior body which has an exterior sheet forming an exterior surface, and an interior sheet arranged on a skin face side of the exterior sheet, the exterior body being arranged on a non skin face side relative to the absorber; a first contraction member, a second contraction member, and a third contraction member which are stretched in a width direction between the exterior and interior sheets and are separated mutually from an end side of a longitudinal direction, the first, second and third contraction members contracting the exterior body in the width direction; a skin face side sheet which is arranged on the skin face side relative to the interior sheet, in front and rear bodice regions, the skin face side sheet being arranged so as to overlap the second contraction member and so as not to overlap the first contraction member in view from a thickness direction. In the absorbent article, the first contraction member extends along an edge of a waist surrounding opening, and the first, second and third contraction members have equal contraction force.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, absorbent articles such as disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pants-type disposable diaper.

[0003] Pant-type disposable diapers are provided with a contraction member such as elastic thread that is provided along the waist opening, and the contraction of this contraction member prevents the diaper from slipping down around the waist of the wearer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-214405 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] If the contraction member provided along the waist opening is too far from the edge of the waist opening, the edge will not fit tightly to the wearer, causing the diaper to slip off the wearer's waist, resulting in a poor wearing comfort. Also, if the contraction member is provided at the edge of the waist opening, the edge may dig into the wearer's skin, resulting in a poor wearing comfort.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article that can suppress deterioration in wearing comfort. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An absorbent article according to one aspect of the present invention has a length along a longitudinal direction and a width along a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and in a worn state, a front body region located around the waist on the abdominal side of a wearer, a crotch region located between the crotch, and a back body region located around the waist on the back side, which are arranged in this order in the longitudinal direction, and the absorbent article comprises an absorbent body and an exterior body forming a waist opening through which the waist of the wearer is inserted, the exterior body having an outer sheet forming an exterior surface and an inner sheet arranged on the skin-facing side of the outer sheet, and the exterior body being arranged on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body, and a back body region between the outer sheet and the inner sheet in the width direction. the first contraction member, the second contraction member, and the third contraction member are arranged apart from each other from the end sides in the longitudinal direction in a stretched state, and the first contraction member, the second contraction member, and the third contraction member contract the outer body in the width direction; and a skin-facing sheet that is arranged closer to the skin than the inner sheet in the front body region and the back body region, and that is arranged overlapping the second contraction member without overlapping the first contraction member when viewed in the thickness direction, the first contraction member extending along the edge of the waist opening, and the first contraction member, the second contraction member, and the third contraction member have the same contraction force. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress deterioration in the wearing comfort of an absorbent article. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a diaper according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the diaper according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the diaper according to the embodiment in an unfolded and stretched state. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows the diaper according to this embodiment placed in its natural state without any external force being applied thereto. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing an end portion of the front body region side of the diaper according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing a part of the end portion on the front body region side of the diaper according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the end portion on the front body region side of the diaper according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view showing a part of the end portion on the front body region side of the diaper according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Diapers according to embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of these embodiments.

[0011] <Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an adult pants-type disposable diaper (hereinafter simply referred to as "diaper") according to an embodiment. In the diaper, the direction connecting the front body portion, which faces the wearer's abdomen, and the back body portion, which faces the wearer's back, is defined as the longitudinal direction. Between the front body portion (one side in the longitudinal direction) and the back body portion (the other side in the longitudinal direction) (the center in the longitudinal direction) is a crotch portion, which is positioned between the wearer's crotch (facing the crotch). When the diaper is worn by a wearer, the side facing the wearer's skin is defined as the skin-facing side, and the side opposite the skin-facing side is defined as the non-skin-facing side. The direction connecting the skin-facing side and the non-skin-facing side is defined as the thickness direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal and thickness directions is defined as the width direction. A view from the thickness direction is defined as a plan view. The diaper 1 has a length along the longitudinal direction and a width along the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and is worn between the wearer's crotch. Furthermore, terms relating to directions used in the present application refer to directions that correspond to the front, back, left, and right of a wearer when the diaper 1 is worn by the wearer. For example, the left-right direction in the present application refers to the direction that corresponds to the left and right of a wearer when the diaper 1 is worn by the wearer.

[0012] In this embodiment, as an example of an absorbent article, a pants-type disposable diaper having a tubular structure having a waist opening through which the waist of a wearer is inserted and a pair of left and right leg openings through which the left and right lower legs of the wearer are inserted is exemplified, but the "absorbent article" referred to in this application is not limited to pants-type disposable diapers for adults. The "absorbent article" referred to in this application also includes pants-type disposable diapers for children.

[0013] The diaper 1 has a crotch region 1B, which corresponds to the crotch region covering the wearer's pubic region (crotch area) when worn; a front body region 1F, which corresponds to the front body of the wearer's waist and covers the wearer's abdominal side; and a back body region 1R, which corresponds to the back body of the wearer's waist and covers the wearer's back side. The front body region 1F is located in front of the crotch region 1B, and the back body region 1R is located behind the crotch region 1B. Since the diaper 1 in this embodiment is a pants-type disposable diaper, the left edge of the front body region 1F is joined to the left edge of the rear body region 1R, and the right edge of the front body region 1F is joined to the right edge of the rear body region 1R. Thus, the diaper 1 defines a waist opening 2T (an example of the "waist opening" referred to herein) by the upper edge of the front body region 1F and the upper edge of the rear body region 1R. The diaper 1 also has a left leg opening 2L formed in the left side of the crotch region 1B where the above-mentioned joining is not performed, and a right leg opening 2R formed in the right side of the crotch region 1B. The diaper 1 is designed so that the left leg of the wearer is inserted into the left leg opening 2L. When the diaper 1 is put on by inserting the right lower leg through the right lower leg opening 2R and the torso through the torso opening 2T, the front body region 1F is positioned toward the wearer's abdomen, the back body region 1R is positioned toward the wearer's back, and the left lower leg opening 2L and right lower leg opening 2R are secured to the wearer's body so as to surround the wearer's thighs. Since the diaper 1 is secured to the wearer's body in this manner, the wearer can move freely while wearing the diaper 1.

[0014] The diaper 1 has an absorbent body, capable of absorbing and retaining liquid, mainly located near the crotch region 1B. To prevent the formation of gaps between the diaper 1 and the wearer's skin that could serve as a liquid leakage path, the diaper 1 also has a three-dimensional gather 3BL at the left leg opening 2L surrounding the thigh of the wearer's left lower leg, a three-dimensional gather 3BR at the right leg opening 2R surrounding the thigh of the wearer's right lower leg, and a waist gather 3R around the wearer's abdominal circumference. Leg gathers 3LL and 3LR are also provided around the base of the wearer's legs. The three-dimensional gathers 3BL and 3BR and the waist gather 3R adhere closely to the wearer's skin due to the elasticity of the elastic thread. The leg gathers 3LL and 3LR also prevent the formation of gaps between the diaper 1 and the base of the wearer's legs. Therefore, liquid excreted from the wearer's genitals is absorbed by the absorbent body of the diaper 1 with almost no leakage from the diaper 1.

[0015] The diaper 1 can be used in combination with an inner pad (not shown). The inner pad is a generally rectangular absorbent article with an absorbent body that absorbs exudates. When the diaper 1 and inner pad are used in combination, the inner pad is placed on the skin-facing side of the diaper 1. Exudates discharged by the wearer are first absorbed by the inner pad, and only exudates that cannot be absorbed by the inner pad reach the absorbent body of the diaper 1 and are further absorbed. This prevents the exudates from leaking out of the diaper 1 even when the amount of exudates is large. Furthermore, if the amount of exudates is small and can be absorbed entirely by the inner pad, only the inner pad needs to be replaced, reducing care costs. Furthermore, the diaper 1 can be used for a long period of time.

[0016] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a diaper 1 according to an embodiment. The diaper 1 comprises a cover sheet 4 and inner cover sheets 5F, 5R. The cover sheet 4 is a roughly hourglass-shaped (gourd-shaped) sheet that forms the non-skin-facing surface of the diaper 1. The inner cover sheets 5F, 5R are attached to the cover sheet 4 in the front body region 1F and the back body region 1R, respectively, and reinforce the cover sheet 4 in these regions. When worn by a wearer, the cover sheet 4 faces away from the wearer's skin, and the inner cover sheets 5F, 5R face the wearer's skin. Elastic threads are provided between the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheets 5F, 5R to form waist gathers 3R and leg gathers 3LL, 3LR. Elastic members such as strip-shaped elastic bands can be used instead of the elastic threads.

[0017] The cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheets 5F, 5R can be made of a nonwoven fabric made of a liquid-impermeable thermoplastic resin to prevent leakage of excrement, for example. Examples of liquid-impermeable thermoplastic resins include polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Hereinafter, the cover sheet 4 extending from the front body region 1F to the back body region 1R and the inner cover sheets 5F, 5R may be collectively referred to as an exterior body, which corresponds to the absorbent body 8 and the combination of the absorbent body 8 with the back sheet 6, top sheet 9, and side sheets 10L, 10R. The cover sheet 4 of the exterior body forms the exterior surfaces of the front body region 1F, crotch region 1B, and back body region 1R.

[0018] The cover sheet 4 does not have to be provided in the crotch region 1B. In the rear body region 1R, a cover sheet on the front body region 1F side, which roughly overlaps the inner coversheets 5F, 5R, and a cover sheet on the back body region 1R side may be provided as separate bodies. A pad cover sheet may be provided separately to protect the non-skin-facing side of the extended region of the absorbent body 8, etc., and the pad cover sheet may form the exterior surface in the crotch region 1B, where no cover sheet is present. Even with this configuration, the non-skin-facing side of the diaper is protected by the two separate cover sheets and pad cover sheet, preventing damage to the absorbent body 8 due to external factors.

[0019] The diaper 1 comprises a backsheet 6, an absorbent body 8, and a topsheet 9, which are layered in this order on the wearer-facing surfaces of the coversheet 4 and the inner coversheets 5F, 5R. The backsheet 6 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped sheet that extends from the front body of the wearer, passing through the crotch area and reaching the back body, and has a predetermined width in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The absorbent body 8 and the topsheet 9 are both sheet-like members with a roughly rectangular appearance, similar to the backsheet 6, and are layered in this order on the backsheet 6 with their longitudinal directions coinciding with the longitudinal direction of the backsheet 6. The backsheet 6 is a sheet made of a liquid-impermeable thermoplastic resin to prevent leakage of excrement. The topsheet 9 is a sheet-like member that is placed on the wearer's skin side so as to cover the absorbent surface of the absorbent body 8. The topsheet 9 is liquid-permeable in part or in whole. Therefore, when the diaper 1 is worn, liquid excreted by the wearer passes through the top sheet 9, which comes into contact with the wearer's skin, and penetrates into the absorbent body 8, where it is absorbed. Examples of liquid-permeable sheets include woven fabrics, nonwoven fabrics, and porous films. The top sheet 9 may also be hydrophilic.

[0020] The absorbent body 8 includes an absorbent core 8c (see FIG. 3) made of one or more mats and a core wrap sheet 7 encasing the absorbent core 8c. The absorbent core 8c is constructed by retaining granular absorbent resin (polymeric water-absorbing material) such as SAP (Super Absorbent Polymer), a hydrophilic polymer with a cross-linked structure that can absorb and retain water, in the gaps between staple fibers, such as cellulosic staple fibers (pulp, rayon, or cotton) or synthetic staple fibers (polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyethylene terephthalate) that have been hydrophilically treated. When the absorbent core 8c absorbs fluids excreted by the wearer, the absorbent resin retained in the gaps between the staple fibers swells, retaining the fluid within the staple fibers. The absorbent core 8c can be any shape, such as rectangular, elliptical, or various other shapes. In this embodiment, the absorbent core 8c is hourglass-shaped, with a narrowed center. In this embodiment, the absorbent body 8 is positioned slightly biased toward the rear body region 1R so that the end on the rear body region 1R side is closer to the longitudinal end.

[0021] The absorbent core 8c according to this embodiment is provided with a groove 8H extending in the longitudinal direction in the widthwise central portion of the crotch region 1B. The groove 8H may be a through groove penetrating the absorbent core 8c from the skin-facing side to the non-skin-facing side. The extension range of the groove 8H includes a position corresponding to the urethral opening. Therefore, urine produced by the wearer flows into the groove 8H and spreads in the longitudinal direction, and is efficiently absorbed over a wide range of the absorbent core 8c. Note that the groove 8H is not essential, and the absorbent core 8c may be configured without it.

[0022] The core wrap sheet 7 is a thin, liquid-permeable sheet, and by wrapping the absorbent core 8c with the core wrap sheet 7, the SAP of the absorbent core 8c described above is less likely to be mixed into other structures. It also prevents the absorbent core 8c from losing its shape. The core wrap sheet 7 can be made of pulp fiber, and tissue paper is an example of one such sheet. The core wrap sheet 7 may be a single sheet, but it may also be made up of two sheets: an upper sheet placed on the wearer's skin side, and a lower sheet placed on the wearer's non-skin side and wrapping around the sides and skin side of the absorbent core. If the core wrap sheet 7 is made up of two sheets, the widthwise end of the upper sheet may be wrapped in another sheet (for example, the side sheets 10L, 10R, the back sheet 6, or the top sheet 9, which will be described later). The absorbent body 8 is wrapped in the back sheet 6 and the top sheet 9, and these sheets can also prevent the absorbent body 8 from losing its shape, so the core wrap sheet 7 may not be provided. In this embodiment, the core wrap sheet 7 is formed in a rectangular shape.

[0023] The back sheet 6, absorbent body 8, and top sheet 9 all extend from the front body region 1F to the back body region 1R. Therefore, when the back sheet 6, absorbent body 8, and top sheet 9 are layered together to cover the wearer's genitals (below the crotch), both longitudinal ends of the back sheet 6, absorbent body 8, and top sheet 9 are located on the wearer's ventral and dorsal sides. In other words, the wearer's genitals are covered by the absorbent body 8 from the wearer's ventral to dorsal sides. Therefore, whether the wearer is in a ventral or dorsal position when excreting liquid, the excreted liquid will come into contact with the absorbent body 8 via the top sheet 9.

[0024] The diaper 1 also has elongated, strip-shaped side sheets 10L, 10R for forming the above-mentioned three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR. The side sheets 10L, 10R are provided along the long sides of the top sheet 9. Elastic threads 10L1, 10R1 are adhered to the side sheets 10L, 10R along the longitudinal direction. Thus, when the cover sheet 4 is joined at its left edge 4F4 of the front body region 1F to its left edge 4R4 of the back body region 1R, and at its right edge 4F5 of the front body region 1F to its right edge 4R5 of the back body region 1R, the diaper 1 is completed as shown in FIG. 1. The contractile force of the elastic threads 10L1, 10R1 draws the side sheets 10L, 10R in the longitudinal direction, causing them to rise from the top sheet 9 along the fold-back lines 10L2, 10R2. As a result, three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR are formed to prevent liquid from leaking from the left lower leg opening 2L and the right lower leg opening 2R. The joining method for the edges 4F4 and 4R4, and the edges 4F5 and 4R5 is not particularly limited, and can be performed by, for example, heat sealing, high-frequency sealing, ultrasonic sealing, etc.

[0025] The back sheet 6, core wrap sheet 7, top sheet 9, and side sheets 10L, 10R are formed to be longer in the longitudinal direction than the absorbent core 8c in the front body region 1F and the back body region 1R. Therefore, in the regions closer to the longitudinal end of the absorbent core 8c, which has higher rigidity than these sheets, a laminated portion with moderate rigidity formed by laminating the above-mentioned sheets is formed. Part of the elastic threads 4F2, 4R2 that make up the waist gather 3R overlaps this laminated portion and is biased inward in the width direction.

[0026] The diaper 1 further includes an end sheet 11F (an example of the "skin-facing sheet" herein) laminated on the wearer-facing side of the cover sheet 4 in the front body region 1F, and an end sheet 11R (an example of the "skin-facing sheet" herein) laminated on the wearer-facing side of the cover sheet 4 in the back body region 1R, sandwiching the back sheet 6, absorber 8, top sheet 9, and side sheets 10L, 10R. The end sheets 11F, 11R are strip-shaped sheets that are laminated on one longitudinal end of the top sheet 9 to the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheets 5F, 5R. The end sheets 11F, 11R are impermeable nonwoven fabrics that reinforce the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheets 5F, 5R mainly in the waist-contacting portions of the diaper 1. The end sheets 11F, 11R are coated with an adhesive, which bonds them to the top sheet 9 and the inner cover sheets 5F, 5R. The end sheets 11F, 11R are positioned closer to the skin than the laminate formed by the back sheet 6, absorbent body 8, top sheet 9, and side sheets 10L, 10R, and prevent the longitudinal ends of the laminate from directly touching the skin and causing discomfort to the wearer.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a diaper 1 according to an embodiment in an unfolded and stretched state. FIG. 3(A) shows the internal structure of the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state as viewed from the left side. FIG. 3(B) shows a schematic plan view of the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state. Note that the side sheets 10L and 10R are not shown in FIG. 3(B). One end of the cover sheet 4 is folded back at the fold lines 4FF and 4RF shown in FIG. 2. The waist gather 3R is formed by adhering elastic threads (thread-like rubber) 4F1 and 4F2 in a stretched state to the front body region of the cover sheet 4, and adhering elastic threads (thread-like rubber) 4R1 and 4R2 in a stretched state to the back body region of the cover sheet 4. The elastic threads 4F1, 4F2 are arranged in this order from the fold line 4FF side along a fold line 4FF that will form the upper edge of the front body region 1F when folded back. Similarly to the elastic threads 4F1, 4F2, the elastic threads 4R1, 4R2 are arranged in this order from the fold line 4RF side along a fold line 4RF that will form the upper edge of the back body region 1R when folded back.

[0028] Therefore, the rubber threads 4F1, 4F2 are provided on the cover sheet 4 with their longitudinal stretch direction aligned with the left-right direction of the diaper 1. Similarly, the rubber threads 4R1, 4R2 are provided on the cover sheet 4 with their longitudinal stretch direction aligned with the left-right direction of the diaper 1. When the edges 4F4 and 4R4 are joined together and the edges 4F5 and 4R5 are joined together, the rubber threads 4F1, 4F2 and the rubber threads 4R1, 4R2 form a substantially annular elastic member that runs along the waist opening 2T, which is a waist-circumference opening through which the wearer's waist can be inserted, and functions to contract the waist opening 2T in the waist-circumference direction. In other words, the rubber threads 4F1, 4F2 and the rubber threads 4R1, 4R2 exert a contractile force to fit the diaper 1 closely to the wearer and prevent a gap from forming between the diaper 1 and the wearer's abdominal circumference. The rubber threads 4F2 and 4R2 overlap the core wrap sheet 7 of the absorbent body 8 at a portion on the crotch region 1B side. The contractile force of each of the rubber threads 4F1 and 4F2, and each of the rubber threads 4R1 and 4R2 may be constant in the width direction.

[0029] The rubber threads 4F1, 4R1 are spaced apart and parallel to each other in the width direction along the upper edges of the front body region 1F and the back body region 1R shown in FIG. 1 . The rubber threads 4F2, 4R2 are spaced apart and parallel to each other in the width direction. The rubber threads 4F1, 4R1 are spaced apart narrowly, so that when the diaper 1 is worn, the rubber threads 4F1, 4R1 tighten the wearer's abdominal circumference relatively tightly above the rubber threads 4F2, 4R2. The rubber threads 4F1, 4R1 fit the diaper 1 closely to prevent it from shifting out of position and to prevent leakage of excreted fluid from the abdomen or back.

[0030] The spacing between the rubber threads 4F2 and 4R2 is wider than that between the rubber threads 4F1 and 4F2, which reduces the pressure on the wearer caused by the contraction force of the rubber threads 4F1 and 4R1. Furthermore, when an inner pad is used, the spacing also prevents the inner pad from slipping. That is, the contraction force of the rubber threads 4F1 and 4R1 is greater than that of the rubber threads 4F2 and 4R2.

[0031] Furthermore, rubber threads 4F3 and 4R3 are adhered in a stretched state to the cover sheet 4. The rubber threads 4F3 and 4R3 are elastic members provided in an area of ​​the cover sheet 4 closer to the crotch region 1B than the rubber threads 4F2 and 4R2. However, unlike the other rubber threads that are adhered continuously from the left end to the right end of the cover sheet 4, the rubber threads 4F3 and 4R3 are curved toward the crotch region 1B and overlap with part of the core wrap sheet 7 at the narrowed portion of the hourglass-shaped absorbent core. This configuration allows the areas where the rubber threads 4F3 and 4R3 are located to function as leg gathers 3LL and 3LR.

[0032] The cover sheet 4 is folded at the folding lines 4FF and 4RF to form elastic threads 4F1 and 4F2. The end sheets 11F, 11R extend to the area where the rubber threads 4F1 and 4R1 are disposed, and their folded-back portions reinforce the area where the rubber threads 4F1 and 4R1 are disposed. The end sheets 11F, 11R are provided in the area where the rubber threads 4F2 and 4R2 are disposed, where the cover sheet 4 folded back at the fold lines 4FF and 4RF does not extend, and reinforce the area where the rubber threads 4F2 and 4R2 are disposed. The rubber threads 4F2 and 4R2 and the end sheets 11F, 11R partially overlap the absorbent body 8 on the crotch region 1B side, but do not overlap the extending area of ​​the absorbent core 8c.

[0033] When the diaper 1 according to this embodiment is not worn, the contractile force of the elastic threads 4F1 and 4R1 provided at the longitudinal end portions causes the diaper 1 to contract strongly near the waist opening 2T, shortening the diaper widthwise. Furthermore, because the elastic threads 4F2 and 4R2 provided at the crotch side are spaced widely apart, the diaper 1 is wider in the crotch area of ​​the front and back body regions than near the waist opening 2T. In the area where the elastic threads 4F3 and 4R3 are provided, the regions extending from the elastic threads 4F2 and 4R2 overlap with the regions extending from the elastic threads 4F3 and 4R3, again shortening the diaper 1 widthwise. Therefore, when the diaper 1 according to this disclosure is not worn, the regions extending from the elastic threads 4F1, 4F2, 4F3, 4R1, 4R2, and 4R3 appear to be more bulging in the widthwise direction than the regions extending from the elastic threads 4F2 and 4R2.

[0034] In other words, elastic threads 4F1, 4F2, 4R1, and 4R2, which are stretchable members in a stretched state extending in the width direction, are adhered to the front body region 1F and the back body region 1R of the outer garment while being spaced apart in the longitudinal direction. The contractile force of each of the elastic threads 4F1, 4F2, 4R1, and 4R2 is substantially the same and constant in the width direction, but because the elastic threads 4F1 and 4R1 are arranged more closely in the longitudinal direction than the elastic threads 4F2 and 4R2, the contractile force of the region extending through the elastic threads 4F1 and 4R1 is greater than that of the region extending through the elastic threads 4F2 and 4R2. Furthermore, at both widthwise ends on the crotch region 1B side, the elastic threads 4F2 and 4R2 partially overlap with the elastic threads 4F3 and 4R3 constituting the leg gathers 3LL and 3LR, resulting in a state in which the contractile forces of the elastic threads 4F2 and 4R2 and the elastic threads 4F3 and 4R3 partially overlap.

[0035] In the completed diaper 1, the longitudinal lengths of the regions in the front body region 1F where the elastic threads 4F1, 4F2, and 4F3 are arranged are the same as those of the regions in the back body region 1R where the elastic threads 4R1, 4R2, and 4R3 are arranged. In contrast, in this embodiment, the absorber 8 is slightly offset so that its end on the rear body region 1R side is closer to its longitudinal end. Therefore, the elastic thread 4F2 in the front body region 1F does not overlap the absorbent core 8c, while several of the elastic threads 4R2 in the back body region 1R on the crotch region 1B side overlap the absorbent core 8c. In other words, in this embodiment, the absorbent core 8c is biased to contract in the width direction only in the back body region 1R by a portion of the elastic thread 4R2 constituting the waist gathers 3R. Therefore, the degree of biasing force that the absorbent core 8c receives in the width direction differs between the front body region 1F and the back body region 1R.

[0036] In the present application, the term "overlapping of sheets" is not limited to a state in which the overlapping sheets are in full contact with each other, but also includes a state in which only portions of the sheets overlap. For example, the end sheet 11F is overlapped such that a portion of one longitudinal end of the back sheet 6 touches a portion of the cover sheet 4. The diaper 1 is formed by stacking the back sheet 6 and top sheet 9, with the absorbent body 8 sandwiched therebetween, as well as the cover sheet 4, end sheets 11F and 11R, inner cover sheets 5F and 5R, and side sheets 10L and 10R, and can therefore be said to have a laminate formed by stacking these multiple sheets.

[0037] Fig. 4 shows the diaper according to this embodiment in a natural state without any external force being applied to it. Fig. 4 shows the diaper 1 as viewed from the front body region 1F side. The left edge of the front body region 1F of the cover sheet 4 (see edge 4F4 in FIG. 2) and the left edge of the back body region 1R of the cover sheet 4 (see edge 4R4 in FIG. 2) are joined together to form a side seal portion 12L, and the right edge of the front body region 1F of the cover sheet 4 (see edge 4F5 in FIG. 2) and the right edge of the back body region 1R (see edge 4R5 in FIG. 2) are joined together to form a side seal portion 12R. In this way, the outer body defines a waist opening 2T through which the wearer's waist is inserted. As shown in FIG. 2, the cover sheet 4, which is the outer body, is positioned closer to the skin than the absorbent body 8.

[0038] Next, the elastic thread 4F1 provided on the waist opening 2T side along the waist opening 2T will be described in more detail. Note that the elastic thread 4R1 on the back body region 1R side is similar to the elastic thread 4F1, so a description of the elastic thread 4R1 will be omitted.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 4, the diaper 1 according to this embodiment includes five rubber threads 4F1. Of the five rubber threads 4F1, the rubber thread closest to the waist opening 2T, i.e., the one located closest to the longitudinal end of the diaper 1, is designated as rubber thread 40A (an example of the "first contractile member" herein). The rubber threads located next to the rubber thread 40A and second from the longitudinal end of the diaper 1 are designated as rubber thread 40B (an example of the "second contractile member" herein). The rubber threads third through fifth from the longitudinal end of the diaper 1 are designated as rubber threads 40C (an example of the "third contractile member" herein). The rubber threads 40A, 40B, and 40C are arranged in this order from the longitudinal end of the diaper 1 in a stretched state, spaced apart from one another, and are contractile members that contract the outer shell in the width direction of the diaper 1. The rubber threads 40A, 40B, and 40C have the same contractile force. The same rubber thread is used for the rubber threads 40A, 40B, and 40C, and each rubber thread has the same draft ratio. The draft ratio is the rate at which the rubber thread is elongated from its natural length. When the same rubber thread is arranged with the same draft ratio, the contractile force when it contracts in the natural length direction is the same.

[0040] FIG. 5(A) is an enlarged view of the area A enclosed by the dotted line in FIG. 3. FIG. 5(B) is a cross-sectional view of the diaper 1 taken along line BB in FIG. 5(A). FIG. 5(A) illustrates the area in which the rubber threads 40A, 40B, and 40C are arranged from the skin-facing side of the diaper, while FIG. 5(B) illustrates a cross-section including the rubber threads 40A, 40B, and 40C. Hereinafter, the portion of the cover sheet 4 facing away from the skin (outside) from the fold-back line 4FF will be referred to as the outer sheet 4A, and the portion of the cover sheet 4 facing away from the skin (inside) from the fold-back line 4FF will be referred to as the inner sheet 4B. The outer sheet 4A forms the exterior surface. The inner sheet 4B is arranged on the skin-facing side of the outer sheet 4A.

[0041] In the front body region 1F, the end sheet 11F extends toward the crotch region, overlapping the rubber thread 40B without overlapping the rubber thread 40A when viewed in the thickness direction. That is, the longitudinal end of the end sheet 11F on the front body region side is disposed at a position where it overlaps the rubber thread 40B without overlapping the rubber thread 40A. In this embodiment, the longitudinal end of the end sheet 11F on the front body region side is disposed between the rubber thread 40A and the rubber thread 40B when viewed in the thickness direction, but it may be disposed along the rubber thread 40C. The same applies to the end sheet 11R in the back body region 1R.

[0042] In the crotch region, closer to the rubber thread 40B, the inner sheet 4B and the end sheet 11F are arranged between the rubber threads 40B, 40C and the wearer's skin, but at the end side of the front body region (the fold-back line 4FF side), the end sheet 11F is not arranged between the rubber thread 40A and the wearer's skin, and the end sheet 11F comes into closer contact with the wearer's skin than the inner sheet 4B at the part where it overlaps with the rubber thread 40A. This makes it less likely that the cover sheet 4 will dig into the wearer's skin at the end side of the front body region. In other words, in the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, the rubber thread 40A provided along the waist opening is arranged near the edge of the waist opening (fold-back line 4FF), so that the edge of the waist opening can be brought into moderate contact with the wearer's skin, and the diaper 1 does not come into contact with the wearer's waist. This prevents the outer diaper 1 from slipping off. Furthermore, by providing the end sheets 11F, which are in closer contact with the wearer's skin than the inner sheet 4B at the portion overlapping the elastic thread 40A, the inner sheet 4B is less likely to dig into the wearer's skin at the end portions of the front body region. Therefore, the diaper 1 according to this embodiment can prevent a decrease in comfort when worn. In other words, the diaper 1 according to this embodiment prevents the outer diaper end portions from turning up and digging into the wearer's skin.

[0043] The end sheet 11F is not adhered to the inner sheet 4B in the region from the longitudinal end of the diaper 1 to the position where it overlaps with the rubber thread 40B when viewed in the thickness direction, but is adhered to the inner sheet 4B from the position where it overlaps with the rubber thread 40C toward the crotch region. The cover sheet 4 and the end sheet 11F are contracted in the width direction of the diaper 1 by the rubber threads 40A, 40B, 40C, and 4F2, forming pleats in which convex portions and concave portions are alternately formed in the thickness direction.

[0044] Here, the pleats formed in the cover sheet 4 and the end sheet 11F will be described. Fig. 6(A) is an enlarged view of the area C enclosed by the dotted line in Fig. 4. Fig. 6(A) is a view of the diaper 1 as viewed from the non-skin-facing side (the outer sheet 4A side). As shown in Fig. 6(A), the outer sheet 4A of the cover sheet 4 has a plurality of pleats 41, 42, 43 formed therein. The pleats 41 are relatively small pleats formed between the rubber threads 40A, 40B, 40C. Note that the spacing between the rubber threads 40A and 40B, between the rubber thread 40B and the rubber thread 40C next to the rubber thread 40B (the uppermost rubber thread 40C on the paper in the figure), and between the plurality of rubber threads 40C are substantially the same, so the plurality of pleats 41 are substantially the same size. The pleat 42 is a pleat formed between the rubber thread 40C (the rubber thread 40C at the bottom on the paper in the drawing) and the rubber thread 4F2, and is larger in size than the pleat 41. The pleat 43 is a pleat formed between multiple rubber threads 4F2, and is larger in size than the pleats 41 and 42.

[0045] Fig. 6(B) is an enlarged view of the portion of the diaper 1 according to the present embodiment shown in Fig. 6(A) as viewed from the non-skin-facing side (the inner sheet 4B side). As shown in Fig. 6(B), the inner sheet 4B and the end sheet 11F of the cover sheet 4 have a plurality of pleats 45, 46, and 47 formed therein. The pleat 45 is a relatively small pleat formed between the rubber threads 40A, 40B, and 40C, and is a pleat formed on the skin-facing side of the pleat 41 shown in Fig. 6(A). The pleat 46 is a pleat formed between the rubber thread 40C (the rubber thread 40C at the bottom of the drawing) and the rubber thread 4F2, and is a pleat formed on the skin-facing side of the pleat 42 shown in Fig. 6(A), and is larger than the pleat 45. The pleats 47 are pleats formed between the multiple elastic threads 4F2, and are pleats formed on the skin-facing side of the pleats 43 shown in FIG. 6(A), and are larger in size than the pleats 45 and 46.

[0046] At the end of the front body region of the diaper 1, a non-adhered area between the inner sheet 4B and the end sheet 11F is provided on the skin-facing side of the rubber thread 40B. Therefore, the non-adhered end sheet 11F is independent of the pleats 41 of the outer sheet 4A, and the convex portion facing the skin is positioned away from the outer sheet 4A (see FIG. 7, described later). The non-adhered end sheet 11F also has pleats. The skin-facing side of the rubber thread 40C of the diaper 1 fits closer to the wearer's skin than the skin-facing sides of the rubber threads 40A and 40B. The non-adhered end sheet 11F forms a gap between the inner sheet 4B and the wearer's skin nearer the longitudinal end of the diaper 1 (toward the fold line 4FF) than the end of the end sheet 11F. This reduces the force with which the rubber thread 40A digs into the wearer's skin. 5(B), the rubber thread 40C, the outer sheet 4A, and the end sheet 11F are bonded together at the position of the rubber thread 40C, but the end sheet 11F and the inner sheet 4B are not bonded together at the position of the rubber thread 40B, so that the end sheet 11F is more likely to be separated from the wearer's skin at the position of the rubber thread 40B than at the position of the rubber thread 40C. Thus, in the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, the non-bonded portion of the end sheet 11F forms a gap between the inner sheet 4B and the wearer's skin, making it less likely that the cover sheet 4 will dig into the wearer's skin at the end of the front body region, thereby preventing a decrease in comfort.

[0047] Next, we will explain the relationship between the spacing between the rubber threads 40A and 40B and the change in wearing comfort. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5(A), the spacing S1 between the rubber threads 40A and 40B is set to 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less. The size of the pleats formed in the outer casing and end sheet 11F can be set by adjusting the spacing between the rubber threads and the contractile force. Note that the spacing between the rubber threads 40A, 40B, and 40C is all substantially the same spacing S1.

[0048] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the diaper 1 taken along line DD in Fig. 6(A). Fig. 7 shows a cross-section including the rubber threads 40A, 40B, and 40C. When viewed in the thickness direction, the distance L between the apex of the pleat 41 (an example of the "first pleat" in the present application) formed between the rubber thread 40A and the rubber thread 40B and the apex of the pleat 45 (an example of the "second pleat" in the present application) formed between the rubber thread 40A and the rubber thread 40B is 1 mm or more and 16 mm or less.

[0049] Here, a sensory test was conducted to evaluate the relationship between the spacing S1 between the rubber threads 40A and 40B, which determines the length of the distance L, and the comfort of wearing the diaper. Four subjects were used in the sensory test, and seven types of diapers were created with spacing S1 set to 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 5 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, and 9 mm, and the comfort of wearing the diapers was evaluated. Table 1 below shows the results of the sensory test.

[0050] [Table 1]

[0051] In Table 1, the column for comfort is marked with "x," "△," or "◯." "X" indicates a poor result for comfort, "△" indicates a fair result for comfort, and "◯" indicates a good result for comfort. As shown in Table 1, when the arrangement spacing S1 was 1 mm, the arrangement spacing between the rubber threads 40A and 40B was too narrow, resulting in a tight feeling and a poor wearing comfort. When the arrangement spacing S1 was 9 mm, the arrangement spacing between the rubber threads 40A and 40B was too wide, resulting in a loose feeling and a poor wearing comfort. When the arrangement spacing S1 was 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less, the wearing comfort was at least fair. For this reason, it is preferable that the arrangement spacing S1 be 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less. When the arrangement spacing S1 was 3 mm or more and 7 mm or less, the wearing comfort was good. For this reason, it is more preferable that the arrangement spacing S1 be 3 mm or more and 7 mm or less.

[0052] Next, the spacing between the rubber threads will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 8, the spacing between the rubber threads 40A, 40B, and 40C is all substantially the same, i.e., arrangement spacing S1. The spacing between the multiple rubber threads 4F2 (an example of the "linear contractile member" referred to in this application) is arrangement spacing S3, which is larger than the arrangement spacings S1 and S2. Here, arrangement spacings S1, S2, and S3 are average values ​​of the spacing between the rubber threads in the waist direction. The arrangement spacings S2 and S3 are between two and six times the arrangement spacing S1. In other words, the arrangement spacing S2 between the rubber thread 40C and the rubber thread 4F2, and the arrangement spacing S3 between the multiple rubber threads 4F2, are at least twice S1. As a result, as shown in Fig. 6(A), pleats 42, 43 can be made more than twice as large as pleat 41, and as shown in Fig. 6(B), pleats 46, 47 can be made more than twice as large as pleat 45, making pleats 46, 47 less likely to dig into the skin than pleat 45. The diaper 1 according to this embodiment can prevent a decrease in wearing comfort by making pleats 46, 47 less likely to dig into the skin.

[0053] <Other embodiments> Although the present embodiment has been described above, the content of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, three rubber threads 40C are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this, and two, one, or four or more rubber threads 40C may be provided.

[0054] The features included in each of the embodiments and modifications thereof disclosed above can be combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1. Diapers 1F: Front body area 1B...Inseam area 1R: Back body area 2R・Right lower limb opening 2L·Left lower limb opening 2T··Body opening 3BL, 3BR: 3D gathers 3R Waist Gather 3LL, 3LR Leg Gathers 4. Cover sheet 4F1, 4F2, 4F3, 4R1, 4R2, 4R3... Elastic thread 4F4,4R4,4F5,4R5...edge 4FF, 4RF... Folded line 5F, 5R··Inner cover sheet 6. Back seat 7. Core wrap sheet 8. Absorber 8H··Flow guide groove 9. Top sheet 10L, 10R side seats 10L1, 10R1... Rubber thread 10L2, 10R2... Folding line 11F, 11R End seat 12L, 12R Side seal part 40A, 40B, 40C... Elastic thread 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47··Pleats

Claims

1. The sheet has a length along a longitudinal direction and a width along a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, An absorbent article in which, when worn, a front body region located around the waist on the abdominal side of a wearer, a crotch region located between the crotch, and a back body region located around the waist on the back side are provided in this order in the longitudinal direction, An absorber; an outer body forming a waist opening through which the waist of a wearer is inserted, the outer body having an outer sheet forming an outer surface and an inner sheet disposed on the skin-facing side of the outer sheet, the outer body being disposed on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body; a first contraction member, a second contraction member, and a third contraction member provided between the outer sheet and the inner sheet in a stretched state in the width direction and spaced apart from each other from the end sides in the longitudinal direction, the first contraction member, the second contraction member, and the third contraction member causing the exterior body to contract in the width direction; a skin-facing sheet disposed on the skin-facing side of the inner sheet in the front body region and the back body region, the skin-facing sheet being disposed so as to overlap the second contraction member without overlapping the first contraction member when viewed in the thickness direction; Equipped with the first contraction member extends along an edge of the waist opening; the first contraction member, the second contraction member, and the third contraction member have the same contraction force; When viewed in the thickness direction, the skin-facing sheet is not adhered to the inner sheet in a range from the longitudinal end to a position where it overlaps with the second contraction member, and is adhered to the inner sheet in a range from a position where it overlaps with the third contraction member toward the crotch region. Absorbent articles.

2. a plurality of linear contractile members provided between the outer sheet and the inner sheet in a stretched state in the width direction, on the crotch region side of the third contractile member; a distance between the third contraction member and the linear contraction member, and a distance between the plurality of linear contraction members, that is at least twice the average distance between the first contraction member, the second contraction member, and the third contraction member in the longitudinal direction; The absorbent article of claim 1.

3. The sheet has a length along a longitudinal direction and a width along a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, An absorbent article in which, when worn, a front body region located around the waist on the abdominal side of a wearer, a crotch region located between the crotch, and a back body region located around the waist on the back side are provided in this order in the longitudinal direction, An absorber; an outer body forming a waist opening through which the waist of a wearer is inserted, the outer body having an outer sheet forming an outer surface and an inner sheet disposed on the skin-facing side of the outer sheet, the outer body being disposed on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body; a first contraction member, a second contraction member, and a third contraction member provided between the outer sheet and the inner sheet in a stretched state in the width direction and spaced apart from each other from the end sides in the longitudinal direction, the first contraction member, the second contraction member, and the third contraction member causing the exterior body to contract in the width direction; a skin-facing sheet disposed on the skin-facing side of the inner sheet in the front body region and the back body region, the skin-facing sheet being disposed so as to overlap the second contraction member without overlapping the first contraction member when viewed in the thickness direction; Equipped with the first contraction member extends along an edge of the waist opening; the first contraction member, the second contraction member, and the third contraction member have the same contraction force; a plurality of linear contractile members provided between the outer sheet and the inner sheet in a stretched state in the width direction, on the crotch region side of the third contractile member; a distance between the third contraction member and the linear contraction member, and a distance between the plurality of linear contraction members, that is at least twice the average distance between the first contraction member, the second contraction member, and the third contraction member in the longitudinal direction; Absorbent articles.

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