Accommodating body for pants-type absorbent articles

Abstract

Provided is a pants-type absorbent article accommodating body (100) including a plurality of pants-type absorbent articles (1) and an accommodating member (101), wherein, in the absorbent articles (1) in an accommodated state: a vertical end portion (WA) of a waist portion (20, 30) is folded back to a crotch portion (40) side; a vertical end (WAe) of the waist portion (20, 30) does not extend beyond a vertical end (40e) of the crotch portion (40); the plurality of absorbent articles (1) are compressed in a state in which the absorbent articles (1) are stacked in the thickness direction; and in at least one of the plurality of absorbent articles (1), a distance (L1) from the end (WAe) of the waist portion (20, 30) at a central position in the left-right direction to the end (40e) of the crotch portion (40) is greater than an average thickness (T) of the crotch portion (40).

Description

Pants-type absorbent article container

[0001] The present invention relates to a container for a pants-type absorbent article.

[0002] Conventionally, absorbent articles such as disposable diapers have been known that have an elastic member stretchable in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) in the center of the width direction in the crotch part corresponding to the crotch of a wearer. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a disposable diaper that has a front part and a rear part corresponding to a waist part, includes an absorbent core extending from the front part to the rear part, and has an elastic member extending in the longitudinal direction at the center of the absorbent core on the non-skin contact side of the absorbent core.

[0003] JP 2010-131196 A

[0004] Absorbent articles such as the disposable diaper described in Patent Document 1 are typically sold in a storage bag or other container that protects the absorbent article, with both lateral ends of the waistband folded toward the center and then folded in half, and then placed under high compression. In other words, in order to reduce logistics costs, containers that store multiple absorbent articles tend to apply high compression to the absorbent articles to make them more compact and accommodate a larger number of absorbent articles. However, if such a compressed state continues within the container, there is a risk that adhesive applied to the elastic members of the absorbent article will seep out and adhere to adjacent products within the container, or that the waistband and crotch portions of the absorbent article will adhere to each other, causing tears and the elastic members to come loose.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a storage body for pants-type absorbent articles that prevents multiple absorbent articles from sticking together due to leaked adhesive within a storage member in which the absorbent articles are stored in a compressed state.

[0006] The main invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is a pant-type absorbent article container having a plurality of pant-type absorbent articles and a container member for storing the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, wherein the pant-type absorbent articles have mutually perpendicular vertical, horizontal, and thickness directions, a pair of waistbands, a crotch portion that is located under the crotch of the wearer when worn, and a central elastic member that is stretchable in the vertical direction and attached with adhesive to the center of the horizontal direction of the crotch portion, wherein when stored in the container member, the vertical ends of the waistbands are folded back toward the crotch portion, the vertical ends of the folded back waistbands do not extend beyond the vertical ends of the crotch portion, the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles are compressed in a stacked state in the thickness direction, and in at least one pant-type absorbent article among the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, the distance from the end of the waistband at the center position in the horizontal direction to the end of the crotch portion is longer than the average thickness of the crotch portion. Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a storage body for pants-type absorbent articles that prevents products from sticking together due to leaked adhesive within a storage member in which multiple absorbent articles are stored in a compressed state.

[0008] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a disposable diaper container 100; FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the diaper 1 as seen from the ventral side; FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state as seen from the wearer's skin side; FIG. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 3, and FIG. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 3; FIGS. 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating folding of the diaper 1 during storage; FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of the stored state of the diaper 1 stored in the storage member 101; FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating adjacent diapers 1 in the stored state; FIG. 8 is a table showing folding patterns of the diaper 1; FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a modified folding pattern of the diaper 1 in the stored state; FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another modified folding pattern of the diaper 1 in the stored state; FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating yet another modified folding pattern of the diaper 1; FIG. 12 is a partial enlarged view of the ventral waist portion 20 in the unfolded and stretched state.

[0009] At least the following matters will become clear from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings. Aspect 1 is a pant-type absorbent article container having a plurality of pant-type absorbent articles and a container member that contains the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, wherein the pant-type absorbent articles have mutually perpendicular vertical, horizontal, and thickness directions, a pair of waistbands, a crotch portion that is located under the crotch of a wearer when worn, and a central elastic member that is stretchable in the vertical direction and attached with adhesive to the center of the horizontal direction of the crotch portion, wherein when contained in the container member, the vertical ends of the waistbands are folded back toward the crotch portion, the vertical ends of the folded back waistbands do not extend beyond the vertical ends of the crotch portion, the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles are compressed in a stacked state in the thickness direction, and in at least one pant-type absorbent article among the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, the distance from the end of the waistband at the center position in the horizontal direction to the end of the crotch portion is longer than the average thickness of the crotch portion.

[0010] According to Aspect 1, by separating the end of the waistband and the end of the crotch portion in the stored state, the separated portion is thinner than when the end of the waistband and the end of the crotch portion are folded so that they are aligned or close to each other, and the compressive force acting on the separated portion is weakened, making it less likely for the separated portion to come into contact with adjacent absorbent articles in the thickness direction. This makes it possible to better prevent adhesion between products due to the seepage of adhesive applied to the central elastic member compared to when the separated portion is not separated.

[0011] In aspect 2, when the distance is length L1 and the distance from the vertical end of the folded-over waist portion to the vertical end of the crotch portion at the center position in the left-right direction of another pant-type absorbent article adjacent to the pant-type absorbent article in the thickness direction in the stored state is length L2, the length L2 is different from the length L1 and is at least longer than half the length L1 or shorter than 1.5 times the length L1, which is a storage body for a pant-type absorbent article described in aspect 1.

[0012] According to aspect 2, pressure is more distributed when the positions of the ends of the folded waistband portions of each pant-type absorbent article are different within the storage member than when the ends are aligned, making it less likely that the crotch portion where the central elastic member is located will stick to another pant-type absorbent article.

[0013] Aspect 3 is a pant-type absorbent article container according to aspect 1 or 2, wherein the average thickness is 95% or less of the average thickness of the crotch portion of the pant-type absorbent article in its natural state after removal from the container member.

[0014] According to aspect 3, by increasing the compression force applied, more pants-type absorbent articles can be stored in the storage member, and even if the compression force is increased, the distance from the end of the folded waistband to the end of the crotch portion is longer than the average thickness of the crotch portion, making the crotch portion thinner and less likely to come into contact with other pants-type absorbent articles, thereby preventing adhesion by leaked adhesive.

[0015] Aspect 4 is the container of the pants-type absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the central elastic member is thread-shaped.

[0016] According to aspect 4, the amount of adhesive used to attach the central elastic member can be reduced compared to when a thicker band of rubber or a sheet of elastic material is applied over the entire surface, thereby further reducing the risk of adhesive seeping out when compressed.

[0017] Aspect 5 is a container for a pants-type absorbent article described in any of Aspects 1 to 4, in which the pair of waist portions have a plurality of waist elastic members that stretch in the left-right direction and are arranged in the up-down direction, and the amount of adhesive per unit area of ​​the waist elastic region in which the waist elastic members are arranged is less than the amount of adhesive per unit area of ​​the central elastic region in which the central elastic member is arranged.

[0018] According to aspect 5, in the stored state, the waist portion is a portion that is folded over and becomes thicker, and by reducing the amount of adhesive in the waist elastic member arranged in such a portion, the risk of adhesive seeping out in the compressed state is reduced.

[0019] Aspect 6 is a pant-type absorbent article container described in any one of Aspects 1 to 5, in which, in the stored state, the upper end of the waist portion folded back toward the crotch portion does not overlap with the central elastic member when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0020] According to the sixth aspect, when the garment is compressed in the housing member, it is easy to prevent the waist portion and the central elastic member from adhering to each other due to the exuded adhesive.

[0021] Aspect 7 is a pant-type absorbent article container according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein, in the stored state, both left and right end portions of the waist portion are folded inward in the left and right direction.

[0022] According to Aspect 7, the portions where both ends of the waistband are folded inward in the left-right direction are thicker, and these thicker portions are more likely to come into contact with adjacent articles inside the containing member. The portion where the central elastic member is located is thinner than the portions where both ends are folded back, so even when pants-type absorbent articles are stacked on top of each other, the portion of the central elastic member is less likely to come into contact with other articles.

[0023] Aspect 8 is a container for a pants-type absorbent article described in any of Aspects 1 to 7, in which, in the stored state, the folded-over waist portion has an overlapping portion where one end and the other end in the left-right direction overlap when viewed in the thickness direction, and the overlapping portion has a portion that overlaps with the central elastic member in the left-right direction.

[0024] According to Aspect 8, the overlapping portion is thicker in the thickness direction, and a difference in thickness occurs between the thickened portion and the portion where the central elastic member overlaps in the left-right direction, and the portion where the central elastic member is disposed is thinner than the thickened portion. The thickened portion acts as a cushion, making the portion of the central elastic member within the housing member less susceptible to compression and suppressing adhesive seepage.

[0025] Aspect 9 is a container for a pants-type absorbent article described in Aspect 7, in which, in the stored state, the ends on one side and the other side of the folded-over waist portion in the left-right direction do not overlap when viewed in the thickness direction, and when the area in which the central elastic member is arranged in the left-right direction is defined as the central elastic area, both ends of the waist portion are arranged within the range of the central elastic area.

[0026] According to Aspect 9, the folded waist portion has one end and the other end in the left-right direction that do not overlap in the thickness direction, so that the waist portion is folded back with a gap left-right between the one end and the other end. Since both ends of the waist portion (the one end and the other end) are located within the central elastic region in the left-right direction, the gap can reduce pressure on the central elastic region.

[0027] Aspect 10 is a container for pants-type absorbent articles described in Aspect 7, in which, within the container member, there are present a first pants-type absorbent article in which, in the stored state, the end on one side of the folded-over waist portion in the left-right direction and the end on the other side overlap when viewed in the thickness direction, and a second pants-type absorbent article in which, in the stored state, the end on one side of the folded-over waist portion in the left-right direction and the end on the other side do not overlap when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0028] According to aspect 10, since the size of the container that can accommodate multiple pants-type absorbent articles is fixed, by mixing the first pants-type absorbent article and the second pants-type absorbent article, areas of high pressure are dispersed, making it difficult for the adhesive to transfer overall.

[0029] Aspect 11 is a container for a pants-type absorbent article described in any one of Aspects 1 to 10, in which, in the crotch portion in the stored state, when the side on which the folded-over waist portion is located in the thickness direction is the inside of the fold and the opposite side is the outside of the fold, the length of the central elastic member in the vertical direction is longer on the inside of the fold than on the outside of the fold.

[0030] According to Aspect 11, the length of the central elastic member on the outer folded side is short, which reduces the risk of the central elastic member adhering to another pants-type absorbent article adjacent to the outer folded side.

[0031] Aspect 12 is a container for a pants-type absorbent article described in any one of Aspects 1 to 10, in which, in the crotch portion in the stored state, when the side on which the folded-over waist portion is located in the thickness direction is the inside of the fold and the opposite side is the outside of the fold, the length of the central elastic member in the vertical direction is longer on the outside of the fold than on the inside of the fold.

[0032] According to Aspect 12, the length of the central elastic member on the inside of the fold is short, which reduces the risk of the central elastic member adhering to another pants-type absorbent article adjacent to the inside of the fold.

[0033] Aspect 13 is a container for a pants-type absorbent article described in any one of Aspects 1 to 12, wherein, in the stored state, when the portion of the waist portion folded toward the crotch portion is defined as a folded portion, the folded portion has a portion that overlaps with at least a portion of the central elastic member when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0034] According to Aspect 13, when the folded portions overlap the central elastic member to a large extent, the risk of the central elastic member adhering to another pants-type absorbent article housed adjacent to the side where the folded portions are provided can be reduced. Also, when the overlap between the folded portions and the central elastic member is small, the risk of the waist portion adhering to the central elastic member due to adhesive seeping out due to compression can be reduced.

[0035] Aspect 14 is a pant-type absorbent article container according to any one of Aspects 1 to 13, in which the pair of waist sections are joined at both sides in the left-right direction by a pair of side joints, the pair of waist sections have a plurality of waist elastic members that stretch in the left-right direction and are fixed to the pair of waist sections in a line in the up-down direction with adhesive, and the area at the top end of the pair of waist sections in the up-down direction adjacent to the inner ends in the left-right direction of the pair of side joints has an area where the adhesive that fixes the waist elastic members is not applied, or a low-basis weight area where the basis weight of the adhesive is lower than that further inside in the left-right direction, and in the stored state, both left-right end portions of the pair of waist sections are folded inward in the left-right direction.

[0036] According to Aspect 14, the area adjacent to the inner end of the side joint has an area without adhesive or an area with a low basis weight of adhesive, so that even when both ends of the waistband folded inward in the left-right direction are close to or overlap the central elastic member, the adhesive of the central elastic member and the adhesive of the waistband elastic member do not easily stick to each other, thereby preventing tearing and the loss of each elastic member.

[0037] Aspect 15 is a container for a pants-type absorbent article according to Aspect 14, in which the area adjacent to the inner ends of the pair of side joints in the left-right direction has an area where the adhesive for fixing the waist elastic member is not applied over the entire range overlapping with the side joints in the up-down direction, or a low basis weight area where the adhesive has a lower basis weight than the area further inside in the left-right direction, and in the stored state, both ends of the pair of waist parts in the left-right direction are folded inward in the left-right direction.

[0038] According to Aspect 15, the area adjacent to the inner end of the side joints has an area without adhesive or an area with a low basis weight of adhesive throughout the entire area overlapping the side joints in the vertical direction, so that even if the waistband is folded deeply, the adhesive of the central elastic member and the adhesive of the waistband elastic members can be prevented from adhering to each other, thereby preventing tearing and the loss of each elastic member.

[0039] Aspect 16 is a pant-type absorbent article container according to any one of Aspects 1 to 15, wherein the pair of waistband sections are joined at both sides in the left-right direction by a pair of side joints, the pair of waistband sections have an inner layer sheet and an outer layer sheet arranged closer to the skin than the inner layer sheet, and at least one of the pair of waistband sections has a sheet section arranged closest to the skin, the sheet section being fixed to the inner layer sheet with an adhesive, and the portion where the region adjacent to the inner ends of the pair of side joints in the left-right direction and the sheet section overlap in the thickness direction has an area where the adhesive fixing the sheet section is not applied, or a low-basis-weight area where the adhesive has a lower basis weight than the area further inside in the left-right direction, and in the stored state, both left-right end portions of the pair of waistband sections are folded inward in the left-right direction.

[0040] According to aspect 16, among the areas adjacent to the inner ends of the side joints, there are areas where there is no adhesive or where the adhesive has a low basis weight in the portion overlapping with the sheet portion, so that even if both ends of the waist portion folded inward in the left-right direction are close to or overlap the central elastic member, the adhesive of the central elastic member and the adhesive of the sheet portion are less likely to stick together.

[0041] Aspect 17 is a pant-type absorbent article storage body according to any one of Aspects 1 to 16, wherein the pant-type absorbent article has an absorbent main body having an absorbent core, and in the stored state, a portion of the absorbent core is folded.

[0042] According to Aspect 17, the absorbent core is a high-rigidity region, and therefore has a strong resilience to return to its original shape. The folded portion of the absorbent core in the stored state returns to its original shape due to this resilience, even when compressed, thereby suppressing pressure on the central elastic region. Therefore, product defects in the central elastic member in the stored state are less likely to occur.

[0043] Aspect 18 is a container for a pants-type absorbent article described in any of Aspects 1 to 17, in which the pair of waist portions have multiple waist elastic members that stretch in the left-right direction and are arranged in the up-down direction, and the force required to stretch the waist elastic members by a unit length in the left-right direction from their natural state is greater than the force required to stretch the central elastic member by a unit length in the up-down direction from their natural state.

[0044] According to Aspect 18, since the force required to stretch the waist elastic member by a unit length is greater (i.e., the contraction force is greater), the waist portion generates more pleats when contracted. The presence of many pleats reduces compression even when the waist portion is folded and compressed in a stored state, and prevents the crotch portion from sticking to the waist elastic member due to exuded adhesive.

[0045] Embodiments Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described using a disposable diaper container 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as "container 100") that contains a plurality of pants-type disposable diapers for adults as an example of a container for pants-type absorbent articles according to the present invention. However, the pants-type absorbent articles contained in the container 100 are not limited to pants-type disposable diapers for adults, and may also be, for example, pants-type disposable diapers for infants, shorts-type sanitary napkins, etc.

[0046] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a disposable diaper container 100. The container 100 includes a container member 101, which is a bag-shaped member, and a plurality of pants-type absorbent articles 1 (pants-type disposable diapers 1, hereinafter simply referred to as "diapers 1") contained within the container member 101. The container 100 (container member 101) has a vertical direction and a horizontal direction that intersect with each other. As shown in FIG. 1, when the diapers 1 are contained in the container member 101 (hereinafter also referred to as the "contained state"), the container 100 contains a plurality of diapers 1 in two layers, one above the other. However, this is not limiting. The container 100 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but is not limited thereto and may have any shape.

[0047] Examples of materials that can form the storage member 101 include thermoplastic resin films such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). However, the storage member 101 is not limited to these, and at least a portion of the storage member 101 may be made of paper.

[0048] <Basic structure of pants-type disposable diaper 1> Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the diaper 1 as seen from the ventral side. Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view of the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state as seen from the wearer's skin side. Fig. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 3, and Fig. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Fig. 3.

[0049] The "unfolded state" of the diaper 1 refers to a state in which the diaper 1 is unfolded on a plane by separating the ventral waistband 20 (described later) and the dorsal waistband 30 (described later) from the pants-type diaper 1 in Fig. 2 at the side seams SS (described later) on both the left and right sides, and opening the diaper 1 vertically. The "stretched state" of the diaper 1 refers to a state in which the product (diaper 1) is stretched without wrinkles, specifically, a state in which the dimensions of each component (e.g., the absorbent main body 10, the ventral waistband 20, etc.) constituting the diaper 1 are stretched to the extent that they match or are close to the dimensions of the individual components.

[0050] When the diaper 1 is in a pants-like state as shown in FIG. 2 , it has a vertical, horizontal, and front-to-back direction, which intersect with each other, and has a waist opening BH and a pair of leg openings LH. In the vertical direction, the waist opening BH side is the upper side, and the side facing the wearer's crotch is the lower side. In the front-to-back direction, the side facing the wearer's belly side is the front side, and the side facing the wearer's back side is the back side. In the unfolded and stretched state shown in FIG. 3 , the diaper 1 has three mutually intersecting directions: a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction, and a thickness direction (a direction penetrating the paper in FIG. 3 ). The longitudinal direction is aligned with the vertical direction. One longitudinal side corresponds to the ventral side (front side), and the other longitudinal side corresponds to the back side (rear side). The diaper 1 also has a thickness direction in which materials are layered, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B . The side in contact with the wearer in the thickness direction is the skin side, and the opposite side is the non-skin side.

[0051] The diaper 1 includes an absorbent body 10 and an outer casing 18. The outer casing 18 includes a pair of waistband sections 20, 30 and a crotch section 40 located between the wearer's legs. The outer casing 18 is joined to the non-skin side of the absorbent body 10 with an adhesive or the like. Of the pair of waistband sections 20, 30, the one located on the ventral side (front side) of the wearer is also referred to as the ventral waistband section 20, and the one located on the dorsal side (rear side) is also referred to as the dorsal waistband section 30. The ventral waistband section 20 and the dorsal waistband section 30 are joined on both lateral sides by a pair of side joining sections SS. Examples of joining methods using the side joining sections SS include thermal welding, ultrasonic welding, and adhesive joining.

[0052] As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the absorbent body 10 includes an absorbent body 11, a liquid-permeable top sheet 12 disposed closer to the skin than the absorbent body 11, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 13 disposed closer to the skin than the absorbent body 11, and an exterior sheet 14. The absorbent body 11 includes an absorbent core 11A that absorbs and retains excretory liquids such as urine, and a liquid-permeable core wrap sheet 11B that covers the absorbent core 11A. Examples of the absorbent core 11A include a liquid-absorbent material such as pulp fiber or superabsorbent polymer (SAP) molded into a predetermined shape. Examples of the core wrap sheet 11B include tissue paper and nonwoven fabric. Note that the absorbent core 11A does not have to be covered with the core wrap sheet 11B.

[0053] The top sheet 12 is formed of, for example, a nonwoven fabric such as an air-through nonwoven fabric or a spunbond nonwoven fabric. The back sheet 13 is, for example, a liquid-impermeable and breathable film such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The exterior sheet 14 is, for example, formed of the same nonwoven fabric as the top sheet 12.

[0054] As shown in Figures 3 and 4A, a pair of leakage preventing walls 50, 50 are provided along the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body 10 on both lateral sides of the absorbent main body 10. In this embodiment, the leakage preventing walls 50, 50 that can stand up on the skin side are formed by providing leakage preventing wall elastic members 16 (e.g., rubber thread) in a stretched state along the longitudinal direction between a pair of side sheets 19, 19 provided on the skin side of the top sheet 12, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the sheet member that constitutes the exterior of the absorbent main body 10 may be folded to be formed integrally with the absorbent main body 10. However, the leakage preventing walls 50, 50 do not necessarily have to be provided in the diaper 1.

[0055] The crotch portion 40 of the absorbent body 10 has a central elastic member 17 that is stretchable in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) at its left-right center and on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 11 in the thickness direction. Specifically, in this embodiment, the central elastic member 17, which is a thread such as rubber thread, is sandwiched between the back sheet 13 and the outer sheet 14 and attached with adhesive. Here, five central elastic members are provided spaced apart in the left-right direction, but the number is not limited to this and may be one or more. Furthermore, the central elastic member 17 is not limited to a thread-like member and may be, for example, a stretchable film, a stretchable nonwoven fabric, or the like. Also, FIG. 3 shows only the stretchable portion of the central elastic member 17 (the so-called effective length portion).

[0056] 3, 4A, and 4B, the central elastic member 17 extends from the front side in the longitudinal direction to the rear side across the center line CL1 in the left-right central portion of the absorbent main body 10. However, the longitudinal length of the central elastic member 17 is not limited to this, and it is sufficient that it is provided at least in the crotch part 40 that faces the crotch of the wearer. This improves the fit of the absorbent main body 10 in the crotch part 40 in the left-right central portion.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the exterior body 18 has an inner layer sheet 21, a ventral-side outer layer sheet 22, and a dorsal-side outer layer sheet 32.

[0058] The inner layer sheet 21 is disposed from the ventral waistline portion 20 through the crotch portion 40 to the back waistline portion 30 ( FIG. 4B ). The width (length in the left-right direction) of the inner layer sheet 21 in the ventral waistline portion 20 and the back waistline portion 30 is greater than the width (length in the left-right direction) of the inner layer sheet 21 in the crotch portion 40 ( FIG. 3 ). The inner layer sheet 21 may be an air-through nonwoven fabric, a spunbond nonwoven fabric, an SMS nonwoven fabric (spunbond-meltblown-spunbond nonwoven fabric), a waterproof film, or the like.

[0059] 3 and 4B , the ventral outer layer sheet 22 is located closer to the skin than the inner layer sheet 21, and the ventral outer layer sheet 22 and the inner layer sheet 21 together form the ventral waistline portion 20. The outer end (upper end) of the ventral outer layer sheet 22 in the longitudinal direction is folded back toward the skin. The folded-back portion 22r of the ventral outer layer sheet 22 encloses one end (outer end) of the inner layer sheet 21 in the longitudinal direction. However, the outer end (upper end) of the ventral outer layer sheet 22 in the longitudinal direction may not be folded back.

[0060] 3 and 4, the back outer sheet 32 ​​is disposed closer to the skin than the inner sheet 21, and the back outer sheet 32 ​​and the inner sheet 21 together form the back waistband portion 30. The outer end (upper end) of the back outer sheet 32 ​​in the longitudinal direction is folded back toward the skin. The folded-back portion 32r of the back outer sheet 32 ​​encloses the other end (outer end) of the inner sheet 21 in the longitudinal direction. The outer end (upper end) of the back outer sheet 32 ​​in the longitudinal direction may not be folded back.

[0061] The ventral outer layer sheet 22 and the dorsal outer layer sheet 32 ​​may be made of an air-through nonwoven fabric, a spunbond nonwoven fabric, an SMS nonwoven fabric (spunbond meltblown spunbond nonwoven fabric), or the like.

[0062] The ventral waistband portion 20 and the back waistband portion 30 each have waistband elastic members 23, 33 that are stretchable in the left-right direction. The multiple waistband elastic members 23, 33 are spaced apart in the vertical direction between the inner layer sheet 21 and the ventral outer layer sheet 22, and between the inner layer sheet 21 and the back outer layer sheet 32, and are joined and fixed in a stretched state in the left-right direction with an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive (see FIGS. 3 and 4B ). Thus, the ventral waistband portion 20 and the back waistband portion 30 stretch in the left-right direction to fit the wearer's waist. In this embodiment, rubber thread is used as the waistband elastic members 23, 33, but this is not limited thereto. For example, elongated stretchable sheets or the like may also be used.

[0063] In this embodiment, rear leg elastic members 34 are provided in the back waist portion 30 between the inner sheet 21 and the back outer sheet 32, and below the waist elastic members 33. The rear leg elastic members 34 may be, for example, multiple rubber threads or a stretchable, band-like elastic sheet. The rear leg elastic members 34 are joined and fixed in a stretched state with an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive, and the rear leg elastic members 34 facilitate a fit around the back legs and buttocks.

[0064] The above describes the basic configuration of the diaper 1, but the above configuration of the diaper 1 is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting. For example, the diaper 1 of this embodiment is configured with an outer body 18 having three sections: a ventral waist section 20, a dorsal waist section 30, and a crotch section 40 connecting them. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the diaper may have a configuration in which the ventral waist section 20 and the dorsal waist section 30 are formed from separate members, and the non-skin side of the absorbent main body 10 is exposed in the crotch section. Alternatively, the diaper may have an outer body member formed from a single member that is continuous from the ventral waist section 20 to the dorsal waist section 30.

[0065] <Method of Folding and Storing Diapers 1> As described above, in the storage body 100, a plurality of diapers 1 (pants-type absorbent articles) are stored in a folded state within the storage member 101. Below, a method of folding and storing the diapers 1 will be described.

[0066] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the folding of the diaper 1 during storage. FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of the diaper 1 stored in the storage member 101. When the diaper 1 is stored in the storage member 101, first, from the natural state shown in FIG. 5A, one end 20Ea (30Ea) and the other end 20Eb (30Eb) of the waist portion 20 (30) of the diaper 1 are folded inward in the left-right direction as shown in FIG. 5B (hereinafter, the "one end 20Ea (30Ea) and the other end 20Eb (30Eb)" are also referred to as "both ends 20E (30E)").

[0067] Next, as shown in Fig. 5C , the waist portion 20 (30) is folded back at the folding position F so that the vertical end WA is located toward the crotch portion 40. In this manner, the diaper 1 is folded into a compact shape as shown in Fig. 5C and stored so that the vertical direction of the storage member 101 and the vertical direction of the diaper 1 are aligned, resulting in the stored state shown in Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the lateral end portions 20E (30E) of the folded waist portion 20 (30) do not overlap in the thickness direction and are folded back so that they overlap the central elastic member 17. However, this is not limiting, and possible folding patterns will be described in detail later.

[0068] Usually, when an adult pants-type absorbent article such as the diaper 1 is stored in a container, it is often stored under high compression with the waist opening BH side folded toward the crotch area to make it compact, as in the present embodiment. In such a stored state, if the central elastic member 17 is present in the crotch area 40 as in the present embodiment, the adhesive of the central elastic member 17 or the adhesive of the waist elastic member 23 (33) arranged in the waist area 20 (30) may seep out and adhere to adjacent products (diapers 1) in the container 101, causing breakage or causing the central elastic member 17 to come loose.

[0069] In this regard, in the container 100 of this embodiment, when the diapers 1 are housed in the container member 101, as described above, the vertical end WA of the waist portion 20 (30) of each diaper 1 is folded back toward the crotch portion 40, and multiple diapers 1 are stacked and compressed in the thickness direction of the diapers 1 (corresponding to the left-right direction of the container 100). Note that, in each diaper 1, the vertical end WAe of the folded-back waist portion 20 (30) does not extend beyond the vertical end 40e of the crotch portion 40 (see FIG. 5C ). In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5C and 6 , in at least one diaper 1 among the multiple diapers housed in the container, the distance L1 from the end WAe of the waist portion 20 (30) at the left-right center position CL2 ( FIG. 5A ) to the end 40e of the crotch portion 40 is longer than the average thickness T of the crotch portion 40. In other words, when compressed and stored in the storage member 101, the distance from the end WAe of the folded waist portion 20 (30) to the end 40e of the crotch portion 40 is greater than the length of the average thickness T of the crotch portion 40.

[0070] In the stored state, by separating the end WAe of the waistline 20 (30) from the end 40e of the crotch section 40, the separated portion is thinner than when the end WAe of the waistline 20 (30) and the end 40e of the crotch section 40 are folded so that they are flush with or close to each other, and the compressive force acting on the separated portion is reduced, making it less likely to come into contact with another adjacent diaper 1 in the thickness direction. This further prevents the adhesive applied to the central elastic member 17 from seeping out and causing the diapers 1 to stick together (become glued) compared to when the diapers are not separated.

[0071] The above-mentioned "distance L1" can be measured by the following method. First, in this embodiment, in the stored state, multiple diapers 1 are compressed in the thickness direction of the diapers 1, which corresponds to the left-right direction of the container 100. To measure, the container 100 is clamped with jigs from both left and right sides, and a portion of the container member 101 is cut out from the stored diapers 1, where the end WAe of the waistline 20 (30) and the crotch section 40 can be seen. When clamping the container 100 with the jigs, the container 100 is maintained in a compressed state by clamping it so that the length of the container 100 in the left-right direction is approximately ±5% compared to the compressed state of the container 100. From the cutout, the distance from the end WAe of the waistline 20 (30) at the center of the left-right direction of the diaper 1 to the end 40e of the crotch section 40 is measured, and this distance is defined as distance L1. In addition, if the measurement point is stored in a state where it is hidden inside, the container 100 is clamped with a jig, and a portion of the container member 101 and the diaper 1 is cut to the point where the measurement point can be seen, making it visible before the measurement is performed.

[0072] The "average thickness T" of the crotch portion 40 is calculated as follows. In this embodiment, assuming that the thickness direction of the diaper 1 corresponds to the left-right direction of the container 100, first, the length of the container 100 in the stored state in the left-right direction is measured (this is referred to as length W). The container 100 (container 101) contains 10 diapers 1 in the left-right direction. The thickness of the container 101 (two locations, the left and right ends in the left-right direction) is subtracted from the length W, and the resulting value is divided by the number of diapers, 10. In other words, it is calculated as {length W - (thickness of container 101 x 2)} / 10. The value calculated in this way is referred to as the "average thickness T."

[0073] Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating adjacent diapers 1 in a stored state. Normally, adjacent diapers 1 are compressed and overlapped with each other so as to fit snugly against each other. However, Fig. 7 shows only a schematic view for the sake of clarity. As shown in Fig. 7 , among the stored diapers 1, one diaper 1 having a distance L1 from the end WAe of the waistband 20 (30) to the end 40e of the crotch section 40 at the center position CL2 in the left-right direction is designated as diaper 1a. Another diaper 1 adjacent to diaper 1a in the thickness direction in the stored state is designated as diaper 1b. The distance L2 is the distance from the end WAe of the folded waistband 20 (30) to the end 40e of the crotch section 40 in the left-right center position of diaper 1b. In this embodiment, the length L2 is different from the distance L1 (length L1) of the diaper 1 described above, and is preferably at least half the length L1 or shorter than 1.5 times the length L1. When the ends WAe of the folded waistbands 20 (30) of the diapers 1 are positioned differently within the container 101, pressure is more dispersed than when the ends WAe are aligned, and therefore the exuded adhesive makes it less likely for the crotch region 40, where the central elastic member 17 is located, to stick to another diaper 1 (1b).

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the portion of the waist portion 20 (30) folded toward the crotch portion 40 is defined as the folded-back portion 20K (30K) (see FIGS. 5C and 6 ), the folded-back portion 20K (30K) overlaps at least a portion of the central elastic member 17 in the thickness direction in the stored state. For example, if the folded-back portion 20K (30K) overlaps the central elastic member 17 to a greater extent, the risk of the central elastic member 17 adjoining another diaper 1 stored adjacent to the folded-back portion 20K (30K) side and adhering to each other due to exuded adhesive can be reduced. On the other hand, if the overlap between the folded-back portion 20K (30K) and the central elastic member 17 is small, the risk of the waist portion 20 (30) and the central elastic member 17 adhering to each other due to exuded adhesive caused by compression can be reduced.

[0075] The folded-back portion 20K (30K) is not limited to having a portion that overlaps at least a portion of the central elastic member 17 when viewed in the thickness direction, and the upper end WAe of the folded-back portion 20K (30K) folded toward the crotch portion 40 in the stored state may be configured not to overlap, when viewed in the thickness direction, with the central elastic member 17. This makes it easier to avoid adhesion between the waist portion 20 (30) and the central elastic member 17 due to exuded adhesive when in a compressed state.

[0076] Here, the folding position of the diaper 1 when it is housed in the housing member 101 will be described in detail. FIG. 8 is a table showing folding patterns of the diaper 1. First, when folding the diaper 1, as shown in FIG. 5B, both left-right end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waist portion 20 (30) of the diaper 1 are folded inward in the left-right direction. This folding is called the first folding. As shown in FIG. 8, the first folding can be performed by folding the both end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) toward the ventral side or the dorsal side of the waist portion 20 (30). In this embodiment, the folding is performed toward the ventral side.

[0077] In the first folding, whether the both end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waist portion 20 (30) are folded toward the ventral or dorsal side of the waist portion 20 (30), the both end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waist portion 20 (30) are folded inward in the left-right direction, thereby increasing the thickness of the folded-in portions. When the diaper 1 is stored, the thicker portions are more likely to come into contact with adjacent diapers 1 in the storage member 101. Because the portion where the central elastic member 17 is located is thinner than the portion where the both end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) are folded back, the portion where the central elastic member 17 is located is less likely to come into contact with other diapers 1, even when multiple diapers 1 are stacked and compressed. This reduces the risk of the central elastic member 17 adhering to other diapers 1 due to oozing adhesive.

[0078] Next, the both end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) are folded toward the ventral side or the dorsal side, and then the both end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) are either folded back so that they overlap when viewed in the thickness direction, or folded back so that they do not overlap. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5B, the both end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) are folded back so that they do not overlap.

[0079] After folding back both left-right end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waistline portion 20 (30), the vertical end portion WA of the waistline portion 20 (30) is folded back so that it is located on the crotch portion 40 side, as shown in FIG. 5C . This folding back is referred to as the second folding. As shown in FIG. 8 , the second folding can be performed in two ways: with the absorbent body 11 also folded, and without the absorbent body 11 being folded. In this embodiment, the absorbent body 11 is not folded during the second folding. Furthermore, when folding back the vertical end portion WA of the waistline portion 20 (30), the folding can be performed with the ventral side of the waistline portion 20 (30) facing inward, or with the dorsal side facing inward.

[0080] By performing the first and second folding steps described above, a total of 16 folding patterns are possible (see FIG. 8 ). In this embodiment, the first folding is performed by folding the diaper 1 toward the ventral side, with both lateral ends (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waist portion 20 (30) not overlapping, and the second folding is performed by folding the ventral side inward without folding the absorbent body 11, which corresponds to pattern 7 in FIG. 8 . Note that, in any of the 16 folding patterns shown in FIG. 8 , the risk of adhesive seeping out due to compression adhering between the waist portion 20 (30) and the central elastic member 17, or between an adjacent diaper 1 and the central elastic member 17, can be reduced in the stored state. Representative examples of these folding patterns are described below.

[0081] FIG. 9 shows a modified example of the folding of the diaper 1 in the stored state. As shown in FIG. 9, in the stored state, the diaper 1 may be folded so that the end 20Ea (30Ea) on one side of the folded waistband 20 (30) in the left-right direction overlaps the end 20Eb (30Eb) on the other side in the thickness direction (note that the thickness direction is the direction penetrating the paper in FIG. 9). In the table of FIG. 8, patterns 1 to 4 and 9 to 12 correspond to this. In the modified example shown in FIG. 9, the overlapping portion includes a portion that overlaps the central elastic member 17 in the left-right direction. The overlapping portion where the end 20Ea (30Ea) and the end 20Eb (30Eb) overlap in the thickness direction is the thicker portion. The overlapping portion where such thickened portion and the central elastic member 17 overlap in the left-right direction creates a difference in thickness, and the overlapping portion acts as a cushion, so that the central elastic member 17 overlapping with such a cushion in the left-right direction is thinner and therefore less susceptible to the effects of compression within the containing member 101. Therefore, when contained, it is possible to prevent the adhesive from seeping out of the central elastic member 17.

[0082] Fig. 10 shows another variation of the folding of the diaper 1 in the stored state. In the diaper 1 shown in Fig. 10, the one end 20Ea (30Ea) and the other end 20Eb (30Eb) of the folded waistband portion 20 (30) do not overlap in the thickness direction (the direction penetrating the paper in Fig. 10) (patterns 5 to 8 and 13 to 16 in the table of Fig. 8 apply). Furthermore, when the region in which the central elastic member 17 is located in the left-right direction is defined as a central elastic region 17G, both ends 20Eae, 20Ebe (30Eae, 30Ebe) of the waistband portion 20 (30) are located within the central elastic region 17G. The "central elastic region 17G" refers to the region between the central elastic member 17a located on the most one side and the central elastic member 17e located on the most other side in the left-right direction.

[0083] In the stored state, first, one end 20Ea and the other end 20Eb in the left-right direction of the folded waistline portion 20 (30) do not overlap in the thickness direction, and therefore the waistline portion 20 (30) is folded back with a gap SP in the left-right direction between one end 20Eae and the other end 20Ebe. Since both ends (20Eae, 20Ebe) of such waistline portion 20 (30) are present within the central elastic region 17G in the left-right direction, the gap SP can suppress pressure on the central elastic region 17G. More specifically, even if both left-right end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waist portion 20 (30) overlap with the central elastic region 17G when viewed in the thickness direction (Figure 10), if there is a gap SP between one end 20Eae and the other end 20Ebe, the pressure at the gap SP is weakened in the compressed state, making it difficult for adhesive that has seeped out from the central elastic member 17 to transfer to the waist portion 20 (30) at the gap SP.

[0084] On the other hand, when both lateral ends (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waist portion 20 (30) do not overlap the central elastic region 17G in the thickness direction and both lateral ends 20Eae, 20Ebe (30Eae, 30Ebe) of the waist portion 20 (30) are located within the range of the central elastic region 17G in the lateral direction, the waist portion 20 (30) becomes thicker due to the inward lateral folding, and the crotch portion 40 becomes thinner compared to the thickened portion due to the folding, thereby reducing the pressure on the crotch portion 40. This makes it easier to prevent the crotch portion 40 from sticking to another diaper 1 due to the seeping adhesive within the containing member 101.

[0085] As described above, it is preferable that the container 101 contains both a diaper 1 (first pant-type absorbent article) in which the folded-over waist portion 20 (30) has an overlapping portion in the thickness direction at its one end 20Ea and the other end 20Eb in the left-right direction, and another diaper 1 (second pant-type absorbent article) in which the folded-over waist portion 20 (30) has an overlapping portion in the thickness direction at its one end 20Ea and the other end 20Eb in the left-right direction. Since the container 100 has a fixed size for accommodating multiple diapers 1, the presence of a mixture of diapers 1 (first pant-type absorbent article) and another diaper 1 (second pant-type absorbent article) disperses areas of high pressure, making it difficult for the adhesive to transfer overall.

[0086] As described above, in the stored state, the diaper 1 may be folded back at a position that folds the absorbent body 11. Specifically, when performing the second fold, a portion of the absorbent core 11A may be folded back (corresponding to patterns 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, and 14 in the table of FIG. 8 ). The absorbent core 11A is a high-rigidity region, and therefore has a strong resilience to return to its original shape. The folded portion of the absorbent core 11A in the stored state returns to its original shape due to this resilience even when compressed, thereby reducing pressure on the region where the central elastic member 17 is located. This reduces the likelihood of product defects (tears or pullouts) in the region where the central elastic member 17 is located.

[0087] Furthermore, the average thickness T of the crotch region 40 at the center position CL2 ( FIG. 5A ) in the left-right direction of the diaper 1 is preferably 95% or less of the average thickness of the crotch region 40 of the diaper 1 in its natural state after removal from the container 101. More preferably, the average thickness T is 85% or less, and even more preferably 75% or less, of the average thickness of the crotch region 40 of the diaper 1 in its natural state. In other words, by increasing the compression rate, more diapers 1 can be accommodated in the container 101. Even if the compression rate is increased to bring adjacent diapers 1 closer together, by making the distance L1 from the upper end WAe of the waist region 20 (30) to the end 40e of the crotch region 40 longer than the average thickness T of the crotch region 40, as in this embodiment, it is possible to prevent adhesive seeping out from the crotch region 40 (central elastic member 17) of each diaper 1 from adhering to the central elastic member 17.

[0088] Furthermore, the central elastic member 17 in this embodiment is thread-shaped. By using a thread-shaped member, the amount of adhesive used to attach the central elastic member 17 can be reduced compared to when a thicker band-shaped rubber or a sheet-shaped stretchable material (stretchable film, stretchable nonwoven fabric, etc.) is applied with adhesive over the entire surface, further reducing the risk of adhesive seeping out when compressed.

[0089] 3 , the pair of waistband sections 20, 30 are provided with a plurality of waistband elastic members 23, 33 arranged in the vertical direction, which are stretchable in the left-right direction. Here, the region where the waistband elastic members 23, 33 are arranged, i.e., the region from the uppermost waistband elastic member 23a (33a) to the lowermost waistband elastic member 23e (33e) in the ventral waistband section 20 (dorsal waistband section 30), is referred to as the waistband elastic region 23G (33G). The region where the central elastic member 17 is arranged, i.e., the region in the crotch section 40 from the central elastic member 17a located at one side in the left-right direction to the central elastic member 17e located at the other side, is referred to as the central elastic region 17G. In this embodiment, the amount of adhesive per unit area in the waistband elastic region 23G (33G) is less than the amount of adhesive per unit area in the central elastic region 17G. In the stored state, the waist portions 20, 30 are folded over and become thicker, and by reducing the amount of adhesive in the waist elastic region 23G (33G) in such areas, the risk of adhesive seeping out when compressed can be reduced.

[0090] The amount of adhesive per unit area in the waist elastic region 23G (33G) and the central elastic region 17G can be determined, for example, by separating the waist elastic members 23 (33) and adhesive from the inner layer sheet 21 and the ventral outer layer sheet 22 (dorsal outer layer sheet 32) using the solvent extraction method described below, sampling the adhesive, and measuring the sampled adhesive. <Solvent Extraction Method for Adhesive> First, in a stretched state, the sheet material (the inner layer sheet 21 and the ventral outer layer sheet 22 (dorsal outer layer sheet 32)) and the waist elastic members 23 (33) are cut together in a predetermined area from the waist elastic region 23G (33G) and the central elastic region 17G. Next, the sheet material containing the adhesive is mixed with a solvent capable of dissolving the adhesive in a container such as a beaker to obtain an adhesive solution in which the adhesive is dissolved in the solvent. Furthermore, the adhesive solution is collected from the container, and the adhesive solution is dried under reduced pressure using a rotary evaporator, or the like, to remove the solvent from the adhesive solution, thereby obtaining an adhesive. The adhesive thus obtained is taken as the amount of adhesive per unit area. The solvent used to dissolve the adhesive may be selected appropriately depending on the type of adhesive, etc. When the adhesive to be measured is, for example, a hot melt adhesive, examples of solvents used to dissolve the adhesive include toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, and heptane.

[0091] 6 , in the crotch portion 40 of the diaper 1 in the contained state, the side where the folded-over waistband 20 is present in the thickness direction is designated as the inner fold 40a, and the opposite side is designated as the outer fold 40b. The vertical length of the central elastic member 17 on the inner fold 40a is longer than that on the outer fold 40b. The shorter length of the central elastic member 17 on the outer fold 40b reduces the risk of the central elastic member 17 adhering to another diaper 1 adjacent to the outer fold 40b within the container 101.

[0092] FIG. 11 illustrates yet another variation of the folding of the diaper 1. In the diaper 1 illustrated in FIG. 11, the second folding is performed so that the inner fold faces the back (patterns 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 in the table of FIG. 8 ). Similar to the present embodiment, the central elastic member 17 extends from the front longitudinal side to the rear longitudinal side across the center line CL1 in the left-right central portion of the absorbent main body 10. Specifically, the longitudinal length of the central elastic member 17 is longer at the front side than at the rear side. Therefore, when the crotch portion 40 of the diaper 1 in the stored state of FIG. 11 is defined as the inner fold 40a on the side where the folded waistband 30 is present and the opposite side is defined as the outer fold 40b, the vertical length of the central elastic member 17 is longer at the outer fold 40b than at the inner fold 40a. The short length of the central elastic member 17 on the inner fold 40a reduces the risk of the central elastic member 17 adhering to another diaper 1 adjacent to the inner fold 40a within the container member 101.

[0093] FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged view of the ventral waistline portion 20 in the unfolded and stretched state. While the ventral waistline portion 20 will be described here, the back waistline portion 30 has a similar configuration. As described above, the pair of waistline portions 20, 30 of the diaper 1 are joined at both lateral ends by a pair of side joints SS. A plurality of waistline elastic members 23, 33 that stretch in the lateral direction are arranged vertically and fixed to the pair of waistline portions 20, 30 with adhesive. As shown in FIG. 12 , at the vertical upper end 20ta of the ventral waistline portion 20 (i.e., the waistline opening BH), a region R adjacent to the inner lateral end SSe of the side joints SS is a region where no adhesive is applied to secure the waistline elastic members 23. This region R is included in both lateral end portions 20E of the ventral waistline portion 20 that are folded inward in the lateral direction when the diaper is placed inside. Even if the folded end portions 20E are adjacent to or overlap the central elastic member 17 in the stored state, the presence of the area R where no adhesive is applied reduces adhesion between the adhesive of the central elastic member 17 and the adhesive of the waist elastic members 23. This prevents the diaper 1 from tearing or the elastic members from coming loose.

[0094] The region R adjacent to the inner end SSe in the left-right direction of the side joint portion SS is not limited to a region where adhesive for fixing the waist elastic member 23 is not applied, and the region R may have a low basis weight region where the basis weight of the adhesive is lower than that further inside in the left-right direction. Similarly, the presence of a low basis weight region with a low adhesive weight in the region R can prevent the adhesive of the exuded central elastic member 17 from adhering to the adhesive of the waist elastic member 23, even if the folded end portions 20E are close to or overlap the central elastic member 17 in the stored state.

[0095] 12 , the region R adjacent to the inner end SSe of the side joint SS in the left-right direction is not limited to the upper end 20ta of the abdominal waistline portion 20 in the up-down direction, but is a region where the adhesive for fixing the waistline elastic members 23 is not applied over the entire range overlapping the side joint SS in the up-down direction. Furthermore, without being limited thereto, for example, the region R may have a low-basis-weight region where the adhesive weight is lower than that further inside the region R in the left-right direction over the entire range overlapping the side joint SS in the up-down direction. In the stored state, the entire range overlapping the side joint SS in the up-down direction is included in both left-right end portions 20E of the abdominal waistline portion 20 that are folded inward in the left-right direction. Therefore, even if the folded end portions 20E are adjacent to or overlap the central elastic member 17 in the stored state, the presence of the region R having a low basis weight region where no adhesive is applied or where the adhesive is low in basis weight can prevent the adhesive from seeping out of the central elastic member 17 and the adhesive from the waist elastic members 23 from adhering to each other, even if the waist portion 20 is folded deeply (second fold). This prevents the diaper 1 from tearing or the elastic members from coming loose.

[0096] In this embodiment, the ventral waistline portion 20 has an inner layer sheet 21 and a ventral outer layer sheet 22 (outer layer sheet) arranged closer to the skin than the inner layer sheet 21, and the dorsal waistline portion 30 has an inner layer sheet 21 and a dorsal outer layer sheet 32 ​​(outer layer sheet) arranged closer to the skin than the inner layer sheet 21. At least one of the pair of waistline portions 20, 30 may have a sheet portion arranged closest to the skin. In this embodiment, the folded portion 22r (32r) of the ventral outer layer sheet 22 (dorsal outer layer sheet 32) is the sheet portion. The sheet portion (folded portion 22r (32r)) is fixed to the inner layer sheet 21 with an adhesive. 12, the portion of region R adjacent to the inner end SSe in the left-right direction of side joint portion SS that overlaps with sheet portion (folded-back portion 22r (32r)) in the thickness direction is a region where adhesive for fixing sheet portion (folded-back portion 22r (32r)) is not applied. Note that this is not limited to a region where adhesive for fixing is not applied, and the portion of region R that overlaps with sheet portion (folded-back portion 22r (32r)) in the thickness direction may have a low-basis weight region where the basis weight of adhesive is lower than that further inside in the left-right direction. The region R is a region included in both left-right end portions 20E of the ventral waistline portion 20 that is folded inward in the left-right direction when stored. Therefore, even if the folded end portions 20E are close to or overlap the central elastic member 17 in the stored state, the presence of the region R where no adhesive is applied (or the region R having a low basis weight region) can reduce adhesion between the seeped adhesive of the central elastic member 17 and the adhesive of the sheet portion (folded-back portion 22r (32r)).

[0097] The sheet portion described above is not limited to the folded-back portion 22r (32r) and may be, for example, a sheet member separate from the inner layer sheet 21 and the ventral outer layer sheet 22 (dorsal outer layer sheet 32). An example is a cover sheet (not shown) disposed so as to straddle the longitudinal end 10et (see FIG. 3 ) of the absorbent main body 10 and fixed to the inner layer sheet 21 (and the absorbent main body 10) with an adhesive. Of the region R adjacent to the inner end SSe in the left-right direction of the side joint portion SS shown in FIG. 12 , the portion overlapping with such a sheet portion (cover sheet) in the thickness direction is preferably a region where no adhesive is applied to fix the sheet portion (cover sheet), or a low-basis-weight region where the adhesive basis weight is lower than that of the region further inward in the left-right direction. Similarly, even if the folded end portions 20E are close to or overlap the central elastic member 17 when stored, the presence of an area R where no adhesive is applied (or an area R having a low basis weight area) reduces adhesion between the seeped adhesive of the central elastic member 17 and the adhesive of the sheet portion (cover sheet).

[0098] In this embodiment, the pair of waistbands 20, 30 are provided with a plurality of waistband elastic members 23, 33 that stretch in the left-right direction and are aligned vertically. Preferably, the force required to stretch the waistband elastic members 23, 33 by a unit length in the left-right direction from their natural state is greater than the force required to stretch the central elastic member 17 by a unit length in the up-down direction from their natural state. Because the force required to stretch the waistband elastic members 23, 33 by a unit length is greater (i.e., greater contractile force), more pleats are generated in the waistbands 20, 30 when the waistband elastic members 23, 33 contract. The presence of many pleats reduces compression even when the waistbands 20, 30 are folded and compressed into a stored state, and prevents adhesion between the waistbands 20, 30 and the crotch region 40 due to oozing adhesive.

[0099] The force required to stretch the waist elastic members 23, 33 by a unit length in the left-right direction from their natural state and the force required to stretch the central elastic member 17 by a unit length in the up-down direction from their natural state can be compared in the following manner. First, the waist elastic member 23 (33) is cut to a predetermined length in a stretched state and removed from the waist portion 20 (30), and the central elastic member 17 is also cut to a predetermined length in a stretched state and removed from the crotch portion 40. If the elastic members are sheet-like, they are cut to a predetermined width (e.g., 10 mm wide). If both are thread-like, for example, one strand is marked to a certain length (e.g., 100 mm) in the stretch direction of the elastic members and cut to include the marked portion. Next, the removed waist elastic member 23 (33) and central elastic member 17 are fixed in place by adjusting the initial distance between a pair of chucks spaced apart in the tensile direction of the tensile tester to match the length of the sample (a length that will not slacken or will slightly slacken the sample), with the marking position at the inner end of the chuck. (Note: The width at which the chucks grip the sample is constant.) The load obtained when the sample is stretched with both ends (marked portions) of the sample fixed with the chucks separated by a unit length (e.g., 70% of the marking length) can be measured and the values ​​obtained can be compared. If the sample contains multiple thread-like elastic members, it is recommended to compare the values ​​converted to values ​​per thread after measurement.

[0100] ===Other=== The above embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

[0101] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pants-type disposable diaper (pants-type absorbent article) 1a Pants-type disposable diaper, 1b Pants-type disposable diaper 10 Absorbent body 11 Absorbent body 11A Absorbent core 11B Core wrap sheet 12 Top sheet 13 Back sheet 14 Outer sheet 16 Elastic member 17, 17a, 17e Central elastic member 17G Central elastic region 18 Outer body 19 Side sheet 20 Waist portion (ventral waist portion) 20E Both ends in the left-right direction 20Ea One end 20Eae One end 20Eb The other end 20Ebe The other end 20K Folded portion 20ta Upper end 21 Inner layer sheet 22 Abdominal side outer layer sheet 22r Folded portion 23, 23a, 23e Waist elastic member 23G DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS Waist elastic region 30 Waist portion (back waist portion) 30E Both ends 30Ea One end 30Eae One end 30Eb The other end 30Ebe The other end 30K Folded portion 32 Back outer layer sheet 32r Folded portion 33, 33a, 33e Waist elastic member 33G Waist elastic region 34 Rear leg elastic member 40 Crotch portion 40a Inner fold 40b Outer fold 40e Vertical ends 50 Leakage preventing wall 100 Container (container of pants-type absorbent article) 101 Container member

Claims

1. A pant-type absorbent article container having a plurality of pant-type absorbent articles and a container member that contains the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, wherein the pant-type absorbent articles have: vertical, horizontal, and thickness directions that are perpendicular to one another; a pair of waistbands; a crotch section that is located between the crotch of a wearer when worn; and a central elastic member that is stretchable in the vertical direction and attached with an adhesive to the center of the crotch section in the horizontal direction; when contained in the container member, the vertical ends of the waistbands are folded back toward the crotch section, the vertical ends of the folded back waistbands do not extend beyond the vertical ends of the crotch section, the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles are compressed while overlapping in the thickness direction, and in at least one pant-type absorbent article among the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, the distance from the end of the waistband to the end of the crotch section at the center in the horizontal direction is longer than the average thickness of the crotch section.

2. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 1, wherein the distance is length L1, and in the stored state, when the distance from the vertical edge of the folded waistband portion to the vertical edge of the crotch portion at the center position in the left-right direction of the pant-type absorbent article and another pant-type absorbent article adjacent to the pant-type absorbent article in the thickness direction is length L2, the length L2 is different from the length L1 and is at least longer than half the length L1 or shorter than 1.5 times the length L1.

3. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the average thickness is 95% or less of the average thickness of the crotch portion of the pant-type absorbent article in its natural state after being removed from the container.

4. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the central elastic member is thread-like.

5. A container for a pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pair of waistband sections are provided with a plurality of waistband elastic members that stretch in the left-right direction and are arranged in the up-down direction, and the amount of adhesive per unit area in the waistband elastic regions where the waistband elastic members are arranged is less than the amount of adhesive per unit area in the central elastic region where the central elastic member is arranged.

6. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the stored state, the upper end of the waistband folded back toward the crotch portion does not overlap with the central elastic member when viewed in the thickness direction.

7. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in the stored state, both left and right ends of the waistband are folded inward in the left and right direction.

8. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 7, characterized in that, in the stored state, the folded waistband portion has an overlapping portion where one end and the other end in the left-right direction overlap when viewed in the thickness direction, and the overlapping portion has a portion that overlaps with the central elastic member in the left-right direction.

9. A pant-type absorbent article container as described in claim 7, characterized in that in the stored state, the ends on one side and the other side of the folded waistband in the left-right direction do not overlap when viewed in the thickness direction, and when the area in the left-right direction in which the central elastic member is located is defined as the central elastic area, both ends of the waistband are located within the range of the central elastic area.

10. A pant-type absorbent article container as described in claim 7, characterized in that within the container member there are present: a first pant-type absorbent article in which, in the stored state, one end and the other end of the folded-over waist portion in the left-right direction overlap when viewed in the thickness direction; and a second pant-type absorbent article in which, in the stored state, one end and the other end of the folded-over waist portion in the left-right direction do not overlap when viewed in the thickness direction.

11. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in the crotch portion in the stored state, when the side where the folded-over waistband is present in the thickness direction is the inside of the fold and the opposite side is the outside of the fold, the vertical length of the central elastic member is longer on the inside of the fold than on the outside of the fold.

12. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in the crotch portion in the stored state, when the side where the folded-over waistband is present in the thickness direction is the inside of the fold and the opposite side is the outside of the fold, the vertical length of the central elastic member is longer on the outside of the fold than on the inside of the fold.

13. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in the stored state, when the portion of the waistband folded back toward the crotch portion is defined as a folded-back portion, the folded-back portion has a portion that overlaps with at least a portion of the central elastic member when viewed in the thickness direction.

14. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pair of waistband sections are joined at both sides in the left-right direction by a pair of side joints, a plurality of waistband elastic members that stretch in the left-right direction are arranged in the up-down direction and fixed to the pair of waistband sections with adhesive, and the areas at the top ends of the pair of waistband sections in the up-down direction adjacent to the inner ends in the left-right direction of the pair of side joints have areas where the adhesive that secures the waistband elastic members is not applied, or low-basis weight areas where the adhesive has a lower basis weight than areas further inward in the left-right direction, and in the stored state, both left-right end portions of the pair of waistband sections are folded inward in the left-right direction.

15. A pant-type absorbent article container as described in claim 14, wherein the area adjacent to the inner ends of the pair of side joints in the left-right direction has an area where the adhesive that secures the waist elastic member is not applied, or a low-basis weight area where the adhesive has a lower basis weight than the area further inside in the left-right direction, over the entire area overlapping with the side joints in the up-down direction, and wherein, in the stored state, both left-right end portions of the pair of waist sections are folded inward in the left-right direction.

16. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pair of waistband sections are joined at both left-right ends by a pair of side joints, the pair of waistband sections have an inner layer sheet and an outer layer sheet arranged closer to the skin than the inner layer sheet, and at least one of the pair of waistband sections has a sheet section arranged closest to the skin, the sheet section being fixed to the inner layer sheet with an adhesive, and the area where the sheet section overlaps with the area adjacent to the inner ends of the pair of side joints in the left-right direction when viewed in the thickness direction has an area where the adhesive fixing the sheet section is not applied, or a low-basis weight area where the adhesive has a lower basis weight than the adhesive further inward in the left-right direction, and in the stored state, both left-right end sections of the pair of waistband sections are folded inward in the left-right direction.

17. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pant-type absorbent article comprises an absorbent main body having an absorbent core, and in the stored state, a portion of the absorbent core is folded.

18. A container for a pants-type absorbent article as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the pair of waistband sections are provided with a plurality of waistband elastic members that stretch in the left-right direction and are arranged in the up-down direction, and the force required to stretch the waistband elastic members by a unit length in the left-right direction from their natural state is greater than the force required to stretch the central elastic member by a unit length in the up-down direction from their natural state.

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