Method for manufacturing absorbent article

Abstract

Provided is a method for manufacturing an absorbent article (1) having an absorbent core (132) and a non-skin-side sheet (133), the method comprising a slit formation step (S105) for forming slits (18) in the non-skin-side sheet (133) using a cutter roll (551) and an anvil roll (552). The cutter roll (551) has blades (551c) that protrude radially outward from a peripheral surface (551f). The anvil roll (552) has grooves (552d) depressed radially inward from a peripheral surface (552f). Portions (cp) of the blades (551c) press the non-skin-side sheet (133) toward the peripheral surface (552f) so that the slits (18) are formed, and the other portions (np) of the blades (551c) press the non-skin-side sheet (133) toward the grooves (552d) so that slits (18) are not formed.

Description

Absorbent article manufacturing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an absorbent article.

[0002] Conventionally, absorbent articles such as interlabial pads that are worn in close contact with the labia have been known. In such interlabial pads (absorbent articles), multiple slits are provided in a highly rigid member such as an absorbent body, allowing the pad to easily deform three-dimensionally to conform to the contours of the wearer's body, thereby improving the fit when worn. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an interlabial pad with multiple slits provided along the longitudinal and lateral directions of the product.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-97693

[0004] In the manufacturing process of interlabial pads (absorbent articles), when slits are formed in an absorbent body, a common method is to press the absorbent body while sandwiching it in the thickness direction between a cutter roll having multiple blades and an anvil roll. However, with this method, the absorbent core, etc., after the slits are formed tends to adhere (become pressed) to the blades of the cutter roll, making it difficult to separate from the blades, which is known as "blade residue," and this can reduce manufacturing efficiency.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to prevent the occurrence of blade residue on the cutter roll when forming slits in an absorbent article using a cutter roll and anvil roll.

[0006] The main invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is a method for manufacturing an absorbent article having an absorbent core and a non-skin side sheet located on the non-skin side of the absorbent core in the thickness direction, comprising: a conveying step of conveying the non-skin side sheet in a conveying direction; a laminating step of laminating the absorbent core on the conveyed non-skin side sheet; and a slit forming step of, after the laminating step, forming a slit in at least the non-skin side sheet using a cutter roll and an anvil roll arranged opposite the cutter roll, wherein the cutter roll has a blade protruding radially outward from its circumferential surface, and the anvil roll has a groove recessed radially inward from its circumferential surface, and a part of the blade presses the absorbent core and the non-skin side sheet toward the circumferential surface of the anvil roll so as to form the slit, and another part of the blade presses the absorbent core and the non-skin side sheet toward the groove so as not to form the slit.

[0007] Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0008] According to the present invention, when a slit is formed in an absorbent article using a cutter roll and an anvil roll, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of blade residue on the cutter roll.

[0009] 1 is a plan view of the pad 1 in an unfolded state. It is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1. It is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the pad 1. It is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the pad 1. It is a plan view illustrating the configuration of the absorbent layer 13. It is a diagram illustrating the fiber length distribution of hardwood water-absorbent fibers (hardwood pulp) and softwood water-absorbent fibers (softwood pulp). It is a flow diagram illustrating the manufacturing process of the pad 1. It is a schematic diagram illustrating a manufacturing apparatus 500 for manufacturing absorbent articles such as the pad 1. FIGS. 9A to 9C are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a cutter roll 551 used to form the first slit 18a. FIGS. 10A to 10B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of an anvil roll 552 used to form the first slit 18a. It is a diagram illustrating the operation of forming the first slit 18a using the cutter roll 551 and the anvil roll 552. FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrams illustrating a case where a slit is formed using a cutter roll and anvil roll, and the anvil roll does not have a groove on its peripheral surface. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a case where a groove is provided on the peripheral surface of the anvil roll when a slit is formed using a cutter roll and an anvil roll. They are diagrams illustrating a modified example of FIG. 13. FIGS. 15A to 15C are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a cutter roll 561 used when forming the second slit 18b. They are diagrams illustrating a modified example of a first slit forming mechanism 550.

[0010] The present specification and the accompanying drawings make clear at least the following: (Aspect 1) A method for producing an absorbent article having an absorbent core and a non-skin-side sheet provided on the non-skin-side side of the absorbent core in the thickness direction, the method comprising: a conveying step of conveying the non-skin-side sheet in a conveying direction; a laminating step of laminating the absorbent core on the conveyed non-skin-side sheet; and a slit forming step of forming a slit in at least the non-skin-side sheet using a cutter roll and an anvil roll disposed opposite the cutter roll, after the laminating step, wherein the cutter roll has blades protruding radially outward from its circumferential surface, and the anvil roll has grooves recessed radially inward from its circumferential surface, wherein a portion of the blade presses the absorbent core and the non-skin-side sheet against the circumferential surface of the anvil roll so as to form the slit, and another portion of the blade presses the absorbent core and the non-skin-side sheet against the groove so as not to form the slit.

[0011] According to the absorbent article manufacturing method of Aspect 1, a slit is not formed in the area where the blade (other part) of the cutter roll presses the substrate, such as the non-skin side sheet, against the groove of the anvil roll, making it difficult for the substrate to adhere to the blade. Therefore, even if the substrate adheres to one part of the blade when forming the slit, the other part serves as a base point for releasing the substrate, making it easier for the entire blade to come off the substrate. This makes it difficult for blade residue to occur.

[0012] (Aspect 2) The absorbent article manufacturing method according to Aspect 1, wherein in the slit forming step, the blade presses the absorbent core and the non-skin side sheet toward the peripheral surface of the anvil roll from the side where the non-skin side sheet is provided in the thickness direction.

[0013] According to the absorbent article manufacturing method of Aspect 2, the blade of the cutter roll presses (makes the incision) from the non-skin side sheet side, which has high rigidity and a stable shape, making it easy to cut the fibers and to remove the blade from the substrate (non-skin side sheet) after making the incision. Therefore, compared to pressing from the skin side, which has low rigidity, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of blade residue.

[0014] (Aspect 3) The absorbent article manufacturing method according to Aspect 1 or 2, wherein the absorbent article has at least an absorbent layer including the absorbent core and the non-skin-side sheet, and a layer disposed closer to the skin than the absorbent layer, and the absorbent layer has a shorter average fiber length and a smaller average fiber diameter than the layer disposed closer to the skin than the absorbent layer.

[0015] According to the absorbent article manufacturing method of Aspect 3, the absorbent layer, which has a short fiber length and a small diameter, tends to have densely packed fibers and is therefore more rigid than the layer provided on the skin side. Furthermore, by pressing the substrate (forming the incision) with the blade from the absorbent layer side (the non-skin side of the substrate) which has higher rigidity, the shape of the substrate is more easily maintained and the slit can be formed neatly compared to the reverse case.

[0016] (Aspect 4) The absorbent article manufacturing method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein, in the width direction of the blade, one end of the blade is located at the same position as one end of the groove or on one side of the one end of the groove, and the other end of the blade is located at the same position as the other end of the groove or on the other side of the other end of the groove.

[0017] According to the absorbent article manufacturing method of Aspect 4, the widthwise end of the blade presses the substrate toward the peripheral surface of the anvil roll, thereby forming short slits at the widthwise end. That is, by using a blade that is long in the widthwise direction, it is possible to accurately form short slits while suppressing blade wear and maintenance costs. Furthermore, since no slits are formed in the widthwise center of the blade and the substrate is less likely to adhere to the blade, blade residue is less likely to occur, making it easier to form short slits neatly.

[0018] (Aspect 5) The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein a boundary between the peripheral surface of the anvil roll and the groove is chamfered.

[0019] According to the absorbent article manufacturing method of Aspect 5, the force applied when the blade presses the cutter roll changes gradually at the boundary between the portion of the blade of the cutter roll that overlaps with the peripheral surface of the anvil roll (the portion where the slit is formed) and the portion that overlaps with the groove (the portion where the slit is not formed). Therefore, compared to when there is no chamfered portion, the substrate is less likely to adhere to the blade at the end of the slit, making it easier to suppress blade residue.

[0020] (Aspect 6) The absorbent article manufacturing method of any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein the slit forming step includes a first slit forming step of forming a first slit along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and a second slit forming step of forming a second slit along the conveying direction, and wherein in the first slit forming step, a part of the blade presses the absorbent core and the non-skin side sheet toward the circumferential surface of the anvil roll so as to form the first slit, and another part of the blade presses the absorbent core and the non-skin side sheet toward the groove so as not to form the first slit.

[0021] According to the absorbent article manufacturing method of Aspect 6, the blade that forms the first slit is arranged along a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (CD), so that the portion that contacts the circumferential surface of the anvil roll at a certain moment during slit formation is long. In contrast, by providing a portion (another portion) in the CD where the blade presses against the groove of the anvil roll, the length of the portion where the blade contacts the circumferential surface of the anvil roll is shortened, making it less likely for blade residue to occur. Furthermore, by making blade residue less likely to occur, it is possible to make it less likely for the shape of the substrate (such as the absorbent layer) to be distorted.

[0022] (Aspect 7) The absorbent article manufacturing method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein in the first slit forming step, the blade forms the first slit inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction.

[0023] According to the absorbent article manufacturing method of Aspect 7, the blades are arranged at an angle relative to the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (CD), which prevents the entire blade in the width direction from contacting the circumferential surface of the anvil roll at the same time, thereby shortening the length of the portion of the blade that presses against the circumferential surface of the anvil roll and making it more difficult for blade residue to occur.

[0024] (Aspect 8) The absorbent article manufacturing method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein the absorbent article has a front-to-rear direction and a width direction that intersect with each other, the front-to-rear direction being a direction along the conveying direction, and in the first slit forming step, the blade forms the first slit such that the inclination of the first slit with respect to the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction is opposite on one side and the other side of a center position in the front-to-rear direction of the absorbent article.

[0025] According to the absorbent article manufacturing method of aspect 8, the inclination direction of the first slit is opposite before and after the central position of the absorbent article, and therefore the direction of bending deformation of the absorbent layer is also opposite before and after the central position, making it easier to fit the absorbent article to the unevenness of the wearer's crotch area.

[0026] (Aspect 9) The absorbent article manufacturing method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 8, wherein the cutter roll used in the first slit forming step has a plurality of the blades arranged intermittently along the conveying direction, and the anvil roll used in the first slit forming step has the grooves continuous along the conveying direction.

[0027] According to the absorbent article manufacturing method of Aspect 9, since the grooves of the anvil roll are continuously formed along the conveying direction (MD), when the blade of the cutter roll is pressed against the grooves, it is not necessary to align the phases of the blade and the grooves, and therefore the first slits can be formed with high precision.

[0028] (Aspect 10) The absorbent article manufacturing method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 9, wherein the absorbent article has a front-rear direction and a width direction that intersect with each other, and the anvil roll has the grooves at both ends of the absorbent article in the width direction.

[0029] According to the absorbent article manufacturing method of Aspect 10, the substrate is less likely to adhere to the blade in the grooved portion, making it less likely for blade residue to occur. This makes it easier to prevent blade residue from occurring on both sides of the absorbent layer in the width direction (CD direction). Therefore, the blade is more likely to separate from the substrate (absorbent layer) on both sides of the absorbent layer in the width direction, making it possible to prevent the absorbent layer from losing its shape on both sides.

[0030] (Aspect 11) The absorbent article manufacturing method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10, wherein the absorbent article has no crossing portions at both ends in the width direction, where the first slit formed in the first slit forming step and the second slit formed in the second slit forming step intersect.

[0031] According to the absorbent article manufacturing method of Aspect 11, the first slit and the second slit do not intersect at both widthwise ends that come into contact with the labia when the absorbent article is worn, which prevents the non-skin-side sheet from rolling up toward the skin at the intersecting portions, thereby preventing the rolled-up non-skin-side sheet from irritating the wearer's labia and causing discomfort or strangeness to the wearer.

[0032] (Aspect 12) The absorbent article manufacturing method according to any one of Aspects 1 to 11, wherein in the second slit forming step, the slit is formed along the conveying direction so as to overlap with a portion where the slit was not formed by the other part of the blade in the first slit forming step.

[0033] According to the absorbent article manufacturing method of aspect 12, by forming a second slit along the MD direction so that it overlaps with the part in the CD direction where the first slit is not formed, slits that do not intersect with each other can be formed accurately and at low cost.

[0034] ===Embodiments=== Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described using an interlabial pad 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "pad 1") as an example of an absorbent article according to the present invention. An interlabial pad is a sanitary product that is placed between a woman's labia to absorb excrement (body fluids) such as menstrual blood. However, the absorbent article according to the present invention is not limited to interlabial pads, and may be, for example, a urine absorption pad that contacts the urethra to absorb urine, or an absorbent pad that contacts the anus to absorb feces.

[0035] <Basic Structure of Interlabial Pad 1> Fig. 1 is a plan view of the pad 1 in an unfolded state. Fig. 1 is a view of the pad 1 as seen from the skin-facing side. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating the structure of the pad 1. In each diagram (Figs. 1 to 4), the center C-C indicates the center in the width direction, and the center CL indicates the center in the front-to-back direction of the absorbent layer 13 (described below) when the pad 1 is viewed in the thickness direction. Furthermore, Figs. 1 and 2 are views of a state in which a finger-insertion sheet 15 (described below) has been cut at the center C-C and the pad 1 has been placed flat on a flat surface (a "flat-laid" state).

[0036] The pad 1 has a front-to-rear direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction, which are perpendicular to each other. In the front-to-rear direction of the pad 1, the side that faces the wearer's abdomen when worn is referred to as the "front side," and the side that faces the wearer's back is referred to as the "rear side." In addition, in the thickness direction of the pad 1, 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."

[0037] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the pad 1 has a generally elliptical shape in plan view, with its front-to-back length longer than its width, is symmetrical about the widthwise center C-C, and has a narrowed portion at the front-to-back center CL, which is constricted inward in the widthwise direction. Furthermore, the pad 1 has an asymmetrical shape with respect to the front-to-back center in plan view. Specifically, the center CL (the front-to-back center of the absorbent layer 13) is located rearward of the front-to-back center of the pad 1, and the distance from the front end of the pad 1 to the front end of the absorbent layer 13 is longer than the distance from the rear end of the pad 1 to the rear end of the absorbent layer 13. In other words, the absorbent layer 13 is positioned closer to the rear in the front-to-back direction of the pad 1. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the pad 1 includes a surface layer 11, a secondary absorbent layer 12, an absorbent layer 13, a back layer 14, and a finger-insertion sheet 15.

[0038] The pad 1 of this embodiment is stored and distributed as a product folded toward the non-skin side along the fold line F. Figures 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating the pad 1 disassembled into its individual components. As shown in Figure 3A, the pad 1 of this embodiment is folded toward the non-skin side along the fold line F (fold line) in the widthwise center (center C-C). A finger insertion sheet 15 for forming the finger insertion section 20 is fixed to the most non-skin side using an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive HMA. The fold line F is a folding portion provided in the widthwise center along the front-to-rear direction. The fold line F has a predetermined width, and the apex of the fold line F on the skin side (the portion that protrudes most toward the skin) is approximately at the same position as the center C-C in the widthwise direction. Figure 3B shows the finger insertion sheet 15 separated from the back layer 14, and Figure 3C shows the pad 1 from which the finger insertion sheet 15 has been removed, horizontally positioned from the folded state along the fold line F. Then, from the state shown in Figure 3C, as shown in Figure 4, the surface layer 11, auxiliary absorbent layer 12, absorbent layer 13, and back layer 14 are stacked in order from the skin side in the thickness direction, and at least some of these components are bonded together with an adhesive or the like (see Figure 2).

[0039] The surface layer 11 is located closest to the skin and is the component that contacts the wearer's skin (between the labia) when worn, so it is preferable to use a soft sheet that is less irritating to the skin. The surface layer 11 forms the outer shape of the pad 1 and is a liquid-permeable sheet component. Examples of the surface layer 11 include nonwoven fabrics obtained by manufacturing methods such as meltblown, spunbond, pointbond, through-air, needle-punched, dry / wet spunlace, and foam film, either alone or in combination. Fiber sheet components containing rayon, acetate, cotton, pulp, or synthetic resins (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene PE, etc.), either alone or in combination to form a core-sheath structure, can also be used. The pad 1 of this embodiment uses a sheet component made of rayon and polyethylene terephthalate.

[0040] The auxiliary absorbent layer 12 is positioned closer to the skin than the surface layer 11 and closer to the skin than the absorbent layer 13. The auxiliary absorbent layer 12 acts as a cushioning layer between the surface layer 11 and the absorbent layer 13, flexibly adapting to changes in the wearer's movements, labia behavior, and pressure from clothing, thereby changing shape and reducing discomfort to the wearer. The auxiliary absorbent layer 12 is generally elliptical, smaller than the surface layer 11, and located approximately in the center of the pad 1 (more precisely, toward the rear). The auxiliary absorbent layer 12 is narrowed inward in the width direction at a center CL in the front-to-back direction. The auxiliary absorbent layer 12 can be made of, for example, pulp, chemical pulp, rayon, acetate, natural cotton, or synthetic fibers, either alone or in combination. In this embodiment, a mixture of pulp fiber, rayon fiber, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is primarily used.

[0041] The absorbent layer 13 is an absorbent body that is located closer to the skin than the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 and closer to the skin than the back surface layer 14, and absorbs bodily fluids such as excrement. The absorbent layer 13 has a generally elliptical shape and is located in the approximate center (more precisely, toward the rear side) of the pad 1. Details of the absorbent layer 13 will be described later.

[0042] The back surface layer 14 is a sheet member located closer to the skin than the absorbent layer 13. The back surface layer 14 forms the outer shape of the pad 1 and has substantially the same shape and size as the front surface layer 11 in a plan view. The back surface layer 14 can be a sheet member such as a liquid-permeable sheet or a liquid-impermeable sheet, and can be, for example, a synthetic resin sheet film, a breathable film, pulp, paper, a nonwoven fabric, a breathable liquid-blocking sheet, or a sheet member made from a combination of these. In this embodiment, a sheet member made from a mixture of rayon, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and pulp is used.

[0043] The finger insertion sheet 15 is a sheet member for forming the finger insertion section 20. The finger insertion section 20 is a space between the finger insertion sheet 15 and the back layer 14, and is a space into which the wearer inserts their finger when wearing the pad 1. The finger insertion sheet 15 is shorter in the front-to-back direction than the back layer 14 and shorter in the width direction than the back layer 14. The finger insertion sheet 15 is located on the non-skin side of the back layer 14, on the rear side in the front-to-back direction. Both widthwise ends of the finger insertion sheet 15 are joined and fixed to the non-skin side of the back layer 14 by finger insertion sheet joints 16 formed with an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive (see FIG. 2). The front end and the rear end of the finger insertion sheet 15 each have an opening where the finger insertion sheet 15 and the back layer 14 are not fixed with an adhesive. The front opening is larger than the rear opening. The wearer can insert a finger (for example, a middle finger) through the opening on the front side of the finger insertion section 20, support the pad 1, and place the pad 1 against the labia to wear it.

[0044] The finger insertion sheet 15 can be made of the same material as the front layer 11 and the back layer 14. Examples of suitable materials include spunlace nonwoven fabrics, shrink-type nonwoven fabrics, and extensible spunbond nonwoven fabrics made from composite synthetic fibers such as PE / PP, PE / PET, and PP / PP; sheet materials made from fibers of rayon, acetate, cotton, pulp, or synthetic resin (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate (PET)); and sheet materials such as breathable films, paper, and breathable liquid-blocking sheets. Other suitable materials include films made from synthetic rubber or amorphous olefin resin; perforated foam films, nets, woven fabrics, or fabrics made from woven fabrics woven with spun filaments made from synthetic rubber; spunbond nonwoven fabrics or meltblown nonwoven fabrics primarily made from synthetic rubber; and expanded foam sheets. In this embodiment, sheet materials primarily made from pulp and rayon are used.

[0045] In the present embodiment, the pad 1 is folded away from the skin at the fold line F when unused, but this is not limited to this. For example, the pad may be unfolded and have no fold line F when unused, and the wearer may fold the pad away from the skin when wearing it. The pad may also have multiple fold lines F. The fold line F may have a so-called crease, or may not have a crease.

[0046] <About Wearing Pad 1> Pad 1 is worn by folding the widthwise center portion toward the non-skin side along the front-to-rear direction and bringing it into contact with the wearer's skin (excretory opening). Pad 1 of this embodiment is a sanitary product, and can be worn by folding it toward the non-skin side along fold line F so that it is convex toward the skin, and then sandwiching the widthwise center portion of pad 1 between the woman's labia. Pad 1 adheres more closely to the body (excretory opening) than a sanitary napkin, making it less likely for excreta (menstrual blood) to leak and less likely to cause discomfort during excretion.

[0047] To wear the pad 1, the wearer inserts a finger (index finger or middle finger) into the finger insertion section 20 from the front side of the pad 1 folded at the fold F, and then places the pad 1 between the labia from the ventral side, sandwiching it between the labia. After use, the worn pad 1 can be dropped into the toilet bowl (toilet) or can be grasped with the hand and placed in the toilet bowl, and then flushed down the toilet. To facilitate flushing, the components and adhesives constituting the pad 1 are preferably made of biodegradable, water-dispersible, or water-soluble materials. Flushing the pad 1 down the toilet reduces the effort required to dispose of the pad 1 as waste and reduces the amount of waste.

[0048] "Biodegradable" refers to a material that is broken down into gases such as carbon dioxide or methane, water, and biomass under anaerobic or aerobic conditions in the presence of bacteria such as actinomycetes or other microorganisms, following natural processes. The biodegradability (biodegradation rate, biodegradability, etc.) of the material is comparable to that of naturally occurring materials such as fallen leaves, or synthetic polymers generally recognized as biodegradable under the same conditions. "Water-dispersible" refers to a material that is water-degradable, and is not affected by the limited amount of water (menstrual blood) present when worn, but is easily dispersed in a large amount of water or flowing water into small fragments that will not clog ordinary toilet plumbing. "Water-soluble" refers to a material that is not affected by the limited amount of water (menstrual blood) present when worn, but is soluble in a large amount of water or flowing water.

[0049] <Absorbent Layer 13> Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of the absorbent layer 13. The absorbent layer 13 of this embodiment includes, in order from the skin side in the thickness direction, a skin-side sheet 131, an absorbent core 132, and a non-skin-side sheet 133. As shown in Fig. 5, when the pad 1 is divided into three equal parts in the width direction, the central region is referred to as a central region CR, and the regions on both sides are referred to as edge regions SR.

[0050] The absorbent core 132 is a portion with water-absorbing and water-retentive properties that absorb and retain liquids (body fluids) such as menstrual blood, and can be made of, for example, pulp, chemical pulp, rayon, acetate, natural cotton, synthetic fibers, cellulose foam, open-cell foam of synthetic resin, etc., either alone or in combination. Also, a particulate absorbent polymer and a fibrous absorbent polymer may be mixed, or a sheet-like absorbent polymer may be used. Furthermore, in order to maintain the bulk of the absorbent core and increase water-retentive properties, a mixture of chemical pulp, acetate, and synthetic fibers that have been cross-linked and crimped with a cross-linking agent may be used. The pad 1 uses pulp fibers (absorbent fibers) molded into a predetermined shape.

[0051] The skin-side sheet 131 is a member that covers the absorbent core 132 from the skin side, and the non-skin-side sheet 133 is a member that covers the absorbent core 132 from the non-skin side. Examples of materials that can be used for the skin-side sheet 131 and the non-skin-side sheet 133 include pulverized pulp, cellulose such as cotton, regenerated cellulose such as rayon and fibril rayon, semi-synthetic cellulose such as acetate and triacetate, and thermoplastic hydrophobic chemical fibers that have been hydrophilized. In this embodiment, the skin-side sheet 131 of the pad 1 is a sheet made of spunlace pulp and rayon, and the non-skin-side sheet 133 is a sheet made of pulp such as 100% pulp wetlaid tissue.

[0052] Furthermore, the provision of the skin-side sheet 131 makes it easier to spread the excrement that reaches the absorbent layer 13 in the horizontal direction, and the horizontally spread excrement can be absorbed by the absorbent core 132. This makes it easier for the absorbent core 132 to quickly absorb the excrement, which helps to reduce discomfort felt by the wearer's skin.

[0053] The absorbent layer 13 also has multiple slits 18 and multiple compressed portions 19 (not shown in FIG. 5 ). The slits 18 are cuts that penetrate at least the absorbent layer 13 (skin-side sheet 131, absorbent core 132, and non-skin-side sheet 133) in the thickness direction. However, the slits 18 may also penetrate the absorbent layer 13 and auxiliary absorbent layer 12 in the thickness direction. The slits 18 allow the absorbent layer 13 and auxiliary absorbent layer 12 to flexibly deform in response to the wearer's body movements when the pad 1 is worn, improving fit. Furthermore, absorbed excreted liquid can be dispersed in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions along the slits 18, allowing the absorbent core 132 to absorb and retain excreted liquid over a wide area. As will be described in detail later, the slits 18 are formed by cutting the non-skin-side of the absorbent layer 13 in the thickness direction using a cutter or the like. Therefore, in the pad 1 of this embodiment, slits (cuts) are formed in at least the non-skin-side sheet 133.

[0054] The slits 18 include a first slit 18a extending along the width direction and a second slit 18b extending along the front-rear direction. Here, "a slit extending along the width direction" refers to a slit where the smaller of the angles between the slit (or a tangent to the slit) and the width direction is 45 degrees or less. That is, the first slits 18a include slits that are parallel to the width direction and slits that are tilted at a predetermined angle of 45 degrees or less with respect to the width direction. Similarly, "a slit extending along the front-rear direction" refers to a slit where the smaller of the angles between the slit (or a tangent to the slit) and the front-rear direction is less than 45 degrees. That is, the second slits 18b include slits that are parallel to the front-rear direction and slits that are tilted at a predetermined angle of less than 45 degrees with respect to the front-rear direction.

[0055] The compressed portions 19 are portions that compress the absorbent layer 13 (skin-side sheet 131, absorbent core 132, and non-skin-side sheet 133) and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 in the thickness direction, and are formed, for example, by stacking the absorbent layer 13 and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 in the thickness direction and embossing them (see Figure 4). The presence of the compressed portions 19 compresses the multiple fibers that make up the absorbent layer 13 and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 together, making it easier for the absorbent layer 13 and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 to maintain their respective shapes and less likely to come apart. Therefore, when the wearer moves while wearing the pad 1, the absorbent layer 13 is prevented from losing its shape or twisting, which could result in a poor fit or leakage of excrement.

[0056] The absorbent layer 13 and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 are only bonded together by the compressed portion 19, and are not fixed with adhesive or the like. Therefore, when the pad 1 is flushed down the toilet after use, if the compressed portion 19 becomes wet, the bond between the fibers (hydrogen bonds) will be released, and the fibers that make up the absorbent layer 13 and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 will easily fall apart. This improves water-disintegrability (water-dispersibility), making it less likely to cause problems such as clogging the toilet pipes.

[0057] The absorbent core 132 of this embodiment also contains pulp fibers (absorbent fibers) made from broad-leaved trees (hardwood pulp). These hardwood absorbent fibers are characterized by shorter fiber length and smaller fiber diameter than softwood absorbent fibers (softwood pulp) made from softwood.

[0058] Figure 6 shows the fiber length distribution of hardwood water-absorbent fibers (hardwood pulp) and softwood water-absorbent fibers (softwood pulp). The horizontal axis shows fiber length (mm), and the vertical axis shows frequency (%). As shown in Figure 6, the average fiber length of softwood pulp is about 2.5 mm, and the fiber length distribution is wide (including fibers 3 mm or longer; standard deviation is 1.6). In contrast, the average fiber length of hardwood water-absorbent fibers is about 0.79 mm, and the fiber length distribution is narrow (standard deviation is 0.27).

[0059] The average fiber length of pulp fibers refers to the length-weighted average fiber length L(l) measured by the centerline fiber length (Cont). The length-weighted average fiber length is measured as the L(l) value using a Kajaani FiberLab fiber properties (off-line) manufactured by Metso Automation. This is also the method recommended in JIS P 8226-2 (Pulp - Fiber length measurement method by optical automatic analysis, conforming to the non-polarized light method).

[0060] The absorbent core 132 is constructed of short-fiber absorbent fibers (with an average fiber length of approximately 0.8 mm) such as hardwood pulp, thereby providing high water retention. For example, when comparing an absorbent core made of short-fiber hardwood pulp with an absorbent core made of long-fiber softwood pulp at the same weight, the fiber density of hardwood pulp is higher than that of softwood pulp. In other words, the use of hardwood pulp allows for a higher density of the absorbent core 132 compared to when softwood pulp is used. Furthermore, by increasing the density of the absorbent core 132, the capillary effect can be enhanced, improving water retention. The fiber density corresponds to the average number of fibers per unit area and is a value calculated by adding the fiber thickness and the average fiber spacing to the number of fibers per unit area in the case of a close-packed structure.

[0061] <Method of manufacturing interlabial pad 1> Next, a method of manufacturing the interlabial pad 1 will be described. Fig. 7 is a flow chart showing the manufacturing process of the pad 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing apparatus 500 for manufacturing absorbent articles such as the pad 1. Note that Figs. 7 and 8 explain typical steps involved in manufacturing the pad 1, and do not show all of the manufacturing steps.

[0062] The manufacturing apparatus 500 shown in Fig. 8 can intermittently manufacture the pad 1 according to this embodiment and other absorbent articles by sequentially performing the steps (S101 to S110) shown in Fig. 7. The manufacturing apparatus 500 includes a conveying mechanism 510, an absorbent core lamination mechanism 520, a sub-absorbent layer lamination mechanism 530, an inverting mechanism 540, a first slit forming mechanism 550, a second slit forming mechanism 560, a cutting and sealing mechanism 570, a sailor mechanism 580, a finger-insertion sheet attachment mechanism 590, and a loosening mechanism 595.

[0063] The manufacturing process of the pad 1 begins with a conveying step (S101) in which a continuous body of the non-skin side sheet 133 constituting the absorbent layer 13 is conveyed in the conveying direction. Note that in the manufacturing apparatus 500, the conveying direction is the direction along the front-to-rear direction of the pad 1. Hereinafter, the conveying direction will also be referred to as the "MD direction (Machine Direction)," and the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (the direction along the width direction of the pad 1, i.e., the direction into the paper in FIG. 8 ) will also be referred to as the "CD direction (Cross Direction)."

[0064] In the conveying step, a continuous non-skin-side sheet web 133a (substrate sheet) in which the non-skin-side sheets 133 are connected in the MD direction is unwound from a raw roll and then conveyed from the upstream side to the downstream side in the MD direction at a predetermined conveying speed by a conveying mechanism 510 including a conveying roller or the like. Then, while the continuous non-skin-side sheet web 133a is being conveyed, steps S102 to S110 are performed, thereby manufacturing the pad 1.

[0065] Next, an absorbent core laminating process is performed in which an absorbent core laminating mechanism 520 is used to laminate absorbent cores 132 onto the non-skin side sheet continuous web 133a (substrate sheet) being transported in the MD direction (S102). The absorbent core laminating mechanism 520 includes a defibrator 521, a material supply unit 522, and a rotating drum 523. In the absorbent core laminating process, pulverized pulp, which is the raw material for the absorbent cores 132, is first produced. The pulverized pulp is produced by pulverizing a raw material pulp sheet PS1 using the defibrator 521. The defibrator 521 is provided with a rotating body (e.g., a sawmill 521m) having a cylindrical roll with multiple blades attached to its outer circumferential surface. The rotating body (sawmill 521m) rotates in a manner that scrapes the pulp sheet PS1 being unwound from the raw roll, thereby finely pulverizing the pulp sheet PS1 and producing pulverized pulp. The pulp sheet PS1 may be pulverized using a rotor other than the sawmill 521m, or a hammer mill may be used instead of the rotor to pulverize the pulp sheet PS1 by beating it. In addition, in this embodiment, the pulp sheet PS1 that is the raw material for the absorbent core 132 is made of pulp that mainly contains hardwood pulp, as described above, but it may also contain softwood pulp, or may be a pulp-mixed spunlace.

[0066] The ground pulp produced by the defibrator 521 is collected inside the material supply unit 522 and supplied to the rotary drum 523. The material supply unit 522 is arranged to cover the top of the rotary drum 523, and mixes the ground pulp with a thermoplastic resin, and if necessary, further mixes with superabsorbent polymer particles (SAP), and supplies the mixture to the rotary drum 523 by air conveyance.

[0067] The rotating drum 523 is a hollow cylindrical drum equipped with a suction mechanism (not shown) that draws air from the outside to the inside of the outer peripheral surface. Furthermore, multiple recesses 523r are formed at a predetermined pitch on the outer peripheral surface as molds for filling the absorbent core 132 material. When the rotating drum 523 rotates and the recesses 523r enter the material supply section 522, the suction mechanism causes the absorbent core 132 material (ground pulp) supplied from the material supply section 522 to accumulate in the recesses 523r. As the rotating drum 523 rotates, the recesses 523r containing the absorbent core 132 material reach the bottom of the drum, and the absorbent core 132 material is released from the recesses 523r and transferred onto the transported base sheet (non-skin side sheet continuous web 133a) for delivery to the next process. This results in the absorbent core 132 being laminated on the skin side of the non-skin side sheet 133.

[0068] Next, the base sheet on which the absorbent core 132 is laminated is laminated on the continuous body 131a of the skin side sheet 131 as it is transported downstream in the conveying direction (MD direction) from the absorbent core lamination mechanism 520 (see FIG. 8 ), and reaches the auxiliary absorbent layer lamination mechanism 530 in a state in which the absorbent layer 13 is formed. For simplicity of explanation, the skin side sheet 131 is not shown in the steps following FIG. 8 .

[0069] Next, a sub-absorbent layer laminating step is performed in which the sub-absorbent layer laminating mechanism 530 laminates the sub-absorbent layer 12 on the skin side of the absorbent layer 13 in the thickness direction (S103). The sub-absorbent layer laminating mechanism 530 has a defibrator 531. The defibrator 531 has a sawmill 531m, which is a rotating body having a cylindrical roll with multiple blades on the circumferential surface. Similar to the defibrator 521, the defibrator 531 rotates in a manner that scrapes the pulp sheet PS2 unwound from the raw roll, thereby pulverizing the pulp sheet PS2 to produce ground pulp, which is the raw material for the sub-absorbent layer 12. The ground pulp is sprayed directly on the base sheet, and a layer of ground pulp (the sub-absorbent layer 12) is laminated on the skin side of the absorbent layer 13.

[0070] The pulp sheet PS2 used in the auxiliary absorbent layer lamination step contains softwood pulp and may also contain hardwood pulp or rayon. The hardwood pulp content of the pulp sheet PS2 is lower than that of the pulp sheet PS1. This results in the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 having a longer average fiber length and a larger average fiber diameter than the absorbent core 132.

[0071] After the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 is laminated on the absorbent layer 13, an embossing process is carried out to form compressed portions 19. This causes the multiple fibers constituting the absorbent layer 13 and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 to be compressed together, so that the laminated layers do not easily peel off or lose their shape.

[0072] Next, an inversion step is performed in which the base sheet (the absorbent layer 13 and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12) is inverted in the thickness direction by the inversion mechanism 540 (S104). In Fig. 8, the base sheet, which was transported from left to right on the paper, is inverted in the transport direction from right to left, and at the same time, the thickness direction is also inverted. Therefore, after the inversion step, the base sheet is transported in the MD with the absorbent layer 13 stacked vertically above the auxiliary absorbent layer 12.

[0073] Next, a first slit forming step is performed in which a first slit 18a is formed in the absorbent layer 13 using a first slit forming mechanism 550 (S105). The first slit forming mechanism 550 includes a cutter roll 551 and an anvil roll 552. The cutter roll 551 is a cylindrical roll having a plurality of blades on its peripheral surface, and is a rotating body that is driven to rotate about a rotation axis along the CD direction. The anvil roll 552 is disposed opposite the cutter roll 551 in the thickness direction (vertical direction in FIG. 8 ), and is a rotating body that is driven to rotate about a rotation axis along the CD direction. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8 , the cutter roll 551 is provided on the upper side (non-skin side of the pad 1) of the manufacturing apparatus 500 in the vertical direction, and the anvil roll 552 is provided on the lower side (skin side of the pad 1). The cutter roll 551 and the anvil roll 552 sandwich and press the base sheet (the absorbent layer 13 and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12) in the thickness direction, thereby forming the first slit 18a. The specific configurations and functions of the cutter roll 551 and the anvil roll 552 will be described later.

[0074] Next, a second slit forming step is performed in which a second slit 18b is formed in the absorbent layer 13 using a second slit forming mechanism 560 (S106). The second slit forming mechanism 560 has a cutter roll 561 and an anvil roll 562. The cutter roll 561 is a cylindrical roll having multiple blades on its circumferential surface, and is a rotating body that is driven to rotate about a rotation axis along the CD direction. The anvil roll 562 is disposed opposite the cutter roll 561 in the thickness direction (vertical direction in FIG. 8 ), and is a rotating body that is driven to rotate about a rotation axis along the CD direction. The specific configurations and functions of the cutter roll 561 and the anvil roll 562 will be described later. In the second slit forming step, the second slit forming mechanism 560 cuts the base sheet (the absorbent layer 13 and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12) into a substantially elliptical shape as indicated by the dashed lines in FIG. 1 .

[0075] After slits 18 are formed in the absorbent layer 13 (and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12) in the first slit forming step (S105) and the second slit forming step (S106), a continuum 11a of the surface layer 11 is laminated in the thickness direction from the skin side of the auxiliary absorbent layer 12, and a continuum 14a of the back layer 14 is laminated from the non-skin side of the absorbent layer 13.

[0076] Next, a cutting and sealing process is performed in which the continuum 11a of the top layer 11 and the continuum 14a of the back layer 14, with the absorbent layer 13 and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 sandwiched in the thickness direction, are cut into a predetermined shape and joined (sealed) using a cutting and sealing mechanism 570 (S107). In this cutting and sealing process, the continuum 11a of the top layer 11 and the continuum 14a of the back layer 14 are joined in a region outside the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 (absorbent layer 13) by a known welding method such as thermal welding or ultrasonic welding, or by an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive. In other words, the top layer 11 and the back layer 14 are sealed in a region outside the area surrounded by the dashed line representing the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 in the flat state of the pad 1 shown in FIG. 1. The strip-shaped continuum 11a, 14a extending in the MD direction is then cut along the outer edge (contour) of the pad 1 to cut out individual pads 1.

[0077] Next, a sailing step (S108) is performed in which each pad 1 is folded along the front-to-back direction (MD) at the center of the width direction (CD) using a sailing mechanism 580. As shown in Fig. 3B, the sailing mechanism 580 folds the pad 1 along a fold line F along the front-to-back direction (MD) into a triangular shape that is convex toward the skin.

[0078] Next, a finger insert sheet attachment step (S109) is performed in which the insert sheet 15 is attached to the non-skin side of the back layer 14 using a finger insert sheet attachment mechanism 590. The insert sheet attachment mechanism 590 attaches the insert sheet 15 to the non-skin side of the back layer 14 of the pad 1 folded into a triangle, as shown in FIG. 3B.

[0079] Next, a loosening process is performed (S110) in which the pad 1 (absorbent article) is loosened using a loosening mechanism 595. The loosening mechanism 595 has multiple rollers that transport the pad 1 folded in half at the fold line F along its circumferential surface. By bending the pad 1 to one side and the other in the thickness direction along the circumferential surface of the rollers, the pad 1 loosens and uniforms uneven distribution and intertwining of the pulp fibers contained in the pad 1. This allows the absorbent layer 13 to flexibly deform, improving the fit of the pad 1 when worn. Furthermore, since the unevenness of the pulp fibers is corrected, liquid absorption and liquid diffusion properties are improved.

[0080] After the loosening process, the pads 1 are individually packaged downstream in the MD direction, and shipped as interlabial pad packages packed one by one or in multiple units, and distributed to the market.

[0081] <Regarding Formation of Slits 18> Next, a method for forming the first slits 18a and the second slits 18b will be described in detail. First, a method for forming the first slits 18a in the first slit forming step (S105) will be described. FIGS. 9A to 9C are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a cutter roll 551 used when forming the first slits 18a. FIG. 9A is a plan view of the cutter roll 551 as viewed from the MD direction. FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating the arrangement pattern of multiple blades 551c provided on the circumferential surface 551f of the cutter roll 551. FIG. 9C is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows D-D in FIG. 9B. Additionally, FIGS. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of an anvil roll 552 used when forming the first slits 18a. FIG. 10A is a plan view of the anvil roll 552 as viewed from the MD direction. FIG. 10B is an enlarged view of region E in FIG. 10A.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 9A , the cutter roll 551 of the first slit forming mechanism 550 is a cylindrical rotating body that rotates around a rotation axis Ar1 aligned in the CD direction. The cutter roll 551 has multiple blades 551c, 551c... protruding radially outward from the cylindrical peripheral surface 551f. The multiple blades 551c are arranged in the pattern shown in FIG. 9B , and the pattern shown in FIG. 9B is intermittently provided at a predetermined pitch along the circumferential direction on the peripheral surface 551f of the cutter roll 551 as shown in FIG. 9A . Each of the multiple blades 551c is arranged so as to be able to form slits primarily along the CD direction (the width direction of the pad 1). That is, each blade 551c of the cutter roll 551 is primarily parallel to the CD direction or inclined at a predetermined angle of 45 degrees or less relative to the CD direction. These blades 551c can form multiple first slits 18a in the pad 1. However, the cutter roll 551 may also form some slits 18 aligned in the MD direction.

[0083] The anvil roll 552 of the first slit forming mechanism 550 is a cylindrical rotating body that rotates around a rotation axis Ar2 along the CD direction, and is disposed opposite the cutter roll 551 with the pad 1 (base sheet) sandwiched therebetween (see FIG. 8 ). As the anvil roll 552 and the cutter roll 551 rotate, a slit (incision) corresponding to the shape of the blade 551c is formed in the base sheet (in this embodiment, the absorbent layer 13, the auxiliary absorbent layer 12, etc.) sandwiched between them at a portion where a peripheral surface 552f of the anvil roll 552 and a tip of a blade 551c of the cutter roll 551 abut against each other.

[0084] Grooves 552d recessed radially inward are provided in a portion of the circumferential surface 552f of the anvil roll 552. In this embodiment, a pair of grooves 552d are provided on both sides of a center position CDCL in the CD direction of the anvil roll 552. The grooves 552d are provided continuously along the circumferential direction of the anvil roll 552 (the direction corresponding to the MD direction).

[0085] 11 is a diagram illustrating the operation of forming the first slits 18a by the cutter roll 551 and the anvil roll 552. Fig. 11 shows the positional relationship between the blade 551c of the cutter roll 551 and the groove 552d of the anvil roll 552 when the cutter roll 551 and the anvil roll 552 are aligned and opposed to each other at the center position CDCL in the CD direction.

[0086] As shown in Fig. 11 , there are overlapping portions between the blade 551c and the groove 552d on both sides of the central position CDCL in the CD direction. For example, in region F in Fig. 11 , the first portion np of the blade 551c of the cutter roll 551 located in the central portion in the CD direction overlaps with the groove 552d of the anvil roll 552. On the other hand, the second portions cp of the blade 551c located at both ends in the CD direction do not overlap with the groove 552d. In other words, when the tip of the blade 551c of the cutter roll 551 abuts against the circumferential surface 552f of the anvil roll 552, the second portion cp of the blade 551c abuts against the circumferential surface 552f, but the first portion np does not abut against the circumferential surface 552f.

[0087] In this case, the second portions cp of the blade 551c located at both ends in the CD direction press the base sheet (the absorbent layer 13, etc.) toward the peripheral surface 552f of the anvil roll 552, thereby forming the slits 18. On the other hand, the first portions np of the blade 551c located in the center in the CD direction press the base sheet (the absorbent layer 13, etc.) toward the grooves 552d of the anvil roll 552, and therefore do not form the slits 18. As a result, the first slits 18a along the width direction are formed such that the center in the CD direction (width direction) is divided (see the end regions SR in FIG. 5 ).

[0088] 12A and 12B are diagrams illustrating a case where a cutter roll and an anvil roll are used to form slits when no grooves are provided on the peripheral surface of the anvil roll. Figures 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a case where a cutter roll and an anvil roll are used to form slits when grooves are provided on the peripheral surface of the anvil roll.

[0089] When a cutter roll and anvil roll are used to form slits in a substrate, the peripheral surface of the anvil roll is typically a uniform surface and does not have any grooves corresponding to the grooves 552d of the anvil roll 552 in this embodiment. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12A , the entire tip of the cutter roll blade presses against the peripheral surface of the anvil roll, and the substrate is cut at the pressed portion. That is, the entire tip of the cutter roll blade presses the substrate toward the peripheral surface of the anvil roll, forming a slit with a length equal to the width of the blade. As the cutter roll and anvil roll rotate, the tip of the cutter roll blade separates from the peripheral surface of the anvil roll, resulting in a so-called "blade residue," in which the substrate pressed by the blade adheres to the blade and is difficult to separate, as shown in FIG. 12B . Such blade residue can make it difficult for the substrate to be transported stably in the MD direction or can interfere with the cutting operation of the cutter roll, potentially reducing the manufacturing efficiency of the product.

[0090] In contrast, in the present embodiment, grooves 552d are provided on the circumferential surface 552f of the anvil roll 552. Then, as shown in Fig. 13A , the second portions cp of the blades 551c of the cutter roll 551 press the substrate (the absorbent core 132 and the non-skin side sheet 133) toward the circumferential surface 552f of the anvil roll 552 to form slits 18. On the other hand, the first portions np of the blades 551c of the cutter roll 551 press the substrate toward the grooves 552d of the anvil roll 552, so that no slits 18 are formed. When the cutter roll 551 and the anvil roll 552 rotate in this state and the tip of the blade 551c of the cutter roll 551 separates from the circumferential surface 552f of the anvil roll 552, the substrate is not attached to at least the first portions np of the blades 551c, as shown in Fig. 13B .

[0091] This is because no slits 18 are formed in the portion (first portion np) where the blade 551c of the cutter roll 551 and the groove 552d of the anvil roll 552 overlap, making it difficult for the blade 551c to be pressed strongly against the substrate (the absorbent core 132 or the non-skin side sheet 133). Therefore, even if the substrate adheres to a portion (second portion cp) of the blade 551c, the substrate does not adhere to another portion (first portion np) of the blade 551c, making it easier to form a base point for separating the substrate from the blade 551c. This makes it less likely for blade residue to occur.

[0092] In FIG. 13 , the entire groove 552d overlaps with the blade 551c in the CD direction, but only a portion of the groove 552d may overlap with the blade 551c. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a modification of FIG. 13 . In FIG. 14 , the first portion np′ located at the other end of the blade 551c in the CD direction (width direction of the blade 551c) overlaps with the groove 552d, but the second portion cp′ located at one end does not overlap with the groove 552d. In this case, the blade 551c presses the substrate toward the circumferential surface 552f of the anvil roll 552 at the second portion cp′, forming the slit 18. On the other hand, the blade 551c presses the substrate toward the groove 552d of the anvil roll 552 at the first portion np′, so the slit 18 is not formed. Therefore, in the first portion np', the substrate does not adhere to the blade 551c, and a base point for separating the substrate from the blade 551c is formed, making it possible to make it difficult for a cutting residue to occur.

[0093] Furthermore, when forming the slits 18 in this embodiment, the blade 551c of the cutter roll 551 presses the substrate from the non-skin side in the thickness direction toward the circumferential surface 552f of the anvil roll 552. That is, the cutter roll 551 makes the cut from the non-skin side sheet 133, which is located on the non-skin side of the substrate (the absorbent layer 13 and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12). The non-skin side sheet 133 has higher rigidity and a more stable shape than the absorbent core 132 and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12, which are composed of entangled pulp fibers. This makes it easier to cut the fibers when making the cuts, and the blade 551c is easier to remove from the substrate after making the cuts. That is, the blade 551c is less likely to leave any residual marks. Therefore, compared to pressing from the skin side (the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 side), which has lower rigidity, the blade 551c is less likely to leave any residual marks.

[0094] The substrate in which the slit 18 is formed has a laminated structure of the absorbent layer 13 and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12. As described above, the absorbent layer 13 is primarily composed of hardwood pulp fibers, which have a short fiber length and a narrow diameter, and therefore the fibers tend to pack together. On the other hand, the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 is composed of softwood pulp fibers, which have a long fiber length and a wide diameter, and therefore the fibers are less likely to pack together compared to the absorbent layer 13. Therefore, the absorbent layer 13 has higher rigidity than the auxiliary absorbent layer 12. In this embodiment, the blade 551c presses the substrate from the side of the absorbent layer 13 (the non-skin side of the substrate) with higher rigidity. That is, the incision is formed from the side with higher rigidity in the thickness direction of the substrate. Therefore, compared to the reverse case, the shape of the substrate (the absorbent layer 13 and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12) is more easily maintained when pressed by the blade 551c, and the slit 18 can be formed neatly.

[0095] 11 and 13A, the blade 551c provided at a position facing (overlapping) the groove 552d of the anvil roll 552 among the multiple blades 551c, 551c is preferably provided so as to cross the entire groove 552d in the CD direction. In other words, in the CD direction (corresponding to the width direction of the blade 551c), one end of the blade 551c is located at the same position as one end of the groove 552d or on one side of the one end of the groove 552d, and the other end of the blade 551c is located at the same position as the other end of the groove 552d or on the other side of the other end of the groove 552d.

[0096] With this configuration, a short slit 18 can be formed in the second portion cp located at the end of one blade 551c in the CD direction (width direction) as shown in FIG. 13 . Conventionally, when attempting to form a short slit, it was necessary to provide a cutter roll with a short blade corresponding to the short slit. However, such short blades are prone to wear, resulting in problems such as increased maintenance effort and cost. Furthermore, due to the effects of blade residue, it was difficult to form a clean slit (accurately cut into the substrate). In contrast, according to this embodiment, the second portion cp at the widthwise end of the blade 551c makes it easy to form a short slit 18 adjacent to at least one side of the groove 552d in the width direction. Furthermore, since a slit 18 is not formed in the first portion np located at the center of the width direction of the blade 551c, blade residue is less likely to occur, and the short slit 18 can be formed cleanly.

[0097] In addition, it is preferable that the boundary between the peripheral surface 552f and the groove 552d of the anvil roll 552 be chamfered. In FIG. 10B, the corner portion ch shown in black at the boundary between the peripheral surface 552f of the anvil roll 552 and the groove 552d is chamfered. By providing such a chamfered portion ch, the force applied when pressed by the blade 551c changes gradually at the boundary between the portion of the blade 551c of the cutter roll 551 that overlaps with the peripheral surface 552f of the anvil roll 552 in the CD direction (the second portion cp that forms the slit 18) and the portion that overlaps with the groove 552d (the first portion np that does not form the slit 18). Therefore, compared to when the chamfered portion ch is not present, the substrate is less likely to adhere to the blade 551c at the end of the slit 18, making it easier to suppress blade residue. The chamfer at the boundary between the peripheral surface 552f and the groove 552d may be formed linearly as shown in Fig. 10B, or may be formed curvedly. In other words, the boundary between the peripheral surface 552f and the groove 552d may have a curved shape.

[0098] Next, a method for forming the second slits 18b in the second slit forming step (S106) will be described. Figures 15A to 15C are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a cutter roll 561 used when forming the second slits 18b. Figure 15A is a plan view of the cutter roll 561 as viewed from the MD direction. Figure 15B is a diagram illustrating the arrangement pattern of multiple blades 561c provided on the peripheral surface 561f of the cutter roll 561. Figure 15C is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows G-G in Figure 15B.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 15A , the cutter roll 561 of the second slit forming mechanism 560 is a cylindrical rotating body that rotates around a rotation axis Ar3 aligned in the CD direction. It has multiple blades 561c, 561c... protruding radially outward from the cylindrical circumferential surface 561f. The multiple blades 561c are arranged in the pattern shown in FIG. 15B , and the pattern shown in FIG. 15B is intermittently provided at a predetermined pitch along the circumferential direction on the circumferential surface 561f of the cutter roll 561 as shown in FIG. 15A . Each of the multiple blades 561c is configured to form slits primarily along the MD direction (the front-to-rear direction of the pad 1). That is, the blades 561c of the cutter roll 561 are primarily parallel to the MD direction or inclined at a predetermined angle less than 45 degrees relative to the MD direction. These blades 561c can form multiple second slits 18b in the pad 1. However, the cutter roll 561 may also form slits 18 partially aligned in the CD direction.

[0100] Furthermore, a circumferential blade 561rc is provided on the peripheral surface 561f of the cutter roll 561 so as to surround the multiple blades 561c, 561c... along the MD direction. The circumferential blade 561rc is provided to match the shape of the outer edge of the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 (the roughly elliptical shape indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 1 ), and cuts out the sheet-like auxiliary absorbent layer 12 laminated in the auxiliary absorbent layer lamination step (S103) in a so-called die-cutting manner, thereby forming the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 into a roughly elliptical shape.

[0101] The anvil roll 562 of the second slit forming mechanism 560 is a cylindrical rotating body that rotates about a rotation axis along the CD direction, and is disposed opposite the cutter roll 561 with the pad 1 (base sheet) sandwiched therebetween (see FIG. 8 ). Note that the circumferential surface of the anvil roll 562 does not have any depressions (grooves) corresponding to the grooves 552d of the anvil roll 552 (see FIG. 10 ). As the anvil roll 562 and the cutter roll 561 rotate, a slit (incision) corresponding to the shape of the blade 561c is formed in the base sheet (in this embodiment, the absorbent layer 13, the auxiliary absorbent layer 12, etc.) sandwiched between them at a portion where the circumferential surface of the anvil roll 562 abuts against the tip of the blade 561c of the cutter roll 561. At the same time, at the portion where the peripheral surface of the anvil roll 562 and the tip of the circumferential blade 561rc of the cutter roll 561 abut, the base sheet (absorbent layer 13 and auxiliary absorbent layer 12) sandwiched between them is cut out into an approximately elliptical shape along the shape of the circumferential blade 561rc.

[0102] Note that a portion of the blade 561c of the cutter roll 561 of the second slit forming mechanism 560 is positioned so as to overlap, in the CD direction, the groove 552d of the anvil roll 552 of the first slit forming mechanism 550 (see FIG. 15B ). Therefore, a portion of the second slit 18b formed in the second slit forming step (S106) is formed in a portion where the first slit 18a is not formed in the first slit forming step (S105) (a portion corresponding to the groove 552d of the anvil roll 552). As a result, in the CD direction, at both ends in the CD direction (width direction) where the groove 552d was provided, there is no portion where the first slit 18a and the second slit 18b intersect, as shown in FIG. 5 .

[0103] In this way, by using the first slit forming mechanism 550 and the second slit forming mechanism 560, multiple first slits 18a along the CD direction (width direction) and multiple second slits 18b along the MD direction (front-to-back direction) are formed in the absorbent layer 13 (and the auxiliary absorbent layer 12) (see Figure 5).

[0104] In this embodiment, in the second slit forming step (S106), the entire blade 561c of the cutter roll 561 presses the absorbent layer 13 toward the circumferential surface of the anvil roll 562, so that the second slits 18b are formed over the entire area of ​​the blade 561c. On the other hand, in the first slit forming step (S105), the first portion np of the blade 551c of the cutter roll 551 presses the absorbent layer 13 toward the groove 552d of the anvil roll 552, so that the first slits 18a are not formed in the first portion np (corresponding to another part) of the blade 551c.

[0105] The blade 561c of the cutter roll 561 that forms the second slit 18b is arranged along the MD direction. Therefore, when forming the slit, the length of the portion of the blade 561c that contacts the circumferential surface of the anvil roll 562 at a certain moment is short, making it difficult for the substrate to adhere, and therefore, cutting residue is unlikely to occur. In contrast, the blade 551c of the cutter roll 551 that forms the first slit 18a is arranged along the CD direction. Therefore, when forming the slit, the length of the portion of the blade 551c that contacts the circumferential surface 552f of the anvil roll 552 at a certain moment is long, making it easy for the substrate to adhere to the blade 551c and resulting in cutting residue. Therefore, in the first slit forming step (S105), by preventing the first slit 18a from being formed by a portion of the blade 551c (first portion np), cutting residue is unlikely to occur. Furthermore, by making cutting residue less likely to occur, the shape of the absorbent layer 13 is less likely to be distorted.

[0106] In the first slit forming step (S105), some of the blades 551c, 551c... provided on the peripheral surface 551f of the cutter roll 551 are arranged at an angle of 45 degrees or less with respect to the CD direction, and form the first slits 18a inclined with respect to the CD direction. In Fig. 5, the pad 1 is divided into three equal parts in the width direction, and the first slits 18a inclined with respect to the CD direction are provided in both side regions.

[0107] When forming the first slits 18a, if the blade 551c is arranged parallel to the CD direction, there is a possibility that the entire blade 551c and the circumferential surface 552f of the anvil roll 552 may come into contact with each other at the same time. That is, there is a possibility that the length of the portion of the blade 551c that presses against the circumferential surface 552f of the anvil roll 552 may become long. In this case, the substrate may easily adhere to the blade 551c, which may result in blade residue.

[0108] On the other hand, when the blade 551c is disposed at an angle with respect to the CD direction, only a portion of the blade 551c comes into contact with the circumferential surface 552f of the anvil roll 552, which prevents the entire blade 551c from coming into contact with the circumferential surface 552f of the anvil roll 552 at the same time. In other words, the length of the portion of the blade 551c that presses against the circumferential surface 552f of the anvil roll 552 at a certain moment can be shortened. This makes it less likely that the blade will remain.

[0109] Furthermore, when the blade 551c of the cutter roll 551 is disposed tilted with respect to the CD direction, it is preferable that the tilt direction be reversed between the front and rear sides in the front-to-rear direction. That is, it is preferable that the blade 551c of the cutter roll 551 forms the first slits 18a such that the tilt of the first slits 18a with respect to the CD direction is reversed between one side and the other side of the center position CL in the front-to-rear direction of the pad 1.

[0110] 5, the first slits 18a provided in front of the central position CL in the front-to-rear direction have opposite inclination directions to the first slits 18a provided behind the central position CL. If the first slits 18a were provided with an inclination in the same direction throughout the pad 1, the absorbent layer 13 and the like would be likely to bend and deform in the same direction along the first slits 18a, which could make it difficult to properly fit the unevenness of the wearer's crotch area when worn. In contrast, if the inclination directions of the first slits 18a are opposite between before and after the central position CL, the absorbent layer 13 and the like will bend and deform in opposite directions between before and after the central position CL, making it easier to fit the unevenness of the wearer's crotch area.

[0111] 9, a plurality of blades 551c, 551c... are intermittently provided along the circumferential direction (MD direction) on the circumferential surface 551f of the cutter roll 551 used in the first slit forming step (S105). Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 10A, a groove 552d is continuously provided along the circumferential direction (MD direction) on the circumferential surface 552f of the anvil roll 552 used in the first slit forming step (S105). Then, while rotating the cutter roll 551 and the anvil roll 552 in the circumferential direction (MD direction), the blade 551c is pressed against the circumferential surface 552f and the groove 552d of the anvil roll 552, thereby forming the first slit 18a.

[0112] At this time, because the grooves 552d of the anvil roll 552 are continuously provided along the MD direction, there is no need to align the phases of the blades 551c and the grooves 552d when pressing the blades 551c toward the grooves 552d. For example, even if the relative positional relationship in the MD direction between the circumferential surface 551f of the cutter roll 551 and the circumferential surface 552f of the anvil roll 552 changes due to a discrepancy in the rotational speeds of the cutter roll 551 and the anvil roll 552, the blades 551c can always press toward the grooves 552d, as shown in FIG. 11. Therefore, the first slits 18a can be formed with high precision.

[0113] Furthermore, a pair of grooves 552d are provided on the anvil roll 552 on both sides of the central position CDCL in the CD direction (width direction). In the areas where the grooves 552d are provided, as described in FIG. 13 , a portion (first portion np) of the blade 551c of the cutter roll 551 presses the substrate (such as the absorbent layer 13) toward the grooves 552d, making it difficult for the substrate to adhere to the blade 551c and leaving a residual cut. Furthermore, by providing such grooves 552d on both sides in the CD direction (width direction), it is possible to more easily prevent residual cuts from being left on both sides in the width direction of the absorbent layer 13. Therefore, on both sides in the width direction of the absorbent layer 13, the blade 551c is more likely to separate from the substrate (the absorbent layer 13) after forming the first slits 18a, making it possible to prevent the absorbent layer 13 from losing its shape from both sides.

[0114] In an absorbent article such as the pad 1 manufactured by this method, a plurality of first slits 18a extending along the width direction and a plurality of second slits 18b extending along the front-to-rear direction are formed on both widthwise sides, and neither of the plurality of slits 18a, 18b has any intersecting portion on both widthwise sides (see FIG. 5).

[0115] If the first slit 18a and the second slit 18b were to intersect, the intersecting slits 18a, 18b would form a cross-shaped slit in the highly rigid non-skin-side sheet 133. If the non-skin-side sheet 133 were to roll up toward the skin at the slit when the absorbent article was worn, the rolled-up non-skin-side sheet 133 could irritate the labia, causing discomfort or annoyance to the wearer. In contrast, the manufacturing method of this embodiment makes it possible to manufacture a pad 1 in which the first slit 18a and the second slit 18b do not intersect in both widthwise regions that contact the labia when worn. That is, the first slit 18a and the second slit 18b can be formed so as not to intersect with each other at both widthwise ends. This makes it difficult for the non-skin-side sheet 133 to roll up, thereby preventing discomfort or annoyance to the wearer.

[0116] In addition, since the first slit 18a and the second slit 18b intersect at the widthwise center of the pad 1 (see FIG. 5), the non-skin-side sheet 133 may turn up at the intersection. However, the widthwise center of the pad 1 is the part that is sandwiched between the labia (the groove of the vaginal opening) when worn, and so even if the non-skin-side sheet 133 turns up toward the skin, it is unlikely to cause discomfort to the wearer.

[0117] In order to prevent the slits 18a, 18b from intersecting with each other on both sides in the width direction, the present embodiment forms the slits 18a, 18b as follows. That is, in the first slit forming step (S105), a part (first portion np) of the blade 551c of the cutter roll 551 presses the substrate (the absorbent layer 13, etc.) toward the groove 552d, thereby forming the second slit 18b along the MD direction in the second slit forming step (S106) so that the second slit 18b overlaps with the portion in the CD direction where the first slit 18a was not formed. This allows the slits that do not intersect with each other to be formed accurately and at low cost.

[0118] <Modification of first slit forming mechanism 550> In the first slit forming mechanism 550, the first slits 18a along the CD direction (width direction of the pad 1) are formed mainly using a cutter roll 551 having blades 551c along the CD direction and an anvil roll 552 having grooves 552d along the MD direction. On the other hand, by using a cutter roll 551 and anvil roll 552 shown in the following modification, it is also possible to form slits 18 along the MD direction.

[0119] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a modified first slit forming mechanism 550. In the modified first slit forming mechanism 550, the cutter roll 551 and the anvil roll 552 have different configurations from those of the above-described embodiment. The cutter roll 551 of the modified embodiment is a cylindrical rotating body that rotates around a rotation axis Ar1 aligned in the CD direction and has multiple blades 551c, 551c... on its circumferential surface 551f. However, the blades 551c of the modified embodiment are arranged along the circumferential direction (MD direction). The anvil roll 552 of the modified embodiment is a cylindrical rotating body that rotates around a rotation axis Ar2 aligned in the CD direction and is arranged opposite the cutter roll 551 as shown in FIG. 16. The circumferential surface 552f of the anvil roll 552 is provided with grooves 552d aligned in the CD direction.

[0120] In this modified example, the substrate is sandwiched between the cutter roll 551 and the anvil roll 552 and rotated, and the blade 551c of the cutter roll 551 is pressed against the peripheral surface 552f of the anvil roll 552, thereby forming slits 18 (cuts) in the substrate. Here, the anvil roll 552 is provided with grooves 552d extending in the CD direction, and therefore, the slits 18 are not formed in the portions where the blades 551c of the cutter roll 551 face the grooves 552d.

[0121] That is, when a part of a certain blade 551c provided on the cutter roll 551 presses the substrate toward the peripheral surface 552f of the anvil roll 552, a slit 18 is formed along the MD direction. On the other hand, when another part of the certain blade 551c presses the substrate toward the groove 552d of the anvil roll 552, a slit 18 is not formed. In the part where the slit 18 is not formed, the substrate is less likely to adhere to the other part of the blade 551c. Therefore, a base point for releasing the substrate from the blade 551c is more likely to be formed. This makes it less likely that blade residue will be left when forming the slit 18 along the MD direction.

[0122] ===Other Embodiments= ...

[0123] In the above embodiment, the absorbent core 132 of the absorbent layer 13 is described as being composed of short fibers with an average fiber length of approximately 0.8 mm. Conventionally, when it is desired to finely grind pulp to shorten the fiber length, a softener (debonder) such as a quaternary ammonium surfactant is added to the pulp sheet before grinding to make the pulp easier to grind (so-called treated pulp). However, the use of a softener (debonder) may easily impair water absorption.

[0124] Therefore, it is preferable that the absorbent fibers constituting the absorbent core 132 of the pad 1 are formed without containing a softener (debonder), thereby preventing a decrease in the water retention performance of the absorbent core 132. In the above-described embodiment, the absorbent core 132 is formed using hardwood pulp, so that the average fiber length can be set to about 0.8 mm without using a softener (debonder), thereby realizing an absorbent core 132 with excellent water absorption and flexibility.

[0125] In the above embodiment, the pad 1 is described as being configured such that the absorbent layer 13 is disposed closer to the skin than the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 (see FIG. 2, etc.), but the arrangement of these layers in the thickness direction may be reversed. For example, the auxiliary absorbent layer 12 may be disposed on the side of the absorbent layer 13 that is closer to the skin in the thickness direction. Alternatively, the pad 1 may be configured to include only the absorbent layer 13, without the auxiliary absorbent layer 12.

[0126] 1 Interlabial pad (pad, absorbent article), 11 Surface layer, 11a Continuous body, 12 Auxiliary absorbent layer, 13 Absorbent layer, 131 Skin side sheet, 131a Continuous body, 132 Absorbent core, 133 Non-skin side sheet, 133a Continuous body, 14 Back surface layer, 14a Continuous body, 15 Finger insertion sheet, 15de Finger insertion sheet non-joined portion, 16 Finger insertion sheet jointed portion, 17 Back surface layer jointed portion, 18 Slit, 18a First slit, 18b Second slit, 19 Compression section, 20 Finger insertion section, 500 Manufacturing apparatus, 510 Conveying mechanism, 520 Absorbent core stacking mechanism, 521 Fiber defibration device, 522 Material supply section, 523 Rotating drum, 523r Recessed portion, 530 Auxiliary absorbent layer stacking mechanism, 531 defibrator, 540 reversing mechanism, 550 first slit forming mechanism, 551 cutter roll, 551f peripheral surface, 551c blade, 552 anvil roll, 552f peripheral surface, 552d groove, 560 second slit forming mechanism, 561 cutter roll, 561f peripheral surface, 561c blade, 561rc circumferential blade, 562 anvil roll, 570 cutting and sealing mechanism, 580 sailor mechanism, 590 finger insertion sheet attachment mechanism, 595 raveling mechanism, F fold line (bending line), PS1 pulp sheet, PS2 pulp sheet, CR central region, SR end region

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article having an absorbent core and a non-skin side sheet provided on the non-skin side in the thickness direction of the absorbent core, the method comprising: a conveying step of conveying the non-skin side sheet in a conveying direction; a laminating step of laminating the absorbent core on the conveyed non-skin side sheet; and a slit forming step of forming a slit in at least the non-skin side sheet using a cutter roll and an anvil roll disposed opposite to the cutter roll after the laminating step, wherein the cutter roll has a blade protruding radially outward from a peripheral surface thereof, the anvil roll has a groove recessed radially inward from a peripheral surface thereof, a part of the blade presses the absorbent core and the non-skin side sheet toward the peripheral surface of the anvil roll so that the slit is formed, and another part of the blade presses the absorbent core and the non-skin side sheet toward the groove so that the slit is not formed. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, characterized by the above.

2. The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein in the slit forming step, the blade presses the absorbent core and the non-skin side sheet toward the peripheral surface of the anvil roll from the side where the non-skin side sheet is provided in the thickness direction. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, characterized by the above.

3. The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 2, wherein the absorbent article has at least an absorbent layer including the absorbent core and the non-skin side sheet, and a layer provided on the skin side of the absorbent layer, and the absorbent layer has a shorter average fiber length and a finer average fiber diameter than the layer provided on the skin side of the absorbent layer. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, characterized by the above.

4. The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in the width direction of the blade, one end of the blade is at the same position as one end of the groove or is located on one side of one end of the groove, and the other end of the blade is at the same position as the other end of the groove or is located on the other side of the other end of the groove. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, characterized by the above.

5. The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a boundary portion between the peripheral surface of the anvil roll and the groove is chamfered. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, characterized by the above.

6. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the slit forming step includes a first slit forming step of forming a first slit along a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, and a second slit forming step of forming a second slit along the conveyance direction. In the first slit forming step, a part of the blade presses the absorbent core and the non-skin side sheet toward the circumferential surface of the anvil roll so that the first slit is formed, and another part of the blade presses the absorbent core and the non-skin side sheet toward the groove so that the first slit is not formed. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, characterized by this.

7. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 6, wherein in the first slit forming step, the blade forms the first slit inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, characterized by this.

8. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 7, wherein the absorbent article has a front-rear direction and a width direction that intersect each other, the front-rear direction is a direction along the conveyance direction, and in the first slit forming step, the blade forms the first slit such that the inclination of the first slit with respect to the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction is reversed on one side and the other side with respect to the central position in the front-rear direction of the absorbent article. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, characterized by this.

9. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 6, wherein the cutter roll used in the first slit forming step has a plurality of the blades arranged intermittently along the conveyance direction, and the anvil roll used in the first slit forming step has the grooves continuous along the conveyance direction. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, characterized by this.

10. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 9, wherein the absorbent article has a front-rear direction and a width direction that intersect each other, and the anvil roll has the grooves at both ends in the width direction of the absorbent article. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, characterized by this.

11. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 10, wherein at both ends in the width direction of the absorbent article, there is no portion where the first slit formed in the first slit forming step and the second slit formed in the second slit forming step intersect. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, characterized by this.

12. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 6, wherein in the first slit forming step, the slit formed in the second slit forming step is formed so as to overlap a portion where the slit is not formed by the other part of the blade along the conveyance direction. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article, characterized by this.

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