JP2022190277A - Incontinence absorbent article - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an incontinence absorbent article having a soft texture and excellent fluid diffusibility and retaining a high-level absorption speed even after a plurality of times of absorption.SOLUTION: An incontinence absorbent article 50 comprises a liquid permeable top sheet 10, a liquid impermeable back sheet 30, and an absorber 20 disposed therebetween. The absorber 20 includes absorbent fibers and a superabsorbent polymer. The top sheet 10 includes a skin-side surface layer 11 located at a skin side of a wearer, and a non-skin-side surface layer 12 located at a non-skin side of the wearer. The skin-side surface layer 11 is a cotton layer made of natural cotton fibers, the non-skin-side surface layer 12 includes synthetic cellulose fibers, and the skin-side surface of the top sheet 10 is subjected to water-repellent treatment.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to incontinence absorbent articles.

In general, absorbent articles such as light incontinence pads, pants-type paper diapers, and tape-fastened paper diapers are composed of a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent body disposed between the two sheets. , consists of As a result, body fluids such as urine pass through the top sheet and are absorbed by the absorber, and are prevented from leaking to the outside by the back sheet. 2. Description of the Related Art Various proposals have been made for absorbent articles in order to improve absorbency of body fluids, improve wearer's wearing comfort, prevent leakage, and the like.

Patent Document 1 includes a top sheet, an absorbent body, and a back sheet. A second sheet made of adhesive fibers and made of a heat-fusible layer entangled and joined to a non-heat-fusible layer, disposed on the non-skin side of the top sheet and made of heat-fusible fibers, and a non-heat-fusible second sheet It has a plurality of pressing parts provided on the skin side surface and recessed on the skin side, and the pressing parts press the second sheet from the non-skin side to integrally bond the second sheet and the heat-sealing layer of the top sheet. An absorbent article is disclosed in which the skin-side surface of the top sheet after being fixed is flat (claim 1, FIG. 4). According to Patent Document 1, it is described that an absorbent article is provided in which body fluid absorbed by the top sheet can migrate to the non-skin side without degrading the soft feel of cotton (paragraph 0023).

In addition, for the purpose of preventing liquid return and improving absorption performance such as absorption speed, it has been proposed to dispose a perforated film at a predetermined position of the absorbent article. In Patent Document 2, a top sheet, an absorbent body and a back sheet are provided, and the top sheet is laminated and integrated with a skin-contacting surface layer, which is a perforated film made of a thermoplastic resin, on the non-skin side thereof to provide bulkiness. (claim 1). According to Patent Document 2, it is described that body fluids are guided to the absorbent body without flowing or remaining on the top sheet, and an absorbent article with high absorption performance and less stickiness is provided. (Paragraph 0014).

In Patent Document 3, an absorbent body containing a super absorbent polymer (hereinafter also referred to as "SAP"), fluff pulp, etc., and an absorbent body coating made of a water-resistant, highly breathable synthetic resin perforated film The perforated film has a large number of funnel-shaped projections with small perforations at the top and large perforations at the bottom, and the tops of the projections are arranged so as to be in contact with the absorbent body. Absorbent articles are disclosed (claims 1 and 8). According to Patent Document 3, since the absorbent covering layer causes the absorbent to reabsorb body fluid that has leaked out, even if a large amount of bodily fluid is discharged in a short period of time, leakage of the bodily fluid is unlikely to occur, and the air permeability of the absorbent is excellent. It is described that the absorbent article has an excellent sense of use because of the good absorption (Paragraph 0058).

JP 2019-162415 A JP-A-8-66425 JP-A-2002-355271

Patent Document 1 discloses a spunlace made of 100% by weight of cotton fibers as a preferred embodiment of a non-heat-fusible layer made of cellulosic fibers provided on the skin-side surface of a top sheet from the viewpoint of obtaining a soft touch. Nonwovens are mentioned (paragraph 0036). However, a nonwoven fabric made of 100% by weight cotton fiber feels stiff to the wearer. Moreover, in Patent Document 1, since the top sheet and the second sheet are integrated by pressing, the above-mentioned hardness of the non-heat-fusible layer is further increased, and the wearing feeling of the absorbent article tends to deteriorate.

In Patent Document 2, as the top sheet, a laminated integrated product of a skin-side layer that is a porous film made of thermoplastic resin and a non-skin-side layer containing bulky cellulose fibers is used to improve liquid backflow prevention and absorption. Efforts are being made to improve speed, etc. However, the absorbent article described in Patent Document 2 cannot be said to be effective in improving the diffusibility of body fluids, and the absorption performance of the absorbent body cannot be sufficiently exhibited.

In Patent Document 3, the perforated film is used to prevent the absorbent component from detaching from the absorbent body and to maintain the shape stability of the absorbent body (claim 1). In addition, although the perforated film is provided so that the top of the head, which has a relatively small pore diameter, is in contact with the absorber, it is difficult for the absorber to reabsorb leaked body fluids. , did not contribute to the improvement of body fluid diffusibility in the absorber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article for incontinence that is soft to the touch, has excellent body fluid diffusibility, and maintains a high level of absorption rate even after multiple absorptions.

As a result of extensive research to solve the above problems, the inventors of the present invention have a skin-side layer and a non-skin-side layer, the skin-side layer is made of natural cotton fibers, and the non-skin-side layer is synthetic cellulose. Using a top sheet containing fibers, treating the skin side surface of the top sheet with water repellent treatment, and optionally placing an apertured film between the top sheet and the absorbent body, the non-skin side of the top sheet and the open The present inventors have found that an absorbent article for incontinence that satisfies the purpose can be obtained by arranging the perforated film in close proximity to each other, and have completed the present invention. The present invention provides the following absorbent article for incontinence.

(1) An absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable topsheet, a liquid-impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent body disposed therebetween,
The top sheet includes a skin-side surface layer located on the wearer's skin side and a non-skin-side surface layer located on the wearer's non-skin side,
The skin-side surface layer is a cotton layer made of natural cotton fibers, and the non-skin-side surface layer contains synthetic cellulose fibers,
An absorbent article for incontinence, wherein the skin-side surface of the top sheet is water repellent.
(2) The top sheet has an average bending stiffness B of 0.04 gf·cm ² /cm or less when the top sheet is bent in a direction perpendicular to the MD direction, and an average bending hysteresis 2HB of the top sheet is 0.04 gf·cm 2 /cm. cm/cm or less, the absorbent article for incontinence according to (1) above.
(3) The absorbent article for incontinence according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the compression hardness LC of the top sheet is 0.5 or less.
(4) The absorbent article for incontinence according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the water-repellent treatment is performed by applying a water-repellent agent to the skin-side surface of the top sheet.
(5) The absorbent article for incontinence according to (4) above, wherein the water repellent is one or more selected from the group consisting of paraffin water repellents and silicone water repellents.
(6) When the total weight of the top sheet is 100 parts by weight, the above ( 4) or the absorbent article for incontinence of (5).
(7) Any one of the above (1) to (6), further comprising a perforated film having a plurality of perforations extending from one surface to the other surface and disposed between the top sheet and the absorbent body. An incontinence absorbent article.
(8) The absorbent article according to any one of (1) to (7) above, further comprising a second sheet disposed between the top sheet and the perforated film for diffusing bodily fluids and imparting cushioning properties to the absorbent article. Any incontinence absorbent article.
(9) The absorbent article for incontinence according to any one of (1) to (8) above, wherein the absorbent body is a fluff absorbent body containing absorbent fibers and a superabsorbent polymer.

According to the present invention, there is provided an absorbent article for incontinence that is soft to the touch, has excellent body fluid diffusibility, and maintains a high level of absorption speed even after multiple absorptions.

1 is a plan view schematically showing the structure of an incontinence absorbent article according to this embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view in the width direction taken along line XX shown in FIG. 1;

In this specification, wearing the incontinence absorbent article 50 refers to the state in which it is worn on the wearer's body, regardless of whether it is before or after absorption of bodily fluids. The longitudinal direction of the incontinence absorbent article 50 is the direction indicated by Y in the drawing that extends from front to back through the crotch of the wearer when the incontinence absorbent article 50 is worn, and the width direction is the longitudinal direction. The direction indicated by X in the drawing is substantially orthogonal to the direction, and the thickness direction is the direction indicated by Z in the drawing in which the constituent members are laminated. The skin-side surface of the incontinence absorbent article 50 and its constituent members is the surface that contacts or faces the wearer's skin, and the non-skin-side surface is the surface that contacts the wearer's clothing or clothing. It is the surface facing the Body fluids refer to liquids excreted from the body to the outside of the body, such as urine and water in loose stools.

<Incontinence absorbent article>
Hereinafter, an absorbent article for incontinence 50 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "absorbent article 50") according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. 1-2 show an absorbent article 50. FIG. Each figure does not define the shape of the absorbent article 50 and each constituent member, the size relationship of the dimensions, and the like.

The absorbent article 50 of the present embodiment is intended to absorb water in urine and loose stools, and can be used as various absorbent articles for babies, adults and the elderly. , light incontinence liners, pad products such as urine absorbent pads (excluding sanitary napkins), and disposable diaper products such as pants-type disposable diapers and tape-fastening type disposable diapers. Various paper diapers as an outer and the absorbent article 50 as an inner may be combined. Both the longitudinal dimension L ₅₀ (FIG. 1) and the widthwise dimension W ₅₀ (FIG. 1) of the absorbent article ₅₀ are not particularly limited. ₅₀ is the range of 50 mm or more and 500 mm or less. By adjusting the dimensions of the absorbent article 50 within the above range, various forms of absorbent articles can be easily obtained.

The absorbent article 50 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a liquid-permeable top sheet 10 positioned on the skin side and a liquid-impermeable back sheet 30 positioned opposite the top sheet 10 and positioned on the non-skin side. , an absorbent body 20 arranged between the top sheet 10 and the back sheet 30, a second sheet 60 and a perforated film 70 arranged in order from the skin side between the top sheet 10 and the absorbent body 20, and a pair of three-dimensional gathers 40 provided on the skin-side surface of the top sheet 10 . The absorbent body 20 is a fluff absorbent body containing absorbent fibers such as fluff pulp and a superabsorbent polymer. The top sheet 10 has a two-layer structure of a skin-side surface layer 11 which is a cotton layer made of cotton fibers and a non-skin-side surface layer containing synthetic cellulose fibers.

According to this embodiment, the skin-side surface layer 11 made of natural cotton fibers and the non-skin-side surface layer 12 made of synthetic cellulose fibers are provided on the skin side and the non-skin side of the top sheet 10, respectively. By lining the layer 11 with the non-skin-side surface layer 12, it is possible to form the skin-side surface layer 11 into a thin layer having a thickness of about 20 μm to 400 μm. In addition, body fluids are smoothly transferred from the skin-side surface layer 11 to the non-skin-side surface layer 12, and the skin-side surface of the top sheet 10 (skin-side surface layer 11) is repellent. Since the absorbent article 50 is water-treated, the skin-side surface does not become sticky due to bodily fluids, and the absorbent article 50 is comfortable to wear.
In addition, according to the present embodiment including the perforated film 70, the body fluid that has permeated the skin-side surface layer 12 spreads in the surface direction of the non-skin-side surface layer 12, that is, in the longitudinal direction and the width direction. The side surface layer 12 and the perforated film 70 are arranged so as to be in contact with each other, or in the embodiment described later, the non-skin-side surface layer 12 of the top sheet 10 and the perforated film 70 are arranged, and the second sheet 60 is arranged therebetween. By arranging the non-skin-side surface layer 12 close to each other, the body fluid that has permeated the non-skin-side surface layer 12 diffuses substantially evenly over the entire surface direction of the absorbent body 20 through the perforated film 70, so body fluid diffusion in the absorbent body 20 An absorbent article 50 is obtained that has remarkably improved properties, can fully utilize the body fluid absorption capacity of the entire absorbent body 20, has a high body fluid absorption rate even after multiple times of body fluid absorption, and has sufficient reserve capacity for the body fluid absorption capacity. be done.
In addition, according to the present embodiment, as described above, body fluids are supplied substantially evenly over the entire surface direction of the skin-side surface of the absorbent body 20, so that body fluid leakage such as liquid return and side leakage is prevented. A functional article 50 is obtained.

The absorbent article 50 of the present embodiment has the top sheet 10, the absorbent body 20, and the back sheet 30 as basic structural units, and includes, for example, the arrangement of the three-dimensional gathers 40 as described above, and the combination of the top sheet 10 and the absorbent body 20. Various known modifications can be made, such as placing a second sheet 60 or a transfer sheet (not shown) in between, covering the absorbent body 20 with a carrier sheet (not shown), and the like. Hereinafter, the constituent members of the absorbent article 50 of this embodiment will be described in more detail in the order of the top sheet 10, the second sheet 60, the absorbent body 20, the back sheet 30, and the three-dimensional gathers 40.

<Top sheet>
The top sheet 10 is a liquid-permeable sheet-like base material that allows bodily fluids to pass quickly toward the absorbent body 20 and diffuse the bodily fluids in the surface direction of the absorbent body 20 . The top sheet 10 of this embodiment is formed by stacking a skin-side surface layer 11 and a non-skin-side surface layer 12 together. The skin-side surface layer 11 is made of natural cotton fibers, and the content of natural cotton fibers is preferably 100% by weight of the total amount of the skin-side surface layer 11 . The non-skin side surface layer 12 contains synthetic pulp fibers, and the content of the synthetic pulp fibers is preferably in the range of 1% to 60% by weight, or in the range of 10% to 50% by weight of the total amount of the top sheet 10. It is formed on the non-skin side of the top sheet 10 so as to be. The non-skin-side surface layer 12 can contain one or more of various natural cellulose fibers, synthetic resin fibers, etc., in addition to synthetic pulp fibers.

Cotton fibers derived from cotton are used for the skin-side surface layer 11 from the viewpoint of a soft touch. The cotton fibers may be those subjected to treatments such as delignification and bleaching. The skin-side surface layer 11 is preferably made of 100% by weight of cotton fibers as described above, but may contain one or more natural cellulose fibers other than cotton fibers within a range that does not impair the advantages of cotton fibers. You can stay. Synthetic cellulose fibers used for the non-skin surface layer 12 are not particularly limited, but examples thereof include rayon, lyocell, and cupra. Synthetic cellulose fibers can be used singly or in combination of two or more.

The form of the skin-side surface layer 11 and the non-skin-side surface layer 12 in this embodiment is not particularly limited as long as it is in the form of a sheet, and examples thereof include woven fabrics and spunlaced nonwoven fabrics. Among these, the spunlace nonwoven fabric is preferable, for example, from the viewpoint of obtaining a soft feeling or softness against the skin without leaving the hardness of the skin-side surface layer 11 . Spunlaced nonwoven fabrics are produced by, for example, unraveling raw material fibers and removing foreign substances as necessary to obtain a sheet-shaped wrap, and carding the sheet-shaped wrap with a carding machine to obtain a sheet. It can be produced by a general manufacturing method including. The non-skin-side surface layer 12 can also be produced in the same manner. After that, cotton fibers are placed in the upper layer and synthetic pulp fibers or the like are placed in the lower layer and hydroentangled, and the skin-side surface layer 11 and the non-skin-side surface layer 12 are integrated in the thickness direction. Spunlace nonwoven fabric ( It can be a topsheet 10).

The surface of the top sheet 10 may be embossed or perforated from the viewpoint of improving liquid permeability. From the viewpoint of reducing irritation to the skin, the top sheet 10 may contain one or more of lotions, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory ingredients, pH adjusters, antibacterial agents, moisturizers, and the like. The basis weight of the top sheet 10 as a whole including the skin-side surface layer 11 and the non-skin-side surface layer 12 is, for example, 15 g/m from the viewpoint of softness against the skin, strength, workability, and liquid return amount. ² or more and 60 g/m ² or less, or 20 g/m ² or more and 55 g/m ² or less. Moreover, the thickness of the top sheet 10 including the skin-side surface layer 11 and the non-skin-side surface layer 12 is, for example, in the range of 0.1 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less. The shape of the top sheet 10 is not particularly limited as long as it covers part or all of the absorbent body 20 required to guide body fluids to the absorbent body 20 without leakage.

(water repellent treatment)
The skin-side surface of the top sheet 10, that is, the skin-side surface of the skin-side surface layer 11 is subjected to a water-repellent treatment. By this water-repellent treatment, for example, a coating layer and/or an adhesion layer of a water-repellent agent is formed on the skin-side surface and/or inside of the top sheet 10 (skin-side surface layer 11), and the top sheet 10 absorbs body fluids of the wearer. It is possible to prevent the skin-side surface layer 11 from becoming wet due to a large amount of moisture when it absorbs moisture, thereby preventing a decrease in wearing comfort. Examples of the water repellent treatment include a method of applying a water repellent agent or its solution. Known water repellants can be used, and examples thereof include paraffin water repellents such as mineral oil and vaseline, and silicon water repellants such as dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane and trisiloxane. Among these, water repellent agents that do not irritate the skin are preferred. The coating amount is, for example, 0.2 parts by weight or more and 0.4 parts by weight or less with respect to 100 parts by weight of the top sheet 10 . If the amount is less than 0.2 parts by weight, the function of the water repellent tends to be insufficient. The amount of penetration into the body 20 tends to decrease.

<Average bending stiffness B, average bending hysteresis 2HB, compression hardness LC>
The softness of the topsheet 10 can be expressed in terms of average bending stiffness B, average bending hysteresis 2HB, and compression hardness LC.

(Average bending stiffness B and average bending hysteresis 2HB)
The top sheet 10 has an average flexural rigidity B (hereinafter simply referred to as "average flexural rigidity B") when bent in a direction perpendicular to the MD direction in the range of 0.04 gf cm ² /cm or less. On the other hand, the average bending hysteresis 2HB (hereinafter simply referred to as "hysteresis 2HB") when bent in the vertical direction is 0.04 gf·cm/cm or less. When the average bending stiffness B and the average bending hysteresis 2HB are within the ranges described above, the top sheet 10 has a soft feeling without hardness. In addition, the higher the average bending stiffness B, the harder the feel, and the higher the average bending hysteresis 2HB, the harder it is to return after bending, and the worse the bending recovery.

The average flexural rigidity B and hysteresis 2HB of the top sheet 10 were measured using a pure bending tester friction tester (trade name: KES-FB2, manufactured by Kato Tech Co., Ltd.) using a 100 m × 100 m sample with a clamp interval of 10 mm. and measured at a curvature increase rate of 5 mm/sec.

(Compression hardness LC)
The top sheet 10 has a compression hardness LC of, for example, 0.5 or less. Compression hardness LC indicates how deformation occurs with respect to a compressive force in the thickness direction, and if the compression hardness LC is a value higher than 0.5, hardness will appear. I don't like it because Compression hardness LC is measured using a handy compression tester (trade name: KES-G5, manufactured by Kato Tech Co., Ltd.), placing a sample on a test table, and placing a copper pressurizer having a circular plane with an area of 2 cm ² above the sample. is measured by indenting and compressing the sample under conditions of a speed of 0.01 cm/sec and a maximum compressive stress of 20 gf/cm ² .

<second seat>
In this embodiment, the second sheet 60 may be arranged on the non-skin side of the top sheet 10 , more specifically between the top sheet 10 and the absorbent body 20 . By arranging the second sheet 60, the cushioning property is increased, and the feeling of wearing and fitting of the absorbent article 50 is improved. It is supplied toward the perforated film 70 according to the supply.

The base material of the second sheet 60 is, for example, a bulky nonwoven fabric that has a faster body fluid permeation rate than the top sheet 10 and quickly diffuses body fluids into the absorbent body 20 . The nonwoven fabric is preferably an air-through nonwoven fabric, a spunbond nonwoven fabric, or the like. The thickness of the second sheet 60 is, for example, in the range of 0.1 mm or more and 4 mm or less, and its basis weight is, for example, in the range of 20 g/m ² or more and 60 g/m ² or less, or in the range of 22 g/m ² or more and 37 g/m ² or less. is. If the thickness is less than 0.1 mm, or the basis weight is less than 20 g/m ² or greater than 60 g/m ² , diffusion of bodily fluids over the entire skin-side surface of the absorbent body 20 becomes insufficient, and the absorbent article 50 There is a tendency for the wearability of the product to decrease. In addition, the shape of the second sheet 60 is not particularly limited, but in a preferred embodiment, any shape that can completely cover the surface of the absorbent body 20 may be used.

<Perforated film>
The perforated film 70 is a resin film having a plurality of perforations 71 (FIG. 2) penetrating in the thickness direction. The perforated film 70 may be arranged between the second sheet 60 and the absorbent body 20 in this embodiment. While diffusing in the longitudinal direction and width direction, the body fluid is evenly supplied to substantially the entire skin-side surface of the absorbent body 20 . Note that the perforated film 70 may be arranged between the top sheet 10 and the absorbent body 20 without the second sheet 60 interposed therebetween, without being limited to this embodiment. The perforated film 70 includes perforated polyethylene film, perforated polypropylene film, and the like.

The perforated film 70 has perforations of, for example, a diameter of 2 mm or less, or a range of 0.50 mm or more and 0.65 mm or less, in terms of body fluid diffusibility, strength, and workability. The aperture diameter is the diameter of the apertures 71 on the surface of the apertured film 70 . If the pore diameter is smaller than 0.50 mm, the permeability to body fluids tends to decrease, and if the pore diameter is larger than 0.65 mm, the strength, workability, etc. of the perforated film 70 tend to decrease. In this specification, the aperture diameter is obtained by photographing the surface of the apertured film 70 with a one-shot 3D shape measuring machine (trade name: VR-3100, manufactured by KEYENCE CORPORATION) and selecting three apertures 71 arbitrarily. is the average value of the measured diameters. The aperture diameter of the aperture film 70 may be the same on the second sheet 60 side and the absorbent core 20 side, or may be different.

The number of holes 71 in the holed film 70 is, for example, 50 holes/cm ² or more from the viewpoint of liquid permeability, etc., and the upper limit depends on the hole diameter of the holes 71. A range in which the permeability of the perforated film 70 to the absorbent body 20 and the liquid permeability to the absorbent body 20 can be obtained at a high level in a well-balanced manner may be appropriately selected. If the number of pores is less than 50/cm ² , the perforated film 70 tends to be hard and the liquid permeability tends to decrease. Moreover, from the viewpoint of liquid permeability and the like, the open area ratio is in the range of 25% or more and 50% or less, or in the range of 30% or more and 50% or less. In terms of strength and workability, the perforated film 70 has a basis weight, for example, in the range of 20 g/m ² or more and 60 g/m ² or less, or in the range of 23 g/m ² or more and 30 g/m ² or less. When the weight is less than 20 g/m ² , the perforated film 70 tends to be easily broken, and when it is more than 60 g/m ² , the texture tends to be hard.

<Absorber>
The absorber 20 has a longitudinal dimension (maximum length) L ₂₀ (FIG. 1) of, for example, 100 mm or more and 800 mm or less, 150 mm or more and 500 mm or less, or 270 mm or more and 500 mm or less. The widthwise dimension (maximum width) W ₂₀ (FIG. 1) of the absorbent body 20 is, for example, in the range of 50 mm or more and 500 mm or less, 60 mm or more and 400 mm or less, or 70 mm or more and 105 mm or less. In addition, when the absorbent body 20 has an hourglass shape in plan view, the longitudinal dimension is in the range of 180 mm or more and 800 mm or less, and the width dimension of the front part and the rear part, which contact the wearer's abdomen and back, respectively, is 60 mm or more. It is in the range of 400 mm or less, and the width direction dimension of the central portion that contacts the crotch portion of the wearer is in the range of 90 mm or more and 250 mm or less. Examples of the planar shape of the absorber 20 include an hourglass shape, an I shape, a rectangle, a square with rounded corners, and an ellipse.
The absorbent body 20 is arranged on the non-skin side of the top sheet 10, second sheet 60, or perforated film 70, and contains absorbent fibers and superabsorbent polymers as body fluid absorbing components.

(absorbent fiber)
Absorbent fibers are not particularly limited as long as they are generally used for absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, paper diapers, and incontinence pads. Examples include fluff pulp, cotton, rayon, acetate, tissue, absorbent paper, Examples include hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics. Among these, fluff pulp is preferable from the viewpoint of absorbability. Examples of fluff pulp include wood pulp (eg, bleached softwood kraft pulp (N-BKP) such as southern pine and Douglas fir), synthetic fibers, resin fibers, flocculated materials such as non-wood pulp, and the like.

(super absorbent polymer)
The superabsorbent polymer is not particularly limited as long as it can absorb bodily fluids and prevent backflow. Polyacrylates, polyaspartates, (starch-acrylic acid) graft copolymers, (acrylic acid-vinyl alcohol) copolymers, (isobutylene-maleic anhydride) copolymers and saponified products thereof. Among them, from the viewpoint of absorption per weight, polyacrylates are preferred, alkali metal polyacrylates are more preferred, and sodium polyacrylate is even more preferred. A superabsorbent polymer can be used individually by 1 type or in combination of 2 or more types.

The superabsorbent polymer is used, for example, in the form of particles, fibers, etc., but is preferably used in the form of particles from the viewpoint of ease of handling. At this time, by avoiding the use of a fine powder superabsorbent polymer with poor fluidity as a powder and using a superabsorbent polymer having a medium particle size, the basic performance related to absorption is improved, and the absorbent body 20 It is possible to reduce the rugged feel caused by hardening after absorbing body fluids. The median particle size of the superabsorbent polymer is, for example, in the range of 50 µm to 600 µm or in the range of 100 µm to 500 µm.

The absorbent body 20 can be produced, for example, by mixing predetermined amounts of absorbent fibers and a superabsorbent polymer and molding the mixture into a sheet-like shape, for example. The basis weight of the absorbent fibers in the absorbent body 20 is, for example, in the range of 100 g/m ² or more and 800 g/m ² or less or in the range of 180 g/m ² or more and 450 g/m ² or less. This allows it to absorb more bodily fluids without sacrificing texture. The basis weight of the superabsorbent polymer in the fluff absorbent body 20 is, for example, in the range of 50 g/m ² or more and 800 g/m ² or less, or in the range of 90 g/m ² or more and 400 g/m ² or less. By selecting the basis weight of the superabsorbent polymer from the range described above, together with the substantially uniform supply of bodily fluids by the perforated film 70, gel blocking in the absorbent body 20 is prevented, and a plurality of bodily fluids are distributed to the fluff absorbent body 20. can be reabsorbed.
As the absorbent body 20, in addition to the fluff absorbent body described above, an absorbent sheet including two hydrophilic sheets and a superabsorbent polymer layer provided therebetween and a known modification thereof are used. may be used.

(Carrier sheet)
In this embodiment, the absorbent body 20 may be wrapped with a carrier sheet (not shown). A carrier sheet is a hydrophilic sheet and completely or partially envelops the absorbent body 20 . For example, the absorber 20 is placed in the center of the carrier sheet in the width direction, and if necessary, the carrier sheet and the absorber 20 are adhered with a hot-melt adhesive or the like. By overlapping the skin side of 20 and adhering with a hot-melt adhesive or the like as necessary, the absorbent body 20 is obtained by C-folding with the carrier sheet. As the carrier sheet, any hydrophilic sheet commonly used in this field can be used, for example, hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics such as thermal bonded nonwoven fabric, spunbond nonwoven fabric, air-laid nonwoven fabric, air-through nonwoven fabric, pulp-containing nonwoven fabric, tissue paper, and absorbent paper. etc. Among hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics, hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics such as thermal bonded nonwoven fabrics, spunbond nonwoven fabrics, air-through nonwoven fabrics, and pulp-containing nonwoven fabrics are more preferred, and air-through nonwoven fabrics, pulp-containing nonwoven fabrics, spunbond nonwoven fabrics, and the like are more preferred. Further, the thickness of the carrier sheet is, for example, 0.10 mm or more and 0.25 mm or less, and the basis weight is, for example, 5 g/m ² or more and 40 g/m ² or less.

<Back seat>
The back sheet 30 may be formed using a liquid-impermeable base material that does not allow body fluids held by the absorbent body 20 to wet the clothes of the wearer. , a composite sheet, which is a laminate of a resin film and a nonwoven fabric, and the like. The nonwoven fabric used for the composite sheet is not particularly limited in manufacturing method, and examples include single-layer nonwoven fabrics such as spunbond nonwoven fabrics and meltblown nonwoven fabrics, spunbond nonwoven fabric/meltblown nonwoven fabric laminates, spunbond nonwoven fabric/meltblown nonwoven fabric/spunbond nonwoven fabric laminates. Composite nonwoven fabrics such as bodies, composite materials thereof, and the like. Examples of resin films include polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polypropylene, composite films of polyethylene and polypropylene, and the like.

The basis weight of the backsheet 30 is, for example, in the range of 15 g/m ² or more and 60 g/m ² or less from the viewpoint of strength and workability. In addition, it is preferable that the back sheet 30 has air permeability in order to prevent stuffiness during wearing. In order to make the back sheet 30 air-permeable, for example, a filler may be added to the base resin film, or the back sheet 30 may be embossed. Calcium carbonate can be used as a filler, and a known method can be used without limitation as a method for blending the filler.

<Three-dimensional gather>
For example, the three-dimensional gathers 40 are formed along the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article 50 near both ends in the width direction of the absorbent article 50 in order to prevent lateral leakage of bodily fluid excreted by the wearer of the absorbent article 50. 10 is fixed to the skin side. The three-dimensional gathers 40 include an elastic stretchable member 40a and a water-repellent and/or waterproof sheet member 40b.

The elastic stretchable member 40a is arranged in the vicinity of the free end (the other end) of the sheet member 40b along the longitudinal direction, and provides the free end with uprightness so that the free end of the sheet member 40b and its neighboring area can be used by the wearer. Make it deformable according to the body shape of. In the present embodiment, the sheet member 40b has one widthwise end (fixed end) fixed near both widthwise ends of the skin side surface of the back sheet 30, and a widthwise intermediate portion fixed near both widthwise ends of the skin side surface of the top sheet 10. and the other end in the width direction is a free end having an upright property. The fixing position of the fixed end (one end in the width direction) of the sheet member 40b is not limited to this embodiment. all or part of each edge of the joined body, near both width direction ends of the skin side or non-skin side of the joined body, near both width direction ends of the skin side of the top sheet 10, and the like.

The sheet member 40b is a water-repellent and/or waterproof sheet, and is made of, for example, non-woven fabric. As the nonwoven fabric for the first sheet member, a water-repellent and/or waterproof (liquid-impermeable) nonwoven fabric made of hydrophobic fibers can be used without particular limitation. Composite nonwoven fabrics (SMS nonwoven fabrics), which are nonwoven fabric/meltblown nonwoven fabric/spunbond nonwoven fabric laminates, and the like can be mentioned. The basis weight of the sheet member 40b is, for example, in the range of 13 g/m ² or more and 20 g/m ² or less. As the elastic stretchable member 40a, for example, a string-like, string-like, or belt-like member made of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, polyurethane, or the like can be used as appropriate.

<Method for manufacturing absorbent article>
The absorbent article 50 can be manufactured by a known manufacturing method. In the step of accommodating the body 20, the edges of the top sheet 10 and the edges of the back sheet 30 are partially or entirely fixed using a hot-melt adhesive, heat embossing, ultrasonic embossing, high-frequency embossing, or the like. and a step of placing the three-dimensional gathers 40 at predetermined positions on the back sheet 30 and the top sheet 10 . The absorbent article 50 is appropriately provided with leg gathers, waist gathers, side flaps, and the like as necessary. The absorbent article 50 thus obtained is folded and manufactured.

Although the present invention has been described using the embodiments, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments and examples. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. In addition, it is clear from the description of the scope of the claims that forms with such modifications or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

EXAMPLES The present embodiment will be described more specifically with reference to examples below.

<Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4>
(Preparation of top sheet)
The topsheets of Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Examples 2 and 3 were made using three carding machines, and the bottom layer (non-skin side) was a non-skin sheet containing cotton fibers and synthetic cellulose fibers (rayon or lyocell). Laminated so that the side surface layer is arranged, the upper layer (skin surface side) and the middle layer are laminated so that the skin side surface layer composed only of cotton fibers is arranged, and the upper, middle and lower layers are hydroentangled in the thickness direction. After being integrated into a spunlace nonwoven fabric, the upper layer (skin surface side) is coated with a kiss coater so that the amount of silicon-based water repellent applied as a water repellent is 0.3 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the top sheet. ) to prepare top sheets of Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Examples 2 and 3. The top sheet of Comparative Example 1 was prepared by using only cotton fibers to prepare a sheet of 100% by weight of cotton fibers in the same manner as described above, and applying a silicone water repellent agent thereto in the same manner. In Comparative Example 4, a spunbonded nonwoven fabric was used as the top sheet without applying a silicone water repellent agent.
The average flexural rigidity B, average flexural hysteresis 2HB, and compression hardness LC of each of the obtained top sheets were measured according to the methods described above, and the results are shown in Table 1.

(Production of absorbent article)
An absorbent article having the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 was produced.
As the top sheet, the one shown in Table 1 was used, as the absorbent, an absorbent composed of 7.0 g of fluff pulp and 6.0 g of superabsorbent polymer was used. A material having a number of holes and a basis weight of 26 g/m ² is used, an air-through nonwoven fabric (basis weight of 30 g/m ² ) is used as the second sheet, and a spunbond nonwoven fabric/meltblown nonwoven fabric/spunbond nonwoven fabric is used as a three-dimensional gather. was used, and a breathable polyethylene sheet (basis weight: 32 g/ ^{m 2} ) was used as a liquid-impermeable backsheet. Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Example 1, in which the top sheet and the upper surface of the absorbent body were joined using a hot-melt adhesive when the top sheet, the back sheet and the absorbent body were integrated, and the dimensions shown in Table 1 were obtained. ~4 absorbent articles (products) were made.

The absorbent articles of Examples 1-6 and Comparative Examples 1-4 were subjected to the following evaluations. Table 1 shows the results.
<Evaluation>
(Liquid return amount)
With the top sheet facing upward, pour 120 ml of physiological saline toward the center of the absorbent body and leave it for 10 minutes. ) No. 2 filter paper, diameter 55 mm) was placed, a weight of 35 kgf/cm ² was placed on it, the weight of the filter paper was measured after 30 seconds had passed, and the difference in weight of the filter paper was taken as the liquid return amount.
(Absorption speed 3 times method)
A measuring jig having a hole with an inner diameter of 19 mm and a weight of ^755.6 g was placed on the central part of the absorbent article in the longitudinal direction and the width direction, 20 ml of physiological saline was dropped from each of the upper holes, and the time was measured from the time when the physiological saline contacted the absorbent article to the end point when the liquid was completely sucked into the circumference of the jig center circle (1 second time). Then, after 3 minutes had passed, the same time was measured (second time), and the third time was measured in the same way, and the total value of the first to third times was obtained.
(Wet spreadability)
With the top sheet facing up, 100 ml of physiological saline is poured toward the center of the absorbent body, and the time (seconds) until the physiological saline spreads 20 cm in the longitudinal direction of the product from the absorption site is measured. Spreadability was evaluated. The shorter the time, the better the wet spreadability (body fluid diffusion).
(softness of the top sheet)
Sensory evaluation was conducted by 20 panelists in order to examine the texture improvement effect. Touching the top sheet of the absorbent article, when the number of evaluators who "felt the surface was soft and had a good texture" was 16 or more and 20 or less, "O" was given. When 11 or more and 15 or less evaluators evaluated it, it was evaluated as "Δ", and when 10 or less evaluated that "the surface felt soft and had a good texture", it was evaluated as "x".

From the results in Table 1, it can be said that the absorbent articles of Examples 1 to 6 have a soft top sheet and good absorption performance. On the other hand, the absorbent articles of Comparative Examples 1 to 4 did not achieve both the softness of the top sheet and the absorbent performance.
Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain an absorbent article that exhibits both good texture derived from natural cellulose fibers and good liquid return.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 top sheet 11 skin-side surface layer 12 non-skin-side surface layer 20 absorbent body 30 back sheet 40 three-dimensional gathers 40 a elastic stretchable member 40 b sheet member 50 absorbent article 60 second sheet 70 perforated film 71 perforated

Claims (9)

An absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable topsheet, a liquid-impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent body disposed therebetween,
The top sheet includes a skin-side surface layer located on the wearer's skin side and a non-skin-side surface layer located on the wearer's non-skin side,
The skin-side surface layer is a cotton layer made of natural cotton fibers, and the non-skin-side surface layer contains synthetic cellulose fibers,
An absorbent article for incontinence, wherein the skin-side surface of the top sheet is water repellent. The top sheet has an average bending stiffness B of 0.04 gf·cm ² /cm or less when the top sheet is bent in a direction perpendicular to the MD direction, and an average bending hysteresis 2HB of the top sheet is 0.04 gf·cm/cm. 2. The incontinence absorbent article of claim 1, wherein: 3. The absorbent article for incontinence according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said topsheet has a compression hardness LC of 0.5 or less. The absorbent article for incontinence according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the water repellent treatment is performed by applying a water repellent agent to the skin-side surface of the top sheet. 5. The absorbent article for incontinence according to claim 4, wherein the water repellent is one or more selected from the group consisting of paraffin water repellents and silicone water repellents. When the total weight of the top sheet is 100 parts by weight, the coating amount of the water repellent agent is 0.2 parts by weight or more and 0.4 parts by weight or less with respect to 100 parts by weight of the top sheet. Item 6. The absorbent article for incontinence according to Item 5. 7. The absorbent according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising an apertured film having a plurality of apertures penetrating from one surface to the other surface and disposed between the top sheet and the absorbent body. An incontinence absorbent article as described. 8. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a second sheet disposed between the top sheet and the perforated film to diffuse bodily fluids and impart cushioning properties to the absorbent article. The absorbent article for incontinence according to . The absorbent article for incontinence according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the absorbent body is a fluff absorbent body containing absorbent fibers and a superabsorbent polymer.

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