JP7288748B2 - absorbent article - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an absorbent article that is fixed to clothing such as shorts and used to absorb body fluids discharged from the human body.

Women's absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins and panty liners typically include a top sheet facing the wearer's skin, a back sheet facing clothes such as shorts, and an absorbent article interposed between the two sheets. A fixing material containing an adhesive for preventing slippage is arranged on the non-skin-facing surface of the back sheet, which is the surface facing the clothing, and is fixed to the clothing by the fixing material. However, even if the absorbent article is fixed to the crotch portion of shorts through a fixing material, the absorbent article may shift from the initial fixed position or twist when the wearer moves vigorously. , the front and rear ends of the absorbent article may be turned up. Such misalignment, twisting, and distortion of the absorbent article give the wearer a sense of discomfort and lead to a decrease in wearing comfort, and thus a solution is desired.

In Patent Document 1, as an absorbent article capable of suppressing the occurrence of misalignment, twisting, wrinkles, etc., a fixing material arranged on the non-skin-facing surface of the backsheet extends over the entire length in the horizontal direction and extends vertically. Intermittent arrangement in the direction is described. Here, the vertical direction is the direction corresponding to the front-rear direction of the wearer of the absorbent article, and the horizontal direction is the direction orthogonal to the vertical direction. In the absorbent article described in Patent Document 1, since the fixing material with poor flexibility is arranged over the entire length in the horizontal direction, if the clothes such as shorts fixed via the fixing material become twisted, If a part of the fixing material is peeled off from the clothes due to excessive following of the twist of the clothes, the peeled part becomes a starting point and the absorbent article is twisted, and the absorbent article is peeled off from the clothes. There is a possibility that it will progress, and there is room for improvement in terms of improving the feeling of wearing.

In Patent Document 2, clothes such as shorts to which the fixing material is fixed by partially varying the basis weight of the adhesive constituting the fixing material arranged on the non-skin facing surface of the back sheet of the absorbent article. In the panty liner described in the drawings as an embodiment of the absorbent article, a plurality of fixing members having a rectangular shape in a plan view are arranged so that their longitudinal directions are aligned in the lateral direction. are arranged intermittently in the vertical direction. Patent Document 3 discloses a method for preventing pain and discomfort in the crotch region by improving the skin contact of the portion of the absorbent article that is a side edge along the longitudinal direction and is in contact with the circumference of the wearer's leg when worn. For this purpose, it is described that both side edges (outlines) of the absorbent article are formed into a wavy frill shape.

JP 2015-188737 A JP 2009-28139 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-111792

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article that is less likely to be misaligned, twisted, or torn.

The present invention has a longitudinal direction corresponding to the front-rear direction of the wearer and a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and has an intermediate region located in the center in the longitudinal direction, and a front region extending forward in the longitudinal direction from the intermediate region. and a rear region extending longitudinally rearward from the intermediate region for securing the absorbent article to the clothing of the wearer on a non-skin facing surface facing the clothing of the wearer. A plurality of fixing materials are intermittently arranged in the longitudinal direction from the front region to the rear region, and in at least one of the front region and the rear region, a plurality The constricted portions are arranged intermittently in the longitudinal direction, and a convex portion projecting laterally outward is arranged between two longitudinally adjacent constricted portions, and both side edges of the absorbent article Each part includes a laminated body of a plurality of sheets, and at least between the two constricted parts where the convex part is arranged, the sheets constituting the laminated body are not fused together. It is a sexual item.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the absorbent article which is excellent in the feeling of wearing which is hard to produce a position shift, a twist, and a tear is provided.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a panty liner, which is one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the non-skin facing side (backsheet side) of the panty liner shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a section taken along line II of FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view schematically showing an enlarged part of FIG. 2 (one side edge of the front region). FIG. 5 is a plan view (equivalent to FIG. 2) schematically showing the non-skin facing side (back sheet side) of a conventional panty liner.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the absorbent article of the present invention will be described based on its preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 show a pantiliner 1, which is one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the panty liner 1 corresponds to the front-rear direction of the wearer and has a longitudinal direction X extending from the wearer's abdomen to the dorsal side through the crotch and a lateral direction Y orthogonal thereto. an intermediate region M located in the center in the longitudinal direction X, a front region F extending forward in the longitudinal direction X from the intermediate region M (the ventral side of the wearer), and a longitudinal direction from the intermediate region M and a rear region R extending behind X (the wearer's back side). The intermediate region M includes an excretory part facing portion that faces the wearer's excretory part (vaginal opening, etc.) when worn.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the panty liner 1 is bisected in the horizontal direction Y and formed symmetrically with respect to the horizontal center line CLy extending in the vertical direction X. , the panty liner 1 is bisected in the longitudinal direction X and formed symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal center line CLx extending in the lateral direction Y as a reference. The panty liner 1 has a shape elongated in the longitudinal direction X, with its longitudinal direction coinciding with the longitudinal direction X and its width direction coinciding with the lateral direction Y.

In this embodiment, both side edges 1S, 1S along the longitudinal direction X of the panty liner 1 are not straight lines parallel to the longitudinal direction X, but curved lines. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the side edge 1S of the panty liner 1 has an inwardly curved portion 1Sa, which is convexly curved inwardly in the lateral direction Y, at the central portion in the longitudinal direction X. , the convex top of the inward curved portion 1Sa is located on the longitudinal center line CLx. The intermediate region M is a region in which the inwardly curved portion 1Sa exists. (width) is a region where the width is gradually increased. A portion having the maximum width, that is, both ends in the longitudinal direction X of the inward curved portion 1Sa are boundaries between the intermediate region M and the front region F and the rear region R, respectively. The boundary between the intermediate region M and each of the front region F and the rear region R passes through the convex portion protruding outward in the lateral direction Y of the side edge 1S of the panty liner 1, which is closest to the longitudinal center line CLx. can also be defined as an imaginary straight line extending in the horizontal direction Y.

In addition, in the side edge 1S of the panty liner 1, a portion corresponding to the inward curved portion 1Sa may be formed by a straight line extending obliquely with respect to the vertical direction X in a plan view, or may be formed in the horizontal direction Y. It may be formed by straight lines extending in parallel. In these cases, the portion with the maximum length (width) in the horizontal direction Y is the boundary between the intermediate region M and the front region F and the rear region R, as described above.

As shown in FIG. 2, the panty liner 1 has, in the intermediate region M, a narrow region N whose length (width) in the lateral direction Y is shorter than that of the front region F and the rear region R. As shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the narrow region N is a region in which the convex apex of the inward curved portion 1Sa and its peripheral portion exist, that is, the center of the intermediate region M in the longitudinal direction X (longitudinal center line CLx). , which is the central portion in the vertical direction of the intermediate region M.

The lengths of the front region F and the rear region R in the longitudinal direction X are each preferably 10% or more, more preferably 15% or more, and preferably 30% of the total length of the panty liner 1 in the longitudinal direction X. 25% or less, more preferably 25% or less.
The length of the intermediate region M in the longitudinal direction X is preferably 40% or more, more preferably 50% or more, and preferably 80% or less, more preferably 70% of the total length of the panty liner 1 in the longitudinal direction X. % or less.
The length in the longitudinal direction X of the front region F and the rear region R is preferably 20 mm or more, more preferably 25 mm or more, and preferably 50 mm or less, more preferably 40 mm or less.
The length of the intermediate region M in the longitudinal direction X is preferably 60 mm or more, more preferably 70 mm or more, and preferably 130 mm or less, more preferably 100 mm or less.

The total length of the pantiliner 1 in the longitudinal direction X is preferably 120 mm or more, more preferably 130 mm or more, and preferably 170 mm or less, more preferably 160 mm or less.
The maximum length (maximum width) in the lateral direction Y of the pantiliner 1 is preferably 45 mm or more, more preferably 50 mm or more, and preferably 60 mm or less, more preferably 55 mm or less.

The panty liner 1 includes an absorbent main body 10, a pair of side flap portions 11, 11 extending on both sides of the absorbent main body 10 along the longitudinal direction X, and a front end of the absorbent main body 10 in the longitudinal direction X. and a pair of end flap portions 12, 12 extending from the rear end.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the absorbent main body 10 includes a liquid-retaining absorbent body 4 containing a water-absorbing material and a liquid-permeable absorbent body 4 disposed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 4 . and a liquid-impermeable back sheet 3 arranged on the non-skin facing side of the absorbent body 4. - 特許庁The top sheet 2 forms the skin-facing surface of the panty liner 1 (absorbent main body 10), and the back sheet 3 forms the non-skin facing surface of the panty liner 1 (absorbent main body 10). The absorbent body 4 is interposed between the topsheet 2 and the backsheet 3 . The absorber 4 has a rectangular shape in plan view, with both side edges 4S, 4S parallel to the longitudinal direction X, and front ends 4F and rear ends 4R parallel to the lateral direction Y, respectively.

The side flap portion 11 is a portion configured including members extending outward in the lateral direction Y from both side edges 4S, 4S of the absorber 4 and imaginary extension lines 4V, 4V thereof. is a portion including members extending outward in the longitudinal direction X from the front and rear ends 4F, 4R of the absorbent body 4 in the longitudinal direction X. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, both flap portions 11 and 12 are configured to include a second sheet 5 which will be described later in addition to the top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3 . Both of the flap portions 11 and 12 are portions of the panty liner 1 where the absorber 4 is not placed, and have a lower basis weight than the absorbent main body 10 where the absorber 4 is placed.

As used herein, the term “skin-facing surface” refers to the surface of the absorbent article or its constituent members (for example, the absorbent body 4) that faces the wearer's skin when the absorbent article is worn, i.e. The side close to the skin, and the “non-skin facing surface” is the surface of the absorbent article or its constituent members that faces the side opposite to the skin side (clothing side) when the absorbent article is worn, that is, the side that is relatively worn It is the side farthest from the person's skin. It should be noted that the term "when worn" as used herein means a state in which the absorbent article is maintained in a normal and appropriate wearing position, that is, in a correct wearing position of the absorbent article.

As shown in FIG. 3, the top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3 extend outward in the lateral direction Y from both side edges 4S, 4S of the absorbent body 4 and their imaginary extension lines 4V, 4V, respectively. A few extensions form side flaps 11 . In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a liquid-permeable second sheet 5 is arranged between the topsheet 2 and the absorbent body 4, and the second sheet 5 is similar to the topsheet 2. , extending outward in the lateral direction Y from both side edges 4S, 4S of the absorbent body 4 and imaginary extension lines 4V, 4V thereof, and the extending portions of the second sheet 5 extend from the extensions of the top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3, respectively. A side flap portion 11 is formed together with the protruding portion. The topsheet 2, the backsheet 3 and the second sheet 5 also extend outward in the longitudinal direction X from the front and rear ends 4F and 4R in the longitudinal direction X of the absorber 4, respectively. An end flap portion 12 is formed. The second sheet 5 is a constituent member of an absorbent article, which is also called a sublayer sheet or the like in this technical field. It is a member that plays a role such as reducing liquid return to the sheet 2 . The panty liner 1 may not have the second sheet 5.

As the top sheet 2, the back sheet 3, and the second sheet 5, various materials conventionally used in absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins can be used without particular limitation. The surface sheet 2 and the second sheet 5 are preferably liquid-permeable sheets, and specific examples thereof include single-layer or multi-layer nonwoven fabrics and perforated films manufactured by various known manufacturing methods. The back sheet 3 is preferably a liquid-impermeable sheet, and specific examples thereof include a resin film, a laminated sheet of a resin film and a non-woven fabric, and the like, and the resin film may be moisture-permeable. The term "liquid impermeability" as used herein is a concept that includes both the property of not allowing liquid to pass through at all and the property of allowing a small amount of liquid to pass through (liquid impermeability). The liquid-impermeable sheet may have water repellency.

The top sheet 2, the back sheet 3, the absorbent body 4 and the second sheet 5 are bonded together with an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive. The application pattern of the adhesive is not particularly limited, and it is applied so that the entire surface facing other members (for example, the non-skin facing surface in the case of the top sheet 2) becomes the application portion of the adhesive (so-called solid coating). Alternatively, the adhesive may be applied intermittently so that the adhesive-applied portion and the non-applied portion are mixed on the opposite surface, but the latter intermittent application pattern is preferable in consideration of breathability, flexibility, etc. . Examples of intermittent application patterns include spiral, summit, omega, curtain, and stripe patterns.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, fused portions 13 of a plurality of sheets extend in the lateral direction Y at the front and rear ends of the panty liner 1 in the longitudinal direction X, respectively. The fused portion 13 extends over the end flap portion 12 and the side flap portions 11 located on both sides in the lateral direction Y thereof. In this embodiment, the fusion-bonded portion 13 includes a laminate of the top sheet 2 , the back sheet 3 and the second sheet 5 .

In the present specification, the "fused portion" is a state in which the sheet constituting the sheet is melted and solidified, and the original fiber form of the sheet is lost to form a film. Therefore, it is denser and harder than other parts. Such a fused portion can be formed by a known pressing process such as embossing with heat or ultrasonic embossing. In this embodiment, of the peripheral edge of the panty liner 1, the fused portions 13 are present only at the front and rear ends in the longitudinal direction X, and the fused portions are present at the side edge 1S and its vicinity, that is, at the side edge. 13 does not exist.

As shown in FIG. 2, the absorber 4 has a rectangular shape in plan view, and its longitudinal direction is aligned with the vertical direction X. and extend from the intermediate region M to the front region F and the rear region R, respectively. The absorbent body 4 is not particularly limited as long as it can absorb and hold bodily fluids such as menstrual blood, and its form is not particularly limited. Alternatively, it may be in the form of a fiber stack formed by stacking water-absorbing materials. The absorbent body 4 in this embodiment is the former, and is composed of one absorbent sheet 40 containing a water absorbent material. In general, an absorbent sheet is thinner and less rigid than a pile of water-absorbing materials, so an absorbent article having an absorbent sheet is thin, flexible, and comfortable to wear. It is also compact and can be folded for excellent handling. As shown in FIG. 3, the absorbent sheet 40 is arranged on the panty liner 1 in a state of being folded in three in the horizontal direction Y, and both side edges 40S, 40S along the vertical direction X overlapped in the center. As the absorbent sheet 40, for example, paper, various non-woven fabrics, etc. can be used, and a water-absorbing polymer may be included.

In the present invention, the absorbent body, which is an absorbent sheet, may not be folded in the absorbent article, and may be in a folded state different from the three-folded state shown in FIG. ), or the folded structure of another absorbent sheet may be included in the folded structure of the absorbent sheet. From the viewpoint of obtaining an absorbent article having sufficient liquid diffusibility and liquid retention properties and a good wearing feeling by making more effective use of such features of the absorbent sheet, 5 cN/cm ² per absorbent sheet. is preferably 0.1 mm or more, more preferably 0.3 mm or more, and preferably 2 mm or less, more preferably 1.5 mm or less. As the absorbent sheet, for example, those described in Japanese Patent No. 2963647 and Japanese Patent No. 2955223 can be used. As an example of a preferable absorbent sheet, the adhesive force generated in the water-absorbent polymer in a wet state or the binder such as an adhesive agent or adhesive fiber added separately, between the constituent fibers or between the constituent fibers and the water-absorbent polymer. are combined to form a sheet.

A fixing material 6 for fixing the panty liner 1 to clothes is provided vertically from the front region F to the rear region R on the non-skin facing surface of the back sheet 3, that is, the surface facing clothes such as shorts (clothes facing surface). A plurality of them are intermittently arranged in the direction X. The fixing member 6 is formed by applying an adhesive, and is covered with a release sheet (not shown) made of film, nonwoven fabric, paper, or the like before use.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of fixing members 6 (the first fixing member 61, the second fixing member 62, and the third fixing member 63) each have a rectangular shape in plan view, and the longitudinal direction thereof is It is arranged in the center of the lateral direction Y on the non-skin-facing surface of the backsheet 3 so that the direction coincides with the lateral direction Y. As shown in FIG. A plurality of fixing members 6 are arranged at positions spaced inward in the lateral direction Y from both side edges 1S, 1S of the panty liner 1 by a predetermined distance.

As shown in FIG. 2, the fixing member 6 in this embodiment is a first fixing member 61 extending in the horizontal direction Y across the longitudinal ends (front end 4F, rear end 4R) of the absorber 4 in the vertical direction X. and a plurality of second fixing members 62 intermittently arranged in the vertical direction X from the first fixing member 61 to the intermediate region M side, and having a length (width) in the vertical direction X shorter than that of the first fixing member 61. include. As the first fixing member 61, one positioned in the front region F and overlapping the front end 4F of the absorbent body 4 and one positioned in the rear region R and overlapping the rear end 4R of the absorbent body 4 are arranged in the longitudinal direction X. A plurality of second fixing members 62 are intermittently arranged in the longitudinal direction X between the pair of first fixing members 61 , 61 . The pair of first fixing members 61, 61 have the same shape and size in plan view. In addition, the plurality of second fixing members 62 also have the same shape and size in plan view.

In addition, the fixing member 6 in this embodiment includes a third fixing member 63 arranged outside in the longitudinal direction X relative to the first fixing member 61 . The third fixing member 63 is arranged in the non-placement portion of the absorbent body 4 . As the third fixing members 63, there are one positioned in the front region F and one positioned in the rear region R. A plurality of second fixing members 62 are intermittently arranged in the vertical direction X between the pair of first fixing members 61 , 61 . The pair of third fixing members 63, 63 have the same shape and size in plan view.

The pantiliner 1 is characterized in terms of its outer shape (contour). That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, in at least one of the front region F and the rear region R, a plurality of constricted portions 7 are intermittently arranged in the longitudinal direction X on both side edges 1S, 1S of the panty liner 1. In addition, a convex portion 8 projecting outward in the lateral direction Y is arranged between two constricted portions 7, 7 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction X. As shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, two constricted portions 7, 7 are intermittently arranged in the longitudinal direction X on both side edges 1S, 1S of both the front region F and the rear region R, respectively. The convex portion 8 has an arcuate shape that protrudes outward in the lateral direction Y, and the apex of the convex portion is disposed at a position spaced apart in the vertical direction X from each of the two constricted portions 7 , 7 by a predetermined distance. In the panty liner 1, the combination of the two constricted portions 7, 7 and the convex portion 8 disposed therebetween is formed symmetrically with respect to the vertical center line CLx and with respect to the horizontal center line CLy. It is formed symmetrically as

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, all of the plurality (two) of constricted portions 7, 7 arranged on one side edge 1S of the front region F are located in the narrow region N of the intermediate region M. It is positioned outside in the lateral direction Y of the portion having the shortest length (width) in the lateral direction Y (hereinafter also referred to as the “narrowest portion”). The narrowest part of the narrow region N is the center in the longitudinal direction X of the panty liner 1 (intermediate region M) through which the longitudinal center line CLx passes and its vicinity. It is an imaginary straight line extending in the longitudinal direction X through the side edge 1S of the panty liner 1 at the narrowest portion and indicates the position of the side edge 1S at the narrowest portion. Although FIG. 4 shows only one side edge of the front region F, the other side edges of the panty liner 1 are constructed in the same manner as in FIG. 4 unless otherwise specified. The explanations for the indicated parts apply accordingly.

FIG. 5 shows a pantiliner 90 having a typical configuration of conventional pantiliners. In the panty liner 90, the same components as those of the panty liner 1 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the panty liner 1 applies appropriately to components that are not specifically described. The panty liner 90 has a maximum width portion having a maximum length (width) in the horizontal direction Y near the front and rear ends in the vertical direction X, and both side edges 90S, 90S of the panty liner 90 are each at the maximum width. It has a convex portion 91 projecting outward in the horizontal direction Y from the peripheral portion at the position of the wide portion. In addition, at the peripheral edge of the panty liner 90, a fused portion 13 is formed between the extending portions of a plurality of sheets (the top sheet 2, the back sheet 3, the second sheet 5, etc.) from the peripheral edge of the absorber 4. .

According to the findings of the present inventors, in the conventional panty liner 90 having such a configuration, the four corners where the projections 91 projecting outward are likely to become the starting points of twisting and tearing, and are non-uniform. Even when the panty liner 90 is fixed to clothing such as shorts via the fixing material 6 arranged on the skin-facing surface, the corners and their surroundings are directly subjected to external force such as body pressure, and the corners are turned up. , The turn-up developed into the panty liner 90 as a whole twisted, or caused the position shift and peeling from the clothes. In addition, twisting or tearing of the panty liner occurs in the vertical central portion (the portion corresponding to the intermediate region M of the panty liner 1 of this embodiment) sandwiched between the wearer's thighs when worn. It can also occur by propagating through the liner. That is, first, the intermediate region M of the panty liner 1 is pinched by the wearer's thighs and receives an external force in the form of being compressed in the lateral direction Y, thereby causing twisting in the intermediate region M, and then, The twist generated in the intermediate region M propagates to the corner through the side edge of the panty liner, and the corner may be turned up, or the whole panty liner may be twisted starting from the corner.

On the other hand, in the panty liner 1, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the portion corresponding to the corner portion (convex portion 91) of the conventional panty liner 90, that is, the front region F, which tends to become the starting point of twisting and tearing. And/or the constricted portions 7 are arranged on both side edges 1S, 1S of the rear region R, and the outward protrusion at the corners is suppressed compared to conventional products, so that external force such as body pressure is reduced when worn. It is difficult to receive, and it effectively prevents curling, twisting, and misalignment due to direct external force. In addition, since the constricted portion 7 disposed on the side edge 1S has a function of buffering twist or stress propagating in the longitudinal direction X through the side edge portion of the panty liner 1 and the like to reduce its influence, Even if twisting occurs in the front region F, the rear region R, or the intermediate region M, the twisting does not easily spread to the entire panty liner 1, and as a result, the twisting, curling, and misalignment of the panty liner 1 are effectively prevented. be. In particular, in the panty liner 1, a plurality (two) of constricted portions 7 having a function of inhibiting the propagation of twist are intermittently arranged in the longitudinal direction X at the side edge 1S to inhibit the propagation of twist in multiple stages (two stages). Since it is made possible, it is possible to effectively inhibit the propagation of both the twist from the intermediate region M and the twist from the front region F and the rear region R.

However, the pantiliner 1 merely has a plurality of constrictions 7 and ridges 8 arranged therebetween at the side edges 1S forming its contour in the front region F and/or the rear region R. In addition, it is characterized in that the configuration of the side edge 1S itself is devised. That is, in the panty liner 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, both side edges thereof are formed of a stack of a plurality of sheets, and have two constricted portions in which at least the convex portions 8 are arranged. Between 7 and 7, the sheets constituting the laminate are not fused together.

In this embodiment, as described above, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fused portions 13 are present only at the front and rear ends in the longitudinal direction X at the periphery of the panty liner 1, and at both side edges. , the sheets forming this are only joined together by an adhesive, and the fused portion 13 does not exist. That is, the side edges including the top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3 are formed not only between the two constricted parts 7, 7 where the convex part 8 is arranged, but also at both side edges of the panty liner 1 in the intermediate region M. The constituent sheets are not fused together. Therefore, both side edges of the panty liner 1, including the middle area M and between the two constricted parts 7, 7, are not as hard as the fused parts 13 located at the front and rear ends in the longitudinal direction X. , the flexibility inherent in the sheet is maintained. The side edge portion of the panti liner 1 is the side edge 1S of the panti liner 1 and the vicinity thereof, and is an area extending from the side edge 1S inward in the lateral direction Y for a predetermined distance (typically 2 to 6 mm). .

As described above, in the panty liner 1, a plurality of constricted portions 7 are intermittently arranged in the longitudinal direction X on both side edges 1S, 1S of the front region F and/or the rear region R, which are portions corresponding to the corners. In addition, a convex portion 8 protruding outward in the lateral direction Y is arranged between two constricted portions 7, 7 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction X, so that the corner portion that tends to become a starting point of twisting or burping is eliminated. Even if an external force is directly applied during wearing, the shape of the constricted portion 7 and the convex portion 8 makes it difficult for the external force to propagate to the entire product, thereby preventing twisting and tearing. In addition, the twist that locally occurs in the panty liner 1 tends to propagate to the entirety through the side edges of the panty liner 1, especially if the side edges are in a hard state such as being fused. In the panty liner 1, at least between a plurality of constricted portions 7 in the side edge portion, that is, in the region where the convex portion 8 is formed, where the twist is likely to propagate, the plurality of sheets constituting the region are not fused together. Since the original flexibility of the sheet is maintained, in combination with the above-mentioned function of inhibiting the propagation of twisting possessed by the constricted portion 7, twisting and distortion occurring in the front region F and the rear region R are prevented from occurring in the intermediate region. Inconvenience that propagates to M is effectively prevented, and thus twisting, distortion, and misalignment of the panty liner 1 as a whole are effectively prevented. In particular, in the present embodiment, not only the formation regions of the convex portions 8 in the front region F and the rear region R, but also the side edges of the panty liner 1 in the middle region M are formed by a plurality of sheets forming the side edges. Since they are not fused to each other, the above-described effects can be achieved more reliably.

In addition, both side edges of the intermediate region M of the panty liner 1 are portions corresponding to the leg circumferences of the wearer, and are flexible from the viewpoint of improving contact with the skin and improving cushioning against movement of the wearer's body. However, the presence of the hard and poorly flexible fused portion 13 at such a site where high flexibility is desired may lead to failure to satisfy the desired characteristics. In this regard, in this embodiment, the sheets forming the side edges are not fused together over substantially the entire length of both side edges of the panty liner 1, including the side edges of the intermediate region M. Not only does it prevent twisting, bending, and misalignment, but it also feels good against the skin around the legs, improving the feeling of wearing.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the members (the top sheet 2, the back sheet 3, the absorbent body 4, and the second sheet 5) constituting the panty liner 1 are bonded to each other with an adhesive. , even if a plurality of sheets are not fused together at both side edges of the panty liner 1, no particular problem occurs in practice. In view of the fact that a plurality of sheets are not fused together at both side edges of the panty liner 1, the amount of adhesive to be applied to both side edges of the panty liner 1 should be increased more than the other parts, if necessary. is possible.

From the viewpoint of ensuring the effect of the constricted portion 7 described above, in each of the front region F and the rear region R, the two constricted portions 7, 7 arranged at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction X are arranged. 4, an area sandwiched between two imaginary straight lines 7V, 7V extending in the lateral direction Y through two constricted portions 7, 7 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction X (the area of the convex portion 8). The length of the formation region) in the longitudinal direction X is preferably 1 mm or more, more preferably 2 mm or more, and preferably 5 mm or less, more preferably 4 mm or less.

It is preferable that the fixing member 6 arranged in the front region F and the rear region R has a longer length (width) in the longitudinal direction X than that arranged in the intermediate region M. In this embodiment, as described above, as shown in FIG. 2, the first fixing member 61 and the third fixing member 63 are arranged in the front region F and the rear region R, respectively. Where the second fixing member 62 is intermittently arranged in M, the fixing members 61 and 63 arranged in the front region F and the rear region R are wider than the fixing member 62 arranged in the intermediate region M. . With such a configuration, the narrow fixing members 62 are arranged in the intermediate region M, and in particular, the fixing members 62 are intermittently arranged. Since wide fixing members 61 and 63 are arranged in the region F and the rear region R, the regions F and R are firmly fixed to clothes such as shorts, and the effects of the regions F, M and R are mutually compatible. As a result, the wearing state of the panty liner 1 on the clothes is further stabilized.

From the viewpoint of ensuring the effects described above, the fixing members 6 arranged in the front region F and the rear region R, that is, the widths W1 and W3 (see FIG. 4) and the width W2 (see FIG. 4) of the fixing member 6, that is, the second fixing member 62 arranged in the intermediate region M, on the premise that the width W1 or the width W3>the width W2, the width W1 or The width W3/width W2 is preferably 2 or more, more preferably 3 or more, and preferably 5 or less, more preferably 4 or less.
The width W1 of the first fixing member 61 and the width W3 of the third fixing member 63 are each preferably 3 mm or more, more preferably 4 mm or more, and preferably 10 mm or less, more preferably 8 mm or less. The width W1 and the width W3 may be the same or different.
The width W2 of the second fixing member 62 is preferably 1 mm or more, more preferably 2 mm or more, and preferably 5 mm or less, more preferably 4 mm or less.

From a similar point of view, the number of second fixing members 62 arranged in the intermediate region M (the number of second fixing members 62 arranged between the pair of first fixing members 61, 61) is preferably 10 or more, more preferably 15 or more, preferably 30 or less, more preferably 25 or less.

In this embodiment, as described above, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of padded sheets including the topsheet 2 and the backsheet 3 are provided at the front and rear ends of the front region F and the rear region R of the panty liner 1 in the longitudinal direction X, respectively. The fused portion 13 between the sheets extends in the lateral direction Y, and the fused portion 13 is located at the fixing member 6 (the third fixing member 63 in this embodiment) closest to the fused portion 13. It is arranged over the entire length in the horizontal direction Y of the region sandwiched between the two imaginary straight lines 63L, 63L extending in the vertical direction through both ends in the horizontal direction Y (hereinafter also referred to as “fixing member region near the vertical end”). or even extend outwardly in both lateral directions Y from said longitudinal edge near-end fastener regions, the latter configuration being particularly preferred. In general, the front and rear ends of the panty liner 1 in the longitudinal direction X are less subject to external forces such as body pressure of the wearer. By increasing the rigidity of the fused portion 13 by increasing the rigidity of the fused portion 13, the fixing members 6 (third fixing members 63) arranged close to the front and rear ends are made equal to or longer than the fixing member regions near the longitudinal ends. ) can be enhanced, and the wearing state of the panty liner 1 can be further stabilized.

From the viewpoint of achieving the above-described effects more reliably, not only the fixing member 6 (the third fixing member 63 in this embodiment) closest to the front and rear ends of the panty liner 1 in the longitudinal direction X, The other fixing members 6 (first fixing member 61, second fixing member 62) are also arranged over the entire length of the fixing member region near the vertical end in the horizontal direction Y, or are further arranged in the fixing member region near the vertical end. preferably extends outward in both lateral directions Y from the . In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the latter form is adopted for all fixing members 6 arranged on the non-skin-facing surface of the backsheet 3 .

As described above, the panty liner 1 of this embodiment includes a plurality of sheets including the top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3 outside the side edges 4S, 4S of the absorbent body 4 in the lateral direction Y, as shown in FIG. The fixing member 6 (the first fixing member 61, the second fixing member 62, and the third fixing member 63) has the side flap portion 11 including the extending portion from the side edge 4S of the sheet. is positioned inward in the lateral direction Y from the side edge 1S of the panty liner 1 in the side flap portion 11, and the constricted portion 7 and the convex portion 8 are positioned in the side flap portion 11. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the flexibility of the side edges of the panty liner 1 is ensured, and the twisting of the clothes when worn is less likely to lead to the twisting of the panty liner 1, and the twisting, curling, and displacement of the panty liner 1 are more effectively prevented. Especially in this embodiment, since none of the fixing members 6 arranged on the non-skin-facing surface of the backsheet 3 is connected to the side edge 1S of the panty liner 1, the aforementioned effects are likely to be achieved. Furthermore, since the constricted portion 7 and the convex portion 8 are located in the side flap portion 11 where the absorber 4 is not arranged, the flexibility of the constricted portion 7 and the convex portion 8 is ensured, and the aforementioned external force is applied to the entire product. It is difficult to propagate to the inside, and the effect of preventing twisting and peeling is more likely to be achieved.

In this embodiment, the lengths of the plurality of fixing members 6 (the first fixing member 61, the second fixing member 62, and the third fixing member 63) in the horizontal direction Y are the same as shown in FIG. , may be different from each other. The length of the fixing member 6 in the lateral direction Y is preferably 65% or more, more preferably 70% or more, and preferably 95% of the maximum length (maximum length) of the panty liner 1 in the lateral direction Y. Below, more preferably below 90%.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the fixing member 6 is arranged over the entire length in the horizontal direction Y in the area sandwiched between the two imaginary straight lines 7V, 7V, that is, the formation area of the convex portion 8. There is an area 6N where the fixing material is not arranged (hereinafter, also referred to as a "fixing material non-arranged area"). In the present embodiment, the fixing material non-placement region 6N exists in each of the front region F and the rear region R. As shown in FIG. Since the fixing material non-arrangement region 6N exists in the formation region of the convex portion 8 in this way, the region 6N acts as a buffer region for external force, thereby the front region F and the rear region R, particularly the region 6N. Fixation of the shorts or the like to clothes by the fixing members 6 (in this embodiment, the first fixing member 61 and the third fixing member 63) arranged in the vicinity can be further stabilized.

The distance D1 between the first fixing member 61 and the closest second fixing member 62 (see FIG. 4), and the distance D2 between the two second fixing members 62, 62 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction X (see FIG. 4) It is preferable that the distance D3 (see FIG. 4) between the first fixing member 61 and the third fixing member 63 is longer than the distance D3 (see FIG. 4). The interval D3 is equal to the length (width) in the vertical direction X of the fixing material non-arrangement region 6N described above. In the operation of fixing the panty liner to the clothes, after fixing the intermediate region M to the clothes, when the fused part 13 is pinched to adjust the fixing position in the front region F or the rear region R, the panty liner is twisted. force may be applied. At this time, the intermediate region M is firmly fixed to the clothing by the first fixing member 61 to prevent the fixed position from shifting, while the front region F and the rear region R adjust the fixed position so that wrinkles, twists, etc. do not occur. easier to do.

In addition, the configuration described above provides additional effects. The region where the interval D3 exists, that is, the portions where the absorbent body 4 is not arranged in the front region F and the rear region R have inherently good breathability because the absorbent body 4 is not arranged. It is effective to provide the entire panty liner 1 with practically sufficient breathability by ensuring the air permeability. In addition, especially when the panty liner 1 is folded into an individual packaging form, the region where the interval D3 exists has the crease of the individual packaging. operation is likely to become complicated, and the region may be bent during the fixing operation, and the fixing material 6 may adhere to each other and become difficult to separate, making the panty liner 1 unusable. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the region where the interval D3 exists (the portions where the absorber 4 is not arranged in the front region F and the rear region R), the fixing members 6 (the first fixing member 61, the third By making the separation distance (interval D3) between the fixing members 63) in the vertical direction X relatively long, the inhibition of the air permeability inherent in the region can be minimized, and during the fixing operation to the clothes described above, This prevents the occurrence of inconvenience due to operational errors in

From the viewpoint of achieving the above-described effects more reliably, the ratio of the distance D3 to the distances D1 and D2 is preferably the distance D3/the distance D1 and D2 on the premise that the distance D3>the distance D1 and D2. 1.1 or more, more preferably 2 or more, and preferably 4 or less, more preferably 3 or less.
The distance D1 between the first fixing member 61 and the second fixing member 62 closest to it, and the distance D2 between the two second fixing members 62, 62 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction X are each preferably 1 mm or more. , more preferably 2 mm or more, and preferably 4 mm or less, more preferably 3 mm or less. The interval D1 and the interval D2, and the plurality of intervals D2 may be the same or different.
A distance D3 between the first fixing member 61 and the third fixing member 63 is preferably 2 mm or more, more preferably 3 mm or more, and preferably 5 mm or less, more preferably 4 mm or less.

Although the present invention has been described above based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention.
For example, the panty liner 1 of the above embodiment has the absorbent body 4, but the absorbent article of the present invention does not have to have the absorbent body, and the sheet-like members are only the top sheet and the back sheet. It may be configured to include
The absorbent article of the present invention includes a wide range of articles used for absorbing bodily fluids (menstrual blood, urine, loose stool, sweat, etc.) excreted from the human body, and is particularly suitable as an absorbent article for women. Examples of women's absorbent articles include sanitary napkins, panty sheets, incontinence pads, etc., in addition to panty liners as in the above embodiments.

1 panty liner (absorbent article)
1S side edge 1Sa of panty liner inner curved portion 2 top sheet 3 back sheet 4 absorbent body 4S side edge 40 of absorbent body absorbent sheet 5 second sheet 6 fixing member 61 first fixing member 62 second fixing member 63 third fixing Material 7 Constricted portion 8 Convex portion 10 Absorbent main body 11 Side flap portion 12 End flap portion 13 Fused portion F Front region M Middle region R Rear region N Narrow region X Vertical direction Y Horizontal direction

Claims (5)

An intermediate region having a longitudinal direction corresponding to the front-rear direction of the wearer and a lateral direction orthogonal thereto, and located at the center in the longitudinal direction, a front region extending forward in the longitudinal direction from the intermediate region, and the intermediate region an absorbent article having a rear region extending longitudinally rearward from
A plurality of fixing members for fixing the absorbent article to the wearer's clothes are intermittently arranged in the longitudinal direction from the front region to the back region on the non-skin facing surface facing the wearer's clothes,
In each of the front region and the back region, a plurality of constricted portions are intermittently arranged in the longitudinal direction on each side edge along the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article, and two longitudinally adjacent constricted portions are separated from each other. A convex portion protruding laterally outward is arranged between the
The intermediate region is a region in which the length in the horizontal direction gradually increases from the center in the vertical direction toward the front and rear in the vertical direction,
The boundary between the intermediate region and each of the front region and the rear region is closer than the one of the plurality of constricted portions that is closest to a longitudinal center line that bisects the absorbent article in the longitudinal direction and extends in the lateral direction. A portion located on the intermediate region side and having the maximum lateral length,
Both side edge portions of the absorbent article each include a laminate of a plurality of sheets, and at least between the two constricted portions where the convex portions are arranged, the sheets constituting the laminate are separated from each other. Absorbent article that is not fused. 2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the sheets forming said laminate are not fused together at both side edges of said absorbent article in said intermediate region. 3. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the fixing members arranged in the front region and the rear region are longer in length in the longitudinal direction than those arranged in the intermediate region. . fused portions of a plurality of sheets extending in the horizontal direction at longitudinal ends of the absorbent article in each of the front region and the rear region;
The fused portion is arranged over the entire lateral length of a region sandwiched between two imaginary straight lines extending vertically through both lateral ends of the fixing material closest to the fused portion, or 4. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further extending laterally outwardly from said region. An absorbent body comprising an absorbent body, a top sheet arranged on the skin facing side of the absorbent body, and a back sheet arranged on the non-skin facing side of the absorbent body and on which the fixing material is arranged, the absorbent body comprising: having side flap portions including extending portions from the side edges of both sheets laterally outward from the side edges along the longitudinal direction,
A lateral end portion of the fixing member is positioned laterally inward of a side edge of the absorbent article in the side flap portion, and the constricted portion and the convex portion are positioned in the side flap portion. Item 5. The absorbent article according to any one of items 1 to 4.

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