Storage body for underpants-type absorbent articles

Abstract

This storage body for underpants-type absorbent articles has a plurality of underpants-type absorbent articles and a storage member. The underpants-type absorbent articles each have a pair of waist parts, a crotch part, and a crotch elastic member that is attached to the lateral-direction central portion of the crotch part using an adhesive and is capable of expanding and contracting in the vertical direction. In the waist parts, a plurality of waist elastic members that are capable of expanding and contracting in the lateral direction are provided at intervals in the vertical direction between a first sheet and a second sheet joined by a plurality of joining parts. Each of the waist elastic members is sandwiched between two joining parts that are adjacent in the vertical direction, from among the plurality of joining parts, in a state of being laterally contracted, whereby the vertical-direction positions of the waist elastic members with respect to the first sheet and the second sheet are regulated, and the vertical-direction upper-end sections of the waist parts are folded back in an accommodated state; the plurality of underpants-type absorbent articles are compressed in a state of being overlapped in the thickness direction; and the underpants-type absorbent article is such that the distance from the upper end of the waist parts to the lower end of the crotch part at the lateral-direction central position is equal to or less than the average thickness of the crotch part.

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 a longitudinally stretchable elastic member in the widthwise center of the crotch area corresponding to the wearer's crotch. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a disposable diaper having a front portion and a rear portion corresponding to a waistband, an absorbent core extending from the front portion to the rear portion, and a first buttocks elastic member extending longitudinally from the center of the absorbent core toward the non-skin-contacting surface of the absorbent core. Typically, the first buttocks elastic member extending longitudinally is fixed with an adhesive. To reduce logistics costs and storage space, absorbent articles such as the disposable diaper described in Patent Document 1 are typically stored in a storage bag or other container that protects the absorbent article. The left and right ends of the waistband are folded toward the center, and the container is then folded in half or the like at the left and right folds, and then the container is stored under high compression.

[0003] JP 2010-131196 A

[0004] However, when an absorbent article such as that described in Patent Document 1 remains folded and compressed in the thickness direction within the container, the adhesive used to secure the first buttocks elastic member seeps out toward the non-skin side, causing the absorbent article to adhere to another adjacent absorbent article within the container, or causing the waist area to adhere to the crotch area where the first buttocks elastic member is provided, resulting in damage to the absorbent article or the first buttocks elastic member coming loose.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a container for pants-type absorbent articles that reduces the risk of the waist and crotch areas sticking together, and the risk of adjacent pants-type absorbent articles sticking together, even when in a stored state.

[0006] The main invention for achieving the above object is a pant-type absorbent article container having a plurality of pant-type absorbent articles and a container member for accommodating the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, wherein the pant-type absorbent article has a top-to-bottom direction, a left-to-right direction and a thickness direction which are orthogonal to one another, a pair of waistbands, a crotch portion which is located between the crotch of a wearer when worn, and a crotch elastic member which is stretchable in the top-to-bottom direction and attached to a center in the left-to-right direction of the crotch portion with an adhesive, and the waistband has a plurality of waistband elastic members which are stretchable in the left-to-right direction and spaced apart in the top-to-bottom direction between a first sheet and a second sheet which are joined by a plurality of welded portions, and each of the waistband elastic members has In a state where the pant-type absorbent articles are contracted in the left-right direction, the pant-type absorbent articles are sandwiched between two of the plurality of welded portions that are adjacent in the up-down direction, thereby restricting their position in the up-down direction relative to the first sheet and the second sheet, and in a state where the pant-type absorbent articles are housed in the housing member, the upper end of the waistline portion in the up-down direction is folded back toward the crotch portion, the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles are compressed in a state where they are stacked in the thickness direction, and in at least one pant-type absorbent article, the distance from the upper end of the waistline portion to the lower end of the crotch portion at the center in the left-right direction is equal to or less 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 reduces the risk of the waist and crotch areas sticking together when stored, and the risk of adjacent pants-type absorbent articles sticking together.

[0008] 3A to 3C are schematic perspective views of a disposable diaper container 100; FIG. 4A is a schematic front view of the diaper 1 in a pants-type state, as viewed from the ventral side; FIG. 4B is a schematic plan view of the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state, as viewed 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; FIG. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 3; FIG. 4C is a diagram illustrating an example of the arrangement of the welded portions 25; FIG. 4C is a diagram illustrating the principle by which the waist elastic members 23 are attached to the ventral waist portion 20 by the welded portions 25; FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C are diagrams illustrating folding of the diaper 1 during storage; FIG. 7C is a schematic side view of the stored state of the diapers 1 stored in the storage member 101; FIG. 7C is a diagram illustrating adjacent diapers 1 in the stored state; FIG. 7C is a table showing folding patterns of the diaper 1; FIG. 7C is a diagram illustrating the diaper 1 in the stored state; FIG. 7C is a diagram illustrating modified folding patterns of the diaper 1 in the stored state; FIG. 7C is a partial enlarged view of the ventral waist portion 20 in the unfolded state and the stretched state. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating yet another modified example of the folding of the diaper 1. FIG.

[0009] The present specification and the accompanying drawings make clear at least the following: (Aspect 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 a top-to-bottom direction, a left-to-right direction, and a thickness direction that are orthogonal to one another, a pair of waistbands, a crotch portion that is located between the crotch of a wearer when worn, and a crotch elastic member that is stretchable in the top-to-bottom direction and attached to a center in the left-to-right direction of the crotch portion with an adhesive, and the waistband has a plurality of waistband elastic members that are stretchable in the left-to-right direction and spaced apart in the top-to-bottom direction between a first sheet and a second sheet joined by a plurality of welded portions, and each of the waistband elastic members is configured to contract in the left-to-right direction. In this state, the pant-type absorbent article is sandwiched between two of the multiple welded portions that are adjacent in the vertical direction, thereby regulating its vertical position relative to the first sheet and the second sheet, and in a state where it is stored in the storage member, the upper end of the waist portion in the vertical direction is folded back toward the crotch portion, and the multiple pant-type absorbent articles are compressed in a stacked state in the thickness direction, and in at least one pant-type absorbent article, the distance from the upper end of the waist portion to the lower end of the crotch portion at the center position in the left-right direction is less than the average thickness of the crotch portion.

[0010] According to the pant-type absorbent article storage body of Aspect 1, the waist elastic members are fixed at the waist portion by the welded portions, which allows for a reduction in the amount of adhesive used in the waist portion, thereby reducing the risk of the waist portion and the crotch portion sticking together even when the waist portion of the pant-type absorbent article is folded back toward the crotch portion and compressed in the thickness direction in a stored state. Furthermore, because the distance from the upper end of the waist portion to the lower end of the crotch portion at the center position in the left-right direction of the pant-type absorbent article is equal to or less than the average thickness of the crotch portion, one side of the crotch portion in the thickness direction is more likely to be covered more widely by the waist portion than when the distance from the upper end of the waist portion to the lower end of the crotch portion is longer than the average thickness of the crotch portion, which reduces the risk of adhesive for attaching the crotch elastic members sticking to the crotch portion of another pant-type absorbent article adjacent to the pant-type absorbent article from one side in the thickness direction, and reduces the risk of adjacent pant-type absorbent articles sticking together in a stored state.

[0011] (Aspect 2) The pant-type absorbent article container of Aspect 1, 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 being removed from the container member.

[0012] In general, the higher the compression rate at which multiple pant-type absorbent articles are compressed, the more pant-type absorbent articles can be accommodated in the accommodation member. According to the accommodation body for pant-type absorbent articles of aspect 2, even when the pant-type absorbent article is compressed in the accommodated state to 95% or less of the average thickness of the crotch portion in its natural state, one side of the crotch portion in the thickness direction can be easily covered widely with the waist portion, thereby reducing the risk of the adhesive for attaching the crotch elastic members adhering to the crotch portion of another pant-type absorbent article adjacent to the pant-type absorbent article from one side in the thickness direction, and reducing the risk of adjacent pant-type absorbent articles sticking to each other in the accommodated state.

[0013] (Aspect 3) The container of the pants-type absorbent article of Aspect 1 or 2, wherein the crotch elastic members are thread-shaped.

[0014] According to the pant-type absorbent article storage body of aspect 3, the amount of adhesive required to attach the crotch elastic member can be reduced compared to when a thicker band of rubber or a sheet-like stretchable material is applied with adhesive applied to the entire surface, thereby further reducing the risk of adhesive seeping out when the article is stored.

[0015] (Aspect 4) A container for a pants-type absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, characterized in that in the stored state, both side ends of the waist portion in the left-right direction are folded inward in the left-right direction.

[0016] According to the pant-type absorbent article storage body of aspect 4, in the stored state, on one side of the thickness direction of the crotch portion, both side ends of the waist portion are folded inward in the left-right direction, and the thickness of the waist portion is increased by folding both side ends, which reduces the risk of adhesive adhering to another pant-type absorbent article adjacent to the pant-type absorbent article from one side in the thickness direction, and reduces the risk of adjacent pant-type absorbent articles sticking to each other in the stored state.

[0017] (Aspect 5) The crotch portion has a crotch elastic region defined by the crotch elastic member, and in the stored state, the folded-over waist portion has an overlapping portion where one side end and the other side end in the left-right direction overlap when viewed in the thickness direction, and in the left-right direction, the overlapping portion has a portion that overlaps with the crotch elastic region. This is a storage body for a pants-type absorbent article of Aspect 4.

[0018] According to the pant-type absorbent article container of aspect 5, by providing an overlapping portion, it is possible to provide a wide gap between the adhesive for attaching the crotch elastic member of the pant-type absorbent article and another pant-type absorbent article adjacent to the pant-type absorbent article from one side in the thickness direction, thereby reducing the risk of adhesive adhering to the adjacent other pant-type absorbent article and reducing the risk of adjacent pant-type absorbent articles sticking to each other when stored.

[0019] (Aspect 6) A pant-type absorbent article container according to Aspect 4, characterized in that the crotch portion has a crotch elastic region defined by the crotch elastic member, and in the stored state, the side end portion on one side and the side end portion on the other side in the left-right direction of the folded-over waist portion do not overlap when viewed in the thickness direction, and both side ends of the waist portion have portions that overlap with the crotch elastic region in the left-right direction.

[0020] According to the storage body of the pants-type absorbent article of aspect 6, in the stored state, the waist portion is folded over with a gap between one side end and the other side end in the left-right direction, and both side ends of the waist portion have portions that overlap with the crotch elastic region in the left-right direction.As a result, even if the pants-type absorbent article is compressed in the thickness direction in the stored state, pressure on the portion of the crotch portion where the crotch elastic region is located can be reduced, thereby reducing the risk of adhesive for attaching the crotch elastic member seeping out and the risk of the pants-type absorbent articles sticking together due to the adhesive.

[0021] (Aspect 7) The pant-type absorbent article container of any of Aspects 4 to 6 is characterized in that it includes: a first pant-type absorbent article among the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, which, in the stored state, has a portion where one side end and the other side 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 among the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, which, in the stored state, has a portion where one side end and the other side end of the folded-over waist portion in the left-right direction do not overlap when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0022] Usually, the size of the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles that can be accommodated in the container is predetermined. According to the container for pant-type absorbent articles of Aspect 7, by having the first pant-type absorbent article and the second pant-type absorbent article, areas of high pressure are dispersed, thereby suppressing the seepage of adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic members of each pant-type absorbent article and reducing the pressure applied to pant-type absorbent articles adjacent in the thickness direction, thereby reducing the risk of the pant-type absorbent articles sticking together.

[0023] (Aspect 8) A pant-type absorbent article storage body according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, characterized in that in the crotch portion in the stored state, when the side on which the folded-over waistband portion is located is the inside of the fold and the opposite side is the outside of the fold in the thickness direction, the vertical length of the crotch elastic member on the inside of the fold is equal to or greater than the vertical length of the crotch elastic member on the outside of the fold.

[0024] According to the pant-type absorbent article container of aspect 8, the length of the crotch elastic member on the outside of the fold is short, which reduces the risk of the adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic member sticking to another pant-type absorbent article adjacent to the outside of the fold.

[0025] (Aspect 9) A pant-type absorbent article storage body according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, characterized in that in the crotch portion in the stored state, when the side where the folded-over waist portion 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 crotch elastic member on the outside of the fold is longer than the vertical length of the crotch elastic member on the inside of the fold.

[0026] According to the pant-type absorbent article container of aspect 9, the length of the crotch elastic member on the inside of the fold is short, which reduces the risk of the adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic member sticking to another pant-type absorbent article adjacent to the inside of the fold.

[0027] (Aspect 10) A pant-type absorbent article storage body according to any one of Aspects 1 to 9, characterized in that, in the stored state, when the portion of the waist portion that is folded toward the crotch portion is defined as a folded portion, the folded portion has an overlapping portion of the crotch elastic member when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0028] According to the pant-type absorbent article container of Aspect 10, the greater the overlapping portion of the folded portion with the crotch elastic member, the less likely it is that the crotch elastic member will adhere to another pant-type absorbent article housed adjacent to the side where the folded portion is provided. Also, the smaller the overlapping portion of the folded portion with the crotch elastic member, the less likely it is that the adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic member will ooze out due to compression in the housed state, thereby reducing the risk of the waist portion and the crotch portion sticking together.

[0029] (Aspect 11) A container for a pants-type absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10, characterized in that the crotch portion has a crotch elastic region defined by the crotch elastic member, and the amount of adhesive per unit area provided between the first sheet and the second sheet is less than the amount of adhesive per unit area of ​​the crotch elastic region.

[0030] According to the container of the pants-type absorbent article of aspect 11, even when the container is compressed in the thickness direction, the risk of the waist portion and the crotch portion sticking together can be reduced.

[0031] (Aspect 12) The container of the pants-type absorbent article of Aspect 11 is characterized in that the waist portion has the waist elastic members along the left-right direction, and no adhesive is used to fix the waist elastic members along the left-right direction.

[0032] According to the container of the pants-type absorbent article of aspect 12, even when the container is compressed in the thickness direction, the risk of the waist portion and the crotch portion sticking together can be reduced.

[0033] (Mode 13) A pant-type absorbent article container according to any one of Modes 1 to 12, characterized in that the pair of waistbands are joined at both sides in the left-right direction by a pair of side joints, and in the region at the upper end of the pair of waistbands in the vertical direction adjacent to the inner ends in the left-right direction of the pair of side joints, no adhesive is applied between the first sheet and the second sheet, or adhesive of a lower basis weight is applied than that further inward in the left-right direction, and in the stored state, both ends in the left-right direction of the pair of waistbands are folded inward in the left-right direction.

[0034] According to the container of the pants-type absorbent article of aspect 13, even when the container is compressed in the thickness direction, the risk of the waist portion and the crotch portion sticking together can be reduced.

[0035] (Aspect 14) A pant-type absorbent article container according to Aspect 13, characterized in that the area adjacent to the inner ends of the pair of side joints in the left-right direction is not coated with the adhesive over the entire area overlapping the side joints in the up-down direction, or is coated with adhesive of 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 waistbands in the left-right direction are folded inward in the left-right direction.

[0036] According to the container of the pants-type absorbent article of aspect 14, even when the container is compressed in the thickness direction, the risk of the waist portion and the crotch portion sticking together can be reduced.

[0037] (Aspect 15) The pants-type absorbent article is a storage body for a pants-type absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 14, characterized in that the pants-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 together with the fold-back of the upper end portion of the waist portion in the vertical direction.

[0038] Generally, the absorbent core has higher rigidity than the waistband. According to the storage body of the pants-type absorbent article of Aspect 15, the absorbent core folded together with the waistband is more likely to have a force that returns it to a flat state, so that even when the upper end of the waistband is folded back toward the crotch portion and compressed in the stored state, a force that separates the upper end of the waistband and the crotch portion is more likely to act. This makes it easier to reduce the risk of the waistband and the crotch portion sticking together due to the adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic members.

[0039] (Aspect 16) A container for a pants-type absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 15, characterized in that the force required to stretch the waist elastic member in its natural state by a unit length in the left-right direction is greater than the force required to stretch the crotch elastic member in its natural state by a unit length in the up-down direction.

[0040] According to the container of the pants-type absorbent article of Aspect 16, the waist portion is more easily contracted in the left-right direction and pleats are more easily formed in the waist portion in its natural state than when the force required to stretch the waist elastic members in their natural state by a unit length in the left-right direction is equal to or less than the force required to stretch the crotch elastic members in their natural state by a unit length in the up-down direction. The more pleats provided in the waist portion, the less likely the waist portion in its stored state will be crushed by compression, and this reduces the risk of the waist portion and the crotch portion sticking together due to the adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic members.

[0041] Embodiments Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described using a disposable diaper container 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as "container 100") that stores 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 stored 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] Examples of materials for forming the storage member 101 include thermoplastic resin films such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). However, the material is not limited to these, and for example, at least a portion of the storage member 101 may be made of paper.

[0044] <Basic structure of pants-type disposable diaper 1> Fig. 2 is a schematic front view of the pants-type diaper 1 as seen from the ventral side. Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view of the diaper 1 as seen from the skin side of a wearer as seen from the unfolded and stretched state. 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the absorbent body 10 has an absorbent body 11, a liquid-permeable top sheet 12 arranged on the skin side of the absorbent body 11, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 13 arranged on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 11, and an exterior sheet 14.

[0049] The absorbent body 11 has an absorbent core 11A that absorbs and retains excreted 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] The crotch portion 40 of the absorbent body 10 has a longitudinally stretchable (vertical) crotch elastic member 17 in its left-right center and on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 11 in the thickness direction. In this embodiment, the crotch 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 an adhesive. Here, five crotch 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. The crotch elastic member 17 is not limited to a thread-like member and may be, for example, a stretchable film or a stretchable nonwoven fabric. Note that FIG. 3 shows only the stretchable portion of the crotch elastic member 17 (the so-called effective length portion).

[0053] The region defined by the crotch elastic members 17 is also referred to as the "crotch elastic region ER." The crotch elastic region ER is the region indicated by the diagonally downwardly slanted line in Fig. 3, and is the region surrounded by the crotch elastic member 17a located on the most one side in the left-right direction, the crotch elastic member 17e located on the most other side, and the upper and lower ends of the multiple crotch elastic members 17.

[0054] 3, 4A, and 4B, the crotch elastic members 17 extend from the front in the longitudinal direction to the rear across the center line CL1 in the left-right central portion of the absorbent main body 10. However, the longitudinal length of the crotch elastic members 17 is not limited to this, and they may be provided at least in the crotch part 40 that faces the crotch of the wearer. Contraction of the crotch elastic members 17 improves the fit of the absorbent main body 10 in the crotch part 40 in the left-right central portion.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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 waistband elastic members 23, 33 can be made of, for example, an elastic resin material primarily composed of a thermoplastic elastic resin molded into a rubber thread shape. Examples of the thermoplastic elastic resin include thermoplastic resins that exhibit rubber elasticity at room temperature, such as thermoplastic elastomers described in JIS K 6418:2007. The thermoplastic elastic resin preferably has an elastic deformation temperature range of approximately 100°C or less. Examples of the thermoplastic elastic resin include olefin-based elastomers (e.g., VERSIFY™ from The Dow Chemical Company), propylene-based elastomers (e.g., Vistamaxx™ from ExxonMobil), and styrene-based elastomers (e.g., Quintac™ from Zeon Corporation).

[0061] The multiple waist elastic members 23, 33 are respectively arranged at intervals 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. In this embodiment, the rear leg elastic members 34 are provided in the back waist portion 30 between the inner layer sheet 21 and the back outer layer sheet 32 ​​and below the waist elastic members 33. The waist elastic members 23, 33 and the rear leg elastic members 34 are each attached by welded joints joining the inner layer sheet 21 and the outer layer sheets 22, 32. The following describes the attachment of the waist elastic member 23, but the same applies to the waist elastic members 33 and the rear leg elastic members 34.

[0062] <Attachment of waistline elastic members 23> Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the arrangement of the welded parts 25. Figs. 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating the principle by which the waistline elastic members 23 are attached to the ventral waistline portion 20 by the welded parts 25. Note that Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the upper part of the ventral waistline portion 20, but the entire ventral waistline portion 20 has a similar configuration. For ease of explanation, Fig. 5 schematically illustrates the arrangement and quantity of the waistline elastic members 23 and the welded parts 25.

[0063] In the ventral waist region 20 of the diaper 1, the inner layer sheet 21 and the ventral outer layer sheet 22 are joined together at a plurality of welds 25, 25 formed by a known welding method such as ultrasonic welding. The inner layer sheet 21 and the ventral outer layer sheet 22 are joined together before the leg openings LH of the diaper 1 are formed, i.e., before the diaper 1 is in a pants-type state. Specifically, during the manufacturing process of the diaper 1, the welds 25 joining the inner layer sheet 21 and the ventral outer layer sheet 22 are formed before the absorbent body 10 is joined to the ventral waist region 20 and before the individual sheets 21, 22, etc. are cut into individual diapers.

[0064] The skin-side waist portion 20 is attached between an inner layer sheet 21 (first sheet) and a ventral side outer layer sheet 22 (second sheet) that face each other in the thickness direction, with multiple waist elastic members 23, 23... that are stretchable in the left-right direction and spaced apart in the up-down direction (longitudinal direction) and welded at the welded portions 25, 25....

[0065] In the ventral waistband portion 20 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 , a plurality of welds 25, 25... are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction (longitudinal direction), forming a vertically extending welded portion row 26, and a plurality of welded portion rows 26 are also arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. Each welded portion row 26 is arranged to have a protruding portion 26P that is convex on one or the other of the left-right directions. That is, the welded portion row 26 is formed to have an uneven shape as a whole because the positions of the plurality of welds 25 included in the welded portion row 26 in the left-right direction are different. In the example of FIG. 5 , the welded portion row 26 is formed to meander from top to bottom in the vertical direction. However, the arrangement of each welded portion 25 is not limited to the example of FIG. 5 , and the welded portion row 26 may have a protruding portion 26P only on one of the left-right directions. Furthermore, the welded portion row 26 may not have an uneven shape in the left-right direction and may be arranged straight in the vertical direction.

[0066] Of the multiple welded portions 25, 25 included in this welded portion row 26, two vertically adjacent welded portions 25, 25 sandwich the waist elastic member 23 from above and below, thereby attaching the waist elastic member 23 to the ventral waist portion 20. In other words, a pair of welded portions 25, 25 aligned on both sides of the waist elastic member 23 in the vertical direction form a welded portion pair 25s, and the waist elastic member 23 is attached by this welded portion pair 25s.

[0067] As shown in Fig. 6A, a pair of welds 25, 25 constituting a pair of welds 25s are arranged vertically with a gap GH23 therebetween. The gap GH23 is set to be equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter D23t of the waist elastic member 23, such as rubber thread, when stretched laterally to a desired elongation ratio (GH23 ≥ D23t). In other words, the stretched waist elastic member 23 is positioned vertically between the pair of welds 25s. With this configuration, during the manufacturing process of the diaper 1, the waist elastic member 23 in a stretched state is positioned between the inner sheet 21 and the ventral-side outer sheet 22, and then the welds 25 can be formed without overlapping with the waist elastic member 23 when the inner sheet 21 and the ventral-side outer sheet 22 are joined together. Here, the "extension ratio" refers to a value Z (=Lx / Ly) that indicates how many times the total length Lx of the waist elastic member 23 is extended relative to the total length Ly in the unloaded state, which is the natural length.

[0068] 6B , when the waist elastic members 23 are relaxed from their stretched state, they contract in the left-right direction while expanding in the up-down direction, and the expanded outer diameter D23t' becomes larger than the vertical distance GH23 between the pairs of welded portions 25s (D23t'>GH23). Therefore, the vertical expansion of the waist elastic members 23 is restricted between the pairs of welded portions 25s, and the waist elastic members 23 are essentially sandwiched between the welded portions 25, 25 in the up-down direction. As a result, the pairs of welded portions 25s restrict the vertical and left-right positions of the waist elastic members 23, and the waist elastic members 23 are stretchably attached to the abdominal waist portion 20, imparting left-right stretchability to the abdominal waist portion 20.

[0069] In addition, when the diaper 1 is in the pants-type state, the waist elastic member 23 is joined by side joints SS at both left and right ends of the ventral waist portion 20, so that even if the waist member 20 is stretched in the left and right directions when the diaper 1 is worn, the waist elastic member 23 is unlikely to come off the waist member 20.

[0070] In the diaper 1 of this embodiment, all of the waist elastic members 23, 33 are positioned by being sandwiched between the pairs of welded portions 25s, but this is not limiting. In addition to the waist elastic members 23, 33 whose positions are restricted by being sandwiched between the pairs of welded portions 25s, the diaper 1 may also include waist elastic members 23, 33 that are fixed to at least one of the inner layer sheet 21 and the ventral-side outer layer sheet 22 with an adhesive such as a hot-melt adhesive. Furthermore, the waist elastic members 23, 33 whose positions are restricted by being sandwiched between the pairs of welded portions 25s may be bonded and fixed to the ventral waist portion 20 by applying an adhesive such as a hot-melt adhesive to the waist elastic members 23, 33. For example, when the waist portions 20, 30 have not only waist elastic members 23, 33, 34 aligned in the left-right direction but also curved elastic members, the curved elastic members may be fixed to the waist portions 20, 30 with adhesive, and at the upper ends of the waist portions 20, 30, not only the waist elastic members 23, 33 may be fixed to the waist portions 20, 30 by the welded portions 25 but also by applying adhesive.

[0071] The basic configuration of the diaper 1 has been described above, 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 configuration is not limited to this. For example, the diaper may be configured such that 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 continuous member extending from the ventral waist section 20 to the dorsal waist section 30.

[0072] <Method of Folding and Storing Diapers 1> As described above, in the storage body 100, a plurality of diapers 1 (pants-type absorbent articles 1) are stored in a folded state within the storage member 101. Below, a method of folding and storing the diapers 1 will be described.

[0073] 7A to 7C are diagrams illustrating the folding of the diaper 1 during storage. FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of the diaper 1 stored in the storage member 101. Each diagram in FIG. 8 schematically shows a cross section of the diaper 1 at the center position C-C in the left-right direction. When storing the diaper 1 in the storage member 101, first, from the natural state shown in FIG. 7A, one side end 20Ea (30Ea) and the other side 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. 7B (hereinafter, the "one side end 20Ea (30Ea) and the other side end 20Eb (30Eb)" will also be referred to as "both side end portions 20E (30E)").

[0074] Next, as shown in Fig. 7C , the waist portion 20 (30) is folded at a folding position F so that the upper end WA in the vertical direction is located toward the crotch portion 40. The folding position F is a fold line extending in the left-right direction between the top and bottom ends of the diaper 1 in the pants-type state. As a result, the diaper 1 is folded into a compact shape as shown in Fig. 7C and stored such that the top-bottom direction of the storage member 101 and the top-bottom direction of the diaper 1 are aligned, resulting in the stored state shown in Fig. 1 . In this embodiment, the left-right side end portions 20E (30E) of the folded waist portion 20 (30) do not overlap in the thickness direction and are folded back so that portions overlap the crotch elastic members 17. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and possible folding patterns will be described in detail later.

[0075] Typically, 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 crotch elastic members 17 are provided in the crotch portion 40 as in the present embodiment, adhesive for attaching the crotch elastic members 17 or adhesive for attaching the waist elastic members 23 (33) arranged in the waist portion 20 (30) may seep out and bond to adjacent products (diapers 1) in the container 101, which could result in tearing of the diaper 1 or the removal of the crotch elastic members 17. In particular, when the diapers 1 of this embodiment are not individually packaged, but rather multiple diapers 1 are folded into a compact shape, stacked in the thickness direction, and stored in the storage member 101 in a compressed thickness direction, the adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic member 17 and the waist elastic member 23 (33) are likely to seep out, and the seeped adhesive may cause the diapers 1 that are not individually packaged to stick together.

[0076] When the diapers 1 in the container 100 are housed in the container member 101, the upper end WA of the waistband 20 (30) of each diaper 1 is folded back toward the crotch section 40 as described above. A plurality of diapers 1 are stacked and compressed in the thickness direction of the diapers 1 (corresponding to the left-right direction of the container 100). The container 100 of the present invention is configured such that a plurality of diapers 1 are housed in the container member 101, and is not a so-called "individually packaged" container in which one diaper is housed in each container member 101. Figure 9 illustrates the relationship between adjacent diapers 1 in the housed state. Normally, adjacent diapers 1 are stacked on top of each other in a tight, tight fit due to compression in the housed state. However, Figure 9 illustrates the relationship between adjacent diapers 1 for convenience's sake, so that the shapes of the diapers 1 can be seen. As shown in Figure 9, among the stored diapers 1, the diaper 1 having a distance L1 from the upper end WAe of the waist portion 20 (30) to the lower end 40e of the crotch portion 40 at the center position C-C in the left-right direction is referred to as diaper 1a, and another diaper 1 adjacent to the diaper 1a on one side of the thickness direction in the stored state is referred to as diaper 1b.

[0077] At least one diaper 1 (diaper 1a) among the plurality of diapers 1 in this stored state has the following features: It has a vertically stretchable crotch elastic member 17 attached with an adhesive to the center of the crotch portion 40. The waist portion 20, 30 of the diaper 1 also has a plurality of horizontally stretchable waist elastic members 23 (33, 34) spaced apart vertically between an inner layer sheet 21 and an outer layer sheet 22 (32) joined by a plurality of welded portions 25. As described above, when contracted horizontally, each waist elastic member 23 (33, 34) is sandwiched between two vertically adjacent welded portions 25, thereby restricting its vertical position relative to the inner layer sheet 21 and the outer layer sheet 22 (32).

[0078] 7C and 8A, the distance L1 from the upper end WAe of the waist portion 20 (30) to the lower end 40e of the crotch portion 40 at the center C-C in the left-right direction (e.g., FIG. 7A) is equal to or less than the average thickness T of the crotch portion 40 (L1≦T). In the stored state, the upper end WAe of the waist portion 20 (30) is the uppermost (outermost) side in the vertical direction (longitudinal direction) of the diaper 1 at the center C-C in the left-right direction. 7C and other figures, when the diaper 1 is stored, folding the side end portions 20E (30E) of the waist portion 20 (30) tends to cause the top ends WAe of the waist portion 20 (30) to be positioned unevenly in the vertical direction. Furthermore, folding the side end portions 20E (30) causes multiple waist portions 20 (30) to be stacked in the thickness direction, which tends to cause the top ends WAe of the waist portions 20 (30) to be positioned unevenly. Therefore, in the diaper 1 of this embodiment, the top end WAe is defined as the uppermost (outermost) side of the diaper 1 in the vertical direction at the center position C-C in the left-right direction.

[0079] In the diaper 1 of this embodiment, a folding position F is provided in the vertical center of the diaper 1 in the pants-type state. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8A , at the horizontal center position C-C, the upper end WAe of the folded waist portion 20 (30) is substantially in the same position as the lower end 40e of the crotch portion 40. Therefore, in the case of the diaper 1 shown in FIG. 8A , the distance L1 from the upper end WAe of the waist portion 20 (30) to the lower end 40e of the crotch portion 40 is 0, or the distance L1 is approximately 0. Note that, in each diaper 1, the upper end WAe of the folded waist portion 20 (30) does not have to extend beyond the lower end 40e of the crotch portion 40, as shown in FIG. 8B , or the upper end WAe of the folded waist portion 20 (30) in the vertical direction may extend beyond the lower end 40e of the crotch portion 40, as shown in FIG. 8C . In either case, the distance L1 from the upper end WAe of the waist portion 20 (30) at the center position CC in the left-right direction to the lower end 40e of the crotch portion 40 should be less than the average thickness T of the crotch portion 40 (L1≦T).

[0080] In the waist region 20 (30) of the diaper 1, the waist elastic members 23 (33, 34) are fixed by the welded portions 25, so that less adhesive is used in the waist region 20 (30) than when all of the waist elastic members 23 (33, 34) are fixed to the waist region 20 (30) using an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive. Therefore, even when the diaper 1 is stored in a state where the waist region 20 (30) is folded back toward the crotch region 40 and compressed in the thickness direction, the risk of the opposing waist region 20 (30) and the crotch region 40 sticking together (adhering) with the adhesive can be reduced.

[0081] As described above, the diapers 1 are stored in a compressed state in a state in which a plurality of diapers 1 are stacked in the thickness direction within the storage member 101. Therefore, since the waist elastic members 23 (33, 34) are fixed at the welded portions 25, the risk of the outer waist portion of the waist portions 20, 30 folded back at the folding position F of the diaper 1a stored in the storage member 101 (for example, the back waist portion 30 of the diaper 1a in FIG. 9 ) adjoining another diaper 1 (diaper 1b) in the thickness direction being stuck together by the adhesive can be reduced compared to when all of the waist elastic members 23 (33, 34) are fixed to the waist portion 20 (30) using an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive.

[0082] In the diaper 1 stored in its stowed state, the distance L1 from the upper end WAe of the waist portion 20 (30) to the lower end 40e of the crotch portion 40 at the center position C-C in the left-right direction is equal to or less than the average thickness T of the crotch portion 40 (L1≦T). This allows one side of the crotch portion 40 in the thickness direction (the ventral side in FIG. 8A ) to be more widely covered by the waist portions 20, 30 than when the distance L1 from the upper end WAe of the waist portion 20 (30) to the lower end 40e of the crotch portion 40 is longer than the average thickness T of the crotch portion 40. This reduces the exposed area of ​​one side of the crotch portion 40 in the thickness direction (e.g., the ventral side), of the diaper 1 (diaper 1a), thereby reducing the risk of adhesive for attaching the crotch elastic members 17 provided in the crotch portion 40 adhering to the crotch portion 40 of another adjacent diaper 1 (diaper 1b in FIG. 9 ) from one side (the upper side in FIG. 9 ) of the diaper 1.

[0083] This reduces the risk of adhesive bonding between the diaper 1 (diaper 1a) and the diaper 1 (diaper 1b) adjacent to the diaper 1 in the thickness direction in the stored state. Reducing the risk of one diaper 1 adhering to another diaper 1 prevents damage such as tearing of the sheets of the waist-circumference portions 20, 30 and the crotch-section portion 40, and reduces the risk of the waist-circumference elastic members 23, 33 and the crotch-section elastic members 17 being exposed to the outside or protruding.

[0084] As with the diaper 1a, the distance L2 between the top end WAe of the folded waistband 20 (30) in the vertical direction and the bottom end 40e of the crotch section 40 in the vertical direction at the center of the diaper 1b in the horizontal direction is preferably different from the distance L1 (length L1) of the diaper 1 described above. In this embodiment, the length L1 of the diaper 1a is 0 (L1 = 0), and the length L2 is greater than 0 (L2 > 0), so the lengths L1 and L2 are different (L1 ≠ L2). The pressure applied to each diaper 1 is more dispersed when the ends WAe of the folded waistbands 20 (30) of the diapers 1 are staggered than when the ends WAe are aligned within the container 101, thereby preventing the diaper 1 (1b) from adhering to the crotch section 40, where the crotch elastic members 17 are located, due to the exuded adhesive.

[0085] 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. Note that when the container 100 is clamped with the jigs, the compressed state is maintained by clamping the container 100 so that the left-right length of the container 100 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 left-right center of the diaper 1 to the lower 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.

[0086] 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."

[0087] Furthermore, the average thickness T (see FIG. 8, etc.) of the crotch region 40 at the center position C-C in the lateral direction of the diaper 1 in the stored state 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. The compressibility of the diaper 1 in its stored state is calculated by subtracting the ratio (average thickness T of the crotch region 40 in the stored state / average thickness of the crotch region 40 in its natural state × 100) (%) obtained by dividing the average thickness T of the crotch region 40 at the center position C-C in the lateral direction of the stored state by the average thickness of the crotch region 40 in its natural state from 100%. Generally, increasing the compressibility allows more diapers 1 to be accommodated in the container 101. Therefore, even when the diaper 1 is compressed until the average thickness T of the crotch portion 40 in the stored state is 95% or less of the average thickness T of the crotch portion 40 in the natural state, that is, even when the diaper 1 is compressed until the compression rate is 5% or more, the distance L1 from the upper end WAe of the waist portion 20 (30) to the lower end 40e of the crotch portion 40 at the left-right central position C-C of the diaper 1 in the stored state is less than the average thickness T of the crotch portion 40 (L1≦T), so that one side of the thickness direction of the crotch portion 40 (the abdominal side in Figure 8A) is more likely to be widely covered by the waist portions 20, 30. As a result, the exposed area on one side of the thickness direction of the crotch portion 40 of the diaper 1 (diaper 1a) (e.g., the ventral side) can be reduced, thereby reducing the risk of the adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic member 17 provided in the crotch portion 40 adhering to the crotch portion 40 of another adjacent diaper 1 (diaper 1b in Figure 9) from one side of the diaper 1 (the upper side in Figure 9).

[0088] Furthermore, it is preferable that the crotch elastic members 17 are thread-like, as in the diaper 1 of this embodiment. By using thread-like elastic members, the amount of adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic members 17 can be reduced compared to when thicker band-like rubber or sheet-like stretchable material (stretchable film, stretchable nonwoven fabric, etc.) is applied with adhesive over the entire surface, and this further reduces the risk of adhesive seeping out when the diaper is compressed in the thickness direction while in a stored state.

[0089] 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. 7C and 8 ) as in the diaper 1 of this embodiment, it is preferable that, in the stored state, the folded-back portion 20K (30K) has a portion that overlaps with the crotch elastic member 17 when viewed in the thickness direction. The greater the portion that the folded-back portion 20K (30K) overlaps with the crotch elastic member 17 when viewed in the thickness direction of the diaper 1 in the stored state, the more likely it is that the crotch elastic member 17 of the diaper 1 (diaper 1a) will adhere to another diaper 1 (diaper 1b in FIG. 9 ) stored adjacent to the side where the folded-back portion 20K (20K) is provided (e.g., above the diaper 1a in FIG. 9 ). Furthermore, when viewed in the thickness direction of the diaper 1 in the stored state, the smaller the overlapping portion of the folded-up portion 20K (30K) with the crotch elastic member 17, the less the adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic member 17 can seep out due to compression in the stored state, thereby reducing the risk of the waist portion 20 and the crotch portion 40 of the diaper 1 (diaper 1a) sticking together in the stored state.

[0090] The folding position of the diaper 1 when it is housed in the housing member 101 will now be described in detail. FIG. 10 is a table showing folding patterns for the diaper 1. First, when folding the diaper 1, as shown in FIG. 7B, both side 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 referred to as the first folding. As shown in FIG. 10, the first folding can be performed by folding the both side 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.

[0091] In the first folding, whether the side end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waist portion 20 (30) are folded toward the ventral side or the dorsal side of the waist portion 20 (30), the side end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waist portion 20 (30) are folded inward in the left-right direction, so that the folded-in portions become thicker. Then, when the diaper 1 (diaper 1a) is stored, the thicker portions are likely to come into contact with another adjacent diaper 1 (diaper 1b) in the storage member 101.

[0092] Next, the side end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) are folded toward the ventral side or the dorsal side, and then the side end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) are either folded back so that they overlap in the thickness direction or so that they do not overlap. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7B , the side end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) are folded back so that they do not overlap. In the diaper 1 of this embodiment, the side end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) are folded back so that they do not overlap in the thickness direction. By folding back the side end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) so that they do not overlap in the thickness direction, as in the diaper 1 of this embodiment, the thickness of the central portion of the crotch portion 40, where the crotch elastic members 17 are located, is thinner than the portion where the side end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) are folded back. Therefore, even when multiple diapers 1 are stacked and compressed, the portion where the crotch elastic members 17 are located is less likely to come into contact with other diapers 1, which helps reduce the risk of the crotch elastic members 17 adhering to other diapers 1 due to oozing adhesive.

[0093] After folding back both side end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waistline portion 20 (30) in the left-right direction, the upper end portion WA of the waistline portion 20 (30) in the up-down direction is folded back so that it is located toward the crotch portion 40, as shown in FIG. 7C . This folding back is referred to as the second folding. As shown in FIG. 8A , 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 folded back during the second folding. Furthermore, when folding back the upper end portion WA of the waistline portion 20 (30) in the up-down direction, the folding can be performed with the ventral side of the waistline portion 20 (30) facing inward, or with the dorsal side facing inward.

[0094] In this way, by performing the above-mentioned first and second folds on the diaper 1, a total of 16 folding positions are possible (see Figure 10). In this embodiment, the first fold is performed by folding the diaper 1 toward the ventral side, and the left and right side end portions (20Ea, 20Eb) of the waist portion 20 (30) do not overlap, and the second fold is performed by folding the absorbent body 11 and folding the ventral side inward, which corresponds to pattern 5 in Figure 10.

[0095] As in the case of diaper 1, when stored, the left-right side end portions 20Ea, 20Eb of the waist portions 20, 30 are folded inward in the left-right direction, so that when stored, the thickness of the waist portions 20, 30 is increased on one side of the thickness direction of the crotch portion 40 (the abdominal side in Figures 8A and 9) due to the folded-back side end portions 20Ea, 20Eb. Therefore, even when multiple diapers 1 are compressed in the stored state, it is possible to provide more components between the crotch portion 40 of one diaper 1 (diaper 1a) and another diaper 1 (diaper 1b) adjacent to one diaper 1 (diaper 1a) on one side in the thickness direction, or to easily space the crotch portion 40 of one diaper 1a from the other diaper 1b, thereby reducing the risk of the adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic member 17 of the diaper 1 adhering to the other diaper 1 (diaper 1b) adjacent to one diaper 1 (diaper 1a) on one side in the thickness direction. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the risk of adjacent diapers 1 (diaper 1a and diaper 1b) sticking to each other in the thickness direction in the stored state.

[0096] Furthermore, in the diaper 1 of this embodiment, in the stored state, the side end 20Ea (30Ea) on one side in the left-right direction and the side end 20Eb (30Eb) on the other side of the folded-over waist portion 20 (30) do not overlap in the thickness direction. That is, as shown in Fig. 11 , in the stored state, the side end 20Ea on one side in the left-right direction and the side end 20Eb on the other side of the folded-over waist portion 20 (30) do not overlap in the thickness direction, so that a gap SP is left-right between the side end 20Eae on one side and the side end 20Ebe on the other side of the waist portion 20 (30). Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating the diaper 1 in the stored state. In this case, it is preferable that the side ends 20Eae, 20Ebe of the waist portion have portions that overlap in the left-right direction with the crotch elastic region ER provided in the crotch portion 40.

[0097] The region of the space SP between one side end 20Eae and the other side end 20Ebe of the waistline portion 20 (30) is thinner than the region where one side end 20Ea (30Ea) and the other side end 20Eb (30Eb) in the left-right direction of the folded-back waistline portions 20, 30 are provided, and therefore, even when compressed in the thickness direction in the stored state, the pressure can be smaller than that outside the region of the space SP. Therefore, even in the stored state, the both side ends 20Eae, 20Ebe of the waistline portion have portions overlapping with the crotch elastic region ER provided in the crotch portion 40, making it easier to provide the crotch elastic region ER in the region overlapping with the region of the space SP between one side end 20Eae and the other side end 20Ebe of the waistline portion 20 (30) when viewed in the thickness direction. Even when the diaper 1 is compressed in the thickness direction while stored, the pressure applied to the area of ​​the space SP can be reduced, and therefore the pressure applied to the area overlapping the space SP and the crotch elastic region ER in the left-right direction can be reduced, thereby reducing the risk of the adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic members 17 seeping out. Furthermore, the risk of the adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic members 17 seeping out can be reduced, reducing the risk of the diapers 1 (diapers 1a, 1b) sticking together.

[0098] In addition, when the diaper is folded using one of the 16 folding patterns shown in Figure 10, in any case, the risk of adhesive seeping out due to compression in the stored state causing adhesion between the waist portion 20 (30) and the crotch elastic member 17, or between another adjacent diaper 1 and the crotch elastic member 17, can be reduced.

[0099] FIG. 12 shows a modified example of the folding of the diaper 1 in the stored state. As shown in FIG. 12, in the stored state, the diaper 1 may be folded so that the side end portion 20Ea (30Ea) on one side in the left-right direction of the folded waist portion 20 (30) overlaps the side end portion 20Eb (30Eb) on the other side in the thickness direction (note that the thickness direction is the direction penetrating the paper in FIG. 12). In the table of FIG. 10, patterns 1 to 4 and 9 to 12 correspond to this. In the modified example shown in FIG. 12, the overlapping portion includes a portion that overlaps the crotch elastic member 17 in the left-right direction. The overlapping portion where the side end portion 20Ea (30Ea) overlaps the side end portion 20Eb (30Eb) in the thickness direction is the thicker portion. The overlapping portion where the side end 20Ea (30Ea) and the side end 20Eb (30Eb) overlap in the thickness direction facilitates providing a wide gap between the adhesive for attaching the crotch elastic member 17 of the diaper 1 (e.g., the diaper 1a in FIG. 9) and another diaper 1 (e.g., the diaper 1b in FIG. 9) adjacent to the diaper 1 from one side in the thickness direction (e.g., the upper side in FIG. 9). The overlapping portion also facilitates the function of cushioning pressure.

[0100] 12, when the lateral side end portions 20E, 30E of the waist portion 20, 30 are folded inward in the lateral direction, it is preferable that the overlapping portion where the lateral end portion 20Ea (30Ea) and the lateral end portion 20Eb (30Eb) overlap with the crotch elastic region ER of the crotch portion 40 as viewed in the thickness direction in the lateral direction overlaps with the crotch elastic region ER of the crotch portion 40. This allows the overlapping portion to function as a cushion in the diaper 1 when stored, thereby making it easier to prevent the adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic members 17 of the diaper 1 from seeping out. In addition, since it becomes easier to provide a wider gap between the adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic member 17 of a diaper 1 (e.g., diaper 1a in Figure 9) and another diaper 1 (e.g., diaper 1b in Figure 9) adjacent to the diaper 1 from one side in the thickness direction (e.g., the top in Figure 9), the risk of the adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic member 17 adhering to the diaper 1 (diaper 1b) adjacent in the thickness direction to the diaper 1 (diaper 1a) can be reduced.

[0101] The container 101 contains at least one diaper 1 (first pants-type absorbent article) in which the folded waist portion 20 (30) has a portion where the left-right side end 20Ea and the other side end 20Eb overlap in the thickness direction. Preferably, the container 101 of one container 100 contains not only a diaper 1 having the folded waist portion 20 (30) with both the left-right side end 20Ea and the other side end 20Eb overlap in the thickness direction, but also another diaper 1 (second pants-type absorbent article) in which the folded waist portion 20 (30) has both the left-right side end 20Ea and the other side end 20Eb not overlap in the thickness direction. The size and number of diapers 1 that can be contained in the container 100 (container 101) are usually predetermined. Therefore, by storing, in the storage member 101, diapers 1 in a stored state in which the lateral side end portions 20Ea, 20Eb of the folded-over waist portion 20 (30) overlap in the thickness direction, and diapers 1 in a stored state in which the lateral side end portions 20Ea, 20Eb of the folded-over waist portion 20 (30) do not overlap in the thickness direction, it becomes easier to distribute high pressure areas within the storage member 101. In particular, the folded-over portions of the lateral side end portions 20Ea, 20Eb of the waist portion 20 (30) and the crotch portion 40 of the stored diapers 1 tend to be thick, and when multiple diapers 1 are stacked, the pressure in these overlapping portions tends to be particularly high. In contrast, by having the container 100 contain diapers 1 in a stored state in which the left and right side end portions 20Ea, 20Eb of the folded-over waist portion 20 (30) have overlapping portions when viewed in the thickness direction, and diapers 1 in a stored state in which the left and right side end portions 20Ea, 20Eb of the folded-over waist portion 20 (30) do not have overlapping portions when viewed in the thickness direction, the risk of excessive pressure being applied to each diaper 1 is reduced, thereby suppressing the seepage of adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic members 17 of each diaper 1 and reducing the risk of adjacent diapers 1 in the thickness direction sticking together due to the adhesive.

[0102] In addition, in the stored state of the diaper 1, it is preferable that a portion of the absorbent core 11A is folded back together with the folding back of the upper end portion WA of the waist portion 20 (30) in the vertical direction. In the diaper 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8A and other figures, when the second folding (folding the waist portions 20, 30 toward the crotch at folding position F) is performed, a portion of the absorbent core 11A (absorbent body 11) is folded back (corresponding to patterns 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, and 14 in the table of FIG. 10 ). Generally, the absorbent core 11A (absorbent body 11) is more rigid than the waist portions 20, 30. Therefore, by folding the absorbent core 11A (absorbent body 11) together with the folding back of the waist portion 20 (30) in the second folding, the force that causes the absorbent core 11A to return to a flat state from the folded state is easily exerted on the stored state of the diaper 1. Therefore, even when the absorbent core 11A is folded together with the waistband portions 20, 30 in the stored state and compressed in the thickness direction, the force of the absorbent core 11A trying to return to its flat shape tends to act to separate the upper end portions WA of the folded waistband portions 20, 30 from the crotch portion 40. This makes it difficult for the waistband portions 20, 30 and the crotch portion 40 to come into close contact with each other, and the adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic members 17 tends to reduce the risk of the waistband portions 20 (30) and the crotch portion 40 sticking together.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 3 and other figures, a pair of waistbands 20, 30 are provided with a plurality of waistband elastic members 23, 33 arranged in the vertical direction, each elastic member being stretchable in the left-right direction. In each waistband 20, 30, 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 20 (dorsal waistband 30), is referred to as the waistband elastic region 23G (33G). As described above, the region where the crotch elastic members 17 are arranged, i.e., the region in the crotch portion 40 from the crotch elastic member 17a located at one side in the left-right direction to the crotch elastic member 17e located at the other side, is referred to as the crotch elastic region ER. In this embodiment, the amount of adhesive per unit area in the waistband elastic region 23G (33G) is preferably less than the amount of adhesive per unit area in the crotch elastic region ER. In the stored state, even if the waistline portions 20, 30 are folded back and become thicker, the risk of adhesive seeping out from the waistline portions 20, 30 can be reduced compared to when the amount of adhesive per unit area in the waistline elastic region 23G (33G) is greater than the amount of adhesive per unit area in the crotch elastic region ER. Therefore, even if compression is applied in the thickness direction while folded back at a predetermined folding position in the stored state, the risk of the opposing waistline portion 20 (30) and crotch portion 40 sticking together can be reduced.

[0104] As described above, in the waist regions 20, 30 of the diaper 1 of this embodiment, the positions of the waist elastic members 23, 33 are restricted by the welded portions 25, and no adhesive is used to fix the waist elastic members 23, 33 along the left-right direction. Therefore, even when the diaper 1 is folded back at a predetermined folding position in the stored state and compressed in the thickness direction, the risk of the opposing waist regions 20 (30) and crotch region 40 sticking together can be reduced.

[0105] As described above, in the diaper 1, the crotch elastic members 17 are secured with adhesive. In contrast, since no adhesive is used to secure the waist elastic members 23, 33 along the left-right direction in the waist-circumference regions 20, 30, the amount of adhesive per unit area in the waist elastic region 23G (33G) is clearly less than the amount of adhesive per unit area in the crotch elastic region ER. Meanwhile, in the diaper 1, adhesive may be applied to the welded portions 25 in addition to the waist elastic members 23, 33, 34 in the waist-circumference regions 20, 30, or some of the waist elastic members 23, 33, 34 may be secured with adhesive instead of the welded portions 25. Furthermore, in the waist-circumference regions 20, 30, adhesives such as hot-melt adhesives may be used to secure the waist elastic members 23, 33, 34 and other components (sheets) to the other members.

[0106] The amount of adhesive per unit area in the waist elastic region 23G (33G) and the crotch elastic region ER 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 crotch elastic region ER. 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.

[0107] FIG. 13 is a partial enlarged view of the ventral waistline portion 20 in the unfolded and stretched states. Similar to the method for attaching the waistline elastic members 23 of the ventral waistline portion 20 described above, the ventral waistline portion 20 will be described here, but 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 a pair of side joints SS on both lateral sides. Furthermore, a plurality of waistline elastic members 23, 33 that stretch in the lateral direction are arranged vertically in the pair of waistline portions 20, 30. As described above, the waistline elastic members 23, 33 are attached to the waistline portions 20, 30 primarily by the welded portions 25, but additional fastening means such as an adhesive may also be used as appropriate. In addition to the fastening of the waistline elastic members 23, 33, 34, the inner layer sheet 21 and the ventral outer layer sheet 22 may also be joined using an adhesive such as a hot-melt adhesive. As shown in Fig. 13, at the top end 20ta of the ventral waist portion 20 (i.e., the waist opening BH), a region R adjacent to the inner left-right end SSe of the side seam SS is preferably an area free of adhesive. That is, it is preferable that the top end 20ta of the ventral waist portion 20 and the region R are free of adhesive. The region R is included in both left-right end portions 20E of the ventral waist portion 20, which are folded inward in the left-right direction when the diaper 1 is stored. Even if the folded-back both end portions 20E are adjacent to or overlap the crotch elastic members 17 in the stored state, the adhesive-free region R at the top end 20ta of the ventral waist portion 20 reduces the risk of the opposing waist portion 20 and the crotch portion 40 sticking together, even when the diaper 1 is compressed in the thickness direction with both end portions 20E of the waist portions 20, 30 folded inward in the stored state.

[0108] 13 , it is more preferable that the region R adjacent to the inner lateral end SSe of the side joint SS is an adhesive-free region not only at the top end 20ta of the ventral waistline portion 20 but also across the entire area vertically overlapping the side joint SS. In the stowed state, the entire area vertically overlapping the side joint SS (region R) is included in both lateral end portions 20E of the ventral waistline portion 20 that are folded inward in the lateral direction. Therefore, even if the folded-back lateral end portions 20E are adjacent to or overlap the crotch elastic members 17 in the stowed state, the presence of the adhesive-free region R further reduces the risk of the opposing waistline portion 20 and crotch portion 40 sticking together, even when the diaper 1 is compressed in the thickness direction with the lateral end portions 20E of the waistline portions 20, 30 folded inward in the stowed state.

[0109] The region R at the upper end 20ta of the ventral waistline portion 20 and the region R adjacent to the inner lateral ends SSe of the side joints SS do not necessarily have to be regions completely free of adhesive. The region R at the upper end 20ta of the ventral waistline portion 20 and the region R adjacent to the inner lateral ends SSe of the side joints SS may have low-basis-weight regions in which the adhesive is applied in a smaller amount than the adhesive applied further inward in the lateral direction. The region R at the upper end 20ta of the ventral waistline portion 20 and the region R adjacent to the inner lateral ends SSe of the side joints SS each have low-basis-weight regions in which the adhesive is applied in a smaller amount. This prevents the opposing waistline portion 20 and the crotch portion 40 from sticking together, even when the diaper 1 is compressed in the thickness direction with both side end portions 20E of the waistline portions 20, 30 folded inward in the stored state.

[0110] The ventral waist portion 20 of the diaper 1 of this embodiment includes an inner layer sheet 21 and a ventral outer layer sheet 22 (outer layer sheet) disposed closer to the skin than the inner layer sheet 21, and the dorsal waist portion 30 includes an inner layer sheet 21 and a dorsal outer layer sheet 32 ​​(outer layer sheet) disposed closer to the skin than the inner layer sheet 21. At least one of the pair of waist portions 20, 30 may have a sheet portion disposed closest to the skin. In this embodiment, the sheet portion is the folded portion 22r (32r) of the ventral outer layer sheet 22 (dorsal outer layer sheet 32). The folded portion 22r (32r) is fixed to the inner layer sheet 21 with an adhesive. Of the region R adjacent to the inner lateral end SSe of the side joint SS shown in FIG. 13 , a portion overlapping the sheet portion (folded-back portion 22r (32r)) in the thickness direction is preferably a region free of adhesive for securing the sheet portion (folded-back portion 22r (32r)). The region R need not necessarily be a region free of adhesive. The portion of the region R overlapping the sheet portion (folded-back portion 22r (32r)) in the thickness direction may have a low-basis-weight region with a lower basis weight of adhesive than the portion further inside in the lateral direction. Since the region R is included in both lateral end portions 20E of the ventral waist portion 20, which are folded inward in the lateral direction when the diaper 1 is stored, the folded-back end portions 20E can prevent the opposing waist portion 20 and the crotch portion 40 from adhering to each other even when the diaper 1 is compressed in the thickness direction with the lateral end portions 20E of the waist portions 20, 30 folded inward in the stored state.

[0111] 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. 13 , 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-over side end portions 20E are close to or overlap the crotch elastic member 17 in the stored state, 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 leaked adhesive of the crotch elastic member 17 and the adhesive of the sheet portion (cover sheet).

[0112] 9, in the crotch portion 40 of the diaper 1 in the contained state, the side where the folded-over waistband 20 is present is designated as the inner fold 40a in the thickness direction, and the opposite side is designated as the outer fold 40b. It is preferable that the length 17a of the inner fold 40a is longer than the length 17b of the outer fold 40b (17a > 17b) in the vertical direction of the crotch elastic member 17. The shorter length of the crotch elastic member 17 on the outer fold 40b reduces the risk of the crotch elastic member 17 adhering to another diaper 1 (not shown, adjacent to the diaper 1 below the diaper 1a in FIG. 9) adjacent to the outer fold 40b within the container 101.

[0113] Fig. 14 illustrates yet another variation of the folding of the diaper 1. In the diaper 1 shown in Fig. 14, the second fold 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 apply). As in the present embodiment, the crotch elastic members 17 extend from the front to the rear in the longitudinal direction across the center line CL1 in the center of the absorbent main body 10 in the left-right direction. Specifically, the longitudinal length of the crotch elastic members 17 is longer at the front than at the rear. 14, when the side of the diaper 1 where the folded waistband 30 is present is designated as the inner fold 40a and the opposite side is designated as the outer fold 40b, the vertical length of the crotch elastic member 17 may be such that the length 17a of the inner fold 40a is longer than the length 17b of the outer fold 40b (17a<17b). The shorter length of the crotch elastic member 17 on the inner fold 40a reduces the risk of the crotch elastic member 17 adjoining another diaper 1 (not shown, adjacent diaper 1 on the upper side in FIG. 14) adjacent to the inner fold 40a within the container 101.

[0114] In this embodiment, the pair of waistbands 20, 30 are provided with multiple waistband elastic members 23, 33 arranged vertically and elastically, and the force required to stretch the waistband elastic members 23, 33 by a unit length in the horizontal direction in their natural state is preferably greater than the force required to stretch the crotch elastic members 17 by a unit length in the vertical direction in their natural state. Because the force required to stretch the waistband elastic members 23, 33 by a unit length (i.e., a greater contractile force) is greater, the waistbands 20, 30 are more likely to develop folds when the waistband elastic members 23, 33 contract, i.e., in their natural state. The more wrinkles there are in the waistbands 20, 30, the more resistant they are to being crushed in the thickness direction, even when compressed in the thickness direction in the stored state. Therefore, the adhesive used to attach the crotch elastic members 17 can reduce the risk of the waistbands 20, 30 and the crotch region 40 sticking together.

[0115] 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 crotch 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 crotch 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 crotch 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) is measured, and the values ​​obtained are compared. Note that if the sample contains multiple thread-like elastic members, it is recommended to compare the values ​​converted to values ​​per thread after measurement.

[0116] ===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.

[0117] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1a, 1b Diaper (pants-type disposable diaper, pants-type absorbent article), 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 Crotch elastic member, 18 Outer body, 19 Side sheet, 20 Abdominal waist portion (waist portion), 20E Side end, 20Ea One side end, 20Eae One side end, 20Eb Other side end, 20Ebe Other side end, 20K Folded portion, 20ta Upper end, 21 Inner layer sheet (first sheet), 22 Abdominal side outer layer sheet (second sheet), 22r Folded portion, 23 Waist elastic member, 23G Waist elastic region, 25 Welded portion, 25s Pair of welded portions, 26 Row of welded portions, 30 Back waist portion (waist portion), 30E Side end portion, 30Ea One side end portion, 30Eae One side end portion, 30Eb Other side end portion, 30Ebe Other side end portion, 30K Folded portion, 32 Back outer layer sheet (second sheet), 32r Folded portion, 33 Waist elastic member, 33G Waist elastic region, 34 Rear leg elastic member, 40 Crotch portion, 40a Inner fold portion, 40b Outer fold portion, 40e Bottom end in vertical direction (bottom end of crotch portion), 50 Leakage preventing wall portion, 100 Container (container of pants-type absorbent article), 101 Container member, WA Upper end portion of waist portion, WAe Upper end of waist portion, ER Crotch elastic region

Claims

1. 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: a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a thickness direction which are orthogonal to one another; a pair of waistbands; a crotch section which is located under the crotch of a wearer when worn; and a crotch elastic member which is stretchable in the vertical direction and attached with an adhesive to the center of the crotch section in the horizontal direction; the waistband has a plurality of waistband elastic members which are stretchable in the horizontal direction and spaced apart in the vertical direction between a first sheet and a second sheet which are joined by a plurality of welded sections; when contracted in the horizontal direction, each of the waistband elastic members is sandwiched between two of the plurality of welded sections which are adjacent in the vertical direction, thereby restricting the vertical position of the waistband elastic member relative to the first sheet and the second sheet; and when stored in the container member, the upper end of the vertical direction of the waistband is folded back towards the crotch section, a pant-type absorbent article container characterized in that 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, the distance from the upper end of the waistband portion to the lower end of the crotch portion at the center position in the left-right direction is equal to or less than the average thickness of the crotch portion.

2. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 1, 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 removal from the container.

3. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the crotch elastic members are thread-like.

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

5. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 4, wherein the crotch portion has a crotch elastic region defined by the crotch elastic member, and in the stored state, the folded-back waist portion has an overlapping portion where one side end and the other side end in the left-right direction overlap when viewed in the thickness direction, and the overlapping portion has a portion that overlaps with the crotch elastic region in the left-right direction.

6. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 4, wherein the crotch portion has a crotch elastic region defined by the crotch elastic member, and in the stored state, the side end portion on one side of the folded waist portion in the left-right direction and the side end portion on the other side do not overlap when viewed in the thickness direction, and both side ends of the waist portion in the left-right direction have portions that overlap with the crotch elastic region.

7. A pant-type absorbent article container as described in claim 4, characterized in that the pant-type absorbent article container comprises: a first pant-type absorbent article among the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, which, in the stored state, has a portion where one side end and the other side 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 among the plurality of pant-type absorbent articles, which, in the stored state, has a portion where one side end and the other side end of the folded-over waist portion in the left-right direction do not overlap when viewed in the thickness direction.

8. 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 crotch elastic member on the inside of the fold is equal to or greater than the vertical length of the crotch elastic member on the outside of the fold.

9. 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 crotch elastic member on the outside of the fold is longer than the vertical length of the crotch elastic member on the inside of the fold.

10. 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 the crotch elastic member when viewed in the thickness direction.

11. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the crotch portion has a crotch elastic region defined by the crotch elastic member, and the amount of adhesive per unit area provided between the first sheet and the second sheet is less than the amount of adhesive per unit area of ​​the crotch elastic region.

12. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 11, wherein the waist portion has waist elastic members that run along the left-right direction, and no adhesive is used to fix the waist elastic members that run along the left-right direction.

13. A pant-type absorbent article container as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the pair of waistband sections are joined at both left-right sides by a pair of side joints, and in the area at the top end of the pair of waistband sections in the vertical direction adjacent to the inner left-right ends of the pair of side joints, no adhesive is applied between the first sheet and the second sheet, or an adhesive with a basis weight lower than that applied further inward in the left-right direction is applied, and in the stored state, both left-right end sections of the pair of waistband sections are folded inward in the left-right direction.

14. A pant-type absorbent article container as described in claim 13, wherein the area adjacent to the inner ends of the pair of side joints in the left-right direction is not coated with adhesive over the entire area overlapping with the side joints in the up-down direction, or coated with adhesive of a lower basis weight than the area further inside in the left-right direction, and wherein, in the stored state, both left-right end portions of the pair of waistband portions are folded inward in the left-right direction.

15. A pant-type absorbent article container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein 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 in together with the folded-in upper end of the waistband in the vertical direction.

16. A pant-type absorbent article container as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the force required to stretch the waist elastic member in its natural state by a unit length in the left-right direction is greater than the force required to stretch the crotch elastic member in its natural state by a unit length in the up-down direction.

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