Absorbent article

Abstract

An absorbent article (1) has: a high basis weight part (55) in which the basis weight of an absorbent core (5) is within a prescribed range; and a back side low basis weight part (56R) which is positioned in a back side part (R), and in which the basis weight of the absorbent core (5) is smaller than that of the high basis weight part (55). The back side low basis weight part (56R) is positioned outward in a longitudinal direction (X) relative to the high basis weight part (55) and is adjacent to the high basis weight part (55). Each of a pair of longitudinal direction expansion / contraction parts (70, 70) has a portion that is located at the same position in the longitudinal direction (X) as the back side low basis weight part (56R). When the absorbent article (1) is worn, on the skin-facing surface of a portion of a surface sheet (3) positioned in the back side low basis weight part (56R), a back-side fold (20) formed by deformation of the portion extends in a lateral direction (Y).

Description

absorbent articles

[0001] The present invention relates to absorbent articles such as disposable diapers.

[0002] A known absorbent article includes an absorbent core that absorbs and retains bodily fluids, a topsheet that is disposed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent core and that comes into contact with the wearer's skin when worn, and a pair of leakage-preventing cuffs that are disposed on both sides of the absorbent core in the longitudinal direction (the direction corresponding to the front-to-back direction of the wearer). Patent Documents 1 to 3 describe disposable diapers having such a configuration.

[0003] The diapers described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have laterally extending pleats on the skin-facing surface of the topsheet in the region sandwiched between one and the other of a pair of leakage-preventing cuffs. In the diapers described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the absorbent core has a uniform basis weight, and the pleats are positioned to overlap the uniform basis weight absorbent core in a plan view. The pleats function as a leakage barrier to block relatively fluid body fluids, such as loose stools. According to the diapers described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the pleats prevent the inconvenience of body fluids leaking out from the longitudinal ends of the diaper. The pleats in the diaper described in Patent Document 1 are formed by tucks in the topsheet. In the diaper described in Patent Document 2, multiple topsheets are arranged to overlap in the longitudinal direction, and the pleats are formed by the free edges of the topsheets (portions of the topsheet not fixed to other components) located at the overlapping portions of the multiple topsheets.

[0004] The diaper described in Figures 19 and 20 of Patent Document 3 has folded-back portions 19 formed by folding back the longitudinal end portions of the absorbent body main body 2 (absorbent body) toward the topsheet 3 along folding lines 18 at widthwise bent structural portions 7' formed on the absorbent body main body 2. Despite the folded-back portions 19, the diaper is characterized by its compact size (see paragraphs

[0067] ,

[0068] , and

[0004] of Patent Document 3). The folded-back portions 19 function as leakage barriers. According to the diaper described in Patent Document 3, the leakage barriers have absorbency, resulting in a large area effective for absorbing bodily fluids, and the entire portion that contacts the wearer's skin contributes to absorbing urine, thereby eliminating waste of material. The widthwise bent structural portions 7' are linear portions of the absorbent body main body 2 that are processed to allow the absorbent body main body 2 to be easily folded back, specifically, slits or cut portions (see paragraphs

[0027] and

[0028] of Patent Document 3).

[0005] JP 2017-29597 A JP 10-314226 A JP 2008-23365 A

[0006] The present invention relates to an absorbent article comprising an absorbent core having a ventral portion disposed on the ventral side of a wearer when worn, a dorsal portion disposed on the dorsal side of the wearer when worn, and a crotch portion located therebetween, the absorbent core having a longitudinal direction extending from the ventral portion through the crotch portion to the dorsal portion and a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the absorbent core absorbing and retaining bodily fluids, a topsheet disposed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent core and contacting the wearer's skin when worn, and a pair of longitudinally stretchable portions disposed corresponding to both side edges of the absorbent core along the longitudinal direction and extending in the longitudinal direction from the ventral portion to the dorsal portion. In one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention, the absorbent article comprises a high-basis-weight portion in which the absorbent core has a basis weight within a predetermined range, and a dorsal-side low-basis-weight portion located in the dorsal portion and having a smaller basis weight than the high-basis-weight portion, the dorsal-side low-basis-weight portion being preferably located outward in the longitudinal direction from the high-basis-weight portion and adjacent to the high-basis-weight portion. In one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention, it is preferable that each of the pair of longitudinally stretchable sections has a portion that is located at the same position in the longitudinal direction as the back-side low basis weight section. In one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention, it is preferable that when worn, a back-side pleat formed by deformation of the portion of the topsheet located at the back-side low basis weight section extends in the transverse direction on the skin-facing surface of the topsheet.

[0007] Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the back side of a pants-type disposable diaper, which is one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a developed plan view of the skin-facing side of the diaper shown in Fig. 1 in an unfolded and stretched state. Fig. 3(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the diaper shown in Fig. 2 taken along line II (a cross-section along the transverse and thickness directions in the crotch region), and Fig. 3(b) is the same cross-sectional view of the diaper when worn. Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the diaper shown in Fig. 2 taken along line II-II (a cross-section along the longitudinal and thickness directions in the transverse central region). Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion (the back fold and its vicinity) of the view corresponding to Fig. 4 of another embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0008] The present invention relates to an absorbent article having excellent performance in preventing leakage of body fluids. Other features, advantages and embodiments of the present invention are described below.

[0009] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The same parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals. The drawings are essentially schematic, and the dimensions and dimensional ratios of certain parts to other parts may differ from those of the actual product.

[0010] 1 to 4 show a pants-type disposable diaper 1, which is one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention. The diaper 1 has a ventral portion F that is positioned on the ventral side of a wearer when worn, a dorsal portion R that is positioned on the dorsal side of the wearer, and a crotch portion M located between the ventral portion F and the dorsal portion R. The diaper 1 also has a longitudinal direction X that extends from the ventral portion F through the crotch portion M to the dorsal portion R, corresponding to the front-to-back direction of the wearer, and a transverse direction Y that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X. The diaper 1 also comprises an absorbent core 5 that absorbs and retains bodily fluids, a topsheet 3 that is disposed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent core 5 and comes into contact with the wearer's skin when worn, and a pair of longitudinally stretchable portions 70, 70 that are disposed on both sides of the absorbent core 5 along the longitudinal direction X and extend in the longitudinal direction X from the ventral portion F to the dorsal portion R.

[0011] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the diaper 1 is provided with leakage-proof cuffs 7 that are arranged on the skin-facing side of the absorbent core 5 and have upstanding portions that stand up toward the wearer's skin when worn, and these upstanding portions are vertically stretchable portions 70.

[0012] The crotch region M extends in the longitudinal direction X across the longitudinal centerline CL1 of the diaper 1. The longitudinal centerline CL1 is an imaginary straight line extending in the transverse direction Y, dividing the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state as shown in Fig. 2 into two equal parts in the longitudinal direction X. The crotch region M includes an excretory part-facing portion (not shown) that faces the wearer's excretory part such as the penis, and typically includes the portion of the diaper 1 that has the shortest length (width) in the transverse direction Y. In the present invention, the abdominal region F, the crotch region M, and the back region R may be each of the regions obtained by dividing the absorbent article in an unfolded and stretched state into three equal parts in the longitudinal direction X.

[0013] In this specification, the term "unfolded and stretched state" refers to a state in which the absorbent article is spread out flat and in an unfolded state, and the elastic members of each part of the unfolded absorbent article are stretched until the absorbent article reaches the designed dimensions, i.e., the dimensions when unfolded flat and in a state in which the influence of the elastic members is completely eliminated. In the case of an absorbent article having side seals, such as a pants-type disposable diaper, the absorbent article is separated at the side seals and spread out flat to the unfolded state.

[0014] In this embodiment, the diaper 1 comprises an absorbent main body 2 including an absorbent core 5, and an exterior body 10 disposed on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent main body 2. The absorbent main body 2 and the exterior body 10 are joined together by a known joining means such as an adhesive.

[0015] In this specification, the "skin-facing side" refers to the side of the absorbent article or its constituent member (e.g., absorbent core) that faces the skin of the wearer when the absorbent article is worn, i.e., the side that is relatively close to the wearer's skin, and the "non-skin-facing side" refers to the side of the absorbent article or its constituent member that faces the opposite side from the skin when the absorbent article is worn, i.e., the side that is relatively far from the wearer's skin. Note that "when worn" here refers to the normal, appropriate wearing position, i.e., a state in which the correct wearing position of the absorbent article is maintained.

[0016] The absorbent body 2 comprises a liquid-permeable topsheet 3 positioned relatively close to the wearer's skin, a liquid-impermeable, poorly liquid-permeable, or water-repellent backsheet 4 positioned relatively far from the wearer's skin, an absorbent core 5 interposed between the two sheets 3, 4, and a core wrap sheet 6 having a portion that contacts the skin-facing or non-skin-facing surface of the absorbent core 5. These components that make up the absorbent body 2 are joined together by known joining means such as adhesive. The topsheet 3 forms the outermost layer on the skin-facing side of the diaper 1 and can come into contact with the wearer's skin while the diaper 1 is being worn.

[0017] The core wrap sheet 6 includes a skin-side sheet 6A having a portion that contacts the skin-facing surface of the absorbent core 5, and a non-skin-side sheet 6B having a portion that contacts the non-skin-facing surface of the absorbent core 5. In this embodiment, the core wrap sheet 6 is a single sheet, and the skin-side sheet 6A and the non-skin-side sheet 6B are each part of that single sheet, but in the present invention, the form of the core wrap sheet is not limited to this, and the skin-side sheet 6A and the non-skin-side sheet 6B may be separate sheets. In other words, the core wrap sheet 6 may be composed of multiple sheets 6A, 6B.

[0018] In this embodiment, the topsheet 3, the backsheet 4, and the core wrap sheet 6 each have an extension portion that extends outward from the periphery of the absorbent core 5. That is, the topsheet 3 covers the entire skin-facing surface of the absorbent core 5, and as shown in Fig. 3, extends from the skin-facing surface of the absorbent core 5 to the non-skin-facing surface of the absorbent core 5 via both side edges (both ends in the lateral direction Y) of the absorbent core 5 along the longitudinal direction X, and also extends outward in the longitudinal direction X from the longitudinal ends 5X of the absorbent core 5 in the ventral side portion F and the back side portion R, as shown in Fig. 4. Furthermore, the backsheet 4 covers the entire non-skin-facing surface of the absorbent core 5, and as shown in Fig. 3, extends outward in the lateral direction Y from both side edges of the absorbent core 5 along the longitudinal direction X, and also extends outward in the longitudinal direction X from the longitudinal ends 5X of the absorbent core 5 in the ventral side portion F and the back side portion R, as shown in Fig. 4. 4, the core wrap sheets 6 (6A, 6B) extend outward in the longitudinal direction X from the longitudinal ends 5X of the absorbent core 5 in the ventral portion F and the dorsal portion R. In this technical field, the overlapping portion of the absorbent core 5 and the core wrap sheets 6 is sometimes referred to as the "absorbent body."

[0019] The top sheet 3, back sheet 4, and core wrap sheet 6 can be any sheet commonly used in this type of absorbent article, without any particular restrictions. Various liquid-permeable sheets can be used for the top sheet 3 and core wrap sheet 6, including, for example, nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, and paper. The back sheet 4 can be a leak-proof sheet, specifically, a liquid-impermeable sheet (a sheet that does not allow liquid to pass through at all) or a sheet that is difficult to liquid-permeable (a sheet that is not quite liquid-impermeable, but does allow liquid to pass through with difficulty), including, for example, a moisture-permeable resin film or a laminate of such a resin film and a nonwoven fabric.

[0020] The absorbent core 5 is mainly composed of a water-absorbent material. Examples of the water-absorbent material include hydrophilic fibers and water-absorbent polymers, which can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Examples of the hydrophilic fibers include natural fibers such as wood pulp and hydrophilic synthetic fibers. Examples of the water-absorbent polymers that can be used include those conventionally used in this type of absorbent body, without particular limitation, and examples thereof include polymers or copolymers of acrylic acid or alkali metal acrylates.

[0021] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the absorbent core 5 has a shape that is elongated in one direction in a plan view, specifically a rectangular shape, and extends from the ventral portion F through the crotch portion M to the dorsal portion R, with its longitudinal direction coinciding with the longitudinal direction X of the diaper 1. Since the crotch portion M is a region where body fluids excreted from the wearer's excretory area are concentrated, it is preferable that the absorbent core 5, which has the ability to absorb and retain body fluids, be located at least in the crotch portion M. In this embodiment, the absorbent core 5 has a single-layer structure, but it may also have a layered structure in which multiple layers are stacked in the thickness direction.

[0022] In this embodiment, the absorbent core 5 has recesses 51 extending in the longitudinal direction X, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The recesses 51 are located at least in the crotch region M and are symmetrically formed on one side and the other side with respect to the transverse centerline CL2. The transverse centerline CL2 is an imaginary line extending in the longitudinal direction X, dividing the diaper 1 in its unfolded and stretched state into two equal parts in the transverse direction Y. The recesses 51 may have openings on at least one of the skin-facing and non-skin-facing surfaces. They may be of a through-type having openings on both the skin-facing and non-skin-facing surfaces, or of a non-through-type having openings on one of the skin-facing and non-skin-facing surfaces and a bottom on the other. The through-type recesses 51 are spaces substantially free of the absorbent core 5's forming material (water-absorbent material). In this embodiment, the recesses 51 are of a through-type. The recesses 51 function as flow paths for body fluids such as urine and as flexure guides for the absorbent core 5. Therefore, by providing the absorbent core 5 with the recesses 51, the liquid permeability or liquid diffusibility of the absorbent core 5 can be appropriately controlled, which is expected to improve the leakproofness of the diaper 1, and also to promote favorable deformation of the absorbent core 5 while the diaper 1 is being worn, which is expected to improve the wearing comfort of the diaper 1. One example of a method for forming the recesses 51 is a method in which, during the manufacturing process of the absorbent core 5, no forming material (water-absorbing material) of the absorbent core 5 is deposited in the areas where the recesses 51 are to be formed. Another example of a method for forming the recesses 51 is a method in which a precursor of the absorbent core 5 having a uniform amount of deposited forming material is manufactured, and the forming material is removed from the areas of the precursor where the recesses 51 are to be formed.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 and 3 , the diaper 1 of this embodiment includes core-expanding elastic members 52 arranged in the crotch region M to correspond to both side edges of the absorbent core 5 along the longitudinal direction X, allowing them to expand and contract in the longitudinal direction X. One purpose of arranging the core-expanding elastic members 52 is to, when the diaper 1 is worn, cause both side edges (the side edges and their vicinity) of the absorbent core 5 in the crotch region M in the transverse direction Y, as shown in Figure 3( b), of the absorbent core 5, more specifically, the portions of the absorbent core 5 located outward in the transverse direction Y from the recesses 51, to rise toward the wearer's skin, thereby further improving the fit and leak-proofing of the diaper 1. The core-expanding elastic members 52 are required to be arranged at least in the crotch region M, and may extend from the crotch region M toward the abdominal region F and / or the dorsal region R. Furthermore, the core-expanding elastic members 52 are required to be arranged corresponding to the side edges of the absorbent core 5 along the longitudinal direction X, i.e., at or near the side edges, and are not required to be in contact with the side edges. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the core expansion / contraction elastic member 52 is disposed between the absorbent core 5 and the core wrap sheet 6, but it may also be disposed between the core wrap sheet 6 and the topsheet 3. The core expansion / contraction elastic member 52 is fixed in a stretched state to other members such as the absorbent core 5 by known fixing means such as an adhesive.

[0024] The outer cover 10 includes an outer layer sheet 11 that forms the outer surface of the diaper 1 and an inner layer sheet 12 that forms the inner surface of the diaper 1. The two sheets 11, 12 are bonded together and integrated with an adhesive. The outer cover 10 forms the outer shape of the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state as shown in Figure 2, and the periphery of the outer cover 10 forms the outline of the diaper 1 in the unfolded and stretched state. The outer cover 10 has a constricted portion in the crotch region M.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 1, the diaper 1 has a pair of side seals S, S, which are formed by joining both side edges of the ventral side portion F and the dorsal side portion R of the outer cover 10 along the longitudinal direction X by heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, or other known joining means such as adhesives. The annular portion of the diaper 1 including the pair of side seals S, S forms a waist portion that is placed around the wearer's waist. The diaper 1 has a waist opening WH in the waist portion through which the wearer's torso is passed, and a pair of leg openings LH, LH below the waist portion (towards the crotch portion M) through which the wearer's lower legs are passed.

[0026] The waist portion has a plurality of thread-like waist elastic members 13 extending in the horizontal direction Y between the pair of side seal portions S, S and spaced apart in the vertical direction X. The waist elastic members 13 are fixed in a stretched state in the horizontal direction Y to the surface of at least one of the outer sheet 11 and the inner sheet 12, are elastically stretchable in the horizontal direction Y, and are contracted in their natural state. When the diaper 1 is worn, the contraction of the waist elastic members 13 causes the waist portion to fit closely around the wearer's waist, forming a plurality of pleats (waist gathers) on the surfaces (skin-facing and non-skin-facing surfaces) of the waist portion that extend in a direction intersecting the extension direction (horizontal direction Y) of the waist elastic members 13. In addition, thread-like leg elastic members 14 are arranged at the edges of each of the pair of leg openings LH, LH. The leg elastic members 14 are fixed in a stretched state to the sheets (in this embodiment, the outer sheet 11 and the inner sheet 12) that constitute the locations where they are disposed, and are contracted in their natural state. When the diaper 1 is worn, the contraction of the leg elastic members 14 forms multiple folds (leg gathers) around the entire periphery of the opening edge of the leg opening LH. To prevent unintended deformation of the absorbent core 5 due to the expansion and contraction of the waist elastic members 13 and the leg elastic members 14, the portions of the elastic members 13, 14 that overlap with the absorbent core 5 in a plan view may be divided into multiple pieces, thereby inhibiting their stretchability.

[0027] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, a disposal tape 15 is disposed on the non-skin-facing surface of the exterior body 10 (outer layer sheet 11) in the back portion R. The disposal tape 15 is used to maintain the rolled-up state of the diaper 1 when the diaper 1 is rolled up for disposal, and includes a fixed portion to the exterior body 10 and a free portion that is arranged so as to be able to unfold from the fixed portion. Any disposal tape that is used in this type of absorbent article can be used as the disposal tape 15 without any particular restrictions.

[0028] 2 and 3, a pair of leakage preventing cuffs 7 are arranged on the skin-facing side of the absorbent core 5, corresponding to both sides of the absorbent core 5 in the lateral direction Y. The pair of leakage preventing cuffs 7, 7 are formed symmetrically on one side and the other side with respect to the lateral center line CL2. The leakage preventing cuffs 7 include a cuff sheet 8 extending in the longitudinal direction X from the abdominal side portion F through the crotch region M to the dorsal side portion R, and cuff elastic members 9 fixed to the cuff sheet 8 and stretchable in the longitudinal direction X at least in the crotch region M.

[0029] The cuff sheet 8, together with the topsheet 3, forms the outermost layer on the skin-facing side of the diaper 1 and may come into contact with the wearer's skin while the diaper 1 is being worn. As shown in FIG. 2 , the cuff sheet 8 has a pair of fastening portions 80 at both ends in the longitudinal direction X for fastening to another member (the topsheet 3 in this embodiment). One of the pair of fastening portions 80 is located in the ventral side portion F, and the other is located in the dorsal side portion R. As shown in FIG. 3 , the portion of the cuff sheet 8 sandwiched between the pair of fastening portions 80 has a fastening portion 81 at one end in the lateral direction Y for fastening to another member (the topsheet 3 and the backsheet 4 in this embodiment), and the other end is a free edge portion 82. This one end of the cuff sheet 8 is located on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent core 5. The means for fastening the cuff sheet 8 to another member at the fastening portions 80, 81 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, adhesive or fusion bonding.

[0030] In this embodiment, the cuff elastic members 9 include a first cuff elastic member 9A arranged at a free edge 82 of the cuff sheet 8, and a second cuff elastic member 9B arranged between a fixing portion 81 (fixing portion 81 located at the outermost position in the lateral direction Y) and the free edge 82. More specifically, the cuff sheet 8 has a two-layer structure in which the cuff sheet 8 is folded in the lateral direction Y, and thread-like cuff elastic members 9 are fixed in a stretched state in the longitudinal direction X between the opposing cuff sheets 8, 8 constituting the two-layer structure.

[0031] As described above, the leakage-barrier cuffs 7 have longitudinally stretchable sections 70 as upright sections, and the sections of the leakage-barrier cuffs 7 where the cuff elastic members 9 are fixed in a stretched state (the sections where the cuff elastic members 9 are located, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 ) are the longitudinally stretchable sections 70. The longitudinally stretchable sections 70 are disposed corresponding to the sides of the absorbent core 5 along the longitudinal direction X, and extend in the longitudinal direction X from the ventral section F to the dorsal section R, and are stretchable in the longitudinal direction X. When the diaper 1 is worn, as shown in Fig. 3(b), the longitudinally stretchable sections 70 stand up toward the wearer's skin, thereby effectively preventing excreted body fluids, such as urine, from leaking outward in the lateral direction Y from the diaper 1 (so-called side leakage). Furthermore, although not shown, when the vertically stretchable portion 70 is in the upright state, the contraction of the cuff elastic member 9 causes the entire diaper 1 to curve and deform so that the central portion of the absorbent body 2 in the vertical direction X becomes convex toward the non-skin-facing side (the back sheet 4 side), making it easier for the diaper 1 to fit the wearer's body shape.

[0032] The cuff sheet 8 may be made of any material commonly used for leak-preventing cuffs in absorbent articles of this type, including, for example, a single-layer or multi-layer water-repellent nonwoven fabric, a laminate of a resin film and a nonwoven fabric, etc. The number of cuff elastic members 9 arranged in each of the pair of leak-preventing cuffs 7, 7 is not particularly limited and may be one or more. One of the main purposes of the cuff elastic members 9 is to cause the leak-preventing cuffs 7 (cuff sheet 8) to stand up toward the wearer's skin when the diaper 1 is worn. To achieve this purpose, it is sufficient that at least one cuff elastic member 9 is arranged on the free edge 82 of the cuff sheet 8. Therefore, the second cuff elastic member 9B may be omitted.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 4, the diaper 1 has a high basis weight portion 55 in which the basis weight of the absorbent core 5 falls within a predetermined range, and a back-side low basis weight portion 56R located in the back region R and having a smaller basis weight of the absorbent core 5 than the high basis weight portion 55. The back-side low basis weight portion 56R is located outward in the longitudinal direction X from the high basis weight portion 55 and adjacent to the high basis weight portion 55. In this embodiment, the high basis weight portion 55 is located in the back region R, but in the present invention, the location of the high basis weight portion 55 is not limited to the back region R and may be located in the crotch region M.

[0034] In this embodiment, the basis weight of the absorbent core 5 in the back-side low basis weight portion 56R is zero. Specifically, in this embodiment, the basis weight of the absorbent core 5 is uniform except for the recessed portion 51. As shown in Figure 4, the uniform basis weight absorbent core 5 extends in the longitudinal direction X over the entire length of the crotch portion M in the longitudinal direction X and further extends to each of the ventral portion F and the back-side portion R. In the back-side portion R, there is a high basis weight portion 55 (region where the absorbent core 5 is present) and a back-side low basis weight portion 56R (region where the absorbent core 5 is not present), and the longitudinal end 5X of the absorbent core 5 on the back-side portion R side is the boundary between them. In the back-side low basis weight portion 56R, the material forming the absorbent core 5 (water-absorbent material) is not present, but instead, the topsheet 3, backsheet 4, core wrap sheet 6 (skin-side sheet 6A, non-skin-side sheet 6B), and exterior body 10 (outer layer sheet 11, inner layer sheet 12) are present.

[0035] When the basis weight of the absorbent core 5 in the back-side low basis weight portion 56R is not zero, the ratio of the basis weight of the absorbent core 5 in the back-side low basis weight portion 56R to the basis weight of the absorbent core 5 in the high basis weight portion 55 is preferably 0.2 or more, more preferably 0.3 or more, and preferably 0.8 or less, more preferably 0.7 or less, assuming that the former is less than the latter, from the viewpoint of properly adjusting the difference in rigidity between the back-side low basis weight portion 56 and the high basis weight portion 55 and further ensuring the formation of the back-side pleats 20 described below. The basis weight of the absorbent core 5 in the high basis weight portion 55 is preferably 250 g / m ２ 700g / m or more ２ The following is the result.

[0036] In this embodiment, the diaper 1 has low-basis weight portions, such as the back-side low-basis weight portion 56R, in which the absorbent core 5 has a relatively small basis weight, not only in the back-side portion R but also in the ventral-side portion F. That is, as shown in Fig. 4, the diaper 1 of this embodiment has, in the ventral-side portion F, a high-basis weight portion 55 and a ventral-side low-basis weight portion 56F in which the absorbent core 5 has a smaller basis weight than the high-basis weight portion 55. The ventral-side low-basis weight portion 56F is located outward in the longitudinal direction X from the high-basis weight portion 55 and adjacent to the high-basis weight portion 55. In this embodiment, the basis weight of the absorbent core 5 in the ventral-side low-basis weight portion 56F is zero. That is, in this embodiment, the ventral-side portion F has both the high-basis weight portion 55 and the ventral-side low-basis weight portion 56F (area where the absorbent core 5 is absent), and the longitudinal end 5X of the absorbent core 5 on the ventral-side portion F side is the boundary between them.

[0037] 2, the pair of longitudinally stretchable sections 70, 70 each have a portion that is in the same position as the back-side low basis weight section 56R in the longitudinal direction X. In other words, when the pair of longitudinally stretchable sections 70, 70 and the back-side low basis weight section 56R are each projected in the horizontal direction Y, at least a portion of the projected image of each of the pair of longitudinally stretchable sections 70, 70 overlaps with the projected image of the back-side low basis weight section 56R.

[0038] 2 and 4, the diaper 1 is characterized in that, when worn, a portion of the topsheet 3 located in the back-side low-basis-weight portion 56R is deformed to form a back-side pleat 20 extending in the transverse direction Y on the skin-facing surface thereof. As described above, the back-side low-basis-weight portion 56R is adjacent to the high-basis-weight portion 55 in the longitudinal direction X. Therefore, in the diaper 1 having such a feature, there is a difference in basis weight between the formation region of the back-side pleat 20 (the region surrounded by the smallest area of ​​an imaginary rectangle that encloses the entire back-side pleat 20 in a plan view of the skin-facing side of the diaper 1 as shown in FIG. 2) and an area (the high-basis-weight portion 55) located inward of the formation region in the longitudinal direction X. The back-side pleats 20 are typically formed by folding a portion of the topsheet 3 located in the back-side low basis weight portion 56R in the longitudinal direction X with its non-skin-facing surface facing inward, as shown in Figure 4, in other words, by folding along an imaginary line extending in the transverse direction Y. The reason why the back-side pleats 20 are formed in the back-side low basis weight portion 56R is that a pair of longitudinally stretchable portions 70, 70 that are stretchable in the longitudinal direction X are located at the same position in the longitudinal direction X as the back-side low basis weight portion 56R. As described above, the pair of longitudinally stretchable portions 70, 70 are located corresponding to both side portions of the absorbent core 5 along the longitudinal direction X, and therefore the back-side low basis weight portion 56R has a portion sandwiched between one and the other of the pair of longitudinally stretchable portions 70, 70. Therefore, when the pair of longitudinally stretchable sections 70, 70 contract in the longitudinal direction X while the diaper 1 is being worn, the contractile force acts on the region sandwiched between the pair of longitudinally stretchable sections 70, 70, forming rear-side pleats 20 in the topsheet 3 in the rear-side low-basis-weight section 56R, where the absorbent core 5 has a relatively low basis weight and therefore relatively low rigidity. The rear-side pleats 20 function as a leakage barrier that blocks bodily fluids, such as loose stools, that flow along the skin-facing surface of the topsheet 3. Therefore, the diaper 1 prevents the inconvenience of bodily fluids leaking to the outside from the end of the rear-side section R in the longitudinal direction X. In particular, since fecal leakage tends to occur more frequently in the rear-side section R than in the ventral section F, the rear-side pleats 20 are effective in preventing fecal leakage.

[0039] Leak-barriers such as the back pleats 20 for preventing leakage from the longitudinal ends of an absorbent article are also described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, but the leak-barriers described in these documents are formed by folding a topsheet to form tucks, arranging multiple topsheets to overlap longitudinally, or folding the absorbent body at linearly bent structural portions such as slits. All of these are formed through a folding process of components of the absorbent article, regardless of the presence of longitudinally stretchable portions such as the longitudinally stretchable portions 70. In contrast, the back pleats 20 are formed in the back low basis weight portion 56R by contraction of the longitudinally stretchable portions 70 in the longitudinal direction X, and are not formed through the folding process. Furthermore, the longitudinally stretchable portions 70 are originally employed as standing portions of the leakage-barrier cuffs 7, as described above, and are not employed solely for forming the back pleats 20. In other words, the back pleats 20 can be formed using only general components of absorbent articles such as leak-proof cuffs, without requiring a special process, such as the folding process, for the purpose of forming the back pleats 20. Therefore, the absorbent article of the present invention, represented by the diaper 1, has a relatively simple structure similar in basic structure to conventionally known absorbent articles, yet is superior in terms of preventing leakage of bodily fluids compared to conventionally known absorbent articles.

[0040] When worn, ventral pleats (not shown) formed by deformation of the ventral low basis weight portion 56F on the skin-facing surface of the topsheet 3 may extend in the transverse direction Y, but the dorsal pleats 20 are typically taller than the ventral pleats. This is because, as shown in Figure 2, the ventral low basis weight portion 56F is located outward in the longitudinal direction X from each of the pair of longitudinally stretchable portions 70, 70, and does not have any portions at the same position as these portions in the longitudinal direction X, making it less susceptible to the contractile force when these portions contract in the longitudinal direction X. In other words, the dorsal pleats 20 can be distinguished from ordinary pleats (wrinkles) formed in the topsheet of this type of absorbent article in that they are typically taller than these pleats (wrinkles).

[0041] As shown in Fig. 2, the back pleats 20 are typically present only in the back low basis weight portion 56R and not in the high basis weight portion 55. That is, typically, in a plan view of the skin-facing side (topsheet 3 side) of the diaper 1 as shown in Fig. 2, the entire back pleats 20 overlap the back low basis weight portion 56R. However, depending on the stretch characteristics of the longitudinally stretchable portion 70, the type of topsheet 3, etc., the back pleats 20 may be present across both the back low basis weight portion 56R and the high basis weight portion 55.

[0042] The height 20H of the back pleats 20 (see FIG. 4 ) is preferably as high as possible to improve leak-proofing performance. Specifically, it is preferably 1 mm or more, more preferably 3 mm or more. The "height of the back pleats 20" here refers to the maximum height of the back pleats 20, regardless of whether the diaper 1 is in a natural state (a state in which no external force is acting on the diaper 1) or a stretched state. There is no particular upper limit to the height 20H of the back pleats 20. However, as mentioned above, the back pleats 20 are primarily formed by arranging a pair of longitudinally stretchable portions 70, 70 at the same position in the longitudinal direction X as the back low basis weight portion 56R. From the perspective of stably forming the back pleats 20 with sufficient leak-proofing performance with such a relatively simple absorbent article configuration, the height 20H of the back pleats 20 is preferably 12 mm or less, more preferably 10 mm or less. The height 20H of the back pleats 20 can be adjusted, for example, by appropriately adjusting the stretch characteristics of the longitudinally stretchable portions 70, the type of topsheet 3, etc. The stretch characteristics of the longitudinally stretchable section 70 can be adjusted by, for example, adjusting the elongation rate, thickness, etc. of the cuff elastic member 9 that constitutes the longitudinally stretchable section 70 .

[0043] The back-side pleats 20 are typically curved convexly outward in the longitudinal direction X in a plan view, as shown in Fig. 2. The peak of the convexity of the back-side pleats 20 in a plan view is located at the center of the back-side low basis weight portion 56R in the transverse direction Y, and both ends of the back-side pleats 20 in the transverse direction Y are located at or near the boundary between the high basis weight portion 55 and the back-side low basis weight portion 56R, which is located inward in the longitudinal direction X from the peak (in this embodiment, the longitudinal end 5X of the absorbent core 5 on the back portion R side). The back-side pleats 20 having such a curved shape in a plan view can further improve the function of the back-side pleats 20 in blocking bodily fluids. Such dorsal pleats 20 curved in plan view may be formed in a form consisting of a single dorsal pleat 20 continuous in the transverse direction Y as shown in Fig. 2 , or in a form (not shown) in which a plurality of small pleats are substantially connected in the transverse direction Y to form a single dorsal pleat 20 as a whole. In the form shown in Fig. 2 , only a portion of the dorsal pleat 20 (both ends in the transverse direction Y) is located at the same position in the longitudinal direction X as the pair of longitudinally stretchable portions 70, 70, but the entire dorsal pleat 20 may also be located at the same position in the longitudinal direction X as the pair of longitudinally stretchable portions 70, 70. The planar shape of the dorsal pleat 20 can be adjusted, for example, by appropriately adjusting the stretch characteristics of the longitudinally stretchable portion 70, the type of topsheet 3, etc.

[0044] The length 20Ly of the back-side pleats 20 along the transverse direction Y (see FIG. 2 ) is preferably 40% or more, more preferably 50% or more, and preferably 100% or less, more preferably 95% or less of the maximum length of the absorbent core 5 in the transverse direction Y. The length 20Ly of the back-side pleats 20 is preferably 50 mm or more, more preferably 60 mm or more, and preferably 135 mm or less, more preferably 130 mm or less. The length 20Ly of the back-side pleats 20 can be adjusted, for example, by appropriately adjusting the stretch characteristics of the longitudinally stretchable portions 70, the type of topsheet 3, etc.

[0045] As shown in Figure 4, the back pleats 20 are preferably oriented so that their tip ends 20T face the crotch region M, in other words, the back pleats 20 are inclined toward the crotch region M. Bodily fluids such as loose stools normally flow from the crotch region M toward the back pleats 20, and by oriented the back pleats 20 in this way, it is expected that the leak-proofing function of the back pleats 20 will be further improved. Such orientation of the back pleats 20 can be adjusted, for example, by appropriately adjusting the stretch characteristics of the longitudinally stretchable portions 70, the type of topsheet 3, etc.

[0046] In this embodiment, as described above, the diaper 1 includes the core wrap sheet 6 (6A, 6B) having a portion that contacts the skin-facing surface or the non-skin-facing surface of the absorbent core 5, and the back-side pleats 20 overlap the core wrap sheet 6 in a planar view. More specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the back-side low basis weight portion 56R has a non-placement region of the core wrap sheet 6, in which only the outer casing 10 is disposed, located outward in the longitudinal direction X from the placement region of the core wrap sheet 6. However, the back-side pleats 20 overlap the placement region of the core wrap sheet 6 in a planar view, but do not overlap the non-placement region of the core wrap sheet 6 in a planar view. Thus, the presence of the back-side pleats 20 in a position that overlaps the core wrap sheet 6 in a planar view can be expected to further improve the leakage prevention effect of the back-side pleats 20.

[0047] In the form shown in Figure 4, the back pleats 20 are composed only of the top sheet 3, but depending on the stretch characteristics of the vertical stretch section 70 and the type of other members other than the top sheet 3 present in the back low basis weight section 56R, it is possible that such other members may be present inside the back pleats 20.

[0048] For example, in the configuration shown in Fig. 5, a core wrap sheet 6 is present inside the back pleat 20. More specifically, in the configuration shown in Fig. 5, the core wrap sheet 6 includes a skin-side sheet 6A and a non-skin-side sheet 6B, and both sheets 6A, 6B are folded inside the back pleat 20, i.e., between one side and the other side of the folded two-layer topsheet 3. In the present invention, a variation of the configuration shown in Fig. 5 includes a configuration in which only the skin-side sheet 6A is present inside the back pleat 20, and the non-skin-side sheet 6B is not present. Since the core wrap sheets 6 (6A, 6B) are typically formed from a material capable of absorbing body fluids (nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, paper, etc.), the presence of the core wrap sheet 6 inside the back pleat 20 improves the body fluid absorption ability of the back pleat 20, and further improvement in leak prevention function can be expected.

[0049] As described above, in this embodiment, the basis weight of the absorbent core 5 in the back-side low basis weight portion 56R is zero, and no absorbent core 5 is disposed in the back-side low basis weight portion 56R. However, in the present invention, an absorbent core 5 may be disposed in the back-side low basis weight portion 56R. In this case, a configuration (hereinafter also referred to as "Configuration A") may be possible in which the absorbent core 5 (specifically, a portion of the absorbent core 5 having a smaller basis weight than the portion disposed in the high basis weight portion 55) is present inside the back-side pleat 20. An example of Configuration A is a configuration in which the skin-side sheet 6A, the absorbent core 5, and the non-skin-side sheet 6B are folded into the back-side pleat 20 in descending order of proximity to the topsheet 3 that constitutes the back-side pleat 20. According to Configuration A, the presence of the absorbent core 5 inside the back-side pleat 20 improves the body fluid absorption capacity of the back-side pleat 20, and further improvement in leak-proofing function can be expected.

[0050] As described above, in this embodiment, the backsheet 4 is disposed on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent core 5. However, the present invention may have a configuration in which the backsheet 4 is present inside the back-side pleats 20 (hereinafter also referred to as "Configuration B"). One example of Configuration B is a configuration in which the core wrap sheet 6 (6A and / or 6B) and the backsheet 4 are folded into the back-side pleats 20 in order of proximity to the topsheet 3 constituting the back-side pleats 20. Another example of Configuration B is a configuration in which the absorbent core 5 is folded between the skin-side sheet 6A and the non-skin-side sheet 6B constituting the core wrap sheet 6 in the example of Configuration B. Since the backsheet 4 is typically formed from a leak-proof sheet, Configuration B is expected to further improve the leak-proof function of the back-side pleats 20.

[0051] As described above, in this embodiment, the diaper 1 includes the absorbent main body 2 and the outer casing 10. However, the present invention may also include a configuration (hereinafter also referred to as "Configuration C") in which the outer casing 10 (the outer layer sheet 11 and / or the inner layer sheet 12) is present inside the back pleats 20. One example of Configuration C is a configuration in which the core wrap sheet 6 (6A and / or 6B), the back sheet 4, and the outer casing 10 are folded into the back pleats 20 in order of proximity to the topsheet 3 constituting the back pleats 20. Another example of Configuration C is a configuration in which, in the example of Configuration C, an absorbent core 5 is folded between the skin-side sheet 6A and the non-skin-side sheet 6B. The presence of the outer casing 10 inside the back pleats 20 increases the size (height, etc.) of the back pleats 20 compared to when the outer casing 10 is not present. Therefore, Configuration C is expected to further improve the leak-proofing function of the back pleats 20.

[0052] A modified example of the above-mentioned form C in which the outer body 10 is present inside the back pleats 20 is a form in which a disposal tape, which is used when disposing of the absorbent article, is fixed to the non-skin-facing surface of the outer body 10 in a portion that overlaps the back pleats 20 in a plan view. For example, in the diaper 1, as shown in Fig. 2 , the back pleats 20 and the disposal tape 15 overlap in a plan view, and a form (not shown) in which the outer body 10 is present inside the back pleats 20 corresponds to a modified example of the above-mentioned form C. In the modified example of the above-mentioned form C, one side of the outer body 10 having a two-layer structure folded inside the back pleats 20 is fixed by the disposal tape 15. Therefore, the back pleats 20 are always present regardless of whether the absorbent article is in a natural state, a worn state, or an expanded and stretched state as shown in Fig. 2 , and therefore the leakage prevention effect provided by the back pleats 20 is more reliably achieved.

[0053] The present invention can be applied to absorbent articles in general. The term "absorbent article" as used herein broadly encompasses articles used to absorb body fluids (urine, loose stools, menstrual blood, sweat, etc.) discharged from the human body, and includes, in addition to the pants-type disposable diaper of the above embodiment, for example, flat-type disposable diapers, sanitary shorts, incontinence pads, etc. The flat-type disposable diapers are disposable diapers in which the ventral side and dorsal side portions are not connected in an unused state, and the waist portion that is placed around the wearer's waist is not annular, and typically has a fastening tape on the dorsal side portion, and in use, the fastening tape is fastened to the non-skin-facing surface of the ventral side portion to be worn on the body.

[0054] While the present invention has been described above based on preferred embodiments, it is not limited to these embodiments and can be modified as appropriate without impairing the intended effects of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the upright portions of the leakage-preventing cuffs 7 were the longitudinally stretchable portions of the present invention. However, these longitudinally stretchable portions may be arranged corresponding to the sides of the absorbent core 5 along the longitudinal direction X, extending in the longitudinal direction X from the ventral portion F to the dorsal portion R, and having stretchability in the longitudinal direction X, and are not limited to being a part of the leakage-preventing cuffs 7. For example, the core-stretching elastic members 52 may be the longitudinally stretchable portions of the present invention, provided that the core-stretching elastic members 52 have a portion that is co-located in the longitudinal direction X with the dorsal-side low-basis-weight portion 56R. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the outer casing 10 is a continuous type that extends from the ventral portion F through the crotch portion M to the dorsal portion R. However, the outer casing 10 may also be a split-type outer casing that is split into a ventral portion and a dorsal portion.

[0055] The following supplementary notes are further disclosed with respect to the above-described embodiment of the present invention: <1> An absorbent article having a ventral portion that is arranged on the ventral side of a wearer when worn, a dorsal portion that is arranged on the dorsal side of the wearer, and a crotch portion located therebetween, and having a longitudinal direction extending from the ventral portion through the crotch portion to the dorsal portion and a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the absorbent article comprising: an absorbent core that absorbs and retains bodily fluids, a topsheet that is arranged on the skin-facing side of the absorbent core and that comes into contact with the wearer's skin when worn, and a pair of longitudinally stretchable portions that are arranged corresponding to both side portions of the absorbent core along the longitudinal direction and extend in the longitudinal direction from the ventral portion to the dorsal portion, the absorbent article having a high basis weight portion in which the basis weight of the absorbent core is within a predetermined range, and a dorsal low basis weight portion located in the dorsal portion and having a smaller basis weight than the high basis weight portion, the dorsal low basis weight portion being located outward in the longitudinal direction from the high basis weight portion and adjacent to the high basis weight portion, The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising: a pair of longitudinally extensible sections each having a portion that is coaxial with the back-side low basis weight section in the longitudinal direction; and ... <3> The absorbent article according to <1> or <2>, wherein the ventral portion has the high basis weight portion and a ventral low basis weight portion in which the absorbent core has a smaller basis weight than the high basis weight portion, the ventral low basis weight portion being located outward in the longitudinal direction from the high basis weight portion and adjacent to the high basis weight portion, wherein when worn, ventral pleats formed by deformation of the ventral low basis weight portion extend in the transverse direction on the skin-facing surface of the topsheet at the portion located at the ventral low basis weight portion, and the dorsal pleats are taller than the ventral pleats.

[0056] <4> The absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein the back-side pleats are present only in the back-side low basis weight portion. <5> The absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein the height of the back-side pleats is 1 mm or more. <6> The absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <5>, wherein the back-side pleats are convexly curved outward in the longitudinal direction in a plan view. <7> The absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <6>, wherein the back-side pleats are oriented such that their tips face the crotch region. <8> The absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <7>, comprising a core wrap sheet having a portion in contact with the skin-facing surface or the non-skin-facing surface of the absorbent core, wherein the back-side pleats overlap the core wrap sheet in a plan view. <9> The absorbent article according to <8>, wherein the core wrap sheet is present inside the back pleat.

[0057] <10> The absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <9>, wherein a portion of the absorbent core located in the back-side low basis weight portion is present inside the back-side pleat. <11> The absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <10>, comprising a backsheet arranged on a non-skin-facing side of the absorbent core, wherein the backsheet is present inside the back-side pleat. <12> The absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <11>, comprising an absorbent main body including the topsheet and the absorbent core, and an exterior body arranged on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent main body, wherein the exterior body is present inside the back-side pleat, and a disposal tape to be used when disposing of the absorbent article is fixed to the non-skin-facing surface of a portion of the exterior body that overlaps with the back-side pleat in a plan view. <13> The absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <12>, wherein the basis weight of the absorbent core in the back-side low basis weight portion is zero.

[0058] According to the present invention, an absorbent article having excellent performance in preventing leakage of body fluids is provided.

Claims

1. An absorbent article having a ventral side portion that is positioned on the ventral side of the wearer when worn, a dorsal side portion that is positioned on the dorsal side of the wearer when worn, and a crotch portion located therebetween, and having a longitudinal direction extending from the ventral side portion through the crotch portion to the dorsal side portion and a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the absorbent core absorbing and retaining bodily fluids, a topsheet that is located on the skin-facing side of the absorbent core and comes into contact with the wearer's skin when worn, and a pair of longitudinally stretchable portions that are located corresponding to both sides of the absorbent core along the longitudinal direction and extend in the longitudinal direction from the ventral side portion to the dorsal side portion, the absorbent article having a high basis weight portion whose basis weight is within a predetermined range, and a dorsal low basis weight portion located in the dorsal side portion and having a smaller basis weight than the high basis weight portion, the dorsal low basis weight portion being located outward in the longitudinal direction from the high basis weight portion and adjacent to the high basis weight portion, The pair of longitudinally stretchable sections each have a portion that is at the same position in the longitudinal direction as the back-side low basis weight section, and when worn, back-side pleats formed by deformation of the portion of the topsheet that is located in the back-side low basis weight section extend in the transverse direction on the skin-facing surface of the topsheet.

2. An absorbent article as described in claim 1, which is provided with a leak-proof cuff that is arranged on the skin-facing side of the absorbent core and has an upstanding portion that stands up toward the wearer's skin when worn, and the upstanding portion is the vertically stretchable portion.

3. An absorbent article as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the ventral portion has the high basis weight portion and a ventral low basis weight portion in which the absorbent core has a smaller basis weight than the high basis weight portion, the ventral low basis weight portion being located outward in the longitudinal direction from the high basis weight portion and adjacent to the high basis weight portion, and when worn, ventral folds formed by deformation of the portion of the topsheet located in the ventral low basis weight portion extend in the transverse direction on the skin-facing surface of the topsheet, and the dorsal folds are taller than the ventral folds.

4. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the back-side pleats are present only in the back-side low basis weight portion.

5. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the height of the back pleats is 1 mm or more.

6. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the back pleats are convexly curved outward in the longitudinal direction in a plan view.

7. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the back pleats are oriented such that the tips of the back pleats face the crotch portion.

8. An absorbent article as described in claim 1 or 2, comprising a core wrap sheet having a portion that contacts the skin-facing or non-skin-facing surface of the absorbent core, and the back pleats overlap with the core wrap sheet in a planar view.

9. The absorbent article according to claim 8, wherein the core wrap sheet is present within the back pleat.

10. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a portion of the absorbent core located in the low back-side basis weight portion is present inside the back-side pleat.

11. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a back sheet disposed on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent core, the back sheet being present within the back pleats.

12. An absorbent article as described in claim 1 or 2, comprising an absorbent main body including the top sheet and the absorbent core, and an outer body arranged on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent main body, wherein the outer body is present inside the dorsal folds, and a disposal tape to be used when disposing of the absorbent article is fixed to the non-skin-facing side of the outer body in a portion that overlaps with the dorsal folds in a planar view.

13. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the basis weight of the absorbent core in the back-side low basis weight portion is zero.

Images