Absorbent article

Abstract

This absorbent article has, in an unfolded state and an extended state, a dorsal elastic member (27) that extends and contracts along at least a left-right direction, on a dorsal side relative to a center in a longitudinal direction, the dorsal elastic member (27) having a crotch elastic member (40) that is positioned closest to a ventral side in the longitudinal direction, is provided closer to a non-skin side than an absorbent core (11), and extends and contracts along at least the longitudinal direction, wherein a crotch elastic region (ER) is partitioned, when viewed in a thickness direction, by a stretchable portion of the crotch elastic member (40), the crotch elastic region (ER) being provided at a position overlapping the absorbent core (11), and the crotch elastic region (ER) being provided on the ventral side relative to the dorsal elastic member (27), and wherein a length (L2) in the longitudinal direction from a dorsal end of the crotch elastic region (ER) to a ventral end of the dorsal elastic member (27) is greater than a length (L1) in the longitudinal direction of the crotch elastic region (ER).

Description

absorbent articles

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

[0002] The disposable diaper disclosed in Patent Document 1 has first and second buttocks elastic members extending in the longitudinal direction and located on the non-skin-contacting side of the absorbent core. Contraction of the first and second buttocks elastic members creates an upward tension, reducing the gap between the diaper and the wearer's crotch and buttocks. This improves the diaper's ability to prevent leakage of body waste and provides a comfortable fit.

[0003] JP 2010-131196 A

[0004] However, if the gap between the wearer's crotch and buttocks and the diaper is reduced by contracting the first buttocks elastic member and the second buttocks elastic member, as in the disposable diaper disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a risk that when the diaper is worn, a large amount of excrement may be excreted all at once and the excrement may not be absorbed by the part that abuts the wearer's excretory opening, or if the wearer's body is too large or too small and the contracted state of the first buttocks elastic member and the second buttocks elastic member does not fit the wearer's body properly, excrement may leak out from the outside in the width direction of the diaper.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an absorbent article that, when worn, easily absorbs bodily exudates while reducing the risk of bodily exudates leaking.

[0006] The main invention for achieving the above object is an absorbent article having a ventral waistband, a back waistband, and an absorbent core, which, in an unfolded and stretched state, have a longitudinal direction, a left-right direction, and a thickness direction that are perpendicular to one another, and has a back elastic member stretched at least along the left-right direction from the center of the longitudinal direction toward the back, the back elastic member is located closest to the ventral side in the longitudinal direction and is closer to the skin than the absorbent core, and has a crotch elastic member stretched at least along the longitudinal direction, a crotch elastic region is defined by a stretchable portion of the crotch elastic member when viewed in the thickness direction, the crotch elastic region is positioned to overlap the absorbent core, the crotch elastic region is located closer to the ventral side than the back elastic member, and the longitudinal length from the back end of the crotch elastic region to the ventral end of the back elastic member is longer than the longitudinal length of the crotch elastic region. Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an absorbent article that, when worn, easily absorbs body exudates while easily reducing the risk of body exudates leaking.

[0008] 2 is a schematic front view of a pants-type disposable diaper 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state, viewed from the skin side. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the absorbent main body 10. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the crotch elastic members 40. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of modified examples of the crotch elastic members 40. FIG. 2 is an enlarged explanatory view of the central part in the left-right direction of the diaper 1 in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating deformation of the absorbent core 11. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the adhesive region FR that fixes the absorbent main body 10 to the exterior member 20.

[0009] The present specification and the accompanying drawings make clear at least the following: (Aspect 1) An absorbent article having a ventral waistband portion, a back waistband portion, and an absorbent core, which in an unfolded and stretched state has a longitudinal direction, a left-right direction, and a thickness direction that are orthogonal to one another, and which has a back elastic member stretched at least along the left-right direction from the center of the longitudinal direction toward the back, the back elastic member being located closest to the ventral side in the longitudinal direction and located closer to the skin than the absorbent core, and which has a crotch elastic member stretched at least along the longitudinal direction, wherein, as viewed in the thickness direction, a crotch elastic region is defined by a stretched portion of the crotch elastic member, the crotch elastic region is located at a position that overlaps the absorbent core, the crotch elastic region is located closer to the ventral side than the back elastic member, and the longitudinal length from the back end of the crotch elastic region to the ventral end of the back elastic member is longer than the longitudinal length of the crotch elastic region.

[0010] According to the absorbent article of aspect 1, when worn, contraction of the crotch elastic members causes deformation of the absorbent core, making it easier to bring the absorbent article into contact with the wearer's excretory opening, and because the longitudinal length from the back end of the crotch elastic region to the ventral end of the back-side elastic member is longer than the longitudinal length of the crotch elastic region, contraction of the back-side elastic member provided on the back side of the crotch elastic region in the left-right direction makes it easier to deform the part on the back side of the crotch elastic region so that the lateral center portion is recessed away from the skin, compared to when the longitudinal length from the back end of the crotch elastic region to the ventral end of the back-side elastic member is shorter than the longitudinal length of the crotch elastic region, making it easier to collect excreta in the recessed portion even when a large amount of excreta is excreted. This makes it easier to absorb excreta at the excretory opening while reducing the risk of excreta leaking when the absorbent article is worn.

[0011] (Aspect 2) An absorbent article according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a deformation suppression section located on the back side of the crotch elastic region and on the ventral side of the back elastic member for suppressing deformation of the absorbent core caused by contraction of the crotch elastic member, and the deformation suppression section has a portion that extends along the left-right direction.

[0012] According to the absorbent article of aspect 2, when worn, the absorbent core is deformed by contraction of the crotch elastic member located ventrally of the deformation suppression section, making it easier to bring the absorbent article into contact with the wearer's excretory opening, while the deformation suppression section located dorsally of the crotch elastic region and ventrally of the back elastic member suppresses deformation of the absorbent core by contraction of the crotch elastic member, and the contraction in the left-right direction of the back elastic member located dorsally of the deformation suppression section makes it easier to deform the absorbent core so that the central part in the left-right direction dorsally of the deformation suppression section is recessed toward the non-skin side, making it easier to create a space for collecting excrement.

[0013] (Aspect 3) The absorbent article of Aspect 1 or 2, wherein a folding portion for folding the absorbent article is provided in the central portion in the longitudinal direction, and the back end of the crotch elastic region is provided on the ventral side of the back end of the folding portion.

[0014] According to the absorbent article of aspect 3, when worn, the absorbent core is deformed by contraction of the crotch elastic member located on the ventral side of the fold, making it easier to bring the absorbent article into contact with the wearer's excretory opening, while also making it easier to deform the central part in the left-right direction on the dorsal side of the crotch elastic region so that it is recessed toward the non-skin side, making it easier to create space for collecting excrement.

[0015] (Aspect 4) The absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the deformation suppression portion is the folded portion.

[0016] According to the absorbent article of aspect 4, when worn, the absorbent core is deformed due to the contraction of the crotch elastic member, making it easier to bring the absorbent article into contact with the wearer's excretory opening, and because the deformation suppression portion is a folded portion, there is no need to provide a separate deformation suppression portion.The deformation of the absorbent core due to the contraction of the crotch elastic member is suppressed, making it easier to deform the absorbent core so that the central portion in the left-right direction on the back side of the deformation suppression portion is recessed toward the non-skin side, making it easier to create a space for collecting excrement.

[0017] (Aspect 5) In the absorbent article of Aspect 2 or 3, the deformation suppressing portion is a compressed portion obtained by compressing at least the absorbent core in the thickness direction.

[0018] According to the absorbent article of aspect 5, when worn, the absorbent core is deformed due to contraction of the crotch elastic member, making it easier to bring the absorbent article into contact with the wearer's excretory opening. At the same time, by providing a deformation suppression section in which the rigidity of the absorbent core is changed by a compression section provided on the absorbent core, deformation of the absorbent core due to contraction of the crotch elastic member is suppressed, making it easier to deform the absorbent core so that the central part in the left-right direction on the back side of the deformation suppression section is recessed toward the side away from the skin, making it easier to create a space for collecting excrement.

[0019] (Aspect 6) The absorbent article of Aspect 2 or 3, wherein the deformation suppressing portion is a low basis weight portion of the absorbent core having a basis weight lower than that of the surrounding area.

[0020] According to the absorbent article of aspect 6, when worn, the absorbent core is deformed due to contraction of the crotch elastic members, making it easier to bring the absorbent article into contact with the wearer's excretory opening. At the same time, by providing a deformation suppression section in which the rigidity of the absorbent core is changed by a low basis weight section provided in the absorbent core, deformation of the absorbent core due to contraction of the crotch elastic members is suppressed, making it easier for the central part in the left-right direction on the back side of the deformation suppression section to deform so as to be recessed toward the side away from the skin, making it easier to create a space for collecting excrement.

[0021] (Aspect 7) In the absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 2 to 7, the deformation suppressing portion has a portion that overlaps with the crotch elastic region in the left-right direction.

[0022] According to the absorbent article of aspect 7, when worn, the absorbent core is deformed by contraction of the crotch elastic members, making it easier to bring the absorbent article into contact with the wearer's excretory opening, while the deformation suppression section suppresses deformation of the absorbent core by contraction of the crotch elastic members, making it easier to deform the central part in the left-right direction on the back side of the deformation suppression section so that it is recessed toward the side away from the skin, making it easier to create a space for collecting excrement.

[0023] (Aspect 8) The absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 2 to 7, wherein the length of the deformation suppressing portion in the left-right direction is longer than the length of the crotch elastic region in the left-right direction.

[0024] According to the absorbent article of aspect 8, when worn, the absorbent core is deformed due to contraction of the crotch elastic member, making it easier to bring the absorbent article into contact with the wearer's excretory opening; and since the left-right length of the deformation suppression section is longer than the left-right length of the crotch elastic region, the deformation suppression section can more easily suppress deformation of the absorbent core due to contraction of the crotch elastic member than if the left-right length of the crotch elastic region were equal to or greater than the left-right length of the deformation suppression section, and the central part in the left-right direction behind the deformation suppression section can more easily deform so that it is recessed away from the skin, making it easier to provide a space for collecting excrement.

[0025] (Aspect 9) An absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 2 to 8, characterized in that, in a pants-type state, both side ends of the ventral waistband and the back waistband are joined at a joint, the absorbent article has longitudinal elastic members that stretch along the longitudinal direction, the longitudinal elastic members are located outside the crotch elastic region in the left-right direction and at least on the back side of the crotch elastic members, the absorbent article has a plurality of elastic members including the back elastic member located on the back side of the center in the longitudinal direction, and has a portion where the absorbent core, an elastic member of the plurality of elastic members that is located at a position that overlaps the joint in the longitudinal direction, and the longitudinal elastic members overlap when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0026] According to the absorbent article of aspect 9, when worn, the absorbent core is deformed by the contraction of the longitudinal elastic members, making it easier to fit the absorbent article to the wearer's body and reduce leakage of excrement, while the elastic members supported at the joints expand and contract in the left and right directions, making it easier to spread the absorbent core outward in the left and right directions, making it easier to keep the absorbent core flat, and making it easier to deform the part on the back side of the crotch elastic region so that the center in the left and right directions is recessed toward the non-skin side, making it easier to store excrement in the recessed space even when a large amount of excrement is excreted.

[0027] (Aspect 10) An absorbent article according to any one of aspects 1 to 9, wherein the absorbent core has a narrowest portion on the inside in the longitudinal direction, the narrowest portion having a width in the left-right direction, and a widest portion located behind the narrowest portion in the longitudinal direction and having a widest width in the left-right direction behind the center in the longitudinal direction, and the widest portion is located behind the crotch elastic region in the longitudinal direction.

[0028] According to the absorbent article of aspect 10, by having the widest part of the absorbent core on the back side of the crotch elastic region in the longitudinal direction, the part on the back side of the crotch elastic region can be easily deformed so that the central part in the left-right direction is recessed toward the non-skin side, making it easier to store the excrement in the recessed space even when a large amount of excrement is excreted, thereby reducing the risk of excrement leakage.

[0029] (Aspect 11) The absorbent article of Aspect 10 further comprises a deformation suppressing portion located dorsal to the crotch elastic region and ventral to the ventral side of the crotch elastic member for suppressing deformation of the absorbent core caused by contraction of the crotch elastic member, the deformation suppressing portion having a portion along the left-right direction, the absorbent core having an inclined portion in the longitudinal direction between the narrowest portion and the widest portion, the side end of the absorbent core inclining from the ventral side toward the dorsal side and from the inside toward the outside in the left-right direction, and at least a portion of the deformation suppressing portion overlaps with the inclined portion in the longitudinal direction.

[0030] In the absorbent article of aspect 11, the inclined portion of the absorbent core causes the left-right length of the absorbent core to expand toward the back side, thereby reducing the risk of the absorbent core being bent by external force in the left-right direction, and making it easier to deform the part of the back side of the deformation suppression portion so that the central part in the left-right direction is recessed toward the side away from the skin, making it easier to store excrement in the recessed space even when a large amount of excrement is excreted.

[0031] (Aspect 12) The absorbent article of Aspect 10 or 11, characterized in that it has a deformation suppression section located dorsal to the crotch elastic region and ventral to the dorsal elastic member for suppressing deformation of the absorbent core caused by contraction of the crotch elastic member, the deformation suppression section having a portion along the left-right direction, and at least a portion of the deformation suppression section overlapping with the narrowest portion in the longitudinal direction.

[0032] According to the absorbent article of aspect 12, the narrowest part of the absorbent core and the deformation suppression part make it easier to suppress deformation of the absorbent core by the crotch elastic member, so that the crotch elastic member makes it easier to bring the absorbent core into contact with the wearer on the ventral side of the deformation suppression part, while on the dorsal side of the deformation suppression part, the central part in the left-right direction is easier to deform so as to be recessed toward the non-skin side, making it easier to store excrement in the recessed space even when a large amount of excrement is excreted.

[0033] (Aspect 13) The absorbent article of any one of Aspects 1 to 12, wherein the absorbent core has a narrowest portion on the inside in the longitudinal direction, the narrowest portion being the width in the left-right direction, and the crotch elastic region has a portion overlapping the narrowest portion in the longitudinal direction.

[0034] According to the absorbent article of aspect 13, the deformation of the absorbent core due to the contraction of the crotch elastic member makes it easier for the narrowest part of the absorbent core to abut against the wearer's excretory opening, thereby improving the absorbency and fit of excrement when worn and making it easier to reduce discomfort caused by the rigidity of the absorbent core.

[0035] (Aspect 14) An absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 13, characterized in that, when viewed from the skin side, the outer shape of the absorbent core has a narrowest portion on the inside in the longitudinal direction, the narrowest width in the left-right direction; a widest portion located on the back side of the narrowest portion in the longitudinal direction, the widest width in the left-right direction on the back side of the center in the longitudinal direction; and an inclined portion in the longitudinal direction between the narrowest portion and the widest portion, in which the side ends of the absorbent core are inclined from the ventral side to the back side and from the inside to the outside in the left-right direction, and at least a portion of the inclined portion is located on the back side of the crotch elastic region in the longitudinal direction.

[0036] In the absorbent article of aspect 14, the inclined portion of the absorbent core increases the length of the absorbent core in the left-right direction, thereby reducing the risk of the absorbent core being bent in the left-right direction, and making it easier to deform the part on the back side of the crotch elastic region so that the center in the left-right direction is recessed toward the non-skin side, making it easier to store excrement in the recessed space even when a large amount of excrement is excreted.

[0037] (Aspect 15) An absorbent article according to any one of aspects 1 to 14, comprising an absorbent main body having the absorbent core, and an outer body having the ventral waistband and the back waistband, the absorbent main body being fixed to the outer body by adhesive regions, and the area of ​​the adhesive regions per unit area in a region of the absorbent main body that overlaps in the longitudinal direction with a portion from the back end of the crotch elastic region to the ventral end of the back elastic member is greater than the area of ​​the adhesive regions per unit area in a region of the absorbent main body that overlaps in the longitudinal direction with the crotch elastic region.

[0038] According to the absorbent article of aspect 15, it is easier to reduce deformation such as shrinkage and bending in the area overlapping with the portion from the back end of the crotch elastic region to the ventral end of the back elastic member than when the area of ​​the adhesive region per unit area in the absorbent main body in the longitudinal direction overlapping with the crotch elastic region is larger than the area of ​​the adhesive region per unit area in the area overlapping with the portion from the back end of the crotch elastic region to the ventral end of the back elastic member in the longitudinal direction, and it is easier to keep the absorbent core flat, so that when the portion back of the crotch elastic region is deformed so that the center in the left-right direction is recessed toward the away from the skin, it is easier to store excrement in the recessed space.

[0039] (Aspect 16) An absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 15, characterized in that, in a pants-type state, both side ends of the ventral waistband and the rear waistband are joined at a joint, the absorbent article has a plurality of elastic members including the rear elastic member on the rear side of the center in the longitudinal direction, and all of the plurality of elastic members that are provided on the ventral side of the joint in the longitudinal direction are discontinuous at the center in the left-right direction.

[0040] According to the absorbent article of Aspect 16, it is easier to maintain the absorbent core flat, and it is easier to deform the portion of the absorbent article on the back side of the crotch elastic region so that the center portion in the left-right direction is recessed toward the skin side. Therefore, even if a large amount of excrement is excreted, it is easier to store the excrement in the recessed space.

[0041] (Aspect 17) The absorbent article of Aspect 16, wherein among the plurality of elastic members, the elastic member that is located at a position overlapping with the joint in the longitudinal direction and that is located closest to the ventral side is discontinuous in the center in the left-right direction.

[0042] According to the absorbent article of aspect 17, it is easier to keep the absorbent core flat, and it is easier to deform the part on the back side of the crotch elastic region so that the center part in the left-right direction is recessed toward the non-skin side, so that even if a large amount of excrement is excreted, it is easier to store the excrement in the recessed space.

[0043] (Aspect 18) An absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 17, characterized in that, in a pants-type state, both side ends of the ventral waistband and the back waistband are joined at a joint, the absorbent article has a plurality of elastic members including the back elastic member on the back side of the center in the longitudinal direction, and the maximum value of the spacing between elastic members of the plurality of elastic members that are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction and located at a position overlapping the joint in the longitudinal direction is smaller than the maximum value of the spacing between elastic members of the plurality of elastic members that are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction and located on the ventral side of the joint in the longitudinal direction.

[0044] According to the absorbent article of aspect 18, when worn, the elastic member arranged at a position overlapping the joint in the longitudinal direction contracts, making it easier to fit around the wearer's waist, and the crotch side of the joint in the longitudinal direction is softer and more likely to come into contact with the wearer's body than the part overlapping the joint in the longitudinal direction, thereby improving comfort when worn.

[0045] (Aspect 19) An absorbent article according to any one of aspects 1 to 18, characterized in that, when viewed in the thickness direction, the average basis weight of the absorbent core in the region overlapping with the portion from the back end of the crotch elastic region to the ventral end of the back elastic member is equal to or greater than the average basis weight of the absorbent core in the region overlapping with the crotch elastic region.

[0046] According to the absorbent article of aspect 19, when viewed in the thickness direction, the absorbent core is more likely to absorb excrement when it is stored in a recessed portion toward the non-skin side in the portion toward the back of the crotch elastic region than when the average basis weight of the absorbent core in the region overlapping with the portion from the back end of the crotch elastic region to the ventral end of the back waist elastic member, thereby reducing the risk of excrement leaking from the absorbent article while being worn.

[0047] ===Embodiments=== The following describes an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention, taking as an example a pants-type disposable diaper for adults (hereinafter also referred to as "diaper 1"). However, the absorbent article according to the present invention is not limited to the above and can also be used as a tape-type disposable diaper, sanitary shorts, etc. Furthermore, the wearer may be a living organism such as an infant or an animal.

[0048] ===Present Embodiment=== <<Basic Configuration of Pants-Type Disposable Diaper 1>> Fig. 1 is a schematic front view of the pants-type disposable diaper 1. Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state, as viewed from the skin side. Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the absorbent main body 10.

[0049] The "unfolded state" of the diaper 1 refers to a state in which the waist-line joint (joint) 2 (described later) is untied, the fold F (described later) of the diaper 1 is opened in the longitudinal direction, and the diaper 1 is unfolded flat. The "stretched state" of the diaper 1 refers to a state in which the diaper 1 as a whole is stretched without wrinkles by stretching each of the elastic members (e.g., waist-line elastic members 24, 25 and leakage-barrier elastic members 51 (described later)), specifically, a state in which the dimensions of each of the materials constituting the diaper 1 (e.g., the top sheet 12 and inner layer sheet 23 (described later)) are stretched to the same dimensions as or close to the dimensions of the individual members.

[0050] In the pants-type state (pants-type state) shown in FIG. 1 , the diaper 1 has a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a front-to-back direction, which intersect with each other, and is provided with a waist opening BH and a pair of leg openings LH. In the unfolded state shown in FIG. 2 , the diaper 1 has a longitudinal direction, a horizontal direction, and a thickness direction, which intersect with each other. The longitudinal direction is the vertical direction in the pants-type state. The thickness direction is the direction in which the components constituting the diaper 1 are stacked (see FIG. 4 ). In the vertical direction, the waist opening BH side is the upper side, and the crotch side is the lower side. In the front-to-back direction, the side facing the wearer's stomach is the front side, and the side facing the wearer's back is the rear side. In the thickness direction, the side that contacts the wearer's body (skin) is the skin side, and the opposite side is the non-skin side. In FIG. 2 and other figures, the center (center position) C-C indicates the center in the horizontal direction, and the center CL indicates the center in the longitudinal direction.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 3, the diaper 1 has an absorbent main body 10 and an exterior member (exterior body) 20 arranged on the side away from the wearer's skin than the absorbent main body 10. The absorbent main body 10 and the exterior member 20 are joined (fixed) at an adhesive region (see Fig. 9) where an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive is applied. Cover sheets 31, 32 may be provided to cover both longitudinal ends of the absorbent main body 10 from the skin side. This can prevent the edges of the absorbent main body 10 from digging into the wearer's body and prevent the absorbent main body 10 from opening open.

[0052] In this specification, as shown in Fig. 2, when the diaper 1 is in an unfolded and stretched state, the diaper 1 is divided into three equal parts in the longitudinal direction, and the ventral region is referred to as the "ventral portion 1A," the central region is referred to as the "crotch portion 1B," and the dorsal region is referred to as the "dorsal portion 1C." The diaper 1 in an unfolded state is folded in half at a fold F at the longitudinal central position CL, with the skin-facing side facing inward, and the left and right side edges of the outer member 20 of the ventral portion (ventral waist portion) 1A and the outer member 20 of the dorsal portion (dorsal waist portion) 1C are joined together to form the pants-type diaper 1 shown in Fig. 1. Examples of joining methods for the waist-line joining portion 2 include welding and joining with an adhesive.

[0053] The fold F is a portion of the diaper 1 folded in the left-right direction and has a predetermined width. The width of the fold F (length Lf in FIG. 7 ) is the longitudinal length between the portions spaced apart by the thickness of the absorbent core 11 (described below) on the ventral and dorsal sides from the longitudinal center CL of the diaper 1 in the unfolded and stretched state. In other words, the longitudinal center of the fold F is the longitudinal center position CL of the diaper 1, and the longitudinal length of the fold F is twice the thickness of the absorbent core 11.

[0054] 4, the absorbent body 10 includes an absorbent core 11 that absorbs excreted liquid, a liquid-permeable top sheet 12 (e.g., nonwoven fabric) arranged on the skin side of the absorbent core 11 in the thickness direction, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 13 (e.g., a resin film such as polyethylene or polypropylene) arranged on the non-skin side of the absorbent core 11 in the thickness direction, a pair of side sheets 16, and an elastic member cover sheet 17. The elastic member cover sheet 17 is a sheet member that covers the non-skin side of the crotch elastic members 40 (described in detail later) that stretch in the longitudinal direction.

[0055] The absorbent core 11 absorbs and retains excreted liquids such as urine. The surface of the absorbent core 11 may be covered with a liquid-permeable core wrap sheet 18 (e.g., tissue paper). An example of the absorbent core 11 is a liquid-absorbent fiber such as pulp containing a superabsorbent polymer (SAP) molded into a predetermined shape. The absorbent core 11 of this embodiment has a shape in which the center portion in the longitudinal direction is narrowed inward in the left-right direction, but the planar shape of the absorbent core 11 is not particularly limited.

[0056] A pair of longitudinally extending leakage prevention walls 50 are provided on both lateral sides of the absorbent body 10. As shown in FIG. 4 , portions of the side sheets 16 extending from both lateral sides of the non-skin side of the back sheet 13 are folded at multiple locations to form the leakage prevention walls 50 on both lateral sides of the skin side of the top sheet 12. A leakage prevention wall elastic member 51 (e.g., a thread-like elastic member) is attached to the leakage prevention walls 50 in a stretched state along the longitudinal direction. The leakage prevention wall 50 has a standing portion 50a that can stand toward the skin side and a fixed portion 50b that cannot stand. The fixed portion 50b is a portion that cannot stand because the side sheet 16 is fixed to it with an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive. Due to the stretchability of the leakage prevention wall elastic member 51, the standing portion 50a of the leakage prevention wall 50 stands toward the skin side of the wearer, thereby blocking body waste. At both ends of the absorbent body 10, leg-hole elastic members 52 that stretch along the longitudinal direction are provided on the outer side of the leakage barrier walls 50. The stretchability of the leg-hole elastic members 52 allows the diaper 1 to fit snugly around the legs of the wearer. The leakage barrier walls 50, 50 are not necessarily provided.

[0057] The outer covering member 20 is a sheet member having a shape in which the longitudinal center portion is narrowed inward in the left-right direction. As shown in Figure 3, the outer covering member 20 has a ventral outer layer sheet 21, a dorsal outer layer sheet 22, an inner layer sheet 23, waist elastic members 24, 25, and a buttocks elastic member 26.

[0058] The ventral outer layer sheet 21, the back outer layer sheet 22, and the inner layer sheet 23 can be exemplified by flexible sheet members such as nonwoven fabrics. The inner layer sheet 23 forms the outer shape of the exterior member 20 and is a sheet member that continues from the ventral portion 1A through the crotch portion 1B to the back portion 1C. The ventral outer layer sheet 21 is disposed closer to the skin than the inner layer sheet 23 and in part of the ventral portion 1A. The ventral outer layer sheet 21 overlaps the waistline joint 2 in the longitudinal direction and has the same longitudinal length as the waistline joint 2. The back outer layer sheet 22 is disposed closer to the skin than the inner layer sheet 23 and in part of the back portion 1C and the crotch portion 1B. The back outer layer sheet 22 overlaps the waistline joint 2 in the longitudinal direction and extends further toward the crotch than the waistline joint 2. In the flattened state of the diaper 1, the ventral outer sheet 21 and the dorsal outer sheet 22 are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, with the inner sheet 23 exposed to the outside as the non-skin side of the diaper 1 therebetween.

[0059] The waist elastic members 24, 25 and the buttocks elastic members 26 are elastic members that stretch in the left-right direction, and can be exemplified by thread-like elastic members. As shown in FIG. 2 , the waist elastic members 24, 25 overlap (overlap) the waist joint 2 in the longitudinal direction. In the following description, the waist elastic member located in the ventral portion 1A will also be referred to as the ventral waist elastic member 24, and the waist elastic member 25 located in the back portion 1C will also be referred to as the back waist elastic member 25. The buttocks elastic member 26 is located on the crotch side in the longitudinal direction (lower in the up-down direction) than the waist joint 2. In this embodiment, there are two buttocks elastic members 26, but this number is not particularly limited.

[0060] The waist elastic members 24, 25 and buttocks elastic members 26 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction in the pants-type state between the inner layer sheet 23 and the ventral outer layer sheet 21 or the back outer layer sheet 22, and are fixed in a stretched state in the left-right direction. Therefore, the outer layer 20 fits the waist and buttocks of the wearer. It is sufficient that the waist elastic members 24, 25 and buttocks elastic members 26 each have a portion that stretches at least in the left-right direction, and the waist elastic members 24, 25 and buttocks elastic members 26 may have a curved portion in addition to the portion that stretches in the left-right direction.

[0061] The basic configuration of the diaper 1 has been described above, but the above-described configuration of the diaper 1 is merely an example and is not intended to be limiting. For example, a liquid-permeable intermediate sheet (e.g., a nonwoven fabric) may be disposed between the top sheet 12 and the absorbent core 11. Furthermore, although the outer covering member 20 of this embodiment is configured as a single member that is continuous in the longitudinal direction from the ventral side to the dorsal side, this is not intended to be limiting. For example, the ventral and dorsal outer covering members may be configured as separate members, with the non-skin side of the absorbent main body 10 exposed in the crotch region, or a crotch outer covering member may be provided between the ventral and dorsal outer covering members, which are separate members.

[0062] <<Crotch Elastic Member 40>> Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the crotch elastic member 40. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of a modified example of the crotch elastic member 40. Figs. 5 and 6 are partial schematic plan views of the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state. For convenience, Figs. 5 and 6 omit the leakage preventing walls 50 and leg-hole elastic members 52 in the absorbent main body 10, and indicate the absorbent core 11 with solid lines.

[0063] The diaper 1 includes "crotch elastic members 40" that are stretchable at least along the longitudinal direction. The crotch elastic members 40 are located closer to the skin than the absorbent core 11 and overlap the absorbent core 11 in the thickness direction. The diaper 1 of this embodiment includes a plurality of thread-like elastic members (thread rubber) as the crotch elastic members 40. As shown in FIG. 4 , the plurality of crotch elastic members 40 (five thread-like elastic members) are arranged side by side at intervals in the left-right direction between the backsheet 13 and the elastic member cover sheet 17. Each crotch elastic member 40 is attached in a stretched state along the longitudinal direction. Note that only the stretchable portions of the crotch elastic members 40 are shown in Figure 2 and other drawings described below. Alternatively, the crotch elastic members 40 may be arranged between the absorbent core 11 (core wrap sheet 18) and the backsheet 13.

[0064] The region defined by the stretchable portions of the crotch elastic members 40 in the thickness direction is referred to as the "crotch elastic region ER." At least a portion of the crotch elastic region ER is provided in the "crotch portion 1B," which is the central region when the diaper 1 in the unfolded and stretched state is divided into three equal parts in the longitudinal direction. The crotch elastic region ER may be contained within the crotch portion 1B (FIGS. 5 and 6) or may extend to the abdominal portion 1A. The crotch elastic region ER may be positioned across the longitudinal center CL of the diaper 1, or may be positioned offset forward (toward the abdominal side) or rearward (toward the dorsal side) of the center CL. The lengths of the multiple crotch elastic members 40 of the diaper 1 may be the same or different.

[0065] Specifically, when a plurality of thread-like crotch elastic members 40 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, the crotch elastic region ER is as follows: As shown in Fig. 5, the crotch elastic region ER is the region between the leftmost crotch elastic member 40a and the rightmost crotch elastic member 40b, and is surrounded by an imaginary line connecting the longitudinal abdominal ends of the stretchable portions of each crotch elastic member 40 arranged in the left-right direction and an imaginary line connecting the longitudinal dorsal ends of the stretchable portions of each crotch elastic member 40.

[0066] For example, as shown in Fig. 5, when the five crotch elastic members 40 are the same length, the crotch elastic region ER has a rectangular shape. Specifically, the crotch elastic region ER shown in Fig. 5 is a rectangle surrounded by side ends ERa and ERb in the left-right direction and a ventral end ERc and a dorsal end ERc in the longitudinal direction. The side end ERa of the crotch elastic region ER is one side end of the crotch elastic member 40a that is closest to one side (left side) in the left-right direction, and the side end ERb is the other side end of the crotch elastic member 40b that is closest to the other side (right side). The ventral end ERc of the crotch elastic region ER is the ventral end of all crotch elastic members 40, and the dorsal end ERd is the dorsal end of all crotch elastic members 40.

[0067] As shown in Figure 6, when the three central crotch elastic members 40 of the five crotch elastic members 40 are long, the left-right central portion of the crotch elastic region ER protrudes outward in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the crotch elastic region ER shown in Figure 6 has a generally cross shape surrounded by left-right side ends ERa and ERb and a longitudinal ventral end ERc and a longitudinal dorsal end ERc. The dorsal end ERa of the crotch elastic region ER is one end of the crotch elastic member 40a located on the farthest side (left side) in the left-right direction, and the dorsal end ERb is the other end of the crotch elastic member 40b located on the farthest side (right side). The dorsal end ERc of the crotch elastic region ER is the dorsal end of the three central crotch elastic members 40, and the dorsal end ERd is the dorsal end of the three central crotch elastic members 40.

[0068] Furthermore, when the crotch elastic member 40 is a stretchable sheet (stretchable nonwoven fabric, stretchable film, etc.), the region where the stretchable sheet is arranged is referred to as the crotch elastic region ER. When multiple strip-shaped stretchable sheets or flat elastic bands are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, the same applies as in the case of thread-like elastic members. In other words, the region between the left end of the leftmost crotch elastic member 40 (strip-shaped stretchable sheet or flat elastic band) and the right end of the rightmost crotch elastic member 40 is referred to as the crotch elastic region ER.

[0069] The crotch elastic members 40, which overlap the absorbent core 11 in the thickness direction, are bonded to the absorbent core 11 via the backsheet 13 with an adhesive or the like. As a result, when the diaper 1 is worn, the crotch elastic members 40 contract in the longitudinal direction, and the absorbent core 11 is pushed up against the wearer's skin, easily deforming to fit closely to the wearer's crotch region. This ensures good adhesion of the absorbent core 11 to the wearer's crotch region, reducing the risk of bodily excrement leakage. This also reduces discomfort during wear. Even after the absorbent core 11 absorbs excrement and its weight increases, it is less likely to sag, maintaining its close fit to the wearer's crotch region.

[0070] In particular, when the crotch elastic region ER is provided in the lateral central region CR of the absorbent core 11, the lateral central region CR of the absorbent core 11 deforms into a convex shape upward (toward the crotch region of the wearer), which reduces the likelihood of a gap forming between the wearer's excretory opening (e.g., urethral opening) and the absorbent core 11, thereby preventing urine and other excretions from leaking out of the diaper 1 along the wearer's skin.

[0071] <<Deformation of the absorbent core 11 and the diaper 1>> As described above, the diaper 1 includes the crotch elastic members 40. Contraction of the crotch elastic members 40 in the longitudinal direction facilitates deformation of the absorbent core 11, pushing the absorbent core 11 toward the wearer's skin and protruding it to fit closely to the wearer's crotch region. The absorbent core 11 deformed to protrude toward the wearer's skin facilitates contact of the protruding portion of the absorbent core 11 (the crotch portion of the diaper 1) with the wearer's excretory opening, which allows for easier absorption of excreta such as urine, which is typically located on the front side of the body.

[0072] However, if the wearer's body is too large or too small, there is a risk that the protruding and deformed portions of the absorbent core 11 (diaper 1) may not properly contact the wearer's excretory opening. Furthermore, the longer the crotch elastic members 40, the more likely the diaper 1 (absorbent core 11) may deform so that the absorbent core 11 protrudes not only to the wearer's excretory opening but also to the portion that contacts the wearer's buttocks. In this situation, if a large amount of excrement is excreted, or if the excrement moves along the protruding portions of the absorbent core 11 (diaper 1) to the buttocks or behind the buttocks, the excrement may not be properly absorbed and may leak from the rear of the diaper 1.

[0073] In contrast, the diaper 1 of the present invention, as shown in Figures 2 and 7, has rear-side elastic members 27 extending rearward from the longitudinal center CL and having a portion that stretches at least along the rear-side direction. Figure 7 is an enlarged explanatory view of the left-right central portion of the diaper 1 in Figure 2. For convenience, Figure 7 omits the leakage barrier walls 50 and leg-hole elastic members 52 in the absorbent main body 10, and the absorbent core 11 is indicated by solid lines. In the unfolded and stretched state, the crotch elastic region ER is located closer to the ventral side than the rear-side elastic member 27, and the longitudinal length L1 of the crotch elastic region ER is longer than the longitudinal length L2 (L1<L2). As shown in Figures 2 and 7, the back-side elastic member 27 is one of the elastic members 25, 26 whose outer ends in the left-right direction are located rearward of the longitudinal center CL, and is also the most ventral elastic member (buttocks elastic member 26) among the multiple elastic members (the back waist elastic member 25, the buttocks elastic member 26) located rearward of the longitudinal center CL. The back-side elastic member 27 has a predetermined width, and the back-side elastic member 27 of the diaper 1 is made of rubber thread having a predetermined thickness (longitudinal length). The "ventral end of the back-side elastic member 27" refers to the most ventral end of the rubber thread having a predetermined thickness when the back-side elastic member 27 is made of rubber thread, as in the diaper 1 of this embodiment. For example, when the back-side elastic member 27 is made of a stretch sheet, it refers to the most ventral end of the stretch sheet.

[0074] Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating deformation of the absorbent core 11. As shown in Fig. 8, when the diaper 1 is worn, contraction of the crotch elastic members 40 in the longitudinal direction tends to cause a deformation in which the portion of the absorbent core 11 overlapping the crotch elastic region R in the thickness direction of the diaper 1 is pushed up toward the skin, thereby facilitating the formation of a protrusion 11t on the absorbent core 11. The protrusion 11t is primarily formed in the portion overlapping the crotch elastic region R in the thickness direction, and protrudes toward the skin in a shape along the longitudinal direction. Note that in the diaper 1, the absorbent core 11 is a highly rigid member, and therefore, deformation of the absorbent core 11 due to contraction of the crotch elastic members 40 causes deformation of the absorbent main body 10 (diaper 1). Therefore, the following description will mainly focus on the shape of the absorbent core 11.

[0075] Furthermore, since the longitudinal length L2 from the rear end ERd of the crotch elastic region ER to the ventral end of the back-side elastic member 27 is longer than the longitudinal length L1 of the crotch elastic region ER (L1<L2), the back-side elastic member 27, which is located rearward of the crotch elastic region ER, is more likely to deform in a manner that the central portion in the lateral direction is recessed away from the skin due to lateral contraction of the back-side elastic member 27, which is located rearward of the crotch elastic region ER, than when the length L2 is shorter than the length L1, and the recess 11k is more likely to be formed in the absorbent core 11. In other words, when viewed in the thickness direction of the diaper 1, the absorbent core 11 is more likely to deform in a manner that provides a protrusion 11t in the portion overlapping the crotch elastic region ER, and more likely to deform in a manner that provides a recess 11k in the longitudinal direction between the rear end ERd of the crotch elastic region ER and the ventral end of the back-side elastic member 27.

[0076] The provision of the protrusions 11t on the absorbent core 11 makes it easier to bring the diaper 1 (absorbent core 11) into contact with the excretory opening of the wearer's body through which excreta is discharged, facilitating absorption of the excreta discharged from the wearer's excretory opening, while also facilitating collection of the excreta in the recesses 11k provided on the back side of the protrusions 11t. Therefore, even if a large amount of excreta is discharged at once and the portion of the absorbent core 11 provided with the protrusions 11t is unable to absorb it all, the excreta can be more easily retained in the recesses 11k provided on the back side of the protrusions 11t, thereby reducing the risk of excreta leaking from the diaper 1.

[0077] 7, it is preferable that the back end ERd of the crotch elastic region ER of the diaper 1 be located closer to the ventral side than the back end Fe of the fold F, which is located in the longitudinal center of the diaper 1 and through which the diaper 1 is folded. By locating the back end ERd of the crotch elastic region ER closer to the ventral side than the back end Fe of the fold F, when the diaper 1 is worn, contraction of the crotch elastic member 40 makes it easier to deform the absorbent core 11 to form a protrusion 11t on the ventral side of the back end Fe of the fold F and to form a depression 11k on the ventral side of the fold F than when the back end ERd of the crotch elastic region ER is located closer to the ventral side than the back end Fe of the fold F. As a result, the protrusions 11t provided on the absorbent core 11 make it easier for the diaper 1 (absorbent core 11) to come into contact with the wearer's excretory opening when worn, thereby improving the absorbency of excrement. In addition, the recesses 11k can be used as spaces for storing excrement, thereby reducing the risk of excrement leakage.

[0078] It is more preferable that the back end ERd of the crotch elastic region ER of the diaper 1 be located closer to the ventral side than the center CL in the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1. By locating the back end ERd of the crotch elastic region ER closer to the ventral side than the center CL, contraction of the crotch elastic member 40 during wear of the diaper 1 is more likely to deform the absorbent core 11 to form a protrusion 11t closer to the ventral side than the center CL and to deform the absorbent core 11 to form a depression 11k closer to the ventral side than the center CL, compared to when the back end ERd of the crotch elastic region ER is located closer to the ventral side than the center CL.

[0079] The diaper 1 preferably has a deformation suppressing section located dorsal to the crotch elastic region ER and ventral to the ventral side of the crotch elastic member 40 for suppressing deformation of the absorbent core 11 caused by contraction of the crotch elastic member 40, the deformation suppressing section preferably having a portion extending in the left-right direction. By providing the deformation suppressing section in the longitudinal direction between the crotch elastic region ER and the ventral side elastic member 27, when the diaper 1 is worn, contraction of the crotch elastic member 40 located ventral to the deformation suppressing section forms a protruding portion 11t of the absorbent core 11, which makes it easier to bring the diaper 1 into contact with the wearer's excretory opening, while the deformation suppressing section located between the crotch elastic region ER and the ventral side elastic member 27 suppresses deformation of the absorbent core 11 caused by contraction of the crotch elastic member 40. Furthermore, since the deformation suppression section suppresses deformation of the absorbent core 11, it becomes easier for the absorbent core 11 to deform to form a recessed portion 11k that recesses toward the non-skin side in the left-right central portion of the part between the deformation suppression section and the back-side elastic member 27 in the longitudinal direction due to contraction of the back-side elastic member 27 in the left-right direction.

[0080] In other words, when the diaper 1 is worn, the crotch elastic region ER allows the protrusions 11t (portions of the diaper 1 protruding toward the wearer's skin due to the protrusions 11t) provided on the absorbent core 11 to easily contact the wearer's excretory opening due to contraction of the crotch elastic members 40, while the deformation suppressing portions provided on the back side of the crotch elastic region ER block or mitigate deformation of the absorbent core 11 due to contraction of the crotch elastic members 40. Therefore, the back side of the deformation suppressing portions is less susceptible to the deformation of the absorbent core 11 due to contraction of the crotch elastic members 40, and the absorbent core 11 is more likely to form recesses 11k toward the non-skin side, which is the opposite side to the abdominal portion of the absorbent core 11 from the deformation suppressing portions.

[0081] As a result, the portion of the diaper 1 on the ventral side of the deformation suppression portion protrudes into the wearer's skin due to the crotch elastic member 40, allowing the diaper 1 to come into contact with the wearer's excretory opening and make it easier to absorb excrement, while it is easier to provide a recess 11k in the absorbent core 11 on the dorsal side of the deformation suppression portion, making it easier to provide space for storing excrement and reducing the risk of excrement leaking from the diaper 1.

[0082] Regarding the deformation suppression portion, the deformation suppression portion of the diaper 1 of this embodiment is the fold portion F. As described above, the fold portion F is a fold line formed by folding the diaper 1 in the longitudinal center in the unfolded and stretched state. The fold portion F is a so-called valley fold portion where the skin-side surface is inward, and when worn, the fold portion F has a valley fold crease. On the other hand, the protruding portion 11t of the absorbent core 11 formed by contraction of the crotch elastic members 40 is a so-called mountain fold portion where the skin-side surface is raised toward the skin-side surface. In other words, the fold portion F is provided in the lateral direction by folding the portion F on the side opposite to the deformation of the protruding portion 11t of the absorbent core 11. This makes it easier to cancel out the mountain fold of the protruding portion 11t along the longitudinal direction with the fold portion F having a valley fold crease along the lateral direction, thereby suppressing deformation of the protruding portion 11t. Therefore, the fold portion F functions as a deformation suppression portion.

[0083] As described above, when the diaper 1 is worn, the contraction of the crotch elastic members 40 causes the absorbent core 11 to deform, forming the protruding portions 11t, which facilitates the diaper 1 coming into contact with the wearer's excretory opening. Furthermore, since the folds F are used as the deformation suppression portions, there is no need to provide a separate deformation suppression portion. Furthermore, the diaper 1 includes the deformation suppression portion formed by the folds F. The folds F along the left-right direction counteract or mitigate the protrusion of the protruding portions 11t along the longitudinal direction of the absorbent core 11 toward the skin side, which facilitates deformation of the portion of the absorbent core 11 on the back side of the folds F to be recessed toward the non-skin side in accordance with the folds F. This facilitates the formation of the protruding portions 11t in the portion on the ventral side of the folds F, and the formation of the recesses 11k in the portion on the back side of the folds F. As a result, when worn, the contraction of the crotch elastic member 40 causes the absorbent core 11 to deform and form a protrusion 11t, making it easier to bring the diaper 1 (protrusion 11t) into contact with the wearer's excretory opening and improving the absorbency of excrement, while also making it easier for the central portion in the left-right direction on the back side of the fold F to deform so as to be recessed toward the non-skin side, and this recessed portion 11k recessed toward the non-skin side makes it easier to create space for storing excrement, thereby reducing the risk of excrement leaking from the diaper 1.

[0084] The deformation suppression portion is not limited to the folded portion F. Examples of the deformation suppression portion include portions of the absorbent core 11 whose rigidity changes compared to the surrounding area. The deformation suppression portion may be a compressed portion (not shown) that compresses at least the absorbent core 11 in the thickness direction. The compressed portion becomes a portion with changed rigidity because it becomes more rigid than the surrounding area by compressing the absorbent core 11. This compressed portion has a portion along the left-right direction and is located dorsal to the crotch elastic region ER and ventral to the ventral elastic member 27. This compressed portion along the left-right direction counteracts or reduces the protrusion of the protruding portion 11t along the longitudinal direction of the absorbent core 11 toward the skin side, thereby facilitating deformation of the portion dorsal to the compressed portion so that it is recessed toward the non-skin side. This facilitates the formation of the protruding portion 11t in the portion ventral to the compressed portion, and the formation of the recessed portion 11k in the portion dorsal to the compressed portion. As a result, when worn, the contraction of the crotch elastic member 40 creates a protrusion 11t on the absorbent core 11, making it easier to bring the diaper 1 (protrusion 11t) into contact with the wearer's excretory opening and improving the absorbency of excrement, while a recess 11k is created behind the compressed portion, making it easier to create space for storing excrement, thereby reducing the risk of excrement leaking from the diaper 1.

[0085] The deformation suppression portion may be a low-basis weight portion (not shown) in which the absorbent core 11 has a lower basis weight than the surrounding area. The low-basis weight portion is a portion where the rigidity is lower than the surrounding area, resulting in a change in rigidity. Examples of the low-basis weight portion include a portion where the basis weight of the liquid-absorbent fiber or superabsorbent polymer (SAP) is reduced by, for example, slits penetrating the absorbent core 11 in the thickness direction or grooves in the absorbent core 11. This low-basis weight portion has a portion along the left-right direction and is located dorsal to the crotch elastic region ER and ventral to the ventral elastic member 27. This low-basis weight portion along the left-right direction counteracts or reduces the protrusion of the protrusion 11t along the longitudinal direction of the absorbent core 11 toward the skin side, thereby facilitating deformation of the portion dorsal to the low-basis weight portion so that it recesses toward the non-skin side. This facilitates the formation of the protrusion 11t in the portion ventral to the low-basis weight portion, and the formation of the recess 11k in the portion dorsal to the low-basis weight portion. As a result, when worn, the diaper 1 (protrusion 11t) can be easily brought into contact with the wearer's excretory opening, improving the absorbency of excrement, while the recess 11k is provided on the back side of the low basis weight portion, making it easier to create space for storing excrement, thereby reducing the risk of excrement leaking from the diaper 1.

[0086] The diaper 1 may include, as a deformation suppressing portion, not only a folded portion F at which the diaper 1 is folded along the left-right direction, but also a compressed portion or a low-basis-weight portion along the left-right direction in addition to the folded portion F. That is, the diaper 1 may have multiple deformation suppressing portions. By including not only a compressed portion or a low-basis-weight portion along the left-right direction but also a folded portion F, deformation of the absorbent core 11 due to the crotch elastic members 40 can be more easily suppressed. Alternatively, the deformation suppressing portion of the diaper 1 may be an elastic member having a stretchable portion along the left-right direction. For example, the diaper 1 may include a curved elastic member (not shown) whose outer left-right ends are located closer to the ventral side than the longitudinal center CL, and whose left-right central portion is curved so that it is positioned closer to the back than the crotch elastic members 40. This curved elastic member can more easily suppress deformation of the absorbent core 11 due to the crotch elastic members 40. It is sufficient that the outer ends of the curved elastic members in the left-right direction are located closer to the ventral side than the longitudinal center CL, and the entire curved elastic member may be located closer to the ventral side than the longitudinal center CL, or the curved elastic member may have a portion located closer to the ventral side than the longitudinal center CL and a portion located closer to the dorsal side than the center CL. When the curved elastic member has a portion located closer to the dorsal side than the longitudinal center CL, it is preferable that the dorsal end of the curved elastic member be located between the rear end ERd of the crotch elastic region ER and the dorsal end of the dorsal elastic member 27 in the longitudinal direction.

[0087] Below, we will explain the configuration of diaper 1 which has a folded portion F as a deformation suppression portion, but the following characteristics can also be applied to deformation suppression portions even if the deformation suppression portion is a portion where the rigidity is changed, such as a compressed portion or a low basis weight portion.

[0088] As shown in Fig. 7, it is preferable that the fold F, which is a deformation suppression portion, has a portion overlapping with the crotch elastic region ER. In other words, an imaginary region obtained by extending the crotch elastic region ER toward the back side intersects with the fold F. As a result, in the absorbent core 11, protruding portions 11t that have deformed to protrude along the longitudinal direction are suppressed from protruding by the fold F that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and therefore, it becomes easier to provide recessed portions 11k that recess the absorbent core 11 toward the non-skin side on the back side of the fold F. Therefore, when worn, the contraction of the crotch elastic member 40 causes the absorbent core 11 to deform and form a protrusion 11t, making it easier to bring the diaper 1 (protrusion 11t) into contact with the wearer's excretory opening and improving the absorbency of excrement, while also making it easier for the central part in the left-right direction on the back side of the fold F to deform so as to be recessed toward the non-skin side, and this recessed portion 11k recessed toward the non-skin side makes it easier to create space for storing excrement, thereby reducing the risk of excrement leaking from the diaper 1.

[0089] Furthermore, it is preferable that the width Wf of the folded portion F, which serves as the deformation suppression portion, is longer than the width Wa of the crotch elastic region ER (Wa<Wf). The longer the width Wf of the folded portion F, the easier it is to suppress deformation of the absorbent core 11 by the crotch elastic member 40. Because the left-right length Wf of the folded portion F of the diaper 1 is longer than the left-right length Wa of the crotch elastic region ER, when the diaper 1 is worn, the contraction of the crotch elastic member 40 causes the absorbent core 11 to deform and form a protrusion 11t, making it easier to bring the diaper 1 (protrusion 11t) into contact with the wearer's excretory opening and improving the absorbency of excrement.At the same time, the central left-right portion on the back side of the folded portion F is more likely to deform so as to be recessed toward the non-skin side than when the left-right length Wa of the crotch elastic region ER is longer than the left-right length Wf of the folded portion F, making it easier to create a space for storing excrement in this recessed portion 11k recessed toward the non-skin side, reducing the risk of excrement leaking from the diaper 1.

[0090] As shown in Fig. 7, when viewed in the thickness direction of the diaper 1, it is preferable that the average basis weight of the absorbent core 11 overlapping the portion from the back end ERd of the crotch elastic region ER to the ventral end of the back-side elastic member 27 is equal to or greater than the average basis weight of the absorbent core 11 in the region overlapping with the crotch elastic region ER. In Fig. 7, the crotch elastic region ER is shown by hatching, and the portion of the absorbent core 11 overlapping with the crotch elastic region ER when viewed in the thickness direction is also shown by hatching. In Fig. 7, the portion of the absorbent core 11 overlapping with the portion from the back end ERd of the crotch elastic region ER to the ventral end of the back-side elastic member 27 is shown by hatching slanting downward to the left. In this way, when viewing the diaper 1 in the thickness direction, the average basis weight of the absorbent core 11 overlapping the portion from the back end ERd of the crotch elastic region ER to the ventral end of the back elastic member 27 is equal to or greater than the average basis weight of the absorbent core 11 in the region overlapping with the crotch elastic region ER. This makes it easier for excrement not absorbed in the crotch elastic region ER to move toward the back from the crotch elastic region ER, and for the excrement to accumulate in the recess 11k of the absorbent core 11 recessed toward the non-skin side, than when the average basis weight of the absorbent core 11 overlapping the portion from the back end ERd of the crotch elastic region ER to the ventral end of the back elastic member 27 is lower than the average basis weight of the absorbent core 11 in the region overlapping with the crotch elastic region ER. Therefore, when worn, the diaper 1 is brought into contact with the wearer's excretory opening by deformation of the absorbent core 11 by the crotch elastic member 40 to provide the protruding portion 11t, making it easier to absorb excrement, and even if the protruding portion 11t or the crotch elastic region ER is unable to absorb all the excrement, the excrement is stored in the area behind the crotch elastic region ER, making it easier to absorb, thereby reducing the risk of excrement leaking from the diaper 1.

[0091] Furthermore, it is preferable that the absorbent core 11 does not have a low-basis weight portion in the left-right direction overlapping with the crotch elastic region ER, where the basis weight of the absorbent core 11 is lower than that of the surrounding area. Simply put, as shown in FIG. 7 and other figures, it is preferable that the absorbent core 11 does not have low-basis weight portions on both sides of the crotch elastic region ER. As described above, the low-basis weight portion of the absorbent core 11 refers to a portion in which the basis weight of the liquid-absorbent fiber or superabsorbent polymer (SAP) is reduced by, for example, providing a slit penetrating the absorbent core 11 in the thickness direction or by providing a groove in the absorbent core 11. By providing such an absorbent core 11 in the diaper 1, it is possible to reduce the risk of excessive reduction in the rigidity of the absorbent core 11 in the left-right direction overlapping with the crotch elastic region ER. Therefore, even when the diaper 1 is made easier to contact the wearer's excretory opening due to deformation of the absorbent core 11 caused by contraction of the crotch elastic member 40 when worn, the risk of unintended deformation of the absorbent core 11 in the area overlapping with the crotch elastic region ER in the left-right direction due to the force exerted from the outside to the inside in the left-right direction by the wearer's thighs can be reduced.

[0092] As described above, the diaper 1 includes a waist-line joining portion 2 joining both side portions of the ventral portion (ventral waistline portion) 1A and the dorsal portion (dorsal waistline portion) 1C, and a leakage-barrier elastic member (longitudinal elastic member) 51 that stretches along the longitudinal direction. The leakage-barrier elastic member 51 is an elastic member for erecting the leakage-barrier wall portion 50. As shown in FIG. 2 , the leakage-barrier elastic member 51 is located laterally outward of the crotch elastic region ER, and has at least a portion located dorsally of the crotch elastic member 40. The leakage-barrier elastic member 51 of the diaper 1 of this embodiment is located outward of the side ends Era and ERb of the crotch elastic region ER, with the ventral end of the leakage-barrier elastic member 51 located ventrally relative to the ventral end ERc of the crotch elastic region ER and the dorsal end of the leakage-barrier elastic member 51 located dorsally relative to the dorsal end ERd of the crotch elastic region ER. The diaper 1 also has a plurality of elastic members (dorsal waist elastic members 25, buttocks elastic members 26) including a back elastic member 27 located toward the back side of the longitudinal center CL. When viewed in the thickness direction of the diaper 1, it is preferable that the absorbent core 11, one of the plurality of elastic members (dorsal waist elastic members 25, buttocks elastic members 26) that is located at a position overlapping the waist joint 2 in the longitudinal direction, and the leakage preventing wall elastic member 51 overlap in some portions. As shown in Fig. 2, the diaper 1 of this embodiment has a plurality of overlapping portions in the thickness direction of the diaper 1, among the absorbent core 11, the back waist elastic members 25a, 25b, and the leakage preventing wall elastic member 51.

[0093] Contraction of the leakage preventing wall elastic members 51 provided on both left and right sides of the absorbent main body 10 applies a force to the entire absorbent core 11, which acts to deform the longitudinal central portion into a curved shape that recesses it toward the non-skin side. The back waist elastic members 25 overlap with the waist joint 2 in the longitudinal direction and are therefore supported by the waist joint 2, so that they are more likely to be subjected to a stronger force of contraction in the left and right direction than the buttocks elastic members 26, which are not supported by the waist joint 2.

[0094] As described above, the diaper 1 includes the leakage preventing wall elastic members 51 aligned along the longitudinal direction of the leakage preventing wall portions 50. When worn, the contraction of the leakage preventing wall elastic members 51 deforms the absorbent core 11, making it easier to fit the diaper 1 to the wearer's body, and raises the leakage preventing wall portions 50 to dam up body waste, thereby reducing leakage of body waste. Furthermore, the back waist elastic members 25a, 25b, which overlap the absorbent core 11 in the thickness direction and are supported by the waist joint portion 2, allow the back waist elastic members 25a, 25b to stretch in the lateral direction, making it easier to maintain the absorbent core 11 flat and spread it outward in the lateral direction. This facilitates deformation of the portion of the diaper 1 on the back side of the crotch elastic region ER, forming a depression 11k in the lateral center that is depressed away from the wearer's skin, making it easier to collect body waste in the depression 11k. By making it easier to store excrement in the space of the recessed portion 11k, in cases where a large amount of excrement is discharged at once and the protruding portion 11t of the absorbent core 11 is unable to absorb all of the excrement, the excrement can be more easily stored in the space of the recessed portion 11k, thereby reducing the risk of excrement leaking from the diaper 1.

[0095] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the absorbent core 11 preferably has a narrowest portion 11n on the inside in the longitudinal direction, which has the narrowest left-right width (Wn). It also preferably has a widest portion 11h located rearward of the narrowest portion 11n and rearward of the longitudinal center CL, which has the widest left-right width (Wh). In the absorbent core 11 of the diaper 1 of this embodiment, the narrowest portion 11n is a portion with a left-right length Wn, which is located closer to the ventral side of the longitudinal center CL and is the portion of the absorbent core 11 with the shortest left-right length. The widest portion 11h is located rearward of the narrowest portion 11n and is located at the rear end of the absorbent core 11. The widest portion 11h is a portion with a left-right length Wh, which is the portion of the absorbent core 11 rearward of the longitudinal center CL, with the longest left-right length. The left-right length of the ventral end of the absorbent core 11 of the diaper 1 of this embodiment is approximately the same as the left-right length Wh of the widest part 11h of the dorsal end of the absorbent core 11.

[0096] In the case of such an absorbent core 11, it is preferable that the crotch elastic region ER overlaps with the narrowest portion 11n in the longitudinal direction, as shown in FIG. 7 . The crotch of a wearer is the area where the wearer's excretory opening is located. However, this area is prone to the wearer's legs (thighs) exerting force from the outside to the inside in the lateral direction on the absorbent core 11. Therefore, it is common to provide the narrowest portion 11n of the absorbent core 11 at a position corresponding to the wearer's crotch when worn to improve the wearer's leg mobility and reduce discomfort during wear. On the other hand, the short lateral length of the absorbent core 11 makes it easier for the contractile force of the crotch elastic member 40 to act on the narrowest portion 11n. Therefore, by having the crotch elastic region ER overlap with the narrowest portion 11n in the longitudinal direction, the absorbent core 11 is more likely to deform due to the contraction of the crotch elastic member 40, making it easier for the narrowest portion 11n of the absorbent core 11 to abut against the wearer's excretory opening. This improves the absorbency of excrement, improves the fit when worn, and makes it easier to reduce discomfort caused by the rigidity of the absorbent core 11.

[0097] Furthermore, as described above, the diaper 1 has a pair of leakage preventing walls 50 each having a longitudinally stretchable leakage preventing wall elastic member 51, and it is preferable that, when viewed in the thickness direction of the diaper 1, there is no overlap between the narrowest portion 11n of the absorbent core and the leakage preventing wall elastic member 51. In the diaper 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the narrowest portion 11n of the absorbent core 11 is located laterally inward of the leakage preventing wall elastic member 51, so that, when viewed in the thickness direction, the narrowest portion 11n does not overlap with the leakage preventing wall elastic member 51. By providing the narrowest portion 11n of the absorbent core 11, discomfort around the legs due to the rigidity of the absorbent core 11 can be reduced while the contraction of the crotch elastic member 40 causes the absorbent core 11 to deform toward the skin, making it easier to bring the narrowest portion 11n of the absorbent core 11 into contact with the wearer's excretory opening.

[0098] In addition, when the absorbent core 11 has such a configuration, it is preferable that a widest portion 11h is provided on the rear side of the crotch elastic region ER in the longitudinal direction, as shown in Fig. 7. In the diaper 1, the widest portion 11h is the portion of the absorbent core 11 that is the longest in the left-right direction on the rear side of the longitudinal center CL, and the rear end ERd of the crotch elastic region ER is provided on the ventral side of the longitudinal center CL of the diaper 1. By providing the widest portion 11h of the absorbent core 11 on the rear side of the crotch elastic region ER in the longitudinal direction, the portion of the absorbent core 11 on the rear side of the crotch elastic region ER can be easily deformed such that the left-right central portion is recessed toward the non-skin side (to form a recess 11k). Therefore, the recessed portion 11k on the non-skin side makes it easier to provide space for storing excrement, thereby reducing the risk of excrement leaking from the diaper 1 even when a large amount of excrement is excreted while the diaper 1 is being worn.

[0099] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 7, the absorbent core 11 preferably has an inclined portion 11m between the narrowest portion 11n and the widest portion 11h in the longitudinal direction, where the side edges of the absorbent core 11 are inclined from the ventral side toward the dorsal side and from the inside to the outside in the lateral direction. The inclined portions 11m of the diaper 1 of this embodiment are provided on both sides of the absorbent core 11 and connect the narrowest portion 11n and the widest portion 11h. Furthermore, when the absorbent core 11 has the narrowest portion 11n, the widest portion 11h, and the inclined portion 11m, and the diaper 1 has a folded portion F as a deformation suppressing portion as described above, it is preferable that at least a portion of the folded portion F overlaps with the inclined portion 11m in the longitudinal direction. As shown in Figure 7, the diaper 1 of this embodiment has the entire folded portion F overlapping with the inclined portion 11m in the longitudinal direction, and an inclined portion 11m is also provided on the dorsal side of the folded portion F in the longitudinal direction.

[0100] In this way, the inclined portion 11m of the absorbent core 11 increases the lateral length of the absorbent core 11 from the ventral side to the posterior side of the crotch elastic region ER, thereby reducing the risk of the absorbent core 11 being bent by an external force (from the wearer's legs) in the lateral direction. Furthermore, the folded portion F prevents the crotch elastic members 40 from deforming the absorbent core 11 at the longitudinal protrusions 11t, while the inclination of the inclined portion 11m located on the posterior side of the folded portion F facilitates deformation of the portion on the posterior side of the folded portion F by recessing the lateral center toward the non-skin side to form the recessed portion 11k. This facilitates the provision of a space for collecting body waste, thereby reducing the risk of body waste leaking from the diaper 1 even when a large amount of body waste is excreted during wear.

[0101] In the diaper 1 of this embodiment, the folded portion F, which serves as a deformation suppression portion, overlaps with the inclined portion 11m in the longitudinal direction, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the absorbent core 11 may have a narrowest portion 11n in the longitudinal center of the diaper 1, and at least a portion of the folded portion F, which serves as a deformation suppression portion, may overlap with the narrowest portion 11n in the longitudinal direction (not shown). The narrowest portion 11n of the absorbent core 11 is less susceptible to lateral forces exerted by the wearer's legs from the outside to the inside than the widest portion 11h. This reduces the risk of deformation of the absorbent core 11, such as protruding from the lateral center of the absorbent core 11 toward the skin, due to lateral forces exerted on the absorbent core 11 from both sides. Therefore, overlapping at least a portion of the folded portion F, which serves as a deformation suppression portion, with the narrowest portion 11n in the longitudinal direction makes it easier to suppress deformation of the absorbent core 11 by the crotch elastic members 40. As a result, when worn, the absorbent core 11 is deformed by contraction of the crotch elastic member 40 located on the ventral side of the fold F, forming a protrusion 11t, making it easier to bring the diaper 1 (protrusion 11t) into contact with the wearer's excretory opening and improving the absorbency of excrement, while the central portion in the left-right direction on the dorsal side of the fold F is more likely to deform so as to be recessed toward the non-skin side, making it easier to create space for storing excrement in this recessed portion 11k recessed toward the non-skin side, thereby reducing the risk of excrement leaking from the diaper 1.

[0102] Furthermore, when the diaper 1 is viewed from the skin side, as shown in FIG. 7 and other figures, the outer shape of the absorbent core 11 has a narrowest portion 11n, a widest portion 11h, and an inclined portion 11m. The outer shape of the absorbent core 11 when viewed from the skin side refers to the overall outer shape of one or more absorbent cores 11. The diaper 1 of this embodiment is a single-layer member, with multiple absorbent cores not stacked in the thickness direction. Therefore, the outer shape of the absorbent core 11 refers to the shape (outer shape) of a single absorbent core 11. When the absorbent core is composed of multiple absorbent members (absorbent cores) of different shapes stacked in the thickness direction, for example, in the case of an absorbent core formed by stacking an absorbent member made of pulp fibers molded into a predetermined shape and an absorbent member made of an SAP sheet formed from superabsorbent polymer (SAP) in the thickness direction, the outer shape of the absorbent core when viewed from the skin side refers to the overall outer shape of the absorbent core made of the two stacked absorbent members. The narrowest portion 11n in the outer shape of the absorbent core 11 when viewed from the skin side is the portion located on the inside in the longitudinal direction and having the narrowest width in the left-right direction. The widest portion 11h in the outer shape of the absorbent core 11 when viewed from the skin side is the portion located on the back side of the narrowest portion 11n in the longitudinal direction and having the widest width in the left-right direction. The inclined portion 11m in the outer shape of the absorbent core 11 when viewed from the skin side is the portion located between the narrowest portion 11n and the widest portion 11h in the longitudinal direction, and is the portion where the side edge of the absorbent core 11 inclines from the ventral side to the back side and from the inside to the outside in the left-right direction.

[0103] In the case of such an absorbent core 11, it is preferable that at least a portion of the inclined portion 11m be located on the back side of the crotch elastic region ER in the longitudinal direction. The inclined portion 11m in the outer shape of the absorbent core 11 when viewed from the skin side of the diaper 1 increases the left-right length of the absorbent core 11 from the ventral side to the back side of the crotch elastic region ER, thereby reducing the risk of the absorbent core 11 being bent by an external force (such as the wearer's legs) in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the folded portion F prevents the crotch elastic members 40 from deforming the absorbent core 11 at the longitudinal protrusions 11t, while the inclination of the inclined portion 11m located on the back side of the folded portion F facilitates deformation of the portion on the back side of the folded portion F, such that the left-right central portion is recessed toward the non-skin side to form the recessed portion 11k. This makes it easier to provide a space for storing excrement in the recessed portion 11k, thereby reducing the risk of excrement leaking from the diaper 1 even when a large amount of excrement is excreted while the diaper is being worn.

[0104] As described above, in the diaper 1, the absorbent main body 10 including the absorbent core 11 is fixed to an outer cover member (outer body) 20 including a ventral portion (ventral waist portion) 1A and a dorsal portion (dorsal waist portion) 1C via adhesive regions. Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating adhesive regions FR for fixing the absorbent main body 10 to the outer cover member 20. In Fig. 9, the outline of the absorbent main body 10 is indicated by a thick line, and the leakage preventing wall elastic members 51 and leg opening elastic members 52 in the absorbent main body are omitted. For convenience, the adhesive regions FR for fixing the absorbent main body 10 to the outer cover member 20 are indicated by solid lines and by diagonal lines slanting downward to the left. As shown in Fig. 9, a region R27 is defined as a region of the absorbent main body 10 that overlaps with a portion of the absorbent main body 10 in the longitudinal direction from the dorsal end ERd of the crotch elastic region ER to the ventral end of the dorsal elastic member 27. The region RE of the absorbent body 10 overlapping with the crotch elastic region in the longitudinal direction is defined as a region RE. In this case, it is preferable that the area of ​​the adhesive region FR per unit area in the region R27 is larger than the area of ​​the adhesive region FR per unit area in the region RE.

[0105] In the diaper 1 of this embodiment, rectangular adhesive regions FR having the same length in the left-right direction are provided in the left-right central portions of the regions RE and R27 of the absorbent main body 10, while no adhesive regions FR are provided on both left-right sides of the region RE, and adhesive regions FR are provided on both left-right sides of the region R27. Therefore, it is clear that the area of ​​the adhesive regions FR per unit area in the region R27 is larger than the area of ​​the adhesive regions FR per unit area in the region RE.

[0106] In this way, the area of ​​the adhesive region FR per unit area in region R27 is larger than the area of ​​the adhesive region FR per unit area in region RE, which makes it easier to reduce deformation such as shrinkage and bending in region R27 of the absorbent core 11 and the diaper 1 compared to when the area of ​​the adhesive region FR per unit area in region RE is larger than the area of ​​the adhesive region FR per unit area in region R27. Therefore, since it is easier to keep the region R27 of the absorbent core 11 flat, when the absorbent core 11 is deformed to form a depression 11k in the part on the back side of the crotch elastic region RE, it becomes easier to store excrement in the space created by the depression 11k.

[0107] As shown in Fig. 1, when the diaper 1 is in a pants-type state, both side edges of the ventral portion 1A and the back portion 1C are joined at a waist seam 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the diaper 1 in a flat, stretched state has a plurality of elastic members (back waist elastic members 25, buttock elastic members 26) including a back elastic member 27 on the back side of the longitudinal center CL. Of these elastic members, it is preferable that all of the elastic members provided on the ventral side of the waist seam 2 are discontinuous at their transverse centers. As shown in Fig. 2, in the diaper 1 of this embodiment, the elastic members provided on the ventral side of the waist seam 2 are two buttock elastic members 26, 26, and both of these buttock elastic members 26 are discontinuous at their transverse centers. Methods for making the elastic members discontinuous include, for example, cutting the elastic members at their lateral centers during the manufacturing process, or arranging elastic members only on the lateral sides without arranging them at the lateral center. In this way, all of the elastic members (buttocks elastic members 26) provided on the ventral side of the waistband joint 2 are discontinuous at their lateral centers, which reduces the risk of the absorbent core 11 being compressed in the lateral direction by the elastic members (buttocks elastic members 26). This makes it easier to maintain the absorbent core 11 flat and expand it outward in the lateral direction. This makes it easier for the lateral center of the portion of the back side of the crotch elastic region ER to deform toward the skin, which makes it easier to form a depression 11k, making it easier for excrement to accumulate in the depression 11k. By making it easier to store excrement in the space of the recessed portion 11k, in cases where the protruding portion 11t of the absorbent core 11 is unable to absorb all the excrement or when a large amount of excrement is discharged at once, the excrement can be more easily stored in the space of the recessed portion 11k, thereby reducing the risk of excrement leaking from the diaper 1.

[0108] Furthermore, among the multiple elastic members (dorsal waist elastic members 25, buttocks elastic members 26) provided on the back side of the longitudinal center CL, it is more preferable that the back waist elastic member 25a, which is the elastic member located closest to the ventral side and overlaps the waist joint 2 in the longitudinal direction, be discontinuous in the left-right center. This reduces the risk of the absorbent core 11 being compressed in the left-right direction by the back waist elastic member 25a, making it easier to maintain the absorbent core 11 in a more planar state and therefore easier to spread outward in the left-right direction. As a result, the portion on the back side of the crotch elastic region ER is more likely to deform in such a way that the left-right center is depressed toward the skin side, making it easier to form a depression 11k, which makes it easier to store body waste in the space of the depression 11k. Furthermore, the more back waist elastic members 25 that are discontinuous in the center in the left-right direction among the multiple back waist elastic members 25, the less the fit to the wearer's waist when worn. Therefore, it is preferable to limit the number of back waist elastic members 25 that are discontinuous in the center in the left-right direction to one (only back waist elastic member 25a) or two.

[0109] Furthermore, with regard to the multiple elastic members (dorsal waist elastic members 25, buttocks elastic members 26) provided on the dorsal side of the longitudinal center CL, the elastic members provided at positions overlapping with the waist joint 2 in the longitudinal direction are the back waist elastic members 25, and the elastic members provided on the ventral side of the waist joint 2 in the longitudinal direction are the buttocks elastic members 26. With regard to these multiple elastic members, the maximum distance between adjacent back waist elastic members 25 in the longitudinal direction is defined as distance d1, and the maximum distance between adjacent buttocks elastic members 26 in the longitudinal direction is defined as distance d2. In this case, it is preferable that distance d1 is smaller than distance d2 (d1<d2). As a result, when worn, contraction of the back waist elastic members 25 provided at positions overlapping the waist joint 2 in the longitudinal direction allows the garment to easily fit around the waist of the wearer, while the crotch side, which is on the ventral side of the waist joint 2 in the longitudinal direction, is softer and more likely to come into contact with the wearer's body than the portion overlapping the waist joint 2 in the longitudinal direction (the portion where the back waist elastic members 25 are provided), thereby improving fit and comfort when worn.

[0110] ===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.

[0111] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Diaper (pants-type disposable diaper, absorbent article), 2 Waist joint (joint), 10 Absorbent main body, 11 Absorbent core, 11k Recessed portion, 11t Protruding portion, 12 Top sheet, 13 Back sheet, 16 Side sheet, 17 Elastic member cover sheet, 20 Outer member (outer body), 21 Ventral side outer layer sheet, 22 Dorsal side outer layer sheet, 23 Inner layer sheet, 24 (Ventral side) Waist elastic member, 25 (Dorsal side) Waist elastic member, 26 Buttocks elastic member, 27 Dorsal side elastic member, 31 Cover sheet, 32 Cover sheet, 40 Crotch elastic member, 50 Leakage preventing wall portion, 51 Leakage preventing wall elastic member (longitudinal elastic member), 52 Leg opening elastic member, ER Crotch elastic region

Claims

1. An absorbent article having a ventral waistband portion, a back waistband portion, and an absorbent core, wherein in an unfolded and stretched state, the absorbent article has a longitudinal direction, a left-right direction, and a thickness direction that are perpendicular to one another, and has a back elastic member stretched at least along the left-right direction from the center of the longitudinal direction toward the back, the back elastic member being located closest to the ventral side in the longitudinal direction, and has a crotch elastic member located closer to the skin than the absorbent core and stretching at least along the longitudinal direction, the back elastic member being located closest to the ventral side in the longitudinal direction, and 2. An absorbent article as described in claim 1, characterized in that it has a deformation suppression section on the back side of the crotch elastic region and on the ventral side of the back elastic member for suppressing deformation of the absorbent core caused by contraction of the crotch elastic member, and the deformation suppression section has a portion that extends along the left-right direction.

3. An absorbent article as described in claim 2, characterized in that a folding section for folding the absorbent article is provided in the center of the longitudinal direction, and the back end of the crotch elastic region is located closer to the ventral side than the back end of the folding section.

4. An absorbent article according to claim 3, characterized in that the deformation suppressing portion is the folded portion.

5. An absorbent article according to claim 2, characterized in that the deformation suppression section is a compression section obtained by compressing at least the absorbent core in the thickness direction.

6. An absorbent article according to claim 2, wherein the deformation suppression portion is a low basis weight portion of the absorbent core having a basis weight lower than that of the surrounding area.

7. An absorbent article according to claim 2, characterized in that the deformation suppressing portion has a portion that overlaps with the crotch elastic region in the left-right direction.

8. An absorbent article according to claim 2, characterized in that the length of the deformation suppressing portion in the left-right direction is longer than the length of the crotch elastic region in the left-right direction.

9. An absorbent article as described in claim 2, wherein, in a pants-type state, both side ends of the ventral waistband and the rear waistband are joined at a joint, and the absorbent article has longitudinal elastic members that stretch along the longitudinal direction, the longitudinal elastic members are arranged outside the crotch elastic region in the left-right direction and at least on the rear side of the crotch elastic members, and has a plurality of elastic members including the rear elastic member arranged on the rear side of the center in the longitudinal direction, and the absorbent article has a portion where the absorbent core and an elastic member of the plurality of elastic members that is arranged at a position that overlaps the joint in the longitudinal direction and the longitudinal elastic member overlap when viewed in the thickness direction.

10. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the absorbent core has a narrowest part on the inside in the longitudinal direction, the narrowest in width in the left-right direction, and a widest part located behind the narrowest part in the longitudinal direction and having the widest width in the left-right direction behind the centre in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the widest part is located behind the crotch elastic region in the longitudinal direction.

11. An absorbent article as described in claim 10, comprising a deformation suppression section located on the back side of the crotch elastic region and on the ventral side of the crotch elastic member for suppressing deformation of the absorbent core caused by contraction of the crotch elastic member, the deformation suppression section having a portion that runs along the left-right direction, the absorbent core having an inclined section in the longitudinal direction, between the narrowest section and the widest section, where the side ends of the absorbent core are inclined from the ventral side toward the back side and from the inside toward the outside in the left-right direction, and at least a portion of the deformation suppression section overlaps with the inclined section in the longitudinal direction.

12. An absorbent article as described in claim 10, characterized in that it has a deformation suppression section located on the back side of the crotch elastic region and on the ventral side of the back elastic member for suppressing deformation of the absorbent core caused by contraction of the crotch elastic member, the deformation suppression section having a portion that extends along the left-right direction, and at least a portion of the deformation suppression section overlaps with the narrowest portion in the longitudinal direction.

13. An absorbent article as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the absorbent core has a narrowest part, where the width in the left-right direction is the narrowest, on the inside in the longitudinal direction, and the crotch elastic region has a part that overlaps with the narrowest part in the longitudinal direction.

14. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, when viewed from the skin side, the outer shape of the absorbent core has: a narrowest part on the inside in the longitudinal direction, where the width in the left-right direction is narrowest; a widest part located on the back side of the narrowest part in the longitudinal direction, where the width in the left-right direction is widest on the back side of the center in the longitudinal direction; and an inclined part in the longitudinal direction, between the narrowest part and the widest part, where the side ends of the absorbent core are inclined from the ventral side to the back side and from the inside to the outside in the left-right direction; and wherein at least a part of the inclined part is located on the back side of the crotch elastic region in the longitudinal direction.

15. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, comprising an absorbent main body with the absorbent core, and an outer body with the ventral waistband and the dorsal waistband, the absorbent main body being fixed to the outer body by adhesive regions, and the area of ​​the adhesive regions per unit area in the region of the absorbent main body that overlaps in the longitudinal direction with the portion from the dorsal end of the crotch elastic region to the ventral end of the dorsal elastic member is greater than the area of ​​the adhesive regions per unit area in the region of the absorbent main body that overlaps in the longitudinal direction with the crotch elastic region.

16. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in a pants-type state, the opposite side ends of the ventral waistband and the rear waistband are joined at a joint, the absorbent article has a plurality of elastic members including the rear elastic member on the rear side of the center in the longitudinal direction, and all of the plurality of elastic members provided on the ventral side of the joint in the longitudinal direction are discontinuous in the center in the left-right direction.

17. An absorbent article as described in claim 16, characterized in that, of the plurality of elastic members, the elastic member that overlaps with the joint in the longitudinal direction and is located closest to the ventral side is discontinuous in the center in the left-right direction.

18. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, in a pants-type state, both side ends of the ventral waistband and the rear waistband are joined at a joint, and the absorbent article has a plurality of elastic members including the rear elastic member on the rear side of the center in the longitudinal direction, and the maximum value of the spacing between the elastic members among the plurality of elastic members that are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction and located at a position that overlaps with the joint in the longitudinal direction is smaller than the maximum value of the spacing between the elastic members among the plurality of elastic members that are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction and located on the ventral side of the joint in the longitudinal direction.

19. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, when viewed in the thickness direction, the average basis weight of the absorbent core in the region overlapping with the portion from the rear end of the crotch elastic region to the ventral end of the rear elastic member is equal to or greater than the average basis weight of the absorbent core in the region overlapping with the crotch elastic region.

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