Absorbent article

Abstract

An absorbent article (1) has a longitudinal direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction that are orthogonal to each other in an unfolded state, and comprises a liquid-absorbing absorbent core (10). The absorbent article is characterized by having, on the skin-side surface, a joining means (30, 30') that can be joined to a part of the absorbent article (1) upon disposal. When the joining means is divided equally into three parts, namely, a first adjacent region (L1), a central region (Lc), and a second adjacent region (L2) either in the longitudinal direction or in the width direction, the joining force of the first adjacent region (L1) or the second adjacent region (L2) is weaker than the joining force of the central region (Lc).

Description

absorbent articles

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an absorbent article (pants-type disposable diaper) with a disposal tape on the outer surface. The disposal tape allows the absorbent article to be kept rolled up compactly, allowing the absorbent article to be disposed of in a compact state after use.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-29233

[0004] However, the disposal tape in Patent Document 1 is folded in three and fixed to the outer surface of the absorbent article. Therefore, when disposing of the absorbent article after use, the user first rolls up the absorbent article from the crotch portion toward the waist opening. Then, the user releases the folded state of the disposal tape and stretches it. Then, the user wraps the disposal tape around the outer periphery of the rolled up absorbent article. When using the disposal tape in this way to maintain the compact state of the absorbent article, the user needs to perform multiple actions, which is time-consuming and laborious.

[0005] This embodiment has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an absorbent article that can maintain a state in which excrement on the skin side is covered by the absorbent article while ensuring ease of peeling off when unfolding the absorbent article.

[0006] The main invention for achieving the above object is an absorbent article having a liquid-absorbent core with a longitudinal direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction that are perpendicular to one another when unfolded, the absorbent article having a joining means on the skin-facing side that can be joined to a part of the absorbent article when discarded, characterized in that when the joining means is divided into three equal parts in either the longitudinal direction or the width direction into a first adjacent region, a central region, and a second adjacent region, the joining strength of the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region is weaker than the joining strength of the central region. Other features of the present invention will become clear from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an absorbent article that can maintain a state in which excrement on the skin side is covered by the absorbent article while ensuring ease of peeling off when the absorbent article is unfolded.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a urine absorption pad 1 in an unfolded and stretched state in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the skin side. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the urine absorption pad 1. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the pad 1 when folded in half. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view for explaining the details of the configuration of the pad 1. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of self-adhesive joining means 30, 30'. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of self-adhesive joining means 30, 30'. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the action and effect of the pad 1 to which self-adhesive joining means 30 is applied. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a modified joining means.

[0009] The present specification and the accompanying drawings make at least the following clear: (Aspect 1) An absorbent article having a liquid-absorbent core with a longitudinal direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction that are orthogonal to one another in an unfolded state, the article having a joining means on the skin-side surface that can be joined to a part of the absorbent article when discarded, and when the joining means is divided into three equal parts in either the longitudinal direction or the width direction into a first adjacent region, a central region, and a second adjacent region, the joining strength of the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region is weaker than the joining strength of the central region.

[0010] According to Aspect 1, when discarding the absorbent article, the absorbent article is folded or rolled up, and the joining means provided on the skin-side surface is joined to a portion of the absorbent article, thereby making it easier to maintain the absorbent article covering excrement on the skin-side surface. On the other hand, even if the joining means is joined to a portion of the absorbent article before use, the joining strength of the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region is weaker than the joining strength of the central region, making it easier to peel the joining means from the portion of the absorbent article. This makes it possible to reduce the effort and time required to discard the absorbent article after use.

[0011] (Aspect 2) The absorbent article according to aspect 1, wherein the joining means is provided at an end of the absorbent article in the one direction.

[0012] According to aspect 2, even if the joining means is joined to a part of the absorbent article before use, the joining means is provided at the end of the absorbent article, making it easier to peel the joining means from the part of the absorbent article.

[0013] (Aspect 3) The absorbent article according to aspect 1 or 2, wherein in the one direction, the joining means is provided at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the end of the absorbent article in the one direction.

[0014] According to aspect 3, even if the joining means is joined to a part of the absorbent article before use, the joining means is provided at a position a predetermined distance away from one end of the absorbent article, making it easier to peel the joining means from the part of the absorbent article.

[0015] (Aspect 4) The absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the joining means is self-adhesive and can be joined to other self-adhesive joining means as part of the absorbent article.

[0016] According to the fourth aspect, the joining means is self-adhesive, and therefore the fabric feels better against the skin than when the joining means is formed by mechanical hooks or the like.

[0017] (Aspect 5) An absorbent article as described in Aspect 4, wherein when the other joining means is divided into three equal parts in the one direction into another first adjacent region, another central region, and another second adjacent region, the joining strength of the other first adjacent region or the other second adjacent region is weaker than the joining strength of the other central region.

[0018] According to aspect 5, by making the adhesive strength of the other first adjacent region or the other second adjacent region weaker than the adhesive strength of the other central region, even if the adhesive means is attached to the other adhesive means before use, it is possible to easily peel the adhesive means from the other adhesive means.

[0019] (Aspect 6) An absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein when the absorbent article is folded in half at a central position in one direction, the central region and the other central region have an overlapping portion.

[0020] According to aspect 6, by overlapping the central regions, when the absorbent article is disposed of, it is easy to fold the absorbent article in half and keep the excrement on the skin side covered by the absorbent article.

[0021] (Aspect 7) An absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein the joining means is formed by applying a self-adhesive material, and the amount of the material applied per unit area in the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region is less than the amount of the material applied per unit area in the central region.

[0022] According to aspect 7, by making the amount of material applied per unit area in the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region less than the amount of material applied per unit area in the central region, it is possible to make the bonding strength of the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region weaker than the bonding strength of the central region.

[0023] (Aspect 8) The absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein the one direction is the longitudinal direction.

[0024] According to aspect 8, since one direction is the longitudinal direction, when the absorbent article is disposed of, the absorbent article can be folded or rolled up and the joining means provided on the skin side can be joined to a part of the absorbent article, making it easier to maintain the absorbent article covering the excrement on the skin side.

[0025] (Aspect 9) The absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 8, wherein the skin side of the joining means has a convex portion and a concave portion.

[0026] According to aspect 9, even if the joining means is joined to a part of the absorbent article before use, the joining means has convex and concave portions on the skin side, making it easier to peel the joining means from the part of the absorbent article.

[0027] (Aspect 10) The absorbent article according to aspect 9, wherein the joining means has a first portion constituting the convex portion and a second portion constituting the concave portion, the second portion being thinner than the first portion.

[0028] According to the tenth aspect, the joining means itself is provided with a first portion and a second portion thinner than the first portion, thereby making it possible to form a convex portion and a concave portion.

[0029] (Aspect 11) An absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10, wherein the adhesive strength of the first adjacent region is weaker than the adhesive strength of the central region, and the adhesive strength of the second adjacent region is weaker than the adhesive strength of the central region.

[0030] According to aspect 11, even if the joining means is joined to a part of the absorbent article before use, the joining strength of the first adjacent region and the second adjacent region is weaker than the joining strength of the central region, making it easier to peel the joining means from the part of the absorbent article.

[0031] (Aspect 12) An absorbent article as described in any one of Aspects 1 to 11, having a fold line along the width direction, wherein when the joining means is divided into thirds in the longitudinal direction into a first longitudinal adjacent region, a longitudinal central region, and a second longitudinal adjacent region, and when the joining means is divided into thirds in the width direction into a first width adjacent region, a width central region, and a second width adjacent region, the difference between the joining strength of the longitudinal central region and the joining strength of the first longitudinal adjacent region divided by the longitudinal length of the longitudinal central region is greater than the difference between the joining strength of the width central region and the joining strength of the first width adjacent region divided by the widthwise length of the width central region.

[0032] According to Aspect 12, since the difference in bonding strength between the central region and the adjacent regions is large in the longitudinal direction, even if the absorbent article is folded along a fold line along the width direction before use and the bonding means is bonded to a part of the absorbent article, the bonding means can be easily peeled off from the part of the absorbent article and unfolded in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, since the difference in bonding strength between the central region and the adjacent regions is small in the width direction, when the absorbent article is disposed of, the absorbent article can be folded or rolled up and the bonding means provided on the skin-side surface can be bonded to a part of the absorbent article, making it easier to maintain the absorbent article covering excrement on the skin-side surface.

[0033] (Aspect 13) An absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 12, wherein the joining means has joining portions, and the arrangement pattern of the joining portions in the central region is different from the arrangement pattern of the joining portions in the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region.

[0034] According to aspect 13, by differentiating the arrangement pattern of the joints between the central region and the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region, the bonding strength of the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region can be made weaker than the bonding strength of the central region.

[0035] This Embodiment This embodiment will be described using a urine absorption pad (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as a "pad") as an example of an absorbent article according to this embodiment. However, the absorbent article according to this embodiment is not limited to urine absorption pads, and can also be applied to, for example, sanitary napkins, pants-type disposable diapers, shorts-type napkins, tape-type disposable diapers, pet diapers, and absorbent sheets for nursing care or for pets.

[0036] <<<<Basic Structure of Urine Absorption Pad 1>>> First, the basic structure of the urine absorption pad 1 will be described. Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of the pad 1 in an unfolded and stretched state, as seen from the skin side. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pad 1. The urine absorption pad 1 can be used by being placed inside a pants-type or tape-type disposable diaper, or it can be used as a standalone pad 1 by being placed directly inside the wearer's underwear (pants or shorts).

[0037] In its unfolded state, the pad 1 has a substantially rectangular planar shape, with a longitudinal direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction that are perpendicular to one another. The longitudinal direction corresponds to the front-to-rear direction from the wearer's abdominal side to the dorsal side when the pad 1 is worn. In addition, in the thickness direction, the side that contacts the wearer's skin is referred to as the skin side, and the opposite side is referred to as the non-skin side. Since the pad 1 of this embodiment is symmetrical in the longitudinal direction, either side of the pad 1 in the longitudinal direction may correspond to the wearer's abdominal side. Furthermore, unlike tape-type or pants-type diapers, the pad 1 is worn without one longitudinal end and the other longitudinal end being connected along the wearer's waist.

[0038] The expanded state of the pad 1 refers to the state in which the entire pad 1 is expanded in a plane. The stretched state of the pad 1 refers to the state in which the pad 1 is stretched to the extent that wrinkles that have occurred in the pad 1 are substantially invisible, and the pad 1 is stretched to the extent that the dimensions of each member constituting the pad 1 (for example, the side sheet 4 described below) match or are close to the dimensions of the member alone.

[0039] The pad 1 comprises a liquid-absorbent core 10, a liquid-permeable top sheet 2 (e.g., nonwoven fabric) provided closer to the skin than the absorbent core 10, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 3 (e.g., a resin film such as polyethylene or polypropylene) provided closer to the skin than the absorbent core 10, and a pair of side sheets 4 provided on both widthwise sides of the pad 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the pair of side sheets 4 are folded inward in the widthwise direction from the widthwise side portions of the back sheet 3 on the non-skin-side surface toward the skin-side surface of the skin-side sheet 2 so as to encase the absorbent core 10.

[0040] An example of the absorbent core 10 is a liquid-absorbent fiber such as pulp fiber containing SAP (super absorbent polymer) molded into a predetermined shape. The absorbent core 10 is covered with a liquid-permeable core wrap sheet 11 (e.g., tissue). However, without being limited to the above, the absorbent core 10 may be an SAP sheet in which an SAP layer is attached to a hydrophilic sheet, an airlaid sheet in which liquid-absorbent fiber is molded into a sheet by an airlaid method, or the like, or may be configured with two or more layers laminated together. Furthermore, the absorbent core 10 does not have to be covered with the core wrap sheet 11.

[0041] Furthermore, a fixing member 20 is provided on the non-skin side of the pad 1, which joins the pad 1 to the inner surface of a pants-type diaper or underwear (outerwear). The fixing member 20 is provided at each of both longitudinal ends of the pad 1. The fixing member 20 is, for example, a rectangular member, and is provided so that its long side is aligned with the width direction of the pad 1. The fixing member 20 is preferably a member that can be peeled off from the inner surface of the outerwear without damaging the outerwear and can be reattached. The fixing member 20 in this embodiment is a tape having a hook material (for example, a male member of a hook-and-loop fastener). Other examples of the fixing member 20 include tape coated with adhesive. The fixing member 20 does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0042] The pad 1 also has a pair of leg elastic members 5 arranged along the longitudinal direction on both widthwise sides. In Fig. 2, the leg elastic members 5 are fixed in a stretched state in the longitudinal direction between the backsheet 3 and the sidesheets 4. This makes it easier for both widthwise sides of the pad 1 to fit closely around the legs of the wearer.

[0043] The pad 1 also has a pair of leak-preventing walls 6 on both widthwise sides that can stand up against the skin. The leak-preventing walls 6 have side sheets 4 and leak-preventing wall elastic members 7. Both longitudinal ends are fixed to the topsheet 2 by adhesive regions 8. The leak-preventing wall elastic members 7 are fixed in a stretched state along the longitudinal direction of the pad 1 to the inner widthwise ends of the side sheets 4.

[0044] <<<<Joining Means 30, 30'>>> As shown in Fig. 1 , one-side joining means 30 serving as joining means is provided on the skin side (topsheet 2) of the pad 1 at one end in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, other-side joining means 30' is provided on the skin side (topsheet 2) of the pad 1 at the other end in the longitudinal direction. The other-side joining means 30' is part of the pad 1. When the pad 1 is disposed of, the one-side joining means 30 serving as joining means can be joined to the other-side joining means 30' serving as part of the pad 1.

[0045] FIG. 3 shows the state of the pad 1 folded in half in the longitudinal direction. The folded state specifically refers to a state in which the pad 1 is folded along the center line CL of the pad 1 in the longitudinal direction, i.e., a state in which the pad 1 is divided into two equal parts in the longitudinal direction and folded along the center line CL (hereinafter sometimes referred to as fold line FL) along the width direction. This state is, for example, the state of the pad 1 before use or when discarded after use. FIG. 3A is a plan view of the pad 1 folded in half in the longitudinal direction, and FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pad 1 folded in half with the ends of the pad 1 closed, as viewed from the width direction. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, when the pad 1 is folded in half in the longitudinal direction, the one-side joining means 30 and the other-side joining means 30' overlap and face each other in the thickness direction, and are arranged to be joinable.

[0046] 4 is a partially enlarged view for explaining the details of the configuration of the pad 1. Note that the position of the one-side joining means 30 in the longitudinal direction will be described, but since this embodiment is symmetrical in the longitudinal direction, the other-side joining means 30' is also disposed in the same position as the one-side joining means 30. The one-side joining means 30 is provided at an end of the pad 1 in the longitudinal direction, and at a position spaced a predetermined distance d from the end of the pad 1 in the longitudinal direction. The region extending in the width direction from the end of the pad 1 in the longitudinal direction to the one-side joining means 30 over the predetermined distance d is also referred to as the dry edge D. The dry edge D is a non-adhesive region from the end to the one-side joining means 30.

[0047] The one-side joining means 30 and the other-side joining means 30' have a self-adhesive joining agent 31 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a self-adhesive agent or a self-adhesive joining agent) as a joining portion.

[0048] FIG. 5 (FIGS. 5A and 5B) is an explanatory diagram of the one-side joining means 30 and the other-side joining means 30'. The adhesive 31 provided as the joining portion in the one-side joining means 30 and the other-side joining means 30' has low tackiness (adhesion) by itself, but when the adhesives 31 are brought into contact with each other with relatively weak pressure, adhesive strength (hereinafter referred to as "bonding strength") is exerted. As shown in FIG. 5A, when the one-side joining means 30 and the other-side joining means 30' are pressed together, the one-side joining means 30 and the other-side joining means 30' are bonded together by the respective adhesives 31 (bonding strength is exerted). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the adhesive 31 comes into contact with a member other than the adhesive 31, such as the nonwoven fabric provided on the pad 1 or the skin, the one-side joining means 30 does not easily adhere to the abutting member.

[0049] The bonding strength between the bonding agent 31 and other members is preferably ¼ or less than the bonding strength between the bonding agents 31 themselves. More preferably, the bonding strength between the bonding agent 31 and other members is 1 / 10 or less than the bonding strength between the bonding agents 31 themselves. Furthermore, when the bonding agents 31 are brought into contact with each other, they can be peeled off without damaging the bonding agents 31, and can be re-bonded by bringing them into contact again after peeling.

[0050] If the joining means includes a hook-and-loop fastener with hook elements or a mechanical hook as the joining portion, the rigidity of the joining portion becomes high, which may cause discomfort to the wearer of the pad 1. In contrast, the self-adhesive adhesive 31 can be configured to be less rigid and more flexible than a hook-and-loop fastener with hook elements. This reduces the discomfort felt when wearing the pad 1. Examples of hook-and-loop fasteners include those composed of a male member with multiple hook-shaped protrusions and a female member with multiple loops onto which the protrusions of the male member hook, and those consisting solely of the male member.

[0051] The adhesive 31 is not particularly limited as long as it is safe to come into contact with the wearer's skin, and examples thereof include emulsion-based self-adhesives (emulsion inks) and hot-melt-based self-adhesives (HMAs). The main component of an emulsion-based self-adhesive may be a mixture of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or the like with an emulsifier, and examples of such emulsion-based self-adhesives include those disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2589307 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-095381. Furthermore, the main component of a hot-melt-based self-adhesive may be a thermoplastic resin, such as a polyolefin or polyamide resin, which is heated and melted and used, and examples of such hot-melt-based self-adhesives include those disclosed in Japanese Patent Nos. 7476348 and 7543716. In this embodiment, an emulsion-based self-adhesive is used.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 6, the one-side joining means 30 and the other-side joining means 30' are quadrilateral areas circumscribing the portion where the self-adhesive bonding agent 31 is applied as the joining portion. In Fig. 6, the area where the self-adhesive bonding agent 31 is applied is shown lightly shaded.

[0053] Next, the specific configurations of the one-side joining means 30 and the other-side joining means 30' will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 6. For simplicity of explanation, only the one-side joining means 30 will be described, but the other-side joining means 30' has a similar configuration.

[0054] As described above, in this embodiment, an emulsion-based self-adhesive is used as the bonding agent 31. Furthermore, a single application of the bonding agent 31 is defined as a uniform application (a so-called solid application) in a generally rectangular shape that is elongated in the width direction, and in the example shown in FIG. 6 , the bonding agent is repeatedly applied three times. Applying the bonding agent 31 multiple times in a layered manner in the thickness direction can increase the bonding strength when the bonding agent 31 is bonded together compared to a single application. Although the bonding agent 31 is applied three times in this embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0055] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6 , the application positions of the bonding agent 31 are shifted in the longitudinal direction and the width direction. Therefore, as shown in the diagrams (bottom side view and right side view) showing the thickness direction in Fig. 6 , the application amount (basis weight or basis weight) of the bonding agent 31 per unit area in the first adjacent regions L1, W1 adjacent to one of the central regions Lc, Wc and the second adjacent regions L2, W2 adjacent to the other of the central regions Lc, Wc is smaller than the application amount of the bonding agent 31 per unit area in the central regions Lc, Wc. In other words, since the application amount of the bonding agent 31 per unit area is smaller than that in the central regions Lc, Wc, the bonding strength is also smaller than that in the central regions Lc, Wc.

[0056] The skin-side surface of the one-side joining means 30 has convex portions 32 and concave portions 33 formed due to differences in the amount of adhesive 31 applied per unit area. The convex portions 32 are first portions 34 where the amount of adhesive 31 applied per unit area is greater than that of the surrounding areas, and are portions where the adhesive 31 is applied three times out of three times. On the other hand, the concave portions 33 are second portions 35 where the amount of adhesive 31 applied per unit area is less than that of the surrounding areas. As described above, the first portions 34 are thicker in the thickness direction due to the greater amount of adhesive 31 applied per unit area, while the second portions 35 are thinner due to the less amount applied than the first portions 34. Note that other methods may be used to form the convex portions 32 and concave portions 33 on the skin-side surface of the one-side joining means 30. For example, the convex portions 32 and concave portions 33 may be formed on the skin-side surface of the adhesive 31 applied to the topsheet 2 by forming concave and convex portions on the surface of the topsheet 2, or by compressing a portion of the applied adhesive 31.

[0057] 7A shows a view of the pad 1 folded in half along the fold line FL so that the one-side joining means 30 and the other-side joining means 30' face each other and then bonded together, as viewed from the thickness direction. In this embodiment, when the pad 1 is folded in half along the center line CL (fold line FL), the central region Lc of the one-side joining means 30 and the central region Lc' of the other-side joining means 30' overlap in the thickness direction. Although not shown, the central region We of the one-side joining means 30 and the central region Wec' of the other-side joining means 30' also overlap in the width direction, as in the longitudinal direction.

[0058] Next, the joining force of the one-side joining means 30 as the joining means will be described.

[0059] The one-side joining means 30 is divided into three equal parts in both the longitudinal and width directions. From one side, the longitudinal direction is divided into a first longitudinal adjacent region L1, a longitudinal central region Lc, and a second longitudinal adjacent region L2. In the width direction, the regions are divided into a first width adjacent region W1, a width central region Wc, and a second width adjacent region W2. These regions have different joining strengths. In this embodiment, the joining strength of the first adjacent regions L1, W1 adjacent to one of the central regions Lc, Wc is weaker than the joining strength of the central regions Lc, Wc in both the longitudinal and width directions. Furthermore, the joining strength of the second adjacent regions L2, W2 adjacent to the other of the central regions Lc, Wc is weaker than the joining strength of the central regions Lc, Wc.

[0060] The strength of the bonding in each region, such as the first longitudinal adjacent region L1 and the longitudinal central region Lc, can be evaluated by the amount (grammage) per unit area of ​​the bonding agent 31 provided as a bonding portion in each region. The greater the amount (grammage) per unit area of ​​the bonding agent 31 in each region, the greater the bonding strength. For example, if a hook-and-loop fastener 36 (described later) is used as a bonding portion instead of the bonding agent 31 and some of the hook portions of the hook-and-loop fastener 36 are flattened by embossing or the like, the bonding strength can be evaluated by the amount (number) per unit area of ​​the hook portions (unflattened hook portions) that maintain their hook function in each region.

[0061] The strength of the bonding strength in each region may also be evaluated using a measuring device.

[0062] When measuring the bonding strength of each of the first longitudinal adjacent region L1, the longitudinal central region Lc, and the second longitudinal adjacent region L2, two sample pieces are prepared. The first sample piece is a cutout of the region to be measured from each of the first longitudinal adjacent region L1, the longitudinal central region Lc, etc. The second sample piece is a nonwoven fabric coated with a uniform amount of bonding agent 31.

[0063] A holding portion (grip portion) is formed at the end of each sample piece by attaching gum tape to the end of the sample piece. Next, two sample pieces are overlapped and joined by rolling a 2 kg roller at 5 mm / s from the opposite side of the holding portion.

[0064] Next, the holding parts of the sample pieces are held in the chucks of a tensile tester (e.g., manufactured by Instron), and the two holding parts are pulled away from each other in a direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction to peel the two sample pieces apart, and the tensile load at the time of peeling is measured. The average value of the tensile load is the magnitude of the bonding strength in the region to be measured. The bonding strength can also be measured in the same manner for the first width-adjacent region W1, the width-center region Wc, and the second width-adjacent region W2.

[0065] Next, the operation and effect of the pad 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7B. Before use (when packaged), the pad 1 is closed, and for example, the one-side joining means 30 and the other-side joining means 30' are in contact (the state shown in Fig. 7A). When using the pad 1, the user grasps the dry edge D areas provided at both longitudinal ends of the pad 1 and pulls it away toward the center in the longitudinal direction.

[0066] If the adhesive strength at the beginning of the peeling is too strong, it may be difficult to open when unfolding, especially for elderly users with reduced dexterity. However, in the pad 1 of this embodiment, the adhesive strength of the first longitudinal adjacent regions L1, L1' in the one-side adhesive means 30 is weaker than the adhesive strength of the longitudinal central regions Lc, Lc'. Therefore, compared to when the adhesive strength of the first longitudinal adjacent regions L1, L1' in the one-side adhesive means 30 is stronger than or the same as the adhesive strength of the longitudinal central regions Lc, Lc', it can be peeled and unfolded with a relatively weak force. Furthermore, the provision of the dry edge D makes it easier for the user to grasp and peel.

[0067] In this embodiment, since the second adjacent region L2, which has a weaker adhesive strength, is located on the longitudinal centerline CL side, the pad 1 can be peeled away from the leg elastic members 5 toward the edge. In this case, the same effect as above can be achieved. Furthermore, since the dry edge D is provided over a predetermined distance d from the edge in the width direction of the pad 1, the ease of peeling can be improved even when peeling away in this manner.

[0068] Furthermore, the central region (first portion 34) of both the one-side joining means 30 and the other-side joining means 30' has a stronger joining strength than the adjacent regions. As a result, after use or when discarding the pad 1, by folding the pad 1 in half along the fold line FL and bringing one end of the pad 1 into contact with the other, it becomes easier to keep the pad 1 covering excrement on the skin side.

[0069] The configuration is not limited to the above, and the amount of coating in either the first adjacent region L1, W1 or the second adjacent region L2, W2 may be less than that in the central region Lc, Wc, or the amount of coating may differ only in either the longitudinal direction or the width direction. For example, the amount of coating in the second adjacent region L2 (second longitudinal adjacent region) in the longitudinal direction may be less than that in the central region Lc. In this case, when the user peels off the pad 1, the pad can be easily unfolded by peeling it off from the second adjacent region L2, which has weaker adhesive strength.

[0070] Furthermore, in the pad 1 of this embodiment, when the pad 1 is folded in half along the center line CL (fold line FL), the central regions Lc, Wc of the one-side joining means 30 and the central regions Lc', Wc' of the other-side joining means 30' overlap in the thickness direction. By overlapping the central regions, when the pad 1 is discarded, it is easy to fold the pad 1 in half and maintain the state in which the pad 1 covers the excrement on the skin side.

[0071] The same action and effect can be achieved even when the pad 1 is folded in half at the center position in the width direction (a fold line along the center line in the width direction). In this case, two joining means may be provided on one side and the other side in the width direction with the center line in the width direction as the reference.

[0072] Alternatively, the joining force may be varied only in the joining means 30 on one side, and the joining force of the joining means 30' on the other side may be uniform. Alternatively, the joining force may be varied only in the joining means 30' on the other side, and the joining force of the joining means 30 on one side may be uniform.

[0073] Furthermore, with regard to the magnitude of the joining strength in the longitudinal direction and width direction of the one-side joining means 30, the value obtained by dividing the difference between the joining strength in the longitudinal central region Lc and the joining strength in the first longitudinal adjacent region L1 by the longitudinal length of the longitudinal central region Lc is greater than the value obtained by dividing the difference between the joining strength in the widthwise central region Wc and the joining strength in the first widthwise adjacent region W1 by the widthwise length of the widthwise central region Wc. In other words, the difference in joining strength per unit length is greater in the longitudinal direction than in the widthwise direction.

[0074] Because the difference in bonding strength per unit length between the central region Lc (Lc') and the adjacent region L1 (L1') is large in the longitudinal direction, even when the pad 1 is folded along the fold line FL along the width direction before use and the one-side bonding means 30 and the other-side bonding means 30' are bonded, the one-side bonding means 30 and the other-side bonding means 30' can be easily peeled apart and unfolded in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, as shown in the configuration of Figure 6, because the difference in bonding strength per unit length between the central region Wc (Wc') and the adjacent region W1 (W1') is small in the width direction, bonding the one-side bonding means 30 and the other-side bonding means 30' provided on the skin-side surface makes it easier to maintain the pad 1 covering excrement on the skin-side surface when discarding the pad 1.

[0075] Furthermore, the pad 1 of this embodiment can form convex and concave portions by providing the joining means 30, 30' with a first portion 34 and a second portion 35 that is thinner than the first portion 34. As a result, when the joining means 30 on one side and the joining means 30' on the other side of the pad 1 are joined before use, the joining means 30 on one side and the joining means 30' on the other side can be easily peeled apart and expanded in the longitudinal direction. In other words, by forming concave and convex portions with the joining agent 31, the concave portions 33 that are thinner in the thickness direction can be easily peeled apart.

[0076] The bonding means is not limited to the adhesive 31. For example, a hook-and-loop fastener can be provided on at least one of the skin-facing surfaces of the pad 1 in the bonding means 30. In this case, a similar effect can be achieved by forming convex and concave portions on the bonding surface of the hook-and-loop fastener. Specifically, when the hook-and-loop fasteners are provided so as to face each other at both ends of the skin-facing surface of the pad 1, providing higher portions (convex portions) and lower portions (concave portions) of the hooks of the hook-and-loop fasteners can make it easier to peel one hook-and-loop fastener from the other hook-and-loop fastener. Similarly, even when a hook-and-loop fastener is provided on only one end and the other end is made of nonwoven fabric (top sheet 2), forming convex and concave portions on the hook-and-loop fastener can make it easier to peel the hook-and-loop fastener from the top sheet 2, which is part of the pad 1.

[0077] In addition, in the pad 1 of this embodiment, the joining means 30, 30' are provided at the ends of the pad 1, respectively, making it easier to peel off and less likely to open when disposed of than when the joining means 30, 30' are provided in the center.

[0078] ====Modification of this Embodiment==== Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a modification of the bonding means of the pad 1. Figures 8A and 8B show self-adhesive quadrilateral bonding means 30, 30', respectively. The portion where the bonding agent 31 is applied corresponds to the region where the bonding portion is provided in the modification of this embodiment.

[0079] In the modification shown in Fig. 8A, the longitudinal central region Lc is a region where the adhesive 31 is uniformly applied (solidly applied) in a substantially rectangular shape that is elongated in the width direction on the skin-facing side of the topsheet 2. In addition, the adhesive 31 is applied in a wave-like pattern in the first longitudinal adjacent region L1 and the second longitudinal adjacent region L2, as shown in Fig. 8A.

[0080] In this case, the adhesive 31 is applied in a wavy pattern to the first longitudinal adjacent region L1 and the second longitudinal adjacent region L2, which have margins, so that the adhesive strength is weaker than that of the solidly applied longitudinal center region Lc. As a result, the pad 1 can be easily peeled off when unfolding, while the adhesive strength in the longitudinal center region Lc is stronger than that of the adjacent regions, so that when the pad 1 is folded for disposal, the pad 1 can maintain a state in which excrement on the skin side is covered by the pad 1.

[0081] In the modification shown in Fig. 8B, the longitudinal central region Lc is a region that is uniformly coated with the adhesive 31, as in the modification shown in Fig. 8A. In the first longitudinal adjacent region L1 and the second longitudinal adjacent region L2, the adhesive 31 is partially coated in the width direction, with margins remaining, as shown in Fig. 8B.

[0082] In this case, the adhesive 31 is applied only partially in the width direction to the first longitudinal adjacent region L1 and the second longitudinal adjacent region L2, which have a margin, and the adhesive strength of these regions is weaker than that of the solidly applied longitudinal center region Lc. As a result, the adhesive strength of the longitudinal center region Lc is stronger than that of the adjacent regions, ensuring ease of peeling when unfolding the pad 1, and therefore, when folding the pad 1 for disposal, the pad 1 can maintain a state in which excrement on the skin side is covered by the pad 1.

[0083] The joining means 30 in Fig. 8C has a hook-and-loop fastener 36. In the modified example of Fig. 8C, the longitudinal central region Lc is a region where the hook-and-loop fasteners 36 are uniformly arranged, and the first longitudinal adjacent region L1 and the second longitudinal adjacent region L2 are configured so that some of the hook portions of the hook-and-loop fasteners 36 are crushed by embossing 37 or the like to eliminate their function as hooks, as shown in Fig. 8C.

[0084] In this case, the adhesive strength of the first longitudinal adjacent region L1 and the second longitudinal adjacent region L2, in which the hook function is lost by crushing some of the hook portions of the hook-and-loop fastener 36 with the embossing 37 or the like, is weaker than that of the longitudinal central region Lc, in which the hook portions are not crushed. As a result, the adhesive strength of the longitudinal central region Lc is stronger than that of the adjacent regions, while ensuring ease of peeling when unfolding the pad 1, so that when the pad 1 is folded for disposal, the pad 1 can maintain a state in which excrement on the skin side is covered.

[0085] In these modified examples, the application amount per unit area of ​​the bonding means 30 in the central regions Lc and Wc and the arrangement pattern using margins are different from the arrangement pattern of the bonding means 30 in the first adjacent regions L1, W1 or the second adjacent regions L2, W2.

[0086] ===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.

[0087] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Urine absorption pad (pad, absorbent article) 2 Top sheet, 3 Back sheet, 4 Side sheet, 5 Leg-hole elastic member, 6 Leakage-preventing wall portion, 7 Leakage-preventing wall elastic member, 10 Absorbent core, 11 Core wrap sheet, 20 Fixing member, 30 Joining means, 31 Self-adhesive adhesive, 36 Hook-and-loop fastener, Lc Longitudinal central region, Wc Widthwise central region, L1 First longitudinal adjacent region, W1 First widthwise adjacent region, L2 Second longitudinal adjacent region, W2 Second widthwise adjacent region,

Claims

1. An absorbent article having a longitudinal direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction that are orthogonal to each other in the unfolded state, and comprising a liquid-absorbent absorbent core, wherein the skin side has joining means that can be joined to a part of the absorbent article at the time of disposal, and when the joining means is trisected into a first adjacent region, a central region, and a second adjacent region in either the longitudinal direction or the width direction, the joining force of the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region is weaker than the joining force of the central region. An absorbent article characterized by this.

2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein in the one direction, the joining means is provided at an end of the absorbent article. An absorbent article characterized by this.

3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the one direction, the joining means is provided at a position separated by a predetermined distance from the end of the absorbent article in the one direction. An absorbent article characterized by this.

4. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the joining means has self-adhesiveness and can be joined to other self-adhesive joining means as a part of the absorbent article. An absorbent article characterized by this.

5. The absorbent article according to claim 4, wherein when the other joining means is trisected into another first adjacent region, another central region, and another second adjacent region in the one direction, the joining force of the other first adjacent region or the other second adjacent region is weaker than the joining force of the other central region. An absorbent article characterized by this.

6. The absorbent article according to claim 5, wherein when the absorbent article is folded in half at the central position in the one direction, the central region and the other central region have an overlapping portion. An absorbent article characterized by this.

7. The absorbent article according to claim 4, wherein the joining means is formed by applying a self-adhesive material, and the application amount of the material per unit area in the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region is less than the application amount of the material per unit area in the central region. An absorbent article characterized by this.

8. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the one direction is the longitudinal direction. An absorbent article characterized by this.

9. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a skin side surface of the joining means has a convex portion and a concave portion.

10. The absorbent article according to claim 9, wherein the joining means has a first portion constituting the convex portion and a second portion, which is thinner than the first portion, constituting the concave portion.

11. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a joining force of the first adjacent region is weaker than a joining force of the central region, and a joining force of the second adjacent region is weaker than the joining force of the central region.

12. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, having a fold line along the width direction, and when the joining means is trisected into a first longitudinal adjacent region, a longitudinal central region, and a second longitudinal adjacent region in the longitudinal direction and into a first width adjacent region, a width central region, and a second width adjacent region in the width direction, a value obtained by dividing a difference between the joining force of the longitudinal central region and the joining force of the first longitudinal adjacent region by a length of the longitudinal central region in the longitudinal direction is larger than a value obtained by dividing a difference between the joining force of the width central region and the joining force of the first width adjacent region by a length of the width central region in the width direction.

13. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the joining means has a joining portion, and an arrangement pattern of the joining portion in the central region is different from an arrangement pattern of the joining portion in the first adjacent region or the second adjacent region.

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