Individual packaging for absorbent articles

Abstract

To provide an individual package of an absorbent article allowing a user to carry two absorbent articles without getting bulky and, through being environmentally friendly, having excellent handleability from opening to disposal.SOLUTION: A packaging sheet 20 includes a first area 21 and a second area 22, where the first area 21 has a first valley fold line A, a second valley fold line B and a third valley fold line C, while the second area 22 has a first mountain fold line E in a longitudinal center part of an absorbent article. Further, the second area 22 has a release layer on each of both surfaces and is releasably joined to the absorbent article 10. The second area 22 is valley-folded to the first area 21 side at a boundary with the first area 21, the folded second area 22 is folded at the third valley fold line C together with the first area 21, and is folded with an outer surface side of the first area 21 valley-folded at the first valley fold line A and an outer surface side of the first area 21 folded at the third valley fold line C, inside.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to individual packaging for absorbent articles. [Background technology]

[0002] Typically, absorbent items such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, and disposable diapers are individually wrapped in packaging sheets, folded into thirds together with the packaging sheet, and then sealed by heat sealing or other means to provide them in an individually packaged state.

[0003] When consumers carry absorbent items for use while out and about, they often carry the minimum necessary number, i.e., two or more individually packaged items, including replacements. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a roll of sanitary napkins made by connecting individually packaged tri-fold sanitary napkins. However, carrying two or more individually packaged items not only increases the amount of packaging waste, but also makes them bulky and reduces portability.

[0004] Furthermore, packaging sheets are often made of nonwoven fabric made from polyolefin-based thermoplastic synthetic resin fibers and release paper, which is made by coating a release agent onto a base material such as paper and covers the adhesive layer of absorbent articles. For this reason, in recent years, when contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are required, packaging sheets made of multiple materials are difficult to recycle, and since combustion energy is required for incineration of synthetic resin fibers (nonwoven fabric), improvements have been strongly desired.

[0005] To address these environmental issues, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses a bodily fluid absorbent backing material having a release member (packaging sheet) in which a release layer, a thermoplastic resin layer, and a nonwoven fabric layer are laminated in that order. Although this release member integrates the functions of nonwoven fabric and release paper, it still uses synthetic resin fibers. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3113756 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-81927 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an individual package for absorbent articles that allows at least two absorbent articles to be carried without taking up much space, is environmentally friendly, and offers excellent usability from opening to disposal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The inventors diligently researched how to solve this problem and, as a result, discovered that by providing peel-off areas on both the front and back surfaces of a packaging sheet, placing absorbent articles on each surface, and forming a packaging sheet in a shape never before seen, it is possible to obtain individually packaged absorbent articles that can be used one at a time even in multiple packaging configurations, using less packaging sheet and being less bulky, thus leading to the present invention.

[0009] In other words, the present invention provides individual packaging for the following absorbent articles.

[0010] (1) A first aspect of the present invention is: An individual package for an absorbent article, comprising an absorbent article and a packaging sheet that encloses the absorbent article, The packaging sheet comprises a first region including one end in a first direction in the longitudinal direction, and a second region including the other end in the first direction. The first region has a first valley fold line, a second valley fold line, and a third valley fold line in order from one end in the first direction. The second region has a release layer on each of its two sides, Both release layers are detachably bonded to an adhesive portion provided on the non-skin contact surface of the absorbent article. The second region has a first mountain fold line at the longitudinal center of the absorbent article, The second region is folded toward the first region side at the boundary with the first region, The folded second region is folded together with the first region along the third valley fold line The outer surface side of the first region valley-folded along the first valley fold line and the outer surface side of the first region folded along the third valley fold line are folded inward, It is an individual package of an absorbent article. (2) A second aspect of the present invention is Furthermore, it is an individual package of an absorbent article according to (1), which has a sealing portion on the outer surface side of the first valley fold line. (3) A third aspect of the present invention is Furthermore, it is an individual package of an absorbent article according to (1), which has a gripping portion at the end of the other end in the first direction. (4) A fourth aspect of the present invention is It is an individual package of an absorbent article according to (1), which is configured such that the length in the width direction of the second region is shorter than the length in the width direction of the first region. (5) A fifth aspect of the present invention is It is an individual package of an absorbent article according to (1), wherein the packaging sheet is made of a paper base material mainly composed of wood pulp fibers.

Advantages of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an individual package of an absorbent article that can carry at least two absorbent articles without being bulky, is environmentally friendly, and has excellent usability from opening to disposal.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] [Figure 1] It is a development view schematically showing the configuration before folding of an individual package of an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a plan view of an individual package of an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3]Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the individual packaging of the absorbent article according to this embodiment, along line XX. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the process of opening the individual packaging of the absorbent article. [Figure 5] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the process of opening the individual packaging of the absorbent article. [Figure 6] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the process of removing an absorbent item from its individual packaging. [Figure 7] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the sealing process of individual packaging for absorbent articles. [Figure 8] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the sealing process of individual packaging for absorbent articles. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The embodiments for implementing the individual packaging of the absorbent article of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, unless otherwise specified, the same or corresponding components may be denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions may be omitted. These are listed for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the present invention. The longitudinal direction is the direction that extends from the front to the back of the wearer when the absorbent article is worn, and is indicated by the reference numeral X in the figures. The width direction is the direction that is transverse or perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and is indicated by the reference numeral Y in the figures. Furthermore, the skin-contacting surface is the surface of each component of the absorbent article that is positioned on the skin side of the wearer when worn, and the non-skin-contacting surface is the surface of each component of the absorbent article that is oriented away from the wearer's skin side (underwear side) when worn.

[0014] <Individual packaging for absorbent articles> An embodiment of the individual packaging 1 for absorbent articles of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 is a schematic unfolded view showing the configuration of the individual packaging for absorbent articles according to one embodiment of the present invention before folding. Figure 2 is a plan view of the individual packaging for absorbent articles according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the individual packaging for absorbent articles according to this embodiment along line XX shown in Figure 2. The individual packaging 1 for absorbent articles comprises an absorbent article 10(11) and a packaging sheet 20 that wraps the absorbent article 10(11). The packaging sheet 20 comprises a first region 21 including one end F1 in the first direction in the longitudinal direction and a second region 22 including the other end F2 in the first direction. The first region 21 has a first valley fold line A, a second valley fold line B, and a third valley fold line C in order from one end F1 in the first direction, and the second region 22 has a first mountain fold line E in the longitudinal center of the absorbent article 10(11). The second region 22 has release layers on both sides, and both release layers are peelably bonded to adhesive portions 101 (111) provided on the non-skin contact surface of the absorbent article 10 (11). It is preferable to provide a sealing portion 30 on the outer surface side of the first valley fold line A and a gripping portion 40 at the other end F2 in the first direction. Furthermore, the boundary between the first region 21 and the second region 22 also functions as a fourth valley fold line D.

[0015] <Absorbent articles> The absorbent articles 10(11) are not particularly limited as long as they are generally known, and examples include incontinence products such as absorbent napkins, light incontinence pads, and urine absorption pads, sanitary products such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, and disposable diapers. These absorbent articles 10(11) generally consist of a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent material placed between the top sheet and the back sheet.

[0016] The shape of the absorbent article 10(11) is not limited to the approximate hourglass shape shown in Figure 1, but can be an approximate rectangle, an approximate fan shape, or any other shape that fits the wearer's body part. In addition, the absorbent article 10(11) may be appropriately provided with three-dimensional gathers, leg gathers, waist gathers, side flaps, etc., depending on the application and type.

[0017] The longitudinal and widthwise dimensions of the absorbent article 10(11) are not particularly limited, but for example, the longitudinal range is 100 mm to 800 mm and the widthwise range is 50 mm to 500 mm. By adjusting the dimensions of the absorbent article 10 to the above range, various types for different applications can be easily obtained. The absorbent article 10 and the absorbent article 11 may be of different sizes and applications, or they may be of the same type.

[0018] (Top sheet) A liquid-permeable substrate can be used as the top sheet. Examples include nonwoven fabrics such as thermal bond nonwoven fabrics and laminates of thermal bond nonwoven fabrics and spunbond nonwoven fabrics, open films such as open polyethylene films, foamed films such as polyethylene foam and urethane foam, and multilayer sheets made by laminating two or more of these. The top sheet can be subjected to methods such as embossing and perforation, and modifiers such as lotions, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory components, pH adjusters, antibacterial agents, and humectants can be added.

[0019] (Absorbent) The absorbent material is generally not limited to materials used in absorbent products such as sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, and incontinence pads. For example, it can be formed from materials such as absorbent fibers, super absorbent polymers (hereinafter also referred to as "SAP"), and hydrophilic sheets.

[0020] Absorbent fibers include, for example, fluff pulp, cotton, rayon, acetate, tissue, absorbent paper, and hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics. Among these, fluff pulp is preferred from the viewpoint of absorbency. Examples of fluff pulp include wood pulp (for example, bleached kraft pulp of coniferous trees such as Southern pine and Douglas fir (N-BKP)), synthetic fibers, resin fibers, and non-wood pulp that have been defibrated into a cotton-like form. When fluff pulp is used as the absorbent fiber base material in the absorbent body 12, the basis weight of the absorbent fiber is not particularly limited, but is 50 g / m². 2More than 500g / m 2 Preferably, it is 100g / m² 2 More than 300g / m 2 The following is more preferable: This allows the absorbent material to absorb more bodily fluids (liquids expelled from the body, such as urine, blood, and water in loose stools).

[0021] The SAP contained in the absorbent material is not particularly limited as long as it can absorb body fluids and prevent backflow. For example, materials formed from sodium polyacrylate, polyaspartate, (starch-acrylic acid) graft copolymer, (acrylic acid-vinyl alcohol) copolymer, (isobutylene-maleic anhydride) copolymer, and their saponified products can be used. Among these, sodium polyacrylate is preferred from the viewpoint of absorption per unit weight. The basis weight of the SAP is not particularly limited, but 50 g / m² is preferred. 2 More than 500g / m 2 Preferably, it is 100g / m² 2 More than 300g / m 2 The following is more preferable:

[0022] In the absorbent material, the form of the absorbent fibers and SAP may be one in which SAP particles are mixed into absorbent fibers, or it may be a sheet in which SAP particles are fixed between absorbent fibers. Furthermore, a carrier sheet (not shown) that surrounds the absorbent material may be provided for the purpose of preventing leakage of SAP particles and stabilizing the shape of the absorbent material. The base material of the carrier sheet may be any material that is hydrophilic, such as tissue, absorbent paper, airlaid nonwoven fabric, or spunbond nonwoven fabric. Among these, spunbond nonwoven fabric is preferred. Furthermore, if multiple carrier sheets are provided, the base materials of the multiple carrier sheets may be the same or different.

[0023] (Back seat) The backsheet has liquid impermeability so that body fluid does not leak outside the absorbent article 10(11), and a water-blocking base material is used, but it may have moisture permeability for preventing stuffiness. As the backsheet, a liquid-impermeable base material can be used. For example, non-woven fabrics such as spunbond non-woven fabric, meltblown non-woven fabric, spunbond non-woven fabric / meltblown non-woven fabric laminate, spunbond non-woven fabric / meltblown non-woven fabric / spunbond non-woven fabric laminate, resin films such as polyester film, polyvinyl alcohol film, polyethylene film, polypropylene film, composite film of polyethylene and polypropylene, etc. can be mentioned. Known methods for improving liquid impermeability can be applied to the backsheet. Further, in order to provide the backsheet with moisture permeability, for example, a filler can be blended in the resin film of the base material, or the backsheet can be embossed. Examples of the filler include calcium carbonate, etc., and the blending method can be carried out without limitation by known methods.

[0024] In terms of strength and workability, the basis weight of the backsheet is preferably 15 g / m 2 or more and 60 g / m 2 or less, and more preferably 25 g / m 2 or more and 45 g / m 2 or less.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the non-skin contact surface on the backsheet side has an adhesive portion 101(111). When the absorbent article 10(11) is in an unused state, the packaging sheet 20 is fixed to the backsheet through this adhesive portion 101(111), and is protected by the release layer of the packaging sheet 20. Also, when the absorbent article 10(11) is used, the absorbent article 10(11) is fixed to underwear or the like through the adhesive portion 101(111).

[0026] There are no particular limitations on the shape of the adhesive portion 101 (111), but it is preferable that it extends in the longitudinal or width direction of the backsheet, more preferably that it is formed in multiple rows so as to extend in the longitudinal or width direction, and even more preferably that it is formed in three rows at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the backsheet.

[0027] There are no particular limitations on the adhesive used to form the adhesive portion 101 (111). Examples include hot-melt adhesives such as polyacrylic acid esters, vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymers, vinyl acetate-acrylic copolymers, polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene, styrene-acrylic copolymers, polyester resins, epoxy resins, and butadiene-styrene copolymers. These may be used individually or in blends. The adhesive portion 101 (111) can be formed by applying the above adhesive to, for example, the non-skin-contacting surface of the backsheet.

[0028] <Packaging Sheet> The packaging sheet 20 has a release layer on the surface facing the adhesive portion 101 (111) of the backsheet. By not forming a release liner on the packaging sheet 20 and giving the packaging sheet 20 release properties, the amount of waste can be reduced when individually packaged. The release layer has the function of easily peeling off even when in contact with the adhesive portion 101 (111) of the backsheet. There are no particular limitations on the shape of the release layer, but it is preferable that it be the same shape as the adhesive layer. There are no particular limitations on the release treatment for forming the release layer, and for example, the release layer can be formed by applying a release agent such as a thermosetting or UV (ultraviolet) curable silicone resin, fluororesin, or isocyanate resin to the surface facing the adhesive portion 101 (111). The amount of release agent applied can also be set appropriately.

[0029] The packaging sheet 20 is preferably made of a paper base material mainly composed of wood pulp fibers. By using a paper base material mainly composed of wood pulp fibers, renewable raw materials can be used instead of petroleum-derived materials, resulting in an environmentally friendly packaging sheet 20. Furthermore, paper base materials mainly composed of wood pulp fibers have a superior texture compared to those made of synthetic resin fibers. Examples of wood pulp fibers include chemical pulps such as softwood kraft pulp, hardwood kraft pulp, and sulfite pulp; mechanical pulps such as thermomechanical pulp, stone-ground pulp, and refiner-ground pulp; and recycled pulp obtained from newspaper, coated paper, fine paper, etc. One or more of these wood pulp fibers can be used in combination. In addition, one or more non-wood pulps such as kenaf, hemp, and bamboo, and fiber materials other than cellulose fibers such as glass fibers and polyethylene fibers can be blended, as long as the objectives of the present invention are not impaired.

[0030] Specific examples of paper substrates include, for example, base paper for release paper, fine paper, kraft paper, crepe paper, foam paper, semi-bleached paper, glassine paper, and crepe paper. Among these, crepe paper made from bleached pulp fibers obtained by bleaching and refining pulp fibers, such as bleached softwood kraft pulp fiber (NBKP), bleached hardwood kraft pulp fiber (LBKP), and mixtures thereof, is preferred because it is easier to maintain the texture of the paper substrate. Crepe paper using both bleached softwood kraft pulp fiber and bleached hardwood kraft pulp fiber (LBKP) is more preferred, and crepe paper in which the solid weight ratio of hardwood kraft pulp to softwood kraft pulp is 90 / 10 or more and 50 / 50 or less is even more preferred.

[0031] The paper substrate of the packaging sheet 20 may have printing applied to its outer surface when it is formed as a sheet. Furthermore, the paper substrate may be overcoated paper with an overcoat applied to ensure water resistance.

[0032] The method for manufacturing (papermaking) the paper base is not particularly limited, and the base can be manufactured by papermaking using known methods such as acidic papermaking, neutral papermaking, and alkaline papermaking, using a long-screen former, on-top hybrid former, or gap former machine. Furthermore, the paper base may be a single layer or composed of two or more layers.

[0033] The basis weight of the packaging sheet 20 can be appropriately selected depending on the various qualities and handling requirements of the packaging sheet, but from the standpoint of strength and processability, 20 g / m² is recommended. 2 More than 40g / m 2 The following is true: 21g / m² 2 More than 30g / m 2 The following is preferable. Furthermore, the thickness of the packaging sheet 20 is preferably 65 μm to 90 μm, and more preferably 70 μm to 80 μm, from the viewpoint of texture and feel.

[0034] The intensity of the maximum peak in the spectrum including 6500Hz (TS7), automatically acquired by software on the tissue softness analyzer (TSA) (manufactured by emtec) of the packaging sheet 20, is 20dBV. 2 rms over 45dBV 2 It is below rms and 25dBV 2 rms over 40dBV 2 Preferably, it should be rms or less, and 32 dBV 2 rms over 38dBV 2 It is more preferable that it be less than or equal to rms. This TS7 is an indicator of the softness of the packaging sheet 20, and when TS7 is within the above range, the packaging sheet 20 is superior in terms of texture and feel.

[0035] Furthermore, for the packaging sheet 20, the intensity of the first spectral maximum peak from the low-frequency side, automatically acquired by the software on the TSA (TS750), was 15 dBV. 2 rms over 40dBV 2 It is less than rms and 20dBV 2 rms over 35dBV 2Preferably rms or less, 17 dBV 2 rms over 30dBV 2 It is more preferable that it be less than or equal to rms. TS750 is an indicator of the smoothness of the packaging sheet 20, and when TS750 falls within the above range, the packaging sheet 20 is superior in terms of texture and smoothness.

[0036] In addition, with respect to the packaging sheet 20, when a tissue softness measuring device (TSA) is used to press down on a sample of the packaging sheet placed on the sample stage with pressing pressures of 100 mN and 600 mN from above, without rotating the blade rotor, the measured value of stiffness D, which is represented by the amount of vertical deformation displacement of the sample between pressing pressures of 100 mN and 600 mN, is preferably between 1.0 mm / N and 2.5 mm / N, preferably between 1.5 mm / N and 2.3 mm / N, and more preferably between 1.7 mm / N and 2.0 mm / N. When D is within the above range, the packaging sheet 20 is superior in terms of texture and stiffness.

[0037] The measurement methods for TS7, TS750, and D using the tissue softness measuring device TSA, and the measuring device used therein, are described in detail, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-236904. For various measurement methods using the tissue softness measuring device TSA, please refer to the above patent document. Note that the measurement surface for TS750, TS7, and rigidity D is the outside of the packaging sheet 20 (the side opposite to the side in contact with the absorbent article 10 (11)).

[0038] <Packaging structure of individual packaging for absorbent articles> Referring to Figures 1 to 8, the packaging structure of the individual packaging 1 for absorbent articles according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 4 is a plan view showing the individual packaging of absorbent articles in Figure 2 in the process of being opened. Figure 6 is a plan view showing the individual packaging of absorbent articles in Figure 2 in the process of being opened. Figures 7 and 8 are plan views showing the process of removing the absorbent article from the individual packaging of absorbent articles in Figure 2, and are a continuation of the process from Figures 4 to 6.

[0039] As shown in Figure 1, the individual packaging 1 for the absorbent article according to this embodiment has a longitudinal direction X and a width direction Y. The packaging sheet 20 comprises a first region 21 including one end F1 in the first direction in the longitudinal direction X, and a second region 22 including the other end F2 in the first direction. The absorbent article 10(11) is placed on both sides of the second region 22. The first region 21 has a first valley fold line A, a second valley fold line B, and a third valley fold line C, in order from one end F1 in the first direction. The boundary between the first region 21 and the second region 22 is a fourth valley fold line D. Furthermore, the second region 22 has a first mountain fold line E in the longitudinal center of the absorbent article.

[0040] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the absorbent article 10 and the packaging sheet 20 are folded along the width direction Y, with the second valley fold line B, the third valley fold line C, and the first mountain fold line E of the packaging sheet 20 as the ends.

[0041] In the individual packaging 1 for the absorbent article according to this embodiment, the absorbent article 10(11) is folded in half, with at least one fold in the longitudinal direction X, to house the absorbent article 10(11). By folding it in half, the process of loading the absorbent article 10 is reduced to two steps: opening the packaging sheet and removing the absorbent article 10(11), thus reducing the effort required for loading. In addition, the number of times noise is produced when opening is minimized.

[0042] Preferably, the length L1 in the longitudinal direction X from the end F1 in the first direction to the first fold line A is configured to be approximately equal to the length L2 in the longitudinal direction X of the region demarcated by the first valley fold line A and the second valley fold line B. Also, preferably, the length L4 in the longitudinal direction X of the region demarcated by the third valley fold line C and the fourth valley fold line D is configured to be approximately equal to the length X in the longitudinal direction X of the region demarcated by the fourth valley fold line D and the first mountain fold line E. Furthermore, preferably, the length L3 in the longitudinal direction X of the region demarcated by the second valley fold line B and the third valley fold line C is configured to be longer than the length L4 in the longitudinal direction X of the region demarcated by the third valley fold line C and the fourth valley fold line D.

[0043] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, in the individual packaging 1 of the absorbent article according to this embodiment, it is preferable to have a sealing portion 30 on the outer surface side of the first valley fold line A. The sealing portion 30 is re-adherable, and for example, the packaging sheet 20 can be resealed after the absorbent article 10 has been removed. There are no particular limitations on the shape of the sealing portion 30, and it can be set as appropriate, such as semicircular, rectangular, or trapezoidal. The sealing portion 30 can be formed from a paper substrate separate from the packaging sheet 20, so that no special cutting mold is required. Alternatively, when cutting the raw material of the packaging sheet 20 into the shape of the packaging sheet 20, the sealing portion 30 can also be formed by cutting the shape including the sealing portion 30.

[0044] As described above, both release layers of the second region 22 are peelably bonded to the adhesive portion 101(111) of the absorbent article 10(11). Furthermore, the second region 22 to which the absorbent article 10(11) is bonded is folded toward the first region 21 at the boundary with the first region 21 along the fourth valley fold line D and the first mountain fold line E. The folded second region is then folded together with the first region 21 along the third valley fold line C. In addition, the outer surface side of the first region 21 folded along the first valley fold line A and the outer surface side of the first region 21 folded along the third valley fold line C are folded inward. This configuration results in an individual package containing two absorbent articles as a set, which is not bulky and provides consumers with greater peace of mind by preventing them from feeling unexpectedly short of supplies when carrying them out.

[0045] Next, we will describe the process from opening the individual packaging 1 of the absorbent article according to this embodiment, taking out the absorbent article 10, and then resealing it.

[0046] First, as shown in Figure 4, the edges of the first region 21 and the sealing portion 30 are pulled to open it, and the region from one end F1 in the first direction to the region of the second valley fold line B is unfolded (Figure 4). Next, the end of the other end F2 in the first direction is grasped, and the second region 22 is unfolded from the unfolded end F1 in the first direction to the region of the second valley fold line B (Figure 5). The second region 22 is unfolded on the inner surface of the first region 21, and the first region 21 is placed underneath the second region 22, so that the absorbent article 11 on the back side of the second region 22 is protected in a clean state (Figure 6).

[0047] Here, it is preferable to provide a gripping portion 40 at the end of the other end F2 in the first direction so that the second region 22 can be easily unfolded toward the first region 21. The shape of the gripping portion 40 is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate, such as semicircular, rectangular, or trapezoidal. The gripping portion 40 can be formed from a paper substrate separate from the packaging sheet 20, so that no special cutting mold is required. Alternatively, when cutting the raw material of the packaging sheet 20 into the shape of the packaging sheet 20, the gripping portion 40 can also be formed by cutting it in a shape that includes the gripping portion 40. Before opening, the gripping portion 40 can be arranged in a folded state, for example, as shown in Figure 4, which makes it easier to form a large size and easier to grip.

[0048] After removing the absorbent article 10, fold it along the fourth valley fold line D, fold the second region 22 in half along the third valley fold line C, fold it along the first valley fold line A, and fold it along the second valley fold line B (Figures 7 and 8). Then, seal it with the sealing section 30 and, by following the reverse procedure of unfolding, it can be carried again as an individual package 1 of absorbent articles containing the absorbent article 11.

[0049] To prevent the intrusion of dust and other debris and to store the absorbent article 10(11) hygienically, it is preferable that the individual packaging 1 for the absorbent article has seal portions formed on both edges in the width direction Y. The seal portions close both edges in the width direction Y of the individual packaging 1 for the absorbent article. Furthermore, in order to form these seal portions, it is preferable that the widthwise length W2 of the second region 22 is shorter than the widthwise length W1 of the first region 21. The seal portions formed on the widthwise side edges of the first region 21 can be formed by heat sealing or bonding with an adhesive, but in terms of ease of opening, it is preferable to form them by applying edge embossing. Edge embossing is a technique that uses a pair of edge embossing rolls, consisting of a metal roll and a rubber roll that are narrower than the continuous sheet, to apply linear edge embossing to the widthwise side edges of the first region 21 of the packaging sheet 20, thereby integrating the laminated packaging sheets 20 together. Any commonly used embossing pattern can be used as appropriate for the edge embossing.

[0050] An individual package 1 for an absorbent article can be manufactured by a manufacturing method that includes, for example, a first step of laminating an absorbent article 10(11) and a packaging sheet 20 which is larger than the absorbent article 10(11) in both the longitudinal direction X and the width direction Y, such that the clothing side of the back sheet of the absorbent article 10(11) and the surface of the packaging sheet are in contact; a second step of folding the laminate obtained in the first step in half so that the skin side of the top sheet is on the inside; and preferably a third step of joining them by forming a seal portion.

[0051] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments and examples. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. Furthermore, it is clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1. Individual packaging for absorbent articles 10, 11 Absorbent articles 101, 111 Adhesive layer 20 packaging sheets 21 First area 22 Second area 30 Sealing part 40 pinch section A First valley fold line B. Second valley fold line C Third valley fold line D Fourth valley fold line E First fold line F1 One end of the first direction F2 The other end in the first direction W1 Width direction of the first region W2 Second region width direction

Claims

1. An individual package for an absorbent article, comprising an absorbent article and a packaging sheet that encloses the absorbent article, The packaging sheet comprises a first region including one end in a first direction in the longitudinal direction, and a second region including the other end in the first direction. The first region has a first valley fold line, a second valley fold line, and a third valley fold line in order from one end in the first direction. The second region has a release layer on each of its two sides. Both release layers are detachably bonded to an adhesive portion provided on the non-skin contact surface of the absorbent article. The second region has a first fold line in the longitudinal center of the absorbent article, The second region is folded towards the first region at the boundary with the first region. The folded second region is folded together with the first region along the third valley fold line, The outer surface side of the first region folded along the first valley fold line and the outer surface side of the first region folded along the third valley fold line are folded inwards. Individual packaging for absorbent articles characterized by [feature].

2. Furthermore, the individual packaging for absorbent articles according to claim 1 is characterized by having a sealing portion on the outer surface side of the first valley fold line.

3. Furthermore, the individual packaging for absorbent articles according to claim 1 is characterized by having a gripping portion at the other end in the first direction.

4. The individual packaging for an absorbent article according to claim 1, characterized in that the length in the width direction of the second region is shorter than the length in the width direction of the first region.

5. The individual packaging for an absorbent article according to claim 1, characterized in that the packaging sheet is made of a paper base material mainly composed of wood pulp fibers.

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