Absorbent article

Abstract

Provided is an absorbent article (1) that has a front-rear direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction which are orthogonal to each other in an unfolded state and that has an absorbent core, wherein the absorbent article (1) has neither a fastening tape nor a post-processing tape that is used at the time of disposal of the absorbent article (1) and has an opening configuration means (M) for configuring an opening at the time of disposal of the absorbent article (1). The opening is for inserting at least a portion of the absorbent core (11) at the time of disposal, and the opening configuration means (M) is provided at a position that does not overlap the absorbent core (11) when viewed in the thickness direction.

Description

absorbent articles

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

[0002] Disposable diapers, absorbent pads, and the like are known as absorbent articles. After absorbing body waste and wearing the absorbent article, it is preferable to dispose of the absorbent article in a rolled or folded state with the skin side facing inward to prevent contact with the body waste and leakage of the body waste. For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose absorbent articles provided with a tape (tape member, winding tape) for maintaining the rolled (wound) state when disposed of.

[0003] International Publication No. 2018-116636 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-174961

[0004] In recent years, in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the industrial world has been seeking efficient use of resources and reduction of waste. In the absorbent articles described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the tape used to maintain the absorbent article in a rolled (wrapped) state is not directly related to the absorption of bodily waste, which is the purpose of the absorbent article, but is a component used for disposal. In other words, increasing the component (tape) used for disposal increases waste.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an absorbent article that maintains the rolled shape of the absorbent article when it is disposed of, while reducing the amount of resources used and easily preventing the increase of waste.

[0006] The main invention for achieving the above object is an absorbent article having a front-rear direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction which are perpendicular to one another in an unfolded state, and having an absorbent core, wherein when the absorbent article is removed from a container or when the absorbent article is detached from the container, the absorbent article does not have a fastening tape or a post-treatment tape used when disposing of the absorbent article, and the absorbent article is provided with opening-forming means for forming an opening when the absorbent article is disposed of, the opening is an opening for inserting at least a part of the absorbent core at the time of disposal, and the opening-forming means is provided at a position in the thickness direction that does not overlap with the absorbent core. Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an absorbent article that can maintain the rolled shape of the absorbent article when disposed of, while reducing the amount of resources used and easily preventing an increase in waste.

[0008] 1 is a plan view of the absorbent pad 1 in an unfolded and stretched state, as seen from the skin side. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the absorbent pad 1 in an unfolded and stretched state, as seen from the non-skin side. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the arrows A-A in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the procedure for putting the pad 1 into a discarded state. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the procedure for putting the pad 1 into a discarded state. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the pad 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the pad 20 in an unfolded and stretched state, as seen from the skin side. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the pad 20 of the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the pad 30 in an unfolded and stretched state, as seen from the skin side. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the procedure for putting the pad 30 into a discarded state. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the procedure for putting the pad 30 into a discarded state.

[0009] The present specification and the accompanying drawings make at least the following clear: (Aspect 1) An absorbent article having an absorbent core and having a front-rear direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction that are orthogonal to one another in an unfolded state, wherein the absorbent article does not have a fastening tape or a post-treatment tape used when disposing of the absorbent article in a state where the absorbent article has been removed from a container material or a state where the absorbent article has been detached from the container material, and the absorbent article is provided with opening-forming means for forming an opening when the absorbent article is disposed of, wherein the opening is an opening for inserting at least a part of the absorbent core at the time of disposal, and the opening-forming means is provided at a position that does not overlap with the absorbent core when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0010] According to aspect 1, by using an opening forming means when disposing of an absorbent article, it becomes easier to maintain the rolled-up shape of the absorbent article without providing a post-processing tape for disposing of the absorbent article, thereby reducing the amount of resources used and making it easier to prevent the increase in waste.

[0011] (Aspect 2) An absorbent article having an absorbent core, which has a front-rear direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction that are perpendicular to each other in an unfolded state, and which has a tensile strength of 60 g / m when the absorbent article is taken out of a storage material or when the absorbent article is removed from the storage material. ２ This absorbent article does not have the above materials and is provided with an opening forming means for forming an opening when the absorbent article is disposed of, the opening being an opening for inserting at least a part of the absorbent core when the absorbent article is disposed of, and the opening forming means is provided in a position that does not overlap with the absorbent core when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0012] According to aspect 2, 60 g / m ２ By not having more than 60g / m ２ By using an opening forming means, the flexibility of the absorbent article is maintained more than when the above materials are used, and the absorbent article is more likely to maintain its rolled shape when disposed of, thereby reducing the amount of resources used and making it easier to prevent the increase in waste.

[0013] (Mode 3) An absorbent article having an absorbent core, which has, in an unfolded state, front-to-rear, width, and thickness directions that are perpendicular to one another, and which does not have a post-treatment tape to be used when disposing of the absorbent article when the absorbent article is removed from a container material or when the absorbent article is detached from the container material, has a fixing means on the non-skin side of the absorbent article for fixing the absorbent article to another article, and is provided with opening-forming means for forming an opening when the absorbent article is disposed of, and is provided in a position that does not overlap the absorbent core when viewed in the thickness direction, and has a portion where the opening-forming means and the fixing means overlap.

[0014] According to aspect 3, when disposing of the absorbent article, by using a fixing means provided in the portion overlapping with the opening forming means, it becomes easier to maintain the rolled shape of the absorbent article without providing a post-processing tape for disposing of the absorbent article, thereby reducing the amount of resources used and making it easier to prevent an increase in waste.

[0015] (Aspect 4) The absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the opening-forming means is a perforation.

[0016] According to aspect 4, it becomes easier to form an opening in the absorbent article, and it becomes easier to maintain the rolled shape of the absorbent article without providing a separate component for disposing of the absorbent article, thereby reducing the amount of resources used and making it easier to prevent the increase in waste.

[0017] (Aspect 5) The absorbent article of any one of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the length in the front-rear direction and the length in the width direction of the opening-forming means is at least half the maximum length in the width direction of the absorbent core.

[0018] According to Aspect 5, when the rolled shape of the absorbent article is maintained by inserting at least a part of the absorbent core into the opening at the time of disposal of the absorbent article, the opening-forming means makes it easy to insert at least a part of the absorbent core into the opening. Also, when the rolled shape of the absorbent article is maintained at the time of disposal of the absorbent article using a fastening means provided at a position overlapping the opening in the thickness direction, the fastening means makes it easy to maintain the rolled shape of the absorbent article.

[0019] (Aspect 6) The absorbent article of any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein at least one of the length in the front-to-rear direction and the length in the width direction of the opening-forming means is equal to or greater than ¼ of the maximum length in the front-to-rear direction of the absorbent core.

[0020] According to Aspect 6, when the rolled shape of the absorbent article is maintained by inserting at least a part of the absorbent core into the opening at the time of disposal of the absorbent article, the opening-forming means makes it easy to insert at least a part of the absorbent core into the opening. Also, when the rolled shape of the absorbent article is maintained at the time of disposal of the absorbent article using a fastening means provided at a position overlapping the opening in the thickness direction, the fastening means makes it easy to maintain the rolled shape of the absorbent article.

[0021] (Aspect 7) The absorbent article of any one of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein the opening-forming means is provided outside one end of the absorbent core in the front-rear direction.

[0022] According to the seventh aspect, when the absorbent article is disposed of, after the absorbent article has been rolled up in the front-to-rear direction, the rolled up shape is easily maintained.

[0023] (Aspect 8) The absorbent article of Aspect 7, wherein the opening-forming means is also provided outside the other end of the absorbent core in the front-rear direction.

[0024] According to aspect 8, whether the absorbent article is rolled up from the ventral side or the dorsal side, the openings formed by the opening-forming means make it easier to maintain the rolled shape of the absorbent article.

[0025] (Aspect 9) The absorbent article of either aspect 7 or 8, wherein, on one side in the width direction, the most one end of the opening-forming means is provided outside the most one end of the absorbent core in the width direction.

[0026] According to Aspect 9, when the rolled shape of the absorbent article is maintained by inserting at least a part of the absorbent core into the opening at the time of disposal of the absorbent article, the opening-forming means makes it easy to insert at least a part of the absorbent core into the opening. Also, when the rolled shape of the absorbent article is maintained at the time of disposal of the absorbent article using a fixing means provided at a position overlapping with the opening in the thickness direction, the fixing means makes it easy to maintain the rolled shape of the absorbent article.

[0027] (Aspect 10) The absorbent article of either aspect 7 or 8, wherein the one end of the opening-forming means in the width direction is located more inward than the one end of the absorbent core.

[0028] According to aspect 10, it is possible to reduce the risk that the opening will become excessively large due to the opening-forming means, or that the opening formed by the opening-forming means will reach one end of the absorbent article in the width direction.

[0029] (Aspect 11) An absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 7 to 10, characterized in that it has a pair of leakage preventing wall portions on both sides in the width direction, the leakage preventing wall portions having a leakage preventing wall elastic member that stretches in the front-to-rear direction, a standing portion that can stand on the skin side, and a fixed portion that cannot stand, the fixed portion having a first fixed portion and a second fixed portion, the first fixed portion being provided outward in the width direction from the standing portion, and the second fixed portion being provided outward in the front-to-rear direction from the standing portion, the opening forming means having a portion that overlaps with the second fixed portion in the front-to-rear direction, and in the width direction, one end of the opening forming means on the width direction is provided more inward than one end of the second fixed portion provided on one side in the width direction.

[0030] According to aspect 11, since the fixed portion tends to be more rigid than the surrounding area, the second fixed portion reduces the risk of the opening being made excessively large by the opening forming means, and reduces the risk of the opening formed by the opening forming means reaching the side edge on one side in the width direction of the absorbent article.

[0031] (Aspect 12) The absorbent article of any one of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein the opening-forming means is provided on the outer side of the side edge of the absorbent core in the width direction.

[0032] According to aspect 12, when the absorbent article is disposed of, the use of an opening forming means makes it easier to maintain the rolled shape of the absorbent core, thereby reducing the amount of resources used and making it easier to prevent the increase in waste.

[0033] (Aspect 13) An absorbent article according to Aspect 12, characterized in that it has a pair of leak-proof wall portions on both sides in the width direction, the leak-proof wall portions having a leak-proof wall elastic member that stretches in the front-to-rear direction, a standing portion that can stand on the skin side, and a fixed portion that cannot stand, the fixed portion having a first fixed portion and a second fixed portion, the first fixed portion being provided on the outside in the width direction of the standing portion, and the second fixed portion being provided on the outside in the front-to-rear direction of the standing portion, and the opening-forming means being provided on one side of the center in the width direction, on the outside in the width direction of one end of the first fixed portion in the width direction.

[0034] According to Aspect 13, the risk of excrement leaking from the opening forming means when worn can be reduced.

[0035] (Aspect 14) The absorbent article of Aspect 12 or 13, further comprising leg gather portions on both sides in the width direction that are arranged around the legs of a wearer when worn, the leg gather portions having leg stretch members that extend along the front-to-rear direction, and the opening-forming means being provided on one side of the center in the width direction, more inward in the width direction than the leg stretch members.

[0036] According to aspect 14, the contraction of the leg elastic member allows the edge of the opening into which at least a portion of the absorbent core is inserted to expand and contract, making it easier to insert the absorbent core into the opening when disposing of the absorbent article and easier to maintain the rolled-up shape of the absorbent article.

[0037] (Aspect 15) The absorbent article of any of Aspects 12 to 14, further comprising leg gathers on both sides in the width direction that are arranged around the legs of a wearer when worn, the leg gathers comprising leg-hole stretchable members that extend along the front-to-rear direction, and the length of the opening-forming means in the front-to-rear direction is shorter than the length of the stretchable portions of the leg-hole stretchable members.

[0038] According to aspect 15, the contraction of the leg elastic member allows the edge of the opening into which at least a portion of the absorbent core is inserted to expand and contract, making it easier to insert the absorbent core into the opening when disposing of the absorbent article and easier to maintain the rolled-up shape of the absorbent article.

[0039] (Aspect 16) The absorbent article of any of Aspects 12 to 14, further comprising leg gathers on both sides in the width direction that are arranged around the legs of a wearer when worn, the leg gathers comprising leg-hole stretchable members that extend along the front-to-rear direction, and the length of the opening-forming means in the front-to-rear direction is longer than the length of the stretchable portions of the leg-hole stretchable members.

[0040] According to the sixteenth aspect, the opening formed by the opening-forming means can be made large, making it easier to insert the absorbent core when disposing of the absorbent article.

[0041] (Aspect 17) The absorbent article of any of Aspects 12 to 16, characterized in that the absorbent article has a fastening means on the non-skin side for fastening the absorbent article to another article, and at least a portion of the fastening means is provided on one side in the front-to-rear direction of the opening-forming means.

[0042] According to aspect 17, the portion where the fixing means is provided tends to be highly rigid, thereby reducing the risk of the opening being excessively large due to the opening-forming means, or the risk of the opening formed by the opening-forming means reaching one end of the absorbent article in the front-to-rear direction.

[0043] (Aspect 18) The absorbent article of any one of Aspects 1, 2, and 4 to 17, characterized in that the absorbent article has a fastening means on the non-skin side for fastening the absorbent article to another article, and has a portion where the opening-forming means and the fastening means overlap when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0044] According to aspect 18, when disposing of the absorbent article, by inserting at least a portion of the absorbent core into the opening formed by the opening-forming means and using a fixing means for the portion that overlaps with the opening-forming means, the absorbent article can more easily maintain its rolled-up shape.

[0045] (Aspect 19) The absorbent article of any one of Aspects 1, 2, and 4 to 17, characterized in that the absorbent article has a fastening means on the non-skin side for fastening the absorbent article to another article, and when viewed in the thickness direction, there is no portion where the opening-forming means and the fastening means overlap.

[0046] According to aspect 19, when disposing of the absorbent article, the risk of the fixing means sticking to the hand when inserting at least a part of the absorbent core into the opening formed by the opening forming means is reduced, making it easier to form a rolled-up shape for the absorbent article.

[0047] (Aspect 20) The absorbent article of any one of Aspects 3 to 17, wherein the opening-forming means has a convex portion, and the convex portion is configured to be foldable toward the skin when the opening is formed.

[0048] According to aspect 20, since the opening formed by the opening forming means is a convex portion, when the absorbent article is disposed of, the convex portion is flipped up to form an opening and folded back toward the skin, and the fixing means provided at a position overlapping the opening forming means in the thickness direction makes it easier to maintain the rolled shape of the absorbent article.

[0049] (Aspect 21) The absorbent article of any one of Aspects 3 to 17 and 20, wherein the convex portion has a convex shape that protrudes toward the center in the front-to-rear direction.

[0050] According to aspect 21, the convex portion of the opening formed by the opening forming means has a convex shape that protrudes toward the center in the front-to-back direction, making it easier to fix the convex portion of the opening formed by flipping up the absorbent article when disposing of it to the rolled-up part of the absorbent article, thereby making it easier to maintain the rolled-up shape of the absorbent article.

[0051] (Aspect 22) The absorbent article of any one of Aspects 3 to 17, 20, and 21, wherein the area of ​​the portion where the opening-forming means and the fixing means overlap, as viewed in the thickness direction, is at least half the area of ​​the convex portion that can be folded back toward the skin.

[0052] According to Aspect 22, the fixing means provided on the convex portion folded toward the skin side makes it easier to maintain the rolled shape of the absorbent article.

[0053] (Aspect 23) The absorbent article of any one of Aspects 3 to 17, 20, and 22, wherein the opening-forming means is provided at a position spanning the center of the absorbent article in the width direction as viewed in the thickness direction.

[0054] According to aspect 23, by using a fixing means provided at a position overlapping the opening forming means in the thickness direction to fix the absorbent article at the center in the width direction of the absorbent article when it is rolled up at the time of disposal, it becomes easier to maintain the rolled up shape of the absorbent article.

[0055] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described using an absorbent pad for adults as an example of an absorbent article. However, the absorbent article is not limited to the above, and may be an absorbent article that does not have a fastening tape, such as a pants-type disposable diaper, a sanitary napkin, a panty liner, a shorts-type napkin, or a light incontinence pad. Furthermore, the intended wearer of the absorbent article is not limited to adults, but may also be a child or a pet.

[0056] The absorbent article of the present invention can be used alone or in combination with multiple absorbent articles. Using multiple absorbent articles in combination can help prevent leakage of excrement and simplify excretory disposal by reducing the number of times the absorbent articles need to be changed. For example, the absorbent pad of this embodiment can be fastened to clothing such as underwear, or the absorbent pad can be fastened to the inner surface (skin side) of a tape-type diaper or pants-type diaper. The tape-type or pants-type diaper worn in combination with the absorbent pad may be a disposable diaper, or a diaper made of fabric or the like that can be worn repeatedly after washing or the like.

[0057] First Embodiment Basic Structure of Absorbent Pad 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "Pad 1") The pad 1 of this embodiment shown in Figure 1 and elsewhere is removed from a storage material (not shown). Typically, pads 1 are distributed and sold in a packaged state housed in a storage material that houses one or more pads 1. Examples of the storage material include a resin (plastic) film such as polyethylene (PE) or paper. Figure 1 is a plan view of the pad 1 as seen from the skin side. Figure 2 is a plan view of the pad 1 as seen from the non-skin side. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the arrows A-A in Figure 1. In an unfolded state, the pad 1 has a front-to-rear direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction that are orthogonal to one another. The front side of the pad 1 in the front-to-rear direction corresponds to the wearer's abdominal side when worn, and the rear side corresponds to the wearer's dorsal side. The front-to-rear direction of the pad 1 in an unfolded state is aligned with the front-to-rear direction of the absorbent body 10, and is also referred to as the "longitudinal direction." 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. The center line CC (also referred to as "center CC") shown in Figure 1 etc. indicates the center (center) of the pad 1 in the width direction, and the center line CL (also referred to as "center CL") indicates the center (center) of the pad 1 in the front-to-back direction. In the front-to-back direction of the pad 1, the side of the center CL in the front-to-back direction is referred to as the inside, and the end side of the pad 1 in the front-to-back direction is referred to as the outside. In the width direction of the pad 1, the side of the center CC in the width direction is referred to as the inside, and the end side of the pad 1 in the width direction is referred to as the outside.

[0058] The unfolded state of the absorbent pad 1 refers to a state in which the entire pad 1 is unfolded in a plane, with all fold lines (folded portions) unfolded. When the absorbent article is a pants-type (shorts-type) absorbent article, the unfolded state refers to a state in which the side joints on both sides of the absorbent article are separated and the absorbent article is opened and unfolded in a plane. The stretched state of the pad 1 refers to a state in which the pad 1 is stretched to the extent that wrinkles that have occurred in the pad 1 are substantially invisible, and refers to a state in which the pad 1 is stretched to the extent that the dimensions of each component constituting the pad 1 (e.g., the side sheet 5 described below) are the same as or close to the dimensions of the component alone.

[0059] 1 to 3, the pad 1 has an absorbent body 10, a liquid-permeable top sheet 2 (e.g., nonwoven fabric, perforated film, etc.) provided closer to the skin than the absorbent body 10, a liquid-impermeable or liquid-slightly permeable back sheet 3 (e.g., resin film, etc.) provided closer to the skin than the absorbent body 10, and a pair of side sheets 5 (e.g., hydrophobic nonwoven fabric, etc.) provided on both sides in the width direction closer to the skin than the top sheet 2. The back sheet 3 may be composed of a liquid-impermeable or liquid-slightly permeable sheet provided closer to the skin and a sheet of nonwoven fabric or the like provided closer to the skin.

[0060] The absorbent body 10 has an absorbent core 11 and a core wrap sheet (not shown). The absorbent core 11 can be, for example, a liquid-absorbent fiber such as pulp fiber containing SAP (super absorbent polymer) molded into a predetermined shape. The core wrap sheet can be, for example, a liquid-permeable tissue or nonwoven fabric.

[0061] The pad 1 has a pair of leakage preventing walls 6 on both widthwise sides, each having a standing portion 6b that can stand up toward the skin side and a fixed portion 6a that cannot stand up. The leakage preventing walls 6 are so-called three-dimensional gathered portions. The leakage preventing walls 6 are formed by a side sheet 5 and a leakage preventing wall elastic member 7 such as rubber thread. The leakage preventing wall elastic member 7 is fixed in a stretched state along the front-to-rear direction to the folded-back portion of the inner end of the side sheet 5 in the widthwise direction. Contraction of the leakage preventing wall elastic member 7 causes the standing portion 6b of the leakage preventing wall 6 to stand up toward the skin side. In Figure 1 and other figures, the leakage preventing wall elastic member 7 shows a stretchable portion. The side sheet 5 is fixed to the top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3 in an adhesive region A1 from one end to the other along the front-to-rear direction, and both front-to-rear end portions are fixed to the top sheet 2 in an adhesive region A2, widthwise inward of the adhesive region A1. The adhesive regions A1 and A2 each also serve as fixing portions 6a that fix the side sheet 5 to the top sheet 2 (a member adjacent to the side sheet 5 in the thickness direction). Specifically, the upright portion 6b of the pad 1 is located inward in the width direction from the adhesive region A1 and inward in the front-to-rear direction from the adhesive region A2. The fixing portion 6a has a first fixing portion 6a1 located outward in the width direction from the upright portion 6b and a second fixing portion 6a2 located outward in the front-to-rear direction from the upright portion 6b. In the leakage preventing wall portion 6 of the pad 1, the first fixing portion 6a1 is located at both ends of the adhesive region A1 in the front-to-rear direction and in the adhesive region A2 in FIG. 1, and the second fixing portion 6a2 is located in the adhesive region A1. In other words, the ends of the adhesive region A1 in the front-to-rear direction are both the first fixing portion 6a1 and the second fixing portion 6a2.

[0062] The pad 1 also has a pair of leg gathers LG on both widthwise sides, which are stretchable in the front-to-rear direction. The leg gathers LG are located outward of the leakage preventing walls 6 in the widthwise direction and are arranged around the wearer's legs when worn. The leg gathers LG are formed of side sheets 5 and leg elastic members 8 such as rubber thread. The leg elastic members 8 are fixed between the side sheets 5 and the back sheet 3 in a stretched state along the front-to-rear direction. In Figure 1 and other figures, the leg elastic members 8 are shown as stretchable portions. Contraction of the leg elastic members 8 causes the leg gathers LG to fit the wearer's legs.

[0063] The configuration of the pad 1 is not limited to the above. For example, the absorbent core 11 of the absorbent body 10 may be composed of one layer or multiple layers. The absorbent core 11 may or may not have slits, recesses recessed in the thickness direction, or protrusions protruding in the thickness direction. The absorbent core 11 may have compressed portions compressed in the thickness direction. The absorbent core 11 does not have to be covered with a core wrap sheet. The absorbent core may also be an SAP sheet in which an SAP layer is attached to a hydrophilic sheet, or an airlaid sheet in which liquid-absorbent fibers are formed into a sheet by an airlaid method. The pad 1 does not have to have the leakage preventing wall portion 6 or the leg gather portion LG.

[0064] The pad 1 has an adhesive portion 3a on the non-skin side. The adhesive portion 3a is a means for securing the pad 1 to another article. Examples of "other articles" include absorbent articles other than the pad 1, such as tape-type or pants-type disposable diapers and absorbent pads, and clothing such as the wearer's underwear. The adhesive portion 3a is a sticky portion provided with an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive, allowing the pad 1 to be repeatedly secured to and detached from another article. The adhesive portion 3a may be coated with an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive without gaps across the entire adhesive portion 3a, as shown in FIG. 2, or may be coated with an adhesive in a predetermined pattern such as an Ω pattern or a spiral pattern. The securing means is not limited to the adhesive portion 3a of this embodiment, such as a hot melt adhesive. For example, the securing means may include a hook-and-loop fastener having a male component, which can be engaged with another article having a female component or the like.

[0065] <<<Disposal of Pad 1>>> After being worn (used), absorbent articles such as the pad 1 absorb excrement, such as urine and feces. Therefore, when disposing of absorbent articles after wearing, it is preferable to avoid contact with excrement or leakage of excrement, and therefore, absorbent articles are often disposed of in a rolled or folded state. Conventionally, it has been widely known that absorbent articles are provided with tape (post-disposal tape) to maintain the rolled (rolled) state of the absorbent article, and that this tape is used to secure the rolled or folded state of the absorbent article after use with the skin-facing side facing inward. This tape for maintaining the rolled state of the absorbent article is not directly involved in the absorption of excrement, which is the original purpose of the absorbent article. Furthermore, in recent years, in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the industry has been seeking efficient resource utilization and waste reduction. After use, the absorbent article can be rolled up or otherwise disposed of in a compact form, thereby contributing to a reduction in the amount of garbage (waste).

[0066] However, the tape provided to keep the absorbent article rolled up is intended only for the disposal of the absorbent article. This tape uses more resources and increases the amount of waste. In other words, the disposal of absorbent articles increases the amount of waste.

[0067] In contrast, the pad 1 of this embodiment does not have a fastening tape or a post-treatment tape, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The pad 1 is provided with an opening-forming means for forming an opening H (see Figure 4(b) etc.) when the pad 1 is disposed of, and this opening H is an opening for inserting at least a part of the absorbent core 11 when the pad 1 is disposed of. When viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 1, this opening-forming means is located at a position that does not overlap with the absorbent core 11.

[0068] A fastening tape is a tape component used when putting on a so-called tape-type disposable diaper (absorbent article) and is an essential component for putting on a tape-type disposable diaper. In the case of a tape-type disposable diaper, the diaper is generally rolled up when discarded, and the fastening tape helps maintain the rolled shape. Therefore, absorbent articles that include fastening tape are less likely to achieve the effects of the present invention. Furthermore, since fastening tape is a relatively rigid component among the components that make up an absorbent article, not including a fastening tape in the absorbent article of the present invention can reduce the risk of the absorbent article becoming too rigid.

[0069] The post-treatment tape is a tape member used when disposing of the absorbent article (pad 1) and is used to maintain the absorbent article in a rolled state after use. An example of the post-treatment tape is a film-like sheet having an adhesive portion on one side.

[0070] In the present invention, the "rolled state" of the absorbent article (pad 1) refers to a state in which the absorbent article is rolled or wrapped from one end to the other end in a predetermined direction with the skin side of the absorbent article facing inward so as to form an approximately circular shape (roll shape) when viewed from the side of the absorbent article, or a state in which the skin side of the absorbent article is folded or bent inward.

[0071] The "opening-forming means" refers to a means for forming an opening when the pad 1 (absorbent article) is disposed of. The opening-forming means of the pad 1 in this embodiment is a perforation M. The perforation M has a predetermined length of through-hole that penetrates the pad 1 in the thickness direction from the skin-side surface to the non-skin-side surface, and a predetermined length of non-through-hole that does not penetrate. These through-hole and non-through-hole portions are arranged alternately in a predetermined direction. The perforation M in this embodiment is provided on one side (the front side) in the front-to-back direction and is a linear perforation along the width direction. Using the perforation M as the opening-forming means reduces the risk of impairing the function of the absorbent article in the pad 1 when worn, while also making it easy to form (create) an opening H when the pad 1 is disposed of. The easily formed opening H makes it easier to maintain the rolled shape of the pad 1 without the need for a separate component (such as a post-treatment tape) for disposal of the pad 1, thereby reducing the amount of resources used and preventing waste. Furthermore, by using the perforations M as the opening-defining means, the risk of excrement leaking from the opening H when the pad is worn is reduced, and the opening-defining means can be easily provided during the manufacturing process of the pad 1. However, the opening-defining means is not limited to the perforations M. The opening-defining means may be one that is already open before the pad is worn.

[0072] The "opening" is a means for inserting at least a portion of the absorbent core 11 of the used pad 1 when the pad 1 is disposed of. Therefore, the opening H has a size (area) that allows at least a portion of the absorbent core 11 to be inserted. The opening may be an opening that penetrates the pad 1 in the thickness direction from the skin side to the non-skin side, or an opening that penetrates only the skin side member of the pad 1 (top sheet 2) in the thickness direction and does not penetrate all the way to the back sheet 3. The opening H of the pad 1 is a portion that widens starting from the perforation M and is an annular space.

[0073] If the perforations M were located at a position overlapping the absorbent core 11 when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 1, there is a risk that excrement would leak from the perforations M or that the shape of the absorbent core 11 would be distorted starting from the perforations M, making it impossible to obtain the desired absorption function. Therefore, by locating the perforations M at a position that does not overlap the absorbent core 11 when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 1, it is possible to reduce the risk that the perforations M will reduce the excrement absorption function of the pad 1 or cause excrement to leak from the pad 1.

[0074] In the pad 1 of this embodiment, the perforations M are provided in the front-rear direction outside the end 11ea on one side in the front-rear direction (front side) of the absorbent core 11. As a result, when the pad 1 is rolled up from the other side in the front-rear direction (back side) along the longitudinal direction when discarding the pad 1, the rolled up portion of the pad 1 can be inserted into the opening H formed by the perforations M provided outside the end 11ea on one side in the front-rear direction of the absorbent core 11 in the front-rear direction, making it easier to maintain the rolled up shape of the pad 1.

[0075] Furthermore, as in the pad 1, it is preferable that the perforations M are also provided outside the end 11eb of the other front-rear side (rear side) of the absorbent core 11 in the front-rear direction. In other words, it is preferable that the perforations M are provided outside both ends of the absorbent core 11 in the front-rear direction. By cutting out the perforations M provided outside the other front-rear side end 11eb of the absorbent core 11 in the front-rear direction, an opening H can be provided on the other side (back side) of the pad 1, just as in the case where the perforations M are provided outside the front-rear side end 11ea of ​​one front-rear side (front side) of the absorbent core 11 in the front-rear direction. As a result, when the pad 1 is disposed of, the opening H formed by the perforations M makes it easier to maintain the rolled shape of the pad 1 regardless of whether the pad is rolled up from one side (front side) or the other side (rear side) in the front-rear direction.

[0076] The procedure for putting the pad 1 into a discarded state when discarding the pad 1 will be described below with reference to Figures 4 to 6. Figures 4 to 6 are diagrams for explaining the procedure for putting the pad 1 into a discarded state. Note that the following procedure is an example of the procedure for putting the pad 1 into a discarded state, and is not necessarily limited to this as long as it is a similar method. For example, the discarded state of the pad 1 may be formed by folding the pad 1 multiple times.

[0077] When disposing of the pad 1, first, as shown in Fig. 4(a), the perforation M (opening-forming means) on one side (e.g., the front side) in the front-to-back direction of the pad 1 in an unfolded state with the skin side facing up is cut or torn, leaving the pad 1 in a state in which an opening H (see Fig. 4(b), etc.) is formed. In other words, if the opening-forming means (perforation M) provided in the pad 1 is not a pre-opened opening, an opening H is formed starting from the perforation M and penetrating from the skin side to the non-skin side of the pad 1. Specifically, the opening H is formed starting from the perforation M on one side of the pad 1 in the front-to-back direction by grasping and pulling the portion S on the outer side in the front-to-back direction of the perforation M provided on one side of the pad 1 in the front-to-back direction.

[0078] Next, as shown in Figures 4(b) and 4(c), the pad 1 is rolled up (wrapped) from the other side in the front-to-rear direction of the pad 1 (for example, the rear side) with the skin side facing inward.

[0079] Then, as shown in FIG. 5(a), when the rolled-up portion reaches the vicinity of the opening H, the portion S of the pad 1 that is further outward in the front-to-rear direction than the opening H is grasped and pulled up, thereby widening the opening H in the front-to-rear direction, as shown in FIG. 5(b).

[0080] 6( a) and 6(b), the rolled-up portion of the pad 1 is inserted into the opening H while the portion S of the pad 1 that is outward from the opening H in the front-to-rear direction is pulled to widen the size of the opening H. That is, part of the rolled-up portion of the pad 1 is passed inside the opening H. At this time, by inserting at least part of the absorbent core 11 into the opening H, at least part of the pad 1 is inserted into the opening H. Note that in an absorbent article such as the pad 1, the absorbent core 11 is thicker and more rigid than other components, and therefore inserting at least part of the absorbent core 11 into the opening H makes it easier for the pad 1 to maintain its rolled-up shape.

[0081] Finally, the portion S of the pad 1 located on the front-to-back outer side of the opening H is released from tension, resulting in the disposal state shown in FIG. 6(c). As shown in FIG. 6(c), the pad 1 is maintained in a rolled state while being folded approximately at the center in the width direction. In the discarded state, the rolled portion of the pad 1 is wrapped around the annular loop of the opening H, preventing the rolled pad 1 inserted inside the loop of the opening H from unfolding or opening. In this discarded state, the pad 1 can maintain its rolled state and compact shape without the application of external force. This reduces the amount of waste generated. Note that, from the state of the pad 1 shown in FIG. 6(c), both widthwise end portions R of the pad 1 that are not inserted into the opening H may be further inserted into the opening H (not shown). This allows the pad 1 to be disposed of in an even more compact shape, contributing to waste reduction.

[0082] Thus, even if the pad 1 does not have a post-disposal tape used for disposing of the absorbent article, the pad 1 can maintain its rolled-up shape when disposed of by using the openings provided by the perforations M (opening-forming means). Furthermore, because the perforations M are positioned so as not to overlap the absorbent core 11 when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 1, there is little risk of impairing the functionality of the absorbent article, such as leakage of body waste. Therefore, by not providing a post-disposal tape, the pad 1 can maintain its functionality as an absorbent article while reducing the amount of resources used and preventing waste. Furthermore, the manufacturing cost of the pad 1 can be reduced by the amount of post-disposal tape. Furthermore, because the pad 1 can maintain its rolled-up state by using the openings provided by the opening-forming means even without using a post-disposal tape, the compact shape also contributes to reducing waste.

[0083] In the procedure for disposing of the pad 1 in this embodiment, the opening H is formed first when the pad 1 is disposed of without any openings formed therein, but this is not limited to this. The formation of the opening H starting from the opening-forming means (perforations M) may be performed at any stage up to the step of inserting the pad 1 (absorbent core 11) into the opening H (FIG. 6(a)).

[0084] Furthermore, in the case where the opening forming means is perforations M as in the case of pad 1, the size of the annular space of the opening H can be adjusted depending on the operability in the disposal procedure and the size required to maintain the rolled-up state of pad 1. In other words, the size of the opening H of pad 1 can be adjusted by adjusting the range (length) to be cut off by perforations M.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the opening H formed by the perforations M completely penetrates from the skin side to the non-skin side of the pad 1, but this is not limited to this. For example, the opening H may penetrate only the top sheet 2 in the thickness direction. When only the top sheet 2 has an opening H that penetrates in the thickness direction, the pad 1 is rolled up to a predetermined position after the opening H is formed, as in the disposal procedure described above (FIGS. 4(a) to 5(a)). The rolled portion of the pad 1 may then be inserted into the opening H in the top sheet 2, so that the rolled portion of the pad 1 is contained between the top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3. This allows the pad 1 to maintain its rolled shape and make the pad 1 more compact, making it easier to prevent waste from increasing and reduce the amount of waste than when using post-disposal tape.

[0086] The pad 1 has a weight of 60 g / m ２ The pad 1 does not have the above materials and is provided with an opening forming means for forming an opening H (see FIG. 4(b), etc.) when the pad 1 is disposed of. This opening H is an opening for inserting at least a part of the absorbent core 11 when the pad 1 is disposed of, and is characterized in that this opening forming means is provided in a position that does not overlap with the absorbent core 11 when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 1. Even with a pad 1 having such characteristics, the pad 1 can be disposed of using the same procedure as described above.

[0087] 60 g / m ２ The above materials refer to materials with a relatively high basis weight (weight per unit area), such as nonwoven fabrics, films, fastening tapes, and post-treatment tapes. ２ The lower material refers to, for example, a sheet-like member having a thickness of 2 mm or less, and does not include the absorbent core 11. ２ The above materials have a basis weight of 60 g / m ２ It is stiffer than lower basis weight materials.

[0088] Therefore, the pad 1 is 60 g / m ２ By not having more than 60g / m ２The flexibility of the pad 1 can be maintained more than when the pad 1 contains the above materials. Therefore, the pad 1 can be made of 60 g / m2 or more while reducing the discomfort when worn. ２ Compared to the case where the above materials are used, this reduces the risk of the pad 1 expanding from its rolled-up shape to its original shape. Furthermore, when disposing of the pad 1 according to the disposal procedure described above, the perforations M (opening-forming means) are used to maintain the pad 1 in its rolled-up form. Furthermore, since the perforations M are positioned so as not to overlap the absorbent core 11 when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 1, there is little risk of impairing the functionality of the absorbent article, such as leakage of body waste. Thus, the pad 1 maintains its functionality as an absorbent article, is flexible, and remains compact when disposed of, preventing the accumulation of waste. Furthermore, the openings provided by the opening-forming means allow the pad 1 to maintain its rolled-up form, reducing the risk of getting hands dirty or leaking body waste when disposed of, while also contributing to waste reduction through its compact form. Furthermore, the pad 1 has a weight of 60 g / m ２ By not having more than 60g / m ２ Compared to when the above materials are used, the amount of resources used in manufacturing the pad 1 is reduced, and accordingly the amount of waste disposed of is reduced. This can also contribute to reducing the amount of energy used when disposing of the pad 1 as waste. In particular, when materials made of resin compounds such as tape members (fastening tape, post-treatment tape, etc.) and films used in absorbent articles are disposed of as waste, high energy is required to decompose the materials, which is likely to place a burden on the environment. When the pad 1 is 60 g / m ２ By not including the above tape components (fastening tape, post-treatment tape, etc.) or materials formed of resin compounds such as films, ２ Compared to when the above materials are available, waste disposal from pad 1 can be carried out more easily with less energy, reducing the burden on the environment and making it easier to contribute to achieving the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

[0089] Regarding the opening-forming means, it is preferable that the widthwise length WM of the perforation M (opening-forming means) is at least half the maximum widthwise length W11 of the absorbent core 11 (WM≧W11×½). Specifically, in FIG. 1 , this refers to the widthwise length WM from the widthwise most (left-hand) end Mea of ​​the perforation M to the widthwise most (right-hand) end Meb. As shown in the disposal procedure above, the pad 1 is disposed of by inserting at least a portion of the rolled-up pad 1 (absorbent core 11) into the opening H. Therefore, it is preferable that the perforation M and the opening H formed by the perforation M have a predetermined size, and that the opening H is greater than the length obtained by stacking the thickness of the absorbent core 11 a predetermined number of times (multiple times, for example, 3 to 5 times). When the widthwise length WM of the perforation M is at least 1 / 2 of the maximum widthwise length W11 of the absorbent core 11, it becomes easier to open the opening H by the perforation M wider than when the widthwise length WM of the perforation M is shorter than 1 / 2 of the maximum widthwise length W11 of the absorbent core 11, and it becomes easier to insert at least a part of the rolled-up pad 1 (absorbent core 11) into the opening H.

[0090] Furthermore, as the opening-forming means, it is preferable that the widthwise length WM of the perforation M (opening-forming means) is equal to or greater than ¼ of the maximum front-to-rear length H11 of the absorbent core 11 (WM≧H11×¼). When the widthwise length WM of the perforation M is equal to or greater than ¼ of the maximum front-to-rear length H11 of the absorbent core 11, it becomes easier to open the opening H by the perforation M wider than when the widthwise length WM of the perforation M is shorter than ¼ of the maximum front-to-rear length H11 of the absorbent core 11, and it becomes easier to insert at least a portion of the rolled-up pad 1 (absorbent core 11) into the opening H.

[0091] Furthermore, in the case of the pad 1, when the perforation M is provided on the outer side (e.g., the front side) of the end 11ea on one side in the front-rear direction of the absorbent core 11, it is more preferable that the end Mea on the most one side (e.g., the left side in FIG. 1 ) of the perforation M is provided on the outer side (one side) of the most one side end 11sa in the width direction of the absorbent core 11. This allows the opening H created by the perforation M to be larger on one side in the width direction, making it easier to insert a part of the pad 1 (absorbent core 11) into the opening H, as in the disposal procedure described above. By providing the end Meb on the most other side (e.g., the right side in FIG. 1 ) of the perforation M not only on one side in the width direction but also on the outer side (the other side) of the most other side end 11sb in the width direction of the absorbent core 11, the opening H created by the perforation M can be made larger, making it easier to perform the disposal procedure.

[0092] Regarding the perforations M of the pad 1, the opening H can be made larger the further outward (on one side) the end Mea of ​​the perforations is in the width direction. However, if the end Mea of ​​the perforations reaches the side edge on one side in the width direction of the pad 1, the opening H will no longer be annular. If the opening H is no longer a closed annular shape, it will be difficult to store the rolled-up shape in the opening H by the disposal procedure described above. Therefore, it is preferable that the end Mea of ​​the perforations on one side be separated by a predetermined distance from the side edge on one side in the width direction of the pad 1.

[0093] When the perforation M is provided further outward in the front-rear direction than the end 11ea on one side in the front-rear direction of the absorbent core 11, as in the pad 1, the end Mea on the most one side (for example, the left side in FIG. 1 ) of the perforation M in the width direction may be provided more inward (on the other side, the right side in FIG. 1 ) than the end 11sa on the most one side in the width direction of the absorbent core 11. This reduces the risk that the perforation M will make the opening H excessively large, or that the opening H formed by the perforation M will reach the side edge on one side in the width direction of the pad 1, causing the opening H to lose its annular shape.

[0094] The pad 1 also has a pair of leakage preventing walls 6 on both sides in the width direction. As described above, the leakage preventing walls 6 include a leakage preventing wall elastic member 7 that stretches in the front-rear direction, a standing portion 6b that can stand on the skin side, and adhesive regions A1 and A2 that are fixed portions 6a provided outside the standing portion 6b in the front-rear direction. The fixed portion 6a includes a first fixed portion 6a1 provided outside the standing portion 6b in the width direction and a second fixed portion 6a2 provided outside the standing portion 6b in the front-rear direction. When such leakage preventing walls 6 are provided, it is preferable that the perforation M has a portion that overlaps with the second fixed portion 6a2 in the front-rear direction. It is also preferable that the end Mea on one side of the width direction of the perforation M is located inside the end ae2 on one side of the width direction of the second fixed portion 6a2 provided on one side in the width direction. The fixing portion 6a (adhesive regions A1, A2) including the second fixing portion 6a2 is a portion where the sheets constituting the leakage preventing wall portion 6 are fixed together with a hot melt adhesive or the like, and is therefore a portion with higher rigidity than the surrounding areas such as the standing portion 6b. Therefore, the perforation M is provided at a position that overlaps with the second fixing portion 6a2 in the front-to-rear direction, and one widthwise end Mea of ​​the perforation M is provided widthwise inward (on the other side) of one widthwise end ae2 of the second fixing portion 6a2. This reduces the risk that the opening H formed starting from the perforation M will become excessively large, and reduces the risk that the opening H will extend beyond one widthwise end ae2 of the second fixing portion 6a2 and reach one widthwise side edge of the pad 1.

[0095] Furthermore, it is more preferable that the end Mea of ​​one side in the width direction of the perforation M is provided outside (on one side) the end au2 of the other side in the width direction of the second fixing portion 6a2 provided on one side in the width direction. This makes it easier to make the opening H formed by the perforation M as large as possible, making it easier to maintain the rolled shape of the pad 1, reducing the risk of the opening H being excessively large due to the perforation M, and reducing the risk of the opening H formed by the perforation M reaching the side edge on one side in the width direction of the pad 1.

[0096] 1, it is preferable that the end Mea of ​​the perforation M on one side in the width direction is located inside (on the other side) of the center c11 between the side edge 11a on one side in the width direction of the pad 1 and the side edge 11sa on one side in the width direction of the absorbent core 11. This makes it easier to reduce the risk of the opening H formed by the perforation M becoming excessively large, and reduces the risk of the opening H formed by the perforation M reaching the side edge on one side in the width direction of the pad 1, compared to when the end Mea of ​​the perforation M on one side in the width direction is located outside (on one side) of the center c11 between the side edge 11sa on one side in the width direction of the pad 1.

[0097] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pad 1 preferably has an adhesive portion (fixing means) 3a on the non-skin side for fixing the pad 1 to another article (an absorbent article other than the pad 1, such as a disposable diaper, or clothing such as underwear). When such an adhesive portion 3a is provided, the pad 1 preferably has a portion where the perforation M and the adhesive portion 3a overlap when viewed in the thickness direction. This allows the pad 1 (absorbent core 11) to be inserted into the opening H formed by the perforation M when discarding the pad 1, and then fixed to the rolled-up portion of the pad 1 by the adhesive portion 3a provided in the portion that overlaps the perforation M when viewed in the thickness direction. Specifically, by providing the adhesive portion 3a in the portion that overlaps the perforation M when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 1, a fixing means such as an adhesive is provided around the opening H formed by the perforation M (for example, the non-skin side of portion S in Figure 5(b)). Therefore, when the pad 1 is rolled up to the specified position and inserted into the opening H in accordance with the disposal procedure described above, in the state shown in Figure 6(c), not only is it contained inside the annular opening H, but it can also be fixed in that state by the adhesive portion 3a, making it easier to maintain the rolled shape of the pad 1.

[0098] On the other hand, in the pad 1 of the present embodiment, when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 1, there is a portion where the perforation M and the adhesive portion 3 a overlap. However, this is not limited to this. The pad 1 may also be configured so that there is no portion where the perforation M and the adhesive portion 3 a overlap when viewed in the thickness direction. If there is a portion where the perforation M and the adhesive portion 3 a overlap when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 1, there is a risk that the adhesive portion 3 a of the pad 1 will stick to the hand when inserting the pad 1 rolled up to a predetermined position into the opening H during disposal ( FIGS. 5( b), 6( a), and 6( b) ). Therefore, by not having a portion where the perforation M and the adhesive portion 3 a overlap when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 1, the risk of the adhesive portion 3 a sticking to the hand can be reduced even when inserting the pad 1 rolled up to a predetermined position into the opening H during disposal. This makes it easier to dispose of the pad 1 and to form the rolled shape of the pad 1.

[0099] <<<<Modifications of First Embodiment>>>> The pad 1 of the first embodiment has been described above, but is not limited to this. The opening-forming means of the pad 1 of the first embodiment is linear perforations M along the width direction, but is not limited to this. The shape, size, and arrangement of the opening-forming means can be set as desired. Furthermore, the pad 1 of the first embodiment is provided with opening-forming means (perforations M) on both the front and rear sides in the front-to-rear direction, but is not limited to this. The opening-forming means (perforations M) may be provided on either the front or rear side of the pad 1. Furthermore, a configuration such as that shown in FIG. 7 may also be used. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the pad 1 of the first embodiment.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 7A , the opening-forming means of the pad 1 may have an opening H instead of a perforation M at the time of wearing (before disposal). The opening H shown in FIG. 7A is elliptical. However, the shape of the opening H can be changed as appropriate. For example, it may be any shape, such as circular, rectangular, or polygonal. This opening H may be a means for inserting at least a portion of the rolled-up pad 1 (absorbent core 11) at the time of disposal. Even when the opening-forming means of the pad 1 is an opening H as shown in FIG. 7A , by positioning the opening H on one side in the front-to-rear direction outside (on the front side) of the one end 11ea of ​​the absorbent core 11 in the front-to-rear direction, the risk of bodily exudate leakage or obstruction to absorption can be reduced even when the pad is worn.

[0101] Furthermore, the perforations M, which are the opening-forming means of the pad 1, are not limited to being straight lines along the width direction. As shown in FIG. 7B , the perforations M, which are the opening-forming means of the pad 1, may have a linear configuration with concave and convex shapes. The perforations M shown in FIG. 7B have a wave-like shape that undulates in the front-to-back direction. Even in the pad 1 configured as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B , even without a post-disposal tape used for disposing of the absorbent article, the pad 1 can be maintained in a rolled-up state by using the opening H provided by the opening-forming means (perforations M, opening H) when disposing of the pad 1. Furthermore, because the opening-forming means is located in a position that does not overlap with the absorbent core 11 when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 1, there is little risk of impairing the functionality of the absorbent article, such as leakage of excrement. Therefore, by not providing a post-disposal tape, the pad 1 maintains its functionality as an absorbent article while reducing the amount of resources used and preventing waste. Furthermore, the opening provided by the opening-forming means allows the pad 1 to maintain its rolled-up state without using a post-disposal tape, contributing to waste reduction through its compact form.

[0102] Second Embodiment An absorbent pad 20 (hereinafter also referred to as "pad 20") of a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the pad 20 in an unfolded and extended state, viewed from the skin side. The pad 20 has the same basic configuration as the pad 1 of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the pad 20 of this embodiment, parts that have the same configuration as the pad 1 of the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0103] <<<<Regarding Disposal of Pad 20>>> The pad 20 of this embodiment shown in Figure 8 and other figures has been removed from a container (not shown). Generally, pads 20 are distributed and sold in a packaged state in which they are contained in a container that contains one or more pads 20. Examples of the container include a resin (plastic) film such as polyethylene (PE) or paper. As shown in Figure 8, the pad 20 of the second embodiment does not have a fastening tape or a post-treatment tape. The pad 20 is provided with an opening-forming means for forming an opening when the pad 20 is disposed of. This opening is an opening for inserting at least a portion of the absorbent core 11 when the pad 20 is disposed of, and is characterized in that the opening-forming means is located at a position that does not overlap with the absorbent core 11 when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 20.

[0104] The opening-forming means (perforations M) of the pad 20 of this embodiment is provided widthwise outward of the side ends 11sa and 11sb of the absorbent core 11. Specifically, the perforations M of the pad 20 are provided widthwise outward of the side end 11sa of one of the absorbent core 11 and widthwise outward of the side end 11sb of the absorbent core 11. As a result, when the pad 20 is rolled up from the other side (back side) in the front-to-rear direction along the longitudinal direction when discarding the pad 20, the rolled-up portion of the pad 20 can be inserted into the openings formed by the perforations M provided widthwise outward of the side ends 11sa and 11sb of the absorbent core 11, making it easier to maintain the rolled-up shape of the pad 20.

[0105] The "opening-defining means" is a means for defining an opening when the pad 20 (absorbent article) is disposed of, similar to the pad 1 of the first embodiment. The opening-defining means of the pad 20 of this embodiment is a perforation M. The perforation M has a penetrating portion of a predetermined length that penetrates the pad 20 in the thickness direction from the skin side to the non-skin side, and a non-penetrating portion of a predetermined length that does not penetrate, and these penetrating portions and non-penetrating portions are arranged alternately in a predetermined direction. The perforation M of this embodiment is provided on one side (left side) in the width direction and is a linear perforation along the front-to-back direction. Specifically, the perforation M is provided on both sides of the absorbent core 11, approximately parallel to the absorbent core 11. If an opening were provided at a position that overlaps the absorbent core 11 in the front-to-back direction when worn, there would be a risk of body waste leaking. However, by using the perforation M as the opening-defining means, it is possible to reduce the risk of impeding the function of the absorbent article in the pad 20 when worn. Then, an opening can be easily formed starting from the perforation M when the pad 20 is disposed of.

[0106] The opening can be easily formed starting from the perforation M, which makes it easier to maintain the rolled shape of the pad 20 without the need for a separate member (such as post-treatment tape) for disposing of the pad 20, thereby reducing the amount of resources used and making it easier to prevent waste. Furthermore, since the opening is formed by the perforation M, the opening can be easily formed during the manufacturing process of the pad 20.

[0107] The "opening" is a means for inserting at least a portion of the absorbent core 11 of the used pad 20 when the pad 20 is disposed of. Therefore, the opening is made to a size (area) that allows at least a portion of the absorbent core 11 to be inserted. The opening may be an opening that penetrates the pad 20 in the thickness direction from the skin side to the non-skin side, or an opening that penetrates only the skin side member of the pad 20 (top sheet 2) in the thickness direction and does not penetrate all the way to the back sheet 3. The opening of the pad 20 is a portion that widens starting from the perforation M and is an annular space.

[0108] Furthermore, by arranging the perforations M at a position where they do not overlap with the absorbent core 11 when viewing the pad 20 in the thickness direction, the risk of the perforations M reducing the excrement absorption function of the pad 20 or causing excrement to leak from the pad 20 can be reduced.

[0109] When discarding the pad 20, the procedure for putting the pad 20 into a discarded state is roughly the same as that for discarding the pad 1 of the first embodiment, although there are some differences. The procedure for putting the pad 20 into a discarded state is not necessarily limited to this as long as it is a similar method, and for example, the pad 20 may be folded multiple times to put the pad 20 into a discarded state.

[0110] When disposing of the pad 20, first, the perforation M (opening-forming means) on one side of the width direction of the pad 20 (e.g., the left side in FIG. 8 ) in the unfolded state with the skin side facing up is cut or torn to form an opening (not shown). Next, the pad 20 is rolled up in the front-to-back direction with the skin side facing inward (see FIGS. 4( b ) to 5( a )). The rolled-up portions of the pad 20 are inserted into the openings on both sides of the width direction of the pad 20, and the force applied to the pad 20 for disposal is released. The pad 20 remains rolled up and ready for disposal. In the discarded state, the rolled-up portion of the pad 20 is wrapped around the annular loop of the opening, preventing the rolled-up pad 20 inserted inside the loop of the opening from unfolding or opening. In this discarded state, the pad 20 can be maintained in a compact form without the application of external force. This reduces the amount of waste that is discharged.

[0111] Thus, even if the pad 20 does not have a post-disposal tape used for disposing of the absorbent article, the pad 20 can maintain its rolled-up shape when disposed of by using the openings provided by the perforations M (opening-forming means). Furthermore, because the perforations M are positioned so as not to overlap the absorbent core 11 when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 20, there is little risk of impairing the functionality of the absorbent article, such as leakage of body waste. Therefore, by not providing a post-disposal tape, the pad 20 can maintain its functionality as an absorbent article while reducing the amount of resources used and preventing waste. Furthermore, the manufacturing cost of the pad 20 can be reduced by the amount of post-disposal tape. Furthermore, because the pad 20 can maintain its rolled-up state by using the openings provided by the opening-forming means even without using a post-disposal tape, the compact shape also contributes to reducing waste.

[0112] In the procedure for disposing of the pad 20 in this embodiment, the opening is first formed when the pad 20 is disposed of without any opening formed therein, but this is not limited to this. The formation of the opening starting from the opening forming means (perforation M) may be performed at any stage up to the step of inserting the pad 20 (absorbent core 11) into the opening H.

[0113] Furthermore, when the opening forming means of the pad 20 is the perforation M, the size of the annular space of the opening can be adjusted depending on the operability in the disposal procedure and the size required to maintain the rolled-up state of the pad 20. In other words, the size of the opening of the pad 20 can be adjusted by adjusting the range (length) cut out by the perforation M.

[0114] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the opening formed by the perforations M completely penetrates the pad 20 from the skin side to the non-skin side, but this is not limited to this. For example, the opening may penetrate only the top sheet 2 in the thickness direction. When only the top sheet 2 has an opening that penetrates in the thickness direction, the pad 20 is rolled up to a predetermined position after the opening H is formed, as in the disposal procedure described above. The rolled up portion of the pad 20 may then be inserted into the opening H in the top sheet 2, so that the rolled up portion of the pad 20 is placed between the top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3.

[0115] In the pad 20 of this embodiment, the perforations M are provided on the outside of both side ends 11sa and 11sb in the width direction of the absorbent core 11, but this is not limited to this. In the pad 20, the perforations M may be provided only on one side of the side end 11sa of the absorbent core 11 in the width direction or only on the outside of the side end 11sb of the other side of the absorbent core 11 in the width direction. Even if the perforations M (opening-forming means) are provided only on one side of the side end 11sa of the absorbent core 11 in the width direction or only on the outside of the side end 11sb of the other side of the absorbent core 11 in the width direction, the rolled-up state of the pad 20 can be maintained by inserting the rolled-up pad 20 into an opening H provided on either side in the width direction.

[0116] The pad 20 has a weight of 60 g / m ２ The pad 20 does not have the above materials and is provided with an opening-forming means for forming an opening when the pad 20 is disposed of, and this opening is an opening for inserting at least a part of the absorbent core 11 when the pad 20 is disposed of. The pad 20 is characterized in that, when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 20, this opening-forming means is provided in a position that does not overlap with the absorbent core 11. A pad 20 having such characteristics can also be disposed of using the same procedure as described above.

[0117] Therefore, the pad 20 is 60 g / m ２ By not having more than 60g / m ２The flexibility of the pad 20 can be maintained more than when the pad 20 contains the above materials. Therefore, the pad 20 can be made of 60 g / m ２ This reduces the risk of the pad 20 expanding as it tries to return to its original rolled shape compared to when the above materials are used. Furthermore, when disposing of the pad 20 according to the disposal procedure described above, the pad 20 can be maintained in its rolled shape by using the openings provided by the perforations M (opening-forming means). Furthermore, since the perforations M are provided at a position that does not overlap the absorbent core 11 when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 20, there is little risk of impairing the functionality of the absorbent article, such as leakage of excrement. Thus, the pad 20 ensures its functionality as an absorbent article and is flexible, while remaining compact when disposed of, preventing the increase of waste. Furthermore, the openings provided by the opening-forming means allow the pad 20 to maintain its rolled state, which contributes to reducing waste through its compact shape. Furthermore, the pad 20 has a weight of 60 g / m ２ By not having more than 60g / m ２ The amount of resources used in manufacturing the pad 20 is reduced compared to when the above materials are used, and therefore the amount of waste disposed of is reduced. This can also contribute to reducing the amount of energy used when disposing of the pad 20 as waste. In particular, when disposing of materials made of resin compounds such as tape members (fastening tape, post-treatment tape, etc.) and films used in absorbent articles as waste, high energy is required to decompose the materials, which is likely to place a burden on the environment. When the pad 20 has a density of 60 g / m ２ By not including the above tape components (fastening tape, post-treatment tape, etc.) or materials formed of resin compounds such as films, ２ Compared to the case where the above materials are available, waste disposal of the pad 20 can be carried out more easily with less energy, reducing the burden on the environment and making it easier to contribute to achieving the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

[0118] Regarding the opening-forming means, it is preferable that the length HM of the perforation M (opening-forming means) in the front-to-rear direction is equal to or greater than half the maximum widthwise length W11 of the absorbent core 11 (HM≧W11×1 / 2). Specifically, in FIG. 8 , this refers to the length HM in the front-to-rear direction from the end Msa of the perforation M on the most front-to-rear side (front side) to the end Msb on the most rear-to-rear side (back side). The pad 20 is disposed of by inserting at least a portion of the rolled-up pad 20 (absorbent core 11) into the opening, as in the disposal procedure described above. Therefore, it is preferable that the perforation M and the opening formed by the perforation M have a predetermined size, and that the opening be greater than the length obtained by stacking the thickness of the absorbent core 11 a predetermined number of times (e.g., 3 to 5 times). When the front-to-back length HM of the perforation M is at least 1 / 2 of the maximum widthwise length W11 of the absorbent core 11, it becomes easier to open the opening made by the perforation M wider than when the front-to-back length HM of the perforation M is shorter than 1 / 2 of the maximum widthwise length W11 of the absorbent core 11, and it becomes easier to insert at least a part of the rolled-up pad 20 (absorbent core 11) into the opening.

[0119] Furthermore, as the opening-forming means, it is preferable that the widthwise length HM of the perforation M (opening-forming means) is equal to or greater than ¼ of the maximum front-to-rear length H11 of the absorbent core 11 (HM≧H11×¼). When the widthwise length HM of the perforation M is equal to or greater than ¼ of the maximum front-to-rear length H11 of the absorbent core 11, the opening formed by the perforation M can be opened wider more easily than when the widthwise length HM of the perforation M is shorter than ¼ of the maximum front-to-rear length H11 of the absorbent core 11, and it is easier to insert at least a portion of the rolled-up pad 20 (absorbent core 11) into the opening.

[0120] The pad 20 also has a pair of leakage preventing walls 6 on both sides in the width direction. The leakage preventing walls 6 include a leakage preventing wall elastic member 7 that stretches in the front-to-rear direction, a standing portion 6b that can stand up toward the skin, and adhesive regions A1 and A2 that are fixed portions 6a located outside the standing portion 6b in the front-to-rear direction. The fixed portion 6a includes a first fixed portion 6a1 located outside the standing portion 6b in the width direction and a second fixed portion 6a2 located outside the standing portion 6b in the front-to-rear direction. When such leakage preventing walls 6 are included, it is preferable that a perforation M be located on one side (e.g., the left side) of the center in the width direction, outside the width direction from an end ae1 on one side of the first fixed portion 6a1 in the width direction. In the pad 20, the leakage preventing walls 6 are provided to prevent excrement from leaking outward in the width direction. Therefore, by locating the perforation M on the widthwise outer side of the end ae1 on one side of the widthwise direction of the first fixing portion 6a1 in the leakage-proof wall portion 6, the risk of excrement leaking out of the pad 20 through the perforation M can be reduced.

[0121] As shown in FIG. 8 , the pad 20 has leg gathers LG on both sides in the width direction that are arranged around the wearer's legs when worn. The leg gathers LG include leg elastic members 8 extending in the front-to-rear direction. Preferably, perforations M are provided on one side of the width center, more inward in the width direction than the leg elastic members 8. When the perforations M are provided outward in the width direction than the side edges 11sa and 11sb of the absorbent core 11, as in the pad 20, the front-to-rear contraction of the leg elastic members 8 allows the edges of the openings defined by the perforations M, through which at least a portion of the pad 20 (absorbent core 11) is inserted, to expand and contract. This expansion and contraction of the opening edges makes it easier to insert the absorbent core 11 into the opening when disposing of the pad 20. It also makes it easier to maintain the rolled shape of the pad 20.

[0122] Furthermore, when the pad 20 has leg gathers LG equipped with leg elastic members 8 on both widthwise sides, it is preferable that the front-to-rear length HM of the perforations M is shorter than the length H8 of the stretchable portions of the leg elastic members 8 (HM<H8). In FIG. 8 , the stretchable portions of the leg elastic members 8 are shown, and the length H8 of the leg elastic members 8 is the length of the stretchable portions. This allows the edges of the openings defined by the perforations M, through which at least a portion of the pad 20 (the absorbent core 11) is inserted, to expand and contract as the leg elastic members 8 contract in the front-to-rear direction. This expansion and contraction of the edges of the openings makes it easier to insert the absorbent core 11 into the openings when disposing of the pad 20. It also makes it easier to maintain the rolled shape of the pad 20.

[0123] On the other hand, when the pad 20 has leg gathered portions LG equipped with leg elastic members 8 on both widthwise sides, the length HM of the perforations M in the front-to-back direction may be longer than the length H8 of the stretchable portions of the leg elastic members 8 (HM > H8). This allows the opening formed by the perforations M to be larger than when the length HM of the perforations M in the front-to-back direction is shorter than the length H8 of the stretchable portions of the leg elastic members 8, making it easier to insert at least a portion of the rolled-up pad 20 (absorbent core 11) when disposing of the pad 20.

[0124] 8, when the pad 20 has an adhesive portion (anchoring means) 3a on the non-skin side for securing the pad 20 to another article, it is preferable that at least a portion of the adhesive portion 3a be provided on one side (e.g., the front side) of the pad 20 in the front-to-back direction, on one side of the pad 20 in the front-to-back direction, on one side of the perforation M. The portion of the pad 20 on which the adhesive portion 3a is provided tends to be more rigid than the portion on which the adhesive portion 3a is not provided. Therefore, when the pad 20 has perforations M along the front-to-back direction, providing at least a portion of the highly rigid adhesive portion 3a on the outside of the perforation M in the front-to-back direction can reduce the risk of the opening formed by the perforation M becoming excessively large and the risk of the opening formed by the perforation M reaching all the way to one end of the pad 20 in the front-to-back direction.

[0125] Furthermore, when the pad 20 has an adhesive portion (anchoring means) 3a on the non-skin side for securing the pad 20 to another article (an absorbent article other than the pad 20, such as a disposable diaper, or clothing such as underwear), it is preferable that the pad 20 does not have an overlapping portion between the perforation M and the adhesive portion 3a when viewed in the thickness direction. If the pad 20 has an overlapping portion between the perforation M and the adhesive portion 3a when viewed in the thickness direction, there is a risk that the adhesive portion 3a of the pad 20 will stick to the hand when inserting the pad 20, rolled up to a predetermined position, into an opening during disposal. Therefore, by not having an overlapping portion between the perforation M and the adhesive portion 3a when viewed in the thickness direction, the risk of the adhesive portion 3a sticking to the hand can be reduced even when inserting the pad 20, rolled up to a predetermined position, into an opening during disposal. This makes it easier to dispose of the pad 20 and to form the rolled-up shape of the pad 20.

[0126] On the other hand, in the pad 20 of this embodiment, when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 20, there is no portion where the perforation M and the adhesive portion 3 a overlap, but this is not limited to this. When viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 20, there may be a portion where the perforation M and the adhesive portion 3 a overlap. This allows, when disposing of the pad 20, the pad 20 (absorbent core 11) to be inserted into the opening H defined by the perforation M, and then secured to the rolled-up portion of the pad 20 by the adhesive portion 3 a provided in the portion that overlaps the perforation M when viewed in the thickness direction. This allows, when the rolled-up pad 20 is inserted into the opening according to the disposal procedure described above, in the discarded state, not only is it placed inside the annular opening, but it is also secured by the adhesive portion 3 a, making it easier to maintain the rolled-up shape of the pad 20.

[0127] <<<Modification of Second Embodiment>>> The pad 20 of the second embodiment has been described above, but is not limited to this. The opening-forming means of the pad 20 of the first embodiment is linear perforations M along the front-to-rear direction, but is not limited to this. The shape, size, and arrangement of the opening-forming means can be set arbitrarily. For example, it may be in a form as shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the pad 20 of the second embodiment.

[0128] The modified example shown in Figures 9A and 9B has perforations M as opening-forming means along the front-to-rear direction. The perforations M of the pad 20 shown in Figure 9A have a wave-like shape that undulates and curves in the width direction. The perforations of the pad 20 shown in Figure 9B have a shape such that the center in the front-to-rear direction is pointed toward one side in the width direction, and both sides in the front-to-rear direction are inclined toward the inside in the width direction. Even in the pad 20 configured as shown in Figures 9A and 9B, even without a disposal tape used for disposing of the absorbent article, the pad 20 can be maintained in a rolled shape when discarded by using the opening formed by the opening-forming means (perforations M). Furthermore, because the opening-forming means is located in a position that does not overlap with the absorbent core 11 when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 20, there is little risk of impairing the functionality of the absorbent article, such as leakage of excrement. Therefore, by not including a disposal tape, the pad 20 maintains its functionality as an absorbent article while reducing the amount of resources used and preventing waste. Furthermore, even without using post-treatment tape, the pad 20 can be maintained in a rolled state by the opening formed by the opening forming means, which contributes to reducing waste due to its compact form.

[0129] Third Embodiment An absorbent pad 30 (hereinafter also referred to as "pad 30") of a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the pad 30 in an unfolded and extended state, viewed from the skin side. The pad 30 has the same basic configuration as the pad 1 of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the pad 30 of this embodiment, parts that have the same configuration as the pad 1 of the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0130] <<<<Regarding Disposal of Pad 30>>> The pad 30 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 10 and other figures, is removed from a container (not shown). Generally, pads 30 are distributed and sold in a packaged state, housed in a container that houses one or more pads 30. Examples of the container include a resin (plastic) film such as polyethylene (PE) or paper. The pad 30 of this embodiment does not have a post-treatment tape. As shown in Figure 10, the pad 30 includes an opening-forming means for forming an opening H (see Figure 11(b) and other figures) when the pad 30 is disposed of. The opening-forming means is located in a position that does not overlap with the absorbent core 11 when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 30. The perforation M of this embodiment is located on one side (front side) in the front-to-rear direction and is a substantially semicircular perforation with a protrusion toward the center in the front-to-rear direction.

[0131] The "opening-forming means" refers to a means for forming an opening when the pad 30 (absorbent article) is disposed of. The opening-forming means in the pad 30 also serves as a region that can be folded back toward the skin side when forming an opening during disposal. The opening-forming means of the pad 30 in this embodiment is a perforation M. The perforation M has a predetermined length of through-hole that penetrates the pad 30 in the thickness direction from the skin-side to the non-skin-side, and a predetermined length of non-through-hole that does not penetrate. These through-hole and non-through-hole portions are arranged alternately in a predetermined direction. The perforation M as the opening-forming means reduces the risk of impairing the function of the absorbent article in the pad 30 when worn, while also facilitating the formation of an opening H when the pad 30 is disposed of. The easily formed opening H makes it easier to maintain the rolled shape of the pad 30 without the need for a separate component (such as post-treatment tape) for disposal of the pad 30, thereby reducing the amount of resources used and preventing waste. Furthermore, the opening-forming means can be easily provided during the manufacturing process of the pad 30. However, the opening forming means is not limited to the perforations M. The opening forming means may be one that is open before wearing.

[0132] The "opening" is a portion that penetrates from the skin side to the non-skin side and is provided so that the pad 30 can be folded back to expose the non-skin side when discarding the pad 30. The opening H of the pad 30 is a portion that widens starting from the perforation M and is an annular space.

[0133] If the perforations M were located at a position overlapping the absorbent core 11 when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 30, there is a risk that excrement would leak from the perforations M or that the shape of the absorbent core 11 would be distorted starting from the perforations M, preventing the desired absorption function from being achieved. Therefore, by locating the perforations M at a position that does not overlap the absorbent core 11 when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 30, it is possible to reduce the risk that the perforations M will reduce the excrement absorption function of the pad 30 or cause excrement to leak from the pad 30.

[0134] In the pad 30 of this embodiment, the perforations M are provided in the front-to-rear direction outside the end 11ea on one side in the front-to-rear direction (front side) of the absorbent core 11. As a result, when the pad 30 is rolled up from the other side in the front-to-rear direction (dorsal side) along the longitudinal direction when discarding the pad 30, the rolled shape of the pad 30 can be easily maintained by attaching the adhesive portion 3a on the non-skin side of the opening H formed by the perforations M provided outside the end 11ea on one side in the front-to-rear direction of the absorbent core 11 to the non-skin side of the rolled-up pad 30.

[0135] Furthermore, as in the pad 30, it is preferable that the perforations M are also provided outside the end 11eb of the other front-rear side (rear side) of the absorbent core 11 in the front-rear direction. In other words, it is preferable that the perforations M are provided outside both ends of the absorbent core 11 in the front-rear direction. By cutting off the perforations M provided outside the other front-rear side end 11eb of the absorbent core 11 in the front-rear direction, an opening H can be provided on the other side (back side) of the pad 30, just as in the case where the perforations M are provided outside the end 11ea of ​​one front-rear side (front side) of the absorbent core 11 in the front-rear direction. As a result, when disposing of the pad 30, regardless of whether rolling up is started from one side (front side) or the other side (rear side) in the front-rear direction, the opening H formed by the perforations M makes it easier to maintain the rolled shape of the pad 30.

[0136] 10, the perforations M (opening-forming means) preferably have a convex portion. The convex portion is preferably configured so that it can be folded back toward the skin when the opening H is formed (see FIG. 11(b)). When the pad 30 is disposed of in accordance with the disposal procedure described below, the opening H formed by the perforations M is a convex portion. By flipping over the convex portion to form the opening H and folding it back toward the skin when disposing of the pad 30, the adhesive portion 3a is exposed to the skin. By adhering the adhesive portion 3a, which is located at a position overlapping the perforations in the thickness direction, to the non-skin side of the rolled-up pad 30, the rolled-up shape of the pad 30 can be easily maintained.

[0137] Furthermore, it is preferable that the convex portion of the perforation M has a convex shape that protrudes toward the center CL in the front-to-rear direction. In this way, since the convex portion of the perforation M has a convex shape that protrudes toward the center CL, the convex portion by the opening H that is formed by turning over the pad 30 when discarding the pad 30 can be easily fixed to the rolled-up portion of the pad 30 as in the disposal procedure described below, and the rolled-up shape of the pad 30 can be more easily maintained.

[0138] 11 and 12, a procedure for putting the pad 30 into a discarded state when discarding the pad 30 will be described. FIGS. 11 and 12 are diagrams for explaining the procedure for putting the pad 30 into a discarded state. Note that the following procedure is an example of a procedure for putting the pad 30 into a discarded state, and is not necessarily limited to this as long as it is a similar method. For example, the discarded state of the pad 30 may be formed by folding the pad 30 multiple times.

[0139] When disposing of the pad 30, first, as shown in Fig. 11(a), the pad 30 is opened with the skin side facing up, and the perforation M (opening-forming means) on one side in the front-to-back direction (e.g., the front side) is cut or torn to form an opening H, and the portion cut to form the opening H is folded back toward the skin side to obtain the state shown in Fig. 11(b). In other words, if the opening-forming means (perforation M) provided in the pad 30 is not a pre-opened opening, an opening H is formed starting from the perforation M and penetrating from the skin side to the non-skin side of the pad 30. Note that by having an adhesive portion 3a that overlaps the perforation M when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 30, the non-skin side portion U of the portion folded back toward the skin to form the opening H is provided with a fixing means such as a hot melt adhesive for fixing the pad 30 to another article.

[0140] Next, as shown in Figures 11(c) and 12(a), the pad 30 is rolled up (wrapped) into a roll from the other side in the front-to-back direction of the pad 30 (for example, the rear side) with the skin side facing inward.

[0141] Then, as shown in Figure 12(b), when the rolled portion reaches close to the opening H, the non-skin side portion U that has been folded back toward the skin to form the opening H in the pad 30 is fixed by, for example, adhering it to the non-skin side of the rolled portion of the pad 30.

[0142] As a result, the discarded pad 30 can maintain its rolled state and compact shape without the application of external force, thereby reducing the amount of waste to be disposed of.

[0143] Thus, even though the pad 30 does not have a post-disposal tape used for disposing of the absorbent article, the pad 30 can maintain its rolled shape when disposed of by using the adhesive portion 3a, which overlaps the perforation M when viewed in the thickness direction, on the non-skin side of the opening H folded back toward the skin. The adhesive portion 3a is necessary for securing the pad 30 to underwear or other absorbent articles, i.e., for using the pad 30 as an absorbent article. By using the adhesive portion 3a, which is provided to fulfill this function as an absorbent article, at the time of disposal, the pad 30 can be disposed of without the need for a new component for disposal of the pad 30, such as a post-disposal tape. Therefore, while maintaining its functionality as an absorbent article, the pad 30 does not have a post-disposal tape, thereby reducing the amount of resources used and preventing waste. Furthermore, the manufacturing cost of the pad 30 can be reduced by the amount of post-disposal tape. Furthermore, since the perforations M are positioned so as not to overlap the absorbent core 11 when viewed in the thickness direction of the pad 30, there is little risk of loss of functionality of the absorbent article, such as leakage of excrement. In this way, the openings formed by the opening-forming means can maintain the rolled-up state of the pad 30 without using post-treatment tape, which contributes to reducing waste due to its compact form.

[0144] In the procedure for disposing of the pad 30 in this embodiment, the opening H is formed first when the pad 30 is disposed of without any opening formed therein, but this is not limited to this. The formation of the opening H starting from the opening-forming means (perforations M) may be performed at any stage from when the pad 30 is rolled up to a predetermined position until the non-skin-side portion U, which is folded back toward the skin to form the opening H, is fixed to the non-skin-side of the rolled-up pad 30 ( FIG. 12( b) ).

[0145] When the fastening means (adhesive portion 3 a) is used to maintain a rolled-up shape when discarded, as in the case of the pad 30, the fastening means is a fastening means that can be fastened to another article (such as underwear or another disposable diaper) when the absorbent article (pad 30) is worn, and is a fastening means that can be fastened to the non-skin-side surface of the absorbent article (pad 30). For example, when fastening the pad 30 to the skin-side surface of another disposable diaper, the fastening means on the non-skin-side surface of the pad 30 comprises a male hook-and-loop fastener, and the non-skin-side surface (backsheet 3) of the pad 30 is an outer sheet made of nonwoven fabric. When the pad 30 is worn, the hook-and-loop fastener engages and fastens the non-skin-side surface of the other disposable diaper, and when the pad 30 is discarded, the hook-and-loop fastener on the non-skin-side surface of the opening H defined by the perforations M engages with the non-skin-side surface of the rolled-up pad 30, thereby maintaining the pad 30 in its rolled-up state.

[0146] Furthermore, when viewing the pad 30 in the thickness direction, it is preferable that the area of ​​the overlapping portion between the opening-forming means (perforations M) and the fixing means (adhesive portion 3a) is at least half the area of ​​the convex portion (portion U in FIG. 11(b) ) that can be folded back toward the skin. For example, if an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive is applied without gaps over the entire adhesive portion 3a, the area of ​​the adhesive portion 3a in portion U is 100%. If the adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive is applied to the adhesive portion 3a in a predetermined pattern (such as a spiral pattern, Ω pattern, or stripe pattern), it is preferable that the total area of ​​the adhesive-applied region in portion U is at least half the area of ​​portion U. This makes it easier for portion U to maintain the pad 30 in a rolled-up state.

[0147] 10, when viewing the pad 30 in the thickness direction, the perforation M (opening forming means) is preferably provided at a position that straddles the center C-C in the width direction of the pad 30. When disposing of the pad 30, the pad 30 is fixed in a rolled-up state with the adhesive portion 3a provided at a position that overlaps the perforation M in the thickness direction, and by fixing the pad 30 at the center in the width direction, the rolled shape of the pad 30 can be maintained more stably than when the pad 30 is fixed at the end in the width direction.

[0148] Regarding the opening-forming means, the widthwise length WM of the perforation M (opening-forming means) may be equal to or greater than half the maximum widthwise length W11 of the absorbent core 11 (WM≧W11×½). Specifically, in FIG. 10 , this refers to the widthwise length WM from the widthwise most (left) end Mea of ​​the perforation M of the pad 30 to the widthwise most (right) end Meb. The larger the portion U folded back toward the skin at the perforation M and the wider the range of the adhesive portion 3a in the portion U, the easier it is to maintain the rolled-up state of the pad 30. Therefore, when the widthwise length WM of the perforation M is equal to or greater than half the maximum widthwise length W11 of the absorbent core 11, the pad 30 is more easily maintained in a rolled-up state than when the widthwise length WM of the perforation M is shorter than half the maximum widthwise length W11 of the absorbent core 11.

[0149] As the opening-forming means, the widthwise length WM of the perforation M (opening-forming means) may be set to be ¼ or more (WM≧H11×¼) of the maximum length H11 in the front-to-rear direction of the absorbent core 11. When the widthwise length WM of the perforation M is ¼ or more of the maximum length H11 in the front-to-rear direction of the absorbent core 11, it becomes easier to maintain the rolled-up state of the pad 30 than when the widthwise length WM of the perforation M is shorter than ¼ of the maximum length H11 in the front-to-rear direction of the absorbent core 11.

[0150] When the perforation M is provided further outward in the front-rear direction than the end 11ea on one side in the front-rear direction of the absorbent core 11, as in the pad 30, it is preferable that the end Mea on the most one side (for example, the left side in FIG. 10 ) of the perforation M in the width direction is provided more inward (the other side, the right side in FIG. 10 ) than the end 11sa on the most one side in the width direction of the absorbent core 11. This reduces the risk that the perforation M will make the opening H excessively large, or that the opening H formed by the perforation M will reach the side edge on one side in the width direction of the pad 30, causing the opening H to lose its annular shape.

[0151] On the other hand, when the perforation M is provided further outward (e.g., on the front side) than the end 11ea on one side in the front-rear direction of the absorbent core 11, the end Mea on the most one side in the width direction (e.g., on the left side in Fig. 10 ) of the perforation M may be provided further outward (on one side) than the end 11sa on the most one side in the width direction of the absorbent core 11. This allows the size of the portion pulled up toward the skin when forming the opening H to be increased, and therefore the adhesive portion 3a on the non-skin side of the opening H, which is folded back more widely toward the skin, can fix the rolled-up pad 30 over a wider range, making it easier to maintain the rolled-up state of the pad 30.

[0152] The pad 30 also has a pair of leakage preventing walls 6 on both sides in the width direction. As described above, the leakage preventing walls 6 include a leakage preventing wall elastic member 7 that stretches in the front-rear direction, a standing portion 6b that can stand on the skin side, and adhesive regions A1 and A2 that are fixed portions 6a provided outside the standing portion 6b in the front-rear direction. The fixed portion 6a includes a first fixed portion 6a1 provided outside the standing portion 6b in the width direction and a second fixed portion 6a2 provided outside the standing portion 6b in the front-rear direction. When such leakage preventing walls 6 are provided, it is preferable that the perforation M overlaps with the second fixed portion 6a2 in the front-rear direction. It is also preferable that the end Mea on one side of the width direction of the perforation M is located inside the end ae2 on one side of the width direction of the second fixed portion 6a2 provided on one side in the width direction. The fixing portion 6a (adhesive regions A1, A2) including the second fixing portion 6a2 is a portion where the sheets constituting the leakage preventing wall portion 6 are fixed together with a hot melt adhesive or the like, and is therefore a portion with higher rigidity than the surrounding areas of the standing portion 6b, etc. Therefore, the perforation M is provided at a position that overlaps with the second fixing portion 6a2 in the front-to-rear direction, and one widthwise end Mea of ​​the perforation M is provided widthwise inward (on the other side) of one widthwise end ae2 of the second fixing portion 6a2. This reduces the risk that the opening H formed starting from the perforation M will become excessively large, and reduces the risk that the opening H will extend beyond one widthwise end ae2 of the second fixing portion 6a2 and reach one widthwise side edge of the pad 30.

[0153] <<<<Modifications of Third Embodiment>>>> The pad 30 of the third embodiment has been described above, but is not limited to this. The opening-forming means of the pad 30 of the third embodiment is a single, approximately semicircular perforation M having a protrusion toward the center in the front-to-rear direction, but is not limited to this. The shape, size, number, and arrangement of the opening-forming means can be set as desired. Furthermore, the pad 30 of the third embodiment is provided with the opening-forming means (perforation M) on both the front and rear sides in the front-to-rear direction, but is not limited to this. The opening-forming means (perforation M) may be provided on either the front or rear side of the pad 30.

[0154] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, 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.

[0155] In the above-described embodiments, the pads 1, 20, and 30 are described in a state where they are removed from the container, but this is not limiting. For example, the container may be an individually wrapped sheet that individually wraps pad products such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, light incontinence products, light incontinence liners, and urine absorption pads, and the pad products may be in a state where they are removed from the container, which is an individually wrapped sheet.

[0156] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 20, 30 Absorbent pad (pad, absorbent article) 2 Top sheet, 3 Back sheet, 3a Adhesive portion (fixing means), 5 Side sheet, 6 Leakage prevention wall portion, 6a Fixing portion, 6b Standing portion, 7 Leakage prevention wall elastic member, 8 Leg opening elastic member (leg opening stretchable member), 10 Absorbent body, 11 Absorbent core, LG Leg gathering portion, M Perforation (opening forming means), H Opening

Claims

1. An absorbent article having an absorbent core, which in an unfolded state has a front-to-rear direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction that are perpendicular to one another, and which, when the absorbent article is removed from a container or when the absorbent article is detached from the container, does not have fastening tape or post-treatment tape used when disposing of the absorbent article, and is provided with opening-forming means for forming an opening when the absorbent article is disposed of, wherein the opening is an opening for inserting at least a part of the absorbent core when disposed of, and when viewed in the thickness direction, the opening-forming means is provided in a position that does not overlap with the absorbent core.

2. An absorbent article having an absorbent core, which has a front-rear direction, a width direction and a thickness direction which are perpendicular to each other in an unfolded state, and which has a density of 60 g / m when the absorbent article is removed from a storage material or when the absorbent article is detached from the storage material. ２ An absorbent article that does not have the above materials, and is provided with an opening forming means for forming an opening when the absorbent article is disposed of, the opening being an opening for inserting at least a part of the absorbent core when the absorbent article is disposed of, and the opening forming means is provided in a position that does not overlap with the absorbent core when viewed in the thickness direction.

3. An absorbent article having an absorbent core, which in an unfolded state has front-to-rear, width and thickness directions which are perpendicular to one another, and which, when the absorbent article is removed from a container or the absorbent article is detached from the container, does not have a post-treatment tape to be used when disposing of the absorbent article, has a fixing means on the non-skin side of the absorbent article for fixing the absorbent article to another article, and is provided with opening-forming means for forming an opening when the absorbent article is disposed of, and when viewed in the thickness direction, the opening-forming means is provided in a position which does not overlap the absorbent core, and has a portion where the opening-forming means and the fixing means overlap.

4. An absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the opening forming means is a perforation.

5. An absorbent article as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least one of the length in the front-to-rear direction or the length in the width direction of the opening-forming means is at least half the maximum length in the width direction of the absorbent core.

6. An absorbent article as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least one of the length in the front-to-rear direction or the length in the width direction of the opening-forming means is at least 1 / 4 of the maximum length in the front-to-rear direction of the absorbent core.

7. An absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, in the front-to-rear direction, the opening-forming means is provided outside one end of the absorbent core in the front-to-rear direction.

8. An absorbent article according to claim 7, characterized in that the opening-forming means is also provided outside the other end of the absorbent core in the front-to-rear direction.

9. An absorbent article as described in claim 7, characterized in that, on one side in the width direction, the most one edge of the opening-forming means is located outside the most one edge of the absorbent core in the width direction.

10. An absorbent article according to claim 7, characterized in that, in the width direction, the most one side edge of the opening-forming means is located more inward than the most one side edge of the absorbent core.

11. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 7, comprising a pair of leak-proof wall portions on both sides in the width direction, the leak-proof wall portions having a leak-proof wall elastic member that stretches in the front-to-rear direction, a standing portion that can stand on the skin side, and a fixed portion that cannot stand, the fixed portion having a first fixed portion and a second fixed portion, the first fixed portion being provided outboard of the standing portion in the width direction, and the second fixed portion being provided outboard of the standing portion in the front-to-rear direction, the opening forming means having a portion that overlaps with the second fixed portion in the front-to-rear direction, and one end of the opening forming means in the width direction being provided inside one end of the second fixed portion provided on one side in the width direction.

12. An absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the opening-forming means is provided outside the side edges of the absorbent core in the width direction.

13. An absorbent article as described in claim 12, having a pair of leak-proof wall portions on both sides in the width direction, the leak-proof wall portions having a leak-proof wall elastic member that stretches in the front-to-rear direction, a standing portion that can stand on the skin side, and a fixed portion that cannot stand, the fixed portion having a first fixed portion and a second fixed portion, the first fixed portion being provided on the outside in the width direction of the standing portion, and the second fixed portion being provided on the outside in the front-to-rear direction of the standing portion, and the opening-forming means being provided on one side of the center in the width direction, on the outside in the width direction of one end of the first fixed portion in the width direction.

14. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that it has leg gather portions on both sides in the width direction that are arranged around the legs of the wearer when worn, the leg gather portions are provided with leg stretch members that run along the front-to-back direction, and the opening-forming means is provided on one side of the centre in the width direction, more inward in the width direction than the leg stretch members.

15. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that it has leg gather portions on both sides in the width direction that are arranged around the legs of the wearer when worn, the leg gather portions are provided with leg-hole stretchable members that extend along the front-to-rear direction, and the length of the opening-forming means in the front-to-rear direction is shorter than the length of the stretchable portions of the leg-hole stretchable members.

16. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that it has leg gather portions on both sides in the width direction that are arranged around the legs of the wearer when worn, the leg gather portions are provided with leg-hole stretchable members that extend along the front-to-rear direction, and the length of the opening-forming means in the front-to-rear direction is longer than the length of the stretchable parts of the leg-hole stretchable members.

17. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the non-skin side of the absorbent article has a fixing means for fixing the absorbent article to another article, and at least a part of the fixing means is provided on one side in the front-to-rear direction from the opening-forming means.

18. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the absorbent article has a fixing means on the non-skin side for fixing the absorbent article to another article, and has a portion where the opening forming means and the fixing means overlap when viewed in the thickness direction.

19. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the absorbent article has a fixing means on the non-skin side for fixing the absorbent article to another article, and when viewed in the thickness direction, there is no portion where the opening forming means and the fixing means overlap.

20. An absorbent article as set forth in claim 3, wherein the opening forming means has a convex portion, and the convex portion is configured so that it can be folded back toward the skin when the opening is formed.

21. An absorbent article according to claim 20, wherein the convex portion has a convex shape that protrudes toward the center in the front-to-rear direction.

22. An absorbent article as set forth in claim 20, characterized in that the area of ​​the portion where the opening-forming means and the fixing means overlap when viewed in the thickness direction is at least half the area of ​​the convex portion that can be folded back toward the skin.

23. An absorbent article according to claim 20, characterized in that, when viewed in the thickness direction, the opening-forming means is provided at a position spanning the center of the absorbent article in the width direction.

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