ABSORBENT ITEMS

Abstract

The invention relates to an absorbent applicator (1) comprising an absorbent main body (11) and a pair of waist sections (20) provided further on the non-skin-contact side than the absorbent main body (11), the absorbent applicator comprising a dyed section (S), in which: at least the first waist section (40a) in the waist sections (20) has a hydrophobic (41) and a hydrophilic (42) section; the hydrophilic (42) section is at least a portion of the furthest non-skin-contact surface of the first waist section (40a); and at least a portion of the hydrophobic (41) section overlaps at least a portion of the hydrophilic (42) section, and at least a portion of the hydrophilic (42) section overlaps at least a portion of the dyed section (S), when viewed from the non-skin-contact side.

Description

absorbent articles

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

[0002]

[0003] Conventionally, in absorbent articles such as pants-type disposable diapers, a technique for enhancing water absorption by using a hydrophilic sheet as a sheet member constituting the absorbent article has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a disposable diaper equipped with waist flaps having a hydrophobic skin-side sheet positioned on the skin side of the wearer and a hydrophilic non-skin-side sheet positioned on the non-skin-facing side of the skin-side sheet. Such a disposable diaper can easily absorb moisture such as sweat from the wearer's skin when worn.

[0003] JP 2017-113188 A

[0004] However, in the disposable diaper described in Patent Document 1, even if the non-skin-side sheet absorbs moisture such as sweat, it is difficult for the wearer or the person putting the disposable diaper on to visually recognize that the disposable diaper has absorbed sweat, etc. Furthermore, the hydrophobic outer layer sheet provided on the non-skin-facing side of the non-skin-side sheet tends to cause moisture absorbed from the wearer's skin, etc. to remain in the non-skin-side sheet, and the waist flaps that are wet may cause problems such as rashes on the wearer's skin or cause discomfort.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide an absorbent article that improves the sweat absorption and moisture evaporation properties of the waist area, while easily giving the impression to the wearer that it is an absorbent article with sweat absorption and evaporation functions.

[0006] The main invention for achieving the above object is an absorbent article having a liquid-absorbent core and a pair of waist-line sections provided on the non-skin side of the absorbent core, the colored section being colored, at least one of the waist-line sections having a hydrophobic section that is hydrophobic and a hydrophilic section that is hydrophilic, the hydrophilic section being at least a part of the side closest to the skin of the one waist-line section, and when viewed from the non-skin side, at least a part of the hydrophobic section and the hydrophilic section overlap, and at least a part of the hydrophilic section and the colored section overlap. Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0007] According to the present invention, an absorbent article is provided in which a colored portion is provided in an area overlapping with a hydrophilic portion, thereby transferring the wearer's sweat from the hydrophobic portion in the waist area to the hydrophilic portion, and allowing the moisture to evaporate in the hydrophilic portion.Since the colored portion is more likely to undergo a noticeable color change due to moisture absorption than a white component, the change in color intensity of the colored portion makes it easier for the wearer and those putting on the absorbent article to recognize it, and by allowing the wearer and others to recognize the portion that can absorb sweat and evaporate moisture, it is easier to give the impression that the absorbent article has sweat absorption and evaporation functions.

[0008] 1 is a schematic perspective view of the diaper 1; 2 is a plan view of the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state; 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2; 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the diaper 1 folded in half at the center position CL, taken along line A-A in FIG. 2; 5A is a plan view of the absorbent main body 10, and FIG. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the absorbent main body 10. 6A is an explanatory diagram of the components of the diaper 1 disassembled in the thickness direction. 6B is an explanatory diagram of the components of the diaper 1 in FIG. 6A stacked in the thickness direction. 7A to 7C are diagrams illustrating the basic principles of moisture absorption and evaporation in the rear waistband 40a of the diaper 1. 8A is a diagram illustrating the color change of the moisture absorption region WW in the white portion W. 8B is a diagram illustrating the color change of the moisture absorption region SW in the colored portion S. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the rear waistband 40a. 10 are diagrams illustrating other embodiments.

[0009] The present specification and the accompanying drawings make at least the following clear: An absorbent article having a liquid-absorbent core and a pair of waistband sections provided on the non-skin side of the absorbent core, the absorbent article having a colored colored section, at least one of the waistband sections having a hydrophobic section that is hydrophobic and a hydrophilic section that is hydrophilic, the hydrophilic section being at least a part of the side closest to the skin of the one waistband section, and when viewed from the non-skin side, at least a part of the hydrophobic section and the hydrophilic section overlap, and at least a part of the hydrophilic section and the colored section overlap.

[0010] According to this absorbent article, by providing a colored portion in an area overlapping with the hydrophilic portion, the wearer's sweat can be transferred from the hydrophobic portion in the waistband portion to the hydrophilic portion, and the moisture can be evaporated in the hydrophilic portion. The colored portion is more likely to change in color density due to moisture absorption than a white member, so the change in color density of the colored portion is easier for the wearer and those putting on the absorbent article to recognize. By making the wearer, etc. aware of the portion that can absorb sweat and evaporate moisture, the absorbent article is more likely to give the impression of having sweat absorption and evaporation functions. Furthermore, if the hydrophilic portion is a hydrophilic nonwoven fabric, the moisture from the wearer's sweat is more likely to be diffused in the planar direction of the hydrophilic nonwoven fabric, and the area where the color density changes due to moisture becomes wider, making it easier for the wearer, etc. to recognize the change in color density of the colored portion.

[0011] It is desirable that such an absorbent article has a vertical direction and a horizontal direction that intersect with each other, and that in one of the waistband portions, the colored portion is provided above the absorbent core.

[0012] Such an absorbent article makes it easier for the wearer to recognize that the wearer's sweat is absorbed above the absorbent core.

[0013] It is desirable that such an absorbent article has a liquid-impermeable leak-proof sheet on the non-skin side of the absorbent core, and that the colored portion in one of the waistband portions is located above the leak-proof sheet.

[0014] Such an absorbent article makes it easier for the wearer to recognize that the wearer's sweat is absorbed above the liquid-impermeable leak-proof sheet.

[0015] It is desirable that such an absorbent article has vertical and horizontal directions that intersect with each other, and that the upper end of the colored portion is located below the upper end of one of the waistband portions.

[0016] Such an absorbent article tends to give the wearer the impression that sweat is not being absorbed at the upper end of the waistband, making it easier for the wearer to touch or grab the upper end of the waistband.

[0017] In such an absorbent article, it is preferable that the hydrophobic portion and the hydrophilic portion each have fibers, and the fiber density of the hydrophobic portion is lower than the fiber density of the hydrophilic portion.

[0018] Such an absorbent article facilitates the transfer of moisture from the hydrophobic portion to the hydrophilic portion, and makes it easier for the wearer to change the color intensity of the colored portion.

[0019] In such an absorbent article, it is preferable that the colored portion has fibers, and the colored portion has a compressed portion compressed in the thickness direction of the one waistband portion.

[0020] In such an absorbent article, the compressed parts with high fiber density are more likely to absorb moisture due to capillary action, causing the color of the colored parts to change to a darker color, making it easier for the wearer to recognize the sweat-absorbing function.

[0021] In such an absorbent article, it is desirable that, in the compressed portion, the colored portion and an adjacent member adjacent to the colored portion in the thickness direction are compressed in the thickness direction.

[0022] According to such an absorbent article, the color of the colored portion can be changed to a darker color, and moisture transfer between the colored portion and the adjacent member can be more easily promoted.

[0023] In such an absorbent article, when one of the waistband portions absorbs moisture, the color of the colored portion appears darker than before it absorbed moisture, and the area that appears darker preferably has a first colored portion that appears to have a predetermined color depth and a second colored portion that appears to be lighter in color than the first colored portion.

[0024] According to such an absorbent article, the difference in color intensity between the first colored portion and the second colored portion makes it easier for the wearer or the like to recognize the change in color intensity of the colored portion.

[0025] In such an absorbent article, it is desirable that the hydrophobic portion is a one-side hydrophobic portion, the hydrophilic portion is a one-side hydrophilic portion, and the colored portion is a one-side colored portion, and that the other of the waistband portions has a hydrophobic other-side hydrophobic portion and a hydrophilic other-side hydrophilic portion, the other-side hydrophilic portion being at least a portion of the side closest to the skin of the other waistband portion, the other having a colored other-side colored portion, and that when viewed from the non-skin side of the other waistband portion, at least a portion of the other-side hydrophobic portion and the other-side hydrophilic portion overlap, and that at least a portion of the other-side hydrophilic portion and the other-side colored portion overlap.

[0026] With such an absorbent article, not only one waist portion but also the other waist portion changes in the color intensity of the other colored portion, allowing the wearer to recognize the part that can absorb sweat and evaporate moisture, making it easier to give the impression that the other waist portion has sweat absorption and evaporation functions.

[0027] It is desirable that such an absorbent article has vertical and horizontal directions that intersect with each other, and that the upper end of the colored portion on one side and the upper end of the colored portion on the other side are located at different positions.

[0028] According to such an absorbent article, by providing one-side colored portions and the other-side colored portions in positions on the wearer's body that are suitable for sweat absorption in one-side waist portion and the other-side waist portion, respectively, the wearer can easily recognize the change in color intensity due to sweat absorption in the one-side colored portions and the other-side colored portions.

[0029] It is desirable that such an absorbent article has a vertical direction and a horizontal direction that intersect with each other, and has a one-side joint portion and an other-side joint portion at one end and the other end in the horizontal direction, where one waist circumference portion and the other waist circumference portion are joined, respectively, and that on one side in the horizontal direction, one side end of the colored portion is located outside the one-side joint portion.

[0030] In such an absorbent article, the joint where one waist circumference portion is joined to the other waist circumference portion is a portion where color change due to sweat absorption is unlikely to occur, and therefore, by comparing the color of the colored portion located outside the joint on one side in the left-right direction with the colored portion located inside the joint on one side in the left-right direction, it becomes easier for the wearer or the like to recognize the difference in color intensity of the colored portion due to sweat absorption.

[0031] In such an absorbent article, it is desirable that the colored portion be provided closer to the skin than the hydrophilic portion.

[0032] With such an absorbent article, when the waist portion absorbs sweat, in addition to the color change of the colored portion due to sweat, the distance between the colored portion and the component located closer to the skin than the colored portion tends to be reduced, making it easier for the wearer to recognize the change in the color intensity of the colored portion.

[0033] In such an absorbent article, it is desirable that the colored portion has a lower brightness than the hydrophilic portion.

[0034] According to such an absorbent article, the colored portion is easily visible through the hydrophilic portion, making it easier for the wearer or the like to recognize changes in the color density of the colored portion.

[0035] It is desirable that such an absorbent article has vertical and horizontal directions that intersect with each other, the absorbent core is provided in an absorbent main body, the colored portion is a sheet member that is provided on the skin side of the hydrophobic portion, and when viewed from the non-skin side, the colored portion has a portion that overlaps with the absorbent main body.

[0036] In such an absorbent article, the absorbent body is thicker than other parts, and since the absorbent body is the part where the wearer is likely to sweat when wearing it, the overlapping of the part that overlaps the absorbent body with the colored part makes it easier for the wearer to recognize the change in color intensity of the colored part due to sweat absorption.

[0037] It is desirable that such an absorbent article has vertical and horizontal directions that intersect with each other, the absorbent core is provided in an absorbent main body, the colored portion is a sheet member provided on the skin side of the hydrophobic portion, and the lower end of the colored portion has a non-bonded portion that is not bonded to a member adjacent to the colored portion in the thickness direction of one of the waistband portions.

[0038] With such an absorbent article, when the colored portion comes into contact with sweat while being worn, the distance between the non-jointed portion at the lower end of the colored portion and the wearer's skin tends to become closer, which makes it more likely that the color intensity of the colored portion will change.This makes the wearer aware of the portion that can absorb sweat and evaporate moisture, making it easier to give the impression that the absorbent article has sweat absorption and evaporation functions.

[0039] ===Present Embodiment==== As an absorbent article according to the present invention, a pants-type disposable diaper 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "diaper 1") will be described as an example. However, the absorbent article according to the present invention also includes tape-type disposable diapers, shorts-type napkins, and other absorbent articles. Furthermore, the wearer of the absorbent article may be an infant, an adult, or a living being such as an animal.

[0040] <Configuration of Diaper 1> Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the diaper 1. In the pants-type state shown in Fig. 1, the diaper 1 has a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a front-to-rear direction that intersect with one another, and has a waist-opening BH and a pair of leg-openings LH, LH. The upper side in the vertical direction corresponds to the waist-opening BH side, and the lower side corresponds to the crotch side. Furthermore, the front side in the front-to-rear direction corresponds to the wearer's abdomen, and the rear side corresponds to the wearer's back.

[0041] Fig. 2 is a plan view of the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state. Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 2. The "unfolded state" of the diaper 1 refers to a state in which the diaper 1 is unfolded in a planar manner by separating and opening the side joints 1e (between the side portions 30sw of the front side belt members 30 and the side portions 40sw of the rear side belt members 40) on both sides of the diaper 1. The "stretched state" of the diaper 1 refers to a state in which the entire diaper 1 (the entire product) is stretched without wrinkles, specifically, a state in which the dimensions of each component constituting the diaper 1 (e.g., the absorbent main body 10 and the belt members 30 and 40, which will be described later) are stretched until they match or are close to the dimensions of the individual components.

[0042] In addition, in the unfolded state shown in Fig. 2, the diaper 1 has a vertical direction and a horizontal direction that intersect with each other. Line C-C in Fig. 2 is the center line in the horizontal direction. The vertical direction is the direction along the up-down direction in Fig. 1 and corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body 10. The horizontal direction is the direction along the left-right direction in Fig. 1. In addition, as shown in Fig. 3, the direction in which the materials constituting the diaper 1 are layered is referred to as the thickness direction. In the thickness direction, the side that comes into contact with the wearer's skin is referred to as the skin side, and the opposite side is referred to as the non-skin side.

[0043] The diaper 1 comprises an absorbent main body 10 and belt members 30, 40 disposed on the non-skin side of the absorbent main body 10. The belt members 30, 40 comprise a front belt member 30 corresponding to the front body of the diaper 1 and a rear belt member 40 corresponding to the rear body of the diaper 1. That is, the diaper 1 is a so-called three-piece pants-type diaper comprising the absorbent main body 10 that is placed in the crotch area of ​​the wearer to absorb excrement such as urine, the front belt member 30 having a front waistband member 30a that covers the wearer's abdominal region, and the rear belt member 40 having a rear waistband member 40a that covers the wearer's dorsal region. Note that the pants-type diaper is not limited to a three-piece type, and may also be a two-piece pants-type diaper in which the front belt member 30 and the rear belt member 40 are integral with each other.

[0044] In the unfolded state shown in Figure 2, the front side belt member 30 and the rear side belt member 40 are arranged parallel to each other with a gap between them in the vertical direction, and the absorbent main body 10 is suspended between them, with each of the longitudinal (vertical) ends 10ea, 10eb of the absorbent main body 10 being joined and fixed to the skin side of the nearest belt members 30, 40, respectively, giving it an external shape that is roughly H-shaped when viewed from above.

[0045] From the state shown in Fig. 2, the absorbent main body 10 is folded in half, with the longitudinal center position CL as the folding position (folding line) so that the front belt member 30 (front waistline portion 30a) and the rear belt member 40 (rear waistline portion 40a) face each other, as shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the diaper 1 folded in half at the center position CL, taken along line A-A in Fig. 2. For convenience, adhesives used to join the various components are omitted from Fig. 4. In this folded state, the opposing front waistline portion 30a and rear waistline portion 40a are joined and connected to each other at the side portions 30sw and 40sw on both the left and right sides, forming a pair of side joint portions 1e, 1e. The side joint portion 1e is formed by a known joining method such as welding or adhesive. The pair of side joining portions 1e, 1e form the front side belt member 30 and the rear side belt member 40 into a ring shape, resulting in a pants-type diaper 1 having a waist opening BH and a pair of leg openings LH, LH as shown in Fig. 1. The portion of the diaper 1 above the upper end of the leg openings LH is referred to as the waist portion 20 (front waist portion 30a, rear waist portion 40a), and the portion below the upper end of the leg openings LH is also referred to as the crotch portion 50. In pants-type disposable diapers, the region that overlaps with the pair of side joining portions 1e in the vertical direction is also referred to as the waist portion 20.

[0046] The leg openings LH of the diaper 1 are formed by a portion of the waistband 20 and the absorbent main body 10 below the side joint 1e (including the lower end of the side joint 1e) in the vertical direction. Specifically, the leg openings LH are areas surrounded by the lower edge of the front belt member 30, the lower edge of the rear belt member 40, and both lateral edges of the absorbent main body 10.

[0047] (Absorbent main body 10) Fig. 5A is a plan view of the absorbent main body 10, and Fig. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the absorbent main body 10. The absorbent main body 10 is made of white members, and has as its constituent members an absorbent core 11 that absorbs excretory liquid, a top sheet 12 arranged on the skin side of the absorbent core 11 in the thickness direction, and a back sheet 13 arranged on the non-skin side of the absorbent core 11. However, the absorbent main body 10 may also include sheet members other than these. For example, a second sheet (not shown) may be provided between the top sheet 12 and the absorbent core 11 in the thickness direction.

[0048] The absorbent core 11 is a component that absorbs and retains excretions such as urine and is formed of liquid-absorbent fibers, such as pulp fibers mixed with superabsorbent polymer (SAP). The outer periphery of the absorbent core 11 may be covered with a liquid-permeable sheet material (core wrap sheet 11b) such as tissue paper or nonwoven fabric. The absorbent core 11 of this embodiment has a constricted portion 11c between its longitudinal front and rear ends, which narrows in the left-right direction, and has a generally hourglass shape in plan view as shown in FIG. 5A . This constricted portion 11c is the portion that is sandwiched between the wearer's legs when the diaper 1 is worn. The shortened length (narrowed width) of this portion in the left-right direction allows the absorbent core 11 to fit easily between the wearer's crotch. The absorbent core 11 may be configured as a single layer in the thickness direction, or as two or more layers stacked together.

[0049] The top sheet 12 is a liquid-permeable sheet, and is made of, for example, a hydrophilic air-through nonwoven fabric or a spunbond nonwoven fabric. In this embodiment, the top sheet 12 is provided so as to cover the entire skin-side surface of the absorbent core 11, as shown in Figure 5B.

[0050] The backsheet 13 has a two-layer structure consisting of a liquid-impermeable sheet 13a and a hydrophobic exterior sheet 13b disposed on the non-skin side. The liquid-impermeable sheet 13a is a so-called leak-proof sheet that prevents excrement absorbed by the absorbent core 11 from leaking to the non-skin side. The liquid-impermeable sheet 13a may be, for example, a resin film, and the exterior sheet 13b may be, for example, a flexible hydrophobic nonwoven fabric. The liquid-impermeable sheet 13a and the exterior sheet 13b are arranged to cover the entire non-skin side of the absorbent core 11.

[0051] A pair of leakage preventing walls 15 is provided on both left-right side portions of the absorbent main body 10 along the vertical direction (the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body 10). In this embodiment, the leakage preventing walls 15 are formed by the above-mentioned outer sheet 13b. Specifically, the pair of leakage preventing walls 15 are formed by a portion of the outer sheet 13b extending outward beyond both ends of the absorbent core 11 in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) and being folded toward the wearer's skin at multiple locations as shown in FIG. 5B . A leakage preventing wall elastic member 16 such as rubber thread is attached to the skin-side end (tip) of each leakage preventing wall 15 in a stretched state along the vertical direction (the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body 10). When the diaper 1 is worn, the leakage preventing wall elastic member 16 exhibits stretchability, causing the leakage preventing wall 15 to rise toward the wearer's skin and fit snugly against the wearer's crotch.

[0052] Furthermore, leg elastic members 17 such as rubber threads are attached to both left and right sides of the absorbent body 10 in a stretched state along the vertical direction (the longitudinal direction of the absorbent body 10). When the diaper 1 is worn, the stretchability of the leg elastic members 17 causes both sides of the absorbent body 10 to contract, making it easier to fit around the wearer's legs.

[0053] (Front Belt Member 30) The front belt member 30 also serves as a front waistline portion 30a that covers the abdominal side of the wearer. As shown in Fig. 3 and other figures, the front belt member 30 has a non-skin-side sheet 32 ​​that is disposed closest to the skin in the thickness direction, a skin-side sheet 31 that is laminated adjacent to the skin-side of the non-skin-side sheet 32, and a waistline elastic member 35 that is provided between the skin-side sheet 31 and the non-skin-side sheet 32 ​​in the thickness direction.

[0054] Fig. 6A is an explanatory diagram of the components of the diaper 1 disassembled in the thickness direction, and Fig. 6B is an explanatory diagram of the components of the diaper 1 in Fig. 6A stacked in the thickness direction. Note that elastic members are omitted in Figs. 6A and 6B. As shown in Figs. 6A and 6B, the front belt member 30 is composed of a non-skin-side sheet 32, a skin-side sheet 31, and (the absorbent body 10) a skin-facing sheet 36 stacked in this order from the non-skin-side to the skin-facing side in the thickness direction. The front belt member 30 may have a two-layer structure consisting of the skin-side sheet 31 and the non-skin-side sheet 32. For example, the front belt member 30 may have a three-layer or more structure, such as a portion where the skin-facing sheet 36 is provided, or the entire front belt member 30. When a sheet member is provided on the skin side of the skin-side sheet 31 or the non-skin-side sheet 32 ​​in the front belt member 30, it is preferable that the sheet member be positioned so as to cover only a portion of the skin-side sheet 31 and the non-skin-side sheet 32.

[0055] In the front-side belt member 30 of this embodiment, the skin-side sheet 31 and the non-skin-side sheet 32 ​​are approximately the same size, but the longitudinal length of either the skin-side sheet 31 or the non-skin-side sheet 32 ​​may be longer. For example, the non-skin-side sheet 32 ​​may have a folded-back portion that is folded back from the non-skin-side to the skin-side and from the front side to the back side in the longitudinal direction. This folded-back portion covers a portion (the upper end) of the skin-side sheet 31, thereby preventing the upper edge of the skin-side sheet 31 from digging into the wearer's skin.

[0056] As shown in Figure 2 and other figures, the skin-side sheet 31 and the non-skin-side sheet 32 ​​are rectangular sheet members in a plan view and are formed, for example, from a white SMS nonwoven fabric. In the diaper 1, the sheet member (nonwoven fabric) constituting the non-skin-side sheet 32 ​​is more hydrophilic than the sheet member (nonwoven fabric) constituting the skin-side sheet 31. That is, the skin-side sheet 31 is formed from a nonwoven fabric with low hydrophilicity, and the skin-side sheet 31 is also referred to as the "hydrophobic portion 31." In contrast, the non-skin-side sheet 32 ​​is formed from a nonwoven fabric with higher hydrophilicity than the skin-side sheet 31, and the non-skin-side sheet 32 ​​is also referred to as the "hydrophilic portion 32."

[0057] The waist elastic members 35 are stretchable in the left-right direction, and in this embodiment, white rubber thread is used. Multiple waist elastic members 35 are arranged vertically side by side between the skin side sheet 31 and the non-skin side sheet 32, and are attached in a stretched state in the left-right direction. The stretchability exhibited by the waist elastic members 35 allows the front belt member 30 (front waist portion 30a) to fit the abdominal waist of the wearer.

[0058] The waist elastic members 35 can be attached using an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive. For example, the waist elastic members 35 can be attached by applying a hot melt adhesive to the waist elastic members 35, stretching them at a predetermined stretch ratio, and sandwiching them between the skin side sheet 31 and the non-skin side sheet 32. In other words, the skin side sheet 31 and the non-skin side sheet 32 ​​are joined by the adhesive via the waist elastic members 35.

[0059] The front belt member 30 also has a skin-contact sheet 36. As shown in FIG. 3 and other figures, the skin-contact sheet 36 is a sheet member arranged to cover the upper end (front end in the longitudinal direction) of the absorbent main body 10 from the skin side, and functions as a cover sheet. This prevents the upper edge of the absorbent main body 10 from digging into the wearer's skin when the diaper 1 is worn. The skin-contact sheet 36 is formed, for example, from an SMS nonwoven fabric, and is blue in this embodiment. The skin-contact sheet 36 in FIG. 3 and other figures is arranged to cover a portion of the skin side of the skin-contact sheet 31. In the diaper 1, the skin-contact sheet 36 is part of the front belt member 30 (front waistband portion 30a), but the skin-contact sheet 36 may be a member independent of the front belt member 30 and the absorbent main body 10.

[0060] The front belt member 30 is provided with a plurality of apertures 30h. The apertures 30h are through-holes that penetrate the front belt member 30 in the thickness direction. Specifically, the apertures 30h penetrate the skin-facing sheet 31 and the non-skin-facing sheet 32. In the portion where the skin-facing sheet 36 is provided, the apertures 30h penetrate the skin-facing sheet 36, the skin-facing sheet 31, and the non-skin-facing sheet 32. The provision of the apertures 30h improves the breathability of the front belt member 30. Furthermore, the apertures 30h are arranged so as to be visible from the non-skin-facing side of the front belt member 30, which makes it easier for the user to recognize that the front belt member 30 has good breathability. Each aperture 30h is, for example, circular with a diameter of approximately 1 mm, but the shape and arrangement (number and pattern) of the apertures 30h can be changed as appropriate.

[0061] (Rear Belt Member 40) The rear belt member 40 has a rear waistline portion 40a that covers the back side of the wearer and a buttocks cover 40b that covers the wearer's buttocks. Specifically, the area that overlaps with the side joint portion 1e (side portion 40sw) in the vertical direction is the rear waistline portion 40a, and the area below the side joint portion 1e is the buttocks cover 40b. The buttocks cover 40b allows the rear belt member 40 to widely cover the wearer's buttocks when the diaper 1 is worn. Note that the rear belt member 40 does not necessarily have to include the buttocks cover 40b, and the rear belt member 40 may consist of only the rear waistline portion 40a.

[0062] The buttocks cover 40b is provided with a curved elastic member 47 such as white rubber thread as shown in Fig. 2. The curved elastic member 47 is attached in a stretched state between the skin side sheet 41 and the non-skin side sheet 42. The stretchability of the curved elastic member 47 allows the buttocks cover 40b of the rear belt member 40 to fit easily around the buttocks of the wearer when the diaper 1 is worn, and also makes it less likely to roll up from the buttocks.

[0063] As shown in Figure 3, etc., the garment has a non-skin side sheet 42 arranged closest to the skin side in the thickness direction, a skin side sheet 41 laminated adjacent to the skin side of the non-skin side sheet 42, and a waist elastic member 45 provided between the skin side sheet 41 and the non-skin side sheet 42 in the thickness direction.

[0064] 6A and 6B , the rear belt member 40, like the front belt member 30, has a non-skin-side sheet 42, a skin-side sheet 41, and (the absorbent main body 10) a skin-facing sheet 46 stacked in this order from the non-skin-side to the skin-facing side in the thickness direction. The rear belt member 40 may have a two-layer structure of the skin-side sheet 41 and the non-skin-side sheet 42, or may have a three-layer or more structure partially, such as the portion where the skin-facing sheet 46 is provided, or over the entire rear belt member 40. When a sheet member is provided on the skin side of the skin-side sheet 41 or on the non-skin side of the non-skin-side sheet 42 in the rear belt member 40, it is preferable that the sheet member be arranged so as to cover only a portion of the skin-side sheet 41 and the non-skin-side sheet 42.

[0065] In the rear belt member 40 of this embodiment, the skin-side sheet 41 and the non-skin-side sheet 42 are approximately the same size, but the longitudinal length of either the skin-side sheet 41 or the non-skin-side sheet 42 may be longer. For example, the non-skin-side sheet 42 may have a folded portion that is folded from the non-skin-side to the skin-side and from the front side to the rear side in the longitudinal direction. This folded portion covers a portion (the upper end) of the skin-side sheet 41, thereby preventing the upper edge of the skin-side sheet 41 from digging into the wearer's skin.

[0066] As shown in Figure 2 and other figures, the skin-side sheet 41 and the non-skin-side sheet 42 are rectangular sheet members in a plan view and are formed, for example, from a white SMS nonwoven fabric. In the diaper 1, the sheet member (nonwoven fabric) constituting the non-skin-side sheet 42 has a higher hydrophilicity than the sheet member (nonwoven fabric) constituting the skin-side sheet 41. That is, the skin-side sheet 41 is formed from a nonwoven fabric with a lower hydrophilicity, and the skin-side sheet 41 is also referred to as the "hydrophobic portion 41." In contrast, the non-skin-side sheet 42 is formed from a nonwoven fabric with a higher hydrophilicity than the skin-side sheet 41, and the non-skin-side sheet 42 is also referred to as the "hydrophilic portion 42." The hydrophilicity of each sheet 41, 42 and the functions based on the difference in hydrophilicity will be described in detail later.

[0067] The waist elastic members 45 are stretchable in the left-right direction, and in this embodiment, white rubber thread is used. A plurality of waist elastic members 45 are arranged vertically between the skin-side sheet 41 and the non-skin-side sheet 42, and are attached in a stretched state in the left-right direction. The stretchability of these waist elastic members 45 allows the rear belt member 40 (rear waist portion 40a) to fit the wearer's back waist. The waist elastic members 45 can be attached in the same manner as the waist elastic members 35 of the front belt member 30.

[0068] The rear belt member 40 also has a skin-contact sheet 46. As shown in FIG. 3 and other figures, the skin-contact sheet 46 is a sheet member arranged to cover the upper end (the rear end in the longitudinal direction) of the absorbent main body 10 from the skin side, and functions as a cover sheet. This prevents the upper edge of the absorbent main body 10 from digging into the wearer's skin when the diaper 1 is worn. The skin-contact sheet 46 is formed, for example, from an SMS nonwoven fabric or the like, and is blue in this embodiment. The skin-contact sheet 46 in FIG. 3 and other figures is arranged to cover a portion of the skin side of the skin-contact sheet 41. In the diaper 1 of this embodiment, the skin-contact sheet 46 is part of the rear belt member 40 (rear waistband portion 40a), but the skin-contact sheet 46 may also be a component independent of the rear belt member 40 and the absorbent main body 10.

[0069] The rear belt member 40 is provided with a plurality of apertures 40h. The apertures 40h are through-holes that penetrate the rear belt member 40 in the thickness direction. Specifically, the apertures 40h penetrate the skin-facing sheet 41 and the non-skin-facing sheet 42. In the portion where the skin-facing sheet 46 is provided, the apertures 40h penetrate the skin-facing sheet 46, the skin-facing sheet 41, and the non-skin-facing sheet 42. The apertures 40h enhance the breathability of the rear belt member 40. Furthermore, the apertures 40h are positioned so as to be visible from the non-skin-facing side of the rear belt member 40, which makes it easier for the user to recognize that the rear belt member 40 has good breathability. Each aperture 40h is, for example, circular, with a diameter of approximately 1 mm. However, the shape and arrangement (number and pattern) of the apertures 40h can be changed as appropriate.

[0070] <Hydrophilicity of Each Sheet> The hydrophilicity of each sheet will now be described. In the diaper 1, the skin-side sheets 31, 41 and skin-facing sheets 36, 46 constituting the waistband portion 20 (front belt member 30, rear belt member 40) are made of hydrophobic nonwoven fabric, and the non-skin-side sheets 32, 42 are made of hydrophilic nonwoven fabric that is more hydrophilic than the hydrophobic nonwoven fabric. In addition, the exterior sheet 13b constituting the absorbent main body 10 is also made of hydrophobic nonwoven fabric.

[0071] The hydrophilic nonwoven fabric of this embodiment is a hydrophobic nonwoven fabric whose hydrophilicity has been enhanced by a treatment (hydrophilic treatment) in which a predetermined oil is applied to the nonwoven fabric. Examples of oils used in the hydrophilic treatment include commercially available oils that are effective as antistatic agents for fibers, such as anionic oils, nonionic oils, and blends thereof. By adding these oils to an oil bath and oiling the nonwoven fabric using an oiling roller or the like, the hydrophilicity of the hydrophobic nonwoven fabric can be enhanced, resulting in a hydrophilic nonwoven fabric. However, hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics may also be formed by other methods. For example, a hydrophilic nonwoven fabric may be obtained by manufacturing a nonwoven fabric using highly hydrophilic fibers.

[0072] In this embodiment, the entire nonwoven fabric constituting the non-skin side sheets 32, 42 is subjected to hydrophilic treatment, thereby increasing the hydrophilicity of the entire non-skin side sheets 32, 42, but the hydrophilicity may be increased only in a partial region of the non-skin side sheets 32, 42. For example, the non-skin side sheets 32, 42 may be subjected to hydrophilic treatment only in a partial region thereof, thereby forming a sheet member having locally high and low hydrophilic regions.

[0073] The hydrophilicity of each sheet can be evaluated by measuring the contact angle when ion-exchanged water is brought into contact with the surface of each sheet. Specifically, if the contact angle between a hydrophilic nonwoven fabric and ion-exchanged water is smaller than the contact angle between a hydrophobic nonwoven fabric and ion-exchanged water, the hydrophilic nonwoven fabric is more hydrophilic than the hydrophobic nonwoven fabric. The hydrophilic nonwoven fabric (non-skin-side sheets 32, 42) used in this embodiment preferably has a contact angle with ion-exchanged water of less than 90 degrees, more preferably 50 degrees or less. On the other hand, the hydrophobic nonwoven fabric (skin-side sheets 31, 41 and skin-facing sheets 36, 46) preferably has a contact angle with ion-exchanged water of 90 degrees or more, more preferably 120 degrees or more.

[0074] The contact angle can be measured, for example, using a contact angle meter MCA-J manufactured by Kyowa Interface Science Co., Ltd., in the following manner. First, ion-exchanged water (approximately 20 picoliters) is dropped onto the surface of the fibers constituting the sheet member to be measured (measurement sheet), and the contact angle is immediately measured using the contact angle meter. Measurements are taken at multiple locations (e.g., five or more locations) on the surface of the measurement sheet, and the average of these measurements is taken as the contact angle. The measurement environment temperature is 22°C.

[0075] Alternatively, the contact angle may be measured by imaging the test sheet onto which ion-exchanged water has been dropped from the cross-sectional direction of the test sheet, analyzing the image, and measuring the angle between the ion-exchanged water droplet and the test sheet.

[0076] <Moisture Absorption and Evaporation> The diaper 1, which includes a hydrophilic nonwoven fabric, has sweat absorption and evaporation functions. The mechanism by which the diaper 1 absorbs moisture, such as sweat, from the wearer's skin and evaporates the absorbed moisture into the atmosphere will be described using the rear waistband 40a, but the same applies to the front waistband 30a. Figures 7A to 7C are diagrams illustrating the basic principles of moisture absorption and evaporation in the diaper 1. Figure 7 shows a schematic cross section of the rear waistband 40a, one of the components constituting the diaper 1.

[0077] First, when a wearer puts on the diaper 1, the skin-contact sheet 46 contacts the wearer's skin in the portion of the rear waistband 40a where the skin-contact sheet 46 is provided, and the skin-contact sheet 41 contacts the wearer's skin in the portion where the skin-contact sheet 46 is not provided. Note that Figures 7A to 7C show the portion of the rear belt member 40 where the non-skin-contact sheet 42, the skin-contact sheet 41, and the skin-contact sheet 46 overlap when the rear waistband 40a is viewed from the non-skin side.

[0078] As described above, the skin-side sheet 46 and the skin-side sheet 41 are hydrophobic nonwoven fabrics. In this embodiment, the skin-side sheet 41 and the skin-side sheet 46 are made of SMS nonwoven fabric and contain meltblown fibers, which have a smaller fiber diameter than spunbond fibers. As a result, there are portions where the fine meltblown fibers are tightly entangled, resulting in narrow interfiber distances. The higher the density of the fibers constituting the hydrophobic nonwoven fabric, the more likely capillary action occurs. Therefore, while the diaper 1 is being worn, capillary action occurs in the skin-side sheet 41 and the skin-side sheet 46, making it easier to absorb moisture, such as sweat, from the wearer's skin.

[0079] Next, the moisture absorbed by the skin-side sheet 41 or the skin-facing sheet 46 transfers to the non-skin-side sheet 42 (hydrophilic nonwoven fabric) laminated adjacent to the non-skin-side of the skin-side sheet 41, as shown in Figure 7B. In the portion including the skin-facing sheet 46, as shown in Figure 7B, the moisture absorbed by the skin-facing sheet 46 transfers to the non-skin-side sheet 42 via the skin-side sheet 41. Because the skin-side sheet 41 and the skin-facing sheet 46 are hydrophobic nonwoven fabrics, while the non-skin-side sheet 42 is a hydrophilic nonwoven fabric, a difference in hydrophilicity (hydrophilic gradient) occurs between the hydrophobic and hydrophilic sheets, and moisture easily transfers from the less hydrophilic skin-side sheet 41 or skin-facing sheet 46 to the more hydrophilic non-skin-side sheet 42. Therefore, moisture is less likely to be retained on the skin-side sheet 41 side, which is in contact with the wearer's skin, and more likely to be retained on the non-skin-side sheet 42 side, which is not in contact with the wearer's skin.

[0080] The moisture retained in the non-skin side sheet 42 evaporates into the atmosphere from the non-skin side of the non-skin side sheet 42. As shown in Fig. 7C, when the non-skin side sheet 42 is part of the material that constitutes the non-skin side of the back waistband portion 40a, the entire non-skin side surface of the non-skin side sheet 42 faces the atmosphere, increasing the area of ​​the interface between the non-skin side sheet 42 and the atmosphere and making it easier for moisture to evaporate.

[0081] The skin-side sheet 41, which is the hydrophobic portion, and the non-skin-side sheet 42, which is the hydrophilic portion, each have fibers, and it is preferable that the fiber density of the skin-side sheet 41 is lower than the fiber density of the non-skin-side sheet 42. In the diaper 1 of this embodiment, the fiber density of the skin-side sheet 41 is 15 g / m ２ The density of the non-skin side sheet is 18 g / m ２ In this way, by reducing the fiber density of the hydrophobic portion (skin-side sheet 41) located closer to the skin than the hydrophilic portion (non-skin-side sheet 42) that constitutes the closest non-skin-side surface of the diaper 1, it becomes easier to promote the migration of moisture from the hydrophobic portion to the hydrophilic portion. In the diaper 1, the fiber density of the skin-side sheet 46 located closer to the skin than the skin-side sheet 41 is lower than the fiber density of the non-skin-side sheet 42. Specifically, the fiber density of the skin-side sheet 46 is 15 g / m ２ This facilitates the migration of moisture from the wearer's sweat from the skin-facing sheet 46 and the skin-side sheet 41 toward the non-skin-side sheet 42.

[0082] In this way, in the waist region 20 of the diaper 1, moisture absorbed by the hydrophobic nonwoven fabric from the wearer's skin is transferred to the non-skin-side hydrophilic nonwoven fabric and released into the atmosphere from the non-skin-side surface of the hydrophilic nonwoven fabric. In other words, moisture is absorbed and efficiently evaporated into the atmosphere. This prevents moisture from coming into contact with the wearer's skin, which can prevent the wearer's skin from becoming soggy and causing skin problems such as rashes or discomfort.

[0083] In the region of the rear waistband 40a overlapping the pair of side joints 1e in the vertical direction, at least a portion of the closest non-skin-side surface is a hydrophilic portion in which a hydrophilic nonwoven fabric is disposed. In the diaper 1 of this embodiment, the non-skin-side surface of the rear waistband 40a is entirely formed of a hydrophilic non-skin-side sheet 42, so that the entire non-skin-side surface of the rear waistband 40a is a hydrophilic portion. Furthermore, a skin-side sheet 41 serving as a hydrophobic portion is laminated adjacent to the skin-side of the hydrophilic non-skin-side sheet 42. Furthermore, a skin-side sheet 46 is laminated adjacent to the skin-side sheet 41 in the rear waistband 40a, closer to the skin than the skin-side sheet 41. Therefore, the hydrophobic skin-facing sheet 46 and skin-side sheet 41 absorb moisture such as sweat from the wearer's skin, and the hydrophilic gradient facilitates the movement of moisture to the non-skin-side sheet 42, and the moisture that has moved from the skin side and reached the non-skin-side sheet 42 is easily evaporated from the hydrophilic non-skin-side sheet 42 at the surface closest to the skin.

[0084] <Regarding the Colored Portion S> The diaper 1 has a colored portion S. "Colored" refers to a color other than colorless, transparent, and white. White includes, for example, a color represented as "N9.5" in the Munsell color system and a color represented as "255,255,255" in the RGB color space (so-called pure white), as well as colors with a color difference of less than 12 from pure white. To measure the color difference of white, for example, a color difference meter such as the CR-300 manufactured by Konica Minolta can be used, and the light source of the measuring instrument can be Illuminant C (standard of the International Commission on Illumination (CIE)). In this case, the diameter of the measuring instrument's measurement window is 40 mm. The color difference is ΔL, Δa, and Δb in the (L*a*b*) color space relative to a white reference plate. The color difference relative to the white reference plate can be calculated by measuring the Lab values ​​of the white reference plate and the Lab values ​​of the target sample, respectively. The white reference plate is set to lab0 with (X 93.19, Y 95.20, Z 112.28). Here, L is a value that indexes brightness, and a and b are plane coordinates of chromaticity. If the Lab values ​​of the white reference plate are L0, a0, and b0, and those of the target sample are L1, a1, and b1, then ΔL can be calculated as ΔL = L0 - L1, Δa = a0 - a1, and Δb = b0 - b1.

[0085] The colored portions S of the diaper 1 of this embodiment are the skin-contact sheet 36 of the front waistband 30a and the skin-contact sheet 46 of the rear waistband 40a. The skin-contact sheets 36 and 46 are each blue sheet members. The skin-contact sheets 36 and 46 may be formed by coloring a white nonwoven fabric blue after molding, or may be formed by molding blue fibers into a nonwoven fabric. Furthermore, the skin-contact sheets 36 and 46 are members that are blue throughout, but are not limited to this. The colored portions S may also be formed by coloring only a portion of the skin-contact sheets 36 and 46.

[0086] <Regarding Color Change of Colored Portion S> White disposable diapers and other absorbent articles have been widely known. FIG. 8A illustrates the color change of the moisture absorption region WW of the white portion W. FIG. 8A shows a white sample of a sheet member constituting the waistband of a typical white disposable diaper, in which a predetermined amount of water was dripped onto the white portion W of the white sample to form the moisture absorption region WW. Comparing the color of the moisture-absorbed white portion W of the white sample with the moisture absorption region WW, as shown in FIG. 8A , the color of the moisture absorption region WW appears to be only slightly lighter than that of the moisture-absorbed white portion W, and there appears to be little color change between the moisture-absorbed white portion W and the moisture absorption region WW. When a white sheet member becomes wet, moisture penetrates into the gaps between the fibers constituting the sheet member, reducing the unevenness of the surface of the sheet member and reducing the occurrence of diffuse reflection of light on the surface of the sheet member. Furthermore, the moisture-absorbing region WW allows light to easily pass through the sheet member, and the white color of the moisture-absorbing region WW appears thinner and more transparent than the white region W where moisture has not been absorbed, which appears white due to diffuse reflection of light. Therefore, even if an absorbent article has the sweat-absorbing function described above, it is difficult for the outside to recognize that the absorbent article is absorbing sweat. In particular, when the wearer of the absorbent article is an infant or a patient who has difficulty communicating, it is difficult for the wearer to recognize that the absorbent article is absorbing sweat or to convey its effect to those around them. Therefore, even if a white absorbent article has a sweat-absorbing function, there is little change in color before and after sweat absorption, making it difficult for the wearer and those who are trying to get the wearer to wear the absorbent article (hereinafter also referred to as "wearer, etc.") to recognize the sweat-absorbing function of the absorbent article.

[0087] In contrast, the diaper 1 includes the colored portion S, which makes the change in color intensity of the colored portion S more noticeable to those around it when sweat is absorbed. FIG. 8B illustrates the color change of the moisture-absorbing region SW of the colored portion S. FIG. 8B shows a state in which the blue skin-facing sheet 46 of this embodiment is used as a colored sample of the colored portion S, and a predetermined amount of water is dropped onto the colored portion S of the colored sample to form the moisture-absorbing region SW. Comparing the color of the colored portion S of the colored sample that has not absorbed moisture with the color of the moisture-absorbing region SW, as shown in FIG. 8B , the color of the moisture-absorbing region SW appears significantly darker than the color of the colored portion S that has not absorbed moisture. When a colored sheet member, like a white sheet member, becomes wet with water, moisture penetrates into the gaps between the fibers that make up the sheet member, reducing the unevenness of the surface of the sheet member and reducing the likelihood of diffuse reflection of light on the surface of the sheet member. Unlike a white sheet member, a colored sheet member has a lower transmittance of light than a white sheet member due to its color. As a result, the amount of diffusely reflected light and transmitted light is reduced, and the amount of specularly reflected light is increased, causing the color of the moisture absorption region SW to appear darker than the color of the unabsorbed colored portion S. In other words, once the colored portion S of the diaper 1 absorbs moisture, it appears darker in color than before absorption.

[0088] As described above, the rear waistband portion 40a of the diaper 1 includes a skin-side sheet 41 as a hydrophobic portion and a non-skin-side sheet 42 as a hydrophilic portion. The non-skin-side sheet 42 constitutes at least a portion of the most non-skin-side portion of the rear waistband portion 40a. In other words, the non-skin-side sheet 42 is a material constituting at least a portion of the most non-skin-side portion. The diaper 1 also includes a blue (colored) skin-side sheet 46 constituting the rear (one side) colored portion S. When the diaper 1 shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from the non-skin side, the skin-side sheet 41 and the non-skin-side sheet 42 at least partially overlap, and the non-skin-side sheet 42 and the skin-side sheet 46 also at least partially overlap. In the diaper 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 and other figures, when viewed in the front-to-back direction, the skin-side sheet 41 and the non-skin-side sheet 42 are the same size and overlap over substantially the entire area, and the skin-side sheet 41, the non-skin-side sheet 42, and the skin-side sheet 46 overlap. When the diaper 1 that has absorbed the sweat of the wearer is viewed from the non-skin side, the color of the skin-facing sheet 46 (colored portion S) is visible.

[0089] As described above, the rear waistband portion 40a of the diaper 1 is capable of retaining and evaporating moisture using the non-skin-side sheet 42, which is a hydrophilic portion. The blue skin-contact sheet 46, serving as the colored portion S, is provided at a position overlapping the non-skin-side sheet 42 when viewed from the non-skin side. This allows the color of the colored skin-contact sheet 46 to appear darker due to sweat absorption. A wearer or the like who visually recognizes the color of the skin-contact sheet 46 can recognize that, when viewed from the non-skin side, at least the portion of the skin-contact sheet 46 (colored portion S) overlapping the non-skin-side sheet 42 is capable of absorbing sweat and evaporating the moisture. Therefore, even in cases where the wearer, such as an infant, is unable to express to others how comfortable the diaper 1 is, those around the wearer, such as the person putting the diaper 1 on the wearer, can visually recognize the color depth of the colored portion S. This gives the impression that the colored portion S (skin-contact sheet 46) of the diaper 1 is the portion that absorbs the wearer's sweat and that the darker-colored portion has the ability to retain and release sweat moisture. Furthermore, since the wearer can visually recognize that the wearer is sweating, the color of the colored portion S can be used to recognize that a wearer, such as an infant who has difficulty speaking, is feeling hot. Furthermore, by making the non-skin-contact sheet 42, a hydrophilic nonwoven fabric, of the diaper 1 a hydrophilic portion, moisture from the wearer's sweat is more easily diffused in the planar direction within the non-skin-contact sheet 42, allowing a wider area to be designated as an area in which the color depth changes with moisture, making it easier for the wearer to recognize changes in the color depth of the skin-contact sheet 46. Furthermore, by providing the skin-facing sheet 46 as the colored portion S on the back side (rear side) where sweat tends to accumulate, it becomes easier for the wearer to recognize the change in color intensity of the skin-facing sheet 46 due to sweat absorption.

[0090] Although the colored portion S is blue in this embodiment, the color of the colored portion S is not limited to blue and can be any color. However, to visualize the function of absorbing moisture such as sweat, it is preferable to color the colored portion S a cool color such as blue or light blue. By coloring the colored portion S a cool color, it is easier for the wearer to associate it with water, coolness, etc. Furthermore, it is more preferable that the color of the colored portion S be visible to the wearer before and after the rear waistband portion 40a absorbs sweat. If the wearer can recognize the sweat-absorbing portion even before sweat is absorbed, they can know in advance that the diaper 1 has a sweat-absorbing function.

[0091] Like the rear waistband 40a, the front waistband 30a of the diaper 1 has a skin-side sheet 31 as a hydrophobic portion and a non-skin-side sheet 32 ​​as a hydrophilic portion, with the non-skin-side sheet 32 ​​constituting at least a portion of the non-skin-side surface of the front waistband 30a. The front waistband 30a also has a blue (colored) skin-contact sheet 36 constituting the front (other side) colored portion S. When the diaper 1 shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from the non-skin side, the skin-side sheet 31 and the non-skin-side sheet 32 ​​at least partially overlap, and the non-skin-side sheet 32 ​​and the skin-contact sheet 36 also at least partially overlap. In the diaper 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 and other figures, when viewed in the front-to-back direction, the skin-side sheet 31 and the non-skin-side sheet 32 ​​are the same size and overlap over substantially the entire area, and the skin-side sheet 31, the non-skin-side sheet 32, and the skin-contact sheet 36 also overlap. When the diaper 1 that has absorbed the sweat of the wearer is viewed from the non-skin side, the color of the skin-facing sheet 36 (colored portion) is visible.

[0092] In this way, by providing the skin-facing sheet 36 as a colored portion S at a position overlapping the non-skin-facing sheet 32 ​​not only in the rear waistband portion 40a but also in the front waistband portion 30a, it is easy for the wearer to recognize that this is a disposable diaper with sweat-absorbing function, and that the area where the skin-facing sheet 36 is provided is a part that has the function of absorbing and evaporating sweat moisture.

[0093] It is also preferable that the upper end of the rear skin sheet 46 (colored portion S) and the upper end of the front skin sheet 36 (colored portion S) are located at different positions in the front-to-rear direction. In the diaper 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 , the upper end of the rear skin sheet 46 is located higher than the upper end of the front skin sheet 36. By positioning the colored portion S in accordance with the wearer's body shape and posture in this way, sweat can be effectively absorbed, and the wearer can easily recognize the change in color intensity of the colored portion S due to sweat absorption. Furthermore, the different positions of the colored portions S on the front and back make it easier for the wearer to distinguish between the front and back of the diaper 1.

[0094] The front waistline portion 30a of the diaper 1 has a similar configuration to the rear waistline portion 40a, and therefore the rear waistline portion 40a will be mainly described below, but the front waistline portion 30a is also similar.

[0095] Furthermore, it is preferable that the colored portion S be provided above the absorbent core 11 in the rear waistband 40a. As shown in FIG. 4 and other figures, the blue skin-contact sheet 46 of the rear waistband 40a is provided above the absorbent core 11 at the rear side in the front-to-rear direction. The absorbent core 11 is a member that absorbs liquids (excrement) and therefore absorbs not only urine and other excrement but also sweat. By providing the skin-contact sheet 46 as the colored member S above the absorbent core 11, the change in color intensity of the skin-contact sheet 46 due to sweat absorption makes it easier for the wearer to visually identify the area of ​​the diaper 1 above the absorbent core 11 that is absorbing the wearer's sweat. This gives the impression that the darker-colored area is capable of absorbing the wearer's sweat and evaporating the absorbed sweat. While the entire skin-contact sheet 46 of the diaper 1 is provided above the absorbent core 11, this is not a limitation. It is sufficient that at least a portion of the colored portion S is provided above the absorbent core 11, and the absorbent core 11 and the colored portion S (skin-facing sheet 46) may partially overlap in the vertical direction.

[0096] Furthermore, it is preferable that the colored portion S is provided above the liquid-impermeable sheet 13a in the rear waistband 40a. As shown in Fig. 4, etc., the blue skin-facing sheet 46 of the rear waistband 40a is provided above the liquid-impermeable sheet 13a at the rear side in the front-to-rear direction. This makes it easier to see the portion absorbing the wearer's sweat above the liquid-impermeable sheet 13a, and therefore gives the impression that the darker-colored region is able to absorb the wearer's sweat and evaporate the absorbed sweat.

[0097] Furthermore, it is preferable that the upper end of the colored portion S is located lower than the upper end of the rear waistband portion 40a. As shown in Fig. 1 and other figures, in the diaper 1, the upper end of the skin-contact sheet 46 is located lower than the upper end of the rear waistband portion 40a (rear belt member 40). As a result, when the rear waistband portion 40a has absorbed the wearer's sweat, the upper end of the rear waistband portion 40a will have a different color or shade from the skin-contact sheet 46. This gives the wearer the impression that the upper end of the rear waistband portion 40a has not absorbed the wearer's sweat, making it easier for the wearer to touch or grab the upper end of the rear waistband portion 40a.

[0098] As in the diaper 1, the colored portion S is preferably located closer to the skin than the non-skin-side sheet 42, which is a hydrophilic portion. In the diaper 1, the skin-contact sheet 46 has a blue colored portion S located closer to the skin than the non-skin-side sheet 42. When the rear waistband portion 40a absorbs sweat, the color of the skin-contact sheet 46 (colored portion) appears darker. Furthermore, moisture from sweat tends to reduce the distance between the skin-contact sheet 46 and adjacent components in the thickness direction, making the color of the skin-contact sheet 46 darker, making it easier for the wearer to recognize that the diaper 1 is absorbing the wearer's sweat.

[0099] When the colored portion S is provided closer to the skin than the hydrophilic portion (non-skin-side sheet 42), the colored portion S preferably has a lower brightness than the hydrophilic portion. That is, the brightness of the skin-side sheet 46 is preferably lower than the brightness of the non-skin-side sheet 42. As shown in Fig. 6A, in the diaper 1 of this embodiment, the brightness of the blue skin-side sheet 46 is lower than the brightness of the white non-skin-side sheet 42. This makes it easier to see the color of the skin-side sheet 46 through the non-skin-side sheet 42, and the wearer or the like can easily recognize the sweat-absorbing properties of the diaper 1 by the change in color intensity of the skin-side sheet 46.

[0100] The lightness (L value) of each sheet can be measured, for example, using a commercially available color difference meter (Konica Minolta, Inc., CR-300 color difference meter) on a white calibration plate (Konica Minolta, Inc., CR-A43 (L value 96.7)). The higher the measured lightness (L value), the brighter the sheet appears. It is also preferable to cut out multiple samples of a predetermined size from each sheet and compare the average values ​​of the measured L values.

[0101] The non-skin-side sheet 42 constituting at least a portion of the non-skin-side surface of the rear waistband 40a preferably has a light transmittance of 50% or more. When the colored portion S is located closer to the skin than the non-skin-side sheet 42, as in the diaper 1, the color of the colored portion S can be easily seen by the wearer through the non-skin-side sheet 42.

[0102] The absorbent main body 10 is a portion in which multiple members are overlapped, and is thicker than the front belt member 30 and the rear belt member 40. Therefore, the portion in which the absorbent main body 10 is provided is a portion in which the wearer is likely to sweat when wearing the diaper 1. As shown in Figure 4 and other figures, when the diaper 1 is viewed from the non-skin side, it is preferable that the skin-contact sheet 46 of the colored portion S has a portion that overlaps with the absorbent main body 10. The overlapping of the absorbent main body 10 and the skin-contact sheet 46 makes it easier for the wearer to recognize the change in color intensity of the skin-contact sheet 46 due to increased sweat absorption.

[0103] 3, it is preferable that the lower end of the skin-contact sheet 46 has a lower non-joined portion 46nd in the thickness direction of the rear waistband portion 40a, which is not joined to the skin-contact sheet of the absorbent main body 10 adjacent to the skin-contact sheet 46. Specifically, no adhesive is applied to the lower non-joined portion 46nd of the skin-contact sheet 46, and therefore the lower non-joined portion 46nd is not fixed to the absorbent main body 10. By providing the lower non-joined portion 46nd, when the skin-contact sheet 46 absorbs moisture, the unfixed lower non-joined portion 46nd of the skin-contact sheet 46 is more likely to come closer to the wearer's skin. By reducing the distance between the wearer's skin and the lower non-jointed portion 46nd, the skin-facing sheet 46 absorbs more of the wearer's sweat, and the color of the skin-facing sheet 46 appears to change more. This makes it easier for the wearer to see the parts of the back waist portion 40a that are absorbing the wearer's sweat, and gives the impression that the areas that appear darker in color are absorbing the wearer's sweat and are able to evaporate the moisture from the absorbed sweat.

[0104] Furthermore, it is preferable that one side edge of the colored portion S is located outside one side of the side joint 1e in the transverse direction of the diaper 1. In the diaper 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, one side edge of the skin-contact sheet 46, which is the colored portion S, is located outside one side of the side joint 1e. Specifically, the skin-contact sheet 46 is continuous from one side edge to the other side edge in the transverse direction of the diaper 1, and is joined to the front waistband 30a, together with the skin-contact sheet 41 and the non-skin-contact sheet 42, at one side of the side joint 1e and the other side of the side joint 1e. The portions of the skin-contact sheet 46 located outside the side joints 1e, 1e in the transverse direction do not directly contact the wearer's skin, and therefore often do not appear to change color even when the rear waistband 40a absorbs sweat. Therefore, by comparing the color of the outer area of ​​the skin-facing sheet 46 on the left and right from the side joint 1e on one side with the color of the inner area on the left and right from the side joint 1e on one side, the wearer can easily recognize the difference in color appearance caused by sweat absorption.

[0105] When the rear waistband 40a absorbs moisture, the colored portion S appears darker than before the moisture absorption. Preferably, the darker region comprises a first colored portion S1, which appears to have a predetermined color depth, and a second colored portion S2, which appears to be lighter than the first colored portion S1. Figure 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the rear waistband 40a. For example, the diaper 1 includes multiple waist elastic members 45 between the skin-side sheet 41 and the non-skin-side sheet 42. As the waist elastic members 45 expand and contract in the left-right direction, wrinkles that are uneven in the thickness direction are formed in the rear waistband 40a. As shown in Figure 9, when the wrinkled rear waistband 40a is viewed from the non-skin side, the portion closest to the skin appears as the first colored portion S1 and has a predetermined color depth. Meanwhile, the portion closest to the skin from the first colored portion S1 appears as the second colored portion S2, which is lighter in color than the first colored portion S1. In this way, the difference in color intensity between the first colored portion S1 and the second colored portion S2 makes it easier for the wearer or the like to recognize the color of the colored portion S.

[0106] As described above, the rear waistband portion 40a (rear belt member 40) has a plurality of apertures 40h penetrating the rear waistband portion 40a in the thickness direction. When viewed from the non-skin side of the rear waistband portion 40a, the apertures 40h preferably overlap the colored portion S (skin-facing sheet 46). By overlapping the apertures 40h, the rear waistband portion 40a absorbs moisture from sweat, making the colored portion S appear darker, thereby making the uncolored apertures 40h more noticeable. This makes the apertures 40h more visible to the wearer and helps them recognize the good breathability of the diaper 1.

[0107] ===Other Embodiments= ...

[0108] In the above-described embodiment, the front waistline portion 30a and the rear waistline portion 40a are each provided with a colored portion S (blue skin-facing sheets 36, 46). However, this is not limited to this. A configuration in which the colored portion S is provided only in the front waistline portion 30a, or only in the rear waistline portion 40a, may also be used. Furthermore, the entire front waistline portion 30a and the entire rear waistline portion 40a may be colored with a colored portion S. Furthermore, the front waistline portion 30a and the rear waistline portion 40a do not necessarily have to each have only one colored portion S. For example, the rear waistline portion 40a may not have a colored portion S in the center in the left-right direction, but may have a pair of colored portions S on both side edges outside the center in the left-right direction. A portion of each member (skin-facing sheets 36, 46) may be colored with a colored portion S, and the remaining portions of the member (skin-facing sheets 36, 46) other than the colored portion S may be white. The shape, size, and arrangement of the colored portion S can be changed as appropriate depending on the wearer's body type, constitution, posture, etc.

[0109] In the above-described embodiment, the skin-facing sheets 36, 46 made of colored nonwoven fabric and located closer to the skin than the skin-side sheets 31, 41, which are hydrophobic portions located closer to the skin than the non-skin-side sheets 32, 42, which are hydrophilic portions, are defined as the colored portions S. However, this is not limited to this. Some or all of the skin-facing sheets 31, 41, which are hydrophobic portions, the non-skin-side sheets 32, 42, which are hydrophilic portions, and the waistline elastic members 35, 45 may be colored portions S, or the components in the front waistline portion 30a and the back waistline portion 40a may be joined with a colored adhesive. When a colored adhesive is used, the adhesive becomes the colored portions S. Furthermore, multiple components may be colored to form the colored portions S. Note that if the skin-facing sheets 36, 46 are not colored portions, the skin-facing sheets 36, 46 are not necessarily provided.

[0110] For example, when the diaper 1 is viewed from the non-skin side, the multiple waist elastic members 45 overlapping the non-skin side sheet 42 may be light blue colored portions S, and the non-skin side sheet 42 may be a white sheet member. In this case, the waist elastic members 45 retain their stretchability. When the waist elastic members 45 and the non-skin side sheet 42 come into close contact due to moisture from sweat, the non-skin side sheet 42 overlapping the colored waist elastic members 45 will transmit less light, making the color of the waist elastic members 45 appear darker. Furthermore, because the waist elastic members 45 are arranged intermittently in the vertical direction, the color difference between the areas where the waist elastic members 45 are located and the areas where they are not can be easily discerned. Therefore, the wearer can visually observe the change in color intensity of the waist elastic members 45 through the non-skin side sheet 42, making it easier to see the areas of the diaper 1 that are absorbing the wearer's sweat. This gives the impression that the darker-colored areas are able to absorb the wearer's sweat and evaporate the absorbed sweat.

[0111] Alternatively, for example, the adhesive bonding the non-skin-side sheet 42 and the skin-side sheet 41 may be blue, and the blue adhesive may be provided as a colored portion S at a position overlapping the non-skin-side sheet 42 when the diaper 1 is viewed from the non-skin-side. In this case, the adhesive function between the non-skin-side sheet 42 and the skin-side sheet 41 is maintained, and when the skin-side sheet 41 and the non-skin-side sheet 42 come into close contact due to moisture from sweat, the overlapping portion of the adhesive provided between the skin-side sheet 41 and the non-skin-side sheet 42 will transmit less light, making the color of the colored adhesive appear darker. Furthermore, because the adhesive can be arranged in any shape and location, it is easy to distinguish the color difference between the adhesive-applied and non-adhesive portions. Therefore, the wearer can visually observe the change in the adhesive color intensity through the non-skin-side sheet 42, making it easier to see the portions of the diaper 1 that are absorbing the wearer's sweat, thereby giving the impression that the dark-colored area is able to absorb the wearer's sweat and evaporate the absorbed sweat.

[0112] In the above-described embodiment, the entire skin-facing sheets 36, 46 serving as the colored portions S overlap with the non-skin-side sheets 32, 42 of the hydrophilic portion and the skin-side sheets 31, 41 of the hydrophobic portion when viewed from the non-skin-side side of the diaper 1, but this is not limited thereto. It is sufficient that at least a portion of the colored portions S overlap with the hydrophilic portion, and therefore it is sufficient that at least a portion of the skin-facing sheets 36, 46 overlap with the non-skin-side sheets 32, 42, and the skin-facing sheets 36, 46 do not have to overlap with the skin-side sheets 31, 41. As described above, the non-skin-side sheet 32 ​​of the hydrophilic portion has the function of retaining and evaporating sweat moisture. Therefore, the moisture absorbed by the non-skin side sheet 32 ​​of the hydrophilic portion is diffused in a plane within the non-skin side sheet 32, so even if at least a portion of the skin side sheets 36, 46 overlap when viewed from the non-skin side of the diaper 1, the area where at least a portion of the sheets overlap when viewed from the non-skin side has the function of absorbing and evaporating sweat moisture, and by changing the color intensity of the skin side sheets 36, 46, it becomes easier to see the parts of the diaper 1 that are absorbing the wearer's sweat, so that the areas that appear darker in color give the impression that they are able to absorb the wearer's sweat and evaporate the absorbed sweat moisture.

[0113] The colored portion S may have fibers similar to the skin-facing sheet 46, and may include a compressed portion (not shown) compressed in the thickness direction of the rear waistband 40a. The compressed portion has a higher fiber density, which makes it more likely to absorb moisture due to capillary action. When the rear waistband 40a absorbs moisture, the compressed portion of the colored portion S absorbs more moisture, and therefore appears darker in color. This makes it easier for the wearer to visually identify the portion of the diaper 1 that is absorbing the wearer's sweat, giving the impression that the darker-appearing region is able to absorb the wearer's sweat and evaporate the absorbed sweat.

[0114] Furthermore, the compressed portions of the colored portion S may be configured to be compressed in the thickness direction together with adjacent members adjacent to the colored portion S in the thickness direction. That is, the diaper 1 may include a compressed portion in which the skin-facing sheet 46 and the skin-side sheet 41 are compressed. The compressed portion causes fibers of adjacent sheets to intertwine or melt, thereby shortening the distance between the sheets. This not only makes the colored portion S appear darker, but also facilitates moisture transfer between the skin-facing sheet 46 and the skin-side sheet 41 of the colored portion S. For example, a compressed portion (welded portion) may be provided in which the skin-facing sheet 46, the skin-side sheet 41, and the non-skin-side sheet 42 are compressed (welded) in the thickness direction, and the waist elastic member 45 provided between the skin-side sheet 41 and the non-skin-side sheet 42 is attached to the rear waistband portion 40 using multiple compressed portions (welded portions).

[0115] In the above-described embodiment, the belt members 30, 40 are provided with the openings 30h, 40h that penetrate the belt members 30, 40 in the thickness direction, but this is not limiting. The belt members 30, 40 may be configured without openings, or may be configured with openings that penetrate only the non-skin side sheets 32, 42 of the belt members 30, 40, and the skin side sheets 31, 41 may be configured without openings.

[0116] Although the above embodiment has been described with reference to a pants-type disposable diaper, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a tape-type disposable diaper 2 (hereinafter also referred to as "diaper 2") as shown in Fig. 10 may be used. Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment. Components of the diaper 2 that are common to the above embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and a detailed description of the basic configuration of the diaper 2 will be omitted.

[0117] The tape-type disposable diaper 2 comprises a front waistline portion 30a, a rear waistline portion 40a, and an absorbent body (not shown). When a fastening portion 48 provided on the rear waistline portion 40a is fastened to the front waistline portion 30a, the diaper 2 assumes a pants-like shape as shown in FIG. 10 . The pants-like diaper 2 comprises a waistline opening BH and a pair of leg openings LH. In this pants-like diaper 2, the portion above the upper ends of the leg openings LH is referred to as the "waistline portion 20," and the portion below the upper ends of the leg openings LH is referred to as the "crotch portion 50." The waistline portion 20 of the diaper 2 comprises a colored portion S. The colored portion S of the diaper 2 is a partially colored region of the skin-side sheets 31, 41 located closer to the skin than the non-skin-side sheets 32, 42 that constitute at least a portion of the closest skin-side surface of the diaper 2. When the waist portion 20 absorbs the sweat of the wearer, the colored portion S appears dark in color, which gives the wearer the impression that the waist portion 20 of the diaper 2 is absorbing sweat and that the part of the waist portion 20 where the colored portion S is provided is absorbing the sweat of the wearer and is able to evaporate the moisture of the absorbed sweat.

[0118] 10, the colored portion S is a colored portion of the skin-side sheets 31, 41. However, this is not limiting. The colored portion S may be provided on any of the non-skin-side sheets 32, 42 or the elastic members (not shown) that are provided on the waistbands 30a, 40a and that stretch in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the colored portion S may be provided on the entire skin-side sheets 31, 41, the non-skin-side sheets 32, 42, and the elastic members of the waistbands 30a, 40a, or on only a portion of each of the elastic members.

[0119] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Diaper (disposable diaper, absorbent article), 1e Side joint (one-side joint, other-side joint), 2 Diaper (disposable diaper, absorbent article), 10 Absorbent body, 11 Absorbent core, 11b Core wrap sheet, 12 Top sheet, 13 Back sheet, 13a Liquid-impermeable sheet (leak-proof sheet), 13b Outer sheet, 15 Leak-proof wall portion, 16 Leak-proof wall elastic member, 17 Leg-hole elastic member, 20 Waist portion, 30 Front belt member, 30a Front waist portion, 30h Perforated portion, 31 Skin-side sheet (hydrophobic portion), 32 Non-skin-side sheet (hydrophilic portion), 35 Waist elastic member, 36 Skin-side sheet (other-side colored portion), 40 Rear belt member, 40a Rear waist portion, 40b Buttocks cover, 40h: Perforated portion, 41: Skin side sheet (hydrophobic portion), 42: Non-skin side sheet (hydrophilic portion), 45: Waist elastic member, 46: Skin side sheet (colored portion on one side), 47: Curved elastic member, 50: Crotch portion, BH: Waist opening, LH: Leg opening, S: Colored portion

Claims

1. An absorbent article having a liquid-absorbing absorbent core and a pair of waistband sections provided on the non-skin side of the absorbent core, wherein the absorbent article has a colored colored section, at least one of the waistband sections has a hydrophobic section that is hydrophobic and a hydrophilic section that is hydrophilic, the hydrophilic section is at least a part of the side of the one waistband section that is closest to the skin, and when viewed from the non-skin side, at least a part of the hydrophobic section and the hydrophilic section overlap, and at least a part of the hydrophilic section and the colored section overlap.

2. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it has a vertical direction and a horizontal direction which intersect with each other, and in one of the waistband portions, the colored portion is provided above the absorbent core.

3. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that it has a liquid-impermeable leak-proof sheet on the non-skin side of the absorbent core, and in one of the waistband sections, the colored section is provided above the leak-proof sheet.

4. An absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it has a vertical direction and a horizontal direction which intersect with each other, and the upper end of the colored portion is located below the upper end of one of the waistband portions.

5. An absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the hydrophobic portion and the hydrophilic portion each have fibers, and the fiber density of the hydrophobic portion is lower than the fiber density of the hydrophilic portion.

6. An absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the colored portion has fibers, and the colored portion has a compressed portion compressed in the thickness direction of the one waistband portion.

7. An absorbent article according to claim 6, characterized in that in the compressed portion, the colored portion and the adjacent member adjacent to it in the thickness direction are compressed in the thickness direction.

8. An absorbent article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that when one of the waistband portions absorbs moisture, the colour of the coloured portion appears darker than before it absorbed moisture, and the area that appears darker comprises a first coloured portion that appears to have a predetermined colour depth, and a second coloured portion that appears lighter in colour than the first coloured portion.

9. An absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the hydrophobic portion is a one-side hydrophobic portion, the hydrophilic portion is a one-side hydrophilic portion, and the colored portion is a one-side colored portion, the other of the waistband portions has a hydrophobic other-side hydrophobic portion and a hydrophilic other-side hydrophilic portion, the other-side hydrophilic portion is at least a part of the side closest to the skin of the other waistband portion, the other has a colored other-side colored portion, when viewed from the non-skin side of the other waistband portion, at least a part of the other-side hydrophobic portion and the other-side hydrophilic portion overlap, and at least a part of the other-side hydrophilic portion and the other-side colored portion overlap.

10. An absorbent article as set forth in claim 9, characterized in that it has vertical and horizontal directions that intersect with each other, and the upper end of the colored portion on one side and the upper end of the colored portion on the other side are located at different positions.

11. An absorbent article as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, having a vertical direction and a horizontal direction which intersect with each other, and having a one-side joint portion and an other-side joint portion at one end and the other end in the horizontal direction, where the one waistline portion and the other waistline portion are joined, respectively, and on one side in the horizontal direction, the side edge of one side of the colored portion is located outside the one-side joint portion.

12. An absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the colored portion is provided closer to the skin than the hydrophilic portion.

13. An absorbent article according to claim 12, characterized in that the colored portion has a lower brightness than the hydrophilic portion.

14. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 12 or 13, characterized in that it has a vertical direction and a horizontal direction which intersect with each other, the absorbent core is provided in an absorbent main body, the colored portion is a sheet member provided on the skin side of the hydrophobic portion, and when viewed from the non-skin side, the colored portion has a portion which overlaps with the absorbent main body.

15. An absorbent article as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14, having vertical and horizontal directions which intersect with each other, the absorbent core being provided in an absorbent main body, the colored portion being a sheet member provided closer to the skin than the hydrophobic portion, and the lower end of the colored portion having a non-jointed portion which is not joined to a member adjacent to the colored portion in the thickness direction of one of the waistband portions.

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