Pants-type absorbent article

Abstract

The present invention provides a pants-type absorbent article that can be pulled up smoothly when worn, even when a relatively large waist opening has been formed.　Waist side edges (18), (19) of a diaper (10) have a pair of fingerholds (31), (32) that are recessed inward in a lateral direction (X), and a part of the fingerholds (31), (32) is located farther inward in a longitudinal direction (Y) than the front- and rear-end edges (20a), (20b) of a liquid absorbent structure (20). In plan view when the diaper (10) is laid flat and allowed to assume a natural state, the lengths (W1), (W2) in the lateral direction (X) of waist opening edge parts of front and rear waist regions (11), (12) are longer than the lengths (W3), (W4) in the lateral direction (X) of front- and rear-end edge parts of a crotch region (13) that extend in the lateral direction (X) along inner-end edges (14a), (15a) of the front and rear waist regions (11), (12).

Description

Pants-type absorbent article

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

[0002] Pants-type disposable absorbent articles have been known for some time. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pants-type absorbent article including a front waist region, a rear waist region, a crotch region located between the front and rear waist regions, a liquid-absorbent structure having an absorbent body extending from the crotch region to the front and rear waist regions, side seals connecting both side edges of the front and rear waist regions, a waist opening, and a pair of leg openings.

[0003] International Publication No. WO2005 / 051264

[0004] According to the pants-type absorbent article disclosed in Patent Document 1, the contraction force of the elastic regions in the front and rear waist regions is adjusted so that the leg openings in the contracted state of the diaper are larger than the leg openings in the uncontracted state, and the article can have the appearance of underwear when not worn.

[0005] However, in order to form the leg openings relatively large when the diaper is contracted, the edge portions of the leg openings extend obliquely upward, and the edge portions of the waist opening contract to become relatively narrow.

[0006] As a result, when a helper helps the wearer put on the garment or when aligning it after putting it on, even if they try to open the waist opening by inserting the thumbs of both hands into the waist opening, grasping the edges of the waist opening and pulling on both sides, it is difficult to open it, and if they try to open it forcibly, their thumbs may come into contact with the wearer's body and cause injury.

[0007] On the other hand, unlike the pants-type absorbent article disclosed in Patent Document 1, if the contraction force of the waist opening edge is adjusted so that the waist opening is formed relatively large when the diaper is contracted, the diaper can be worn without forcibly widening the waist opening edge. However, because the contraction force of the waist opening edge is low, it is difficult for the wearer's fingers to catch on the waist opening edge, and the entire diaper cannot be pulled up smoothly.

[0008] The object of the present invention is to improve on conventional pants-type absorbent articles by providing a pants-type absorbent article that can be pulled up smoothly when worn, even if the waist opening is formed relatively large.

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention relates to a pants-type absorbent article having a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, and including a front waist region, a rear waist region, a crotch region located between the front and rear waist regions, a liquid-absorbent structure having an absorbent body extending from the crotch region to the front and rear waist regions, side seals connecting both side edge portions of the front and rear waist regions, a waist opening, and a pair of leg openings.

[0010] The pants-type absorbent article of the present invention is characterized in that both side waist edges having the side seals have a pair of finger rest portions that are concave inward in the horizontal direction, and a portion of the finger rest portions is located more inward in the vertical direction than the front and rear end edges of the liquid-absorbent structure, and when viewed in a plan view when the pants-type absorbent article is laid flat and in its natural state, the length in the horizontal direction of the waist opening edge portions of the front and rear waist regions is longer than the length in the horizontal direction of the front and rear end edges of the crotch region that extend in the horizontal direction along the inner end edges of the front and rear waist regions.

[0011] The packaging structure for absorbent articles according to the present invention may include at least the following embodiments, which may be adopted separately or in combination with each other.

[0012] In aspect 1, the horizontal length of the side seal located on the outer side of the finger rest portion in the vertical direction is longer than the horizontal length of the remaining portion of the side seal.

[0013] In the pants-type absorbent article of aspect 1, the upper and lower portions of both side waist edges have higher rigidity than the middle portion, which makes it possible to prevent the waist opening edge and leg opening edge from curling. Even if the upper and lower portions fold, they will not become bent and will return to a state that makes it easy for them to protrude laterally, so the entire diaper will not appear smaller in appearance.

[0014] In aspect 2, the front and rear waist regions have waist elastic regions including a plurality of waist elastics extending in the horizontal direction, the waist elastic region including an upper elastic region located on the edge side of the waist opening, a lower elastic region located on the edge side of the leg opening, and an intermediate elastic region located between the upper elastic region and the lower elastic region in the vertical direction, the finger rest portion being located in the intermediate elastic region, the intermediate elastic region having one or more first elastic members and one or more second elastic members located inside the first elastic members in the vertical direction, the contractile force of the second elastic members being greater than the contractile force of the first elastic members.

[0015] In the pants-type absorbent article of aspect 2, the finger rests on both side edges of the waist extend downward with a steep inward lateral slope. The finger rests have a shape that allows the wearer's fingers to hook onto the finger rests, allowing the pad of the wearer's thumb to come into contact with the finger rests, as compared to a case where the finger rests are more gently inclined.

[0016] In aspect 3, the second elastic satisfies at least two of the following conditions: it has a larger fineness than the other waist elastics in the waist elastic region; it has a higher magnification than the other waist elastics; and the distance in the vertical direction between adjacent waist elastics in the vertical direction is smaller than the distance in the vertical direction between the other waist elastics.

[0017] In the pants-type absorbent article of aspect 3, the finger support portion is formed so as to slope steeply downward and laterally inward, so that the wearer's finger (e.g., the pad of the thumb) can be hooked onto and contacted with the finger support portion more reliably.

[0018] In a fourth aspect, at least a portion of the upper elastic region of one of the front and rear waist regions has a color different from the color of the intermediate elastic region and the color of the lower elastic region.

[0019] In the pants-type absorbent article of aspect 4, for example, the upper waist elastics located in the upper elastic region of the front waist region can be colored in a color different from the other materials constituting the diaper, such as blue or red, to clearly distinguish the front and rear waist regions from each other in appearance. Furthermore, the relatively wide waist opening edge is prominent, giving the visual impression that the diaper is wide, which gives the impression that it is easy to put on (easily put on the legs), and also gives the feeling of security that it can adequately contain body exudates.

[0020] In aspect 5, when the absorbent article is laid flat and in its natural state, in a plan view, the vertical length from the lower end of the crotch region to the inner edges of the front and rear waist regions is equal to or greater than the vertical length of the front and rear waist regions.

[0021] In the pants-type absorbent article of aspect 5, this gives the visual impression that the diaper is long horizontally, making it easier to insert the legs through the leg openings and less likely to cause a feeling of tightness around the legs that would cause resistance.Furthermore, it gives the visual impression that the diaper is wide, providing a sense of security that it can adequately contain body excrement.

[0022] In a sixth aspect, the length in the longitudinal direction from the lower end of the crotch region to the inner edge of the front waist region is 1.0 to 1.2 times the length in the longitudinal direction of the front and rear waist regions.

[0023] The pants-type absorbent article of aspect 6 gives the visual impression that the diaper is long horizontally, making it easier to insert the legs through the leg openings and less likely to cause discomfort around the legs. Furthermore, it gives the visual impression that the diaper is wide, providing a sense of security that it can adequately contain body waste.

[0024] In aspect 7, when the absorbent article is laid flat and in its natural state, in a plan view, the horizontal length of the front and rear waist regions is equal to or greater than the vertical length from the lower end of the crotch region to the inner edge of the front and rear waist regions.

[0025] In the pants-type absorbent article of Aspect 7, after excretion, the force that tends to cause the crotch region to sag as it absorbs body excrement and becomes heavier can be absorbed by the front and rear waist regions, which are relatively horizontally extended. As a result, the force that tends to cause the crotch region to sag downward is distributed over the entire front and rear waist regions rather than locally, which makes it less likely for pressure marks to appear around the wearer's waist and allows the waist opening edge to gently abut against the skin.

[0026] In aspect 8, the liquid-absorbent structure has a pair of side flaps located laterally outside both side edges of the absorbent body, and the pair of side flaps have multiple leg elastics extending in the vertical direction, and the leg elastics are not positioned laterally inside an imaginary boundary line that bisects the horizontal dimension of the side flaps.

[0027] In the pants-type absorbent article of aspect 8, since the leg elastics are not positioned near the absorbent body, the absorbent body is not contracted in the longitudinal direction Y by its contraction force, and this prevents the leg opening edges from narrowing due to contraction of the liquid-absorbing structure including the absorbent body, and prevents the leg opening edges from getting caught on the body when pulling up the diaper, making it difficult to pull up, in combination with the rigidity of the absorbent body.

[0028] In the pants-type absorbent article according to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the finger rest area where the wearer's fingers (mainly the thumb) can be hooked during the putting operation is located not near the waist opening edge but deep in the vertical direction of the front and rear waist regions, so that force is transmitted directly to the liquid-absorbent structure, allowing the wearer to pull the article upward smoothly.

[0029] The drawings show specific embodiments of the present invention and include not only essential configurations of the invention but also alternative and preferred embodiments.

[0023] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a disposable diaper, an example of a pants-type absorbent article according to the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 is a partially cutaway development view of the disposable diaper, viewed from the inside, stretched in the longitudinal and lateral directions to the maximum elongation of each elastic body (to the extent that gathers due to the contraction action of the elastic material disappear).

[0025] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the disposable diaper.

[0026] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Figure 2.

[0027] Figure 5 is a plan view of the front waist region.

[0028] Figure 6 is a plan view of the rear waist region.

[0029] (a) A plan view of the front waist region side in a plan view when the diaper is laid flat and in a natural state.

[0029] (b) A plan view of the rear waist region side in a plan view when the diaper is laid flat and in a natural state.

[0029] Figure 7 is a diagram showing how to put on a diaper.

[0029] Figure 8 is a partially enlarged view of the waist-side edge portion during the diaper putting on operation.

[0030] The following embodiments relate to a pants-type absorbent article shown in the accompanying drawings, and include not only essential features of the invention but also optional and preferred features. Below, with reference to the accompanying drawings, an embodiment of a pants-type disposable diaper 10, which is an example of a pants-type absorbent article according to the present invention, will be described. Note that in each drawing, the intermediate elastic regions 62 of the front and rear waist regions 11, 12 are indicated by a light gray color. In addition, in the front and rear waist regions 11, 12, the waist opening 7 side is also referred to as the upper side, and the leg opening 8 side is also referred to as the lower side.

[0031] In FIG. 2, each elastic body, which will be described later, is in a state of being stretched by the contraction forces in the lateral direction X and the longitudinal direction Y against its contraction force to such an extent that gathers formed in the components of the disposable diaper 10 to which each elastic body is attached appear to be substantially absent to the natural eye.

[0032] 1 to 3, the disposable diaper 10 has a longitudinal direction Y and a transverse direction X intersecting the longitudinal direction Y, a thickness direction Z, a skin-facing surface and an opposite non-skin-facing surface, a longitudinal centerline P that bisects the length dimension in the transverse direction X, and a transverse centerline Q that bisects the length dimension in the longitudinal direction Y, and is substantially symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal centerline P, and includes a front waist region 11, a rear waist region 12, and a crotch region 13 located between the front waist region 11 and the rear waist region 12.

[0033] The diaper 10 includes a front waist panel 14 that forms the front waist region 11, a rear waist panel 15 that forms the rear waist region 12, and a liquid-absorbent structure 20 that extends in the longitudinal direction Y between the front and rear waist panels 14, 15 and forms the crotch region 13.

[0034] The liquid-absorbent structure 20 has a front end 21 located on the skin-facing side of the front waist region 11, a rear end 22 located on the skin-facing side of the rear waist region 12, and an intermediate portion 23 located between the front and rear end portions 21, 22. In this embodiment, the front and rear end portions 21, 22 of the liquid-absorbent structure 20 are fixed to the skin-facing sides of the front and rear waist regions 11, 12, respectively, but the liquid-absorbent structure 20 may also be fixed to the outer surfaces of the front and rear waist panels 14, 15 so that the front and rear end portions 21, 22 are located on the non-skin-facing sides of the front and rear waist regions 11, 12.

[0035] Both side edges of the front waist region 11 and both side edges of the back waist region 12 are joined together by a plurality of side seals 16 extending intermittently in the longitudinal direction Y, thereby defining a waist opening 7 and a pair of leg openings 8.

[0036] 1 and 7(a) and (b), the diaper 10 has side waist edges 18, 19 formed by joining the side edges of the front and rear waist regions 11, 12. The side waist edges 18, 19 of the diaper 10 include upper portions 18A, 19A located on the waist opening 7 side, lower portions 18C, 19C located on the leg opening 8 side, and intermediate portions 18B, 19B located between the upper portions 18A, 19A. The intermediate portions 18B, 19B have a concave shape. Specifically, the intermediate portions 18B, 19B are indicated by light gray in each figure and refer to the vicinity of the apex of the shape that extends downward from the waist opening 7 and curves inward in the lateral direction X (the point where the side seal 16 is narrowest and / or just before that point). The intermediate portions 18B, 19B are provided with finger rests 31, 32 for the wearer (a wearer's assistant or a wearer) to hook their fingers (mainly their thumbs) on when pulling up the diaper 10.

[0037] In a plan view when the diaper 10 is laid flat and in its natural state, the upper portions 18A, 19A of the waist side edge portions 18, 19 are curved significantly outward in the lateral direction X, while the intermediate portions 18B, 19B are curved in a concave manner downward from the upper portions 18A, 19A. Furthermore, the lower portions 18C, 19C are curved outward in the lateral direction X downward from the intermediate portions 18B, 19B, and do not protrude outward in the lateral direction X as compared to the upper portions 18A, 19A.

[0038] Because each portion has such a shape, the waist side edges 18, 19 can be said to have a generally S-shape as a whole in a plan view. Here, "the waist side edges 18, 19 are generally S-shaped" means that the middle portions 18B, 19B have a concavely curved shape, and includes not only a configuration in which the upper portions 18A, 19A protrude outward in the lateral direction X more than the lower portions 18C, 19C, as in the illustrated example, but also a configuration in which the lower portions 18C, 19C protrude outward in the lateral direction X more than the upper portions 18A, 19A, and further a configuration in which the upper and lower portions 18A, 18C, 19A, 19C protrude in the lateral direction X to the same extent.

[0039] The side seals 16 can be formed by various known joining means such as adhesive means using various adhesives such as hot melt adhesives, welding means such as heat sealing and sonic welding, or a combination thereof.

[0040] In this embodiment, the side seals 16 are formed by heat-sealing welding means and have a plurality of joining portions arranged at given intervals in the longitudinal direction Y.

[0041] 2 and 3, the front waist panel 14 has a horizontally elongated rectangular shape defined by an inner edge (the inner edge of the front waist region 11) 14a that forms part of the front leg opening, an outer edge (the outer edge of the front waist region 11) 14b that forms the front waist opening, and side edges (the side edges of the front waist region 11) 14c, 14d that extend in the longitudinal direction Y between the inner and outer edges 14a, 14b.

[0042] The front waist panel 14 has a liquid-impermeable inner layer sheet 33 located on the skin-facing side, a liquid-impermeable outer layer sheet 34 located on the non-skin-facing side, and multiple strand- or string-shaped front waist elastics 40 arranged between the inner and outer layers 33, 34 so as to be stretchable and contractible in the lateral direction X.

[0043] The rear waist panel 15 has an inner edge 15a (the inner edge of the rear waist region 12) that forms part of the rear leg opening, an outer edge 15b (the outer edge of the rear waist region) that forms the rear waist opening, and side edges 15c, 15d (the side edges of the rear waist region) that extend in the vertical direction Y between the inner and outer edges 15a, 15b.

[0044] The rear waist panel 15 has a liquid-impermeable inner layer sheet 35 located on the skin-facing side and a liquid-impermeable outer layer sheet 36 located on the non-skin-facing side. Between the inner and outer layers 35, 36, there are arranged a plurality of strand- or string-shaped rear waist elastics 50 that are stretched and contractible in the lateral direction X.

[0045] The outer sheets 34, 36 of the front and rear waist panels 14, 15 have extensions 34A, 36A that extend outward in the longitudinal direction Y from the outer edges of the inner sheets 33, 35. With the front and rear end portions 21, 22 of the liquid-absorbent structure 20 joined to the inner sheets 33, 35, the extensions 34A, 36A are folded inward in the longitudinal direction Y along the outer edges of the inner sheets 33, 35 and fixed to the inner sheets 33, 35 and the front and rear end portions 21, 22 of the liquid-absorbent structure 20 via a hot melt adhesive (not shown).

[0046] The front and rear waist elastics 40, 50 have multiple upper waist elastics 41, 51 extending in the horizontal direction X along the outer edges 14b, 15b, intermediate waist elastics 42, 52 positioned inside the upper waist elastics 41, 51 in the vertical direction Y, and lower waist elastics 43, 53 positioned between the intermediate waist elastics 42, 52 and the inner edges 14a, 15a.

[0047] The upper waist elastics 41, 51 extend in the transverse direction X between the side edges 14c, 14d, 15c, 15d of the front and rear waist regions 11, 12. Meanwhile, the intermediate waist elastics 42, 52 located inside the upper waist elastics 41, 51 in the longitudinal direction Y, and the lower waist elastics 43, 53 located between the intermediate waist elastics 42, 52 and the inner edges 14a, 15a, extend from the side edges 14c, 14d, 15c, 15d of the front and rear waist regions 11, 12 to the side edges of the absorbent body 26.

[0048] 5 and 6, the front and rear waist regions 11, 12 have waist elastic regions including a plurality of front and rear waist elastics 40, 50 extending in the transverse direction X. The waist elastic region has an upper elastic region 61 including upper waist elastics 41, 51, an intermediate elastic region 62 including intermediate waist elastics 42, 52 located inward in the longitudinal direction Y of the upper waist elastics 41, 51, and a lower elastic region 63 including lower waist elastics 43, 53 located on the leg opening edge side and inward in the longitudinal direction Y of the intermediate waist elastics 42, 52. The intermediate elastic region 62 and the lower elastic region 63 are formed from a pair of elastic regions located apart and facing each other in the transverse direction X, with inelastic regions 64, 65 located between them.

[0049] The inner and outer layer sheets 33, 34, 35, 36 of the front and rear waist panels 14, 15 are liquid-impermeable and preferably breathable, and have a mass of about 10 to 40 g / m ２ Various known fibrous nonwoven fabrics can be used, such as spunbond fibrous nonwoven fabrics, SMS (spunbond-meltblown-spunbond) fibrous nonwoven fabrics, and air-through fibrous nonwoven fabrics.

[0050] The liquid-absorbent structure 20 has a vertically rectangular shape defined by front and rear edges 20a, 20b and side edges 20c, 20d, and the front and rear end portions 21, 22 are joined to the skin-facing surfaces of the front and rear waist panels 14, 15 via front and rear joining regions (not shown) formed by applying, for example, a hot melt adhesive. The hot melt adhesive may be applied in a solid pattern over the entire joining region, or in any of a variety of known shapes, such as multiple lines extending in the vertical direction Y, an Ω shape, a spiral shape, or a wave shape.

[0051] 3 and 4, the liquid-absorbent structure 20 comprises a hydrophilic / liquid-permeable inner sheet (body-side liner) 24 located on the skin-facing side, a hydrophobic covering sheet 25 located on the non-skin-facing side, an absorbent body 26, and a leak-proof sheet 27 formed from a hydrophobic or liquid-impermeable plastic film on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body 26, the leak-proof sheet 27 being large enough to cover at least the bottom surface thereof.

[0052] The absorbent body 26 has an outer shape formed by front and rear edges 26a, 26b and both side edges, and has an absorbent core containing wood fluff pulp and superabsorbent polymer particles (SAP) commonly used in the industry, and a hydrophilic or liquid-diffusive core cover sheet that completely covers the absorbent core.

[0053] A plurality of leg elastics 29A are attached to a pair of side flaps 28 located on the outer sides in the lateral direction X of both side edges of the absorbent body 26. Specifically, the leg elastics 29A are joined between both side edges of the covering sheet 25, which is folded inward in the lateral direction X, and the leak-barrier sheet 27 by a known joining means such as a hot melt adhesive (not shown). The leg elastics 29A extend in the longitudinal direction Y from the crotch region 13 to the front and rear waist regions 11, 12.

[0054] In addition, sleeves are formed by folding back both side edges of the covering sheet 25 with the skin-facing surface facing inward, and within these pair of sleeves, a plurality of barrier cuff elastic members 29B extending in the longitudinal direction Y are joined in a stretched state with a hot melt adhesive. In the illustrated example, the barrier cuff sheets to which the barrier cuff elastic members 29B are fixed are formed integrally with the covering sheet 25, but they may also be formed from sheets separate from the covering sheet 25.

[0055] In the liquid-absorbent structure 20, no leg elastics 29A are arranged inside in the lateral direction X from an imaginary boundary line K1 that bisects the dimension of the side flap 28 in the lateral direction X.

[0056] In this way, since the leg elastics 29A are not positioned near the absorber 26, the absorber 26 is not contracted in the vertical direction Y by its contraction force, and this prevents the edge of the leg opening from narrowing due to contraction of the liquid-absorbing structure 20 including the absorber 26, and prevents the edge of the leg opening from getting caught on the body when pulling up the diaper 10, making it difficult to pull up, in combination with the rigidity of the absorber 26.

[0057] 5 and 6, in the front and rear waist elastics 40, 50, the intermediate waist elastics 42, 52 have a plurality of first elastics 71, 81 extending in the transverse direction X and a plurality of second elastics 72, 82 positioned inward in the longitudinal direction Y of the first elastics 71, 81. The first and second elastics 71, 81, 72, 82 are discontinuous in the transverse direction X and extend from both side edges 14c, 14d, 15c, 15d of the front and rear waist regions 11, 12 to the side edges of the absorbent body 26.

[0058] The upper waist elastics 41, 51 may be made of, for example, a string- or strand-shaped elastic material (elastic yarn) having a fineness of 550 to 700 dtex and arranged so as to be contractible when stretched 1.8 to 2.5 times, while the intermediate waist elastics 42, 52 may be made of, for example, an elastic yarn having a fineness of 710 to 850 dtex and arranged so as to be contractible when stretched 2.7 to 3.4 times.

[0059] Furthermore, the lower waist elastics 43, 53 may be made of elastic yarn having a fineness of 550 to 700 dtex and arranged so as to be contractible when stretched 2.7 to 3.4 times.

[0060] In the illustrated example, the upper waist elastics 41, 51 are formed from seven elastic threads, the intermediate waist elastics 42, 52 from three elastic threads, and the lower waist elastics 43, 53 from eight elastic threads, but the number of elastic threads in each elastic body can be changed as appropriate. Also, in the intermediate waist elastics 42, 52, the first and second elastics 71, 81, 72, 82 may be formed from a single elastic thread or two or more elastic threads.

[0061] Furthermore, with regard to the spacing (pitch) in the longitudinal direction Y between the front and rear waist elastics 40, 50, the spacing R1 from the upper waist elastic 41, 51 to the second elastic 72a, 82a located in the middle of the intermediate waist elastics 42, 52 is 7.0 to 10.0 mm, preferably 7.0 to 9.0 mm; the spacing R2 between the second elastic 72a, 82a and the second elastic 72, 82 located below it is 5.0 to 8.0 mm, preferably 6.0 to 7.5 mm; and the spacing R3 between the second elastic 72, 82 and the lower waist elastics 43, 53 and between the lower waist elastics 43, 53 and the second elastics 72, 82 is 6.0 to 10.0 mm, preferably 6.0 to 8.0 mm.

[0062] By setting various conditions such as the fineness, elongation ratio, and spacing between the front and rear waist elastics 40, 50 as described above, the elongation stress of the lower elastic region 63 caused by the lower waist elastics 43, 53 is higher than the elongation stress of the upper elastic region 61 caused by the upper waist elastics 41, 51.

[0063] In addition, the intermediate waist elastics 42, 52 in the intermediate elastic region 62 have a larger fineness than the other front and rear waist elastics 40, 50, and in the intermediate elastic region 62, the separation dimension R2 between the upper waist elastics 51, 61 is suddenly smaller than the separation dimension R1, so that the elongation stress of the intermediate elastic region 62 is the highest among the front and rear waist elastic regions.

[0064] As a result, as shown in Figures 1 and 7(a) and (b), the intermediate portions 18B, 19B of the waist side edges 18, 19, where the intermediate elastic region 62 is located, have a shape that is concave inward in the lateral direction X, and a pair of finger rests 31, 32 are formed.

[0065] The finger rests 31, 32, in which the intermediate elastic region 62 is located, are located near the front and rear edges 20a, 20b of the liquid-absorbent structure 20, and are located inside the front and rear edges 20a, 20b in the longitudinal direction Y.

[0066] Specifically, the intermediate elastic region 62 is a band-like region shown in light black in each figure, having a given dimension in the longitudinal direction Y, and extending in the transverse direction X so as to intersect with the front and rear edge portions of the absorbent body 26.

[0067] 5 and 6, it is preferable that the vertical dimensions L5, L6 of the finger rests 31, 32 are at least 15 mm. Since the length of the pad of an adult's thumb is approximately 10 to 30 mm, by setting the vertical dimensions L5, L6 of the finger rests 31, 32 to such sizes, it is possible to perform a lifting operation with most of the pad of the thumb in contact with the finger rests 31, 32.

[0068] In the illustrated example, the intermediate elastic region 62 is positioned across the absorbent body 26, but as long as the technical effect of the present invention is achieved, it is sufficient that the intermediate elastic region 62 is positioned at least near the front and rear end edges 20a, 20b of the liquid-absorbent structure 20, and that a portion of the intermediate elastic region 62 is positioned inward in the longitudinal direction Y from the front and rear end edges 20a, 20b.

[0069] For example, the intermediate elastic region 62 may be a band-like region extending in the transverse direction X so as to intersect with the front and rear edges 20a, 20b of the liquid-absorbent structure 20 and the front and rear edges 26a, 26b of the absorbent body 26. Furthermore, portions of the intermediate waist elastics 42, 52 in the intermediate elastic region 62 may extend continuously in the transverse direction X, similar to the upper waist elastics 41, 51.

[0070] 7(a) and (b), in a plan view when the diaper 10 is laid flat and in its natural state, the lengths W1 and W2 of the waist opening edges of the front and rear waist regions 11 and 12 in the lateral direction X are longer than the lengths W3 and W4 of the front and rear end edges of the crotch region 13 extending in the lateral direction X along the inner edges 14a and 15a of the front and rear waist regions 11 and 12.

[0071] As mentioned above, since the elongation stress of the upper elastic region 61 is relatively low, the waist opening is formed relatively large, and when wearing the diaper 10, the wearer does not need to exert a strong force to resist the contraction force of the waist opening edge, and there is no risk of the wearer's legs getting caught on the waist opening edge.

[0072] Furthermore, if the waist opening edge is tightened relatively tightly around the wearer's waist, there is a risk of pressure marks being left on the wearer when worn, and in the case of infants with distended abdomens, the front and rear waist regions 11, 12 may slip down along the curved shape of the abdomen; however, by pressing the waist opening edge against the body relatively loosely, such a situation can be prevented.

[0073] As shown in Figure 8, when a wearer puts on a diaper, they generally insert both legs into a pair of leg openings, then place the thumb 91 of one hand against the inner surface of one waist edge 18 and the thumb 92 of the other hand against the inner surface of the other waist edge 19, and pull the waist edges 18, 19 apart in the lateral direction X to widen the waist openings, while pulling up the entire diaper 10.

[0074] At this time, if the wearer has some difficulty with their fingers or is an elderly person with weak grip strength, they may have difficulty pulling the diaper up to their waist while pulling the edge of the waist opening.

[0075] In the diaper 10 according to the present invention, the lengths W1, W2 in the lateral direction X of the waist opening edges of the front and rear waist regions 11, 12 are longer than the lengths W3, W4 in the lateral direction X of the front and rear end edges of the crotch region 13 extending in the lateral direction X along the inner edges 14a, 15a of the front and rear waist regions 11, 12, respectively. This results in a relatively weak contractile force at the waist opening edges, allowing the waist opening edges to be expanded in the lateral direction X with a relatively small force.

[0076] Furthermore, since the middle portions 18B, 19B of the waist side edge portions 18, 19 have a shape that is concave inward in the lateral direction X and a pair of finger rest portions 31, 32 are formed, by hooking the fingertips of the wearer's thumbs 91, 92 into the finger rest portions 31, 32, it becomes easier to pull up the entire diaper 10 without having to grip the waist side edge portions 18, 19 with a relatively strong force.

[0077] The finger rests 31, 32, where the intermediate elastic region 62 is located, are located near the front and rear edges 20a, 20b of the liquid-absorbent structure 20, and are located further inward in the longitudinal direction Y than the front and rear edges 20a, 20b. As a result, the finger rests 31, 32 are located deeper (lower) in the front and rear waist regions 11, 12, rather than closer to the waist opening edges. In addition, the liquid-absorbent structure 20 is positioned between the thumbs 91, 92 in contact with the finger rests 31, 32 in the transverse direction X, so that a force is transmitted directly to the liquid-absorbent structure 20, making it easier to pull it up.

[0078] Furthermore, since the intermediate elastic region 62 is a band-like region that extends in the lateral direction X so as to overlap the front and rear edge portions of the absorbent body 26 in the thickness direction Z, the force pulling up the front and rear waist regions 11, 12 can be directly transmitted to the absorbent body 26 of the liquid-absorbent structure 20.

[0079] 9 , at both waist edge portions 18, 19, the length W5 in the horizontal direction X of the side seals 16 located outside (above) the finger rest portions 31, 32 in the vertical direction Y is longer than the length W5 of the remaining portions of the side seals 16. That is, the length W5 in the horizontal direction X of the side seals 16 at the upper portions 18A, 19A is longer than the length W6 in the horizontal direction X of the side seals 16 at the intermediate portions 18B, 19B of both waist edge portions 18, 19. Also, the length W7 in the horizontal direction X of the side seals 16 at the lower portions 18C, 19C is longer than the length W6 in the horizontal direction X of the side seals 16 at the intermediate portions 18B, 19B of both waist edge portions 18, 19.

[0080] The lengths W5, W6, and W7 of the side seals 16 at both waist edges 18, 19 in the lateral direction X were measured by first removing the diaper 10 from the package and placing it flat on a measuring table with the front waist region 11 facing up. An acrylic plate with an area larger than the outer dimensions of the diaper 10 was then placed on top of the diaper 10 to flatten the diaper 10. A ruler was then placed on the diaper 10 parallel to the lateral direction X, and the distance in the lateral direction X from the outer edge to the inner edge of the side seal 16 was measured. Five samples were taken, and the average of these was used to measure the lengths W5, W6, and W7.

[0081] The reason for this is that, during manufacturing, the length in the horizontal direction X of the entire side seal 16 is approximately the same due to the heat sealing process, but the upper elastic region 61 located on the waist opening edge side has a relatively low elongation stress, while the middle elastic region 62 has a relatively high elongation stress, so that the middle parts 18B, 19B are pulled inward in the horizontal direction X, and the length W6 in the horizontal direction X of the side seal 16 is shortened.

[0082] As a result, the upper portions 18A, 19A and lower portions 18C, 19C of the side waist edges 18, 19 have higher rigidity than the intermediate portions 18B, 19B, and can suppress folds at the waist opening edges and leg opening edges. Even if folds occur, the upper and lower portions 18A, 18C, 19A, 19C do not become bent but return to their protruding state in the lateral direction X, so that the diaper 10 as a whole does not appear smaller in appearance.

[0083] The waist edge portions 18, 19 on both sides of the diaper 10 are roughly S-shaped with the upper portions 18A, 19A projecting significantly outward in the lateral direction X, so that when the wearer grasps the waist opening edge to pull up the diaper 10, the thumbs 91, 92 inserted into the waist opening 7 can be prevented from hitting and injuring the wearer's body.

[0084] In the intermediate elastic region 62, it is preferable to set the fineness of the second elastic bodies 72, 82 to be greater than the fineness of the first elastic bodies 71, 81, so that the contractile force of the second elastic bodies 72, 82 is greater than the contractile force of the first elastic bodies 71, 81. In such a case, the finger rest portions 31, 32 have a shape that extends so as to steeply incline downward and inward in the lateral direction X, and compared to a case in which they are gently inclined, the pads of the wearer's thumbs 91, 92 can be hooked onto and come into contact with the finger rest portions 31, 32.

[0085] In this way, in order to form the finger rests 31, 32 in which the intermediate portions 18B, 19B of the waist side edges 18, 19 are concavely curved inward in the horizontal direction X, it is necessary to set the fineness, elongation ratio, separation dimension (pitch), etc. of each elastic body so as to satisfy at least two of the following conditions: (1) the fineness of the second elastic bodies 72, 82 in the intermediate elastic region 62 is greater than the fineness of the other front and rear waist elastic bodies 40, 50 in the waist elastic region; (2) the elongation ratio of the second elastic bodies 72, 82 is greater than the elongation ratio of the other front and rear waist elastic bodies 40, 50; and (3) the separation dimension R2 of the second elastic bodies 72, 82 is smaller than the separation dimensions R1, R3 in the vertical direction Y between the other front and rear waist elastic bodies 40, 50.

[0086] If only one of the above conditions (1) to (3) is satisfied, the finger resting portions 31 and 32 will not extend downward with a steep inward inclination in the lateral direction X as in the illustrated example, but will have a gently inclined configuration, making it difficult for the pads of the fingers to get caught.

[0087] Although not shown, at least a portion of the upper elastic region 61 of one of the front and rear waist regions 11, 12 may have a color different from the intermediate elastic region 62 and the lower elastic region 63.

[0088] Specifically, for example, by coloring the upper waist elastics 41, 51 located in the upper elastic region 61 of the front waist region 11 in a color different from the other materials constituting the diaper 10, such as blue or red, the front and rear waist regions 11, 12 can be clearly distinguished from each other in appearance. Furthermore, the relatively wide waist opening edge is prominent, giving the visual impression that the diaper 10 is wide, providing a sense of security that it can adequately contain body waste.

[0089] 7(a) and (b), in a plan view when the diaper 10 is laid flat and in its natural state, the lengths L3 and L4 in the longitudinal direction Y from the lower end of the crotch region 13 to the inner edges 14a and 15a of the front and rear waist regions 11 and 12 are equal to or greater than the lengths L1 and L2 in the longitudinal direction Y of the front and rear waist regions 11 and 12.

[0090] As a result, the portions of the liquid-absorbent structure 20 located below the front and rear waist regions 11, 12 appear relatively large visually, giving the impression of sufficient absorption performance, and also making it easier to insert the legs through the leg openings 8, making it less likely that the wearer will feel a sense of tightness around the legs that would cause resistance.

[0091] In order to achieve the above-mentioned effects, it is preferable that the lengths L3, L4 in the longitudinal direction Y from the lower end of the crotch region 13 to the inner edges 14a, 15a of the front and rear waist regions 11, 12 are 1.0 to 1.2 times the lengths L1, L2 in the longitudinal direction Y of the front and rear waist regions 11, 12.

[0092] In addition, when the diaper 10 is laid flat and in its natural state, in a plan view, the lengths W1 and W2 of the front and rear waist regions 11 and 12 in the transverse direction X are equal to or greater than the lengths L3 and L4 in the longitudinal direction Y from the lower end of the crotch region 13 to the inner edges 14a and 15a of the front and rear waist regions 11 and 12.

[0093] In this case, after excretion, the force that tends to cause the crotch region 13, which has become heavier due to the absorption of excrement, to sag can be absorbed by the relatively horizontally elongated front and rear waist regions 11, 12. As a result, the force that tends to drag the crotch region 13 downward is distributed not locally but over the entire front and rear waist regions 11, 12, so that pressure marks are less likely to appear around the wearer's waist and the edge of the waist opening can be gently placed against the skin.

[0094] In the present invention, the term "pants-type absorbent article 10" refers to a pull-on wearable article having defined waist and leg openings that can be worn by inserting the wearer's legs into the leg openings and pulling the article up over the waist, with or without a pair of leg hoses.

[0095] In addition, the pants-type absorbent article 10 may have a structure in which the front and rear waist regions 11, 12 are made from separate sheet members (a so-called three-piece structure), as in the illustrated example, or a structure in which the front and rear waist regions are formed from a continuous sheet member (a so-called two-piece structure).

[0096] In addition to the materials described in the specification, various known materials commonly used in this type of article may be used without limitation for the components constituting the pants-type absorbent article of the present invention. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, terms such as "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" are used simply to distinguish between similar elements, positions, etc.

[0097] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 7 Waist opening 8 Leg openings 10 Pants-type absorbent article (disposable diaper) 11 Front waist region 12 Rear waist region 13 Crotch region 14a Inner edge of front waist region 15a Inner edge of rear waist region 16 Side seal 18 Waist side edge 19 Waist side edge 20 Liquid-absorbent structure 20a Front edge of liquid-absorbent structure 20b Rear edge of liquid-absorbent structure 28 Side flap 29A Leg elastic 31 Finger rest 32 Finger rest 61 Upper elastic region 62 Middle elastic region 63 Lower elastic region 71 First elastic 72 Second elastic K1 Imaginary line dividing the lateral dimension of the side flap into two equal parts L1 Vertical length of front waist region L2 Vertical length of rear waist region L3 Vertical length from the bottom end of the crotch region to the inner edge of the front waist region L4: The vertical length from the bottom edge of the crotch region to the inner edge of the rear waist region. W1: The horizontal length of the waist opening edge of the front waist region. W2: The horizontal length of the waist opening edge of the rear waist region. W3: The horizontal length of the front edge of the crotch region extending horizontally along the inner edge of the front waist region. W4: The horizontal length of the rear edge of the crotch region extending horizontally along the inner edge of the rear waist region. W5: The horizontal length of the side seals at the upper parts of both waist edges. W6: The horizontal length of the side seals at the middle parts of both waist edges. W7: The horizontal length of the side seals at the lower parts of both waist edges. X: Horizontal direction. Y: Vertical direction.

Claims

1. A pants-type absorbent article having longitudinal and transverse directions, comprising a front waist region, a rear waist region, a crotch region located between the front and rear waist regions, a liquid-absorbent structure having an absorbent body extending from the crotch region to the front and rear waist regions, side seals connecting both side edges of the front and rear waist regions, a waist opening, and a pair of leg openings, wherein both side waist edges having the side seals have a pair of finger rests that are concave inward in the transverse direction, and a portion of the finger rests is located further inward in the longitudinal direction than the front and rear end edges of the liquid-absorbent structure, and wherein, in a plan view when the pants-type absorbent article is laid flat and in its natural state, the length in the transverse direction of the waist opening edge of the front and rear waist regions is longer than the length in the transverse direction of the front and rear end edges of the crotch region that extend in the transverse direction along the inner end edges of the front and rear waist regions.

2. A pants-type absorbent article as described in claim 1, wherein the horizontal length of the side seal located further outward in the vertical direction than the finger support portion is longer than the horizontal length of the remaining portion of the side seal.

3. The front and rear waist regions have waist elastic regions including a plurality of waist elastics extending in the horizontal direction, the waist elastic region including an upper elastic region located on the edge side of the rag opening, a lower elastic region located on the edge side of the leg opening, and an intermediate elastic region located between the upper elastic region and the lower elastic region in the vertical direction, the finger rest portion is located in the intermediate elastic region, the intermediate elastic region has one or more first elastic bodies and one or more second elastic bodies located inside the first elastic bodies in the vertical direction, and the contractile force of the second elastic body is greater than the contractile force of the first elastic body.

4. A pants-type absorbent article as described in claim 3, wherein the second elastic body satisfies at least two of the following conditions: it has a finer density than the other waist elastic bodies in the waist elastic region; it has a higher magnification than the other waist elastic bodies; and the distance in the vertical direction between adjacent waist elastic bodies in the vertical direction is smaller than the distance in the vertical direction between the other waist elastic bodies.

5. The pants-type absorbent article according to claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the upper elastic region of one of the front and rear waist regions has a color different from the color of the intermediate elastic region and the color of the lower elastic region.

6. A pants-type absorbent article as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, when viewed in a plan view when the absorbent article is laid flat and in its natural state, the vertical length from the lower end of the crotch region to the inner edges of the front and rear waist regions is equal to or greater than the vertical length of the front and rear waist regions.

7. A pants-type absorbent article as described in claim 6, wherein the length in the longitudinal direction from the lower end of the crotch region to the inner edge of the front waist region is 1.0 to 1.2 times the length in the longitudinal direction of the front and rear waist regions.

8. A pants-type absorbent article as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, when viewed in a plan view when the absorbent article is laid flat and in its natural state, the horizontal length of the front and rear waist regions is equal to or greater than the vertical length from the lower end of the crotch region to the inner edge of the front and rear waist regions.

9. A pants-type absorbent article as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid-absorbing structure has a pair of side flaps located on the outer side of both side edges of the absorbent body in the horizontal direction, the pair of side flaps having multiple leg elastics extending in the vertical direction, and the leg elastics are not positioned inside in the horizontal direction from an imaginary boundary line that divides the horizontal dimension of the side flaps into two equal parts.

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