JP7282568B2 - LAMINATED PRODUCT, LAMINATED PRODUCTION METHOD, AND LAMINATED PRODUCTION APPARATUS - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a laminate, a laminate manufacturing method, and a laminate manufacturing apparatus.

Many of absorbent articles such as disposable diapers and sanitary napkins have a liquid-impermeable sheet covering the back side of the absorbent body and the liquid-impermeable sheet in order to prevent permeation of the absorbed liquid and ensure breathability. A cover nonwoven fabric or the like is provided to cover the back side of the seat. In Patent Document 1, a cover nonwoven fabric, which is a perforated nonwoven fabric, and a liquid-impermeable sheet, which is a support sheet, are pasted together, and a part where a hot-melt adhesive does not exist in the part where the support sheet and the holes overlap is disclosed. Disclose the item.

Patent No. 6207785

In a member (so-called laminate) in which a support sheet and a cover nonwoven fabric (perforated nonwoven fabric) are bonded together to be used for a disposable wearing article of Patent Document 1, the edge of each hole of the perforated nonwoven fabric has a fiber density that is higher than that of the periphery. It is desirable that the fibers are fused to each other, but the fibers at the edges of each hole are melted and solidified, so that the shape of the hole can be maintained. There was a risk that the part would become hard.

The present invention has been made in view of the conventional problems as described above, and an object of the present invention is to ensure the flexibility of each open hole portion of a nonwoven fabric having open holes, and after joining with another sheet, However, the object of the present invention is to provide a laminate that can maintain the shape of the openings.

The main invention for achieving the above object is
A laminate comprising a nonwoven fabric having a plurality of pores and a sheet,
an edge adjacent to each of the plurality of apertures has at least a non-melting portion;
The nonwoven fabric and the sheet are bonded to each other with a hot melt adhesive,
one of the plurality of apertures has a region overlapping with the hot melt adhesive;
The certain aperture has an elliptical shape with a major axis and a minor axis,
If the direction along the minor axis of the elliptical shape is the minor axis direction and the direction along the major axis of the elliptical shape is the major axis direction,
The hot melt adhesive is provided so as to straddle the certain opening in the short axis direction and not straddle the certain opening in the long axis direction,
The number of openings per unit area that have regions that overlap with the hot melt adhesive is greater than the number of openings that have only regions that do not overlap with the hot melt adhesive.
It is a laminate characterized by the following.
Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the specification and accompanying drawings.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a laminate in which the flexibility of each pore portion of a nonwoven fabric having pores can be ensured and the shape of the pores can be maintained even after being joined to another sheet.

FIG. 1A is a schematic perspective view of a laminate 1, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a state in which the laminate 1 is separated into a nonwoven fabric 2 and a sheet 3. FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of area A in FIG. 1B, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of area A in FIG. 1B when a hot melt adhesive is applied. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the laminate 1; FIG. FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are diagrams showing an example of the arrangement position of the hot melt adhesive 6 when joining the nonwoven fabric 2 and the sheet 3 according to this embodiment. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a diaper 20; FIG. Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the diaper 20 in an unfolded and stretched state, viewed from the skin side; Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the diaper 20 in an unfolded and stretched state as viewed from the non-skin side; FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 6; FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of a diaper 20 in an unfolded and stretched state as viewed from the non-skin side in another embodiment; 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a manufacturing apparatus 100 that manufactures a laminate 1; FIG.

At least the following matters will become apparent from the descriptions of this specification and the accompanying drawings.
A laminate comprising a nonwoven fabric having a plurality of apertures and a sheet, wherein edges adjacent to the apertures among the plurality of apertures have at least a non-melting portion, and the nonwoven fabric and the sheet is a laminate characterized in that they are joined together by a hot-melt adhesive, and the certain aperture has a region that overlaps with the hot-melt adhesive.

According to such a laminate, since the plurality of openings are formed at a temperature below the melting point, each opening is difficult to melt, and at least a part of the edge adjacent to each opening must be hardened. flexible without By disposing a hot-melt adhesive so as to overlap with such flexible pores and joining the nonwoven fabric and the sheet, the shape of the pores can be maintained. By ensuring flexibility and maintaining the shape of the plurality of openings, it is possible to provide a laminate that is excellent in texture and air permeability.

In such a laminate, the certain aperture has an elliptical shape having a major axis and a minor axis, and the major axis of the elliptical shape is parallel to the fiber orientation direction of the nonwoven fabric having the certain aperture. is desirable.

According to such a laminate, when the openings are formed in the nonwoven fabric, the openings are generated by pushing through the fibers of the nonwoven fabric. The eyes are taller. The edges adjacent to the apertures where the apertures are elliptical have the major axis of the elliptical shape parallel to the fiber orientation direction of the nonwoven fabric compared to the case where the minor axis of the elliptical shape is parallel to the fiber orientation direction of the nonwoven fabric. If the fiber is parallel to the direction, it follows the flow of the fibers, so it is difficult to create a height difference in basis weight between the major axis direction and the minor axis direction. If the height difference in basis weight is large, the shape of the pores will not be stable when the nonwoven fabric is stretched. As a result, it is possible to maintain the air permeability by securing the openings, and the appearance of the openings is improved.

In such a laminate, the certain aperture has an elliptical shape having a major axis and a minor axis, and the direction along the minor axis of the elliptical shape is defined as a minor axis direction. It is desirable that it is provided so as to straddle a certain opening in the minor axis direction.

According to such a laminate, when the pores are formed in the non-woven fabric, the pores are generated by pushing the fibers aside. By being provided so as to straddle in the short axis direction, the movement of the fibers toward the inner side in the short axis direction can be stopped, and the shape of the opening can be secured. In addition, when the fiber is pushed aside and the hole is opened, the edge adjacent to the hole has a high density along the long axis direction. It is possible to maintain the high edge without crushing, and the shape of the opening is more secured.

In such a laminate, the laminate has a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction that are orthogonal to each other, both ends of the laminate in the transverse direction each include the plurality of openings, and the laminate It is desirable that the both ends in the lateral direction are not joined with a hot-melt adhesive.

According to such a laminate, the both ends where the openings are present are soft, and the nonwoven fabric and the sheet are not bonded at the both ends with a hot-melt adhesive, so that the both ends do not become hard. The end portion often comes into direct contact with the skin, and the end portion, which has many opportunities to come into direct contact with the skin, is soft, so that the end portion feels good on the skin and is less likely to damage the skin.

In such a laminate, it is desirable that the area of the certain openings overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive is larger than the area not overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive.

According to such a laminate, in one aperture having a region overlapping with the hot melt adhesive, the region not overlapping with the hot melt adhesive may be larger than the region overlapping with the hot melt adhesive. In comparison, the larger the area that overlaps with the hot melt adhesive than the area that does not overlap, the better the shape of the aperture can be maintained. By maintaining the shape of the opening, the appearance of the opening can be maintained.

In such a laminate, it is desirable that the area of the certain openings overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive is smaller than the area not overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive.

According to such a laminate, as compared with the case where the non-overlapping region is smaller than the region overlapping the hot-melt adhesive, making the non-overlapping region larger than the region overlapping the hot-melt adhesive It is possible to reduce overlap with the hot-melt adhesive, which tends to hinder ventilation, and to secure more ventilation.

In such a laminate, when the certain opening is the first hole and the hole other than the certain opening and having the region overlapping with the hot melt adhesive is the second hole, the first hole is It is desirable that the area of the hole overlapping the hot melt adhesive and the area of the second hole overlapping the hot melt adhesive are different.

According to such a laminate, the regions overlapping the hot-melt adhesive are different between the first holes and the second holes, so that the regions overlapping the hot-melt adhesive of each hole are non-uniform. . By making the non-uniformity, the hardened portions of the hot-melt adhesive are dispersed in each hole, so that the feel of the non-woven fabric is improved.

In such a laminate, the number of openings having regions overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive per unit area is greater than the number of openings having only regions not overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive. is desirable.

According to such a laminate, hot melt adhesion is improved compared to the case where the number of openings having only regions not overlapping with the hot melt adhesive is greater than the number of openings having regions overlapping with the hot melt adhesive. The greater the number of apertures that have areas that overlap with the agent, the greater the percentage of apertures that can be maintained in aperture shape by the hot melt adhesive. The ability to maintain more of the shape of the apertures also improves the appearance of the apertures.

In such a laminate, the number of openings having a region overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive per unit area is less than the number of openings having only a region not overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive. is desirable.

According to such a laminate, the number of openings having only regions that do not overlap with the hot melt adhesive is less than the number of openings having regions that overlap with the hot melt adhesive. A greater number of openings having only regions that do not overlap with the adhesive can ensure better breathability.

In such a laminate, it is desirable that the sheet does not have openings.

According to such a laminate, since there are no pores in the sheet, it is possible to reduce the possibility of the hot-melt adhesive leaking through the pores when the nonwoven fabric and the sheet are joined.

In such a laminate, the length in the longitudinal direction and the length in the width direction of the region in which the hot melt adhesive is present provided so as to overlap the hole are the diameters of the circle circumscribing the hole. preferably each longer than

According to such a laminate, the presence area of the hot melt adhesive is larger than the diameter of the circumscribed circle of the opening, that is, the hot melt adhesive is arranged so as to cover the entire opening. , the shape of the opening can be maintained more, and the appearance can be maintained without crushing the opening.

In such a laminate, it is desirable that the width of the region in which the hot melt adhesive exists so as to overlap the opening is shorter than the diameter of the circumscribed circle of the opening. .

According to such a laminate, since the width of the region in which the hot-melt adhesive exists is shorter than the diameter of the circumscribed circle of the opening, the opening does not overlap the hot-melt adhesive. By having regions and ensuring non-overlapping regions, it is possible to maintain better breathability.

An absorbent article comprising an absorbent body that absorbs liquid and a laminate.

According to such an absorbent article, it is possible to ensure the breathability and flexibility of the waist part by providing the laminate having excellent touch and breathability, in which the shape of the open pores with flexibility is maintained. It is possible to provide an absorbent article in which the shape of the pores can be visually recognized.

The absorbent article has a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction that intersect each other in the unfolded state, and an elastic member that stretches in the lateral direction is provided between the nonwoven fabric and the sheet, and the plurality of Each of the openings has an elliptical shape having a major axis and a minor axis. and the long axis of one of the plurality of apertures is parallel to the left-right direction, the edge of the certain aperture along the left-right direction has a high density, and the hot It is desirable that the melt adhesive be provided so as to straddle the certain opening in the longitudinal direction.

According to such an absorbent article, since the long axis of the opening is along the lateral direction of the absorbent article, even if the elastic member shrinks in the lateral direction, the shape of the opening does not easily collapse. In addition, when the opening is formed, the edges along the left-right direction (major axis direction) of the opening become dense, and in such a state, the hot melt adhesive straddles the opening in the longitudinal direction (minor axis direction). , the edge is made highly rigid, and the shape of the opening is more secured. Therefore, even if the elastic member shrinks in the left-right direction, the openings are easily visible, and air permeability can be maintained.

A method for producing a laminate having a non-woven fabric having a plurality of apertures and a sheet, wherein at least an edge adjacent to one of the plurality of apertures has a non-melting portion, the method comprising: A method for producing a laminate, comprising bonding the nonwoven fabric and the sheet together by applying a hot melt adhesive to have areas overlapping certain apertures.

According to such a manufacturing method, the hot-melt adhesive is placed so as to overlap the openings having softness due to the non-melting portion of the edges adjacent to the openings, and the nonwoven fabric and the sheet are joined together. Therefore, the shape of the opening can be maintained, and the air permeability is improved. As a result, it is possible to provide a laminate that is excellent in flexibility and ensures air permeability while maintaining the beauty of the shape of the openings.

An apparatus for manufacturing a laminate having a non-woven fabric having a plurality of apertures and a sheet, wherein an edge adjacent to one of the plurality of apertures has at least a non-melting portion, A laminate comprising: an applicator for applying a hot-melt adhesive so as to have a region overlapping with a certain hole; and a joining device for joining the nonwoven fabric and the sheet with the hot-melt adhesive. manufacturing equipment.

According to such a manufacturing apparatus, it is possible to obtain the same effects as in the case of the manufacturing method described above.

===Embodiment===
<Basic configuration of laminate 1>
First, the basic configuration of the laminate 1 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1A is a schematic perspective view of a laminate 1, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a state in which the laminate 1 is separated into a nonwoven fabric 2 and a sheet 3. FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of area A in FIG. 1B, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of area A in FIG. 1B when a hot melt adhesive is applied. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the laminate 1 includes a nonwoven fabric 2, which is an open-hole nonwoven fabric having a plurality of spaced holes 5 penetrating from the front and back, and a liquid-impermeable and moisture-permeable sheet member. The nonwoven fabric 2 and the sheet 3 are bonded to each other with a hot-melt adhesive or the like. A specific method for bonding the nonwoven fabric 2 and the sheet 3 will be described later.

Examples of material fibers that constitute the nonwoven fabric 2 include polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and the like. It is also possible to use not only single fibers such as polypropylene and polyethylene, but also composite fibers (Bico) having a core-sheath structure made of polypropylene or polyethylene. Examples of nonwoven fabrics include thermal bonded nonwoven fabrics, spunbond nonwoven fabrics, spunlaced nonwoven fabrics, and the like. In addition to the nonwoven fabrics described above, the sheet 3 may be made of, for example, a resin film or the like.

Further, in the present embodiment, of the nonwoven fabric 2 and the sheet 3 of the laminate 1, the nonwoven fabric 2 has a plurality of pores 5, but both the nonwoven fabric 2 and the sheet 3 have a plurality of pores 5, respectively. may be provided.

When the nonwoven fabric 2 and the sheet 3 are made of thermoplastic resin fibers such as polypropylene or polyethylene, or when the sheet 3 is made of a thermoplastic film or the like, the openings 5 are formed by, for example, heating. It is possible to use a pin member (not shown) or the like. At that time, the temperature of the pin member is usually set to a temperature higher than the melting point of the fiber or film material. Apertures are formed by the temperature of the pin member being apertured being above the melting point of each material, thereby melting and solidifying the edges adjacent to the apertures. However, although the shape of the opening can be maintained by the above-described method, there is a possibility that the opening portion becomes hard.

In this regard, regarding the plurality of openings 5 formed in the nonwoven fabric 2 of the present embodiment, the temperature of the pin member (not shown) when forming the openings 5 is above the softening point of the fiber and below the same melting point. I'm trying Thereby, the edges 5a (see FIG. 2A) adjacent to the apertures 5 are less likely to be fused together. Whether or not the fibers are melted can be confirmed by enlarging the fibers using a microscope or the like. In this embodiment, for example, the edge 5a of the aperture 5' of FIG. 2A has an unmelted portion 5ah that is at least partially unmelted, so that the aperture 5' is flexible rather than rigid. can have sex. The position of the non-melting portion 5ah may be different for each opening 5, and there may be openings 5 in which all are the non-melting portion 5ah. In the case of forming an aperture in the sheet 3, similarly, the temperature of the pin member is set to be equal to or higher than the softening point of the material and lower than the melting point of the material. Since the edge has at least the unmelted portion 5ah, flexibility can be maintained.

Incidentally, the softening point can be measured according to JISK7196 (thermo-mechanical analysis method for softening temperature of thermoplastic films and sheets). As for the melting point, the melting peak temperature measured using DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) according to JISK7121 (method for measuring transition temperature of plastics) can be used as the above melting point.

The nonwoven fabric 2 and the sheet 3 according to the present embodiment are joined with a hot melt adhesive 6. An example of the pores 5 of the nonwoven fabric 2 after the hot melt adhesive 6 is applied is shown in FIG. 2B. ing. Taking a certain opening 5 ′ among the openings 5 as an example, the opening 5 ′ has a region 10 (the portion indicated by diagonal lines sloping to the left) that overlaps the hot melt adhesive 6 . The edge 5a of the aperture 5' (as well as each aperture 5) has at least a non-melted portion 5ah (FIG. 2A) as described above, so that the aperture 5' has a flexible aperture. The shape of the opening 5' can be maintained by arranging the hot-melt adhesive 6 so as to overlap with the opening 5'. Good ventilation can be ensured by maintaining the shape of the openings 5'. As a result, while securing the flexibility of the nonwoven fabric 2 itself, the shape of the plurality of openings 5 having the regions 10 overlapping the hot-melt adhesive 6 is maintained, and the laminate 1 having excellent touch and breathability is provided. becomes possible.

As the hot-melt adhesive, for example, EVA-based, elastomer-based, olefin-based, polyester/polyamide-based, and the like can be used. In addition, since the applied hot-melt adhesive 6 is exposed from the pores 5 of the nonwoven fabric 2 in the laminated body 1 after bonding, the surface of the nonwoven fabric 2 may be sticky when touched. Therefore, in order to prevent this, it is desirable to use a low-tack type or non-tack type hot-melt adhesive with a small tack force (i.e., low adhesiveness). Examples of such agents include hot-melt adhesives using an olefinic material as a base polymer. Examples of the hot-melt adhesive coating method include known coating methods such as spiral coating capable of spiral coating, omega coating capable of wave-like coating, and control seam coating.

Also, as shown in FIG. 2B, taking the aperture 5′ as an example, the aperture 5′ has an elliptical shape with a minor axis 5X and a major axis 5Y, and the major axis 5Y has the aperture 5′. It is desirable that it is parallel to the fiber orientation direction of the nonwoven fabric 2 . Here, the fiber orientation direction is the direction along which the fibers of the nonwoven fabric 2 are aligned. MD direction) becomes relatively high. In this case, the orientation directions of the fibers of the nonwoven fabric 2 are aligned along the direction in which the nonwoven fabric 2 continues. Therefore, here, the machine direction in which the nonwoven fabric 2 is continuously conveyed is called the fiber orientation direction.

When the openings 5 are formed in the nonwoven fabric 2, since the openings 5 are generated by pushing the fibers of the nonwoven fabric 2, the edges 5a (see FIG. 2A) adjacent to the openings 5 do not have fibers. As a result, the basis weight (fiber amount per unit area) of the edge portion 5a increases. The edges 5a adjacent to the openings 5 when the openings 5 are elliptical as described above are aligned with the short axis direction (X direction in FIG. 2B) along the short axis 5X of the elliptical shape. Compared to the case of making it parallel to the direction, it is better to make the long axis direction (Y direction in FIG. 2B) along the long axis 5Y parallel to the fiber orientation direction of the nonwoven fabric 2. It is difficult to create a height difference in basis weight between the long axis direction and the short axis direction. If the difference in basis weight between the long axis direction and the short axis direction is large, the shape of each opening 5 will not be stable when the nonwoven fabric 2 is pulled along the direction in which the nonwoven fabric 2 continues. When the difference is small, each opening 5 is difficult to be crushed, and the shape tends to be stable. As a result, since each opening 5 can be secured, breathability can be maintained, and since each opening 5 can be visually recognized, it can be recognized that it has a function of improving breathability.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the opening 5′ has an elliptical shape having a short axis 5X and a long axis 5Y. 6 is desirably provided so as to straddle the opening 5' in the minor axis direction (X direction). When the openings 5 are formed in the nonwoven fabric 2, the openings 5 are formed by pushing the fibers aside. By being provided so as to straddle the axial direction, the movement of the fibers toward the inner side in the short axis direction (X direction) can be stopped, and the shape of the opening 5 can be secured. In addition, when the fiber is pushed aside and the hole is opened, the density of the edge 5a adjacent to the hole 5 increases along the long axis direction. The high-density edges 5a can be maintained without crushing, and the shape of the openings 5 can be further secured.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the laminate 1 when the nonwoven fabric 2 and the sheet 3 are joined with a hot-melt adhesive. As shown in FIG. 3, the laminate 1 has a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction perpendicular to each other, and a plurality of openings 5 are provided at both ends 15, 15 in the transverse direction. It is desirable that the nonwoven fabric 2 and the sheet 3 are not joined with the hot-melt adhesive 6 at both ends 15 , 15 where the plurality of openings 5 are provided. Both ends 15, 15 where a plurality of openings 5 are present are flexible. 15, 15 can be made difficult to harden. Both ends 15, 15 are highly likely to come into direct contact with the skin when the laminate 1 is used, and since each end 15, which has many opportunities to come into direct contact with the skin, has flexibility, it is comfortable to the skin and comfortable to wear. can make it harder to hurt.

Further, in the opening 5′ of FIG. 2B, when the region overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive 6 is designated as region 10 and the region not overlapping is designated as region 11, the overlapping region 10 is the non-overlapping region 11 (opening in FIG. 2B). the sum of area 11 in hole 5'). As a result, the area 10 overlapping with the hot melt adhesive 6 is larger than the area 11 not overlapping with the hot melt adhesive 6, compared to the case where the area 11 not overlapping with the hot melt adhesive 6 is made larger than the area 10 overlapping with the hot melt adhesive 6. The shape of the opening 5' can be maintained more effectively. By maintaining the shape of the opening 5', the appearance of the opening 5' can be maintained.

Also, in the opening 5 ′, the area 10 overlapping the hot melt adhesive 6 may be smaller than the area 11 not overlapping the hot melt adhesive 6 , contrary to the above. By doing this, the area 11 not overlapping with the hot melt adhesive 6 is larger than the area 10 overlapping with the hot melt adhesive 6, as compared with the case where the area 11 not overlapping with the hot melt adhesive 6 is smaller than the area 10 overlapping with the hot melt adhesive 6. It is possible to reduce the overlap with the hot-melt adhesive 6, which tends to be a hindrance, and to secure more air permeability.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, some apertures 5' are referred to as first apertures 5' and apertures having areas 10 that overlap the hot melt adhesive 6 are referred to as second apertures. 5'', the area 10 overlapping the hot-melt adhesive 6 of the first hole 5' is different from the area 10 overlapping the hot-melt adhesive 6 of the second hole 5''. For example, the respective shapes may be different, and the positions of the overlapping regions 10 in the respective openings may be different. Due to the different overlapping areas 10 of the first holes 5' and the second holes 5'', the overlapping areas 10 of the hot melt adhesive 6 of each hole 5' and 5'' are non-uniform. If the areas 10 of the holes 5' and 5'' overlapping the hot melt adhesive 6 were uniform, each hole 5', 5'' would have a regular shape after the hot melt adhesive 6 had cured. There is a possibility that a hard part may occur on the skin and the texture may not be good. Furthermore, if the holes 5 other than the holes 5' and 5'' are similarly uniform, hard portions are regularly generated in the entire nonwoven fabric 2, and the texture of the entire nonwoven fabric may not be good. . However, by making the region 10 overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive 6 non-uniform, the hardened portions of the hot-melt adhesive 6 are dispersed in the holes 5' and 5'', so that the touch of the nonwoven fabric 2 is improved. do.

In the present embodiment, the number of openings 5 having regions 10 overlapping the hot melt adhesive 6 per unit area is the number of openings 5 having only regions 11 not overlapping the hot melt adhesive 6. preferably more than As an example, looking at region B of the nonwoven fabric 2 in FIG. There are three apertures 5 that have only areas 11 that do not overlap with the adhesive 6 . Compared to the case where the number of apertures 5 having only regions 11 that do not overlap the hot melt adhesive 6 is greater than the number of apertures 5 having regions 10 that overlap the hot melt adhesive 6, the hot melt adhesive 6 Since the number of the openings 5 having the region 10 overlapping with .theta. By maintaining more of the shape of the openings 5, the appearance of the openings 5 is also improved and the openings 5 are more visible.

Contrary to the above, the number of openings 5 having regions 10 overlapping the hot-melt adhesive 6 per unit area is the same as the number of openings 5 having only regions 11 not overlapping the hot-melt adhesive 6. It may be less than the number. Compared to the case where the number of apertures 5 having only regions 11 not overlapping the hot melt adhesive 6 is less than the number of apertures 5 having regions 10 overlapping the hot melt adhesive 6, the hot melt adhesive 6 Since the number of the openings 5 having only the regions 11 that do not overlap with each other is larger, the air permeability can be further ensured.

In the above description, the case where the sheet 3 has a plurality of openings 5 is considered, but the sheet 3 does not have to have the openings 5 . Since the sheet 3 does not have the openings 5 , it is possible to reduce the possibility that the hot-melt adhesive 6 seeps through each opening 5 when the nonwoven fabric 2 and the sheet 3 are joined.

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are diagrams showing an example of the arrangement position of the hot melt adhesive 6 when joining the nonwoven fabric 2 and the sheet 3 according to this embodiment. Here, the area where the hot-melt adhesive 6 exists so as to overlap with a certain opening 5' is indicated as H1 (area indicated by a dot pattern). The length of the existing region H1 in the longitudinal direction is H1S, and the length of the existing region H1 in the lateral direction is H1L. Also, C10 is the diameter of a circumscribed circle C1 drawn so as to circumscribe a certain opening 5'. The longitudinal length H1S of the region H1 where the hot melt adhesive 6 exists is preferably longer than the diameter C10 of the circumscribed circle C1. Moreover, it is preferable that the length H1L of the existence region H1 in the lateral direction is longer than the diameter C10 of the circumscribed circle C1. In this way, since the existing region H1 of the hot melt adhesive 6 is larger than the diameter C10 of the circumscribed circle C1 of the opening 5' both in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction, that is, the entire opening 5' is By disposing the hot-melt adhesive 6 so as to cover it, the shape of the opening 5' can be better maintained, and the appearance of the opening 5' can be maintained without being crushed.

Also, unlike the above description, as shown in FIG. 4B, the length H1S in the lateral direction of the existence region H1 of the hot-melt adhesive 6 provided so as to overlap with a certain opening 5' is equal to that of the certain opening 5'. may be shorter than the diameter C10 of the circumscribed circle C1. By setting the length H1S in the lateral direction of the region H1 where the hot melt adhesive 6 is present to be shorter than the diameter C10 of the circumscribed circle C1 of the hole 5′, the hole 5′ can be filled with the hot melt adhesive 6 By securing the non-overlapping region 11, the air permeability can be further maintained.

<Absorbent article 20 using laminate 1>
As an example of a specific method of using the laminate 1, an example of using the laminate 1 as an exterior material for an absorbent article will be described. Here, as an absorbent article 20, an underpants-type disposable diaper 20 (hereinafter also referred to as "diaper 20") is taken as an example. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the diaper 20. FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of the diaper 20 in an unfolded and stretched state, viewed from the skin side. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of the diaper 20 in the unfolded and stretched state, viewed from the non-skin side. FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view along CC in FIG.

Here, the above-mentioned "unfolded state" means both ends of the abdominal waist portion (abdominal waist portion 40 described later) and the back waist portion (back side described later) in the width direction (lateral direction) of the diaper 1. A state in which the diaper 20 is unfolded on a plane by releasing the connection with both ends of the waist portion 50), separating the abdomen side waist portion and the back side waist portion, and opening the diaper 20 in its longitudinal direction. is. In addition, the “stretched state” of the diaper 20 means a state in which the entire diaper 20 (whole product) is stretched without wrinkles. It refers to a state in which the waist portion 40, 50, etc.) is stretched until the dimensions match or are close to the dimensions of the individual member.

The diaper 20 has a vertical direction, a width direction, and a front-rear direction that intersect with each other in the underpants-type state shown in FIG. The diaper 20 includes an absorbent main body 30 that is applied to the wearer's crotch area and absorbs liquid such as excreted fluid, an abdominal waist portion 40 that covers the wearer's abdomen, and a wearer's back. It is a so-called three-piece disposable diaper having a dorsal waist portion 50 to cover.

In the unfolded state of FIGS. 6 and 7, the diaper 20 has longitudinal and lateral directions that intersect each other. One longitudinal side in this unfolded state is also referred to as the "ventral side" or "front side", and the other longitudinal side is also referred to as the "dorsal side" or "rear side". The longitudinal direction in the unfolded state is the direction along the vertical direction of the pants-type state. Further, the thickness direction is the direction in which the materials forming the diaper 20 are laminated, as shown in FIG. The side in contact with the wearer in the thickness direction is the skin side, and the opposite side is the non-skin side.

In the unfolded state of FIG. 6, the absorbent main body 30 is fixed in a state of being stretched between the ventral waist portion 40 and the back waist portion 50 which are arranged substantially parallel to each other. When the diaper 20 is worn, the absorbent main body 30 is folded in half at its longitudinal central portion C, and the abdominal waist portion 40 and the back waist portion 50 facing each other are brought together at the left-right side edges 40e and 50e. As a result of joining, the diaper 20 in a wearing state having a waist opening HB and a pair of leg openings HL as shown in FIG. 5 is obtained.

As shown in FIG. 8, the absorbent main body 30 includes an absorbent core 31 that absorbs liquid, a liquid-permeable top sheet 32 covering the absorbent core 31 from the skin side in the thickness direction, and an absorbent core 31 . and a back sheet 33 arranged to cover the elastic core 31 from the non-skin side in the thickness direction. The non-skin side of the absorbent main body 30 is provided with an exterior sheet 35 forming an exterior of the diaper 20 . Here, the laminate 1 of the present embodiment is used as the exterior sheet 35 in order to improve the breathability of the diaper 20 .

The absorbent core 31 is a member formed by laminating liquid absorbent materials, and is capable of absorbing excrement such as urine. As the liquid absorbent material, for example, liquid absorbent fibers such as pulp fibers can be used. The absorbent core 11 may contain, for example, a superabsorbent polymer as the liquid absorbent granules, or may contain liquid absorbent materials other than liquid absorbent fibers and liquid absorbent granules. Also good. Moreover, the shape of the absorbent core 31 is not limited to the approximately hourglass shape in plan view as shown in FIG. 6, and may be, for example, a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. Moreover, the absorbent core 31 may have a liquid-permeable core wrap sheet (not shown).

The top sheet 32 is, for example, a liquid-permeable nonwoven fabric having a planar size larger than that of the absorbent core 31 . Further, the back sheet 33 is a sheet-like member that covers the absorbent core 31 from the non-skin side, and is a sheet having a plane size larger than that of the absorbent core 31 . An example of the back sheet 33 is a liquid-impermeable leak-proof sheet such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

The laminate 1 of the present embodiment as the outer sheet 35 is provided so that the side of the nonwoven fabric 2 which is a perforated nonwoven fabric is the most non-skin side of the diaper 20 . Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the lateral dimension of the exterior sheet 35(1) is sufficiently larger than that of the back sheet 33. It protrudes largely outward in the left-right direction from both sides in the left-right direction of 33 . The outer sheet 35(1) forms so-called three-dimensional gathers LSG and leg gathers LG. The three-dimensional gathers LSG are leakage-preventing walls provided upright at the left and right ends of the top sheet 32 , while the leg gathers LG are formed in the leg openings HL, HL of the diaper 20 . It is the elastic part around the leg that is attached. Then, the protruding portion of the exterior sheet 35(1) is folded back toward the center in the left-right direction with both ends of the absorbent main body 30 in the left-right direction serving as folding positions, and is placed in the vicinity of the folding positions along the longitudinal direction. A leg elastic member 36 such as a warp rubber is fixed while being stretched in the longitudinal direction, thereby forming the leg gathers LG.

The portion 35bg (FIG. 8) folded back toward the center in the left-right direction extends further toward the center in the left-right direction and is joined to the end portions of the top sheet 32 in the left-right direction at positions covering the same end portions. Further, the portion on the tip side in the left-right direction can stand up from the top sheet 32 as a free end portion from the portion joined to the end portion. An elastic member 37 such as a rubber thread is fixed along the longitudinal direction to each free end portion while being stretched in the longitudinal direction. , thereby functioning as a three-dimensional gather LSG.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the laminate 1 used as the exterior sheet 35 has openings 5 at both ends in the lateral direction of the exterior sheet 35(1), that is, the lateral direction of the laminate 1. is not provided (the dotted line portion of the exterior sheet 35(1) in FIG. 8 is the area having the apertures 5). By doing so, it is possible to improve the breathability by providing a plurality of openings 5 at the position where the non-skin side surface of the absorbent main body 30 is formed. In the area where the leg gathers LG, the three-dimensional gathers LSG, and the like are formed, the absence of the plurality of openings 5 makes it possible to avoid giving an impression of leakage from the openings 5 .

However, the position where the openings 5 of the laminate 1 as the exterior sheet 35 are provided is not limited to the above, and may be the entire exterior sheet 35 or a smaller area.

According to the diaper 20 of the present embodiment, by including the laminate 1 excellent in texture and breathability in which the shape of the openings 5 having flexibility is maintained, the absorbent main body 30 that absorbs liquid is non-repellent. Ensures breathability and flexibility on the side of the skin. In addition, since the shapes of the plurality of openings 5 can be visually recognized, it is possible to provide the wearer with a visual effect indicating good breathability.

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view of the diaper 20 in an unfolded and stretched state as seen from the non-skin side in another embodiment in which the laminate 1 is used for the diaper 20 . In this embodiment, the laminate 1 is used as the abdominal waist portion 40 and the back waist portion 50 of the diaper 20, and the nonwoven fabric 2 of the laminate 1 is arranged so as to be closest to the non-skin side. By using the laminate 1 for the waist portions 40 and 50, the waist portions 40 and 50, which tend to sweat easily, can be given flexibility and improved breathability.

Between the nonwoven fabric 2 and the sheet 3 of the laminate 1 used in the diaper 20 of FIG. 9, a plurality of elastic members 60 that stretch in the left-right direction are provided in a state of being stretched in the left-right direction. . In addition, the plurality of apertures 5 of the ventral waist portion 40(1) and the dorsal waist portion 50(1) each have an elliptical shape with a major axis and a minor axis (similar to the apertures 5 in FIG. 2B). . Also, when the direction along the minor axis (5X in FIG. 2B) of the elliptical shape is the longitudinal direction of the diaper 20, and the direction along the major axis (5Y in FIG. 2B) is the lateral direction of the diaper 20, the ventral waist portion 40 ( 1) and the elastic members 60 provided in the dorsal waist portion 50(1), and the long axis 5Y of the opening 5' among the plurality of openings are parallel to the left-right direction of the diaper 20. It is desirable that

In addition, since each opening 5 is opened by pushing the fibers apart, the edges 5a (see FIGS. 2A and 2B) along the left-right direction (so-called long axis direction) of the opening 5 are gathered together. In the laminated body 1 as the ventral waist portion 40 and the back waist portion 50, the hot melt adhesive 6 straddles at least some of the openings 5 in the longitudinal direction of the diaper 20. It is desirable to be provided in the direction of the short axis of the elliptical shape. By arranging the hot-melt adhesive 6 so as to straddle the longitudinal direction, it is possible to maintain the shape of each opening 5 along the lateral direction of the diaper 20 in the longitudinal direction, and the elastic members 60 contract in the lateral direction. Also, the shape of the opening 5 becomes difficult to collapse. Further, when the opening 5 is formed, the portion along the left-right direction (long axis direction) of the edge 5a of the opening 5 has a high density due to gathering of fibers, and hot melt adhesion is performed in such a state. Since the agent 6 is provided so as to straddle the openings 5 in the longitudinal direction (minor axis direction), the edges 5a are made highly rigid by maintaining such a high-density region, and the shape of the openings 5 is improved. is more secured. Therefore, even if the elastic member 60 shrinks in the left-right direction, the openings 5 are easily visible and air permeability can be maintained.

<Method for manufacturing laminate 1>
Next, a method for manufacturing the laminate 1 will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a manufacturing apparatus 100 that manufactures the laminate 1. As shown in FIG. The manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a step of joining the elastic member on the assumption that the elastic member is arranged between the nonwoven fabric 2 and the sheet 3 of the laminate 1 . This step can be omitted if the elastic member is not arranged.

The manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment includes a conveying mechanism CV, an application device 116 that applies a hot melt adhesive, an elastic member bonding section 110, an application device 120 that applies the hot melt adhesive 6, and a bonding device 130. have

The transport mechanism CV is a transport unit that continuously transports the sheet 3 along a predetermined transport path. As the conveying mechanism CV, for example, a conveying roller, a suction belt conveyer having a suction holding function on a belt surface serving as a mounting surface, or the like is used. In the following description, a continuous sheet of the conveyed sheets 3 is called a continuous sheet 3a. Further, hereinafter, the conveying direction of each member set on the manufacturing apparatus 100 is also referred to as "MD direction".

When manufacturing the laminate 1, first, the continuous sheet 3a is let out from the sheet roll 105 around which the continuous sheet 3a is wound. The fed continuous sheet 3a is transported from the upstream side to the downstream side in the MD direction at a predetermined transport speed by the transport mechanism CV, and reaches the position where the elastic member joint portion 110 is arranged.

On the other hand, a plurality of elastic members 60 such as rubber threads are connected, and a continuous elastic member 60 a is stretched in the conveying direction and conveyed from the elastic member roll 115 . applies an adhesive such as a hot-melt adhesive to the conveyed elastic member 60a. The elastic member joining portion 110 is driven to rotate at a predetermined peripheral speed value, thereby conveying the continuous sheet 3a to the downstream side in the MD direction, while attaching the separately supplied elastic member 60a to the surface coated with the adhesive. They are arranged so as to be attached to the continuous sheet 3a and joined.

Next, the continuous sheet 3a to which the elastic members 60a are attached is conveyed further downstream in the MD direction, and the coating device 120 applies the hot melt adhesive 6 to the surface of the conveyed continuous sheet 3a. After that, the continuous sheet 3a coated with the hot-melt adhesive 6 reaches the position where the joining device 130 is arranged.

Then, a continuous nonwoven fabric sheet 2a, which is a continuous sheet of the nonwoven fabric 2, is fed out from the nonwoven fabric roll 125 around which the nonwoven fabric 2, which is an open-pored nonwoven fabric, is wound in a roll shape. , the surface of the continuous sheet 3a on which the hot-melt adhesive 6 is applied is laminated and joined.
As described above, in the present embodiment, the laminate 1 is manufactured by sequentially performing the above steps using the manufacturing apparatus 100 .
===Other Embodiments===

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit and interpret the present invention. Further, the present invention can be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

In the above-described embodiment, an elliptical shape is given as an example of the shape of each aperture 5, but the shape may be a perfect circle, a rectangle, a polygon such as a rhombus, a star, or any other shape.

In the above-described embodiment, the absorbent main body 30 of the diaper 20 has the back sheet 33, but the sheet 3 of the laminate 1 functions as a back sheet without providing the back sheet 33, and furthermore, the non-skin absorbent body 30 is made to function as a back sheet. The laminate 1 may be configured such that the nonwoven fabric 2, which is a perforated nonwoven fabric, is arranged as an outer covering on the side.

In the above-described embodiment, the laminate 1 is used as the exterior sheet 35 of the diaper 20, and the laminate 1 forms the solid gathers LSG and the leg gathers LG. The laminate 1 may be arranged on the most non-skin side of the diaper 20 as a sheet member different from the sheet member to be formed. As a result, the flexibility and good air permeability of the laminate 1 can be provided only at desired locations.

1 laminate 2 nonwoven fabric (perforated nonwoven fabric), 2a continuous nonwoven fabric sheet,
3 sheet, 3a continuous sheet,
5 opening, 5' opening (first hole), 5'' opening (second hole),
5a edge portion, 5ah unmelted portion, 5X minor axis, 5Y major axis,
6 hot melt adhesive,
10 regions, 11 regions,
15 end 20 absorbent article (diaper), 30 absorbent main body, 31 absorbent core,
32 top sheet, 33 back sheet, 35 exterior sheet,
35bg folded portion, 37 elastic member,
40 ventral girth, 50 dorsal girth, 40e side edge, 50e side edge,
60 elastic member, 60a continuous elastic member,
Reference Signs List 100 manufacturing device 105 sheet roll 110 elastic member joining section 115 elastic member roll 116 coating device 120 coating device 130 joining device
C1 circumscribed circle, C10 diameter,
CV transport mechanism,
H1 existing region, H1S length in the lateral direction, H1L length in the longitudinal direction,
HB waist opening, HL leg opening,
LSG solid gathers, LG leg gathers,

Claims (13)

A laminate comprising a nonwoven fabric having a plurality of pores and a sheet,
an edge adjacent to each of the plurality of apertures has at least a non-melting portion;
The nonwoven fabric and the sheet are bonded to each other with a hot melt adhesive,
one of the plurality of apertures has a region overlapping with the hot melt adhesive;
The certain aperture has an elliptical shape with a major axis and a minor axis,
If the direction along the minor axis of the elliptical shape is the minor axis direction and the direction along the major axis of the elliptical shape is the major axis direction,
The hot melt adhesive is provided so as to straddle the certain opening in the short axis direction and not straddle the certain opening in the long axis direction,
The number of openings per unit area that have regions that overlap with the hot melt adhesive is greater than the number of openings that have only regions that do not overlap with the hot melt adhesive.
A laminate characterized by: The laminate according to claim 1,
A laminate, wherein the long axis of the elliptical shape is parallel to the fiber orientation direction of the nonwoven fabric having the certain openings. A laminate according to claim 1 or claim 2,
The laminate has a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction perpendicular to each other,
Both ends of the laminate in the transverse direction each include the plurality of openings,
A laminate, wherein the both ends of the laminate in the lateral direction are not joined with a hot-melt adhesive. The laminate according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A laminate according to claim 1, wherein in the certain opening, a region overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive is larger than a region not overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive. The laminate according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A laminate, wherein in the certain opening, a region overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive is smaller than a region not overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive. The laminate according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
When the certain opening is defined as a first hole, and the hole other than the certain opening having a region overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive is defined as a second hole,
A laminate, wherein a region of the first hole overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive is different from a region of the second hole overlapping with the hot-melt adhesive. The laminate according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
A laminate, wherein the sheet does not have openings. The laminate according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
The length in the longitudinal direction and the length in the width direction of the area in which the hot melt adhesive is present, which is provided so as to overlap with the opening, are each longer than the diameter of the circumscribed circle of the opening. Laminate to be. The laminate according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
A laminate, wherein the width of the area in which the hot-melt adhesive exists so as to overlap with the opening is shorter than the diameter of the circumscribed circle of the opening. an absorbent body that absorbs liquid;
An absorbent article comprising the laminate according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The absorbent article according to claim 10 ,
having a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction that intersect each other in the unfolded state;
An elastic member that expands and contracts in the lateral direction is provided between the nonwoven fabric and the sheet,
each of the plurality of apertures has an elliptical shape having a major axis and a minor axis;
When the direction along the minor axis of the elliptical shape is the longitudinal direction and the direction along the major axis is the lateral direction,
the elastic member and the long axis of one of the plurality of openings are parallel to the left-right direction;
edges along the left-right direction of the certain aperture have a high density,
The absorbent article, wherein the hot-melt adhesive is provided so as to straddle the certain opening in the longitudinal direction. A method for producing a laminate comprising a nonwoven fabric having a plurality of apertures and a sheet, wherein edges adjacent to each of the plurality of apertures have at least a non-melting portion, the method comprising:
bonding the nonwoven fabric and the sheet together by applying a hot-melt adhesive to have a region overlapping an aperture of the plurality of apertures ;
The certain aperture has an elliptical shape with a major axis and a minor axis,
If the direction along the minor axis of the elliptical shape is the minor axis direction and the direction along the major axis of the elliptical shape is the major axis direction,
The hot melt adhesive is provided so as to straddle the certain opening in the short axis direction and not to straddle the certain opening in the long axis direction,
The number of openings per unit area that have regions that overlap with the hot melt adhesive is greater than the number of openings that have only regions that do not overlap with the hot melt adhesive.
A method of manufacturing a laminate, characterized by: An apparatus for producing a laminate comprising a nonwoven fabric having a plurality of apertures and a sheet, wherein edges adjacent to each of the plurality of apertures have at least a non-melting portion,
an applicator for applying a hot-melt adhesive so as to have a region that overlaps with a certain aperture among the plurality of apertures ;
a joining device for joining the nonwoven fabric and the sheet with the hot melt adhesive;
The certain aperture has an elliptical shape with a major axis and a minor axis,
If the direction along the minor axis of the elliptical shape is the minor axis direction and the direction along the major axis of the elliptical shape is the major axis direction,
The hot melt adhesive is provided so as to straddle the certain opening in the short axis direction and not to straddle the certain opening in the long axis direction,
The number of openings per unit area that have regions that overlap with the hot melt adhesive is greater than the number of openings that have only regions that do not overlap with the hot melt adhesive.
A laminate manufacturing apparatus characterized by:

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