hygiene products

Abstract

To provide a sanitary article capable of fixing a chemical solution for skin care onto a contact surface which makes contact with a wearer's skin, and thereby improving a skin care effect by the chemical solution.SOLUTION: A sanitary article 1 to be worn by a wearer comprises a first sheet 11 having a contact surface 10a which makes contact with a wearer's skin S. The first sheet 11 includes first fiber containing hydrophilic resin or / and second fiber having a surface area increase structure on a fiber surface and has a chemical solution 40 for skin care applied on the contact surface 10a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hygiene product. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, sanitary products are known in which a skin care liquid is applied to the contact surface that comes into contact with the wearer's skin (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-255164 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-171649 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-84906 [Patent Document 4] Patent Publication No. 2021-186662 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when conventional sanitary products are applied to the contact surface, the solution passes through the gaps between the fibers, making it difficult for the solution to adhere to the contact surface, which reduces the skin care effect of the solution.

[0005] The present invention has been made with an eye on the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a sanitary product that can fix a skin care liquid to the contact surface that comes into contact with the wearer's skin, thereby improving the skin care effect of the liquid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a sanitary product to be worn by a wearer, comprising a sheet material having a contact surface that comes into contact with the wearer's skin, the sheet material including at least one of first fibers that are hydrophobic synthetic fibers containing a hydrophilic resin therein, and second fibers that have a surface area increasing structure on the fiber surface and contain any of modified cross-section fibers, crimped fibers, and heat-shrinkable fibers, and a hydrophilic skin care liquid is applied to the contact surface. A chemical solution layer is formed on the surface of the contact surface. The structure is as follows. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] As a result, the sanitary product of the present invention can fix the skin care medicinal solution on the surface that comes into contact with the wearer's skin, thereby improving the skin care effect of the medicinal solution. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a sanitary product of Example 1. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic cross section of the sanitary product of Example 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 1(a) is an explanatory diagram showing a first example of a modified cross-section fiber, and FIG. 1(b) is an explanatory diagram showing a second example of a modified cross-section fiber. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of crimped fibers. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a heat-shrinkable fiber. [Figure 6] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the fiber surfaces of various fibers. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a compression pattern of heat embossing in the sanitary product of Example 1. [Figure 8] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a first example of an adhesive application pattern in the sanitary product of Example 1. FIG. [Figure 9] 4 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of an adhesive application pattern in the sanitary product of Example 1. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A mode for carrying out the sanitary product of the present invention will be described based on Example 1 shown in the drawings. The sanitary product of the present invention is applied to absorbent articles capable of absorbing the body fluids of a wearer, such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, incontinence pads, medical pads, and disposable diapers. The sanitary product of the present invention may also be applied to masks that cover the wearer's nose and mouth and block droplets. Example 1 describes a sanitary product 1 applied to a sanitary napkin that is attached to underwear and used to absorb body fluids (menstrual blood and vaginal discharge).

[0010] The sanitary product 1 of the first embodiment comprises a topsheet 10 (surface material), an absorbent member 20, and a backsheet 30, as shown in FIG.

[0011] The topsheet 10 is a thin film member that is liquid-permeable and allows bodily fluids to pass through quickly. The topsheet 10 has a contact surface 10a that comes into contact with the wearer's skin S when the sanitary product 1 is in use.

[0012] The absorbent member 20 is disposed between the topsheet 10 and the backsheet 30, and absorbs bodily fluids that have permeated the topsheet 10. The absorbent member 20 is formed by laminating cotton-like pulp, absorbent paper, superabsorbent polymers, etc. The superabsorbent polymers have the function of quickly absorbing 50 to 100 times their own weight in liquid and retaining the absorbed liquid by gelling.

[0013] The backsheet 30 is a thin film member that is liquid-impermeable and prevents leakage of bodily fluids. The absorbent member 20 is laminated on the backsheet 30, which covers the back side of the absorbent member 20 and comes into contact with the underwear P when the sanitary product 1 is in use. The peripheral edge of the backsheet 30 is joined to the peripheral edge of the topsheet 10 by an adhesive such as hot melt or by an adhesive means such as heat sealing. Furthermore, the outer surface 30a of the backsheet 30 that comes into contact with the underwear P is provided with an anti-slip adhesive (not shown) for fixing the sanitary product 1 to the underwear P.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the top sheet 10 of Example 1 is composed of a first sheet 11 (sheet material) and a second sheet 12 (second sheet material) superimposed on the first sheet 11, and has a so-called two-layer structure.

[0015] The first sheet 11 is disposed on the front side (skin S side) of the topsheet 10, and has a contact surface 10a that comes into contact with the skin S. A skin care medicinal solution 40 (see FIG. 2) is applied to the contact surface 10a, and a medicinal solution layer is formed on the surface of the contact surface 10a. Here, the medicinal solution 40 is evenly applied to almost the entire surface of the contact surface 10a.

[0016] The medicinal solution 40 contains ingredients such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter. The skin care effects of the medicinal solution 40 include moisturizing the skin S, reducing friction between the sanitary product 1 and the skin S, and improving the barrier function of the skin S. The medicinal solution 40 is applied to the contact surface 10a of the first sheet 11 by, for example, a non-contact application method such as spray application or a contact application method such as printing (transfer).

[0017] The second sheet 12 is laminated on the non-contact surface 10b of the first sheet 11, which is located opposite the contact surface 10a. In other words, the second sheet 12 is disposed on the back side of the topsheet 10 (the absorbent member 20 side).

[0018] The first sheet 11 and the second sheet 12 are each formed of a nonwoven fabric containing at least one of first fibers containing a hydrophilic resin and second fibers having a surface area increasing structure on the fiber surface.

[0019] Here, the first fiber is formed by kneading a hydrophilic resin into the interior of a hydrophobic synthetic fiber. The first fiber contains the hydrophilic resin, which absorbs moisture in the air and forms a water film on the surface of the hydrophobic synthetic fiber. The first fiber also diffuses electricity with the water film formed by the hydrophilic resin, making it possible to reduce the generation of static electricity. The hydrophilic resin may be incorporated into the first fiber by being attached to the surface of the hydrophobic synthetic fiber by spraying or coating.

[0020] The "surface area-enhancing structure" of the second fiber is a structure that increases (enlarges) the surface area compared to a fiber having a smooth surface and a circular cross-sectional contour, such as unevenness, undulation, crimping, or scales formed on the fiber surface. The second fiber has an uneven cross-sectional contour due to its surface area-enhancing structure. Specifically, the second fiber may be a modified cross-section fiber, a crimped fiber, a heat-shrinkable fiber, or a natural fiber. As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), a modified cross-section fiber is a synthetic fiber having a special non-circular cross-section (e.g., triangular, star-shaped, Y-shaped, hollow, or flower-shaped). As shown in Figure 4, a crimped fiber is a fiber that is not linear but is crimped and deformed. The crimped fiber may be a natural fiber that exhibits crimping, such as wool, or a synthetic fiber that has been given crimping properties through a false twisting process (woolly processing). Heat-shrinkable fibers are synthetic fibers that are not linear but are shrunk by heat processing, as shown in FIG. 5. Natural fibers are primarily made from natural materials and are broadly classified into "plant fibers" and "animal fibers." Examples of "plant fibers" include flax (Sample 1 shown in FIG. 6) and cotton (Sample 2). Examples of "animal fibers" include silk (Sample 3 shown in FIG. 6) and wool (Lincoln: Sample 4, Merino: Sample 5). Fibers such as Samples 1 to 5 have unevenness, undulations, crimps, and scales on the fiber surface compared to common synthetic fibers such as Sample 6 (polyester) shown in FIG. 6, and thus serve as second fibers with an increased surface area. Note that the second fibers may be fibers that have both the characteristics of a non-circular cross-section fiber, such as a non-circular crimped fiber, and the characteristics of a crimped fiber.

[0021] Furthermore, the single yarn fineness of each of the first and second fibers contained in the first sheet 11 and the second sheet 12 is set to 2 dtex (decitex) or less. Since the single yarn fineness is 2 dtex or less, the first and second fibers are thinner than typical clothing fibers, which have a single yarn fineness of about 3.33 dtex (3 denier).

[0022] The first sheet 11 and the second sheet 12 are preferably formed by thermal bonding, spun bonding, melt blowing, etc. The weight per unit area of ​​the first sheet 11 and the second sheet 12 is preferably about 10 to 40 gsm. The first sheet 11 and the second sheet 12 may be formed from the same material or different materials.

[0023] Furthermore, the first sheet 11 of Example 1 is bonded to the second sheet 12 by thermal embossing, and the first sheet 11 and the second sheet 12 are joined together. In Example 1, the thermal embossing is uniformly applied to the entire surface of the first sheet 11, and a bonding pattern 41 formed by the thermal embossing is formed on the entire surface of the first sheet 11. The "bonding pattern" refers to a region where the fibers are compressed and depressed by the heat and pressure of the thermal embossing.

[0024] 7, the compression pattern 41 has a circular shape with a diameter r of 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less in plan view. The interval W between adjacent compression patterns 41 is set to 5 mm or less.

[0025] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2, the topsheet 10 of Example 1 is adhered to the absorbent member 20 via adhesive 42 that is uniformly applied between the topsheet 10 and the absorbent member 20. Here, the adhesive 42 is applied by a curtain spray method in which the adhesive is discharged in a line (fibrous form) from a single minute discharge port, or in a line (a curtain-like form with a predetermined width overall) simultaneously from multiple minute discharge ports aligned in a certain direction, as shown schematically in Fig. 8. The application pattern T of the adhesive 42 by the curtain spray method exhibits a randomly oriented fibrous form in plan view, as shown enlarged in Fig. 8.

[0026] The adhesive 42 may be applied by a slot coating method, in which the adhesive 42 is discharged from a narrow discharge port formed in a fixed direction and applied in a strip shape of a predetermined width, as shown, for example, in FIG. 9. The slot coating method includes a method in which the adhesive 42 is applied on a roll R (see FIG. 9) and a method in which the adhesive 42 is applied by using tension between rolls (not shown). Either method allows the adhesive 42 to be applied continuously or intermittently, as shown enlarged in FIG. 9.

[0027] Next, the effects of the sanitary product 1 of Example 1 will be described.

[0028] In the sanitary product 1 of Example 1, the topsheet 10 that faces the wearer when worn includes a first sheet 11 having a contact surface 10a that comes into contact with the wearer's skin S. A skin care solution 40 is applied to the contact surface 10a of the first sheet 11. Furthermore, the first sheet 11 is formed from a nonwoven fabric that includes at least one of first fibers containing a hydrophilic resin and second fibers having a surface area-enhancing structure on the fiber surface.

[0029] Here, the hydrophilic resin contained in the first fibers can form a water film on the fiber surface. Therefore, when the first sheet 11 includes the first fibers, the first sheet 11 can form a water film of the medicinal solution 40 on the contact surface 10a using the first fibers, thereby fixing the medicinal solution 40 to the contact surface 10a. As a result, the sanitary product 1 of Example 1 can improve the skin care effect of the medicinal solution 40 and reduce skin stress when wearing the sanitary product 1.

[0030] Furthermore, the second fibers have a surface area-increasing structure on their fiber surfaces. Therefore, when the first sheet 11 includes the second fibers, the first sheet 11 can increase the area onto which the chemical solution 40 is applied compared to sheet materials formed from fibers with smooth fiber surfaces, such as general synthetic fibers. This allows the first sheet 11 to increase the amount of chemical solution applied and the amount of chemical solution 40 that settles on the contact surface 10a. Furthermore, the chemical solution 40 is more likely to become entangled in the surface area-increasing structure, and the second fibers have a higher retention capacity for the chemical solution 40 than fibers with smooth fiber surfaces. As a result, the first sheet 11 including the second fibers can settle the chemical solution 40 on the contact surface 10a. Therefore, the sanitary product 1 of Example 1 can improve the skin care effect of the chemical solution 40 even when the first sheet 11 includes the second fibers.

[0031] Furthermore, in the sanitary product 1 of Example 1, the single fiber fineness of the first fiber and the second fiber contained in the first sheet 11 is set to 2 dtex or less. This allows the sanitary product 1 of Example 1 to increase the density of the fiber structure of the first sheet 11. This makes it difficult for the chemical solution 40 to pass through the first sheet 11, and the sanitary product 1 can keep the chemical solution 40 on the contact surface 10a.

[0032] In the sanitary product 1 of Example 1, a second sheet 12 is laminated on the non-contact surface 10b of the first sheet 11, resulting in a two-layer structure for the topsheet 10. The second sheet 12 is formed from a nonwoven fabric containing at least one of first fibers containing a hydrophilic resin and second fibers having a surface area-enhancing structure on the fiber surface. This allows the sanitary product 1 to inhibit passage of the chemical solution 40 through both the first sheet 11 and the second sheet 12, improving the fixation performance of the chemical solution 40 on the contact surface 10a.

[0033] In the sanitary product 1 of Example 1, the single fiber fineness of the first and second fibers contained in the second sheet 12 is also set to 2 dtex or less. This allows the sanitary product 1 of Example 1 to increase the density of the fiber structure of the second sheet 12, making it more difficult for the chemical solution 40 to pass through the second sheet 12. Therefore, the sanitary product 1 of Example 1 can further improve the fixation performance of the chemical solution 40 on the contact surface 10a.

[0034] In the sanitary product 1 of Example 1, the first sheet 11 is bonded to the second sheet 12 by thermal embossing. Here, in the bonded pattern 41 formed by thermal embossing, the topsheet 10 melts and a depression is formed in the contact surface 10a. Therefore, the chemical solution 40 applied to the contact surface 10a tends to accumulate inside the bonded pattern 41 (the depression in the contact surface 10a).

[0035] In contrast, the pressure-bonded pattern 41 of Example 1 has a circular shape with a diameter r of 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less in plan view. Furthermore, the distance W between adjacent pressure-bonded patterns 41 is set to 5 mm or less. Therefore, the sanitary product 1 can form many relatively fine pressure-bonded patterns 41 on the contact surface 10a, and by storing a large amount of chemical solution 40 in the pressure-bonded patterns 41, the fixing performance of the chemical solution 40 on the contact surface 10a can be improved.

[0036] Furthermore, the sanitary product 1 of Example 1 comprises a topsheet 10 having a first sheet 11 and facing the wearer, and an absorbent member 20 that is placed on the non-skin side of the topsheet 10 and absorbs the wearer's bodily fluids. The topsheet 10 is adhered to the absorbent member 20 via an adhesive 42 that is evenly applied between the topsheet 10 and the absorbent member 20.

[0037] As a result, in the sanitary product 1, the adhesive 42 prevents the chemical solution 40 from passing through the topsheet 10, and allows the chemical solution 40 to be fixed to the contact surface 10a. Therefore, the sanitary product 1 can improve the fixing performance of the chemical solution 40 on the topsheet 10.

[0038] The sanitary product 1 of the present invention has been described above based on Example 1, but the specific configuration is not limited to Example 1, and design changes and additions are permitted as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention according to each claim.

[0039] In the sanitary product 1 of Example 1, the bonding pattern 41 that bonds the first sheet 11 to the second sheet 12 has a circular shape in a planar view. However, the shape of the bonding pattern 41 is not limited to a circular shape. For example, the bonding pattern 41 may have a rectangular shape in a planar view, with the length of each side set to 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less. That is, the bonding pattern 41 may have a rectangular shape with the length of each side set to 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less in a planar view. Even in this case, the sanitary product 1 can improve the fixing performance of the chemical solution 40 on the contact surface 10a by storing a large amount of the chemical solution 40 in the bonding pattern 41.

[0040] Furthermore, the sanitary product 1 may include a mixture of circular and rectangular pressure-bonded patterns 41 in plan view. Even in this case, by setting the diameter r and the length of each side to 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less, and setting the spacing W between adjacent pressure-bonded patterns 41 to 5 mm or less, a large amount of chemical solution 40 can be stored in the pressure-bonded patterns 41, thereby improving the fixing performance of the chemical solution 40.

[0041] In the sanitary product 1 of Example 1, the first sheet 11 constituting the topsheet 10 is pressure-bonded to the second sheet 12 by thermal embossing. However, the first sheet 11 may also be bonded to the second sheet 12 via an adhesive uniformly applied between the first sheet 11 and the second sheet 12. In this case, the adhesive applied between the first sheet 11 and the second sheet 12 can prevent the passage of the chemical solution 40 applied to the contact surface 10a, thereby improving the adhesion of the chemical solution 40 to the topsheet 10.

[0042] Furthermore, in the sanitary product 1 of Example 1, an example was shown in which the topsheet 10 has a two-layer structure composed of a first sheet 11 and a second sheet 12. However, the configuration of the topsheet 10 is not limited to this. The topsheet 10 only needs to include at least the first sheet 11 having a contact surface 10a that comes into contact with the wearer's skin S, and may have a single-layer structure. Furthermore, the topsheet 10 may have a three- or more-layer structure in which an additional sheet material is laminated on the second sheet 12. In other words, the second sheet 12 does not need to be provided, or may be multiple sheet materials.

[0043] The sanitary product 1 of Example 1 is applied to a sanitary napkin (absorbent article) in which an absorbent member 20 capable of absorbing the body fluids of a wearer is covered with a topsheet 10. However, the sanitary product 1 may be one that does not have an absorbent member 20, such as a mask.

[0044] Furthermore, in the sanitary product 1 of Example 1, the medicinal solution 40 is applied evenly to almost the entire surface of the contact surface 10a that comes into contact with the wearer's skin S. However, the medicinal solution 40 may be applied to any part of the contact surface 10a, or the amount of application may vary in different parts. Furthermore, multiple different types of medicinal solutions 40 may be applied to the contact surface 10a. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 Hygiene products 10 Surface sheet (surface material) 10a Contact surface 10b Non-contact surface 11 First sheet (sheet material) 12 Second sheet (second sheet material) 20 Absorbing member 30 Back sheet 40 Chemical Solution 41 Crimping Pattern 42 Adhesive

Claims

[Claim 1] A hygiene product to be worn by a wearer, a sheet material having a contact surface that contacts the wearer's skin, The sheet material includes at least one of first fibers containing a hydrophilic resin inside a hydrophobic synthetic fiber and second fibers having a surface area increasing structure on the fiber surface and containing any of modified cross-section fibers, crimped fibers, and heat-shrinkable fibers, and a hydrophilic skin care liquid medicine is applied to the contact surface, forming a liquid medicine layer on the surface of the contact surface. A sanitary product characterized by:

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