JP7632845B2 - Absorbent articles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an absorbent article.

Well-known absorbent articles include sanitary napkins, panty liners, and incontinence pads. Such absorbent articles are products that come into direct contact with the skin, often for long periods of time, and may place a burden on the skin depending on the conditions of use and the wearer's skin condition. For this reason, products that take into consideration skin protection or skin care have been developed in recent years.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes an absorbent article in which a gel lotion 6 for protecting the skin is disposed in a skin-contacting region 7 of a liquid-permeable layer 2 of the absorbent article 1. Patent Document 1 describes that the absorbent article has a plurality of gel regions 8 in which the gel lotion is disposed, and non-gel regions 9 that do not have gel lotion, and that the midpoint 14 and adjacent point 13 in the skin-contacting region 7 of the liquid-permeable layer 2, as well as the midpoint-equivalent point 16 and adjacent point-equivalent point 15 in the non-skin-contacting region 10, have a predetermined water contact angle, which allows the gel lotion to be continuously released and provides excellent rewetting properties.

Patent No. 6415119

When an absorbent article has wings, it is common to fold the wings away from the skin and fold the entire absorbent article in the longitudinal direction when packaging the absorbent article. However, when the wings are folded, a drug such as a gel lotion placed in the liquid-permeable layer (top sheet) as in Patent Document 1 may adhere to the wings, causing inconvenience. For example, there is a risk that the hand may slip when folding back the wings when putting on the absorbent article, or that the drug may further adhere to clothing from the wings.

Therefore, one aspect of the present invention aims to prevent adhesion of a drug to wings in a winged absorbent article containing a drug.

The first aspect of the present invention is an absorbent article comprising an elongated main body having a liquid-permeable top sheet on the front side, a liquid-impermeable back sheet on the back side, and an absorbent disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, and a pair of wings extending from the side edges of the main body, the main body containing a drug in an intermediate region that covers the range in the longitudinal direction of the main body where the wings are provided, the front surface of the main body having a first irregularity, the front surface of the wings in the unfolded state having a second irregularity that can mesh with the first irregularity, the height of the convex parts of the second irregularity being higher than the height of the convex parts of the first irregularity, and the drug being applied to the apex of the convex parts of the first irregularity.

The first aspect is an absorbent article with wings that has a drug in a middle region in the longitudinal direction of the main body. The middle region is the region that corresponds to the range in which the wings are provided when viewed in the longitudinal direction, and includes the region facing the wearer's bodily fluid discharge port (the region facing the bodily fluid discharge port), and is particularly a range that can be in contact with the skin for a long period of time. By providing the drug in such a middle region, the effect of the drug can be improved, particularly in the case of a drug that exerts its function by contacting or adhering to the skin, such as a skin care agent.

In addition, in this embodiment, the second unevenness (wing unevenness) on the front surface of the wing can be engaged with the first unevenness (main body unevenness) on the front surface of the main body, the height of the convex portion of the second unevenness of the wing is higher than the height of the first unevenness of the main body, and furthermore, the drug is applied to the top of the convex portion of the first unevenness of the main body. Therefore, even if the wing is folded back to the front side of the main body for individual packaging, when the convex portion of the second unevenness of the wing reaches the concave portion of the main body, it is impossible or difficult to bring the wing any closer to the main body. Therefore, the drug applied to the top of the convex portion of the first unevenness of the main body does not adhere to the wing, or it becomes difficult to adhere to the wing. Therefore, when the user folds the wing back to the underwear side when wearing the absorbent article, it is possible to prevent or suppress the drug adhered to the wing from slipping from the hand due to the drug adhered to the wing, or the drug adhered to the wing from adhering to clothing such as trousers or girdles.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, by folding the pair of wings to the front side, the area where the drug is applied is covered by the wings. Therefore, in the process after drug application in the packaging line for absorbent articles, for example in the process of folding in the longitudinal direction and changing direction, adhesion of the drug to the device can be prevented or reduced, and the effort and cost for cleaning the device can also be reduced.

In a second aspect of the present invention, a side sheet is disposed on each side of the front side of the main body, the wings are formed by joining an extension portion of the back sheet extending from the side edge of the main body to an extension portion of the side sheet extending from the side edge of the main body, and the second irregularities are formed on the side sheets.

While the first unevenness of the main body can be formed on the top sheet, according to the second aspect, the second unevenness on the front surface of the wing is formed on the side sheet, i.e., the sheet on which the first unevenness is formed and the sheet on which the second unevenness is formed (e.g., the top sheet) can be constructed as separate bodies. Therefore, in the manufacturing process of the absorbent article, the position of the side sheet in the width direction can be adjusted relative to the top sheet. This makes it possible to adjust the position so that the first unevenness and the second unevenness mesh well when the wing is folded.

In a third aspect of the present invention, the boundary between the main body and the wing has a line of different rigidity that is higher or lower in rigidity than the surrounding area of the boundary.

Depending on the folding position of the wings, the relative positions of the first unevenness of the main body and the second unevenness of the wings may shift, and the first unevenness and the second unevenness may not mesh well. In contrast, according to the third aspect, the wings can be reliably folded at a predetermined position along the line of different rigidity, and by forming the line of different rigidity at a position where the first unevenness of the main body and the second unevenness of the wings can be reliably meshed, the effect of preventing or reducing adhesion of the drug to the wings is further improved.

In a fourth aspect of the present invention, the first irregularities are formed on the top sheet, and openings are provided at the bottoms of the recesses of the first irregularities.

The drug is applied to the tops of the convex parts of the first unevenness, but depending on the type and amount of drug, it may migrate from the tops of the convex parts to the bottoms of the concave parts, and in some cases the drug may accumulate at the bottom. In that case, when the wing is folded to the front side, the drug may adhere to the convex parts of the second unevenness of the wing that contact the concave parts of the first unevenness of the main body. In contrast, according to the fourth aspect, an opening is provided at the bottom of the concave parts of the first unevenness formed in the top sheet, so that the drug at the bottom is easily absorbed by the absorbent placed on the back side of the top sheet. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate or reduce the drug present at the bottom of the concave parts of the first unevenness of the top sheet, and thus to eliminate or reduce the drug adhering to the folded-back wings.

In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the absorbent body has a thick portion in the widthwise center of the absorbent article, and in a plan view, the meshing region overlaps the thick portion and a portion on the outer side of the thick portion in the widthwise direction.

According to the fifth aspect, when the wings are folded back to the front side, they first come into contact with the main body at the widthwise center where the thickened portion is formed in the absorbent. Then, in locations on the widthwise outer side of the portion where the thickened portion is formed, the wings do not come into contact with the main body or come into contact with it less easily. This improves the above-mentioned effect of suppressing adhesion of the drug to the wings.

In a sixth aspect of the present invention, the drug comprises a skin care agent.

In the sixth aspect, the presence of the skin care agent allows the absorbent article to maintain a comfortable fit even when used for long periods of time.

In a seventh aspect of the present invention, the pair of wings overlap each other in the folded state.

According to the seventh aspect, the medicine provided in the middle region can be covered with wings across the entire width, which enhances the effect of preventing the medicine from adhering to the device during the packaging process of the absorbent article.

According to one aspect of the present invention, in an absorbent article with wings that contains a drug, adhesion of the drug to the wings can be suppressed.

1 is a partially cutaway view of an absorbent article according to one embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front side. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the absorbent article shown in FIG. 1 after both wings have been folded. 6A to 6C are diagrams for explaining first irregularities on a main body in one embodiment of the present invention. 1 and 2. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line aa in FIG. 1 and a partial cross-sectional view taken along line bb in FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of an absorbent article according to a modified example. FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of an absorbent article according to another modified example.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, unless otherwise specified, the same or corresponding configurations may be given the same reference numerals and the description may be omitted. In addition, the drawings are schematic to facilitate understanding of the invention.

(Basic structure of absorbent article)
First, the basic structure of the absorbent article according to the present embodiment will be described using a sanitary napkin as an example. Fig. 1 shows a partially cutaway view of an absorbent article 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention as seen from the front side. In this specification, the "front side" refers to the side (skin side) that faces the skin of the wearer when the absorbent article 1 is worn, and the "back side" refers to the opposite side to the front side, i.e., the side (non-skin side or underwear side) that faces the underwear when the absorbent article 1 is worn. As shown in Fig. 1, the absorbent article 1 includes a liquid-permeable top sheet 3 arranged on the front side, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 2 arranged on the back side, and an absorbent body 4 arranged between the top sheet 3 and the back sheet 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the absorbent article 1 may have a main body M having an elongated shape in a plan view, and wings W, W extending from both side edges of the main body M. The main body M has a longitudinal direction (first direction) D1 and a width direction (second direction) D2 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The longitudinal direction D1 corresponds to the front-rear direction of the wearer's body when worn. In the form shown in FIG. 1, the absorbent article 1 has a shape that is approximately line-symmetrical with respect to a center line (longitudinal center line) CL extending in the longitudinal direction D1 in a plan view, but the shape does not have to be line-symmetrical. In addition, the configuration other than the shape of the absorbent article 1 (including the density and material of the absorbent body, and the size and position of the compressed grooves, etc.) may also be approximately symmetrical or asymmetrical with respect to the center line CL as an axis of symmetry.

The back sheet 2 may be a sheet that is at least water-proof, and may be, for example, a sheet made of an olefin resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene. Alternatively, a laminated nonwoven fabric in which a nonwoven fabric is laminated on a polyethylene sheet or the like, or a laminated sheet of nonwoven fabric in which a waterproof film is interposed to ensure substantial liquid impermeability, may be used. From the viewpoint of preventing stuffiness, it is more preferable to use a sheet that has moisture permeability. As such a water-proof/moisture-permeable sheet material, a microporous sheet obtained by melt-kneading an inorganic filler in an olefin resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene to form a sheet and then stretching the sheet in a uniaxial or biaxial direction may be used.

The top sheet 3 can be a liquid-permeable sheet that allows bodily fluids such as menstrual blood, vaginal discharge, and urine to pass through quickly. As the top sheet 3, a nonwoven fabric with or without holes, a porous plastic sheet, or the like is preferably used. As the material fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric, for example, olefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, synthetic fibers such as polyester and polyamide, regenerated fibers such as rayon and cupra, and blended fibers thereof, and natural fibers such as cotton can be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds. In addition, examples of processing methods for nonwoven fabric include the spunlace method, the spunbond method, the thermal bond method, the meltblown method, and the needle punch method. Among these processing methods, the spunlace method is preferred in that it can produce a nonwoven fabric that is flexible, and the spunbond method is preferred in that it can produce a nonwoven fabric that is rich in drapeability, and the thermal bond method is preferred in that it can produce a nonwoven fabric that is bulky and soft. In addition, composite fibers such as core-sheath type fibers, side-by-side type fibers, and split type fibers, which have a fiber with a high melting point as the core and a fiber with a low melting point as the sheath, can also be used.

The absorbent body 4 is not limited to any material that can absorb and retain bodily fluids, but preferably contains cotton-like pulp and a water-absorbing polymer. As the water-absorbing polymer, superabsorbent polymer granular powder (superabsorbent polymer (SAP)), superabsorbent polymer fiber (superabsorbent fiber (SAF)), and combinations thereof can be used. As the pulp, chemical pulp obtained from wood, cellulose fibers such as dissolving pulp, and artificial cellulose fibers such as rayon and acetate can be used. As the raw material for chemical pulp, broadleaf wood and softwood are used, but softwood is preferably used because of its long fiber length.

Synthetic fibers may be mixed into the absorbent 4. Examples of synthetic fibers that can be used include polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate, polyamides such as nylon, and copolymers of these. Two of these can also be mixed and used. Composite fibers such as core-sheath fibers with a high melting point fiber as the core and a low melting point fiber as the sheath, side-by-side fibers, and split fibers can also be used. Hydrophobic fibers can also be surface-treated with a hydrophilizing agent to give them affinity for body fluids. The absorbent 4 is preferably manufactured by stacking or air-laid methods.

The absorbent body 4 may be one in which the main body of the absorbent body 4 is wrapped in an envelope sheet made of crepe paper, nonwoven fabric, or the like. By providing the envelope sheet, the absorbent body 4 can be prevented from twisting or cracking and can maintain its shape. The envelope sheet can be uncolored (i.e., white) crepe paper or nonwoven fabric, or a colored one. When a colored envelope sheet is used, the color of the envelope sheet can be reflected as a light color from the top sheet 3 side. Therefore, the color of the discharged body fluid can be blended into the reflected color of the envelope sheet to make it less noticeable. The envelope sheet can be colored, for example, in a complementary color to the color of the body fluid. For example, in an absorbent article (such as a sanitary napkin) designed for the purpose of absorbing menstrual blood, the envelope sheet can be colored green, which is the complementary color of red.

The absorbent body 4 may have a planar shape of an elongated shape having a substantially constant width as shown in FIG. 1, but the width of the absorbent body 4 may vary along the longitudinal direction D1, but it is preferable that the width is substantially constant or constant, as this simplifies the manufacturing process. In addition, the planar shape of the absorbent body 4 shown in FIG. 1 is a shape in which the center of the width direction D2 at the front and rear ends protrudes forward and backward, but the front and rear ends may not have protruding portions and may have a shape closer to a rectangle overall. In addition, the absorbent body 4 may have a uniform thickness over the entire surface, but the thickness of the absorbent body 4 may not be uniform, and the absorbent body 4 may have a structure in which the body fluid discharge port facing region Q and the region nearby it are bulged. The absorbent body 4 is configured so as not to protrude from at least the back sheet 2, and the edges of the back sheet 2 and the top sheet 3 may be joined by adhesive, heat seal, or the like at both ends of the longitudinal direction D1 of the absorbent body 4.

A pair of side sheets 7, 7 may be arranged on both sides of the absorbent article 1, i.e., on both sides in the width direction D2, on the front side (top sheet 3 side) along the longitudinal direction D1. The side sheet 7 may be made of a nonwoven material that has been appropriately treated to be water repellent or hydrophilic depending on the purpose of preventing penetration of bodily fluids or enhancing the feel on the skin. The material of the side sheet 7 may be natural fiber, synthetic fiber, regenerated fiber, etc. Furthermore, when the side sheet 7 is treated to be water repellent, a silicone-based, paraffin-based, or other water repellent agent may be used for the treatment.

The side sheet 7 has an extending portion that extends in the width direction D2 from the side edge of the main body M, and is joined to an extending portion of the back sheet 2 that similarly extends in the width direction D2 from the side edge of the main body M to form wings W, W. When worn, the wings W, W are folded back to the back side (underwear side) and fixed to the underwear by, for example, adhesive 9, 9 provided on the back side, thereby preventing the entire absorbent article 1 from slipping relative to the underwear. The adhesive 9, 9 may be covered and protected by a peel-off sheet or the like until use begins.

In this embodiment, the wing W is formed by directly bonding the side sheet 7 and the back sheet 2 with an adhesive, heat sealing, or the like, but other layers such as a thin absorbent may be disposed between the two sheets. Also, it is preferable that the side sheet 7 and the back sheet 2 are bonded at least at the periphery. The absorbent article 1 may be in a form that does not use the side sheet 7. In that case, the top sheet 3 may extend to the end of the absorbent article 1 in the width direction D2 and be bonded to the back sheet 2.

The area of the main body M where the wings W, W are formed when viewed in the longitudinal direction D1 is the wing forming area or intermediate area Rw. As shown in FIG. 1, the intermediate area Rw may be an area ranging from the front end to the rear end of the wings W. The intermediate area Rw is a portion that faces the wearer's crotch when worn, and includes a body fluid outlet facing area Q that faces the wearer's body fluid outlet (vaginal opening, urethral opening, etc.). The body fluid outlet facing area Q is depicted as an ellipse in FIG. 1 as an area corresponding to the vaginal opening, but the size and shape of the body fluid outlet facing area Q shown in the figure are merely examples for explaining the absorbent article according to this embodiment. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the area adjacent to the intermediate area Rw in front of the longitudinal direction D1 is the front area Rf, and the area adjacent to the intermediate area Rw in front of the longitudinal direction D1 is the rear area Rr.

The wings W, W are folded to the front at fold lines L, L during the manufacturing process (packaging process). Figure 2 shows the absorbent article 1 in Figure 1 after both wings W, W have been folded. As shown in Figure 2, the wings W overlap the middle region Rw of the main body M, and preferably the region Q facing the bodily fluid discharge port. The size and shape of the pair of wings W, W are not particularly limited as long as they can function to prevent the absorbent article 1 from slipping out of the underwear, but it is preferable that they have a length in the width direction D2 such that they overlap when folded to the front, as shown in Figure 2.

The thickness of the absorbent article 1 may be preferably 0.3 to 30 mm, and more preferably 1.0 to 15 mm. The length (total length) of the absorbent article 1 in the longitudinal direction D1 may be 110 to 450 mm, and more preferably 130 to 290 mm.

(Drugs)
In this embodiment, a drug is applied to the front side of the absorbent article 1, more specifically, to the front side of the top sheet 3. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a drug treatment area TA, which is an area treated with the drug, is formed in the intermediate area Rw. The drug may be a skin care agent, a deodorant, a warming agent, a cooling agent, etc., and is preferably a drug that exerts its function by contacting or adhering to the skin, and is particularly preferably a skin care agent. The action of the skin care agent is to directly act on the skin by contacting or adhering to the skin, and includes a moisturizing action, a pH adjusting action, an oil-retaining action, an antibacterial action, etc. It is preferable that the applied skin care agent has fluidity, for example, a liquid. In addition, the skin care agent may be volatile or non-volatile, but is preferably non-volatile.

Examples of skin care agents include those containing glycerin as a main component. Other examples include other polyhydric alcohols, vitamins, animal and vegetable oils and fats, plant extracts, fatty acid ester compounds, petroleum-based hydrocarbons, alkyl ethoxylates, polysiloxanes, polysaccharides such as glycosaminoglycans, and the like. These agents can be used alone or in combination of two or more types. By applying the skin care agent to the outer side of the absorbent article 1 that comes into direct contact with the skin, damage to the skin can be reduced even when the absorbent article 1 is worn for a long period of time or when the absorbent article 1 is moved in a way that generates a large amount of friction between the absorbent article 1 and the skin.

(Unevenness on the front side)
In this embodiment, a first unevenness (or main body unevenness) 31 is formed on the front side of the main body M, and a second unevenness (wing unevenness) 71 is formed on the front side of the wing W. More specifically, the top sheet 3 of the main body M has the first unevenness 31, and the side sheet 7 of the wing W has the second unevenness 71. When the wings W, W are folded to the front side (FIG. 2), the first unevenness 31 and the second unevenness 71 are adapted to mesh with each other. Both the first unevenness 31 and the second unevenness 71 are unevennesses along the width direction D2.

3 shows a partial enlarged view of the first unevenness 31 of the main body M. As shown in FIG. 3, the first unevenness 31 is an unevenness formed on the top sheet 3. The first unevenness 31 is a structure in which the convex portions 32 and the concave portions 33 are arranged alternately in the width direction D2. In the example shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the convex portions 32 are ridge-shaped portions extending along the longitudinal direction D1, and the concave portions 33 are groove-shaped portions extending continuously along the longitudinal direction D1. However, as long as the first unevenness 31 of the main body M and the second unevenness 71 of the wing W mesh with each other when the wing W is folded to the front side, the convex portions 32 and the concave portions 33 do not have to be continuous, and they do not have to be formed along the longitudinal direction D1. For example, the convex portions 32 of the first unevenness 31 may be scattered along the longitudinal direction D1, and the portions other than the convex portions 32 may be concave portions 33. In addition, the convex portions 32 and the concave portions 33 may all extend in the width direction D2 and be arranged alternately when viewed in the longitudinal direction D1. However, as shown in FIG. 3, it is preferable that the convex portions 32 and the concave portions 33 all extend continuously in the longitudinal direction D1, because this makes it easier to guide body fluids discharged onto the top sheet 3 in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the top sheet 3 is in contact with the absorbent body 4 (or the enveloping sheet if the absorbent body 4 is wrapped in the enveloping sheet) on the back side of the recessed portion 33, and may be bonded to the absorbent body 4. In addition, the protruding portion 32 is not in contact with the absorbent body 4, and a space is formed between the protruding portion 32 and the absorbent body 4.

As described above, a drug treatment area TA is formed in the middle region Rw of the main body M (Fig. 1), and drug A is applied to the top of the convex portion 32 of the first irregularity 31 as shown in Fig. 3. This allows drug A to easily come into contact with the skin, which is preferable for drugs that exert their function by coming into contact with or adhering to the skin, such as skin care agents. Furthermore, if drug A is not applied to the bottom of the concave portion 33 of the first irregularity 31, drug A can be applied to the skin more efficiently.

Therefore, the chemical treatment area TA (Figure 1) is an area showing the range where chemical treatment has been performed, and within the chemical treatment area TA, there may be areas on the surface of the top sheet 3 where chemical A has been applied and areas where it has not been applied. In this example, within the chemical treatment area TA, chemical A is applied in stripes along the longitudinal direction D1.

Application of the agent A can be performed by contact or non-contact. Specific examples of application means include spray, paintbrush, bar coater, gravure coater, roll coater, inkjet printing, etc. Among these, contact application means, particularly roll, paintbrush, brush, etc., are preferred because they can reliably apply the agent A to the tops of the protrusions 32. When using a non-contact application means, it is also possible to apply the agent A after placing a mask that covers areas other than the area to which the agent A is to be applied.

The amount of the agent per unit area (basis weight) in the agent-treated area TA, i.e., the amount of agent A applied to the agent-treated area TA divided by the area of the agent-treated area TA, may be preferably 0.3 to 8.5 g/m ² , more preferably 0.6 to 4.2 g/m ^2. In particular, when the agent A is a skin care agent, applying the agent A in the amount within the above range provides a good skin care effect. In addition, a decrease in the inherent absorption performance of the absorbent article 1 can be prevented.

(Interlocking of the First Concave and the Second Concave)
Next, the engagement between the first irregularities 31 of the main body M and the second irregularities 71 of the wings W in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4(a) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line aa in Fig. 1, that is, a partial cross-sectional view of the state before the wings W, W are folded (the wings W, W are unfolded). In Fig. 4(a), the main body M is shown on the right side, and the wings W are shown on the left side.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), in the first irregularity 31 of the main body M, the convex portions 32 and concave portions 33 are arranged alternately along the width direction D2. The above-mentioned drug A is applied to the tops of the convex portions 32 of the first irregularity 31. Similarly to the first irregularity 31, in the second irregularity 71 of the wing W, the convex portions 72 and concave portions 73 are arranged alternately along the width direction D2. The cross-sectional contour shape of the first irregularity 31 is not limited, but it is preferable for it to be curved, i.e., wavy, in order to improve the feel on the skin. The cross-sectional contour shape of the second irregularity 71 is similar.

The pitch p3 of the convex portions 32 of the first irregularities 31, i.e., the distance from the apex of the convex portion 32 (the center of the apex in the width direction D2 if the apex is flat) to the apex of the adjacent convex portion 32, is equal to the pitch p7 of the convex portions 72 of the second irregularities 71. The pitch p3 and the pitch p7 may be preferably 3 to 8 mm, and more preferably about 5 mm.

In contrast, the height h3 of the convex portion 32 of the first unevenness 31 of the main body M is different from the height h7 of the convex portion 72 of the second unevenness 71 of the wing W. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the height h7 of the convex portion 72 of the second unevenness 71 is higher than the height h3 of the convex portion 32 of the first unevenness 31. The height h3 of the convex portion 32 is the height of the portion protruding from the outer surface of the top sheet 3 to the outer side, and the height h7 of the convex portion 72 is similarly the height of the portion protruding from the outer surface of the side sheet 7 to the outer side (to the outer side in the state before the wings W, W are folded). Therefore, the height h3 of the convex portion 32 corresponds to the depth of the concave portion 33, and the height h7 of the convex portion 72 corresponds to the depth of the concave portion 73.

Figure 4(b) shows a partially enlarged cross section of line b-b in Figure 2. As described above, the height h7 of the convex portion 72 is greater than the height h3 of the convex portion 32. Therefore, when the wing W is placed on the main body M and the second unevenness 71 is engaged with the first unevenness 31, the convex portion 72 of the second unevenness first hits the bottom of the concave portion 33 of the first unevenness 31 as shown in Figure 4(b). Therefore, the movement of the wing W in the thickness direction is limited, and the concave portion 73 of the second unevenness 71 of the wing W does not contact, or is difficult to contact, the convex portion 32 of the first unevenness 31 of the main body M. As described above, the drug A is applied to the top of the convex portion 32 of the first unevenness 31, so the front surface of the wing W (side sheet 7) does not contact, or is difficult to contact, the drug A of the main body M (top sheet 3). Therefore, it is possible to prevent inconvenience caused by the drug A adhering to the wing W. For example, when folding back the wings W, W while wearing the device, it is possible to prevent the drug A adhering to the wings W, W from slipping from the hand, or from adhering to clothing (pants, skirt, etc.).

Furthermore, by folding the wings W, W to the front side of the main body M, the wings W at least partially cover the drug A applied to the main body M, protecting the drug A. This reduces the possibility of drug A adhering to the device after the wings W, W are folded back during the packaging process of the absorbent article 1, thereby reducing the effort and cost required for cleaning the device. Therefore, as shown in Figure 2, if the wings W, W are formed with a size and shape that allows them to overlap each other when folded back, this is preferable because the drug treatment area TA is continuously covered across the width direction D2 and the drug A is protected by the wings W.

The height h3 of the convex portion 32 of the first irregularity 31 of the main body M may be preferably 1 to 2 mm, more preferably 1.5 to 1.7 mm. The height h7 of the convex portion 72 of the wing W may be 2 to 3 mm, more preferably 2.2 to 2.5 mm. The difference between the height h7 of the convex portion 72 and the height h3 of the convex portion 32 is preferably 0.5 to 1.0 mm. By setting the difference within the above range, an appropriate gap is formed between the convex portion 32 on the main body M side and the concave portion 73 on the wing W side, and the convex portion 72 is prevented from becoming excessively high and becoming easily crushed, and the drug A applied to the main body M can be prevented from adhering to the wing W.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, drug A may have permeated the top sheet 3 as shown in FIG. 4 and/or may be provided at a predetermined thickness from the surface of the top sheet 3. Drug A is present at the top of the convex portion 32, but may also be present in the concave portion 33. However, from the viewpoint of suppressing adhesion of drug A to the wing W, it is preferable that drug A is present within half the height h3 of the convex portion 32 from the top of the convex portion 32.

1 and 2 again, at the boundary between the main body M and the wings W of the absorbent article 1, lines of different rigidity 11, 11 are formed on both sides. The lines of different rigidity 11 are linear portions with higher or lower rigidity than the surrounding areas. By providing such lines of different rigidity 11, 11, that is, by providing linear portions with different rigidity from the surrounding areas, i.e., the portions on both sides in the width direction D2, the wings W are more likely to naturally fold from the positions of the lines of different rigidity. Therefore, if the lines of different rigidity 11, 11 are provided in advance so that the first irregularities 31 and the second irregularities 71 described above are properly interlocked, there is no need to search for a folding position when folding the wings W, W to the front side in the packaging process, and the first irregularities 31 and the second irregularities 71 can be properly interlocked, and adhesion of the drug A to the wings W can be reliably prevented.

The different rigidity line 11 may be a portion with increased rigidity, such as a portion that has been compressed into a line shape or a portion where a curable composition has been applied in a line shape. Alternatively, it may be a portion with weakened rigidity due to a material being weakened in a line shape. Of these, it is preferable that the different rigidity line 11 is a high-rigidity line formed by compression (embossing), since this does not require a complex process and ensures that a fold line that is easy to fold is formed.

(Modification)
Next, a modified example of the absorbent article 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the main body M of the absorbent article 1 according to the modified example, cut at the chemical treatment area TA. Fig. 5(a) and Fig. 5(b) are parts corresponding to the right side of Fig. 4(a), and Fig. 5(c) is a view corresponding to Fig. 4(b).

As shown in FIG. 5(a), in this example, an opening 35 is formed at the bottom of the recess 33 of the first irregularity 31 of the top sheet 3. The opening 35 is formed to penetrate the top sheet 3, and may be a circle with a diameter of 1.0 to 2.0 mm, or a shape with an area equivalent thereto. It is preferable that the edge of the opening 35 is in contact with the absorbent body 4.

Depending on the type and amount of drug A, or the material of the top sheet 3 and the density of the fibers contained, drug A may not remain at the portion where it was first applied, i.e., the top of the convex portion 32 of the first unevenness 31, but may gradually diffuse toward the bottom of the concave portion 33 and accumulate at the bottom (Fig. 5(b)). In this case, when the wing W is folded and the convex portion 72 of the second unevenness 71 of the wing W contacts the bottom of the concave portion 33 of the first unevenness 31 of the main body M, drug A is likely to adhere to the convex portion 72 of the second unevenness 71. In contrast, as in this example, an opening 35 is formed at the bottom of the concave portion 33 of the first unevenness 31 (top sheet 3), so that drug A is drawn from the edge of the opening 35 into the absorbent body 4 arranged on the back side thereof (Fig. 5(c)). This makes it possible to eliminate or reduce drug A present on the surface of the top sheet 3 or within the top sheet 3. Therefore, even if the drug A easily migrates to the bottom of the recess 33 of the first irregularities 31 (top sheet 3), it is possible to eliminate or reduce the amount of drug A that adheres to the wing W.

Figure 6 shows another modified example of the absorbent article 1. Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the chemical treatment area TA of the main body M with the wings W folded back, and corresponds to Figure 4(b). In the example shown in Figure 6, the thickness of the absorbent 4 is not constant, and a thicker part 4H with a larger thickness is formed in the center in the width direction D2. Since the back side of the absorbent 4 is almost flat, the thicker part 4H can be said to be a part that is higher in height than both sides in the width direction D2 (also called a middle-height part). By forming the thicker part 4H, the entire main body M has a shape that is higher in the center in the width direction D2 and lower on both sides.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, when the wing W is folded back to the front side, the first contact of the wing W, i.e., the convex portion 72 of the second irregularity 71 of the wing W, is the area where the thick portion 4H is formed, as shown in FIG. 6. At this time, in the portion of the main body M outside the portion where the thick portion 4H is formed in the width direction D2, the wing W does not contact the main body M itself or makes little contact with it. This improves the effect of suppressing adhesion of the drug A to the wing W.

The thick portion 4H of the absorbent body 4 can be 1.2 to 2 times thicker than the portions on both sides of the thick portion 4H in the width direction D2. In addition, it is preferable that the thick portion 4H is provided in the middle region Rw in a plan view, particularly in the region Q facing the bodily fluid discharge port.

This embodiment may be a method for folding an absorbent article, and the method may include preparing an absorbent article having an elongated main body having a liquid-permeable top sheet on the front side, a liquid-impermeable back sheet on the back side, and an absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, and a pair of wings extending from the side edges of the main body, applying a drug to an intermediate region of the main body that extends in the longitudinal direction over the range in which the wings are provided, and then folding the wings to the front side, in which the front surface of the main body has a first unevenness, the front surface of the wings in the unfolded state has a second unevenness that can mesh with the first unevenness, the height of the convex parts of the second unevenness is higher than the height of the convex parts of the first unevenness, and the drug is applied to the tops of the convex parts of the first unevenness.

This embodiment may also be a method for manufacturing individually packaged absorbent articles, and the method may include preparing an absorbent article having an elongated main body having a liquid-permeable top sheet on the front side, a liquid-impermeable back sheet on the back side, and an absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, and a pair of wings extending from the side edges of the main body, applying a drug to an intermediate region of the main body that extends in the longitudinal direction to the range in which the wings are provided, folding the wings to the front side, and folding the absorbent article with the drug together with the packaging sheet, in which the front surface of the main body has a first unevenness, the front surface of the wings in the unfolded state has a second unevenness that can mesh with the first unevenness, the height of the convex parts of the second unevenness is higher than the height of the convex parts of the first unevenness, and the drug is applied to the tops of the convex parts of the first unevenness.

The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the above embodiments can be modified, altered, substituted, added, deleted, and combined in various ways within the scope of the claims, and these also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

Reference Signs List 1 Absorbent article 2 Back sheet 3 Top sheet 4 Absorbent body 4H Thick portion 7 Side sheet 11 Different rigidity line 31 First irregularity (main body irregularity)
32 Convex portion of main body 33 Concave portion of main body 35 Opening 71 Second concave-convex (wing concave-convex)
72 Convex portion of wing 73 Concave portion of wing A Drug D1 First direction (longitudinal direction)
D2 Second direction (width direction)
L Fold line Rf Front region Rr Rear region Rw Middle region (wing region)
Q: Area facing the body fluid outlet W: Wing

Claims (7)

An absorbent article comprising an elongated main body having a liquid-permeable top sheet on the front side, a liquid-impermeable back sheet on the back side, and an absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, and a pair of wings extending from each side edge of the main body,
a drug is provided in a middle region of the body that spans the range in the longitudinal direction where the wings are provided;
The front surface of the main body has a first irregularity,
a front surface of the wing when the wing is unfolded has a second concave-convex portion that can mesh with the first concave-convex portion;
The height of the convex portions of the second concave-convex portions is greater than the height of the convex portions of the first concave-convex portions,
An absorbent article, wherein the drug is applied to the apexes of the convex portions of the first irregularities. A side sheet is disposed on each of both sides of the front side of the main body,
The wings are formed by joining an extension portion of the back sheet from a side edge of the main body and an extension portion of the side sheet from a side edge of the main body,
The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the second irregularities are formed on the side sheet. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the boundary between the main body and the wings has a line of different stiffness that is higher or lower than the surrounding area of the boundary. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first irregularities are formed on the top sheet, and openings are provided at the bottoms of the concave portions of the first irregularities. The absorbent body has a thick part having a large thickness in the center in the width direction of the absorbent article,
The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein, in a plan view, the interlocking region overlaps with the thick portion and a portion on an outer side of the thick portion in the width direction. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the drug comprises a skin care agent. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the pair of wings overlap each other in the folded state.

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