Underpants-type absorbent article

Abstract

An underpants-type absorbent article (1) comprises an absorbent body (10) provided with an absorbent core (11), and a waistline member (20) provided with an anterior waistline part (20f) and a posterior waistline part (20b), the anterior waistline part (20f) and the posterior waistline part (20b) being bonded to one another by a pair of side bonded parts (5) so as to form a pair of leg openings (LH). A crotch elastic member (40) that stretches along the longitudinal direction is provided; the posterior waistline part (20b) includes buttock elastic members (26) arranged rectilinearly along the left / right direction, anterior to an anterior end (5beb) of the side bonded parts (5); and a posterior end (40eb) of the crotch elastic member (40) in the longitudinal direction is located anterior to the buttock elastic member (26) that is arranged on the most anterior side of the posterior waistline part (20b).

Description

Pants-type absorbent article

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

[0002]

[0003] Conventionally, in a pants-type absorbent article (e.g., pants-type diaper) including an absorbent main body and waistband members arranged to cover the front and rear of the absorbent main body from the non-skin side, a technique has been known in which an elastic member (crotch elastic member) that stretches along the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body is provided to improve the fit of the absorbent main body in the crotch area. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique related to a diaper (absorbent article) that includes leg elastics 7A that stretch along the width direction and a central elastic member 60 (corresponding to the crotch elastic member) that stretches along the longitudinal direction, and that prevents the absorbent main body 40 from moving away from the wearer's skin due to contraction of the central elastic member 60, thereby improving wearing comfort.

[0003] JP 2010-279612 A

[0004] In pants-type absorbent articles equipped with such crotch elastic members, the leg openings may be difficult to open sufficiently due to the stretchability of the crotch elastic members. For example, when putting on the pants-type absorbent article, the wearer's legs may easily get caught in the leg openings, making it difficult to pull the absorbent main body up to the crotch area, and this may result in an insufficient fit in the crotch area and leg openings.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a pants-type absorbent article that has crotch elastic members and makes it easy to put the legs through the leg openings when worn.

[0006] The main invention for achieving the above object is a pants-type absorbent article comprising: an absorbent main body having a longitudinal direction, a left-right direction, and a thickness direction that intersect with one another in an unfolded and stretched state, and an absorbent core; a waistband member having a front waistband located at the front in the longitudinal direction and a rear waistband located at the rear in the longitudinal direction, the front waistband and the rear waistband being joined to each other at both ends in the left-right direction by a pair of side joints to form a pair of leg openings; crotch elastic members that are located closer to the skin than the absorbent core and stretch along the longitudinal direction; the rear waistband has buttocks elastic members that are linearly arranged along the left-right direction and forward of the front ends of the side joints in the longitudinal direction, and the rear ends of the crotch elastic members are located forward of the buttocks elastic members that are located at the frontmost position of the rear waistband in the longitudinal direction. Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pants-type absorbent article that includes crotch elastic members and allows the wearer to easily put their legs through the leg openings when wearing the article.

[0008] 4A is a front view of the pants-type disposable diaper 1 as seen from the abdominal side. FIG. 4B is a plan view of the pants-type disposable diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state. FIG. 4C is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pants-type disposable diaper 1 taken along the line CC in FIG. 2. FIG. 4A is a plan view of the absorbent main body 10 as seen from the skin side. FIG. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the absorbent main body 10 taken along the longitudinal center line CL. FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are diagrams illustrating a conventional pants-type absorbent article 5 (diaper 4). FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are diagrams illustrating the joining of the absorbent main body 10 and the waistband member 20. FIG. 7A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 6A. FIG. 7B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 6A. FIG. 6B is a plan view and a cross-sectional view of the diaper 1 of a modified example in an unfolded and stretched state. FIG. 6C is a three-view diagram illustrating the configuration of the diaper 2 of a second embodiment. FIG. 6D is a three-view diagram illustrating the configuration of the diaper 3 of a third embodiment.

[0009] The present specification and the accompanying drawings make at least the following clear: (Aspect 1) A pants-type absorbent article comprising: an absorbent main body having a longitudinal direction, a left-right direction, and a thickness direction that intersect one another in an unfolded and extended state, and comprising an absorbent core; and a waistline member having a front waistline portion located at the front in the longitudinal direction and a rear waistline portion located at the rear in the longitudinal direction, wherein the front waistline portion and the rear waistline portion are joined to each other at both ends in the left-right direction by a pair of side joints to form a pair of leg openings, the pants-type absorbent article comprising crotch elastic members that are located closer to the skin than the absorbent core and stretch along the longitudinal direction, the rear waistline portion having buttocks elastic members that are linearly arranged along the left-right direction and forward of the front ends of the side joints in the longitudinal direction, and the rear ends of the crotch elastic members are located forward of the buttocks elastic members that are located at the frontmost side of the rear waistline portion in the longitudinal direction.

[0010] In the pants-type absorbent article of aspect 1, the buttocks elastic members are arranged linearly in the left-right direction, preventing the area around the buttocks elastic members from protruding away from the skin and forming pocket-like spaces. This prevents the legs from getting caught in the pocket-like spaces when the wearer puts their legs through the leg openings. Furthermore, because the crotch elastic members and the buttocks elastic members are spaced apart, the buttocks elastic members are less likely to be pulled forward when the crotch elastic members contract. This prevents the gap between the crotch elastic members and the buttocks elastic members from narrowing, making it easier for the leg openings to open. This makes it easier to put the legs through the leg openings when putting the garment on.

[0011] (Aspect 2) The pants-type absorbent article according to aspect 1, wherein the central position of the crotch elastic members is located forward of the central position of the pants-type absorbent article in the longitudinal direction.

[0012] In the pants-type absorbent article of Aspect 2, when the crotch elastic members arranged closer to the front in the longitudinal direction contract, the fabric constituting the waistband member in the crotch area is pulled forward, making it easier for the leg openings to open forward. Therefore, when putting on the pants-type absorbent article, the wearer's toes are less likely to get caught in the leg openings, making it easier for the wearer to put their legs through.

[0013] (Aspect 3) The pants-type absorbent article according to aspect 1 or 2, wherein the waistband member is not provided with an elastic member that curves from one side to the other in the left-right direction.

[0014] In the pants-type absorbent article of Aspect 3, since no elastic members are provided that curve in the left-right direction, no area is formed surrounded by the curved elastic members and the straight elastic members. Therefore, when the elastic members contract, the area surrounded by the elastic members does not convex toward the non-skin side, thereby preventing the formation of pocket-like spaces. Therefore, it is easier to put the legs through the leg openings when putting on the article.

[0015] (Aspect 4) The pants-type absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, further comprising a crotch elastic region defined by the crotch elastic member, wherein the width of the crotch elastic region in the left-right direction is equal to or less than half the maximum width of the absorbent core.

[0016] According to the pants-type absorbent article of aspect 4, the absorbent core is more likely to undergo a clean convex deformation than in the reverse case. Therefore, the left-right central portion of the convexly deformed absorbent core is more likely to fit the wearer's crotch area (excretory opening). Furthermore, by deforming the absorbent core into an isosceles triangle shape with the left-right central portion as its apex, the left-right distance (the length of the base of the isosceles triangle) is shorter than when the absorbent core is deformed into a trapezoid shape. Therefore, the distance between the pair of leg openings is shorter, making it less likely that the wearer's legs will get caught in the leg openings when putting on the absorbent article.

[0017] (Aspect 5) The pants-type absorbent article according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the width of the crotch elastic region in the left-right direction is equal to or less than half the minimum width of the absorbent core.

[0018] According to the pants-type absorbent article of aspect 5, the width of the crotch elastic region is less than half the minimum width of the absorbent core, which makes it easier for the left-right central part of the absorbent core to undergo convex deformation, thereby improving the fit of the absorbent core between the wearer's groin and making it less likely for the legs to get caught in the leg openings.

[0019] (Aspect 6) The pants-type absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein the absorbent core has a constricted portion in the central portion in the longitudinal direction that is narrower in width in the left-right direction than the ends in the longitudinal direction, and the crotch elastic members are arranged at positions that overlap the constricted portion in the longitudinal direction.

[0020] According to the pants-type absorbent article of aspect 6, when worn, the absorbent core is more likely to deform convexly toward the skin at the waist portion, which is the portion that is sandwiched in the wearer's groin, and the highly rigid side edges of the absorbent core are less likely to interfere with the space between the wearer's legs (groin) when the wearer puts their legs through the leg openings. This makes it less likely that the absorbent core will feel stiff in the wearer's groin, and also makes it less likely that the wearer's legs will get caught on both sides of the absorbent core when putting their legs through the leg openings.

[0021] (Aspect 7) The pants-type absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, further comprising a main body joint portion that joins the absorbent main body and the waistband member, and an adhesive-free portion where no adhesive is present at a central portion in the longitudinal direction and at both ends in the left-right direction of the main body joint portion.

[0022] In the pants-type absorbent article of Aspect 7, the width of the main body joint portion is narrowed in the region where the adhesive-free portion is formed, thereby narrowing the distance between the portions (leakage preventing walls) that rise from the waistband member toward the skin on both sides of the absorbent main body. Therefore, when putting on the pants-type absorbent article and putting on the leg openings, the leakage preventing walls are less likely to interfere with leg movement in the inner region in the left-right direction of the crotch portion (near the groin). This makes it easier to put on the pants-type absorbent article and put on the leg openings.

[0023] (Aspect 8) The pants-type absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein the adhesive-free portion and the crotch elastic member have overlapping portions in the longitudinal direction.

[0024] According to the pants-type absorbent article of Aspect 8, by narrowing the width of the main body joint portion joining the absorbent main body and the waistband member as much as possible at a position where the absorbent main body (absorbent core) undergoes convex deformation due to the stretchability of the crotch elastic members, the absorbent main body is more likely to naturally undergo convex deformation. Furthermore, when the absorbent main body undergoes convex deformation, the pair of leakage preventing walls standing on the skin-facing side at the left and right outer ends are pulled inward in the left and right direction, making it easier to open the leg openings. This makes it easier to put the legs through the leg openings when putting on the article.

[0025] (Aspect 9) The pants-type absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 8, wherein the center position of the adhesive-free portion is located forward of the center position of the pants-type absorbent article in the longitudinal direction.

[0026] In the pants-type absorbent article of Aspect 9, the distance between the leakage preventing walls in the left-right direction narrows at a position closer to the front of the crotch region, making it less likely that the toes will get caught on the peripheral edges of the leg openings when putting the pants on and putting the legs through them. This makes it easier to put the legs through the leg openings when putting the pants on.

[0027] (Aspect 10) The pants-type absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 9, wherein the waistband member has a portion in the longitudinal direction where the width in the left-right direction of the waistband member is narrowest and the crotch elastic member overlap.

[0028] In the pants-type absorbent article of Aspect 10, the width of the waistband member in the left-right direction is narrowest at a position in the longitudinal direction that overlaps with a portion of the absorbent main body (absorbent core) that is convexly deformed toward the skin due to the stretchability of the crotch elastic members. Therefore, when putting on the pants-type absorbent article and putting on the leg openings, the legs are less likely to get caught on both sides of the convexly deformed absorbent main body, and the legs are also less likely to get caught on the waistband member. This makes it easier to put the legs through the leg openings when putting on the article.

[0029] (Aspect 11) The pants-type absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10, wherein, in the left-right direction, an inner end of the adhesive-free portion is located inside a position where the width of the waistband member in the left-right direction is narrowest.

[0030] According to the pants-type absorbent article of Aspect 11, a dry edge is formed in the left-right direction in the portion where no adhesive is provided (adhesive-free portion) between the narrowest portion of the waistband member and the outer edge of the main body joint portion. Therefore, compared to when the absorbent main body and the waistband member are joined (when no dry edge is formed), the rigidity of the narrowest portion of the waistband member can be reduced. As a result, when putting on the pants-type absorbent article, the legs are less likely to get caught in the narrowest portion of the waistband member when passing them through the leg openings.

[0031] (Aspect 12) A pants-type absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 11, wherein the absorbent main body has leg gather elastic members at both ends in the left-right direction that stretch along the longitudinal direction, the waistline member has a plurality of waistline elastic members that stretch along the left-right direction, and the front ends of the leg gather elastic members are located forward of a rearmost waistline elastic member of the one or more waistline elastic members arranged in the front waistline section, and the rear ends of the leg gather elastic members are located rearward of a frontmost buttocks elastic member of the one or more buttocks elastic members arranged in the rear waistline section, in the longitudinal direction.

[0032] According to the pants-type absorbent article of Aspect 12, the leg gather elastic members provided on both lateral ends of the absorbent main body are supported at both longitudinal ends by the waist elastic members and the buttocks elastic members, so that even when the absorbent main body absorbs excrement and its weight increases, the absorbent main body is prevented from sagging downwards. This makes it easier to put the legs through the leg openings while preventing a deterioration in the fit of the absorbent article when in use.

[0033] (Aspect 13) The pants-type absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 12, wherein the length of the stretchable portion of the crotch elastic members in the longitudinal direction is equal to or less than half the length of the stretchable portion of the leg gather elastic members.

[0034] According to the pants-type absorbent article of Aspect 13, by setting the effective length of the crotch elastic members to half or less of the effective length of the leg gather elastic members, it is possible to prevent the entire absorbent main body from shrinking in the longitudinal direction, compared to the reverse case. Furthermore, it is possible to easily adjust the range of convex deformation of the absorbent main body toward the skin depending on the position of the wearer's excretory opening. Furthermore, by locally convexly deforming only a portion of the absorbent main body (absorbent core) due to the stretching force of the crotch elastic members, it is possible to easily put the legs through the leg openings and achieve a good fit in the crotch area.

[0035] (Aspect 14) The pants-type absorbent article according to any one of Aspects 1 to 13, wherein the entire crotch elastic members are located forward of a center position of the pants-type absorbent article in the longitudinal direction.

[0036] In the pants-type absorbent article of Aspect 14, when the crotch elastic members contract, the fabric constituting the waistband member in the crotch region is more likely to be pulled forward, making it easier for the leg openings to open forward and backward. Therefore, when putting on the article, the wearer's toes and heels are less likely to get caught in the leg openings, making it easier to put the article on.

[0037] First Embodiment Hereinafter, a pants-type absorbent article according to the present invention will be described taking a pants-type disposable diaper 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "diaper 1") as an example. However, the pants-type absorbent article according to the present invention is not limited to the above and can also be used as a sanitary napkin, sanitary shorts, etc.

[0038] <Basic structure of pants-type disposable diaper 1> Fig. 1 is a front view of the pants-type disposable diaper 1 as seen from the ventral side. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the pants-type disposable diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state. Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pants-type disposable diaper 1 taken along the line CC in Fig. 2.

[0039] The unfolded state of the pants-type disposable diaper 1 (diaper 1) refers to the state in which the diaper 1 is opened and unfolded in a flat plane by separating a pair of side seam regions 5 provided on both sides of the diaper 1. The stretched state of the diaper 1 refers to the state in which the diaper 1 is stretched to the extent that wrinkles in the diaper 1 are no longer visible. Specifically, this refers to the state in which the diaper 1 is stretched until the dimensions of each component constituting the diaper 1 (e.g., the top sheet 12 and the inner layer sheet 23, which will be described later) match or are close to the dimensions of the component alone.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 1, the diaper 1 has a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a front-to-rear direction (directions passing through the paper in Fig. 1) that are perpendicular to one another, and has a waist opening BH and a pair of leg openings LH. The upper side in the vertical direction corresponds to the waist opening BH side, and the lower side corresponds to the crotch side. The front side in the front-to-rear direction corresponds to the wearer's abdomen, and the rear side corresponds to the wearer's back.

[0041] In the unfolded state shown in Fig. 2, the diaper 1 has a longitudinal direction, a left-right direction, and a thickness direction (a direction passing through the paper in Fig. 2) that intersect with one another. The left-right direction in the unfolded state of Fig. 2 is the same as the left-right direction in the pants-type state of Fig. 1. The longitudinal direction in the unfolded state is a direction along the up-down direction in the pants-type state. One side in the longitudinal direction corresponds to the front side (ventral side), and the other side corresponds to the rear side (dorsal side). As shown in Fig. 3, the thickness direction is the direction in which the materials constituting the diaper 1 are layered. In the thickness direction, the side that comes into contact with the wearer's skin is referred to as the skin side, and the opposite side is referred to as the non-skin side.

[0042] The diaper 1 comprises an absorbent main body 10 and an outer cover member 20 provided on the side away from the wearer's skin than the absorbent main body 10. As will be described in detail later, the absorbent main body 10 and the outer cover member 20 are bonded in the thickness direction using an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive. Cover sheets 31, 32 may also be provided to cover both longitudinal ends of the absorbent main body 10 from the skin side (see FIG. 3). This prevents the edges of the absorbent main body 10 from digging into the wearer's skin and prevents the absorbent main body 10 from opening open.

[0043] The outer layer member 20 is a portion that is positioned around the waist of the wearer when the diaper 1 is worn, and hereinafter the outer layer member 20 is also referred to as the "waist member 20." As shown in Fig. 2 , when the diaper 1 is in an unfolded and stretched state, the portion of the waist member 20 that is forward (toward the ventral side) of a longitudinal center position CL of the diaper 1 is also referred to as the "front waist portion 20f," and the portion that is rearward (toward the back side) of the longitudinal center position CL of the diaper 1 is also referred to as the "rear waist portion 20b." When the diaper 1 is folded in half at the longitudinal center position CL from the unfolded state shown in Fig. 2 , the front waist portion 20f and the rear waist portion 20b, which are opposed in the thickness direction (front-rear direction), are joined at their left and right sides by a pair of side joining portions 5, thereby forming the pants-type diaper 1 as shown in Fig. 1 . Examples of joining methods using the side joining portions 5 include heat welding, ultrasonic welding, and joining methods using adhesives.

[0044] (Absorbent main body 10) Fig. 4A is a plan view of the absorbent main body 10 as seen from the skin side. Fig. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the absorbent main body 10 at a central position CL in the longitudinal direction. The absorbent main body 10 includes an absorbent core 11 that absorbs and retains excretory liquids such as urine, a liquid-permeable top sheet 12 (e.g., a nonwoven fabric) arranged closer to the skin than the absorbent core 11, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 13 (e.g., a resin film such as polyethylene or polypropylene) arranged closer to the skin than the absorbent core 11, a liquid-permeable intermediate sheet 15 (e.g., a nonwoven fabric) arranged between the top sheet 12 and the absorbent core 11, a pair of side sheets 16, an elastic member cover sheet 17, and leg gather elastic members 19.

[0045] 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). The absorbent core 11 is made of a liquid-absorbent material, such as a water-retentive fiber or a superabsorbent polymer (so-called SAP), molded into a predetermined shape. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4A , the absorbent core 11 has a generally hourglass shape with its longitudinal center narrowed inward in the left-right direction. However, the planar shape of the absorbent core 11 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, rectangular in plan view. In this embodiment, the width (maximum width) of the absorbent main body 10 in the left-right direction is greater than the width (maximum width) of the absorbent core 11 in the left-right direction.

[0046] A pair of leakage preventing walls 60 are provided along the longitudinal direction on both lateral sides of the absorbent body 10. As shown in Fig. 4B, 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 leakage preventing walls 60 on both lateral sides of the skin side of the top sheet 12. Leak preventing wall elastic members 61 (e.g., rubber threads) are attached to the leakage preventing walls 60 in a stretched state along the longitudinal direction. When the diaper 1 is worn, the stretchability of the leakage preventing wall elastic members 61 causes the leakage preventing walls 60 to stand up against the wearer's skin, thereby blocking body waste.

[0047] Furthermore, leg gather elastic members 19 that stretch along the longitudinal direction are provided at both left and right ends of the absorbent main body 10. The leg gather elastic members 19 are attached, for example, by sandwiching rubber threads between the side sheets 16 from both sides in the thickness direction while the threads are stretched along the longitudinal direction. When the diaper 1 is worn, the stretchability of the leg gather elastic members 19 allows the left and right ends of the absorbent main body 10 to easily fit along the wearer's legs, thereby suppressing side leakage of excrement such as urine.

[0048] The absorbent body 10 also has a longitudinally stretchable crotch elastic member 40 in the left-right center and on the non-skin side in the thickness direction of the absorbent core 11. Specifically, the crotch elastic member 40 of this embodiment is attached in a stretched state along the longitudinal direction between the back sheet 13 provided on the non-skin side of the absorbent core 11 in the thickness direction and the elastic member cover sheet 17 arranged on the non-skin side of the back sheet 13. However, it is sufficient that the crotch elastic member 40 is provided on the non-skin side of the absorbent core 11, and for example, it may be provided between the core wrap sheet 18 (absorbent core 11) and the back sheet 13 on the non-skin side of the absorbent core 11.

[0049] In Fig. 4A, five crotch elastic members 41-45 are arranged longitudinally at intervals in the left-right direction in the center of the absorbent main body 10 (absorbent core 11). Hereinafter, the area defined by these five crotch elastic members 40 (41-45) will also be referred to as the "crotch elastic region ER." In other words, as shown by the diagonally slanted area slanting upward to the right in Fig. 4A, the area surrounded by the crotch elastic member 41 arranged on the most one side in the left-right direction and the crotch elastic member 45 arranged on the most other side is the crotch elastic region ER. However, the number and arrangement of the crotch elastic members 40 are not limited to this.

[0050] When the diaper 1 is worn, the elasticity of the crotch elastic member 40 (crotch elastic region ER) causes the central region of the absorbent core 11 in the left-right direction to deform three-dimensionally so that it becomes convex toward the skin, fitting to the crotch area and excretory opening, thereby achieving good absorbency and fit.

[0051] (Waistline member 20) The waistline member 20 (outer member 20) is a sheet member having a shape in which the longitudinal center portion is constricted inward in the left-right direction. As shown in Figures 2 and 3 , the waistline member 20 has a ventral outer layer sheet 21, a dorsal outer layer sheet 22, an inner layer sheet 23, waistline elastic members 24, 25, and a buttocks elastic member 26.

[0052] 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 waistband member 20 and is a continuous sheet member extending longitudinally from the front (ventral side) to the back (dorsal side). The ventral outer layer sheet 21 is disposed closer to the skin than the inner layer sheet 23 and in a portion of the front waistband portion 20f. The ventral outer layer sheet 21 overlaps the side joint portion 5 in the longitudinal direction and has the same longitudinal length as the side joint portion 5 (see FIG. 2). The back outer layer sheet 22 is disposed closer to the skin than the inner layer sheet 23 and in a portion of the rear waistband portion 20b. The back outer layer sheet 22 overlaps the side joint portion 5 in the longitudinal direction and extends partially beyond the side joint portion 5 toward the crotch. 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.

[0053] The waist elastic members 24, 25 and the buttocks elastic members 26 are elastic members that stretch in the left-right direction, and examples thereof include rubber thread. As shown in FIG. 2 , the waist elastic members 24, 25 overlap the side joints 5 in the longitudinal direction. Hereinafter, the waist elastic members located in the front waistline portion 20f may also be referred to as the ventral waistline elastic members 24, and the waist elastic members 25 located in the rear waistline portion 20b may also be referred to as the back waistline elastic members 25. The buttocks elastic members 26 are located longitudinally forward of the side joints 5 (vertically lower). In this embodiment, there are two buttocks elastic members 26, but this number is not particularly limited.

[0054] 2, the buttocks elastic members 26 are cut in the center in the left-right direction and are arranged so as not to overlap with the absorbent core 11. This prevents the absorbent core 11 from contracting in the left-right direction due to the stretchability of the buttocks elastic members 26. Therefore, when the diaper 1 is worn, the absorbent core 11 can be brought into contact with the wearer's buttocks over a wide area, making it easier to achieve good fit and absorbency. However, the buttocks elastic members 26 do not necessarily have to be cut in the center, and may be provided continuously from one end to the other end in the left-right direction.

[0055] The waist elastic members 24, 25 and buttocks elastic members 26 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction and are attached in a stretched state in the left-right direction between the inner layer sheet 23 and the ventral outer layer sheet 21 or the back outer layer sheet 22. The left-right stretchability of these elastic members 24, 25, 26 allows the waist member 20 to fit the waist and buttocks of the wearer. In the diaper 1, the waist elastic members 24, 25 (and the buttocks elastic member 26 may also be included) are provided continuously from one left-right end to the other, and hereinafter these elastic members 24, 25 (26) are collectively referred to as "left-right elastic members."

[0056] <Operations when putting on the diaper 1> Generally, when putting on a pants-type absorbent article such as the diaper 1, the wearer first widens the waist opening BH laterally (and front and back), passes one leg through each of the left and right leg openings LH from the waist opening BH, and with both legs passed through, pulls the entire pants-type absorbent article from the toes toward the crotch area to fit the absorbent main body to the crotch area. However, it is difficult to widen the waist opening BH while simultaneously widening the pair of leg openings LH sufficiently to pass the legs through, which can cause problems such as the wearer's feet getting caught in the leg openings LH during the putting on operation. In particular, when an elastic member corresponding to the crotch elastic member 40 is provided in the crotch portion of the pants-type absorbent article, the stretchability of the elastic member makes the crotch portion more likely to contract in the longitudinal direction, which can prevent the leg openings LH from widening sufficiently, potentially causing the wearer's toes or heels to get caught when passing the legs through.

[0057] In contrast, the diaper 1 of the present embodiment has a different configuration from conventional diapers for the crotch elastic members 40 and the buttocks elastic members 26, which makes it easier to put the legs through the leg openings LH when putting on the diaper. The specific configuration of the crotch elastic members 40 and the buttocks elastic members 26 will now be described.

[0058] Fig. 5 illustrates a conventional pants-type absorbent article 4 (hereinafter also referred to as "diaper 4") as a comparative example. Fig. 5A shows a plan view of the diaper 4 in an unfolded and stretched state, and Fig. 5B shows the pants-type diaper 4 as viewed from one side in the left-right direction.

[0059] The basic configuration of the diaper 4 of the comparative example is substantially the same as that of the diaper 1 of the first embodiment. Specifically, the diaper 4 includes an absorbent main body 10 and a waistband member 20. The diaper 4 also includes longitudinally stretchable crotch elastic members 40 in the crotch region. However, the diaper 4 differs from the diaper 1 in the arrangement of the crotch elastic members 40 and the configuration of the buttocks elastic members 26. Specifically, the rear waistband portion 20b of the diaper 4 does not include the buttocks elastic members 26 arranged linearly from one side to the other in the left-right direction. Instead, the rear waistband portion 20b of the diaper 4 includes curved elastic members 28 that curve from one side to the other in the left-right direction along the periphery of the leg openings LH (see FIG. 5A ). The crotch elastic members 40 of the diaper 4 intersect with the waistband elastic members 24 at the front longitudinal side and with the curved elastic members 28 at the rear longitudinal side. In addition, in FIG. 5A, a generally trapezoidal region surrounded by the waistline elastic member 25b arranged at the frontmost position in the longitudinal direction of the rear waistline portion 20b and the curved elastic member 28 is defined as a pocket region PA.

[0060] When putting on the diaper 4 of the comparative example, as described above, the wearer inserts their legs through the waist opening BH and passes them through the leg openings LH. At this time, as shown in Figure 5B, the pocket region PA in the rear waistband portion 20b deforms outward, forming a convex space on the non-skin side. This occurs because the curved elastic members 28 and waist elastic members 25b that form the periphery (outline) of the pocket region PA contract, while the fabric (the back outer sheet 22 and the inner sheet 23) in the region inside the elastic members 28 and 25b do not contract, resulting in excess fabric protruding toward the non-skin side. Therefore, when the wearer inserts their legs through the waist opening BH and then removes them through the leg openings LH, their legs may easily get caught in the pocket-like space (pocket region PA) that convex toward the non-skin side.

[0061] Furthermore, in the diaper 4 of the comparative example, the crotch elastic members 40 intersect with the waist elastic members 24 and the curved elastic members 28 at both longitudinal ends. Therefore, the elastic force of the crotch elastic members 40 pulls the waist elastic members 24 and the curved elastic members 28 inward in the longitudinal direction, thereby narrowing the leg openings LH near the crotch region. In particular, since the curved elastic members 28 are located close to the longitudinal center position CL (the center position in the front-to-back direction) in the longitudinal direction, the elastic force of the crotch elastic members 40 tends to constrict the leg openings LH between the center position CL and the curved elastic members 28. In other words, the leg openings LH tend to narrow further in the rear waistline portion 20b. In this case, the wearer's heels may be easily caught in the leg openings LH when inserting their legs through the waist openings BH and then removing them through the leg openings LH.

[0062] In contrast, the rear waistband portion 20b of the diaper 1 is provided with a buttocks elastic member 26 that is linearly arranged without curvature in the left-right direction, longitudinally forward of the front end 5beb of the side joint 5. The comparative example diaper 4 does not have a curved elastic member 28 (see FIG. 2, etc.). Because the buttocks elastic member 26 is arranged parallel to the waistband elastic member 25, a pocket region PA as shown in FIG. 5A is not formed. That is, no region is enclosed by the buttocks elastic member 26 and the waistband elastic member 25. Therefore, even when the elastic members 26, 25 contract, the fabrics (the back outer sheet 22 and the inner sheet 23) convex toward the non-skin side of the rear waistband portion 20b (as shown in FIG. 5B) are unlikely to form a pocket-like space. This reduces the risk of the diaper 1 getting caught on the wearer's legs during donning.

[0063] In the diaper 1, the crotch elastic members 40 are arranged longitudinally apart from the waist elastic members 24, 25 and the buttocks elastic members 26 without intersecting with them. In other words, the front end 40ef of the crotch elastic member 40 is located longitudinally rearward of the waist elastic member 24, which is located at the rearmost position of the front waistline portion 20f. Similarly, the rear end 40eb of the crotch elastic member 40 is located forward of the buttocks elastic member 26 (and the waist elastic member 25), which is located at the frontmost position of the rear waistline portion 20b (see FIG. 2, etc.). The front end 40ef and rear end 40eb of the crotch elastic member 40 refer to the front and rear ends of the portion of the crotch elastic member 40 where the stretching force acts (the so-called effective length portion). With this configuration, when the crotch elastic members 40 contract along the longitudinal direction, the buttocks elastic members 26 and the waist elastic members 24 are less likely to be pulled forward or backward. For example, in the rear waistband portion 20b, even when the stretching force of the crotch elastic members 40 acts in the longitudinal direction, the buttocks elastic members 26 are less likely to be pulled forward, so the distance between the crotch elastic members 40 and the buttocks elastic members 26 is less likely to shrink, and the leg openings LH are more likely to open. This makes it easier to put the diaper 1 on the wearer by passing the legs through the leg openings LH.

[0064] 2, the center position C40 of the crotch elastic member 40 is located forward of the center position CL of the diaper 1 in the longitudinal direction. That is, the crotch elastic member 40 is located closer to the front of the diaper 1 in the longitudinal direction. In this case, when the crotch elastic member 40 located closer to the front of the diaper 1 contracts, the fabrics (the back outer sheet 22 and the inner sheet 23) constituting the waist member 20 in the crotch region are pulled forward, making it easier for the leg openings LH to open forward. Therefore, when putting on the diaper 1, the wearer's toes are less likely to get caught in the leg openings LH, making it easier for the wearer to put on the diaper 1.

[0065] Furthermore, in the diaper 1, the entire crotch elastic member 40 is located forward of the center line CL of the diaper 1 in the longitudinal direction. That is, the rear end 40eb of the crotch elastic member 40 is located forward of the center line CL in the longitudinal direction. As a result, when the crotch elastic member 40 contracts, the fabrics constituting the waistband member 20 in the crotch region (the back outer sheet 22 and the inner sheet 23) are more likely to be pulled forward of the center line CL, making it easier for the leg openings LH to open forward and backward. Therefore, when putting on the diaper 1, the wearer's toes and heels are less likely to get caught in the leg openings LH, making it easier to put on the diaper 1.

[0066] Furthermore, the diaper 1 does not include any elastic members that curve from one side to the other in the left-right direction. In other words, the diaper 1 does not include any elastic members equivalent to the curved elastic members 28 (see FIG. 5A ) found in the comparative example diaper 4, and instead includes only left-right elastic members (24, 25, 26) that are linearly arranged in the left-right direction. Therefore, the area (pocket area PA) surrounded by the left-right curved elastic members (28) and the linearly arranged elastic members (25b) shown in FIG. 5A is not formed, and the pocket-like space that protrudes toward the non-skin side shown in FIG. 5B is unlikely to be formed. This makes it easier to put the diaper 1 on by inserting the legs through the leg openings LH.

[0067] As shown in Figure 4, the width W40 of the crotch elastic region ER in the left-right direction of the diaper 1 is preferably equal to or less than half the maximum width W11a of the absorbent core 11 (W40 ≤ 1 / 2 × W11a). If the width W40 of the crotch elastic region ER were greater than half the width W11a of the absorbent core 11, the width of the crotch elastic region ER in the left-right direction of the absorbent core 11 would be too large, which could result in poor fit of the absorbent core 11 when the diaper 1 is worn. As described above, in the diaper 1, the elastic force of the crotch elastic region ER causes the central portion of the absorbent core 11 in the left-right direction to deform convexly toward the skin, thereby improving fit around the excretory opening. However, if the width W40 of the crotch elastic region ER is too large, the absorbent core 11 may deform trapezoidally toward the skin, which could result in poor fit around the excretory opening.

[0068] In contrast, in the diaper 1, the width W40 of the crotch elastic region ER is equal to or less than half the width W11a of the absorbent core 11, which makes it easier for the absorbent core 11 to deform convexly compared to the reverse case. Therefore, the lateral center of the deformed absorbent core 11 fits more easily around the wearer's crotch area (excretory opening). Furthermore, because the absorbent core 11 is more likely to deform into an isosceles triangle with its vertex at the lateral center, the lateral distance (the length of the base of the isosceles triangle) is shorter than in the case of a trapezoidal shape. Therefore, the distance between the pair of leg openings LH, LH is shorter, which makes it less likely for the wearer's legs to get caught in the leg openings LH when putting on the diaper 1.

[0069] The absorbent core 11 of the diaper 1 has a constricted portion 11c in the longitudinal center that is narrower in the left-right direction than the opposite longitudinal ends (see FIG. 4A ). The presence of this constricted portion 11c prevents the edges of the opposite ends of the absorbent core 11 from interfering with the wearer's crotch area (groin area) when the diaper 1 is worn, improving the fit.

[0070] 4A , the absorbent core 11 has its narrowest left-right width W11b at a position forward of the longitudinal center position CL. The width W40 of the crotch elastic region ER is preferably equal to or less than half the minimum width W11b of the absorbent core 11 (W40≦½×W11b). By setting the width W40 of the crotch elastic region ER to be equal to or less than half the minimum width W11b of the absorbent core 11, the central portion in the left-right direction of the waisted portion 11c of the absorbent core 11 is more likely to deform convexly toward the skin, improving the fit of the absorbent core 11 between the wearer's groin and making it less likely for the wearer's legs to get caught in the leg openings LH.

[0071] Furthermore, in the diaper 1, the crotch elastic members 40 are disposed in a longitudinal position overlapping the constricted portion 11c (see FIG. 4A ). That is, the crotch elastic members 40 are provided in the portion of the absorbent core 11 where the width in the left-right direction is narrowed. This configuration facilitates convex deformation of the absorbent core 11 toward the skin at the constricted portion 11c, which is the portion sandwiched between the wearer's groin when the diaper 1 is worn. Therefore, when the wearer places their legs through the leg openings LH, the highly rigid edges on both sides of the absorbent core 11 in the left-right direction are less likely to interfere with the space between the wearer's legs (groin). This prevents the absorbent core 11 from feeling stiff in the wearer's groin and also prevents the wearer's legs from getting caught on both sides of the absorbent core 11 when placing their legs through the leg openings LH.

[0072] 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating the joining of the absorbent main body 10 and the waistline member 20 (outer layer member 20). Fig. 6A is a plan view of the absorbent main body 10 and the waistline member 20 in an expanded and stretched state, and Fig. 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view of Fig. 6A.

[0073] The absorbent main body 10 and the waistline member 20 are joined together by a main body joint 70 formed with an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive. The main body joint 70 is formed by applying adhesive to the non-skin side of the absorbent main body 10 or the skin side of the waistline member 20 in the region indicated by the diagonally shaded area sloping upward to the right in Fig. 6A. Examples of adhesive application patterns include a so-called Ω pattern and a spiral pattern.

[0074] The main body joint 70 has an adhesive-free area 75 at its longitudinal center and both lateral ends. In Fig. 6A, the main body joint 70 is formed over a region of width W70a in the lateral direction across almost the entire absorbent main body 10. Meanwhile, in a region having a predetermined length in the front and rear directions across the longitudinal center position CL, adhesive-free areas 75 are provided on both lateral sides, so that the lateral width W70b of the main body joint 70 in this region is narrower than W70a (W70a > W70b). Thus, the diaper 1 has a narrower lateral width (W70b) of the main body joint 70 in the crotch region, which allows the wearer to easily put their legs through the leg openings LH when wearing the diaper 1.

[0075] Fig. 7A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 6A. Fig. 7B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in Fig. 6A. A pair of leakage preventing walls 60 provided on both lateral sides of the absorbent main body 10 rise toward the skin side in the thickness direction, with both lateral ends of the main body joint 70 as their rising points. That is, at the boundary between the portion of the side sheet 16 constituting the absorbent main body 10 that is joined to the waistline member 20 via the main body joint 70 and the portion that is not joined, the side sheet 16 moves away from the waistline member 20 and bends toward the skin side, causing the leakage preventing walls 60 to rise toward the skin side. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 7A, the distance between the rising position of the leakage preventing wall 60 on one lateral side and the rising position of the leakage preventing wall 60 on the other lateral side is W70a.

[0076] In contrast, in Fig. 7B , the leakage preventing walls 60 extend toward the skin on both sides in the lateral direction, as in Fig. 7A , but the distance between the extending leakage preventing walls 60 on both sides is narrower, W70b, than W70a. This is because the width W70b of the main body joint 70 is narrow in the region where the adhesive-free portion 75 is formed (see Fig. 6A ), and the distance (W70b) between the extending leakage preventing walls 60 on both sides is also narrow. Therefore, when putting on the diaper 1 and inserting the legs through the leg openings LH, the leakage preventing walls 60 are less likely to interfere with leg movement near the crotch area (near the groin). This makes it easier to insert the legs through the leg openings LH when putting on the diaper 1.

[0077] Additionally, the crotch elastic members 40 are disposed in longitudinally overlapping portions with the adhesive-free portions 75 (see FIG. 6A ). In other words, the adhesive-free portions 75 and the crotch elastic members 40 overlap in longitudinally. As explained above, the portions of the absorbent main body 10 (absorbent core 11) where the crotch elastic members 40 are disposed undergo convex deformation toward the skin, thereby improving fit. By narrowing the width (W70b) of the main body joining portion 70 joining the absorbent main body 10 and the waistband member 20 as much as possible at the position where the absorbent main body 10 (absorbent core 11) undergoes convex deformation, the absorbent main body 10 (absorbent core 11) is more likely to naturally undergo convex deformation. Furthermore, the convex deformation of the absorbent main body 10 pulls the pair of leakage prevention walls 60 standing toward the skin at both lateral ends in the lateral direction inward, making it easier to open the leg openings LH. This makes it easier to put the legs through the leg openings LH when wearing the garment.

[0078] 6A , the center C75 of the adhesive-free section 75 is located forward of the center CL of the diaper 1 in the longitudinal direction. That is, the adhesive-free section 75 is located closer to the front of the diaper 1 in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the spacing (W70b) of the leakage preventing walls 60 is narrower at a position closer to the front of the crotch section, and the leakage preventing walls 60 are less likely to interfere with the legs when the legs are placed through the leg openings LH during donning of the diaper 1. This makes it easier to place the legs through the leg openings LH.

[0079] Furthermore, in the diaper 1, the crotch elastic members 40 are arranged so as to overlap, in the longitudinal direction, the positions where the waistline member 20 has its narrowest width in the left-right direction. In other words, there is a portion where the crotch elastic members 40 overlap, in the longitudinal direction, the positions where the waistline member 20 has its narrowest width in the left-right direction. In FIG. 6A , the waistline member 20 has its narrowest width in the left-right direction at the position indicated by the arrows B-B, and the crotch elastic members 40 are arranged so as to overlap, in the longitudinal direction, the position where the absorbent core 11 is likely to deform convexly toward the skin due to the stretchability of the crotch elastic members 40, with the position where the waistline member 20 has its narrowest width in the left-right direction. Therefore, when a wearer puts on the diaper 1 and passes their legs through the leg openings LH, the wearer's legs are less likely to get caught on both side ends of the convexly deformed absorbent main body 10 (absorbent core 11), and the wearer's legs are less likely to get caught on the waistline member 20 either. This makes it easier to put the legs through the leg openings LH when putting on the pants.

[0080] Furthermore, in the left-right direction, the inner end of the adhesive-free portion 75 is located more inward than the inner end of the waistline member 20 in the left-right direction. In FIG. 6A , at the position where the waistline member 20 is narrowest in the left-right direction (the position of arrows B-B), the inner end of the adhesive-free portion 75 is located more inward than the inner end of the waistline member 20. In other words, at the position where the waistline member 20 is narrowest in the left-right direction (the position of arrows B-B), the inner end of the waistline member 20 is located more outward than the outer end of the main body joint portion 70. In the left-right direction, a so-called dry edge is formed in the portion where no adhesive is provided between the narrowest portion of the waistline member 20 and the outer end of the main body joint portion 70 (i.e., the adhesive-free portion 75). Therefore, compared to when the absorbent main body 10 and the waistline member 20 are joined (i.e., when a dry edge is not formed), the rigidity of the narrowest portion of the waistline member 20 can be reduced. This makes it more difficult for the legs to get caught in the narrowest part of the waist member 20 when putting on the diaper 1 and putting the legs through the leg openings LH.

[0081] Furthermore, leg gather elastic members 19 that stretch along the longitudinal direction are provided on both lateral sides of the absorbent main body 10. The range over which the stretching force of the leg gather elastic members 19 acts (i.e., the effective length range) preferably intersects with at least a portion of the lateral elastic members (the waist elastic members 24, 25 and the buttocks elastic members 26) that are arranged along the lateral direction. In Fig. 2, the front end 19ef of the leg gather elastic member 19 is located forward of the waist elastic member 24b, which is arranged at the rearmost position in the front waistline portion 20f, and they intersect. Similarly, the rear end 19eb of the leg gather elastic member 19 is located rearward of the buttocks elastic member 26, which is arranged at the frontmost position in the rear waistline portion 20b, and they intersect. That is, the leg gather elastic members 19 are configured such that their front ends are supported by the waist elastic members 24 b and their rear ends are supported by the buttock elastic members 26 .

[0082] Generally, when a pants-type absorbent article such as a disposable diaper is worn and the absorbent main body 10 absorbs excrement such as urine, the weight of the absorbent main body 10 increases, making it more likely to sag downward. In response to this, in the diaper 1, the leg gather elastic members 19 provided on both left and right sides of the absorbent main body 10 are supported at both longitudinal ends (the front upper end and the rear upper end in the pants-type state) by the waist elastic members 24 and the buttocks elastic members 26. The support of both ends of the absorbent main body 10 by the leg gather elastic members 19 prevents the absorbent main body 10 from sagging downward. This makes it easier to put the legs through the leg openings LH while preventing the fit from deteriorating during use.

[0083] Furthermore, it is preferable that the length (effective length) of the stretchable portion of the crotch elastic member 40 in the longitudinal direction is equal to or less than half the length (effective length) of the stretchable portion of the leg gather elastic member 19. In Fig. 2, if the distance (effective length) in the longitudinal direction between the front end 19ef and the back end 19eb of the stretchable portion of the leg gather elastic member 19 is L19 and the distance (effective length) between the front end 40ef and the back end 40eb of the stretchable portion of the crotch elastic member 40 is L40, then L40 ≤ 1 / 2 x L19.

[0084] In this way, by making the effective length L40 of the crotch elastic members 40 half or less of the effective length L19 of the leg gather elastic members 19, it is possible to more easily prevent the entire absorbent main body 10 from shrinking in the longitudinal direction, compared to the reverse case. Also, it is possible to easily adjust the range of convex deformation of the absorbent core 11 toward the skin according to the position of the wearer's excretory opening. And, by locally convexly deforming only a portion of the absorbent core 11 by the stretching force of the crotch elastic members 40, it is possible to easily put the legs through the leg openings LH and achieve a good fit in the crotch area.

[0085] (Modifications of Diaper 1) The diaper 1 may be modified as follows. FIG. 8 shows a plan view and a cross-sectional view of a modified diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state. In the modified diaper 1, the arrangement of the multiple crotch elastic members 40 (41-45) constituting the crotch elastic region ER differs from that of the above-described embodiment. Specifically, in the modified diaper 1, the multiple crotch elastic members 40 (41-45) are located closer to the skin than the absorbent core 11 (core wrap sheet 18, not shown in FIG. 8) and closer to the skin than the backsheet 13 in the thickness direction. Furthermore, the modified diaper 1 does not include an elastic member cover sheet 17. The rest of the configuration is the same as that of the diaper 1 described with reference to FIG. 2 and other figures.

[0086] In the diaper 1 of this modification, the buttocks elastic members 26 are also provided in the rear waistband 20b, forward of the longitudinal front end 5beb of the side joint 5, and are arranged linearly without curving in the left-right direction. Because the buttocks elastic members 26 are arranged parallel to the waistband elastic members 25, even when the elastic members 26, 25 contract, the fabrics (the back outer sheet 22 and the inner sheet 23) convex toward the non-skin side of the waistband 20b, as shown in Fig. 5B, are unlikely to form pocket-like spaces. This prevents the legs from getting caught during the putting on operation.

[0087] In addition, in the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1 of this modified example, the rear end 40eb of the crotch elastic member 40 is located forward of the buttocks elastic member 26, which is located at the frontmost position in the rear waistband 20b. In other words, the crotch elastic member 40 is located away from the buttocks elastic member 26. Therefore, when the crotch elastic member 40 contracts along the longitudinal direction, the buttocks elastic member 26 is not easily pulled forward, the gap between the crotch elastic member 40 and the buttocks elastic member 26 is easily widened, and the leg openings LH are easily opened. This makes it easier to put the legs through the leg openings LH.

[0088] Second Embodiment In the second embodiment, a pants-type diaper 2 (hereinafter also referred to as "diaper 2") having a configuration partially different from that of the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 9 is a three-view diagram illustrating the configuration of the diaper 2 of the second embodiment.

[0089] The diaper 2 of the second embodiment has a liquid-absorbent absorbent main body 10 and a waistband member 20 arranged on the non-skin side of the absorbent main body 10. However, the configuration of the waistband member 20 of the diaper 2 differs from that of the diaper 1 of the first embodiment. Specifically, the waistband member 20 of the diaper 2 has an outer layer sheet 27 arranged on the non-skin side of the inner layer sheet 23. The outer layer sheet 27 is a sheet that is continuous in the longitudinal direction from one end (front side) to the other end (rear side), and corresponds to a sheet member in which the ventral side outer layer sheet 21 and the dorsal side outer layer sheet 22 of the diaper 1 are integrated. The configuration other than the outer layer sheet 27 is basically the same as that of the diaper 1.

[0090] The rear waistband portion 20b of the diaper 2 includes a buttocks elastic member 26 disposed in a straight line, without any curvature, in the left-right direction, forward of the longitudinal front end 5beb of the side joint 5. Because the buttocks elastic member 26 is disposed parallel to the waistband elastic member 25, even when the elastic members 26, 25 contract, the fabrics (the outer layer sheet 27 and the inner layer sheet 23) convex toward the non-skin side of the rear waistband portion 20b are unlikely to form a pocket-like space, as shown in Fig. 5B . This prevents the legs from getting caught during the putting on operation.

[0091] In addition, in the longitudinal direction of the diaper 2, the rear ends 40eb of the crotch elastic members 40 are located forward of the buttocks elastic members 26, which are located at the frontmost position in the rear waistband 20b. That is, the crotch elastic members 40 are located away from the buttocks elastic members 26. Therefore, when the crotch elastic members 40 contract along the longitudinal direction, the buttocks elastic members 26 are not easily pulled forward, which makes it easier to widen the gap between the crotch elastic members 40 and the buttocks elastic members 26 and open the leg openings LH. This makes it easier to put your legs through the leg openings LH.

[0092] Third Embodiment In the third embodiment, a pants-type diaper 3 (hereinafter also referred to as "diaper 3") having a configuration partially different from that of the first and second embodiments will be described. Fig. 10 is a three-view diagram illustrating the configuration of the diaper 3 of the third embodiment.

[0093] The diaper 3 of the third embodiment includes a liquid-absorbent main body 10 and a waistline member 20 disposed on the non-skin side of the absorbent main body 10. However, in the diaper 3, the waistline member 20 is divided into a front side (ventral side) and a rear side (back side), and is composed of two members, a front waistline portion 20f and a rear waistline portion 20b. In other words, the diaper 3 is a pants-type absorbent article having a so-called three-piece structure in which the front waistline portion 20f and the rear waistline portion 20b are disposed with a gap between them in the longitudinal direction, and the absorbent main body 10 is disposed between the front waistline portion 20f and the rear waistline portion 20b.

[0094] As shown in the D3-D3 cross-sectional view of Fig. 10 , in the absorbent main body 10 of the diaper 3, a plurality of crotch elastic members 40 are provided in a longitudinally stretched state on the non-skin side of the absorbent core 11 in the thickness direction and on the skin side of the backsheet 13, and a crotch elastic region ER is defined by the plurality of crotch elastic members 40. In addition, the side sheet 16 is continuous from one side to the other in the left-right direction (see the D3-D3 cross-sectional view of Fig. 10 ), and the leakage prevention walls 60 on both the left and right sides are formed by a single side sheet 16. The rest of the configuration is substantially the same as that of the absorbent main body 10 of the diaper 1.

[0095] The front waistline portion 20f of the diaper 3 comprises a ventral outer sheet 21, a ventral inner sheet 23f disposed on the skin side of the ventral outer sheet 21 and having substantially the same shape as the ventral outer sheet 21, and a plurality of waistline elastic members 24 disposed between the ventral outer sheet 21 and the ventral inner sheet 23f. Similarly, the rear waistline portion 20b of the diaper 3 comprises a dorsal outer sheet 22, a dorsal inner sheet 23b disposed on the skin side of the dorsal outer sheet 22 and having substantially the same shape as the dorsal outer sheet 22, and a plurality of waistline elastic members 25 and buttocks elastic members 26 disposed between the dorsal outer sheet 22 and the dorsal inner sheet 23b.

[0096] The buttocks elastic members 26 are provided in the rear waistband 20b of the diaper 3 forward of the longitudinal front end 5beb of the side joint 5. The buttocks elastic members 26 are arranged in a straight line, without curvature, along the left-right direction. Because the buttocks elastic members 26 are arranged parallel to the waistband elastic members 25, even when the elastic members 26, 25 contract, the pocket-like convex space on the non-skin side, as shown in Fig. 5B, is unlikely to form. This prevents the legs from getting caught during the putting on process.

[0097] In addition, in the longitudinal direction of the diaper 3, the rear ends 40eb of the crotch elastic members 40 are located forward of the buttocks elastic members 26, which are located at the frontmost position in the rear waistband 20b. That is, the crotch elastic members 40 are located away from the buttocks elastic members 26. Therefore, when the crotch elastic members 40 contract along the longitudinal direction, the buttocks elastic members 26 are not easily pulled forward, which makes it easier to widen the gap between the crotch elastic members 40 and the buttocks elastic members 26 and open the leg openings LH. This makes it easier to put your legs through the leg openings LH.

[0098] ===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.

[0099] 1 Diaper (first embodiment, pants-type disposable diaper, pants-type absorbent article), 2 Diaper (second embodiment), 3 Diaper (third embodiment), 4 Diaper (comparative example), 5 Side joint portion, 5feb Rear end (longitudinal direction), 5beb Front end (longitudinal direction), 10 Absorbent body, 11 Absorbent core, 11c Waistband member (exterior member), 20f Front waistband portion, 20b Rear waistband portion, 21 Ventral outer layer sheet, 22 Dorsal outer layer sheet, 23 Inner layer sheet, 23f Ventral inner layer sheet, 23b Dorsal inner layer sheet, 24 Waist elastic member (ventral side), 25 Waist elastic member (dorsal side), 26 Buttocks elastic member, 27 Outer layer sheet, 28 Curved elastic member, 31 Cover sheet, 32 Cover sheet, 40 Crotch elastic member, 40ef Front end, 40eb Rear end, 41-45 Crotch elastic member, 60 Leakage preventing wall portion, 61 Leakage preventing wall elastic member, 70 Main body joining portion, 75 Adhesive-free portion, BH Waist opening, LH Leg opening, CL Central position (longitudinal direction), ER Crotch elastic region

Claims

1. A pants-type absorbent article comprising: an absorbent main body having a longitudinal direction, a left-right direction, and a thickness direction that intersect one another in an unfolded and stretched state, and having an absorbent core; and a waistband member having a front waistband located at the front in the longitudinal direction and a rear waistband located at the rear in the longitudinal direction, wherein the front waistband and the rear waistband are joined to each other at both ends in the left-right direction by a pair of side joints, thereby forming a pair of leg openings, the pants-type absorbent article comprising crotch elastic members that are located closer to the skin than the absorbent core and stretch along the longitudinal direction, the rear waistband having buttocks elastic members that are arranged in a straight line along the left-right direction and forward of the front ends of the side joints in the longitudinal direction, and the rear end of the crotch elastic members is located forward of the buttocks elastic member that is located at the frontmost side of the rear waistband in the longitudinal direction.

2. A pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the longitudinal direction, the center position of the crotch elastic member is located forward of the center position of the pants-type absorbent article.

3. A pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the waistband member is not provided with an elastic member that curves from one side to the other in the left-right direction.

4. A pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has a crotch elastic region defined by the crotch elastic member, and the width of the crotch elastic region in the left-right direction is 1 / 2 or less of the maximum width of the absorbent core.

5. A pants-type absorbent article according to claim 4, characterized in that the width of the crotch elastic region in the left-right direction is equal to or less than half the minimum width of the absorbent core.

6. A pants-type absorbent article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the absorbent core has a waisted portion in the central part of the longitudinal direction that is narrower in width in the left-right direction than the ends of the longitudinal direction, and the crotch elastic member is positioned so as to overlap with the waisted portion in the longitudinal direction.

7. A pants-type absorbent article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has a main body joining part that joins the absorbent main body and the waistband member, and has adhesive-free parts in the longitudinal center and both left and right ends of the main body joining part, where no adhesive is present.

8. A pants-type absorbent article according to claim 7, characterized in that there is a portion in the longitudinal direction where the adhesive-free portion and the crotch elastic member overlap.

9. A pants-type absorbent article according to claim 7, characterized in that the center position of the adhesive-free portion is located forward of the center position of the pants-type absorbent article in the longitudinal direction.

10. A pants-type absorbent article as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that in the longitudinal direction, there is a portion where the position where the width of the waistband member in the left-right direction is narrowest overlaps with the crotch elastic member.

11. A pants-type absorbent article according to claim 10, characterized in that the inner edge of the adhesive-free portion is located inside the position where the width of the waistband member in the left-right direction is narrowest.

12. A pants-type absorbent article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the absorbent main body has leg gather elastic members at both left-right end portions thereof that stretch along the longitudinal direction, the waistband member has a plurality of waistband elastic members that stretch along the left-right direction, and in the longitudinal direction, the front end of the leg gather elastic member is located forward of the rearmost waistband elastic member of the one or more waistband elastic members arranged in the front waistband section, and the rear end of the leg gather elastic member is located rearward of the frontmost buttocks elastic member of the one or more buttocks elastic members arranged in the rear waistband section.

13. A pants-type absorbent article as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the length of the stretchable portion of the crotch elastic member in the longitudinal direction is 1 / 2 or less of the length of the stretchable portion of the leg gather elastic member.

14. A pants-type absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the entire crotch elastic member is located forward of the center position of the pants-type absorbent article in the longitudinal direction.

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