Wearable article

Abstract

A wearable article (1) comprises a waist opening (BH) and a pair of leg openings (LH, LH), and can be used concomitantly with an absorbent pad (100). The wearable article is provided with a pair of wall sections (40, 40) for restricting the position of the absorbent pad (100). In a natural state, the base end (41) of the wall section (40) is provided, in the vertical direction, above a center location (HCR) between the upper end (LHt) of the leg opening (LH) and the lower end (LHb) of the same.

Description

Wearable items

[0001] The present invention relates to a wearing article.

[0002]

[0003] Conventionally, a pad-combined wearing article has been known, which is a stretchable pants-type wearing article that has an absorbent pad attached to the crotch region for absorbing urine and other bodily waste. It has been proposed to provide a pair of walls in the crotch region of the pad-combined wearing article in order to stably hold the pad attached when wearing the pad-combined wearing article. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for shorts (wearing article) to be used in combination with a sanitary napkin (pad) by providing a pair of raised portions (walls) on both sides of the inner surface of the crotch region and fixing wing portions of the sanitary napkin to the raised portions to stably hold the sanitary napkin.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-345892

[0004] In such a wearing article, if the pair of walls in the crotch region are formed as high as possible, the absorbent pad can be more easily held stably between the walls, and the wearing article can be more easily pulled up with the absorbent pad attached during wearing. On the other hand, if the walls are formed high, the crotch region where the absorbent pad is attached is more likely to be covered by the walls, which may make it difficult to attach the absorbent pad.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wearing article that is easy to attach an absorbent pad to and to pull up with the absorbent pad attached.

[0006] The primary invention for achieving the above object is a wearing article having mutually intersecting vertical and horizontal directions, comprising a waist opening and a pair of leg openings, which can be used in combination with an absorbent pad, the wearing article further comprising a pair of walls for regulating the position of the absorbent pad, the base ends of the walls being located above the midpoint between the upper and lower ends of the leg openings in the vertical direction in a natural state. 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, it is possible to provide a wearing article to which an absorbent pad can be easily attached and which can be easily pulled up with the absorbent pad attached.

[0008] 1 is a schematic perspective view of the wearing article 1. FIG. 2A is a plan view of the wearing article 1 in a natural state, as viewed from the front in the front-to-back direction. FIG. 2B is a plan view of the wearing article 1 in a natural state, as viewed from the rear in the front-to-back direction. FIGS. 3A and 3B are plan views illustrating the configuration of the wall section 40. FIGS. 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating a manufacturing method of the wearing article 1. They are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating the joining of the wall section 40 and the main body section 10. They are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of the absorbent pad 100 in a stretched state. FIGS. 7A to 7C are diagrams illustrating a method of wearing the wearing article 1 when the wearing article 1 and the absorbent pad 100 are used together. FIGS. 8A to 8C are diagrams illustrating the states of the wearing article 1 and the wall section 40 during the movements shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, respectively. They are diagrams illustrating a method of measuring the torque value of the wall section 40. They are tables showing conditions for measuring the torque value. They are data showing the results of torque value measurement. They are schematic perspective views illustrating an example of a wearing article container 90.

[0009] At least the following matters will become clear from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0010] (Aspect 1) A wearing article having mutually intersecting vertical and horizontal directions, comprising a waist opening and a pair of leg openings, which can be used in combination with an absorbent pad, characterized in that the wearing article further comprises a pair of walls for regulating the position of the absorbent pad, and in a natural state, base ends of the walls are provided above the midpoint between the upper and lower ends of the leg openings in the vertical direction.

[0011] According to the wearing article of aspect 1, the wall portions are formed up to a high position in the vertical direction during the wearing action, and when the wearing article is pulled up, the absorbent pad is firmly held between the pair of wall portions and is less likely to slip. Furthermore, when the waist opening is opened and the absorbent pad is attached, the upper end of the wall portion located closer to the waist opening is easily pulled outward in the lateral direction, making it difficult for the wall portions to collapse inward in the lateral direction. Therefore, the crotch portion is prevented from being covered by the wall portions, making it easier to attach the absorbent pad.

[0012] (Aspect 2) A wearing article having mutually intersecting vertical and horizontal directions, comprising a waist opening and a pair of leg openings, which can be used in combination with an absorbent pad, the wearing article further comprising a pair of walls for regulating the position of the absorbent pad, wherein, in a natural state, when an imaginary line is drawn from the upper end of the leg openings toward the inside in the horizontal direction and toward the lower side in the vertical direction, making a 45-degree angle with the horizontal direction, the upper end of the base end of each of the walls is located closer to the waist opening than the imaginary line.

[0013] According to the wearing article of aspect 2, when the waist opening is opened to attach the absorbent pad, a force is likely to act in an area closer to the waist opening than the imaginary line, which makes it easier for the upper ends of the wall portions to open in the left-right direction and also makes it easier for the wall portions to stand up tall due to tension acting on the upper ends (free ends) of the wall portions. This makes it easier to attach the absorbent pad between the pair of wall portions and to pull up the wearing article with the absorbent pad held between the wall portions.

[0014] (Aspect 3) The wearing article according to aspect 1 or 2, wherein the absorbent pad has a maximum length in the longitudinal direction when stretched to 400 mm or more.

[0015] The wearing article of aspect 3 allows for a larger absorbent core and a higher water retention capacity of the absorbent pad compared to when the length of the combined absorbent pad is shorter than 400 mm, and therefore allows for extended use of a large-capacity absorbent pad suitable for a urine pad or the like.

[0016] (Aspect 4) The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein in a natural state, an upper end of the base end is located lower than an upper end of the leg openings in the vertical direction.

[0017] According to the wearing article of Aspect 4, when the waist opening is widened during the wearing action, the pair of walls are prevented from opening too far outward in the left-right direction, thereby preventing a deterioration in the retention of the absorbent pad and a narrowing of the leg openings.

[0018] (Aspect 5) The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein the maximum height of the wall portion is smaller than the distance between the pair of base ends in the left-right direction.

[0019] According to the wearing article of Aspect 5, even if the wall portions are laterally inwardly tilted, the space between the pair of wall portions is prevented from being completely covered by the tilted wall portions, which makes it easier to ensure a space between the pair of wall portions and facilitates the smooth operation of attaching the absorbent pad between the wall portions.

[0020] (Aspect 6) The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein the maximum height of the wall portion is greater than the shortest distance in the left-right direction between the lower ends of the leg openings and the lower ends of the base ends.

[0021] According to the wearing article of aspect 6, the leg openings are closer to the wall portions, which makes it easier to see the wall portions from outside the leg openings compared to the reverse case. Furthermore, the smaller the distance between the leg openings and the wall portions, the wider the space between the pair of wall portions, making it easier to attach the absorbent pads.

[0022] (Aspect 7) The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein, in a natural state, a position of a rear upper end of the base end in the vertical direction is higher than or at the same height as a position of a front upper end of the base end in the vertical direction.

[0023] According to the wearing article of aspect 7, the wall portion is prevented from being formed too high at the front and too low at the rear. Therefore, when wearing the wearing article, the wall portion is prevented from interfering with the wearer's legs on the abdominal side. In addition, rear leakage when sleeping in a supine position due to difficulty in holding the absorbent pad at the back is prevented.

[0024] (Aspect 8) The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein an inner surface of the wall portion in the left-right direction and a skin-facing surface of the main body portion of the wearing article face each other at the base end.

[0025] According to the wearing article of aspect 8, the wall portions at the base end are more likely to rise from the inside in the left-right direction, making it easier to stably hold the absorbent pad between (on the inside of) the pair of wall portions. Furthermore, since the wall portions near the base end are prevented from collapsing outward in the left-right direction, the wall portions that collapse outward are less likely to block the leg openings when the wearing article is put on.

[0026] (Aspect 9) The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 8, wherein the wall portion is sewn directly to the main body portion.

[0027] According to the wearing article of Aspect 9, the force that widens the waist opening (main body) in the left-right direction during the wearing action can be easily transmitted to the wall portions via the base end. Therefore, in conjunction with the action of widening the waist opening, the free ends of the wall portions are more likely to open outward in the left-right direction, and the wall portions are more likely to stand up. This makes it easier to attach the absorbent pad between the pair of wall portions.

[0028] (Aspect 10) The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 9, wherein the sheet material constituting the wall portion and the sheet material constituting the main body portion are the same type of sheet material.

[0029] According to the wearing article of aspect 10, the wall portions and the main body portion tend to expand and contract at the same rate, which prevents either the wall portions or the main body portion from expanding or contracting excessively when the wearing article is put on. This makes it easier for the pair of wall portions to stand up correctly, facilitating attachment of the absorbent pad and stably holding the attached absorbent pad.

[0030] (Aspect 11) The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10, wherein the wall portion has a bending resistance of 8.5 mNM or less.

[0031] According to the wearing article of Aspect 11, the wall portion is configured to be flexible, and when the waist opening is widened during wearing, the upper end of the base end of the wall portion is easily opened outward in the left-right direction, making it easy to attach the absorbent pad. Furthermore, because the wall portion itself is configured to be flexible, it is possible to prevent the wall portion from interfering with the wearer's body (groin or legs) in the crotch area and causing discomfort.

[0032] (Aspect 12) The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 11, wherein, in a natural state, a position of an upper end of the base end in the left-right direction is inside or at the same position as a position of a lower end of the base end in the left-right direction.

[0033] According to the wearing article of aspect 12, when the waist opening is widened during the wearing action, the wall portion spreads outward, but when the waist opening is not widened, the wall portion does not spread excessively in the left-right direction, which makes it easier to attach the absorbent pad and prevents deterioration of retention.

[0034] (Aspect 13) The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 12, wherein the length of the wall portion along the base end is longer than the length of the wall portion along the free end.

[0035] According to the wearing article of aspect 13, when a force pulling the main body and the wall portions in the front-to-rear direction is applied during the putting action, tension is easily applied to the free ends of the shorter wall portions, making the wall portions more likely to stand up. This makes it easier for the absorbent pad to be firmly held between the standing wall portions, and makes it less likely for the absorbent pad to shift position when the wearing article is pulled up.

[0036] (Aspect 14) The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 13, wherein a line extending from the front upper end to the rear upper end of the base end along the free edge of the wall portion is a straight line.

[0037] According to the wearing article of aspect 14, tension is more likely to be applied to the free ends that are shorter in the front-to-back direction during the wearing action, making it easier for the walls to stand up. This makes it easier for the absorbent pad to be firmly held between the standing walls, making it less likely for the absorbent pad to shift position when the wearing article is pulled up. Furthermore, if the line (free end) that forms the upper end of the wall is straight, the wall is more likely to stand up to a high height, making it easier to stably hold the absorbent pad.

[0038] (Aspect 15) The wearing article according to any one of aspects 1 to 14, wherein the free end of the wall portion is overstitched along its periphery.

[0039] According to the wearing article of Aspect 15, fraying of threads around the free ends of the wall portions is suppressed. Furthermore, the reduced elasticity along the free ends of the wall portions makes it easier for tension to be applied to the free ends when the wall portions are pulled in the front-to-rear direction during wearing, which makes it easier for the wall portions to stand upright. This makes it easier for the absorbent pad to be firmly held between the wall portions.

[0040] (Aspect 16) The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 15, further comprising a high-rigidity portion extending along the up-down direction between the base end and the free end of the wall portion.

[0041] According to the wearing article of aspect 16, the upright wall portions are prevented from bending or collapsing when the wearing article is worn because the wall portions have increased rigidity in the vertical direction. In addition, the wall portions are less likely to wrinkle, which prevents deterioration of the absorbent pad's retention.

[0042] (Aspect 17) The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 16, wherein the wall portion has a periphery that is overlocked, and the high-rigidity portion intersects with the base end and the free end that are overlocked.

[0043] In the wearing article of Aspect 17, the base end and free end, which have been made more rigid by overlocking, are connected to the high-rigidity portion, forming a skeletal structure that allows the wall portion to easily maintain a flat shape. This allows the wall portion to stand upright stably, improving the retention of the absorbent pad.

[0044] (Aspect 18) The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 17, wherein, in a natural state, when viewed from the front, at least a portion of the wall portion is visible outside the periphery of the leg openings, and when viewed from the rear, the wall portion is not visible outside the periphery of the leg openings.

[0045] According to the wearing article of aspect 18, the difference in appearance between the front and back is clear, making it easy to distinguish between the front and back, and making it less likely that the wearing article will be put on the wrong way round. In addition, because the wall portion provided in the crotch area is visible from the outside, it is possible to make it easier for the wearer to recognize the position where the absorbent pad should be inserted before putting on the wearing article.

[0046] (Aspect 19) The wearing article according to any one of aspects 1 to 18, further comprising stretch suppressing means having a predetermined length in the vertical direction.

[0047] According to the wearing article of Aspect 19, the main body portion is prevented from excessively stretching in the vertical direction when pulled up during the wearing action, which helps to prevent problems such as the absorbent pad becoming misaligned or falling off.

[0048] Embodiments As an example of a wearing article according to an embodiment of the present invention, a pants-type wearing article 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "wearing article 1") of a combined pad type that can be used by attaching an absorbent pad 100 therein for absorbing excrement such as urine will be described.

[0049] <Basic Configuration of the Wearing Article 1> Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the wearing article 1 according to this embodiment. In the pants-type state shown in Fig. 1, the wearing article 1 has a "vertical direction," a "lateral direction," and a "front-to-rear direction" that are perpendicular to one another. In the vertical direction, the side that faces the torso of the wearer when the wearing article 1 is worn by the wearer is referred to as the "upper side," and the side that faces the crotch of the wearer is referred to as the "lower side." In addition, in the front-to-rear direction, the side that faces the stomach of the wearer when the wearing article 1 is worn by the wearer is referred to as the "front side," and the side that faces the back of the wearer is referred to as the "rear side." Each material (sheet member) constituting the wearing article 1 has a "thickness direction." In the thickness direction, the side that is closest to the wearer's skin when the wearing article 1 is worn by the wearer is referred to as the "skin side," and the opposite side is referred to as the "non-skin side."

[0050] The wearing article 1 of this embodiment is formed in a pants-like shape with a waist opening BH at the top in the vertical direction and a pair of leg openings LH, LH at the bottom in the vertical direction and on both sides in the lateral direction. An absorbent pad 100 can be detachably attached to the inside of the pants-like shape, and the wearing article 1 itself can be reused (worn) repeatedly by replacing the absorbent pad 100. For example, if a user excretes urine or the like while wearing the wearing article 1 to which the absorbent pad 100 is attached, the worn article 1 can be reused by removing the soiled absorbent pad 100 from the wearing article 1 and replacing it with a new absorbent pad 100. The wearing article 1 is also washable, allowing for hygienic use over a long period of time (e.g., two weeks or more).

[0051] Fig. 2A is a plan view of the wearing article 1 in its natural state as viewed from the front side in the front-to-back direction. Fig. 2B is a plan view of the wearing article 1 in its natural state as viewed from the rear side in the front-to-back direction. Here, the "natural state" refers to the state of the wearing article 1 after it has been left for a predetermined time. For example, after removing the folded and stored wearing article 1 from a package, it is gently unfolded to avoid distortion and placed on a flat surface such as a desk. The natural state is defined as the state in which the wearing article 1 is left lying flat on a flat surface for five minutes until almost no wrinkles remain on the surface of the wearing article 1.

[0052] The wearing article 1 includes a main body portion 10, an expansion suppressing portion 20, and a wall portion 40. The main body portion 10 constitutes the exterior of the wearing article 1 and is formed of a stretchable sheet material. In this embodiment, the sheet material forming the main body portion 10 is made of a "woven fabric" or "knitted fabric" and is stretchable in both the vertical and horizontal directions. A "woven fabric" is a fabric formed into a planar shape by interlacing weft threads at right angles with a large number of parallel warp threads. For example, a fabric called "woven cloth" can be used. A stretchable woven fabric can be formed by using highly stretchable yarns or by changing the yarn density. On the other hand, a "knitted fabric" is a fabric formed into a planar shape by looping yarns and connecting other loops to each other. For example, a "knitted fabric" can be used. Because a knitted fabric is formed by connecting a large number of loops, it can be stretched significantly even with a small force by deforming each loop. The following description will be given assuming that the main body portion 10 (wearing article 1) is formed of a knitted fabric.

[0053] The main body 10 is made of a so-called circular knit fabric, which is knitted into a tubular shape along the vertical direction. A portion of the upper end of the tubular main body 10 is folded back from top to bottom in the vertical direction to form a waist fold 11. This waist fold 11 prevents fraying of the yarn at the upper end of the circular knit fabric (i.e., the waist opening BH). Furthermore, a yarn that is less stretchable than other portions is knitted into the waist fold 11. This increases the contractile force along the periphery of the waist opening BH, preventing the waist opening BH from slipping down when the wearing article 1 is worn, improving fit. Note that instead of folding back the upper end of the circular knit fabric, a separate sheet member may be laminated and joined to the upper end to apply a large contractile force along the periphery of the waist opening BH.

[0054] Meanwhile, a crotch seam 12 is formed at the lower end of the main body 10, where the front and back sides of the circular knit fabric are sewn together. By joining the lower end of the main body 10 at the crotch seam 12, the tubular circular knit fabric is formed into a pants-like shape with a pair of leg openings LH, LH (see FIG. 4, described below). In this embodiment, the crotch seam 12 is located at the lowest position in the vertical direction of the wearing article 1 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B).

[0055] The pair of leg openings LH, LH are formed by cutting a portion of the main body 10 (see FIG. 4 ). Leg openings LH, LH have overlock stitches 13 formed around their peripheries. The leg openings 13 are formed by sewing a thread around the edge of the knitted fabric along the periphery of the leg openings LH, thereby preventing fraying of the thread at the cut portions of the leg openings LH. Furthermore, the formation of the leg openings 13 increases the contractile force along the periphery of the leg openings LH, improving the fit of the leg openings LH when worn and helping to prevent side leakage of urine and other bodily exudates.

[0056] 2A and 2B , in the vertical direction of the wearing article 1 in its natural state, the upper end of the leg opening LH (periphery) is designated as LHt. The upper end LHt is located slightly inside the outermost end in the left-right direction. Similarly, in the vertical direction of the wearing article 1 in its natural state, the lower end of the leg opening LH (periphery) is designated as LHb. The lower end LHb is located at the lowest position in the vertical direction of the wearing article 1 and at the innermost position in the left-right direction of the leg opening LH.

[0057] The crotch region CR is defined as the region of the wearing article 1 that is vertically between the upper end LHt and the lower end LHb of the leg openings LH (i.e., the lower end of the wearing article 1) and that is horizontally between the lower ends LHb, LHb of the pair of leg openings LH (i.e., between the inner ends of the leg openings LH). The crotch region CR is a region that is mainly located in the crotch area of ​​the wearer (user) when the wearing article 1 is worn, and corresponds to the "crotch portion" of the wearing article 1. When the absorbent pad 100 is attached, the crotch region CR also holds at least a part of the absorbent pad 100. The waist region BR is defined as the region of the wearing article 1 that is vertically located between the upper ends LHt of the leg openings LH and the upper end of the wearing article 1. The waist region BR is a region that is mainly located in the waist area (abdomen and buttocks to waist) of the wearer (user) when the wearing article 1 is worn.

[0058] The stretch suppressing portions 20 function as stretch suppressing means for suppressing stretching of the wearing article 1 in the up-down direction. In the present embodiment, a plurality of stretch suppressing portions 20, each having a predetermined length in the up-down direction, are provided at predetermined positions on the main body portion 10 of the wearing article 1. Specifically, at the front side of the front-to-back direction of the wearing article 1 (main body portion 10), a front central stretch suppressing portion 21 is provided in the center in the left-to-right direction, and a pair of front side stretch suppressing portions 23, 23 (corresponding to both side stretch suppressing means) are provided on both left and right sides of the front central stretch suppressing portion 21 (see FIG. 2A ). Similarly, at the rear side of the front-to-back direction of the wearing article 1 (main body portion 10), a rear central stretch suppressing portion 22 is provided in the center in the left-to-right direction, and a pair of rear side stretch suppressing portions 24, 24 (both side stretch suppressing means) are provided on both left and right sides of the rear central stretch suppressing portion 22 (see FIG. 2B ).

[0059] When a wearer (user) puts on the wearing article 1, the wearer (user) puts their legs through the pair of leg openings LH, then grabs the waist region BR and pulls the wearing article 1 up to their crotch area. As described above, the main body portion 10 is made of a stretchable knitted fabric (or woven fabric). Therefore, if the main body portion 10 stretches excessively in the vertical direction during the pulling-up action of the wearing article 1, it may become difficult to pull up the wearing article 1. In contrast, in the wearing article 1 of the present embodiment, stretching (extension) of the main body portion 10 in the vertical direction is suppressed in the portion where the stretch-suppressing portion 20 is provided, making it easier to pull up the wearing article 1.

[0060] The stretch suppressing unit 20 (stretch suppressing means) is realized by processing the knitted fabric constituting the main body 10 to reduce the stretchability of the knitted fabric in the vertical direction. For example, vertical stretchability can be reduced by sewing low-stretch yarn (so-called "stitching") into a predetermined region of the knitted fabric constituting the main body 10. Furthermore, when knitting the knitted fabric, the knitting pattern or the stretchability of the yarn may be changed in a predetermined region to reduce the stretchability of a portion of the knitted fabric. Alternatively, the stretchability of the knitted fabric may be reduced by welding or crimping a member such as silicone or rubber, or by compressing a predetermined region of the knitted fabric (e.g., embossing).

[0061] A pair of wall portions 40 are provided on the left and right sides in the crotch region CR (crotch area) corresponding to the pair of leg openings LH, LH, respectively. Figures 3A and 3B are plan views illustrating the configuration of the wall portions 40. In this embodiment, the wall portions 40 are separate from the main body portion 10 and are configured from a substantially semicircular sheet member as shown in Figures 3A and 3B. The material of the sheet member configuring the wall portions 40 is the same knitted fabric (or woven fabric) as the sheet member configuring the main body portion 10, and has the same stretchability as the main body portion 10. The wall portions 40 of the wearing article 1 have a base end 41, a free end 42, and a high-rigidity wall portion 43.

[0062] The base end 41 is a portion of the periphery of the wall portion 40 that serves as a starting point for the wall portion 40 to rise from the main body portion 10 toward the wearer's skin when the wearing article 1 is worn. In this embodiment, the wall portion 40 is joined to the main body portion 10 at the base end 41. The end of the base end 41 that is front in the front-to-back direction and upper in the vertical direction is also referred to as the front upper end 41ft, and the end of the base end 41 that is rear in the front-to-back direction and upper in the vertical direction is also referred to as the rear upper end 41bt. The lowermost end of the base end 41 in the vertical direction is referred to as the lower end 41d. The vertical distance between the front upper end 41ft (rear upper end 41bt) and the lower end 41d is defined as h40. The distance h40 shown in FIG. 3A corresponds to the maximum height of the wall portion 40 when it rises.

[0063] The free end 42 is a portion of the periphery of the wall portion 40 that is not joined to the main body portion 10, and is an end that is less likely to be constrained by the main body portion 10 and is easily deformed. When the wall portion 40 rises up toward the wearer's skin, the free end 42 becomes the upper end of the wall portion 40. Note that, although the free end 42 is formed in a straight line from the front upper end 41ft to the rear upper end 41bt in Fig. 3A, it may also be formed in a curved (arcuate) shape from the front upper end 41ft to the rear upper end 41bt, as shown in Fig. 3B.

[0064] In this embodiment, the peripheral edges of the wall portions 40 are oversewn. That is, oversewn portions are provided along the base end 41 and the free end 42 of the wall portions 40. This prevents threads from fraying along the peripheral edges of the wall portions 40, and also makes the peripheral edges of the wall portions 40 less likely to stretch than other portions of the wall portions 40, thereby increasing the contractile force along the peripheral edges. When wearing the wearing article 1, the main body portion 10 is pulled in the left-right and front-back directions to widen the waist opening BH and the leg openings LH. At this time, tension is more likely to act along the peripheral edges of the wall portions 40, particularly along the free ends 42, which makes it easier for the wall portions 40 to rise up against the skin.

[0065] The high-rigidity wall portion 43 is a portion of the wall portion 40 that is more rigid than the other portions thereof, and is provided in a band-shaped region extending in the vertical direction as shown in Figures 3A and 3B. This high-rigidity wall portion 43 is formed, for example, by sewing (stitching) low-stretch thread or by compressing predetermined locations, similar to the stretch-suppressing portion 20 described above. Providing the high-rigidity wall portion 43 along the vertical direction prevents the wall portion 40 from bending up or down when the worn article 1 is worn, and makes it easier for the wall portion 40 to rise up toward the skin while maintaining a flat surface. However, the high-rigidity wall portion 43 is not necessarily provided in the wall portion 40.

[0066] <Method of manufacturing the worn article 1> Next, an outline of a method of manufacturing the worn article 1 will be described. Figures 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating a method of manufacturing the worn article 1. In Figure 4, a case where the worn article 1 is formed from the above-mentioned "knitted fabric" will be described.

[0067] First, as shown in FIG. 4A , a cylindrical knitted fabric 10A (so-called "circular knit") is formed by knitting yarn in a circular fashion. At this time, stretch-suppressing portions 20 (21-24) are also formed along the central axis of the cylindrically knitted fabric 10A (corresponding to the vertical direction in FIG. 1 ). As described above, the stretch-suppressing portions 20 are formed by processing such as changing the knitting pattern or sewing in a different yarn. Note that the stretch-suppressing portions 20 may be formed in a process separate from the process for forming the circular knitted fabric 10A ( FIG. 4A ). For example, after the circular knitted fabric 10A is formed, processing to form the stretch-suppressing portions 20 (stretch-suppressing means) may be performed separately.

[0068] Next, the circular knitted fabric 10A is cut at predetermined positions in the vertical direction (axial direction) to cut out the main body portions 10 that constitute the individual wearing article 1, as shown in Figure 4B. Here, the circular knitted fabric 10A is cut at positions C1 and C2 in the vertical direction. Cutting position C1 is the upper side of the main body portion 10 in the vertical direction, and cutting position C2 is the lower side of the main body portion 10 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, portions that will become the leg openings LH are cut from the main body portion 10. In Figure 4B, both left and right sides of the lower end of the tubular main body portion 10 are cut diagonally to form portions that will become the pair of leg openings LH, LH.

[0069] 4C , the top end of the tubular main body 10 is folded back to form the waist folded-up portion 11. At the bottom end of the tubular main body 10, the front bottom edge 12f and the back bottom edge 12b are sewn together front and back to form the crotch seam 12. This completes the formation of the tubular main body 10 into a pants-like shape. Next, an overlock is performed along the periphery of the cut leg openings LH to form the leg overlock portions 13.

[0070] After the main body 10 is formed into a pants-like shape, the wall portions 40, 40 described in Fig. 3 are attached to the crotch portions on the inner left and right sides of the pair of leg openings LH, LH. In this embodiment, the base end 41 of the wall portion 40 is joined to the portion of the skin-facing side of the main body 10 indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 4C.

[0071] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating the joining of the wall portion 40 and the main body portion 10. When joining the wall portion 40 to the main body portion 10, first, as shown in Fig. 5, the sheet member (knitted fabric) constituting the wall portion 40 is laminated so that the inner surface in the left-right direction of the sheet member (knitted fabric) constituting the main body portion 10 faces the skin-side surface in the thickness direction of the sheet member (knitted fabric) constituting the main body portion 10. Then, with the wall portion 40 and the main body portion 10 facing each other, a portion of the wall portion 40 corresponding to the base end 41 is sewn to the main body portion 10. In this way, the wall portion 40 is joined to the main body portion 10 at the base end 41, and when the wearing article 1 is worn, the wall portion 40 can rise toward the skin side of the wearing article 1 from the base end 41 as a rising starting point.

[0072] In this manner, the pants-type wearing article 1 having the pair of wall portions 40, 40 is manufactured.

[0073] <Basic Structure of the Absorbent Pad 100> Fig. 6 shows a plan view and a cross-sectional view of the absorbent pad 100 in a stretched state. The absorbent pad 100 has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view, and has a vertical direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction that are perpendicular to one another. The vertical direction is a direction that follows the up-down direction (and front-to-back direction) of the wearing article 1 when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1, and the horizontal direction is a direction that follows the left-to-right direction of the wearing article 1 when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1. The front side in the vertical direction is the side that is located on the wearer's abdomen (the front side in the front-to-back direction of the wearing article 1) when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1, and the rear side in the vertical direction is the side that is located on the wearer's back (the rear side in the front-to-back direction of the wearing article 1) when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1.

[0074] The absorbent pad 100 has an absorbent body 110, a top sheet 111 arranged on the skin side of the absorbent body 110, a back sheet 112 arranged on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 110, and a pair of side sheets 115, 115 arranged on both sides in the left-right direction on the skin side of the top sheet 111.

[0075] The absorbent body 110 contains a polymer absorbent (super absorbent polymer, also referred to as "SAP") and liquid-absorbent fibers such as pulp fibers, and in this embodiment is formed in a generally hourglass shape with the longitudinal center recessed inward in the left-right direction, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 6. The liquid-absorbent fibers containing SAP may be covered with a liquid-permeable core wrap sheet (not shown). The configuration of the absorbent body 110 is not limited to the above, and examples include an SAP sheet in which an SAP layer is attached to a hydrophilic sheet, and an airlaid sheet in which liquid-absorbent fibers are formed into a sheet by an airlaid method.

[0076] The top sheet 111 is a liquid-permeable sheet member disposed on the skin side of the absorbent body 110, and is a member that comes into direct contact with the wearer's skin and excretory opening when the absorbent pad 100 is in use. For this reason, it is desirable that the top sheet 111 be a sheet member that is as flexible as possible and that feels soft against the skin. Examples of sheet members that constitute the top sheet 111 of this embodiment include air-through nonwoven fabrics. Furthermore, a second sheet (not shown in FIG. 6 ) that is liquid-permeable in substantially the same manner as the top sheet 111 may be provided between the absorbent body 110 and the top sheet 111 in the thickness direction.

[0077] The back sheet 112 is a liquid-impermeable, breathable sheet member that is located closer to the skin than the absorber 110 in the thickness direction of the absorbent pad 100. The provision of this back sheet 112 prevents excrement such as urine absorbed by the absorbent pad 100 from penetrating to the non-skin side in the thickness direction. Therefore, when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the skin side of the wearing article 1 in use, excrement such as urine absorbed by the absorbent pad 100 can be prevented from penetrating into the non-skin side of the wearing article 1. Examples of sheet members that constitute the back sheet 112 in this embodiment include resin films such as polyethylene and polypropylene.

[0078] The side sheets 115 are members that form both lateral sides of the skin-facing side of the absorbent pad 100. When the absorbent pad 100 is in use, the side sheets 115 are also likely to come into direct contact with the wearer's skin, and therefore, like the top sheet 111, it is desirable that the side sheets 115 be as flexible as possible. An example of the sheet member that forms the side sheets 115 of this embodiment is an air-through nonwoven fabric.

[0079] Furthermore, absorbent pad elastic members 116 such as rubber threads are provided at the inner lateral ends of the pair of side sheets 115, 115 in a state of being stretched along the longitudinal direction. The inner lateral ends of the side sheets 115 are folded back outward in the lateral direction as shown in the A-A cross-sectional view of Fig. 6, and the absorbent pad elastic members 116 are attached so as to be sandwiched between the folded back portions. When the absorbent pad 100 is in use, the elasticity of the absorbent pad elastic members 116 causes the inner lateral ends of the pair of side sheets 115, 115 to rise toward the skin in the thickness direction, functioning as a leak-proof wall (three-dimensional gathers), thereby suppressing lateral leakage of urine, etc.

[0080] When the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1 for use, it is folded in half at a longitudinal center position CL of the absorbent pad 100 so that the skin-side surface of the absorbent pad 100 faces inward. The folded absorbent pad 100 is then inserted from above the waist-opening BH of the wearing article 1 and placed in the space between a pair of left-right walls 40, 40 provided in the crotch region CR of the wearing article 1 so that the longitudinal direction of the absorbent pad 100 is aligned with the up-down direction (front-to-back direction) of the wearing article 1. At this time, the longitudinal center position CL of the absorbent pad 100 is adjusted so that it is located at the lowest end of the wearing article 1 (a position overlapping with the crotch seam 12). In this manner, the absorbent pad 100 can be attached to the wearing article 1 easily and accurately.

[0081] <Regarding Wearing Actions of the Wearing Article 1> The wearing action when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1 of this embodiment and worn will be described. Figures 7A to 7C are diagrams illustrating a method of wearing the wearing article 1 when the wearing article 1 and the absorbent pad 100 are used together. Figures 8A to 8C are diagrams illustrating the states of the wearing article 1 and the wall portion 40 during the actions shown in Figures 7A to 7C, respectively. Note that the following describes the actions when a wearer puts on the wearing article 1 by themselves, but basically the same actions are performed even when the wearer puts on the wearing article 1 with the assistance of a caregiver or the like.

[0082] First, the wearer inserts his / her legs into the waist opening BH of the wearing article 1 without the absorbent pad 100 attached while widening it, and then passes one leg through each of the left and right leg openings LH, LH. As shown in Fig. 7A , the waist region BR of the wearing article 1 is not excessively stretched (widened) in the left-right direction, and the base end 41 of the wall portion 40 extends substantially vertically in the up-down direction, as shown in Fig. 8A . That is, the upper end 41ft (41bt) and the lower end 41d of the base end 41 are located at substantially the same position in the left-right direction. Furthermore, since no significant tension is applied to the free end 42 of the wall portion 40, the wall portion 40 is not completely erect.

[0083] Next, the waist region BR (waist opening BH) of the main body 10 is widely spread in the left-right direction using both legs (knees), and the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the crotch region CR. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 7B, the absorbent pad 100 is inserted into the space formed between a pair of walls 40, 40 provided in the crotch region, so that both left-right sides of the absorbent pad 100 are supported by the pair of walls 40, 40.

[0084] In FIG. 7B , when attaching the absorbent pad 100, a force that spreads the waist region BR (waist opening BH) of the main body 10 in the left-right direction is also transmitted to the base end 41 of the wall portion 40. At this time, a greater force is transmitted to the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the wall portion 40, which is located closer to the waist opening BH in the up-down direction, than to the lower end 41d. As a result, the upper portion of the base end 41 of the wall portion 40 in the up-down direction is more likely to be pulled outward in the left-right direction, as shown in FIG. 8B . That is, the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the base end 41 moves more outward in the left-right direction than the lower end 41d. Therefore, the free ends 42 of the pair of wall portions 40, 40 are more likely to open outward in the left-right direction, making it difficult for the wall portions 40 to collapse inward. This makes it easier to insert and attach the absorbent pad 100 between the pair of wall portions 40, 40.

[0085] Next, the wearing article 1 with the absorbent pad 100 attached is pulled up to the wearer's waist. When pulling up the wearing article 1, the upper end of the main body 10 (near the waist opening BH) is grasped with the hand and pulled up in the vertical direction, as shown in Fig. 7C . During the process of pulling up the wearing article 1, the wearing article 1 also stretches in the front-to-back direction, causing a stretching force (tension) to act on the free end 42 of the wall 40 between the front upper end 41ft and the rear upper end 41bt. This causes the pair of walls 40, 40 to rise higher in the vertical direction (towards the wearer's skin) as shown in Fig. 8C , making it easier to maintain this upright state throughout the pulling up operation.

[0086] 2, in the wearing article 1 of this embodiment, in a natural state, the base end 41 of the wall 40 extends above a vertical midpoint HCR between the upper end LHt and the lower end LHb of the leg openings LH. That is, the vertical length h40 of the base end 41 is longer than half the vertical length of the crotch portion (crotch region CR). With this configuration, when the wearing article 1 is put on, the wall 40 extends to a high vertical position. When the wearing article 1 is pulled up as shown in FIG. 7C, the absorbent pad 100 is firmly held between the pair of walls 40, 40, making it less likely to slip.

[0087] 7B , when the waist region BR (waist opening BH) of the main body 10 is opened in the left-right direction and the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the crotch region, the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the wall 40 (base end 41) located closer to the waist opening BH in the up-down direction is more likely to be pulled outward in the left-right direction than the lower end LHb. Therefore, compared to when the base end 41 is not provided above the center position HCR of the crotch region in the up-down direction, the wall 40 is less likely to collapse inward in the left-right direction. This prevents the crotch region from being covered by the wall 40, making it easier to attach the absorbent pad 100 to the crotch region. These features contribute to the realization of a wearing article 1 that is easy to attach the absorbent pad 100 to and pull up when the absorbent pad 100 is attached.

[0088] 2 , when an imaginary line VL is drawn from the upper end LHt of the leg opening LH inward in the left-right direction and downward in the up-down direction, forming a 45-degree angle with respect to the left-right direction, the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the wall portion 40 (base end 41) is located vertically above the imaginary line VL. That is, the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the wall portion 40 (base end 41) is located closer to the waist opening BH than the imaginary line VL. As described with reference to FIG. 7 , when the wearing article 1 is put on, a force acts in a direction that widens the waist opening BH in the left-right direction. At this time, the force acts more easily on the region above the imaginary line VL (closer to the waist opening BH) than on the region below the imaginary line VL (farther from the waist opening BH). Therefore, the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the wall 40 (base end 41) located above the imaginary line VL can be easily opened in the left-right direction, and tension is applied to the free end 42 between the front upper end 41ft and the rear upper end 41bt, making it easier for the wall 40 to stand up tall. This makes it easier to attach the absorbent pad 100 between the pair of walls 40, 40, and to pull up the wearing article 1 with the absorbent pad 100 held between the pair of walls 40, 40.

[0089] Furthermore, in the natural state, the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the wall portion 40 (base end 41) is located below the upper end LHt of the leg opening LH in the vertical direction. If the base end 41 of the wall portion 40 extended above the upper end LHt of the leg opening LH, the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the base end 41 may also be spread excessively outward in the horizontal direction when the waist region BR (waist opening BH) is expanded in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 7B , etc.). In this case, the pair of walls 40, 40 may be spread outward too far, narrowing the leg opening LH, or the absorbent pad 100 held between the walls 40, 40 may be easily displaced. In this embodiment, the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the wall 40 (base end 41) is located below the upper end LHt of the leg opening LH, which prevents the pair of walls 40, 40 from opening excessively outward in the left-right direction when widening the waist opening BH. This prevents the absorbent pad 100 from being held in place and the leg opening LH from becoming narrower.

[0090] The absorbent pad 100 to be attached to the wearing article 1 of this embodiment preferably has a maximum length L100 in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction in FIG. 6 ) of 400 mm or more, and more preferably 450 mm or more, in a stretched state. Generally, the longer the absorbent pad is in the longitudinal direction, the easier it is to accommodate a larger absorber and the greater its water retention capacity. On the other hand, the longer the absorbent pad is in the longitudinal direction, the more difficult it is to attach it to the crotch area of ​​the wearing article, and the more likely it is to become displaced when worn.

[0091] In contrast, the wearing article 1 of this embodiment can be used in conjunction with absorbent pads 100 having a longitudinal length L100 of 400 mm or more. This allows for a larger absorber 110 load and a higher water retention capacity than absorbent pads 100 having a length L100 of less than 400 mm. This makes the absorbent pad 100 suitable for use as a urine absorption pad or the like, which is worn for extended periods of time. Even when such a long absorbent pad 100 (L100≧400 mm) is used, it can be easily attached between the pair of walls 40, 40 and stably held in place. This reduces the risk of urine leakage, even when worn for extended periods of time by, for example, elderly people or those receiving care.

[0092] Furthermore, when the wearing article 1 is in its natural state, the maximum height of the wall portions 40 is preferably smaller than the distance between the base ends 41 of the pair of walls 40 in the left-right direction. In Fig. 2 , the maximum height of the wall portions 40 is represented by the distance h40 between the upper end 41ft (41bt) and the lower end 41d of the base end 41, and the distance between the base ends 41 in the left-right direction is represented by the distance W40 between the lower ends 41d of the base ends 41. If h40<W40 in Fig. 2 , even if at least one of the pair of walls 40 is tilted inward in the left-right direction during the wearing action of the wearing article 1, the space between the walls 40 (space of width W40) is prevented from being completely covered by the tilted wall portion 40. In other words, the space between the pair of walls 40 is more likely to be secured. This allows the absorbent pad 100 to be easily and smoothly attached between the pair of walls 40, 40 (see FIG. 7B) when wearing the wearing article 1.

[0093] Furthermore, when the wearing article 1 is in its natural state, the maximum height of the wall 40 is preferably greater than the shortest distance in the left-right direction between the lower end LHb of the leg opening LH and the lower end 41d of the base end 41. In Fig. 2, the shortest distance in the left-right direction between the lower end LHb of the leg opening LH and the lower end 41d of the base end 41 is represented by Ws40. If h40 > Ws40 in Fig. 2, the distance between the leg opening LH and the wall 40 is shorter than in the opposite case, making the wall 40 more visible from outside the leg opening LH. Furthermore, the smaller Ws40, the wider the gap W40 between the walls 40, 40. This makes it easier to attach the absorbent pad 100 between the pair of walls 40, 40.

[0094] Furthermore, when the wearing article 1 is in its natural state, the rear upper end 41bt of the wall 40 (base end 41) is preferably at the same height as or higher than the front upper end 41ft of the wall 40 (base end 41). If the front upper end 41ft of the base end 41 is located higher than the rear upper end 41bt, the wall 40 will likely be formed higher at the front and lower at the rear. In this case, when the wearer walks or sits while wearing the wearing article 1, the wall 40 may be more likely to interfere with the legs at the front (ventral side). Furthermore, the absorbent pad 100 may not be held securely at the rear (back side), which may increase the risk of rear leakage when the wearer is lying on their back.

[0095] In contrast, if the rear upper end 41bt of the base end 41 is located above or at the same height as the front upper end 41ft, the wall portion 40 is prevented from being formed higher at the front and lower at the rear, which prevents the wall portion 40 from interfering with the legs of the wearer when wearing the wearing article 1 and prevents rear leakage when the wearer is lying on their back.

[0096] At the base end 41 of each wall 40, the inner surface in the left-right direction of the sheet member constituting the wall 40 faces the skin-side surface in the thickness direction of the sheet member constituting the main body 10 (see FIG. 5 ). Therefore, the pair of walls 40 rise from the inner side in the left-right direction at the base end 41, and the inner surfaces of the walls 40 easily come into contact with the side edges of the absorbent pad in the left-right direction. This configuration facilitates stable retention of the absorbent pad 100 between the pair of walls 40. Furthermore, since the wall 40 is more likely to be prevented from collapsing outward in the left-right direction near the base end 41, the wall 40 is less likely to block the leg openings LH when the wearer places their legs through the leg openings LH during wearing of the wearing article 1.

[0097] The wall portion 40 is joined to the main body portion 10 at the base end 41 by being directly sewn thereto. In other words, the wall portion 40 and the main body portion 10 are joined together without any other sheet member interposed between the sheet member (fabric) constituting the wall portion 40 and the sheet member (fabric) constituting the main body portion 10. This configuration makes it easier to transmit a force that widens the waist region BR (waist opening BH) of the main body portion 10 in the left-right direction to the wall portion 40 via the base end 41 when putting on the wearing article 1. Therefore, in conjunction with the widening of the waist opening BH, the free ends 42 (upper ends 41ft, 41bt) are more likely to open outward in the left-right direction, and the wall portion 40 is more likely to stand up. This makes it easier to attach the absorbent pad 100 between the pair of walls 40.

[0098] In the wearing article 1, the sheet material (fabric) constituting the wall portions 40 and the sheet material (fabric) constituting the main body portion 10 are the same type of sheet material (fabric). That is, in the present embodiment, the wall portions 40 and the main body portion 10 are formed from the same knitted fabric. This configuration allows the wall portions 40 and the main body portion 10 to easily stretch at the same rate, thereby preventing either the wall portions 40 or the main body portion 10 from excessively stretching or contracting when the wearing article 1 is being worn. This makes it easier for the pair of wall portions 40, 40 to stand up correctly in the crotch region CR, making it easier to attach the absorbent pad 100 and stably hold the attached absorbent pad 100.

[0099] The bending resistance of the wall portion 40 is preferably 8.5 mNM or less. The bending resistance of the wall portion 40 is an index indicating the "flexibility" of the wall portion 40 of the wearing article 1 against bending, and can be expressed, for example, by the repulsive force (hereinafter also referred to as "torque value") when a predetermined region of the wall portion 40 is twisted. The torque value can be measured as follows. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a method for measuring the torque value of the wall portion 40. FIG. 10 is a table showing conditions for measuring the torque value. Note that, taking into consideration the direction of the force acting on the wall portion 40 during the wearing action of the wearing article 1 (the direction in which the wall portion 40 stands up or falls down), the torque value is measured for rotation about the axis of rotation corresponding to the front-to-rear direction in FIG. 3.

[0100] When measuring the torque value in the front-to-rear direction, first, a measurement position for performing a torque test is defined for the wall portion 40 in its natural state. In FIG. 9A , a reference line is drawn 20 mm above the lower end 41 d of the wall portion 40 in its natural state. Then, a line of a predetermined length is drawn vertically from the reference line at a position that does not overlap with the wall portion high-rigidity portion 43 in the front-to-rear direction (a position approximately 15 mm rearward from the center in FIG. 9A ), thereby defining the one-side chuck position Ck1. Furthermore, a line of a predetermined length is drawn vertically from the reference line at a position 30 mm rearward from the one-side chuck position Ck1 in the front-to-rear direction, thereby defining the other-side chuck position Ck2. That is, the one-side chuck position Ck1 and the other-side chuck position Ck2, spaced 30 mm apart in the front-to-rear direction, are defined as measurement positions on the wall portion 40 so as not to overlap with the high-rigidity portion 43.

[0101] Next, the chuck positions Ck1 and Ck2 are clamped by the chucks of a torque testing device (e.g., an IMADA torque testing device, model number EX-0762). In Fig. 9B, the upper chuck 81 of the torque testing device lightly clamps the chuck position Ck1 on one side of the wall portion 40, and the lower chuck 82 lightly clamps the chuck position Ck2 on the other side of the wall portion 40. The lower chuck 82 is then tightened, and then the upper chuck 81 is tightened to fix the wall portion 40 so that the distance between the chucks is 30 mm. Note that when tightening the chucks 81 and 82, a torque driver is used to tighten the chucks to a predetermined setting (see Fig. 10) until they spin freely.

[0102] Next, the tensile load of the torque test device is reset to zero, and the wall portion 40 is pulled until a load of 1 N is applied to apply tension. Then, assuming that no wrinkles have occurred between the chuck positions Ck1 and Ck2, the detection-side torque value is set to zero. From this state, torque measurement begins. The torque value is measured under the conditions shown in FIG. 10, and the average of the maximum values ​​(maximum torque values) obtained from n measurements is taken as the torque value.

[0103] Such torque tests were conducted under the same conditions for four types of samples: the sheet material (same fabric as the sheet material constituting the main body 10) constituting the wall portion 40 according to the present embodiment, and sheet materials (Conventional Examples 1 to 3) constituting the main body of commercially available sanitary shorts that also use absorbent pads as comparative examples. Figure 11 shows data showing the measurement results of the torque values.

[0104] 11 , the average value of the bending resistance (torque value) in the front-to-rear direction of the wall portion 40 of the wearing article 1 is 1.8 mNM or less, while the average values ​​of the bending resistance (torque value) in the front-to-rear direction of Conventional Examples 1 to 3 are 10.3 mNM or more. Furthermore, these wearing articles are mass-produced industrial products. Therefore, if the bending resistance values ​​follow a normal distribution, taking into account the range (mean value + 3σ, mean value - 3σ) that includes 99.7% of actual products, the bending resistance (torque value) in the front-to-rear direction of the wearing article 1 is 2.045 mNM or less, while the bending resistance (torque value) in the front-to-rear direction of Conventional Examples 1 to 3 is 8.534 mNM or more. These results confirm that the bending resistance of the wall portion 40 of the wearing article 1 is lower than that of the sheet members constituting commercially available sanitary shorts (Conventional Examples 1 to 3), and that the wall portion 40 (main body portion 10) is constructed to be flexible.

[0105] Therefore, if the bending resistance of the wall portion 40 is 8.5 mNM or less, when the waist region BR (waist opening BH) of the main body portion 10 is expanded in the left-right direction during the action of putting on the wearing article 1, the upper end portion of the wall portion 40 (the upper end 41 ft of the base end 41) tends to open outward as shown in Fig. 8B , facilitating attachment of the absorbent pad 100. Furthermore, because the wall portion 40 itself is configured to be flexible, it is possible to prevent the wall portion 40 from interfering with the wearer's body (groin or legs) in the crotch region, causing discomfort.

[0106] Furthermore, in the natural state of the wearing article 1, it is preferable that the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the base end 41 is located inside or at the same position as the lower end 41d of the base end 41 in the left-right direction. If the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the base end 41 were located outside the lower end 41d in the left-right direction in the natural state, the upper ends (free ends 42) of the pair of walls 40, 40 would always be open outward in the left-right direction. In this case, there is a risk that the absorbent pad 100 may be misaligned between the pair of walls 40, 40, or that the absorbent pad 100 may not be retained properly. On the other hand, if the position of the upper end 41ft (41bt) of the base end 41 in the left-right direction is the same as or more inward than the position of the lower end 41d in the left-right direction, the walls 40, 40 will spread outward when the waist region BR (waist opening BH) is expanded during the wearing action of the wearing article 1, but when the waist opening BH is not expanded, the walls 40, 40 will not spread excessively outward in the left-right direction. This makes it easier to attach the absorbent pad 100 and prevents deterioration of retention.

[0107] Furthermore, the length of the periphery of the wall portion 40 along the base end 41 is longer than the length along the free end 42 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B ). With this configuration, when a force that pulls the main body 10 and the wall portion 40 in the front-to-rear direction is applied during the wearing action of the wearing article 1 (see FIG. 7C , etc.), tension is more likely to be applied to the free end 42 (the upper end of the wall portion 40), which has a shorter length along the periphery, and the wall portion 40 is more likely to stand up. This makes it easier for the absorbent pad 100 to be firmly held between the standing walls 40, 40, and makes it less likely for the absorbent pad 100 to shift position when the wearing article 1 is pulled up.

[0108] In this case, it is preferable that the line connecting the front upper end 41ft to the rear upper end 41bt of the base end 41 along the upper end (free end 42) of the member constituting the wall portion 40 is straight. In FIG. 3A , the line constituting the upper end of the periphery of the wall portion 40 (the line along the free end 42) is straight and has the shortest length in the front-to-back direction. With this configuration, when the wall portion 40 is pulled in the front-to-back direction, tension is more likely to be applied to the free end 42, which has a shorter length in the front-to-back direction, making the wall portion 40 more likely to stand up. This makes it easier to firmly hold the absorbent pad 100 between the standing walls 40, 40, and reduces the likelihood of the absorbent pad 100 shifting position when the wearing article 1 is pulled up. Furthermore, if the line constituting the upper end of the wall portion 40 (the line along the free end 42) is straight, the height (the distance from the lower end 41d to the free end 42) of the wall portion 40 when it stands up is increased, making it easier to hold the absorbent pad 100.

[0109] However, as shown in Fig. 3B, a line connecting the front upper end 41ft and the rear upper end 41bt of the base end 41 along the upper end of the member constituting the wall portion 40 may be an arc-shaped curve. In the case of Fig. 3B, the maximum height of the wall portion 40 when erected is lower than that of Fig. 3A, so that the wall portion 40 is less likely to interfere with the wearer's body (legs and groin) in the crotch area.

[0110] In this embodiment, the peripheral edge (base end 41 and free end 42) of the wall portion 40 is oversewn. As described above, oversewn stitches along the base end 41 and the free end 42 prevent fraying of the threads along the peripheral edge of the wall portion 40 and reduce the stretchability along the peripheral edge of the wall portion 40. In particular, the reduced stretchability at the free end 42 makes it easier for tension to be applied to the free end 42 when the wall portion 40 is pulled in the front-to-rear direction during the wearing action of the wearing article 1, making it easier for the wall portion 40 to stand upright. This makes it easier for the absorbent pad 100 to be firmly held between the wall portions 40, 40.

[0111] The wall 40 is provided with a high-rigidity wall portion 43 extending in the vertical direction between the base end 41 and the free end 42. The provision of the high-rigidity wall portion 43 increases the rigidity of the wall 40, thereby preventing the upright wall 40 from bending or collapsing when the wearing article 1 is worn. The provision of the high-rigidity wall portion 43 also reduces the likelihood of wrinkles forming in the wall 40, thereby preventing deterioration of the absorbent pad 100's retention. As described above, in the wearing article 1 of this embodiment, the sheet material constituting the wall 40 has a low bending resistance, making the wall 40 itself easily deformable (see FIG. 11 ). Therefore, the provision of the high-rigidity wall portion 43 makes it easier for the wall 40 to maintain its upright state. This facilitates a firm retention of the absorbent pad 100 between the walls 40.

[0112] The high-rigidity wall portions 43 are arranged so as to intersect with the base end 41 and free end 42, which have been overlocked. That is, the base end 41 and free end 42, which have been overlocked to increase their rigidity, are connected to the high-rigidity wall portions 43. As a result, a skeletal structure is formed in the wall 40 by the base end 41 and free end 42 along the periphery of the wall 40 and the high-rigidity wall portions 43 extending in the vertical direction, making it easier for the wall 40 to maintain a flat shape. This makes it easier for the wall 40 to stand upright stably, improving the retention of the absorbent pad 100.

[0113] Furthermore, when the wearing article 1 is in its natural state, at least a portion of the wall 40 is visible outside the periphery of the leg openings LH when viewed from the front in the front-to-rear direction, whereas the wall 40 is not visible outside the periphery of the leg openings LH when viewed from the rear in the front-to-rear direction. In FIG. 2A , a portion of the wall 40 in its unraveled state protrudes outside the periphery of the leg openings LH (the leg overlock stitching 13) and is therefore visible. On the other hand, in FIG. 2B , the wall 40 does not protrude outside the periphery of the leg openings LH (the leg overlock stitching 13), and is therefore not visible. This clearly distinguishes the appearance of the front and back of the wearing article 1, making it easier to distinguish between the front and back, and reducing the likelihood of problems such as putting the wearing article 1 on incorrectly. Furthermore, because the wall 40 in the crotch area is visible from the outside, the wearer can easily identify the position into which the absorbent pad 100 should be inserted when picking up the wearing article 1 before putting it on.

[0114] The main body 10 of the wearing article 1 also has stretch-suppressing parts 20 (central stretch-suppressing parts 21, 22 and side stretch-suppressing parts 23, 24) each having a predetermined length in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the wearing article 1 is pulled up during wearing (see FIG. 7C ), the main body 10 is prevented from stretching excessively in the vertical direction. This helps to prevent problems such as displacement of the absorbent pad 100 or falling off due to stretching of the main body 10 alone.

[0115] At least the central stretch-suppressing portions 21, 22 of the stretch-suppressing portions 20 overlap the crotch seam 12 at their lower ends in the vertical direction. The vertical stretch-suppressing portions 20 and the left-right crotch seam 12 are connected to form a skeletal structure in the main body 10, making it difficult for wrinkles to form in the crotch area (crotch region CR). This makes it easier to ensure a space between the pair of walls 40, 40 in the crotch area, making it easier to insert the absorbent pad 100 and hold it stably when wearing the wearing article 1.

[0116] <Regarding the container for the wearing article 1> The wearing articles 1 manufactured at a manufacturing factory or the like are folded compactly and shipped in a state in which one or more of the wearing articles 1 are housed in a predetermined container 70, and are then distributed to the market. The following describes a container 90 for the wearing articles in which a plurality of the wearing articles 1 are housed in a container 70.

[0117] 12 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a wearing article container 90 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "container 90"). The container 90 has a bag-shaped container member 70 and one or more wearing articles 1 contained within the container member 70. Note that the container 90 does not contain an absorbent pad 100, and when a user intends to use both the wearing article 1 and the absorbent pad 100, the user must prepare the absorbent pad 100 by purchasing it separately.

[0118] 12, the housing 90 has a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction that intersect with one another. One side in the first direction is the upper side, and the other side is the lower side. Similarly, one side in the second direction is the right side, and the other side is the left side. One side in the third direction is the front side, and the other side is the rear side.

[0119] The storage member 70 is a container having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in FIG. 12 , and is formed by folding a base sheet 71, which is a sheet member constituting the storage member 70, and joining predetermined portions. The base sheet 71 is a resin sheet member, and liquid-impermeable resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polycarbonate, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be used. When storing the wearing articles 1 in the storage member 70, first, the base sheet 71 is folded to form a bag-like shape having an opening at an upper end in a first direction (not shown), and a predetermined number of wearing articles 1 are stored through the upper end opening. After storing the wearing articles 1, the base sheet 71 is folded at the upper end (e.g., gusset-folded) as shown in FIG. 12 , and the opposing surfaces are joined to close the opening. This results in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped storage body 90 as shown in FIG. 12 . However, the shape of the storage member 70, the method of folding the base sheet 71, and the method of enclosing the wearing articles 1 are not limited to these.

[0120] The front surface of the storage member 70 in the third direction corresponds to the front of the storage body 90 and is the surface that a user sees at a retail store or the like. Information consisting of multiple characters and pictures is displayed (printed) on the front of the storage member 70. In the example of FIG. 12 , a product name display section 72, a product image display section 73, an explanation display section 74, and a note display section 75 are provided. The product name display section 72 displays information indicating the product name of the worn article 1, and a user can select and purchase the worn article 1 from a wide variety of absorbent articles using the product name display section 72 as a guide. The product image display section 73 displays information representing images related to the worn article 1 and the user. By visually checking the product image display section 73, a user can easily understand at a glance the overview of the product and the type of person the product is intended to wear.

[0121] The explanation display section 74 is a section where information describing the product description of the wearing article 1 is displayed, and includes at least an indication that suggests that the wearing article 1 can be used in combination with an absorbent pad 100. In Fig. 12, information is displayed that indicates that the wearing article 1 can be used in combination with an absorbent pad, and that explains the absorbent pad (absorbent pad 100) to be used in combination. The note display section 75 is a section where notes other than the information displayed in the explanation display section 74 are displayed, and indicates information that is beneficial to the user. In Fig. 12, information is displayed indicating that the wearing article 1 can be used repeatedly, allowing the user to recognize that the wearing article 1 is reusable.

[0122] These information display sections 72 to 75 may not be printed on the base sheet 71 constituting the storage member 70, but may be formed by, for example, attaching a sticker showing predetermined information to the surface of the base sheet 71. Furthermore, when the base sheet 71 is a transparent sheet member, the information display sections 72 to 75 may be formed by, for example, enclosing a card or the like showing predetermined information inside so that the card can be seen from the outside.

[0123] By distributing such a container 90 on the market, users who see the container 90 can easily recognize the functions and usage of the worn article 1, and can use the worn article 1 correctly.

[0124] ===Other=== The above embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

[0125] In the above-described embodiment, the wall portion 40 is configured as a sheet member separate from the main body portion 10, but the wall portion 40 may be formed by processing a portion of the main body portion 10. For example, in the crotch portion (crotch region CR) of the main body portion 10, the wall portion 40 may be configured integrally with the main body portion 10 by pinching and pulling a portion of the fabric toward the skin, folding it, and sewing and fixing the portion corresponding to the base end 41.

[0126] In the above-described embodiment, when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1, a pair of walls 40, 40 are used to hold the absorbent pad 100 from both sides. However, other means for fastening the absorbent pad 100 to the wearing article 1 may be provided in addition to the walls 40. For example, an engaging region (not shown) that detachably engages with the skin-side surface of the wearing article 1 (main body 10) may be provided at an end (both ends or one end) of the absorbent pad 100 in the longitudinal direction. An example of the engaging region is a known hook-and-loop fastener that is provided with a plurality of engaging protrusions (male material, hooks) or engaging protrusions (female material, loops). Furthermore, a non-engaging region that can easily engage with the engaging region of the absorbent pad 100 may be provided on the skin-side surface of the main body 10. The provision of such an engaging region (non-engaging region) further enhances the holding ability of the absorbent pad 100, making it easier to pull up the wearing article 1 with the absorbent pad 100 attached.

[0127] 1 Wearing article (pants-type wearing article), 10 Main body portion, 11 Waist fold portion, 12 Crotch seam portion, 13 Leg seam, 20 Stretch suppressing portion (stretch suppressing means), 21 Front center stretch suppressing portion, 22 Rear center stretch suppressing portion, 23 Front side stretch suppressing portion, 24 Rear side stretch suppressing portion, 40 Wall portion, 41 Base end, 41ft Front upper end, 41bt Rear upper end, 41d Lower end, 42 Free end, 43 Wall high rigidity portion, 70 Storage member, 71 Base sheet, 72 Product name display portion, 73 Product image display portion, 74 Explanation display portion, 75 Note display portion, 90 Wearing article storage body, 100 Absorbent pad, 110 Absorbent body, 111 Top sheet, 112 Back sheet, 115 Side sheet, 116: absorbent pad elastic member, BH: waist opening, LH: leg opening, LHt: upper end, LHb: lower end, BR: waist region, CR: crotch region, VL: imaginary line,

Claims

1. A wearing article having mutually intersecting vertical and horizontal directions, comprising a waist opening and a pair of leg openings, which can be used in combination with an absorbent pad, characterized in that the wearing article further comprises a pair of walls for regulating the position of the absorbent pad, and in a natural state, the base ends of the walls are provided above the midpoint between the upper and lower ends of the leg openings in the vertical direction.

2. A wearing article having mutually intersecting vertical and horizontal directions, comprising a waist opening and a pair of leg openings, which can be used in conjunction with an absorbent pad, the wearing article comprising a pair of walls for regulating the position of said absorbent pad, wherein, in a natural state, when an imaginary line is drawn from the upper end of said leg openings toward the inside in the horizontal direction and toward the lower side in the vertical direction, making a 45 degree angle with respect to said horizontal direction, the upper end of the base end of the walls is located on the waist opening side of said imaginary line.

3. A wearing article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the maximum length in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent pad when stretched is 400 mm or more.

4. A wearing article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in a natural state, an upper end of the base end is located lower than an upper end of the leg openings in the vertical direction.

5. A wearing article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the maximum height of said wall portion is smaller than the distance between the pair of base ends in the left-right direction.

6. A wearing article as set forth in claim 5, characterized in that the maximum height of the wall portion is greater than the shortest distance in the left-right direction between the lower ends of the leg openings and the lower ends of the base ends.

7. A wearing article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in a natural state, the position of the rear upper end of the base end in the vertical direction is higher than or at the same height as the position of the front upper end of the base end in the vertical direction.

8. A wearing article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the inner surface of the wall portion in the left-right direction and the skin-facing surface of the main body of the wearing article face each other at the base end.

9. The wearing article according to claim 8, wherein the wall portion is directly sewn to the main body portion.

10. The wearing article according to claim 8, wherein the sheet material constituting the wall portion and the sheet material constituting the main body portion are the same type of sheet material.

11. The wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the bending resistance of the wall portion is 8.5 mNm or less.

12. A wearing article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in a natural state, the position of the upper end of the base end in the left-right direction is inside or at the same position as the position of the lower end of the base end in the left-right direction.

13. A wearing article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the length of said wall portion along said base end is longer than the length of said wall portion along its free end.

14. A wearing article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a line extending along the free edge of said wall portion from the front upper end to the rear upper end of said base end is a straight line.

15. The article of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a serged stitch is provided along the periphery of the free end of said wall portion.

16. The wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a high-rigidity portion along the vertical direction between the base end and the free end of the wall portion.

17. A wearing article as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the wall portion is stitched along its periphery, and the high stiffness portion intersects with the base end and the free end which are stitched.

18. A wearing article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in a natural state, when viewed from the front, at least a part of the wall portion is visible outside the periphery of the leg openings, and when viewed from the rear, the wall portion is not visible outside the periphery of the leg openings.

19. The wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising stretch suppressing means having a predetermined length in the vertical direction.

Images