JP3250181U - Absorbent articles - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an absorbent article that includes a top sheet that mainly contains water-retentive fibers and that can reduce discomfort to the wearer.
[Solution] The absorbent article 1 comprises a topsheet 2, an absorbent core 41, and a plurality of compressed portions 6. The topsheet mainly contains water-retentive fibers and has a high elongation direction and a low elongation direction. The absorbent core has a base portion 41a extending in the longitudinal and width directions, and protruding portions 41b protruding in the thickness direction from the base portion and having a higher basis weight than the base portion, and is covered by the topsheet in the thickness direction. The plurality of compressed portions are provided spaced apart from each other by compressing the protruding portions together with the topsheet in the thickness direction. The plurality of compressed portions include a pair of first compressed portions 61 provided at positions facing the high elongation direction HD of the topsheet. The high elongation direction of the topsheet coincides with the width direction Y.
[Selected figure] Figure 2

Description

This invention relates to absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins.

Absorbent articles generally comprise an absorbent body that absorbs excreted liquids, a top sheet that is placed on the skin side of the absorbent body, and a back sheet that is placed on the non-skin side of the absorbent body. A known absorbent article uses a cotton nonwoven fabric made of cotton fibers, a natural material that is gentle on the skin, as the top sheet that comes into direct contact with the wearer's skin (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-148328 A

Liquids tend to remain on top sheets made of cotton nonwoven fabric, which has high water retention. Because the top sheet comes into direct contact with the wearer's skin, a top sheet that contains a lot of liquid is likely to cause discomfort to the wearer. In addition, top sheets made of cotton nonwoven fabric tend to become frayed due to friction, which can cause discomfort to the wearer.

The objective of this invention is to develop a technology that reduces discomfort to the wearer in absorbent articles that have a top sheet that primarily contains water-retentive fibers.

An absorbent article according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a top sheet, an absorbent core, and a plurality of compressed portions.
The topsheet mainly contains water-retentive fibers and has a high elongation direction and a low elongation direction.
The absorbent core has a base portion extending in the longitudinal and width directions, and a protruding portion protruding in the thickness direction from the base portion and having a basis weight higher than that of the base portion, and is covered by the top sheet from the thickness direction.
The plurality of compressed portions are provided spaced apart from one another by the protruding portion being compressed together with the top sheet in the thickness direction.
The plurality of compression sections include a pair of first compression sections provided at positions opposing each other in the high elongation direction of the topsheet.

The absorbent article of the present invention has a top sheet that mainly contains water-retentive fibers, making it possible to reduce discomfort to the wearer.

1 is a plan view of an absorbent article according to one embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a cross-sectional view of the absorbent article taken along line II-II of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a plan view of an absorbent core of the absorbent article. 10 is a partial plan view showing another configuration of the compression portion of the absorbent article. FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing another configuration of the absorbent article. 10 is a plan view showing another configuration of the absorbent core of the absorbent article. FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings show an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis that are mutually orthogonal.

[Overall configuration of absorbent article 1]
As shown in Fig. 1, an absorbent article 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body portion M and a pair of extension portions E. The absorbent article 1 is configured as a sanitary napkin having a function of absorbing liquid such as menstrual blood. Note that the absorbent article 1 according to the present embodiment may also be configured as a sanitary napkin of a type that does not include a pair of extension portions E.

The absorbent article 1 extends along the X-Y plane, and has a longitudinal direction X along the X-axis, a width direction Y along the Y-axis, and a thickness direction Z along the Z-axis. In the absorbent article 1, the longitudinal direction X corresponds to the front-to-back direction of the wearer, and the width direction Y corresponds to the left-to-right direction of the wearer. Furthermore, both sides of the thickness direction Z correspond to the skin side close to the wearer's skin and the opposite non-skin side, respectively.

The absorbent article 1 is divided into a front region R1, a middle region R2, and a rear region R3 along the longitudinal direction X. That is, in the absorbent article 1, the front region R1 is located in front of the middle region R2, and the rear region R3 is located behind the middle region R2. The absorbent article 1 has a planar shape that is symmetrical about a central axis CL in the width direction Y that extends in the longitudinal direction X.

The main body portion M extends across the front region R1, the middle region R2, and the rear region R3. The pair of extension portions E extend from the main body portion M to both sides in the width direction Y. The pair of extension portions E include a pair of wing portions W that protrude in the width direction Y in the middle region R2, and a pair of flap portions F that bulge in the width direction Y in the rear region R3.

In the absorbent article 1, the portion of the main body M that occupies the intermediate region R2 constitutes an excretory part facing region that faces the excretory part when worn by a wearer. In the absorbent article 1, the main body M is placed inside the underwear, a pair of wing parts W are folded back on both outside sides of the underwear, and a pair of flap parts F cover the wearer's buttocks inside the underwear.

As shown in FIG. 2, the absorbent article 1 comprises a top sheet 2, a back sheet 3, an absorbent body 4, and a pair of side sheets 5. The top sheet 2 and the absorbent body 4 are located in the main body portion M. The back sheet 3 extends across the main body portion M and a pair of extension portions E. The pair of side sheets 5 are mainly located in the pair of extension portions E.

The main body M has a laminated structure in which an absorbent 4 is disposed between a top sheet 2 and a back sheet 3 that face each other in the thickness direction Z. The absorbent 4 extends across a front region R1, a middle region R2, and a rear region R3 in the main body M. The top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3 cover the entire absorbent 4 from both sides in the thickness direction Z.

The pair of extensions E has a laminated structure in which the back sheet 3 and the pair of side sheets 5 overlap. Each side sheet 5 extends from each extension E toward the inside in the width direction Y to the main body M, and overlaps the top sheet 2 at both ends of the main body M in the width direction Y. Note that each extension E does not have to include at least one of each wing portion W and each flap portion F.

The absorbent body 4 has an absorbent core 41 and a core wrap sheet 42. The absorbent core 41 has the function of absorbing and retaining liquids. The core wrap sheet 42 is a sheet that covers the absorbent core 41 and has the function of retaining the shape of the absorbent core 41. The absorbent body 4 can also be constructed without using the core wrap sheet 42.

The absorbent core 41 can be mainly composed of a fiber aggregate made of hydrophilic fibers such as pulp fibers, and can also be composed of the fiber aggregate holding a water-absorbent polymer. The core wrap sheet 42 can be formed, for example, from a thin, soft paper such as tissue paper or a liquid-permeable nonwoven fabric.

The top sheet 2 is located on the skin side of the absorbent body 4 and receives discharged liquid. The top sheet 2 is made of a liquid-permeable sheet material, allowing liquid to pass through and transfer to the absorbent body 4 side. Details will be described later, but the absorbent article 1 uses a top sheet 2 that has high water retention and tends to retain liquid, yet is constructed in a way that is unlikely to cause discomfort to the wearer.

The back sheet 3 is positioned on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 4. The back sheet 3 is made of a sheet material that is poorly permeable to liquids, and prevents the liquid absorbed by the absorbent body 4 from leaking outward in the thickness direction Z. The sheet material constituting the back sheet 3 can be, for example, a thermoplastic resin film or a laminate film in which a thermoplastic resin and a nonwoven fabric are laminated.

The pair of side sheets 5 are made of a sheet material that is less liquid permeable than the top sheet 2, and prevent the liquid absorbed by the absorbent 4 from leaking outward in the width direction Y. Examples of the sheet material that constitutes the pair of side sheets 5 include nonwoven fabric, thermoplastic resin film, and laminate film in which thermoplastic resin and nonwoven fabric are laminated.

[Detailed configuration of absorbent article 1]
(Surface sheet 2)
The top sheet 2 of the absorbent article 1 is made of cotton nonwoven fabric. Cotton nonwoven fabric is a nonwoven fabric that contains cotton fibers as the main fiber and contains 50% by mass or more, preferably 75% by mass or more, and more preferably 90% by mass or more of cotton fibers relative to the total mass of fibers contained in the top sheet 2, and may be made only of cotton fibers. Cotton nonwoven fabric provides a warm and soft feel due to the action of cotton fibers, which are natural fibers that are gentle on the skin.

The cotton nonwoven fabric constituting the top sheet 2 can be configured as, for example, a spunlace nonwoven fabric, a resin-bonded nonwoven fabric, a needle-punched nonwoven fabric, etc., from the viewpoint of entangling or bonding the cotton fibers. It is preferable that the cotton nonwoven fabric be configured as a spunlace nonwoven fabric, from the viewpoint of entangling the cotton fibers while taking advantage of their texture.

In addition, because cotton fibers in cotton nonwoven fabrics are water-retentive fibers, they can quickly absorb liquids such as excrement and sweat, and can also quickly release water vapor derived from these liquids. Therefore, the water-retentive properties of the cotton nonwoven fabric in the top sheet 2 can reduce the discomfort felt by the wearer when excreting liquids.

Furthermore, in the manufacturing process, cotton nonwoven fabrics tend to have low elongation in the machine direction (MD) and high elongation in the cross direction (CD), and this tendency is particularly pronounced when they are manufactured using the spunlace method. For this reason, cotton nonwoven fabrics have a high elongation direction HD and a low elongation direction LD that are perpendicular to each other and correspond to the MD and CD directions. In the topsheet 2 shown in Figures 1 and 2, the high elongation direction HD coincides with the width direction Y, and the low elongation direction LD coincides with the longitudinal direction X.

The degree of elongation of sheet materials such as nonwoven fabrics can be measured, for example, by a method conforming to JIS-L1913. Specifically, to measure the degree of elongation in the MD direction (low elongation direction LD) of nonwoven fabrics, a test piece of 150 mm in the MD direction and approximately 50 mm in the CD direction is taken, and to measure the degree of elongation in the CD direction (high elongation direction HD), a test piece of 50 mm in the MD direction and approximately 150 mm in the CD direction is taken, and the test piece is attached to a tensile tester with a gripping distance of 100±1 mm under an initial load. Next, the elongation of the test piece is measured at a pulling speed of 300±10 mm/min until the strength at the maximum load becomes 0.1 N, and the elongation percentage is calculated from this elongation. When taking nonwoven fabric from an absorbent article, it is taken while avoiding the compressed parts, etc., and if it is not possible to take the above dimensions at that time, it may be taken with the dimensions possible and the gripping distance may be adjusted.

(Configuration of absorbent core 41)
1 to 3, the absorbent core 41 of the absorbent body 4 has a base portion 41a and protruding portions 41b which are different from each other in the dimension in the thickness direction Z and the basis weight of the hydrophilic fibers. In the absorbent core 41, the protruding portions 41b are located in the center in the longitudinal direction X and the width direction Y, and the base portion 41a extends around the protruding portions 41b in the longitudinal direction X and the width direction Y.

The protruding portion 41b is formed thicker than the base portion 41a and protrudes from the base portion 41a toward the skin side in the thickness direction Z. The protruding portion 41b also has a higher basis weight than the base portion 41a and has higher water absorption than the base portion 41a. The protruding portion 41b is located in the middle region R2 corresponding to the excretory portion facing region, and further extends into the front region R1 and the rear region R3.

In the absorbent article 1, the top sheet 2 has the property of easily retaining liquid due to the action of cotton fibers, which are water-retentive fibers. For this reason, if the top sheet 2 becomes filled with an unexpected amount of liquid, for example when a large amount of liquid is excreted in a short period of time, the inherent functionality of the cotton nonwoven fabric as described above is lost, and the wet feeling caused by the liquid tends to cause discomfort to the wearer.

In contrast, in the absorbent article 1, the highly absorbent protrusions 41b are provided on the absorbent core 41, which makes it difficult for liquid to remain on the top sheet 2. In other words, in the absorbent article 1, liquid excreted in the region facing the excretory area can be quickly absorbed from the top sheet 2 by the highly absorbent protrusions 41b.

As a result, in the absorbent article 1, the top sheet 2 is less likely to become saturated with a large amount of liquid, and further, the diffusion of liquid in the top sheet 2 can be suppressed. As a result, in the absorbent article 1, the original function of the cotton nonwoven fabric in the top sheet 2 is maintained, and the wearer is less likely to experience discomfort due to liquid.

In addition, in the absorbent article 1, the absorbent core 41 can maintain its overall flexibility by leaving the base portion 41a of normal basis weight around the protruding portion 41b in the absorbent core 41. This prevents the absorbent article 1 from giving the wearer a hard feel that would interfere with the soft feel of the top sheet 2.

In the absorbent core 41, from the viewpoint of obtaining absorbency capable of more quickly absorbing liquid from the topsheet 2, the basis weight of the protrusions 41b is preferably 200 g/ ^m2 or more, more preferably 300 g/ ^m2 or more. Also, the basis weight of the protrusions 41b is preferably 1000 g/m2 or ^less , more preferably 900 g/m2 or ^less .

In order to more effectively maintain the overall flexibility of the absorbent core 41, the basis weight of the base portion 41a is preferably 500 g/m2 ^or less, more preferably 400 g/m2 or ^less . The basis weight of the base portion 41a is preferably 100 g/m2 or ^more , more preferably 150 g/ ^m2 or more.

The basis weight of each portion of the absorbent core 41 is obtained, for example, as the average of the basis weights of five small pieces of the absorbent core 41 cut out from each portion using a single-edged razor (manufactured by Feather Safety Razor Co., Ltd.). The weight of the small pieces of the absorbent core 41 can be measured using, for example, an electronic balance (GR-300 electronic balance manufactured by A&D Co., Ltd., accuracy: four decimal places).

(Configuration of Compression Unit 6)
1 and 2, the absorbent article 1 is provided with a plurality of compressed portions 6. Each compressed portion 6 is provided by compressing the absorbent body 4 together with the topsheet 2 in the thickness direction Z. In the absorbent article 1, the plurality of compressed portions 6 are provided at positions spaced apart from one another, that is, the plurality of compressed portions 6 are formed by compressing the positions spaced apart from one another.

Each compressed portion 6 can be configured as a pin embossed portion compressed with a protrusion having a corresponding tip shape. For example, each compressed portion 6 can be formed by a thermal embossing process in which heated protrusions are pressed against the top sheet 2 side to compress the surface. Note that, in addition to thermal embossing, ultrasonic embossing, for example, can also be used to form each compressed portion 6.

As a result, in the multiple compression sections 6, the top sheet 2, absorbent core 41, and core wrap sheet 42 are integrated, and the top sheet 2 and core wrap sheet 42 are recessed into the absorbent core 41 toward the back sheet 3. In addition, in the embossing process, by using an embossing roll with multiple protrusions, multiple compression sections 6 can be formed continuously.

In the multiple compression sections 6, the distance between the fibers in the absorbent core 41 becomes smaller, so the effect of drawing in liquid by capillary action becomes stronger. Therefore, by providing multiple compression sections 6 in the absorbent article 1, the effect of promoting the uptake of liquid excreted in the excretory area from the top sheet 2 to the protruding section 41b of the absorbent core 41 is obtained.

In addition, in the absorbent article 1, the top sheet 2 comes into strong contact with the wearer's skin in the area above the protruding portion 41b that protrudes in the thickness direction Z of the absorbent core 41, which can easily cause irritation accompanied by a foreign body sensation to the wearer. In addition, the top sheet 2 rubs against the wearer's skin with high contact pressure, which can easily cause a lot of pilling due to cotton fibers.

In contrast, in the absorbent article 1, the multiple compression sections 6 are located in the area where the protruding sections 41b of the absorbent core 41 are arranged. As a result, in the absorbent article 1, the top sheet 2 is less likely to come into contact with the wearer's skin at the multiple compression sections 6, and the contact area of the top sheet 2 with the wearer's skin in the area above the protruding sections 41b is reduced.

In addition, in the absorbent article 1, the top sheet 2 sinks in the thickness direction Z at each compressed portion 6, so that the top sheet 2 takes on an arch-like protruding shape in the area between each compressed portion 6. In the top sheet 2, the bottom of the protruding shape that extends at an angle from each compressed portion 6 toward the center of the protruding shape does not come into contact with the wearer's skin, or at least the contact pressure with the wearer's skin is reduced. As a result, in the absorbent article 1, irritation associated with a foreign body sensation felt by the wearer is reduced.

In particular, in the absorbent article 1, the multiple compression sections 6 include a pair of first compression sections 61. The pair of first compression sections 61 are provided in the center of the longitudinal direction X of the protruding portion 41b, at positions opposing each other in the width direction Y across the central axis CL. In other words, the pair of first compression sections 61 are provided in positions opposing each other in the high elongation direction HD of the topsheet 2.

The top sheet 2 sinks in the thickness direction Z at the pair of first compression sections 61, and the area between the pair of first compression sections 61 becomes a protruding shape. Because the top sheet 2 is fixed to the absorbent body 4 at the pair of first compression sections 61, the stretching in the width direction Y (i.e., the high stretch direction HD) of the protruding part between the pair of first compression sections 61 is restricted. Therefore, in the absorbent article 1, even if a force in the high stretch direction HD is applied to the top sheet 2 due to the wearer's body movement, the protruding part between the pair of first compression sections 61 in the top sheet 2 is unlikely to deform significantly in the high stretch direction HD. As a result, in the absorbent article 1, an extreme increase in the contact pressure applied from the top sheet 2 to the wearer's skin is suppressed.

In addition, in the protruding portion of the top sheet 2 formed between the pair of first compression portions 61, the tension is low as a result of stretching in the high elongation direction HD, and therefore the flexibility in the thickness direction Z is high. Therefore, in the absorbent article 1, the contact pressure of the top sheet 2 against the wearer's skin can be more effectively alleviated in the pair of first compression portions 61 and the area between them. As a result, in the absorbent article 1, the irritation accompanied by a foreign body sensation that is felt by the wearer due to the presence of the protruding portions 41b and the occurrence of pilling in the top sheet 2 can be suppressed.

In addition, in the absorbent article 1, each first compression portion 61 has an elongated planar shape extending along the longitudinal direction X. In other words, in each first compression portion 61, the dimension in the longitudinal direction X is greater than the dimension in the width direction Y. As a result, in the absorbent article 1, the area between a pair of first compression portions 61 is expanded in the longitudinal direction X and the width direction Y, making it easier to feel a soft sensation over a wider area.

The distance between the pair of first compression sections 61 in the width direction Y can be appropriately determined so as to more effectively obtain the above-mentioned effect. For example, the distance between the pair of first compression sections 61 is preferably 11 mm or more, and more preferably 13 mm or more. Also, the distance between the pair of first compression sections 61 is preferably 19 mm or less, and more preferably 17 mm or less.

The dimension of each first compression section 61 in the longitudinal direction X can also be determined appropriately so as to more effectively obtain the above-mentioned effects. For example, the dimension of each first compression section 61 in the longitudinal direction X is preferably 6 mm or more, and more preferably 7.5 mm or more. The dimension of each first compression section 61 in the longitudinal direction X is preferably 12 mm or less, and more preferably 10.5 mm or less.

In the absorbent article 1, the multiple compression sections 6 further include at least one second compression section 62. By providing at least one second compression section 62 in addition to a pair of first compression sections 61, the absorbent article 1 can more effectively reduce the contact pressure of the top sheet 2 against the wearer's skin in the area above the protrusion 41b.

The absorbent article 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a pair of second compression sections 62 located on the central axis CL. The pair of second compression sections 62 are provided at positions facing each other in the longitudinal direction X, sandwiching the area between the pair of first compression sections 61. In other words, the pair of second compression sections 62 are provided at positions facing the low elongation direction LD of the topsheet 2.

As a result, an area surrounded by a total of four first compression sections 61 and second compression sections 62 is formed in the absorbent article 1. In this area, the top sheet 2 of the absorbent article 1 has a dome-like protruding shape, further increasing the flexibility in the thickness direction Z. Therefore, in the absorbent article 1, the top sheet 2 has an even softer feel.

The distance between the pair of second compression sections 62 in the longitudinal direction X can be appropriately determined so as to more effectively obtain the above-mentioned effects. For example, the distance between the pair of second compression sections 62 is preferably 15 mm or more, and more preferably 25 mm or more. In addition, the distance between the pair of second compression sections 62 is preferably 60 mm or less, and more preferably 50 mm or less.

[Another embodiment of absorbent article 1]
Although a typical embodiment of the absorbent article 1 according to the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Hereinafter, an example of another embodiment of the absorbent article 1 according to the present invention will be described.

In the absorbent article 1, the shape of each of the compression sections 61, 62 can be changed in various ways. For example, the planar shape of each of the compression sections 61, 62 is not limited to the elongated shape shown in FIG. 1, but may be a circle as shown in FIG. 4(A), or an ellipse, a polygon, a teardrop, or the like. In addition, each of the compression sections 61, 62 may have a planar shape different from each other.

The number of second compression sections 62 in the absorbent article 1 can be determined as appropriate. For example, as shown in FIG. 4(B), the absorbent article 1 may have a large number of second compression sections 62 provided over the entire protrusion 41b. If necessary, the absorbent article 1 may be configured without providing the second compression sections 62, as shown in FIG. 4(C).

Furthermore, the top sheet 2 of the absorbent article 1 does not have to be configured so that the high stretch direction HD coincides with the width direction Y and the low stretch direction LD coincides with the longitudinal direction X. For example, the top sheet 2 may be configured so that the high stretch direction HD and the low stretch direction LD are reversed, that is, the high stretch direction HD coincides with the longitudinal direction X and the low stretch direction LD coincides with the width direction Y.

In this case, in the absorbent article 1, a pair of first compression sections 61 are provided at positions facing each other in the longitudinal direction X corresponding to the high elongation direction HD of the topsheet 2. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the compression sections 6 may be arranged continuously along the longitudinal direction. In this configuration, any two adjacent compression sections 6 can be regarded as a pair of first compression sections 61, and the other compression sections 6 can be regarded as second compression sections 62.

In addition, the positions at which the pair of first compression sections 61 are provided may be determined appropriately as long as they are positions facing the high elongation direction HD of the top sheet 2 in the region where the protruding section 41b of the absorbent core 41 is arranged. Furthermore, the protruding section 41b of the absorbent core 41 does not have to be located in the region facing the excretory section, and may protrude on the non-skin side instead of the skin side.

The absorbent article 1 may also have a configuration other than the above, as necessary. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the absorbent article 1 may have an intermediate sheet 7 disposed between the top sheet 2 and the absorbent body 4. In this configuration, the multiple compression sections 6 are provided by sandwiching and compressing the intermediate sheet 7 between the top sheet 2 and the absorbent body 4.

The intermediate sheet 7 is a nonwoven fabric that mainly contains heat-sealing fibers as fibers, and contains 50% by mass or more, preferably 75% by mass or more, and more preferably 90% by mass or more of heat-sealing fibers relative to the total mass of the fibers contained in the intermediate sheet 7, and may be composed only of heat-sealing fibers. It is further preferable that the intermediate sheet 7 has a higher fiber density than the top sheet 2. This allows the top sheet 2, which does not have heat-sealing properties, to be well heat-sealed to the absorbent body 4 via the intermediate sheet 7 at the multiple compression sections 6.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the degree of extensibility of the intermediate sheet 7 in the direction parallel to the high extensibility direction HD of the top sheet 2 is higher than the degree of extensibility in the high extensibility direction HD of the top sheet 2. This makes it difficult for the flexibility of the absorbent article 1 in the thickness direction Z of the protruding portions between the compressed portions 6 of the top sheet 2 to be impaired by the presence of the intermediate sheet 7 adjacent to the non-skin side.

In addition, in the absorbent article 1, the configuration of the absorbent core 41 can be changed in various ways. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the absorbent core 41 can be provided with a low-basis-weight groove portion m recessed from the skin side to the non-skin side. This improves the flexibility of the absorbent core 41, and prevents the wearer from feeling a hard sensation that would interfere with the soft feel of the top sheet 2.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the grooves m of the absorbent core 41 can be a series of multiple longitudinal grooves m1 extending in the longitudinal direction and multiple lateral grooves m2 extending in the width direction Y across the base portion 41a and the protruding portion 41b. Furthermore, the grooves m of the absorbent core 41 can be a round groove m3 provided along the outer edge of the protruding portion 41b.

In the absorbent core 41, the configuration of each groove m, such as the groove width and basis weight of the vertical groove m1, horizontal groove m2, and round groove m3, as well as the number and spacing of the vertical groove m1 and horizontal groove m2, can be changed as appropriate. In addition, in the absorbent core 41, the groove m is not limited to being recessed from the skin side to the non-skin side, and may be recessed from the non-skin side to the skin side.

In addition, in the absorbent article 1, the nonwoven fabric constituting the top sheet 2 may be a water-retentive nonwoven fabric having a high elongation direction HD and a low elongation direction LD, and is not limited to a cotton nonwoven fabric. The water-retentive nonwoven fabric constituting the top sheet 2 is a nonwoven fabric that contains water-retentive fibers as the main fiber in the nonwoven fabric, and contains 50% by mass or more, preferably 75% by mass or more, and more preferably 90% by mass or more of water-retentive fibers relative to the total mass of the fibers in the nonwoven fabric, and may be composed only of water-retentive fibers.

The water-retentive fibers used in water-retentive nonwoven fabrics may be natural or synthetic. Specific examples include natural fibers such as cotton, cellulosic fibers other than cotton (hemp, palm, kraft pulp, straw), rayon, and polynosic fibers, as well as regenerated fibers and semi-synthetic fibers such as acetate rayon.

The absorbent article 1 of the present invention is not limited to the sanitary napkin described above, but can be widely used as a sheet-like or pad-like absorbent article that has the function of absorbing liquids while worn by a wearer. Specifically, the absorbent article 1 of the present invention can be configured as, for example, a urine pad or a discharge sheet.

Reference Signs List 1: absorbent article 2: top sheet 3: back sheet 4: absorbent body 41: absorbent core 41a: base portion 41b: protruding portion 42: core wrap sheet 5: side sheet 6: compressed portion 61: first compressed portion 62: second compressed portion

Claims (8)

An absorbent article comprising a top sheet mainly containing water-retentive fibers and having a high elongation direction and a low elongation direction,
The absorbent article comprises:
an absorbent core having a base portion extending in the longitudinal direction and the width direction, and a protruding portion protruding in a thickness direction from the base portion and having a basis weight higher than that of the base portion, the absorbent core being covered in the thickness direction by the top sheet;
The protrusions are compressed together with the top sheet in the thickness direction to form a plurality of compressed portions spaced apart from each other;
Further comprising:
The plurality of compression sections include a pair of first compression sections provided at positions opposite to each other in the high elongation direction of the topsheet,
an absorbent article, wherein the high extensibility direction of the top sheet coincides with the width direction. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the top sheet is made of only cotton fibers. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protrusion is located in an area facing an excretory part. The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the absorbent core further comprises longitudinal grooves extending in the longitudinal direction and lateral grooves extending in the width direction. The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of compression sections further includes a pair of second compression sections provided at positions facing each other in the low elongation direction of the top sheet, sandwiching an area between the pair of first compression sections. The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of first compression sections has an elongated planar shape extending in the low elongation direction of the topsheet. The absorbent article according to claim 1 , further comprising an intermediate sheet located between the top sheet and the absorbent core, the intermediate sheet mainly containing heat-sealable fibers and having a higher fiber density than the top sheet. The absorbent article according to claim 7 , wherein the degree of extensibility of the intermediate sheet in a direction parallel to the high elongation direction of the top sheet is higher than the degree of extensibility of the top sheet in the high elongation direction.

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