JP7612400B2 - Absorbent articles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to absorbent articles such as panty liners, panty liners, and sanitary napkins.

An absorbent article is constructed by disposing an absorbent body between a top sheet and a back sheet. Some absorbent articles contain functional materials that provide additional functions such as a deodorizing function (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2010-110443 A

It is desirable to improve the effectiveness of absorbent articles that contain functional materials such as antibacterial agents and deodorants.

The objective of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article that efficiently exhibits antibacterial and deodorizing properties, and also has excellent absorbency and dry feeling.

An absorbent article according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a topsheet, an absorbent body, and a liquid retention sheet.
The absorbent article has a longitudinal direction and a width direction which are perpendicular to each other.
The top sheet is liquid permeable.
The liquid retaining sheet is a sheet capable of retaining liquid and is located between the top sheet and the absorbent body.
The liquid retaining sheet contains at least one of an antibacterial agent and a deodorant.
The top sheet has a lower liquid diffusibility than the liquid retention sheet.
The liquid retention sheet has a lower liquid diffusibility than the absorbent body.
The liquid retaining sheet has a lower fiber density than the absorbent body.
When viewed in a plane, the top sheet and the liquid retaining sheet are arranged over the entire surface of the absorbent article, and the absorbent body has dimensions in the longitudinal and width directions smaller than those of the absorbent article and is arranged in the center of the absorbent article.

As described above, the absorbent article of the present invention can efficiently exhibit antibacterial and deodorizing properties, and can also provide excellent absorbency and a dry feel.

1 is a plan view of an absorbent article according to one embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the top sheet side. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. 1 is a plan view illustrating an example of the arrangement of adhesive portions of an absorbent article according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, a panty liner will be taken as an example of an absorbent article. Panty liners are generally attached to the inside of the crotch area of underwear such as shorts during the period from the late menstrual period when the amount of menstrual blood is low until the non-menstrual period, and are used to absorb discharged fluids such as vaginal discharge, menstrual blood, or urine.

<Overall structure of panty liner>
As shown in FIG. 1, a panty liner 1 as an absorbent article of the present invention has a longitudinal direction X corresponding to the front-rear direction of a wearer and a width direction Y perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X and corresponding to the left-right direction of the wearer.
In this specification, with respect to the thickness direction Z of the panty liner 1, the side closer to the wearer's skin when worn may be referred to as the upper or skin side, and the side closer to the clothing may be referred to as the lower or non-skin side. In addition, in this specification, the "skin side" refers to the surface of the absorbent article or its constituent member that faces the skin side of the wearer when the absorbent article is worn, i.e., the side relatively closer to the wearer's skin. The "non-skin side" refers to the surface of the absorbent article or its constituent member that faces away from the wearer's skin when the absorbent article is worn. Here, "when worn" refers to a state in which the absorbent article is in a normal and proper wearing position, i.e., the correct wearing position of the absorbent article is maintained. In addition, in this specification, "plan view" refers to a plan view from the thickness direction Z.

The panty liner 1 is divided along the longitudinal direction X into a front region 51, an excretory part facing region 52, and a rear region 53.
The excretory part facing region 52 includes a region facing the liquid excretory part (vaginal opening, urethral opening) of the wearer when worn, and is a region to which excretory liquid is mainly supplied. The center in the width direction Y of the excretory part facing region 52 faces the liquid excretory part of the wearer when worn. The excretory part facing region 52 is disposed in the center in the longitudinal direction X of the panty liner 1. In the panty liner 1 in Fig. 1, the region in the longitudinal direction X of the excretory part facing region 52 corresponds to the entire length in the longitudinal direction X of the absorbent body 4 described below, i.e., the region from the front tip to the rear tip of the absorbent body 4.
The front region 51 is a region that is disposed in front of the excretory part facing region 52 (toward the wearer's abdomen) and is configured to face the front of the excretory part facing region of the wearer when worn.
The rear region 53 is a region that is disposed rearward (toward the wearer's back) of the excretory part facing region 52, and is configured to face the rear of the excretory part facing region of the wearer when worn.

As shown in FIG. 1, the panty liner 1 extends along the longitudinal direction X, and when worn, is fixed to the inner surface of the wearer's clothing by an adhesive portion (designated by reference numeral 6 in FIG. 2) arranged on the non-skin side 1b of the panty liner 1. The panty liner 1 has an absorbent body 4, which will be described later, and has the function of absorbing liquids such as menstrual blood, vaginal discharge, and urine (hereinafter also referred to as "excretory fluids").

As shown in FIG. 2, the panty liner 1 is composed of an absorbent body 4 , a top sheet 2 , a back sheet 3 , a liquid retaining sheet 5 , and an adhesive portion 6 .
The top sheet 2 constitutes the skin side 1 a of the panty liner 1 .
The backsheet 3 constitutes the non-skin side 1 b of the panty liner 1 .
The adhesive portion 6 is provided on the non-skin side 1b.
The panty liner 1 has a configuration in which a back sheet 3, an absorbent body 4, a liquid retaining sheet 5, and a top sheet 2 are laminated in a thickness direction Z. These components are appropriately joined together, for example, by bonding with an adhesive or heat sealing, or by embossing with compressed grooves.
In the panty liner 1, the topsheet 2, the liquid retaining sheet 5 and the backsheet 3 have the same shape, and these are overlapped in a plan view to form the outer shape of the panty liner 1.

<Components>
Each of the components constituting the panty liner 1 will now be described.

[Top sheet]
The topsheet 2 is made of a liquid-permeable sheet material, and is disposed above the liquid retaining sheet 5 in the thickness direction Z. The skin side of the topsheet 2 constitutes the skin side 1 a of the panty liner 1 .
In the panty liner 1, the top sheet 2 is disposed over the entire surface of the panty liner 1.
As the top sheet 2, there can be used, without any particular limitation, any material that is commonly used in absorbent articles such as panty liners, sanitary napkins, etc. The top sheet 2 is made of, for example, a polyolefin resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, or a polyester resin such as polyethylene terephthalate.

As shown in Fig. 1, the topsheet 2 may have a plurality of apertures 7. The apertures 7 are through-holes that penetrate the topsheet 2 in the thickness direction Z. In the example shown in Fig. 1, seven aperture rows 71, each of which has a plurality of apertures 7 arranged along the longitudinal direction X, are intermittently arranged along the width direction Y. The plurality of aperture rows 71 are arranged over the entire length of the panty liner 1 in the longitudinal direction X.
The multiple apertures 7 are arranged, for example, in a staggered pattern. The planar shape of the apertures 7 is not limited to the elliptical shape shown in Fig. 1, and may be, for example, a polygonal shape such as a triangle, a square, or a rectangle, or a star shape.

[Liquid-retaining sheet]
As shown in FIG. 2, in the panty liner 1, a liquid retaining sheet 5 is disposed between the topsheet 2 and the absorbent body 4.
The liquid retaining sheet 5 is larger than the absorbent body 4 in a plan view, and is positioned so as to cover the absorbent body 4. In the panty liner 1, the liquid retaining sheet 5 is disposed on the entire surface of the panty liner 1.

The liquid retention sheet 5 is a sheet that plays a role in accelerating the attraction of excreted liquid from the top sheet 2, improving the permeability of excreted liquid to the absorbent body 4, and reducing the return of excreted liquid absorbed by the absorbent body 4 to the top sheet 2. Furthermore, the liquid retention sheet 5 has water absorption properties and plays a role in temporarily retaining excreted liquid before it is transferred to the absorbent body 4. In this way, the liquid retention sheet 5 has liquid retention properties and is capable of retaining liquid.

In this specification, the term "water absorbency" is easily understood by those skilled in the art, for example, pulp is water absorbent. The degree of water absorbency of a liquid-retaining sheet can also be determined by the value of the moisture content measured by the following method. For a liquid-retaining sheet, such a moisture content is preferably 6% or more, and more preferably 10% or more. "Liquid-retaining sheet capable of retaining liquid" refers to a sheet having such a moisture content.

The method for measuring the moisture content will be described.
The moisture content was calculated by applying the moisture content test method of JIS P8203. That is, the sample was left to stand for 24 hours in a test room at a temperature of 40°C and a relative humidity of 80% RH, and then the weight W (g) of the sample before the bone-drying treatment was measured in the room. Then, the sample was left to stand for 1 hour in an electric dryer (e.g., manufactured by Isuzu Manufacturing Co., Ltd.) at a temperature of 105±2°C, and bone-drying treatment of the sample was performed. After the bone-drying treatment, in a standard test room at a temperature of 20±2°C and a relative humidity of 65±2%, the sample was wrapped in Saran Wrap (registered trademark) manufactured by Asahi Kasei Corporation, and Si silica gel (e.g., manufactured by Toyoda Kako Co., Ltd.) was placed in a glass desiccator (e.g., manufactured by Techjam Co., Ltd.) and the fiber sample was left to stand until the temperature reached 20±2°C. Then, the constant weight W' (g) of the sample was weighed, and the moisture content of the sample was calculated according to the following formula.
Moisture content (%) = (W-W'/W') x 100

As the liquid-retaining sheet 5, a pulp airlaid nonwoven fabric using pulp can be suitably used. As a liquid-retaining sheet capable of retaining liquid, for example, a nonwoven fabric using synthetic fibers that have been hydrophilically treated is excluded. Pulp airlaid nonwoven fabric can retain liquid better than nonwoven fabric using synthetic fibers or core wrap sheets, but retains liquid less well than an absorbent.

The liquid retaining sheet 5 contains at least one of an antibacterial agent and a deodorant. The liquid retaining sheet containing the antibacterial agent and the deodorant can be prepared, for example, by blending the antibacterial agent and the deodorant during preparation. The antibacterial agent and the deodorant are disposed on the entire surface or part of the liquid retaining sheet 5 when the liquid retaining sheet 5 is viewed in plan. By disposing the antibacterial agent and/or the deodorant on at least a part of the excretory part facing region 52 of the liquid retaining sheet to which the excreted liquid is mainly supplied, the antibacterial agent and/or the deodorant comes into contact with the excreted liquid efficiently, and the antibacterial effect and/or the deodorant effect are effectively exerted. From the viewpoint of exerting the antibacterial and deodorant effects on the entire surface of the panty liner 1, it is preferable that the antibacterial agent and the deodorant are disposed on the entire surface of the liquid retaining sheet 5. Here, an example of the panty liner 1 in which the antibacterial agent and the deodorant are disposed on the entire surface of the liquid retaining sheet 5 is given.
The antibacterial agent and the deodorant will be described later.

[Absorbent]
1 and 2, the absorbent body 4 extends along the longitudinal direction X, and is disposed between the liquid retention sheet 5 and the backsheet 3. The absorbent body 4 absorbs excreted liquid from the skin side 4a, and diffuses the excreted liquid internally to retain it.

1, in plan view, the absorbent body 4 has dimensions in the longitudinal direction X and the width direction Y smaller than those of the panty liner 1, and the absorbent body 4 is disposed in the center of the panty liner 1. In other words, the absorbent body 4 is not disposed over the entire surface of the panty liner 1 in plan view.
Here, the center of the panty liner 1 refers to a central region obtained by dividing the width direction Y into thirds and a central region obtained by dividing the length direction X into thirds. The central region includes a region that faces the excretory part of the wearer when worn and includes a region that receives a large amount of excretory liquid. In other words, in the present embodiment, the front and rear edges of the absorbent body 4 are located inside the front and rear edges of the panty liner 1 in the length direction X in a plan view, and the left and right side edges of the absorbent body 4 are located inside the left and right side edges of the panty liner 1 in the width direction Y.
In plan view, the topsheet 2, the liquid retaining sheet 5 and the backsheet 3 extend outward from the entire periphery of the absorbent body 4, and these extended regions are joined to one another by a joining means such as an adhesive.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the panty liner 1, the absorbent body 4 is a sheet-like absorbent sheet arranged in a folded state and has a laminated structure of two or more layers, but it may also be an absorbent body of a single layer structure without being folded.
Examples of materials constituting the absorbent body 4 will be described later.

The absorbent body 4 may be scented by disposing a fragrance therein. The fragrance may be distributed uniformly throughout the absorbent body 4 in the thickness direction Z, or may be unevenly distributed. The fragrance will be described later.

[Back sheet]
The backsheet 3 is disposed below the absorbent body 4 in the thickness direction Z. The non-skin side of the backsheet 3 constitutes the non-skin side 1 b of the panty liner 1 .
As the back sheet 3, any sheet that is commonly used in absorbent articles such as panty liners and sanitary napkins can be used without any particular limitation. The back sheet 3 is formed of, for example, a sheet material that has functions such as poor liquid permeability, water vapor permeability, and water repellency. As the sheet material, for example, a thermoplastic resin film or a laminate of the film and a nonwoven fabric can be used.
An adhesive portion 6 is provided on the non-skin side of the backsheet 3 for fixing the panty liner 1 to clothing.

<Relationship between liquid diffusivity and fiber density of each component>
The top sheet 2 has a lower liquid diffusibility than the liquid retention sheet 5. This allows the excreted liquid supplied to the top sheet 2 to easily transfer to the liquid retention sheet 5. As described above, since the liquid retention sheet 5 is water absorbent, the excreted liquid transferred to the liquid retention sheet 5 is temporarily retained therein before transferring to the absorbent body 4. Since the liquid retention sheet 5 contains an antibacterial agent and/or a deodorant, the excreted liquid temporarily retained in the liquid retention sheet 5 and the antibacterial agent and/or the deodorant come into efficient contact with each other near the wearer's skin, and the antibacterial effect and/or the deodorant effect are effectively exerted.
Furthermore, since the liquid retention sheet 5 has lower liquid diffusibility and lower fiber density than the absorbent body 4, the liquid attraction force of the absorbent body 4 is strong, and although the excreted liquid remains temporarily in the liquid retention sheet 5, it does not remain there for long and can be transferred to the absorbent body 4. Therefore, the ability of the liquid retention sheet 5 to absorb the next excreted liquid is not easily reduced, and the excreted liquid can be effectively brought into contact with the antibacterial agent and/or deodorant agent continuously, and the antibacterial effect and/or deodorant effect can be effectively maintained from the initial wearing stage until the time has elapsed.
In addition, since the top sheet 2 and the liquid retention sheet 5 are arranged over the entire surface of the panty liner 1 when viewed in a plane, liquid transfer from the top sheet 2 to the liquid retention sheet 5 is excellent over the entire surface, resulting in a panty liner 1 with excellent absorbency and dry feeling.
Moreover, in the panty liner 1 of this embodiment, the antibacterial agent and/or deodorant agent is disposed over the entire surface of the liquid retaining sheet 5, so that the antibacterial and/or deodorant function is exerted over a wide range.
In addition, in the panty liner 1, the absorbent 4 is not disposed over the entire surface of the panty liner 1 in a plan view, so that the excreted liquid is prevented from diffusing throughout the entire product. This prevents leakage of liquid, and allows the area in which bacteria originating from the excreted liquid develops to be smaller than the external surface area of the panty liner 1, resulting in more efficient contact between the excreted liquid and the antibacterial agent and/or deodorant, improving the antibacterial and/or deodorant effects.

[Method for measuring liquid diffusibility]
1 g of colored saline was injected into the panty liner using an injector with an injection port diameter of 10 mm, and after leaving it for 1 minute, the areas of the colored regions formed by the injection of the saline in the top sheet, liquid retention sheet, and absorbent were measured, and this area was defined as the liquid diffusion area. The liquid diffusion area was calculated by graphic processing of the image of the colored region read by a scanner.
It can be determined that the larger the liquid diffusion area, the higher the liquid diffusibility.

[Method for measuring fiber density]
A liquid retention sheet and an absorbent are prepared as measurement samples. Each sample is cut along the thickness direction Z using a Feather Razor (product number FAS-10, manufactured by Feather Safety Razor Co., Ltd.). The cut surfaces are observed under magnification using a scanning electron microscope (adjusted to a magnification capable of measuring 30 to 60 fiber cross sections; 150 to 500 times), and the number of fiber cross sections cut by the cut surface per fixed area (0.5 mm ² ) is counted. This is then converted to the number of fiber cross sections per mm ² , which is taken as the fiber density. As the scanning microscope, a JCM-5100 (product name) manufactured by JEOL Ltd. is used.

<Antibacterial agents and deodorants>
An antibacterial agent is typically an antibacterial substance that can exert a deodorizing effect by acting on the source of odor and suppressing the generation of odor. By having the antibacterial performance of acting on the source of odor, the unpleasant odor caused by excrement can be reduced. For this reason, in this specification, the concept of an antibacterial agent is included in the concept of a deodorant.
As the antibacterial agent, any antibacterial agent used for absorbent articles such as panty liners and sanitary napkins can be used without any particular limitation. Examples of the antibacterial agent include antibacterial metals, antibacterial metal carriers, and organic antibacterial agents.
Examples of antibacterial metals include copper, silver, gold, lead, nickel, tin, zinc, iron, and zirconium.
Examples of antibacterial metal-supported substances include poorly water-soluble antibacterial agents such as silver zeolite, divinylbenzene-2-vinylpyridine-2-vinylpyridine silver copolymer (e.g., as described in JP-A-2006-307404), aluminum-silver-sodium nitrate silicate (e.g., as described in JP-A-2005-232654), a mixture of silver-zinc zeolite, and zinc-supported aluminosilicate (trade name: Mizukanite HP, manufactured by Mizusawa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.).
As the organic antibacterial agent, quaternary ammonium salts are preferred, and among them, preferred examples include poorly water-soluble benzalkonium chloride and benzalkonium cetyl phosphate.

The deodorant is a substance that directly acts on odors, i.e., adsorbs, neutralizes, decomposes, etc., and exhibits a deodorant effect, and can be one that is widely used for deodorant purposes in the relevant technical field. For example, porous deodorant granules that have a wide deodorant spectrum for odors can be used.
In this way, by using a deodorant in addition to an antibacterial agent, the generation of bad odors can be further suppressed.
The antibacterial metal-supported material is an antibacterial and deodorizing functional agent having both antibacterial and deodorizing effects. For example, the zinc-supported aluminosilicate is a porous aluminosilicate that supports zinc having antibacterial effects, and has both antibacterial and deodorizing effects.

It is more preferable that the antibacterial agent and/or the deodorant agent is an agent that is poorly soluble in water.
When a poorly water-soluble agent is used as the antibacterial agent and/or deodorant, the antibacterial agent and/or deodorant is not eluted into the excreted liquid when the liquid is excreted into the panty liner 1, and migration of the antibacterial agent and/or deodorant to other parts is suppressed. Therefore, the antibacterial agent and/or deodorant is more likely to remain in the liquid retention sheet 5, improving the durability of the antibacterial effect and/or deodorant effect.
In this specification, the antibacterial agent or deodorant being poorly soluble in water means that the solubility in 1 L of ion-exchanged water at 25° C. is less than 2 g.
The solubility can be measured by the following method: A sufficiently dried measurement target (antibacterial agent) is added to 1 L of 25°C ion-exchanged water contained in a 2 L beaker, a stirrer tip of 20 mm in length and 7 mm in width is added, and the mixture is stirred at 600 rpm using a magnetic stirrer. The amount added just before the antibacterial agent cannot be dissolved even after stirring for 1 hour is taken as the solubility of the antibacterial agent in water at 25°C. As the magnetic stirrer, an HPS-100 manufactured by AS ONE CORPORATION or the like can be used.
As an example of a poorly water-soluble antibacterial agent, the above-mentioned antibacterial metal-supported material is preferable. The fact that the antibacterial metal-supported material is poorly water-soluble means that even if the supported metal is water-soluble, the carrier (preferably, porous particles) that supports the antibacterial metal is poorly water-soluble.

<Opening of the surface sheet>
As described above, the panty liner 1 may have a plurality of openings 7 in the top sheet 2. The openings 7 improve the downward migration of excreted fluid supplied to the top sheet 2, and also reduce the likelihood of fluid remaining on the top sheet 2, reducing the likelihood of bacteria originating from the excreted fluid growing.
1 , the panty liner 1 is provided with a plurality of aperture rows 71, each of which has a plurality of apertures 7 arranged along the longitudinal direction X, to form an aperture row group 70. The dimension b in the width direction Y of the aperture row group 70 corresponding to the region in which the apertures 7 are provided is shorter than the dimension a in the width direction Y of the absorbent body 4. In the excretory part facing region 52 of the panty liner 1, the aperture rows 71 are located in the region in which the absorbent body 4 is present in a plan view, which makes it easier to suppress lateral leakage in the width direction Y.
Furthermore, in the panty liner 1, the group of aperture rows 70 is located in the center of the panty liner 1 in the width direction Y, and no apertures 7 are located on either side of the panty liner 1 in the width direction Y. In this way, the presence of apertures 7 in the region facing the liquid excretion area of the wearer allows excreted liquid to quickly transfer to the absorbent body 4. And since no apertures 7 are provided on either side of the panty liner 1 in the width direction Y, excreted liquid that transfers to the absorbent body 4 and is absorbed by diffusing outward in the width direction Y in the either side portions is less likely to return to the wearer's skin through the apertures 7 due to pressure from the wearer when worn, making it easier to maintain a dry feeling.

The length of the row of apertures 70 in the width direction Y, including the center line of the absorbent body 4 in the width direction Y, is preferably 50% to 95% of the length of the absorbent body 4 in the width direction Y, and more preferably 60% to 90%. With this configuration, even if the wearer puts on the panty liner 1 shifted in the width direction Y, it becomes easy to quickly draw excreted liquid downward in the thickness direction Z near the center of the absorbent body 4 in the width direction Y, and it is also easy to prevent excreted liquid absorbed in the absorbent body from returning to the wearer's skin.

In addition, in the panty liner 1, multiple openings 7 are arranged along the longitudinal direction X to form an opening row 71, so that even if the excretory liquid is excreted at a high rate, the excretory liquid is more likely to spread in the longitudinal direction X in the panty liner 1, whose dimension in the longitudinal direction X is longer than its dimension in the width direction Y, making it easier to prevent lateral leakage.

In the panty liner 1, the row of holes 71 may be arranged over the entire length of the absorbent body 4 in the longitudinal direction X, but it is preferable from the viewpoint of suppressing side leakage that the row of holes 71 extend beyond the front and rear edges of the absorbent body 4. When the row of holes 71 extends beyond the front and rear edges of the absorbent body 4 in the longitudinal direction X, it becomes easier to suppress leakage from the ends of the panty liner 1 in the longitudinal direction X.

Furthermore, when the row of apertures 71 extends beyond the front and rear edges of the absorbent 4 in the longitudinal direction X, it is preferable to provide the adhesive portion 6 so that, in a plan view, the adhesive-free region 61 is present near the front edge 4d and rear edge 4e of the absorbent 4 in the longitudinal direction X, and the adhesive portion 6 is present on the front and rear sides in the longitudinal direction X so as to sandwich the adhesive-free region 61, as shown in Figures 3(A) to (C). In Figure 3, the outline of the adhesive portion 6 is shown by a dashed line, and the arrangement area of the adhesive portion 6 is shown by fine dots.

Figures 3 (A) and (B) show examples in which multiple adhesive portions 6 extending in the width direction Y are intermittently arranged along the longitudinal direction X. Figure 3 (C) shows an example in which two adhesive portions 6 extending generally in the longitudinal direction X are intermittently arranged along the width direction Y, and the adhesive portions 6 extending generally in the longitudinal direction X have a shape in which no adhesive portion is provided near the front edge 4d and rear edge 4e of the absorbent body 4. Note that the shape of the adhesive portions 6 is not limited to these.

As shown in FIGS. 3(A) to 3(C), the panty liner 1 has, in a region extending in the width direction Y, an adhesive-free region 61 in which the backsheet 3 has no adhesive portion 6.
As shown in Figures 3 (A) and (C), the adhesive portion 6 may be arranged so that, in a plan view, the adhesive portion 6 does not overlap the front edge 4d and the rear edge 4e of the absorbent body 4, and the adhesive-free area 61 overlaps the front edge 4d and the rear edge 4e.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3(B), the adhesive portion 6 may be arranged so that it overlaps with the front edge 4d and the rear edge 4e of the absorbent body 4, but there are adhesive-free areas 61 on the front and rear outer sides of the adhesive portion 6.

With this configuration, when the panty liner 1 is worn on shorts or the like, the panty liner 1 is easily bent toward the skin side with the front edge 4d and rear edge 4e of the absorbent 4 as axes, so that even if the excreted liquid passes over the front edge 4d and rear edge 4e of the absorbent 4, the excreted liquid that has permeated the opening 7 to the non-skin side is induced to move toward the excretion part facing region 52 by gravity. This can further suppress leakage of excreted matter from the end of the panty liner 1 in the longitudinal direction X. In particular, since the panty liner 1 has the liquid retaining sheet 5 on the non-skin side of the top sheet 2 beyond the longitudinal front edge and rear edge of the absorbent 4, the excreted liquid that is retained in the liquid retaining sheet 5 from the front region 51 or rear region 53 and then moves to the absorbent 4 has odor-causing substances reduced by the antibacterial agent or deodorant, so that it is less likely to generate odor even after long-term use.

<Examples of absorbent material>
As shown in Fig. 2, the absorbent body 4 may contain a water-absorbent polymer 42. The water-absorbent polymer absorbs and retains excretory fluids. The water-absorbent polymer also neutralizes the alkaline odor of amines, ammonium, etc., which are odorous substances derived from excretory fluids such as urine and menstrual blood, thereby exerting a deodorizing effect.
By blending the water-absorbing polymer 42 in the absorbent 4, the force of drawing the excreted liquid from the liquid retention sheet 5 into the absorbent 4 underneath it is strengthened, and the drawn excreted liquid can be retained, so that a dry feeling can be maintained and the deodorizing effect is improved.

The absorbent body 4 may be, for example, a stack of fibers containing a fibrous material such as pulp fibers and optionally containing absorbent polymer particles; absorbent paper containing a fibrous material such as pulp fibers and optionally containing absorbent polymer particles; or an absorbent sheet having absorbent polymer particles arranged between two sheets of absorbent paper.
Examples of fiber materials that can be used include natural fibers such as wood pulp, cotton, and hemp; monofilaments made of synthetic resins such as polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate, and polyvinyl alcohol resin; composite fibers containing two or more of these resins; and semi-synthetic fibers such as acetate and rayon.
The water-absorbing polymer is preferably one that can absorb and retain excretory liquid at 5 times or more its own weight and can gel. The shape is not particularly limited, and may be spherical, blocky, grape-like, powdery or fibrous. Examples of the water-absorbing polymer include starch, crosslinked carboxymethylated cellulose, polymers or copolymers of acrylic acid or alkali metal salts of acrylic acid, polyacrylic acid and its salts, and polyacrylate graft polymers. As the polyacrylate, sodium salts can be preferably used. In addition, copolymers obtained by copolymerizing acrylic acid with comonomers such as maleic acid, itaconic acid, acrylamide, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, 2-(meth)acryloylethanesulfonic acid, 2-hydroxyethyl (meth)acrylate, or styrenesulfonic acid within a range that does not reduce the performance of the water-absorbing polymer can also be preferably used.
The absorbent body 4 may also be an absorbent core made of laminated fibrous material or an absorbent core which is a mixed laminated material in which the fibers carry water-absorbent polymer particles, covered with a core wrap sheet.

<About fragrances>
As described above, the absorbent 4 may contain a fragrance. By using a fragrance, the odor specific to excretory fluids such as menstrual blood, vaginal discharge, and urine can be masked by the fragrance of the fragrance. The masking effect of the fragrance makes it easier to feel the antibacterial and deodorizing effects. In the panty liner 1, the fragrance is contained in the absorbent 4, which is a member separate from the liquid retaining sheet containing the antibacterial agent and/or deodorant, so that the fragrance is less likely to be adsorbed by the deodorant, and the masking effect of the fragrance can be effectively exerted. This more effectively suppresses the generation of unpleasant odors caused by bacteria, and the fragrance reduces discomfort when worn.

The fragrance may be any fragrance that can achieve a masking effect by volatilizing the fragrance components into the air under atmospheric pressure, and any ordinary fragrance whose fragrance can be perceived under normal temperature and pressure conditions may be used without particular restriction, including fragrances that have traditionally been used in absorbent articles such as panty liners and sanitary napkins.

In addition, a component having antibacterial properties may be blended as a fragrance. Examples include florosa, ambrinol, jasmonyl, ethyl linaleur, floralol, cornol, cinnamic alcohol, farnesol, terpineol, miconazole nitrate, Zpt, piroctone olamine, fistofingosine, MDJ, coumarin, ionone, eugenol, γ-lactone, isoeugenol, damascone, geraniol, ethylene brassylic acid, damascenone, graventone, heptyl cyclopentanone, dynascone, jasmolactone, δ-lactone, cephalis, etc., and these may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
This makes it easier for the absorbent body 4 to effectively obtain an antibacterial effect against excretory liquid retained in the absorbent body 4, and the antibacterial effect of the entire panty liner 1 can be further enhanced.

<About the external shape of panty liners>
1, the panty liner 1 has a pair of left and right first constricted portions 11 and a pair of left and right second constricted portions 12, which divide the panty liner 1 into three approximately equal portions along the longitudinal direction X in a plan view. The pair of left and right first constricted portions 11 and the pair of left and right second constricted portions 12 are provided on both left and right side edges 17a, 17b of the panty liner 1 along the longitudinal direction X.

The first constriction 11 and the second constriction 12 are the areas where the width (dimension in the width direction Y) of the panty liner 1 starts decreasing and then increases when viewed from the front region 51 to the rear region 53 along the longitudinal direction X.

1, in plan view, both side edges 17a, 17b of the panty liner 1 have a pair of left and right convex portions 15 that protrude outward in the width direction Y between the pair of left and right first constrictions 11 and the pair of left and right second constrictions 12. The convex portions 15 have a gentle arc shape that protrudes outward in the width direction Y.
The panty liner 1 has a maximum width portion 8, which is a portion where the width is maximum, between a pair of left and right first constricted portions 11 and a pair of left and right second constricted portions 12, in other words, in the central portion in the longitudinal direction X of the panty liner 1. The maximum width portion 8 is a portion where the width changes from increasing to decreasing. The maximum width portion 8 is a portion where the distance c in the width direction Y between the left edge 17a (or right edge 17b) of the panty liner 1 and the left edge 4b (or right edge 4c) of the absorbent body 4 is the widest over the entire length in the longitudinal direction X of the absorbent body 4. This allows a wide area to be secured in the central portion in the longitudinal direction X of the panty liner 1, resulting in excellent side leakage prevention effects.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, a panty liner (discharge sheet) is shown as an example of the absorbent article, but the absorbent article of the present invention is not limited to this. The absorbent article of the present invention may be a urine pad, a sanitary napkin, or the like.
Furthermore, the panty liner in the above-described embodiment has two pairs of constricted portions and an outer shape in which the central portion in the longitudinal direction X protrudes in the width direction Y, but is not limited thereto. For example, the panty liner may have an outer shape in which both left and right side edges are gently concave inward in the width direction Y over the entire length in the longitudinal direction X.

1...Panty liner (absorbent article)
2: Surface sheet 4: Absorbent body 5: Liquid retention sheet

Claims (7)

An absorbent article having a longitudinal direction and a width direction perpendicular to each other, the article comprising a liquid-permeable top sheet, an absorbent body, and a liquid-retaining sheet capable of retaining liquid, the liquid-permeable top sheet being positioned between the top sheet and the absorbent body,
The surface sheet is made of a resin selected from a polyolefin resin and a polyester resin,
The liquid-retaining sheet is a pulp airlaid nonwoven fabric using pulp, the moisture content of which is 10% or more as calculated according to the moisture content test method of JIS P8203 ,
the liquid retaining sheet contains at least one of an antibacterial agent and a deodorant on the entire surface thereof;
the top sheet has a lower liquid diffusibility than the liquid retaining sheet,
The liquid retention sheet has a lower liquid diffusibility than the absorbent body,
The liquid retaining sheet has a lower fiber density than the absorbent body,
In a plan view, the top sheet and the liquid retaining sheet are disposed over an entire surface of the absorbent article, the absorber has dimensions in a longitudinal direction and a width direction smaller than those of the absorbent article, and is disposed at a center of the absorbent article,
The absorbent article has an excretory part facing region in a longitudinal direction thereof, the excretory part facing region being a region in which the absorbent body is present,
the top sheet is provided with a plurality of rows of holes arranged along a longitudinal direction at least in a region of the excretory portion facing region that overlaps with the absorbent body in a plan view, the rows of holes being arranged only in the top sheet,
a hole row group consisting of a plurality of hole rows is provided in a widthwise central portion of the absorbent article in a plan view , the hole row group is located including a widthwise center line of the absorbent body in a plan view, and a widthwise length of the hole row group is 60% or more and 90% or less of a widthwise length of the absorbent body,
The absorbent body has a uniform width over the entire length in the longitudinal direction,
The absorbent article has a pair of left and right first constricted portions and a pair of left and right second constricted portions at both left and right side edges along the longitudinal direction of the excretory part facing region, which divide the absorbent article into three along the longitudinal direction,
The left and right side edges of the absorbent article have a pair of left and right convex portions that protrude outward in a width direction between the pair of left and right first constricted portions and the pair of left and right second constricted portions,
the absorbent article has a maximum width portion between the pair of left and right first constricted portions and the pair of left and right second constricted portions, at which a dimension in a width direction of the excretory part facing region is the largest,
the maximum width portion is a portion in the excretory part facing region where the distance in the width direction between the side edge of the absorbent article and the side edge of the absorbent body is the widest,
The liquid diffusibility is evaluated based on the area of a colored region formed by the injection of the saline solution in the top sheet, the liquid retention sheet, and the absorbent body after injecting 1 g of colored saline solution into the absorbent article using a syringe with an injection port having a diameter of 10 mm and leaving the article for 1 minute.
Absorbent articles. The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the antibacterial agent and the deodorant agent are poorly water-soluble agents. 3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rows of apertures extend beyond the front and rear edges of the absorbent body in the longitudinal direction. Further comprising a back sheet disposed on the non-skin side of the absorbent body,
On the non-skin side of the back sheet, in a plan view, there are adhesive-free areas at the front edge and rear edge of the absorbent body in the longitudinal direction, and adhesive portions are provided on the front and rear sides in the longitudinal direction so as to sandwich the adhesive-free areas.
The absorbent article of claim 3. Further comprising a back sheet disposed on the non-skin side of the absorbent body,
On the non-skin side of the back sheet, in a plan view, there are adhesive-free areas near the front edge and rear edge of the absorbent body in the longitudinal direction, and adhesive portions are arranged on the front and rear sides in the longitudinal direction so as to sandwich the adhesive-free areas,
In a plan view, among the adhesive portions provided on the front and rear sides in the longitudinal direction to sandwich the adhesive-free region near the front edge of the absorbent body, the adhesive portion located on the inner side in the longitudinal direction overlaps with the front edge of the absorbent body,
In a plan view, among the adhesive portions provided on the front and rear sides in the longitudinal direction while sandwiching the adhesive-free region near the rear edge of the absorbent body, the adhesive portion located on the inner side in the longitudinal direction overlaps with the rear edge of the absorbent body.
The absorbent article of claim 3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the absorbent body is an absorbent paper containing pulp fibers, or an absorbent sheet having water-absorbent polymer particles disposed between two sheets of absorbent paper. The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the absorbent body contains a fragrance as a component having antibacterial properties.

Images