JP7122809B2 - absorbent article - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins and disposable diapers.

Conventionally, in absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins and disposable diapers, three-dimensional gathers (leakage prevention walls) are formed in order to prevent leakage of bodily fluids (eg, menstrual blood, urine, etc.) discharged from the wearer. Hydrophobic, liquid-impermeable sheet-like members (e.g., , hydrophobic non-woven fabric, etc.).

As an absorbent article having such a liquid-impermeable sheet-like member, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pair of sheets capable of forming a three-dimensional gather, which are composed of a long fiber filament group using a thermoplastic resin and an ultrafine absorbent article. A laminated nonwoven fabric in which a two-layer or multi-layer structure laminate of staple fibers is heat-sealed, and has a water resistance of 80 mm or more measured according to JIS L1092, and a bending resistance measured according to JIS L1096. Absorbent articles formed from said laminated nonwoven fabric weighing between 3 and 30 g are disclosed. According to the absorbent article disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is possible to provide an absorbent article that is gentle on the wearer's skin and has an excellent effect of preventing leakage.

JP-A-11-197180

However, as in the absorbent article disclosed in Patent Document 1, a liquid-impermeable sheet-like member formed of a specific laminated nonwoven fabric (for example, SMS nonwoven fabric) does not provide excellent water pressure resistance (leakage prevention). Since it is difficult to ensure both good flexibility and good flexibility at the same time, it is still necessary to increase the basis weight and fiber density of the laminated nonwoven fabric above a certain level. If this is done, not only is it difficult to obtain good flexibility, but there is also the danger that the texture will be poor.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article having both excellent leakproof performance and good flexibility and feel.

One aspect (aspect 1) of the present invention is an absorbent article having a longitudinal direction, a width direction and a thickness direction orthogonal to each other, and having a first surface and a second surface facing each other in the thickness direction, The absorbent article is a hydrophobic laminated nonwoven fabric forming at least a portion of at least one of the first surface and the second surface, comprising a pair of spunbond nonwoven fabric layers and the pair of spunbond nonwoven fabric layers. and at least one meltblown nonwoven layer sandwiched by layers in the thickness direction, the laminated nonwoven fabric extending from the base to the thickness of the absorbent article. and a plurality of protrusions protruding outward, and each of the plurality of protrusions has a part of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer broken at the top of the protrusion, and the broken end portion is the absorbent article having an exposed portion exposed on the outer surface of the absorbent article.

The absorbent article of this aspect 1 has a hydrophobic surface that forms at least a portion of at least one of the first surface and the second surface (i.e., forms at least a portion of the surface that contacts a user such as a wearer). The elastic laminated nonwoven fabric has a plurality of protrusions, and at each of the plurality of protrusions, at the top of the protrusion, a part of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer with a small fiber diameter is broken, and the broken end portion has an exposed portion exposed on the outer surface of the absorbent article, the laminated nonwoven fabric can obtain good softness and feel while maintaining a certain level or more of water pressure resistance. In particular, the exposed portion where the broken ends of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer are exposed in each of the plurality of protrusions minimizes the contact area with the user's skin surface, and the user's skin surface Since the contacting part is formed of a soft fractured end with a small fiber diameter, it has good flexibility and feel to the touch, not only when it is dry, but also when it is moistened by the user's sweat or excreted fluids. can be realized.
Therefore, the absorbent article of aspect 1 can combine excellent leak-proof performance with good flexibility and touch.

In the present specification, the "wearer" of the absorbent article means a person who actually wears the absorbent article, and the "user" of the absorbent article means the wearer as well as the absorbent article. Means anyone who uses the absorbent article on themselves or on others, including those who let others wear them (eg, caregivers, etc.).

In another aspect (aspect 2) of the present invention, in the absorbent article of aspect 1, each of the plurality of protrusions is located on the outer side in the thickness direction at the top of the protrusion. The spunbond nonwoven fabric layer has a fractured portion, and the exposed portion is the fractured end portion of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer exposed to the outer surface of the absorbent article through the fractured portion. have a part.

In the absorbent article of this aspect 2, in the exposed portion, the broken ends of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer are located on the outer side in the thickness direction. Since there is an exposed portion on the outer surface, it is possible to secure a wider exposed portion formed by soft fractured ends with a small fiber diameter, so that the above-mentioned good texture can be obtained more reliably.

In still another aspect (aspect 3) of the present invention, in the absorbent article according to aspect 1 or 2, each of the plurality of protrusions is located on the outer side in the thickness direction at the top of the protrusion. The spunbond nonwoven fabric layer has a low fiber density portion where the interfiber distance between the constituent fibers of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer is larger than the interfiber distance between the constituent fibers in the portion other than the top portion, and the exposed portion is the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer. The broken ends of the constituent fibers pass through the fibers of the constituent fibers of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer in the low fiber density portion and have portions exposed to the outer surface of the absorbent article.

In the absorbent article of this aspect 3, in the exposed portion, the broken ends of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer pass between the constituent fibers of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer in the low fiber density portion to form the outer surface of the absorbent article. Since the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer has a portion exposed to the surface, the above-mentioned good touch can be obtained while more reliably ensuring water pressure resistance of the laminated nonwoven fabric layer above a certain level by having a portion where the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer is not broken. .

In still another aspect (aspect 4) of the present invention, in the absorbent article according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, the broken ends of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer have a tapered shape.

In the absorbent article of this aspect 4, since the broken ends of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer have a tapered shape, the contact area with the user's skin surface is suppressed, and the user's skin The portion in contact with the surface can be made softer by the tapered breaking edge described above, resulting in even better skin feel.

In still another aspect (aspect 5) of the present invention, in the absorbent article according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, each of the plurality of protrusions has a hollow internal structure.

In the absorbent article of aspect 5, each of the plurality of protrusions has a hollow internal structure, so that the protrusions exhibit higher flexibility and cushioning properties and cooperate with the above-described exposed portions. It is possible to realize better flexibility and touch.

In still another aspect (aspect 6) of the present invention, in the absorbent article according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, the base portion has a plurality of recesses that are recessed toward the inner side in the thickness direction of the absorbent article. grooves.

In the absorbent article of aspect 6, since the base has a plurality of grooves recessed inward in the thickness direction of the absorbent article, in the above-described laminated nonwoven fabric, the force in the thickness direction Even when (for example, the wearer's body pressure) is applied, the grooves support the above-described laminated nonwoven fabric in the thickness direction, and the base portion other than the grooves flexes inward in the thickness direction. The above-mentioned force can be buffered by squeezing, and even more excellent flexibility and cushioning properties can be exhibited. As a result, in the absorbent article of aspect 6, the specific concave-convex structure of the laminated nonwoven fabric and the exposed portions cooperate to achieve even better softness and feel.

In yet another aspect (aspect 7) of the present invention, in the absorbent article of aspect 6, the base portion is such that, at the bottom portion of the groove portion, the fractured ends of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer extend inward in the thickness direction. It has an extending portion extending inward in the thickness direction through the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer located on one side.

In the absorbent article of this aspect 7, at the bottom of the groove, the broken ends of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer pass through the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer located on the inner side in the thickness direction. Since it has an extension part extending to the side, the above-mentioned laminated nonwoven fabric can be joined to other constituent members (for example, a top sheet, an absorbent body, etc.) located on the inner side of the absorbent article in the thickness direction. When doing so, the above-mentioned extending portion serves as an anchor, and the laminated nonwoven fabric and other constituent members can be joined more firmly, and good flexibility can be obtained while maintaining the above-mentioned water pressure resistance above a certain level. It is possible to more reliably obtain the effect of being able to obtain a smooth texture.

In still another aspect (aspect 8) of the present invention, in the absorbent article according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, the laminated nonwoven fabric forms at least a part of the first surface of the absorbent article. It's a side seat.

Since the absorbent article of aspect 8 is a pair of side sheets in which the above-described laminated nonwoven fabric forms at least a part of the first surface of the absorbent article, the pair of side sheets maintains a certain level or more of water pressure resistance. The absorbent article can have good flexibility and good touch, and can more effectively exhibit excellent leak-proof performance as an absorbent article, and good softness and touch.

In still another aspect (aspect 9) of the present invention, in the absorbent article of aspect 8, the absorbent article includes a liquid-permeable surface sheet forming a part of the first surface, and the pair of The side sheets are arranged so as to extend in the longitudinal direction at both ends of the absorbent article in the width direction in plan view, and each of the pair of side sheets extends inward in the width direction. and a free end that is not joined to the top sheet, and a fixed end that is located on the outer side in the width direction and is joined to the top sheet.

In the absorbent article of aspect 9, since each of the pair of side sheets is located on the inner side in the width direction of the absorbent article and has a free end that is not joined to the top sheet, the wearer can At the free end portion, which is likely to come into contact with the skin surface, the plurality of convex portions of the laminated nonwoven fabric constituting the side sheet can be deformed with a high degree of freedom, exhibiting excellent flexibility, and further excellent touch. can be obtained.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the absorbent article which has excellent leakproof performance, and favorable softness|flexibility and touch can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a sanitary napkin 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, viewed in the thickness direction from the topsheet side in an unfolded state. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional end view of the sanitary napkin 1 along the central longitudinal axis _CW in FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 used for the side sheet 5 of the sanitary napkin 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9. As shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a laminated nonwoven fabric 9' used as a side sheet of a sanitary napkin according to another embodiment (second embodiment) of the present invention.

Preferred embodiments of the absorbent article of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, "an object placed on a horizontal surface in an unfolded state (for example, an absorbent article, a laminated nonwoven fabric, etc.) is placed vertically upward (the object is an absorbent Viewing in the thickness direction of an object from the surface sheet side in the case of an article, or from the convex portion side in the case of a laminated nonwoven fabric, is simply referred to as "plan view".

Various directions and the like used in this specification are as follows unless otherwise specified.
As used herein, the “longitudinal direction” refers to the “long direction of the length of a vertically long object (e.g., absorbent article, laminated nonwoven fabric, etc.) in plan view”, and the “width direction” refers to “in plan view. "Thickness direction" refers to the "short direction of the length of a vertically long object (lateral direction)", and "thickness direction" refers to the "perpendicular direction to an object placed on a horizontal surface in an unfolded state". The direction, width direction, and thickness direction are mutually orthogonal.
Further, in this specification, "in the longitudinal direction of an oblong object, relatively proximal to the longitudinal central axis _CW located in the longitudinal center of the object and extending in the width direction" is referred to as the "inner side in the longitudinal direction", and "relatively distal to the longitudinal central axis _CW in the longitudinal direction of the elongated object" is referred to as the "outer side in the width direction". It says. Similarly, "in the width direction of a vertically elongated object, relatively proximal to the central axis _CL in the width direction that is positioned at the center in the width direction of the object and extends in the longitudinal direction" is defined as "the width direction "the inner side of the longitudinal object", and "the distal side relative to the central axis _CL in the width direction in the width direction of the elongated object" is referred to as the "outer side in the width direction". Further, in the present specification, the term “relatively proximal to the center of the object in the thickness direction in the thickness direction of the object” is referred to as “inner side in the thickness direction”, and “the above In the thickness direction of the object, the term "relatively distal to the center of the object in the thickness direction" is referred to as "the outer side in the thickness direction".
Further, in this specification, "one side in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article that is relatively proximal to the abdomen of the wearer when the wearer wears the absorbent article" is defined as "absorbent The term "front side of the absorbent article" refers to "in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article, when the wearer wears the absorbent article, the distal side relatively to the abdomen of the wearer (i.e., the back of the wearer The other side that is relatively proximal to the absorbent article" is referred to as the "rear side of the absorbent article".
In this specification, in the thickness direction of the absorbent article, "relatively proximal side to the skin surface of the wearer when wearing the absorbent article" is referred to as "skin facing surface side". When the absorbent article is worn, the side relatively distal to the wearer's skin surface is referred to as the "non-skin facing side". Here, "when worn" means the period from the time when the wearer wears the absorbent article (that is, the time when a usable state is formed) until the state is maintained (while the wearer is wearing the absorbent article). means.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the sanitary napkin 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention in an unfolded state viewed from the topsheet side in the thickness direction, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an end view of a cross section along the central longitudinal axis _CW . FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 used for the side sheet 5 of the sanitary napkin 1, and FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a sanitary napkin 1 (an example of an absorbent article) according to the first embodiment of the present invention has a longitudinal direction L, a width direction W and a thickness direction T which are perpendicular to each other. , a first surface F ₁ (a skin-facing surface in this embodiment) and a second surface F ₂ (a non-skin-facing surface in this embodiment) facing each other in the thickness direction T.
As shown in FIG. 1, the sanitary napkin 1 has an elongated outer shape with a longitudinal direction L and a width direction W in a plan view. A vertically long absorbent main body portion overlapping in the thickness direction T, a pair of front side flap portions 6, 6 extending outward in the width direction W at a position near the front side of the absorbent main body portion, and the absorbent main body a flap portion including a pair of rear side flap portions 7, 7 extending outward in the width direction W at a position near the rear side of the portion.
In the present invention, the outer shape of the absorbent article is not limited to the outer shape of the present embodiment. Any lengthwise shape (for example, rectangular, elliptical, hourglass, etc.) can be adopted according to various uses.

As shown in FIG. 2, the sanitary napkin 1 of the present embodiment has a liquid-permeable surface sheet 2 located on the skin-facing side of the sanitary napkin 1 and a non-skin-facing side in the thickness direction T. a liquid-impermeable back sheet 3 positioned therebetween; a liquid-absorbent absorbent body 4 positioned between these sheets and capable of absorbing and retaining excretions such as menstrual blood discharged from the wearer; A pair of side sheets 5, 5 located on the side of the surface facing the skin of the top sheet 2 and extending in the longitudinal direction L at both ends in the width direction W of the sanitary napkin 1 are provided as main constituent members.
1 and 2, the sanitary napkin 1 is formed by embossing the top sheet 2, the absorbent body 4 and the back sheet 3 by squeezing them in the thickness direction T from the side facing the skin. The compressed portions P are intermittently arranged so as to surround the central portion of the sanitary napkin 1 (that is, the intersection of the longitudinal central axis _CW and the _widthwise central axis CL) of the sanitary napkin 1 in plan view. there is Due to the arrangement of the compressed portion P, the sanitary napkin 1 is easily deformed along the shape of the wearer's body, and the sanitary napkin 1 absorbs the wearer's bodily fluids such as menstrual blood. , the area including the central portion of the sanitary napkin 1 is easily controlled. In addition, since the above-mentioned pressing portion is not an essential component in the absorbent article of the present invention, the absorbent article of the present invention may not have such a pressing portion.

In addition, as described above, the sanitary napkin 1 has a pair of flap portions extending outward in the width direction W from the vertically long absorbent main body at both ends in the width direction W. The flap portion includes extending portions of the side sheets 5, the top sheet 2, and the back sheet 3, which extend outward in the width direction W from the above-described absorbent body portion in the thickness direction T, and the above-described front side sheet. The side flap portion 6 is composed of adhesive portions 8, 8 for fixing clothes disposed on the surface of the back sheet 3 on the non-skin facing side.
When the sanitary napkin 1 configured in this manner is worn by a wearer, the absorbent main body portion is attached to an adhesive portion (not shown) for fixing clothes disposed on the non-skin-facing surface of the absorbent main body portion. After fixing to the surface of the wearer's clothing (underwear etc.) on the skin facing side, the pair of front side flap portions 6 and 6 are folded back to the non-skin facing side of the clothing, and each front side flap portion It is used by being fixed to the surface of the non-skin facing side of the clothing by means of the adhesive portions 8, 8 for fixing the clothes arranged on the non-skin facing side surface of 6, 6. - 特許庁Here, the adhesive used in each adhesive portion for fixing the sanitary napkin 1 to the clothes of the wearer is not particularly limited as long as it can fix the sanitary napkin 1 to the clothes of the wearer. , styrenic polymers, etc., can be employed.
In addition, since the above flap portion is not an essential component in the absorbent article of the present invention, the absorbent article of the present invention may not have such a flap portion.

In the sanitary napkin 1 according to this embodiment, a pair of side sheets 5, 5 forming a part of the skin-facing surface (an example of the first surface) of the sanitary napkin 1 are shown in FIGS. As shown, a pair of spunbond nonwoven fabric layers (a spunbond nonwoven fabric layer 9S ₁ on the skin facing side and a spunbond nonwoven fabric layer 9S ₂ on the non-skin facing side in FIGS. 3 and 4) and the pair of spunbond It is formed of a hydrophobic laminated nonwoven fabric 9 (so-called SMS nonwoven fabric) constituted by one meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M sandwiched in the thickness direction T by nonwoven fabric layers. The laminated nonwoven fabric 9 has a base portion 92 and a plurality of convex portions 91 projecting outward in the thickness direction T of the sanitary napkin 1 from the base portion 92. In each of the portions 91, part of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M is broken at the top portion 91T of the convex portion 91, and the broken end portion _9MT1 is the outer surface of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 (that is, the sanitary napkin 1 has an exposed portion 94 exposed on the outer surface of the .

In the sanitary napkin 1 according to this embodiment, the hydrophobic laminated nonwoven fabric 9 forming part of the skin-facing surface (that is, forming part of the wearer-contacting surface) has the plurality of projections 91 described above. Furthermore, each of the plurality of protrusions 91 is meltblown with a small fiber diameter (specifically, a fiber diameter of about 0.5 to 5.0 μm) at the top 91T of the protrusion 91 Some of the constituent fibers of the nonwoven fabric layer 9M are broken, and the broken end portion 9MT1 has an exposed portion 94 exposed on the outer surface of the sanitary napkin _1. Therefore, in the laminated nonwoven fabric 9, the spunbond While maintaining a certain level of water pressure resistance (specifically, water pressure resistance of 50 mm or more) based on the laminated structure including the nonwoven fabric layer, the above-described plurality of protrusions 91 and the exposed portions 94 of the protrusions 91 provide good performance. You can get flexibility and feel. In particular, the exposed portion 94 in which the broken end portion 9MT ₁ of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M is exposed in each of the plurality of convex portions 91 minimizes the contact area with the wearer's skin surface. Since the portion that contacts the skin of the wearer is formed of the soft fractured end portion _9MT1 with a small fiber diameter, it can be used not only in a dry state but also in a wet state due to the wearer's sweat or excrement. , good flexibility and feel can be realized.
As a result, the sanitary napkin 1 according to the present embodiment can combine excellent leakproof performance with good flexibility and feel.

In the present invention, the degree of hydrophobicity of the laminated nonwoven fabric is sufficient if it is hydrophobic enough not to absorb the dropped water when water is dropped on the surface of the laminated nonwoven fabric. From the point of view, when water is dropped on the surface of the laminated nonwoven fabric, the dropped water may be repelled by the surface of the laminated nonwoven fabric to form water droplets (so-called water repellency).

Moreover, in this specification, water pressure resistance means water pressure resistance (mm) measured according to JIS L1092. Such water pressure resistance is determined by leakage prevention, flexibility, strength, etc. in sheet-like members (for example, side sheets, back sheets, exterior sheets, etc.) that form at least a part of the first surface or the second surface of the absorbent article. etc., it is preferably in the range of 50 mm to 120 mm, more preferably in the range of 60 mm to 100 mm. If the sheet-like member has a water pressure resistance of 50 mm or more, it can sufficiently fulfill its function as a hydrophobic sheet-like member (for example, a side sheet, a back sheet, etc.) of an absorbent article.

Hereinafter, various members constituting the absorbent article of the present invention will be described in more detail using the sanitary napkin 1 according to the above-described first embodiment.

[Side seat]
In the first embodiment described above, the pair of side sheets 5, 5 used in the sanitary napkin 1 are, as shown in FIG. It is composed of a member (in this embodiment, the above-described hydrophobic laminated nonwoven fabric 9), and is arranged at both ends in the width direction W of the sanitary napkin 1 on the surface of the surface facing the skin of the above-described topsheet 2. ing. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the pair of side sheets 5, 5 is positioned on the inner side of the sanitary napkin 1 in the width direction W and is not joined to the surface of the topsheet 2 facing the skin. It has a free end portion 51 and a fixed end portion 52 positioned on the outer side in the width direction W of the sanitary napkin 1 and joined to the surface of the topsheet 2 facing the skin. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the above-described fixed end portion 52 is configured such that the portion on the outer side in the width direction W of the side sheet 5 is the surface of the surface facing the skin of the topsheet 2 and the surface It is joined to both the surface of the skin facing surface side of the back sheet 3 extending outward in the width direction W from the sheet 2, but in the absorbent article of the present invention, the fixed end portion of the side sheet is not limited to such an aspect, for example, the top sheet extends to the edges of both ends in the width direction of the absorbent article like the back sheet, and the portion of the side sheet on the outer side in the width direction is It may be joined only to the surface of the surface facing the skin of the topsheet.
As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of side sheets 5, 5 in this embodiment has a pair of free end portions 51, 51 positioned on the inner side in the width direction W of the sanitary napkin 1 that is thicker than the sanitary napkin 1. Since the pair of side sheets 5, 5 can stand up toward the outer side in the width direction T, the pair of side sheets 5, 5 can prevent excreted liquid such as menstrual blood flowing in the width direction W on the top sheet 2 of the sanitary napkin 1. It can function as a leak-proof wall that dams the

In the first embodiment, the hydrophobic laminated nonwoven fabric 9 forming the side sheets 5 is positioned on the outer side in the thickness direction T (that is, on the side facing the skin), as shown in FIGS. A spunbond nonwoven fabric layer 9S1, _a spunbond nonwoven fabric layer _9S2 located on the inner side in the thickness direction T (that is, the non-skin facing side), and a layer sandwiched in the thickness direction T by these spunbond nonwoven fabric layers. Further, the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 has a base portion 92 positioned at a reference position in the thickness direction T, and a base portion 92 that extends outward in the thickness direction T from the base portion 92. Each of the plurality of protrusions 91 has a portion of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M broken at the top 91T of the protrusion 91, The broken end portion _9MT1 has an exposed portion 94 exposed on the outer surface of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 (that is, the outer surface of the sanitary napkin 1).

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, each of the plurality of projections 91 has _a broken portion 9SB formed by breaking the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer 9S1 located on the outer side in the thickness direction T at the top portion 91T of the convex portion 91. ₁ , and the exposed portion 94 is such that the broken end portion 9MT ₁ of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M extends through the broken portion 9SB ₁ of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer 9S ₁ to the outer surface of the sanitary napkin 1. exposed to Such broken portions 9SB ₁ of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer 9S ₁ are formed when providing the uneven structure including the plurality of protrusions 91 and the bases 92 to the SMS nonwoven fabric (laminated nonwoven fabric) having a flat structure. Concavo-convex structure provided with a pair of shaping rolls (for example, a first shaping roll having a plurality of hexagonal protruding pins on the outer peripheral surface and a second shaping roll having a plurality of ridges on the outer peripheral surface, etc.) The roll spacing of the shaping device and the arrangement intervals of the protruding pins and ridges on each shaping roll are adjusted, and part of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer _9S1 is cut by the engagement of the protruding pins and ridges on each shaping roll. It can be formed by shaping the uneven structure described above so as to partially break some of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M while breaking. At this time, the fractured ends 9MT ₁ of the constituent fibers of the fractured meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M are exposed to the outer surface of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 through the fractured portions 9SB ₁ of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer 9S ₁ to form the exposed portions 94 described above. do.
When the exposed portion 94 of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 is formed in this way (that is, the broken end portion 9MT ₁ of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M passes through the broken portion 9SB ₁ of the above spunbond nonwoven fabric layer 9S ₁ When exposed to the outer surface of the sanitary napkin ₁ ), the exposed portion 94 formed by the soft broken end portion 9MT1 with a small fiber diameter can be secured more widely, so that the above-mentioned good touch can be more reliably achieved. can get to

In addition, the means for breaking a part of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer located on the outer side in the thickness direction and exposing the broken ends of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer uses the above-mentioned shaping device. Not limited to the means, for example, after shaping the uneven structure including the above-described plurality of protrusions and bases on the laminated nonwoven fabric having a flat structure, carding, emery, etc. are used for the plurality of protrusions. A raising means is applied to break the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer located on the outer side in the thickness direction, while breaking some constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer, exposing the broken ends. good too.

Here, in the present specification, the "top" of the projection is the outermost side in the thickness direction of the projection (that is, the laminated nonwoven fabric is arranged on the skin facing side (first surface side) of the absorbent article. The part that includes the vertex or the top surface located on the most skin-facing surface side when the non-woven fabric is placed on the non-skin facing surface side (second surface side) of the absorbent article. The height of the protrusion from the vertex or top surface (that is, the plane including the outer surface in the thickness direction of the base (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the “reference plane”) to the vertex or top It refers to the portion up to 70% of the distance to the surface in the thickness direction). Here, the position of 70% of the height of the projection refers to the position of 70% of the total height of the projection with the reference plane as the starting point.

Further, in the first embodiment described above, the broken end portion _9MT1 of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M has a tapered shape due to the constituent fibers being elongated and broken. When the broken end portion 9MT ₁ of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M has such a tapered shape, the contact area with the wearer's skin surface is suppressed further, and the wearer's skin surface is contacted. The taper-shaped breaking edge _9MT1 can make the portion to be cut softer and provide a better feel to the touch.

In the present embodiment, the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 is composed of three layers in which one meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M is sandwiched between a pair of spunbond nonwoven fabric layers (that is, the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer 9S ₁ and the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer 9S ₂ ). However, the laminated nonwoven fabric in the present invention may have a laminated structure in which at least one meltblown nonwoven fabric layer is sandwiched between a pair of spunbond nonwoven fabric layers. For example, a nonwoven fabric having a multi-layer structure of four or more layers, such as a nonwoven fabric having a four-layer laminated structure in which two meltblown nonwoven fabric layers are sandwiched between a pair of spunbond nonwoven fabric layers (that is, SMMS nonwoven fabric). may be configured by

In the present invention, the fibers constituting the laminated nonwoven fabric are not particularly limited, and for example, thermoplastic resins such as olefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate and polylactic acid, and polyamide resins. Thermoplastic resin fibers may be mentioned, and these resins may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
Furthermore, the basis weight of the laminated ^nonwoven fabric is not particularly limited as long as it does not ^impair the effects of the present invention. more preferably in the range of 15 g/m ² to 50 g/m ² . In addition, the thickness of the laminated nonwoven fabric is not particularly limited as long as it does not impede the effects of the present invention. It is preferably within the range of 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm. The basis weight can be measured according to 5.2 of JIS L 1906.

Here, the concavo-convex structure of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 (that is, the concavo-convex structure including a plurality of convex portions 91 and base portions 92) in the first embodiment described above will be described in more detail.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the plurality of protrusions 91 of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 extend from the top surface and the peripheral edge of the top surface in the thickness direction T and in the longitudinal direction. A substantially rectangular parallelepiped external shape having a pair of longitudinal wall portions 91L parallel to L and a pair of width direction wall portions 91W extending in the thickness direction T from the peripheral edge of the top surface and parallel to the width direction W As shown in FIG. 4, it has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped hollow portion 91S as an internal space. In the sanitary napkin 1 of the present embodiment, the plurality of protrusions 91 of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 each have such a hollow internal structure, so that the protrusions 91 exhibit higher flexibility and cushioning properties. However, in cooperation with the exposed portion 94 described above, better flexibility and feel can be achieved.
In the present invention, the structure of the convex portion of the laminated nonwoven fabric is not particularly limited as long as it does not impede the effects of the present invention. structure can be employed.

In addition, in the above-described first embodiment, the plurality of convex portions 91 are formed on the inner side in the thickness direction T (the second 2 side) toward the outer side in the thickness direction T (that is, compressed), so that the top surface of the convex portion 91 is the most in the laminated nonwoven fabric 9. It has a high fiber density. On the other hand, each wall portion extending in the thickness direction T from the top surface of the convex portion 91 (that is, a pair of longitudinal wall portions 91L and a pair of width direction wall portions 91W) has a top portion 91T including a portion near the top surface, Due to the tension applied in the thickness direction T of the laminated nonwoven fabric when providing the uneven structure, the fiber density is reduced in the thickness direction T. In particular, the spunbond positioned on the outer side in the thickness direction T In the nonwoven fabric layer 9S- ₁ , a broken portion 9SB- ₁ is formed by breaking the nonwoven fabric layer.

In the present invention, the height of the projections of the laminated nonwoven fabric is not particularly limited as long as it does not impede the effects of the present invention. 5 mm. When the height of the convex portion is within such a range, the action and effect of the convex portion having the exposed portion (that is, the action and effect of being able to obtain good flexibility and touch) are further enhanced. can perform well. Furthermore, the longitudinal length of the projection is not particularly limited, and is, for example, within the range of 0.25 mm to 5.0 mm, preferably within the range of 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm. Similarly, the length in the width direction of the protrusion is not particularly limited, and is, for example, within the range of 0.25 mm to 5.0 mm, preferably within the range of 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm. When the lengths of the projections in the longitudinal direction and the width direction are within the ranges described above, the effects of the projections having the exposed portions described above can be exhibited more satisfactorily.

In the first embodiment described above, the plurality of protrusions 91 of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 are intermittently arranged at regular intervals along the longitudinal direction L, as shown in FIG. are arranged so as to line up in the width direction W, and in the rows of a plurality of protrusions 91 adjacent to each other in the width direction W, the adjacent protrusions 91 are arranged so as not to overlap in the width direction W. (that is, the plurality of protrusions are arranged in a zigzag arrangement in plan view). In the present invention, the arrangement form of the plurality of protrusions is not particularly limited as long as it does not inhibit the effects of the present invention. It is preferable that the plurality of protrusions be arranged in a staggered arrangement like the above-described first embodiment.

Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 has a plurality of grooves 93 in which the base 92 is recessed inward in the thickness direction T, as shown in FIGS. Further, the plurality of grooves 93 are arranged so as to extend along the longitudinal direction L and line up in a plurality of rows in the width direction W. As shown in FIG. When the base portion 92 of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 has such a plurality of grooves 93, even when force (for example, body pressure of the wearer) is applied to the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 in the thickness direction T, While supporting the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 in the thickness direction T in the groove 93, the portion of the base 92 other than the groove 93 bends inward in the thickness direction T, thereby buffering the force. Therefore, even better flexibility and cushioning properties can be exhibited. As a result, the sanitary napkin 1 having such a laminated nonwoven fabric 9 as a pair of side sheets 5, 5 can be further Excellent flexibility and touch can be realized.

In addition, the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 is a surface sheet in which the surface on the inner side (non-skin facing side) in the thickness direction T of the bottoms 93B of the plurality of grooves 93 is arranged on the non-skin facing side of the side sheet 5. 2 and the surface of the back sheet 3 on the side facing the skin, via an arbitrary adhesive such as a hot-melt adhesive.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, in the laminated nonwoven fabric 9, the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer _9S2 located on the inner side in the thickness direction T at the bottoms 93B of the plurality of grooves 93 is broken. It has a broken portion _9SB2 , and the broken end portion _9MT2 of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M is on the inner side in the thickness direction T through the broken portion _9SB2 of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer _9S2 . It has an extension part 95 extending to the side. When the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 has such extensions 95 at the bottoms 93B of the plurality of grooves 93, the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 is positioned on the inner side of the sanitary napkin 1 in the thickness direction T. When joining the constituent members (that is, the top sheet 2, the back sheet 3, etc.), the above-described extending portions 95 serve as anchors, and the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 and the other constituent members can be more firmly joined. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably obtain the effect of being able to obtain good flexibility and touch while maintaining the water pressure resistance above a certain level.

In the present invention, the interval between a plurality of grooves adjacent to each other in the width direction is not particularly limited as long as the effect of the present invention is not impaired. It is within the range of 5 mm to 3.0 mm. Here, the "interval between a plurality of grooves adjacent in the width direction" refers to the distance between the substantially central positions in the width direction of the grooves (substantially the deepest positions of the bottoms of the grooves). When the distance between the adjacent grooves is within the above range, the cushioning properties and surface texture of the laminated nonwoven fabric are further improved.

Furthermore, the depth of the groove (that is, from the plane (reference plane) including the surface on the outer side in the thickness direction of the base to the deepest part of the bottom (more specifically, the outer side in the thickness direction at the deepest part The distance in the thickness direction to the surface)) is not particularly limited as long as it does not impede the effects of the present invention, for example, within the range of 0.25 mm to 5.0 mm, preferably 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm is within the range of When the depth of the grooves is within the above range, the laminated nonwoven fabric can exhibit even better cushioning properties and feel to the touch.

In addition, in the first embodiment described above, the plurality of grooves 93 are formed integrally with portions of the base 92 other than the grooves 93 in the width direction W, as shown in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 3, the portions of the base portion 92 other than the groove portions 93 are formed in a plurality of rows in the width direction W such that each groove portion 93 extending in the longitudinal direction L is sandwiched therebetween. The sections are also formed parallel to each other and of the same width. In the present invention, the direction in which the plurality of grooves of the laminated nonwoven fabric extends is not limited to the longitudinal direction, and the plurality of grooves may extend in any direction such as the width direction. Furthermore, the uneven structure including a plurality of protrusions and bases in the laminated nonwoven fabric is not limited to the structure of the above-described first embodiment as long as the effect of the present invention can be achieved. It may have any uneven structure that does not have grooves.

In the present invention, the uneven structure of the laminated nonwoven fabric (that is, the uneven structure including a plurality of protrusions and a base) itself can be formed by any uneven shaping processing method (for example, Japanese Patent No. 5829349, Japanese Patent No. 5829326, etc. As disclosed, a flat nonwoven fabric is applied to a pair of shaping rolls (specifically, a first shaping roll having a plurality of protruding pins with a hexagonal cross section on the outer peripheral surface and a plurality of ridges on the outer peripheral surface. It can be formed by using a concave-convex shaping method of sandwiching between second shaping rolls).
In addition, as described above, the exposed portion and the extended portion of the laminated nonwoven fabric are adjusted appropriately by adjusting the roll spacing between the pair of shaping rolls, the arrangement spacing of the plurality of projecting pins and the ridges on each shaping roll, and the like. Partially breaking constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer while breaking predetermined portions of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer positioned on the outer side in the thickness direction and the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer positioned on the inner side in the thickness direction. Alternatively, after forming the uneven structure on the laminated nonwoven fabric, raising means using carding, emery, or the like is applied to the bottoms of the plurality of protrusions and grooves to form the above thickness direction outside. The meltblown nonwoven fabric layer is formed by breaking predetermined portions of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer located on the one side and the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer located on the inner side in the thickness direction together with part of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer. The broken ends of the fibers can be exposed on the outer surface of the laminated nonwoven fabric to form the above exposed portions and extended portions.

In the first embodiment described above, the pair of side sheets 5, 5 of the sanitary napkin 1 are formed of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 having the specific uneven structure, but in the absorbent article of the present invention, this is not necessarily the case. For example, as will be described later, when the effects of the present invention can be obtained by forming the back sheet and the exterior sheet from the laminated nonwoven fabric having the above-described specific uneven structure, the above-described Any hydrophobic sheet-like member known in the art can be used for the pair of side sheets. Examples of such a hydrophobic sheet-like member include a hydrophobic nonwoven fabric, and specifically, one meltblown nonwoven fabric layer as in the first embodiment described above is sandwiched between a pair of spunbond nonwoven fabric layers. In addition to laminated nonwoven fabrics such as SMS nonwoven fabrics and SMMS nonwoven fabrics in which two layers of meltblown nonwoven fabric layers are sandwiched between a pair of spunbond nonwoven fabric layers, single nonwoven fabrics such as spunlace nonwoven fabrics, spunbond nonwoven fabrics, thermal bond nonwoven fabrics, meltblown nonwoven fabrics, air-through nonwoven fabrics, etc. Various hydrophobic nonwovens of the layer can be mentioned. Among them, the pair of side sheets is preferably formed of a laminated nonwoven fabric such as an SMS nonwoven fabric or an SMMS nonwoven fabric. It is particularly preferable to be formed of a laminated nonwoven fabric having a concavo-convex structure including a plurality of convex portions having and a base.
When the pair of side sheets forming at least a portion of the first surface of the absorbent article is formed of the laminated nonwoven fabric having the above-described specific uneven structure, the pair of side sheets retains a certain level of water pressure resistance. Since the absorbent article having such a side sheet can have excellent leak-proof performance and good flexibility and touch, it can be made to have good softness and good touch. can be demonstrated in

Further, each of the pair of side sheets formed of the laminated nonwoven fabric having the specific concave-convex structure is positioned on the inner side in the width direction of the absorbent article and is attached to the top sheet as in the first embodiment. When arranged so as to have a free end that is not joined and a fixed end that is located on the outer side in the width direction of the absorbent article and is joined to the topsheet, the absorbent article contacts the wearer's skin surface. Since the freedom of deformation of the plurality of protrusions of the laminated nonwoven fabric constituting the side sheets is increased at the free ends where it is easy to bend, the absorbent article provided with such side sheets exhibits excellent flexibility. It is possible to realize a more excellent touch.

Further, when the absorbent article of the present invention is a sanitary napkin as in the first embodiment described above, the sanitary napkin easily maintains a state in which the first surface is in close contact with the wearer's skin. It is possible to more effectively exhibit the effects achieved by forming the pair of side sheets from the laminated nonwoven fabric having the specific concave-convex structure.

(Second embodiment)
In the present invention, the laminated nonwoven fabric having the specific uneven structure is composed of a pair of spunbond nonwoven fabric layers and at least one meltblown nonwoven fabric layer sandwiched between the pair of spunbond nonwoven fabric layers in the thickness direction. Moreover, as long as it includes a base portion and a plurality of protrusions having the exposed portions, the present invention is not limited to the aspect of the first embodiment described above. For example, in another embodiment (second embodiment) of the present invention, as shown in FIG. The spunbond nonwoven fabric layer 9S ₁ located at 1 has a low fiber density portion 9SM ₁ in which the inter-fiber distance of the constituent fibers is larger than the inter-fiber distance of the constituent fibers in the portion other than the top portion 91T, and furthermore, the above-mentioned exposed portion 94 is a structure in which the broken ends 9MT ₁ of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M are exposed on the outer surface of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 ′ through the fibers of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer 9S ₁ in the low fiber density portion 9SM ₁ . It has
Here, FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a laminated nonwoven fabric 9' used for a side sheet of a sanitary napkin according to another embodiment (second embodiment) of the present invention. In this second embodiment, the configuration other than the configuration different from the above-described first embodiment is basically the same as that of the above-described first embodiment, so description thereof will be omitted.

In this second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, in the laminated nonwoven fabric 9′, the broken ends 9MT ₁ of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M in the above-described exposed portion 94 span the low fiber density portion 9SM ₁ . Since the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer _9S1 is exposed on the outer surface of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9' (that is, the outer surface of the sanitary napkin) through the fibers constituting the bonded nonwoven fabric layer 9S1, the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer has a portion that is not broken. As a result, it is possible to more reliably ensure that the laminated nonwoven fabric 9' has a water pressure resistance of at least a certain level, while at the same time providing the above-described good texture.

Here, the determination of the magnitude (high or low) of the fiber density in a predetermined portion (for example, the top, wall, bottom, etc.) of the laminated nonwoven fabric is performed by examining each target portion for comparing the magnitude of the fiber density with a scanning electron microscope or the like. It can be visually determined from the number of fibers per certain area by magnifying observation means at a magnification of about 20 to 100 times.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the laminated nonwoven fabric 9′ is a spunbond nonwoven fabric layer located on the inner side in the thickness direction T (non-skin facing side) in the bottom 93B of the groove 93. 9S ₂ has a low fiber density portion 9SM ₂ in which the inter-fiber distance of the constituent fibers of 9S 2 is larger than the inter-fiber distance of the constituent fibers in the portion other than the bottom portion 93B, and further, the broken end portion of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M 9MT- ₂ has an extending portion 95 extending inwardly in the thickness direction T through the fibers constituting the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer 9S- ₂ in the low fiber density portion 9SM- ₂ . If the laminated nonwoven fabric 9' has such an extending portion 95 in the bottom portion 93B of the groove 93, the laminated nonwoven fabric 9' can be positioned on the inner side in the thickness direction T of the sanitary napkin. When the constituent members (that is, the top sheet 2, the back sheet 3, etc.) are joined together, the extension portions 95 described above act as anchors, and the laminated nonwoven fabric 9′ and the other constituent members are more strongly and more strongly bonded together. In addition to being able to join stably, the above-mentioned effects (that is, the effects of being able to obtain a good touch while more reliably ensuring a certain level of water pressure resistance of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 ′) can be achieved more. can be obtained advantageously.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the laminated nonwoven fabric 9′ includes the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer 9S ₂ located on the inner side in the thickness direction T at the apex 91T of each of the plurality of protrusions 91, as shown in FIG. In addition, at the bottom 93B of the groove 93, the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer _9S1 located on the outer _side in the thickness direction T is broken. It has a groove outer side breaking portion _9SB4 . In addition, in the second embodiment, the projection inner side breaking portion 9SB ₃ and the groove portion outer side breaking portion 9SB ₄ are both parallel to the extending direction of the groove portion 93 (that is, in the longitudinal direction L). ), the protrusion inner side breaking portion 9SB ₃ and the groove portion outer side breaking portion 9SB ₄ act like a hinge, and the plurality of protrusion portions 91 and groove portions 93 described above extend in width. It is easy to deform in the direction W and the thickness direction T. As a result, the laminated nonwoven fabric 9' described above can provide a smoother feel when it is slid on the wearer's skin.
In addition, since it is not an essential constituent element in the present invention to provide the above-described convex inner side breaking portion and groove outer side breaking portion, the laminated nonwoven fabric has such a convex inner side breaking portion and outside the groove portion. It does not have to be provided with a one-side breaking portion.

Moreover, the laminated nonwoven fabric 9' in the second embodiment can also be formed with the above-described specific concave-convex structure by means similar to the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 in the first embodiment. That is, when providing an uneven structure including the plurality of protrusions 91 and the base 92 to the SMS nonwoven fabric (laminated nonwoven fabric) having a flat structure, a pair of shaping rolls (for example, a plurality of protrusions on the outer peripheral surface A first shaping roll having a pin and a second shaping roll having a plurality of ridges on the outer peripheral surface, etc.) Roll spacing of uneven structure shaping device, protruding pins and ridges on each shaping roll While adjusting the arrangement interval of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer _9S1 , part of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer 9S1 is stretched in the thickness direction by biting the protruding pins and ridges in each shaping roll to form the low fiber density portion _9SM1 . , by forming the uneven structure so as to partially break the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M. At this time, the broken end portion 9MT ₁ of the constituent fibers of the broken meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9M passes between the fibers of the constituent fibers of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer 9S ₁ in the low fiber density portion 9SM ₁ and the outer surface of the laminated nonwoven fabric 9 ′. to form the exposed portion 94 described above.

(Third embodiment)
Further, in still another embodiment (third embodiment) of the present invention, the laminated nonwoven fabric may have the configurations of both the above-described embodiments (that is, the first embodiment and the second embodiment). good. That is, in the third embodiment, each of the plurality of protrusions in the laminated nonwoven fabric is a broken portion formed by breaking the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer located on the outer side in the thickness direction at the top of the protrusion, Furthermore, the exposed portion includes a portion where the broken ends of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer are exposed to the outer surface of the laminated nonwoven fabric through the broken portion, and the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer. The broken ends of the constituent fibers of (1) pass through the fibers of the constituent fibers of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer in the low fiber density portion and are exposed to the outer surface of the laminated nonwoven fabric. A laminated nonwoven fabric having such a configuration can simultaneously obtain the effects achieved by the above-described embodiments.

Hereinafter, various constituent members other than the side sheets that can be used in the absorbent article of the present invention will be described in more detail using the sanitary napkin 1 according to the above-described first embodiment.

[Top sheet]
In the sanitary napkin 1 according to the above-described first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the topsheet 2 extends from one side edge to the other side in the longitudinal direction L of the sanitary napkin 1 in plan view. The sanitary napkin 1 has an elongated outer shape that extends over the edge and extends from near one side edge to near the other side edge in the width direction W of the sanitary napkin 1, and is long in the longitudinal direction L. In the thickness direction T of the sanitary napkin 1, it is arranged on the side of the sanitary napkin 1 facing the skin (first side), and is composed of a liquid-permeable sheet-like member that can come into direct contact with the wearer's skin. ing.

In the present invention, the liquid-permeable sheet-like member that can be used as the surface sheet is not particularly limited as long as it has a predetermined liquid-permeability. A sheet-like fiber structure such as a woven fabric, or a perforated film obtained by forming a plurality of perforations on a resin film, or the like can be suitably used. The sheet-like fiber structure may be subjected to hydrophilization treatment with a surfactant. Among these, from the viewpoint of liquid permeability, flexibility, strength, etc., it is preferable to use a sheet-like fiber structure, and it is more preferable to use an air-through nonwoven fabric or a spunbonded nonwoven fabric.

When a sheet-like fiber structure is used as the surface sheet, the constituent fibers are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include thermoplastic resins such as olefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate and polylactic acid. These resins may be used alone, or two or more of them may be used in combination. The structure of the thermoplastic resin fibers is not particularly limited, and for example, composite fibers such as core-sheath fibers, modified cross-section fibers, and three-dimensionally crimped fibers may be used.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned thermoplastic resin fibers are treated with surfactants, hydrophilizing agents, etc. (for example, kneading surfactants into fibers, coating surfactants on fiber surfaces, etc.) may be subjected to hydrophilization treatment, and may contain optional additives such as deodorants and antibacterial agents. These additives may be used in combination of two or more.

In the present invention, the basis weight of the liquid-permeable sheet ^- like member that can be used as the topsheet is not particularly limited as long as it has predetermined liquid ^- permeability and strength. and preferably within the range of 10 g/m ² to 50 g/m ² .

The structure of the liquid-permeable sheet-like member that can be used as the surface sheet is not particularly limited as long as it has a predetermined liquid-permeability. A material having an uneven structure on the surface facing the skin can be preferably used. Furthermore, the dimensions, shape, thickness, and the like of the liquid-permeable sheet-like member that can be used as the topsheet are not particularly limited as long as the sheet-like member can function as the topsheet of the absorbent article. Arbitrary dimensions, thickness, and the like can be adopted according to properties, flexibility, strength, and the like.

[Back sheet]
In the sanitary napkin 1 according to the first embodiment described above, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the backsheet 3 extends from one side edge to the other side in the longitudinal direction L of the sanitary napkin 1 in plan view. The sanitary napkin 1 has an elongated outer shape extending in the longitudinal direction L and extending from one side edge to the other side edge in the width direction W of the sanitary napkin 1 . A liquid-impermeable sheet that is arranged on the non-skin facing side (second side) of the sanitary napkin 1 in the thickness direction T to prevent leakage of excrement fluid such as menstrual blood discharged from the wearer It is composed of a shaped member.

In the present invention, the liquid-impermeable sheet-like member that can be used as the back sheet is not particularly limited as long as it has predetermined liquid-impermeability and preferably air permeability. Examples include polyethylene, polypropylene, and the like. A resin film; a laminate obtained by bonding a nonwoven fabric to the resin film; a laminated nonwoven fabric such as an SMS nonwoven fabric or an SMMS nonwoven fabric; can be used.

Among them, in absorbent articles (e.g., disposable diapers, incontinence pads, etc.) whose backsheet is likely to contact the user's skin surface (e.g., thighs of the wearer wearing the absorbent article, hands of caregivers, etc.) The back sheet is a laminated nonwoven fabric having the same specific uneven structure as the side sheets of the above-described embodiments (that is, the uneven structure including a plurality of convex portions having exposed portions and a base portion). It is preferable to use When such a laminated nonwoven fabric is used as a back sheet forming the second surface (non-skin facing surface) of the absorbent article, the good softness and feel of the laminated nonwoven fabric can be applied to the wearer's thighs and the like. Alternatively, the user (for example, a caregiver or the like) other than the wearer of the absorbent article can feel the sensation through the hands of the user.
Further, both the pair of side sheets forming a part of the first surface (skin-facing surface) of the absorbent article and the back sheet forming the second surface (non-skin-facing surface) have the above-described specific concave-convex structure. If it is formed of a laminated nonwoven fabric with a You can feel the texture.

In the present invention, the basis weight of the liquid-impermeable sheet-like member that can be used as the backsheet is not particularly limited as long as it has predetermined liquid-impermeability (leakage prevention) and strength. It is in the range of 5 g/m ² to 100 g/m ² , preferably in the range of 10 g/m ² to 50 g/m ² .

In addition, the dimensions, shape, thickness, etc. of the liquid-impermeable sheet-like member that can be used as the backsheet are not particularly limited as long as the sheet-like member can function as the backsheet of the absorbent article. Any size, shape, thickness, and the like can be adopted according to impermeability, flexibility, strength, air permeability, and the like.

[Absorber]
In the sanitary napkin 1 according to the above-described first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the absorbent body 4 extends from near one side edge in the longitudinal direction L of the sanitary napkin 1 to the other side in plan view. It has an elongated outer shape extending in the longitudinal direction L, extending from the vicinity of one side edge to the vicinity of the other side edge in the width direction W of the sanitary napkin 1, In the thickness direction T of the sanitary napkin 1, the sanitary napkin 1 is arranged between the topsheet 2 and the backsheet 3, and absorbs and retains the wearer's excretions such as menstrual blood that permeate the topsheet 2. It is composed of an absorbent member that functions to

In the present invention, the absorbent member that can be used as an absorbent body is not particularly limited as long as it can absorb and retain excretions such as menstrual blood and urine, and for example, it is composed of an absorbent material. Examples include those in which an absorbent core is covered with one or two or more hydrophilic core wrap sheets such as tissues. Absorbent materials constituting the absorbent core include, for example, hydrophilic fibers and water absorbent resins, and more specifically, cellulose fibers such as pulverized pulp and cotton; regenerated cellulose fibers such as rayon and fibril rayon; Semi-synthetic cellulose fibers such as acetate and triacetate; granules made of a water-absorbing resin such as sodium acrylate copolymer, or granules made of a water-absorbing resin composition containing the water-absorbing resin, and any combination of two or more of these is mentioned.

In the present invention, the size, shape, thickness, basis weight, etc. of the absorbent member that can be used as the absorbent body are not particularly limited as long as the absorbent member can function as the absorbent body of the absorbent article, and the desired absorption is achieved. Arbitrary dimensions, thickness, basis weight, and the like can be adopted according to performance, flexibility, strength, and the like.

Moreover, the absorbent article of the present invention can be applied to various absorbent articles such as panty liners, disposable diapers, and incontinence pads, in addition to the sanitary napkins of the above embodiments. For example, the absorbent article of the present invention may be a disposable diaper provided with an exterior sheet forming a non-skin facing surface (second surface). Such an exterior sheet covers substantially the entire surface of the non-skin facing side of the disposable diaper, and is attached to the surface of the non-skin facing side of the back sheet via an arbitrary adhesive such as a hot-melt adhesive. It is formed by a hydrophobic sheet-like member that is arranged in a vertical direction and that functions to define the outer shape of the disposable diaper while preventing leakage of bodily fluids such as urine excreted from the wearer. In a disposable diaper provided with such an outer sheet, the outer sheet has a specific concave-convex structure similar to that of the side sheets of the above-described embodiments (that is, the plurality of convex portions having the exposed portions and the base portion). It is preferable to use a laminated nonwoven fabric having an uneven structure containing and. When such a laminated nonwoven fabric is used as an exterior sheet that forms the non-skin facing surface (second surface) of a disposable diaper, the laminated nonwoven fabric provides good flexibility and feel to the skin through the wearer's thighs and the like. It can be made to be felt by the wearer, or can be made to be felt by the user other than the wearer of the disposable diaper (for example, a caregiver or the like) through the hands of the user.
Furthermore, both the pair of side sheets forming a part of the skin-facing surface (first surface) of the disposable diaper and the exterior sheet forming the non-skin-facing surface (second surface) have the above-described specific concave-convex structure. When it is formed of a laminated nonwoven fabric with .

The absorbent article of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the like, and can be appropriately combined, substituted, changed, etc. within the scope of the present invention without departing from the object and gist of the present invention. In this specification, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are for distinguishing the matters to which the ordinal numbers are attached, and mean the order, priority, importance, etc. of each matter. not something to do.

1 sanitary napkin (absorbent article)
2 Top sheet 3 Back sheet 4 Absorber 5 Side sheet 51 Free end 52 Fixed end 6 Front side flap 7 Back side flap 8 Adhesive part 9 Laminated nonwoven fabric 91 Convex part 91S Hollow part 91T Top part 92 Base part 93 Groove part 93B Bottom part 94 exposed portion 95 extending portion 9M meltblown nonwoven fabric layer 9MT ₁ broken end of constituent fiber 9MT ₂ broken end of constituent fiber 9S ₁ spunbonded nonwoven fabric layer 9S ₂ spunbonded nonwoven fabric layer 9SB ₁ broken portion 9SB ₂ broken portion 9' Lamination Non-woven fabric 9SM ₁ low fiber density part 9SM ₂ low fiber density part

Claims (9)

An absorbent article having a longitudinal direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction perpendicular to each other, and having a first surface and a second surface facing each other in the thickness direction,
The absorbent article is a hydrophobic laminated nonwoven fabric forming at least a portion of at least one of the first surface and the second surface, comprising a pair of spunbond nonwoven fabric layers and the pair of spunbond nonwoven fabric layers. at least one meltblown nonwoven layer sandwiched by layers in the thickness direction;
The laminated nonwoven fabric has a base and a plurality of projections projecting outward in the thickness direction of the absorbent article from the base,
Each of the plurality of protrusions has an exposed portion in which a portion of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer is broken at the top of the protrusion, and the broken end is exposed to the outer surface of the absorbent article. absorbent article. Each of the plurality of protrusions has a broken portion formed by breaking the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer located on the outer side in the thickness direction at the top of the protrusion, and the exposed portion is the meltblown 2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the broken ends of the constituent fibers of the nonwoven fabric layer have a portion exposed to the outer surface of the absorbent article through the broken portion. In each of the plurality of protrusions, the inter-fiber distance of the constituent fibers of the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer positioned on the outer side in the thickness direction at the top of the protrusion is the distance between the constituent fibers in the portion other than the top. It has a low fiber density portion larger than the inter-fiber distance, and the exposed portion is such that the broken ends of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer are the fibers of the constituent fibers of the spunbond nonwoven layer in the low fiber density portion. 3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, having a portion exposed to the outer surface of said absorbent article through. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the broken ends of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer have a tapered shape. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein each of said plurality of projections has a hollow internal structure. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the base has a plurality of grooves recessed inward in the thickness direction of the absorbent article. At the bottom of the groove, the base portion passes through the spunbond nonwoven fabric layer, in which the fractured ends of the constituent fibers of the meltblown nonwoven fabric layer are located on the inner side in the thickness direction, to the inner side in the thickness direction. 7. The absorbent article according to claim 6, having an extension part extending inward. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said laminated nonwoven fabric is a pair of side sheets forming at least part of said first surface of said absorbent article. The absorbent article comprises a liquid-permeable topsheet forming part of the first surface,
The pair of side sheets are arranged so as to extend in the longitudinal direction at both ends of the absorbent article in the width direction in plan view, and each of the pair of side sheets extends in the width direction. It has a free end located on the inner side and not joined to the topsheet, and a fixed end located on the outer side in the width direction and joined to the topsheet. Item 9. The absorbent article according to Item 8.

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