JP5528918B2 - Absorbent articles - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an absorbent article used for incontinence pads, medical pads, sanitary napkins, vaginal sheets, toiletries, etc., and in particular, high absorption mixed into the absorbent without lowering the skin contact The present invention relates to an absorbent article that prevents the release of the functional polymer.

  Conventionally, as absorbent articles such as incontinence pads, sanitary napkins and panty liners, liquid-impervious back sheets such as polyethylene sheets or polyethylene sheet-laminated nonwoven fabrics and liquid-permeable surface sheets such as nonwoven fabrics or liquid-permeable plastic sheets The thing which interposed the absorber in between is known. As the absorbent body, it is common to mix a superabsorbent polymer in a water-absorbing fiber such as cotton pulp, especially in an absorbent article that requires a relatively large amount of body fluid absorption such as an incontinence pad, A large amount of superabsorbent polymer is mixed. For this reason, it has been a problem that this superabsorbent polymer falls off from the absorber.

  As a technique for preventing the superabsorbent polymer from falling off, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, the absorbent layer has a vertically long absorbent portion containing functional powder that imparts a predetermined function to the absorbent article; A covering sheet that covers the entire absorbent portion, and the covering sheet covers the entire absorbent portion so that one side portion and the other side portion along the longitudinal direction of the absorbent portion are overlapped with each other. An absorbent article in which a covering sheet covering the upper and lower surfaces of the absorbent portion extends from the front and rear ends of the absorbent portion, the extended upper and lower cover sheets are joined together, and the entire absorbent portion is sealed by the cover sheet Etc. are known.

JP 2001-276118 A

  However, in the absorbent article described in Patent Document 1, the superabsorbent polymer is assumed in a case where the bonded state is canceled due to a bonding failure between the covering sheets extended from the front and rear ends of the absorbing portion. The outer periphery seal | sticker which joins a surface material and a back surface sheet over the perimeter of an absorbent article is given along the outer periphery of an absorbent article so that it may not fall outside. When the outer periphery seal is provided by thermocompression bonding between the top sheet and the back sheet, the surface of the seal portion is cured, so that the touch is lowered. In particular, in an absorbent article in which three-dimensional gathers are provided along the longitudinal direction on both sides on the use surface side, the three-dimensional gathers folded in plural in addition to the top sheet and the back sheet at both longitudinal ends of the three-dimensional gather Since the outer peripheral seal is applied after the sheets are laminated, the rigidity of this portion is remarkably increased, the skin feel is deteriorated, and uncomfortable feeling is caused.

  However, in order to prevent such deterioration per skin, if the outer peripheral seal is not applied at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the three-dimensional gather, or if the bonding strength of the outer peripheral seal is reduced, the superabsorbent polymer falls off from this portion. There was a fear.

  On the other hand, when the outer periphery seal is bonded with a hot melt adhesive, the skin contact can be improved as compared with that of the thermocompression bonding, but the adhesive strength becomes weak when wet with body fluids, and in the worst case, the surface material and the back sheet There was a risk that the superabsorbent polymer would fall off due to the peeling of the joint.

  In addition, even if the absorbent body is sealed with a sheet material, if a situation occurs in which the sealed absorbent body is displaced during use, the bonding of the sheet material may be peeled off or the sheet materials may be rubbed together. Opening may occur and the internal superabsorbent polymer may fall off.

  Then, the main subject of this invention is providing the absorbent article which prevented the fall of the superabsorbent polymer mixed in the absorber, without reducing per skin.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, as the present invention according to claim 1, an absorbing element is interposed between the liquid-permeable top sheet and the liquid-impervious back sheet, and the longitudinal sides are respectively provided on both sides of the surface side. In the absorbent article in which the three-dimensional gather is provided by the side nonwoven fabric ,
The absorbent element includes an absorbent body in which a superabsorbent polymer is dispersed and mixed in a water-absorbent fiber, and an outer extension that surrounds the absorbent body and has both longitudinal ends extending outward from the edges of the absorbent body. A non-woven sheet having an existing portion, and in a state where the absorbent body is surrounded by the non-woven fabric sheet, end portions in the width direction of the non-woven fabric sheet are joined to each other, and an outer extending portion of the non-woven fabric sheet has a width. The opening at the end in the longitudinal direction is sealed by thermocompression bonding with a sealing embossing that crosses the direction,
At both ends in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article, with the longitudinal ends of the absorbent elements interposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, the ends where these sheets are applied between the three-dimensional gathers There is provided an absorbent article that is heat-pressed by embossing, and that the end embossing is not applied to a portion where the side nonwoven fabric forming the three-dimensional gather is folded .

  In the first aspect of the present invention, in order to prevent the powdery superabsorbent polymer dispersed and mixed in the absorbent body from falling off, the absorbent body and the absorbent body are surrounded as the absorbent element and both end portions in the longitudinal direction. Is formed of a nonwoven fabric sheet having an outer extending portion that extends outward from the edge of the absorbent body, and the end portions in the width direction of the nonwoven fabric sheet are joined together in a state where the absorbent body is surrounded by the nonwoven fabric sheet. At the same time, the opening at the end in the longitudinal direction is sealed by thermocompression bonding with a sealing emboss that crosses the outer extending portion of the nonwoven fabric sheet in the width direction. Thereby, an absorber is sealed with a nonwoven fabric sheet and it becomes possible to prevent the superabsorbent polymer from falling off.

Further, when fixing the absorbent element to the absorbent article, in the longitudinal direction both ends of the absorbent article, in the state where the longitudinal direction end of the absorbent element is interposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, these topsheets The back sheet and the non-woven sheet are heat-pressed by end embossing provided between the three-dimensional gathers provided in the longitudinal direction on both sides on the front side , and the end embossing forms the three-dimensional gathers. The side non-woven fabric is not applied to the folded portion . As described above, the end embossing is applied as a part of the outer peripheral seal that joins the surface material and the back sheet along the outer peripheral edge of the absorbent article, and the end embossing is applied between the three-dimensional gathers. Since the side non-woven fabric that forms the sheet is not applied to the folded portion, curing by thermocompression of this portion is suppressed, and the skin contact is not reduced.

  Furthermore, since the said absorption element is firmly fixed between a surface sheet and a back sheet by the said end embossing of a longitudinal direction both ends, the shift | offset | difference of the absorption element in use can be prevented and joining of the sheet material by a shift | offset | difference Occurrence of holes due to part peeling or rubbing between sheet materials is eliminated, and the superabsorbent polymer can be prevented from falling off.

  As the present invention according to claim 2, there is provided the absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the end embossing is provided at a position outside the sealing embossing and not overlapping the sealing embossing.

  In the invention of claim 2, the end embossing applied to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article is outside the sealing embossing applied to the outer extending portion of the nonwoven fabric sheet constituting the absorbent element. By applying it at a position where it does not overlap with the sealing embossing, it is possible to reduce the deterioration per skin caused by curing due to thermocompression bonding.

  As this invention which concerns on Claim 3, while the said nonwoven fabric sheet entrains the side part of the said absorber and surrounds the said absorber, it is joined by the overlap margin of the width direction edge parts. An absorbent article according to any of the above is provided.

  The invention described in claim 3 specifically defines the form of the surrounding of the absorbent body by the nonwoven fabric sheet, and the nonwoven fabric sheet encloses and surrounds the side of the absorbent body, so-called forehead winding, and this nonwoven fabric. The sheets are joined at the overlap margin between the end portions in the width direction.

  As this invention which concerns on Claim 4, after the said absorber is covered with the packaging material, it is surrounded by the said nonwoven fabric sheet, or is directly surrounded by the said nonwoven fabric sheet. An absorbent article is provided.

  The invention described in claim 4 stipulates that it is optional to provide a packaging material such as crepe paper for encapsulating the absorber. In addition, when the absorbent body is directly surrounded by a nonwoven fabric sheet without providing a packaging material, the nonwoven fabric sheet has finer and higher weight than the packaging material provided in order to prevent the superabsorbent polymer from falling off. To use.

  As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an absorbent article in which the superabsorbent polymer mixed in the absorbent body is prevented from dropping without lowering the skin perception.

It is a top view of incontinence pad 1 concerning the present invention. It is the II-II arrow directional view. It is the III-III arrow directional view of FIG. It is the IV-IV arrow directional view of FIG. (A), (B) is longitudinal direction sectional drawing of the incontinence pad 1 which shows a manufacture procedure. It is longitudinal direction sectional drawing of the incontinence pad 1 which concerns on another form example. (A)-(C) are top views of the incontinence pad 1 which shows the construction state of embossing.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  The incontinence pad 1 includes a liquid-impermeable back sheet 2 made of a polyethylene sheet, a polypropylene sheet or the like, a liquid-permeable surface sheet 3 that allows menstrual blood or a cage to quickly pass through, and both the sheets 2 and 3. An absorbent body 4 made of cotton pulp or synthetic pulp interposed therebetween, a crepe paper 5 encapsulating the absorbent body 4 for maintaining the shape of the absorbent body 4 and improving the diffusibility, and the crepe paper 5 The absorbent element 7 includes a nonwoven fabric sheet 6 that surrounds the wrapped absorbent body 4 and side nonwoven fabrics 8 and 8 that form three-dimensional gathers BS and BS in the longitudinal direction on both sides of the surface.

Hereinafter, the structure of the incontinence pad 1 will be described in detail.
The back sheet 2 is made of a sheet material having at least a water shielding property such as an olefin resin sheet such as polyethylene or polypropylene. In addition to this, a laminated nonwoven fabric in which a nonwoven fabric is laminated on a polyethylene sheet or the like, and further a waterproof film is interposed. Then, after substantially ensuring liquid impermeability, a nonwoven fabric sheet (in this case, a waterproof sheet and a nonwoven fabric constitute the back sheet) can be used. In recent years, those having moisture permeability tend to be used from the viewpoint of preventing stuffiness. This water- and moisture-permeable sheet material is a microporous sheet obtained by forming a sheet by melting and kneading an inorganic filler in an olefin resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, and then stretching in a uniaxial or biaxial direction. It is.

  Next, a porous or non-porous nonwoven fabric or a porous plastic sheet is preferably used as the top sheet 3. Examples of the material fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric include synthetic fibers such as olefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyesters, and polyamides, recycled fibers such as rayon and cupra, and mixed fibers of natural fibers and synthetic fibers such as cotton. A nonwoven fabric obtained by an appropriate processing method such as a spunlace method, a spunbond method, a thermal bond method, a melt blown method, or a needle punch method can be used. The natural fibers such as cotton are not suitable for the thermocompression bonding described in detail later, but can be used by mixing them with synthetic fibers as described above. Among these processing methods, the spunlace method is excellent in terms of flexibility and drapeability, and the thermal bond method is excellent in terms of being bulky and soft.

  The absorbent body 4 interposed between the back sheet 2 and the top sheet 3 is configured by dispersing and mixing powdery superabsorbent polymer in water absorbent fibers such as fluffy pulp. Examples of the water-absorbing fibers include cellulose fibers such as chemical pulp and dissolved pulp obtained from wood, and artificial cellulose fibers such as rayon and acetate. Softwood pulp having a longer fiber length than hardwood pulp is preferred. It is preferably used in terms of function and price.

  Examples of the superabsorbent polymer include cross-linked polyacrylate, self-crosslinked polyacrylate, saponified acrylate-vinyl acetate copolymer cross-linked, isobutylene / maleic anhydride copolymer cross-linked, Examples include cross-linked polysulfonates, and partially cross-linked water-swellable polymers such as polyethylene oxide and polyacrylamide. Among these, those based on acrylic acid or acrylate that are excellent in water absorption and water absorption speed are preferred. In the production process, the superabsorbent polymer having the water absorption capability can adjust the water absorption (absorption capacity) and the water absorption speed by adjusting the crosslink density and the crosslink density gradient. The content ratio of the superabsorbent polymer in the absorbent body 4 is suitably about 30 to 70%, but is not limited thereto.

  The absorbent body 4 may be mixed with synthetic fibers. As the synthetic fiber, for example, polyolefins such as polyethylene or polypropylene, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate, polyamides such as nylon, and copolymers thereof can be used. It may be a mixture. In addition, a composite fiber such as a core-sheath fiber, a side-by-side fiber, or a split fiber having a fiber having a high melting point as a core and a fiber having a low melting point as a sheath can also be used. In the case of a hydrophobic fiber, it is desirable to use a synthetic fiber that has been surface-treated with a hydrophilizing agent so as to have an affinity for body fluids.

  When the crepe paper 5 that encapsulates the absorber 4 is provided as in this example, the crepe paper 5 is interposed between the top sheet 3 and the absorber 4 as a result, and the absorbency is excellent. The crepe paper 5 quickly diffuses body fluid and prevents reversal of these menstrual blood and the like.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the nonwoven fabric sheet 6 surrounding the absorbent body 4 encapsulated by the crepe paper 5 is made of a material that is hydrophilic to body fluids. Specifically, the material itself has hydrophilicity by using a recycled fiber such as rayon or cupra, a mixed fiber of natural fiber and synthetic fiber such as cotton, or an olefin or polyester such as polyethylene or polypropylene. It is possible to use a nonwoven fabric obtained by surface-treating a synthetic fiber such as a system or polyamide based on a hydrophilic agent to impart hydrophilicity. Further, at least both ends in the longitudinal direction of the incontinence pad 1 can be joined by thermocompression bonding using a thermoplastic material, such as a thermoplastic nonwoven fabric or a thermoplastic film.

  On the other hand, side nonwoven fabrics 8 and 8 are provided on the both sides of the sanitary napkin 1 along the longitudinal direction and almost the entire length of the incontinence pad 1, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the side non-woven fabric 8 extends over the range from the inner position of the absorbent body 4 to the side edge of the back sheet 2 slightly beyond the absorbent body side edge from the widthwise intermediate portion. It is bonded with an adhesive such as hot melt. While the inner side portion of the side nonwoven fabric 8 is folded back almost double, two ends or appropriate positions in the longitudinal direction are fixed to the front end portion and the intermediate portion in the height direction inside the double sheet. Thread-like elastic elastic members 9, 9 are arranged. As shown in FIG. 3, the double sheet portion is folded and laminated on the absorber 4 side as shown in FIG. BS is formed.

  As the side nonwoven fabric 8, a water-repellent treated nonwoven fabric or a hydrophilic treated nonwoven fabric can be used from the viewpoint of an important function. For example, if importance is placed on functions such as preventing the penetration of bodily fluids such as urine or enhancing the feeling of touch, a water-repellent non-woven fabric coated with a silicon-based, paraffin-based, alkylchromic chloride-based water repellent, etc. It is desirable to use it. Further, if importance is attached to the absorbability of body fluids in the three-dimensional gather BS, a method of polymerizing a compound having a hydrophilic group, for example, an oxidation product of polyethylene glycol, in the synthetic fiber production process, or stannic chloride Treatment with a metal salt, such as by partially dissolving the surface to make it porous and depositing metal hydroxide, etc. It is desirable to use a nonwoven fabric.

(About the absorption element 7)
Next, the configuration of the absorbing element 7 will be specifically described.

  As described above, the absorbent element 7 surrounds the absorbent body 4 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the absorbent body 4) encapsulated by the crepe paper 5 and the longitudinal direction of the incontinence pad 1 while surrounding the absorbent body 4 outside. The incontinence pad 1 is composed of a non-woven sheet 6 having outer extending portions 6a, 6a whose both ends extend outside the edge of the absorbent body 4, and the non-woven sheet 6 surrounds the absorbent body 4. The ends in the width direction are joined together. In the example shown in FIG. 1 as the surrounding form of the absorbent body 4 by the nonwoven fabric sheet 6, the nonwoven fabric sheet 6 is so-called frame-wrapped that encloses the absorbent body 4 in the width direction by winding the side part of the absorbent body 4. At the same time, they are bonded by application of a hot melt adhesive or the like at the overlapping margin 6b between the end portions in the width direction. In addition, it replaces with the forehead winding of the nonwoven fabric sheet 6, and it is also possible to superimpose two nonwoven fabric sheets on the front and back of the absorber 4, and to join the both ends. Further, as shown in FIG. 5 (A), the nonwoven fabric sheet 6 is thermocompression bonded with the outer extending portions 6a, 6a by a sealing emboss 10 that crosses the outer extending portion 6a in the width direction. Thus, the opening at the longitudinal end is sealed. Thereby, the said absorber 4 is sealed with the nonwoven fabric sheet 6, and can come off of a superabsorbent polymer.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5 (B), the absorbent element 7 is interposed between the top sheet 3 and the back sheet 2 at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the incontinence pad 1, and the outer extending portion of the nonwoven fabric sheet 6. End embossing applied between the three-dimensional gathers BS and BS, with the top sheet 3, the back sheet 2 and the non-woven sheet 6 provided in such a manner that the edges of the incontinence pad 1 are positioned at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the incontinence pad 1 11 and thermocompression bonding. Thereby, the absorption element 7 is firmly fixed between the top sheet 3 and the back sheet 2. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the absorbent element 7 from being displaced during use, and to eliminate the peeling of the bonded portion of the nonwoven fabric sheet 6 due to the displacement or the generation of holes due to rubbing between the sheet materials, thereby preventing the superabsorbent polymer from falling off. become.

  The end emboss 11 constitutes a part of an outer peripheral seal that joins the surface material and the back sheet 2 along the outer peripheral edge of the incontinence pad 1 over the entire circumference of the incontinence pad 1. In addition, outer periphery seals other than the said edge part embossing 11 can carry out the thermocompression bonding of the surface material of the surface sheet 3 and / or the side nonwoven fabric 8, and the back surface sheet 2 by adhesion | attachment by a hot-melt-adhesive etc. or heat sealing. However, at the end of the three-dimensional gather BS, since the side nonwoven fabric 8 is folded and laminated in plural, it is preferable not to bond with a hot melt adhesive or to weakly press or bond.

  In this way, the end emboss 11 is applied between the three-dimensional gather BS and the BS, and the side nonwoven fabric 8 forming the three-dimensional gather BS is not applied to the folded portion. Is suppressed, and the per touch of skin is not reduced.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the end emboss 11 is preferably provided at a position outside the sealing emboss 10 and not overlapping the sealing emboss 10. This is because when embossing 10 and 11 by thermocompression bonding are applied to each other, curing due to thermocompression bonding increases, and the skin perception is remarkably reduced.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the absorbent body 4 is encapsulated by the crepe paper 5 and then surrounded by the nonwoven fabric sheet 6. However, as shown in FIG. The absorbent body 4 can also be directly surrounded by the nonwoven fabric sheet 6 by omission. In this case, the nonwoven fabric sheet 6 is desirably a nonwoven fabric with finer and higher weight than the case where the crepe paper 5 is provided so that the superabsorbent polymer does not spill from the joints of the nonwoven fabric sheet 6.

  The emboss pattern of the sealing emboss 10 and the end emboss 11 can be applied in various forms as shown in FIG. 7, for example. The sealing emboss 10 can be formed with a substantially equal width along the vicinity of the outer side of the absorber 4 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7 (C), but it is shown in FIGS. 7 (A) and 7 (B). As described above, it may be formed with a wide width on both side portions (particularly, the overlapping portion with the side nonwoven fabric 8) where the end emboss 11 is not applied. Further, the end emboss 11 is continuously formed with a substantially equal width between the three-dimensional gathers BS and BS as shown in FIG. 7A, and has a width as shown in FIG. 7B. It may be one that fluctuates regularly or irregularly, one that is formed intermittently as shown in FIG.

  The sealing emboss 10 is preferably struck from the product back side (back surface sheet 2 side) on the non-skin contact surface side toward the product surface side (surface sheet 3 side) on the skin contact surface side. Thereby, both ends in the longitudinal direction are likely to warp to the back side of the product, and there is an effect of softening the skin area of the end emboss 11.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Incontinence pad, 2 ... Back surface sheet, 3 ... Surface sheet, 4 ... Absorber, 5 ... Crepe paper, 6 ... Nonwoven fabric sheet, 7 ... Absorbing element, 8 ... Side nonwoven fabric, 9 ... Filament elastic elastic member, 10 ... Sealing Stop emboss, 11 ... End emboss, BS ... Solid gather

Claims (4)

In an absorbent article in which an absorbent element is interposed between a liquid-permeable top sheet and a liquid-impervious back sheet, and three-dimensional gathers are provided by side nonwoven fabrics in the longitudinal direction on both sides of the surface side,
The absorbent element includes an absorbent body in which a superabsorbent polymer is dispersed and mixed in a water-absorbent fiber, and an outer extension that surrounds the absorbent body and has both longitudinal ends extending outward from the edges of the absorbent body. A non-woven sheet having an existing portion, and in a state where the absorbent body is surrounded by the non-woven fabric sheet, end portions in the width direction of the non-woven fabric sheet are joined to each other, and an outer extending portion of the non-woven fabric sheet has a width. The opening at the end in the longitudinal direction is sealed by thermocompression bonding with a sealing embossing that crosses the direction,
At both ends in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article, with the longitudinal ends of the absorbent elements interposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, the ends where these sheets are applied between the three-dimensional gathers The absorbent article is characterized in that it is heat-pressed by embossing , and the end embossing is not applied to a portion in which the side nonwoven fabric forming the three-dimensional gather is folded .   The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the end embossing is provided at a position outside the sealing embossing and not overlapping the sealing embossing.   The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the nonwoven fabric sheet is wound around a side of the absorbent body so as to surround the absorbent body, and is joined at an overlap margin between width direction end portions.   The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the absorbent body is surrounded by the nonwoven fabric sheet after being encapsulated by a packaging material, or directly surrounded by the nonwoven fabric sheet.

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