JP7641455B2 - How to replace absorbent articles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for replacing absorbent articles.

Absorbent articles generally comprise a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent disposed between them, and are configured so that urine and other bodily fluids that have permeated the top sheet are absorbed by the absorbent, and the back sheet prevents the bodily fluids from adhering to the wearer's clothing, etc. Absorbent articles come in a variety of forms depending on the application, such as pad products such as light incontinence pads, light incontinence liners, urine absorption pads, and sanitary napkins, and paper diaper products such as pants-type paper diapers and tape-fastened paper diapers, and are widely used by the elderly, adults, and infants alike. Absorbent articles are usually published as products stored in a specified individual package.

Among absorbent articles, pad products in particular are generally used by fixing the non-skin facing surface of the back sheet to the wearer's underwear. Since both hands are required to remove a used pad product from the underwear, it is difficult to remove the used pad product while holding the individual package of a new pad product.

When replacing absorbent articles, many people wrap the used absorbent article in the individual packaging of a new absorbent article and throw it away. At this time, there may be no place to put the new absorbent article between the time of removing the new absorbent article from the individual packaging and wrapping up the used absorbent article and throwing it away. Even if there is a stand in the toilet stall, it can be annoying as the anti-slip tape of the absorbent article sticks to it, and placing it with the skin side down is unhygienic. For this reason, people temporarily stick the absorbent article to their own body or gently place it on their lap to prevent it from falling, but in that case, there is a possibility that the adhesive strength of the anti-slip tape will weaken, or that it may slide off to the floor when they move.

Some people also roll up and wrap used absorbent articles in toilet paper before throwing them away, but toilet paper packaging is easier to open than individual wrappers, and there is a risk that the used absorbent article may be seen by cleaners or the next person who uses it. Also, if used absorbent articles are wrapped multiple times in toilet paper to prevent them from being exposed, the article becomes bulky and is more likely to fill up trash cans.

Various proposals have been made to solve such problems. Patent Document 1 discloses a package for absorbent articles, which includes a packaging sheet for individually packaging absorbent articles, and an adhesive tape having one end releasably attached to the surface of the packaging sheet and the other end joined to an end in the longitudinal direction of the packaging sheet, the adhesive tape being formed by laminating a first adhesive layer, a first substrate, a second adhesive layer, and a second substrate in this order, the first adhesive layer being in contact with the non-facing surface of the packaging sheet, a connecting portion connecting the first substrate and the second substrate being provided, the second adhesive layer being joined to the second substrate and releasably attached to the first substrate, and the second substrate and the second adhesive layer being peeled from the first substrate and folded back from the connecting portion to expose the second adhesive layer (claim 1). According to Patent Document 1, even if there is no space to place the individual absorbent article packaging, the packaging of the absorbent article can be attached to the wall of the toilet stall or the wearer's body via the second adhesive layer, making it easy to replace the absorbent article using both hands (paragraph 0015).

JP 2013-198586 A

In the absorbent article packaging described in Patent Document 1, even if the packaging is temporarily attached to a wall or the body with the second adhesive layer, the packaging still has the possibility of falling off, so it is not a fundamental solution. Also, in toilet cubicles when away from home, the walls cannot necessarily be said to be hygienic.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method for replacing absorbent articles that allows the replacement of absorbent articles to be performed hygienically and easily, and allows used absorbent articles to be disposed of with good concealment.

In the course of research to solve the above problem, the inventor came up with the idea of attaching a new replacement absorbent article to the skin-facing surface of a used absorbent article that is attached to underwear, rather than attaching the new replacement absorbent article to the wearer's body or the wall of a toilet cubicle, as in the conventional method. As a result of extensive research to realize the above idea, the inventor discovered that by using an absorbent article in which an individually wrapped sheet of a predetermined structure is provided on the non-skin-facing surface of the back sheet, the used absorbent article and the new absorbent article can be handled as a laminated integrated unit, and replacement of the used absorbent article can be carried out smoothly, easily and hygienically, and further the used absorbent article can be disposed of with good concealment, leading to the completion of the present invention. The present invention provides the following method for replacing an absorbent article.

(1) A method for replacing a used absorbent article with a new absorbent article, comprising the steps of:
The absorbent article comprises a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, an absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, and an individually wrapped sheet disposed on a non-skin-facing surface of the back sheet,
The individually wrapped sheet includes a first individually wrapped sheet positioned on the skin side and a second individually wrapped sheet positioned on the non-skin side,
the individual package sheet further comprises a first adhesive layer bonding the non-skin side surface of the back sheet to the skin side surface of the first individual package sheet, a second adhesive layer bonding the non-skin side surface of the first individually package sheet to the skin side surface of the second individually package sheet, a first release layer interposed between the first individually package sheet and the first adhesive layer and assisting in peeling the first individually package sheet from the first adhesive layer, and a second release layer interposed between the second individually package sheet and the second adhesive layer and assisting in peeling the second individually package sheet from the second adhesive layer,
A first step of adhering a skin-facing surface of the used absorbent article adhered to a wearer's underwear to the second adhesive layer of the new absorbent article to obtain a laminate, and removing the laminate from the underwear;
A second step of folding the laminate in half with the used absorbent article on the inside;
a third step of separating the laminate in half at an interface between the first adhesive layer and the first individually wrapped sheet of the new absorbent article to separate the used absorbent article wrapped with the first individually wrapped sheet and the second adhesive layer from the new absorbent article in which only the first adhesive layer remains on the non-skin-facing surface of the back sheet;
and a fourth step of attaching a new absorbent article B to the wearer's underwear.
(2) A method for replacing an absorbent article as described above in (1), wherein the absorbent article further has a pair of liquid-impermeable side sheets at both ends of the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article on the skin-facing surface of the top sheet.
(3) A method for replacing an absorbent article according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the first individual packaging sheet and the second individual packaging sheet are each a resin film, paper, nonwoven fabric, antibacterial nonwoven fabric or a laminate of two or more of these.
(4) A method for replacing an absorbent article according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the first release layer and the second release layer each contain a silicone-based release agent or a fluorine-based release agent.

The present invention provides a method for replacing absorbent articles that allows the replacement of absorbent articles to be performed hygienically and easily, and allows used absorbent articles to be disposed of with good concealment.

1 is a plan view seen from the top sheet side, showing a schematic configuration of an absorbent article used in a method for replacing an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the absorbent article in the width direction taken along the XX cutting line shown in FIG. 1. 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams showing a method for replacing the absorbent article of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of an individual package of a product (an absorbent article used in the present embodiment).

In this specification, wearing the absorbent article 50 refers to the state in which it is attached to the wearer's body, regardless of whether it has absorbed bodily fluids or not. The longitudinal direction of the absorbent article 50 is the direction indicated by Y in the figure, which extends from front to back through the wearer's crotch when the absorbent article 50 is worn, the width direction is the direction indicated by X in the figure, which is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the thickness direction is the direction indicated by Z in the figure in which the components are stacked. The skin-side surfaces of the absorbent article 50 and each of its components are the surfaces that contact the wearer's skin or face the skin, and the non-skin-side surfaces are the surfaces that contact the wearer's clothing or face the clothing. Body fluids refer to liquids discharged from the body to the outside, such as urine, blood, and water in loose stools.

<Absorbent Articles>
Hereinafter, a method for replacing an absorbent article according to the present embodiment and an absorbent article 50 used in the replacement method will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 and 2 show the absorbent article 50. Figure 3 shows a method for replacing the absorbent article 50. Figure 4 shows a product 51 which is an individual package of the absorbent article 50. The figures do not stipulate the shape, dimensional relationship, etc. of the absorbent article 50 and each of its constituent members.

In the method for replacing an absorbent article of this embodiment, an absorbent article 50 is used. The absorbent article 50 can be used as various absorbent articles for babies, adults, and the elderly, and is particularly suitable for use as pad products such as light incontinence pads, light incontinence liners, sanitary napkins, and panty liners. The longitudinal dimension of the absorbent article 50 is, for example, in the range of 100 mm to 800 mm, and the width dimension is, for example, in the range of 50 mm to 500 mm. By keeping each dimension within the aforementioned numerical range, an absorbent article 50 suitable for pad products such as light incontinence products, sanitary napkins, and panty liners can be obtained.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the absorbent article 50 of this embodiment comprises a liquid-permeable top sheet 10 located on the skin side, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 30 arranged opposite the top sheet 10 and located on the non-skin side, an absorbent body 20 arranged between the top sheet 10 and the back sheet 30, a pair of three-dimensional gathers 40 provided at both widthwise ends of the skin-side surface of the top sheet 10, a pair of liquid-impermeable side sheets 60 provided at both longitudinal ends of the skin-side surface of the top sheet 10, and an individually packaged sheet 70 provided on the non-skin-side surface of the back sheet 30. The individual packaging sheet 70 includes a first individual packaging sheet 71 and a second individual packaging sheet 72. The first individual packaging sheet 71 is adhered to the non-skin side surface of the back sheet 30 via a first adhesive layer 80, and the second individual packaging sheet 72 is adhered to the non-skin side surface of the first individual packaging sheet 70 via a second adhesive layer 81. The first individual packaging sheet 71 and the second individual packaging sheet 72 have a first release layer 85 and a second release layer 86 formed on the skin side surfaces by applying a release agent. The skin side surface of the absorbent article 50 has imaginary lines of fold lines 61 and 62 extending in the width direction and arranged in the longitudinal direction, which are used when folding the absorbent article 50 to manufacture it. The manufacturing of the absorbent article 50 will be described later.

According to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a new absorbent article 50b is attached to the skin-facing surface of a used absorbent article 50a attached to an undergarment 90 via a second adhesive layer 81, and the resulting laminate can be easily removed from the undergarment 90 using both hands (FIG. 3(a)). The removed laminate is folded in half with the used absorbent article 50a on the inside (FIG. 3(b)), and the laminate is separated at the boundary between the first individual packaging sheet 71 and the first adhesive layer 80 of the new absorbent article 50b while still folded in half. The used absorbent article 50a is folded in half and wrapped in the second adhesive layer 81 and the first individual packaging sheet 71 of the new absorbent article 50b, and the new absorbent article 50b has only the first adhesive layer 80 remaining on the non-skin-facing surface of the back sheet 30 (FIG. 3(c)). The separated absorbent article 50a is discarded while still folded in half, and the separated absorbent article 50b is attached to the underwear 90 by the first adhesive layer 80 (FIG. 3(d)), and the used absorbent article 50a is replaced with the new absorbent article 50b.

That is, according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, first, the new absorbent article 50b is attached to the absorbent article 50a attached to the underwear 90 via the second adhesive layer 81 to form an integrated laminate that is grasped with both hands, so that the new absorbent article 50b is more reliably prevented from falling off, and there is no need to attach the new absorbent article 50b to the wall of a toilet cubicle when going out, the sanitary condition of which is unknown, and further, the absorbent article 50a can be easily removed from the underwear 90 as a laminate with the absorbent article 50b using both hands. Secondly, the laminate can be easily separated into an absorbent article 50a wrapped in the first individual packaging sheet 71 via the second adhesive layer 81, and a new absorbent article 50b in which only the first adhesive layer 80 of the individual packaging sheet 70 remains. The new absorbent article 50b can be attached to the underwear 90 as is with the first adhesive layer 80, and the used absorbent article 50a can be fully wrapped in the first individual packaging sheet 71 and disposed of, thereby significantly improving concealment.

The absorbent article 50 used in this embodiment has a top sheet 10, absorbent body 20, back sheet 30, and individual packaging sheet 70 as basic constituent units, and can be modified in various known ways, such as providing the three-dimensional gathers 40 and side sheets 60 as described above, arranging a second sheet or transfer sheet (not shown) between the top sheet 10 and absorbent body 20, and covering the absorbent body 20 with a carrier sheet (not shown). The components of the absorbent article 50 will be described in more detail below in the order of the top sheet 10, absorbent body 20, back sheet 30, three-dimensional gathers 40, side sheets 60, and individual packaging sheet 70.

<Top sheet>
The top sheet 10 is a liquid-permeable sheet-like substrate that quickly passes bodily fluids toward the absorbent body 20 and diffuses the bodily fluids in the surface direction of the absorbent body 20. The top sheet 10 is preferably a substrate that is soft to the touch and does not irritate the skin so that it may be directly in contact with the wearer's skin. Examples of the substrate include hydrophilic sheets, composite nonwoven fabrics that are laminates of the same or different hydrophilic sheets, open-ended films such as open-ended polyethylene films, and foamed films such as polyethylene foam and urethane foam. Examples of hydrophilic sheets include air-through nonwoven fabrics, thermal bond nonwoven fabrics, spunlace nonwoven fabrics, spunbond nonwoven fabrics, and the like, which are made using synthetic fibers made of synthetic resins such as polypropylene and polyethylene, regenerated fibers such as rayon, and natural fibers such as cotton. Among these, each nonwoven fabric is preferable.

The top sheet 10 may be embossed or perforated on the surface in order to improve liquid permeability. The top sheet 10 may contain one or more of lotion, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory component, pH adjuster, antibacterial agent, moisturizer, etc. in order to reduce irritation to the skin. The basis weight of the top sheet 10 is, for example, in the range of 15 g/m ² to 40 g/m ² or 19 g/m ² to 35 g/m ² in terms of strength, processability, and liquid return amount. The shape of the top sheet 10 is not particularly limited, and may be a shape that covers a part or all of the absorbent body 20, which is necessary to guide bodily fluids to the absorbent body 20 without leakage.

<Absorbent>
The absorbent body 20 has a longitudinal dimension (maximum length) in the range of, for example, 100 mm to 800 mm, 150 mm to 500 mm, or 270 mm to 500 mm. The widthwise dimension (maximum width) of the absorbent body 20 is, for example, 50 mm to 500 mm, 60 mm to 400 mm, or 70 mm to 105 mm. When the planar shape of the absorbent body 20 is an hourglass shape, the longitudinal dimension is in the range of 180 mm to 800 mm, the widthwise dimensions of the front and rear parts that contact the wearer's abdomen and back, respectively, are both in the range of 60 mm to 400 mm, and the widthwise dimension of the central part that contacts the wearer's crotch is in the range of 90 mm to 250 mm. Examples of the planar shape of the absorbent body 20 include an hourglass shape, an I-shape, a rectangle, a rounded rectangle with rounded corners, an oval, and the like.
The absorbent body 20 may be, for example, a fluff absorbent body containing absorbent fibers and a highly absorbent polymer.

(Absorbent Fiber)
The absorbent fiber is not particularly limited as long as it is generally used in absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, paper diapers, and urine pads, and examples thereof include fluff pulp, cotton, rayon, acetate, tissue, absorbent paper, hydrophilic nonwoven fabric, etc. Among these, fluff pulp is preferably used from the viewpoint of absorbency. Examples of fluff pulp include wood pulp (e.g., coniferous bleached kraft pulp (N-BKP) such as southern pine and Douglas fir), synthetic fiber, resin fiber, non-wood pulp, etc., which are defibrated into a cotton-like state. When fluff pulp is used as the absorbent fiber as the base material for the absorbent body 20, the basis weight of the absorbent fiber is, for example, in the range of 100 g/m ² to 800 g/m ² , or in the range of 325 g/m ² to 615 g/m ² , from the viewpoint of touch and body fluid absorption.

(Superabsorbent polymer)
The superabsorbent polymer (hereinafter also referred to as "SAP") is not particularly limited as long as it can absorb body fluids and prevent backflow, and examples thereof include polyacrylates, polyaspartates, (starch-acrylic acid) graft copolymers, (acrylic acid-vinyl alcohol) copolymers, (isobutylene-maleic anhydride) copolymers, and saponification products thereof. Among these, from the viewpoint of the absorption amount per weight, polyacrylates are preferred, alkali metal polyacrylates are more preferred, and sodium polyacrylate is even more preferred. The superabsorbent polymers may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The superabsorbent polymer is used in the form of particles, fibers, etc., but is preferably used in the form of particles from the viewpoint of ease of handling. In this case, by avoiding the use of a fine powder of superabsorbent polymer that has poor flowability as a powder and using a superabsorbent polymer with a medium particle size, the basic performance regarding absorption can be improved and the rough feel caused by the absorbent body 20 hardening after absorbing body fluids can be reduced. The medium particle size of the superabsorbent polymer 12 is, for example, in the range of 50 μm to 600 μm or in the range of 100 μm to 500 μm. The content of the superabsorbent polymer in the absorbent body 20 is, for example, in the range of 40% by weight or more of the total amount of the absorbent body 20, or in the range of 40% by weight or more and 70% by weight or less.

In the absorbent body 20, the absorbent fibers and SAP may be in the form of a mixture of SAP particles in the absorbent fibers, or may be an SAP sheet in which SAP particles are fixed between the absorbent fibers. In addition to the fluff absorbent body described above, an absorbent sheet containing multiple hydrophilic sheets and a highly absorbent polymer fixed and supported between them may be used as the absorbent body 20. From the viewpoint of preventing leakage of the SAP particles from the absorbent body 20 and stabilizing the shape of the absorbent body 20, a carrier sheet may be provided under the absorbent body 20 or to completely wrap the absorbent body 20 (not shown). The base material of the carrier sheet may be any material that has hydrophilicity, and examples of the base material include hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics such as tissue, absorbent paper, and airlaid nonwoven fabrics. When multiple carrier sheets are provided, the base materials of the multiple carrier sheets may be the same or different.

<Back seat>
The back sheet 30 may be formed using a liquid-impermeable substrate that prevents the body fluid held by the absorbent sheet 20 from wetting the wearer's clothing, and examples of the substrate include a resin film and a composite sheet that is a laminate of a resin film and a nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven fabric used in the composite sheet is not particularly limited in its manufacturing method, and examples thereof include single-layer nonwoven fabrics such as spunbond nonwoven fabric and meltblown nonwoven fabric, composite nonwoven fabrics such as spunbond nonwoven fabric/meltblown nonwoven fabric laminates, and composite materials thereof. Examples of the resin film include polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polypropylene, and composite films of polyethylene and polypropylene.

The basis weight of the back sheet 30 is, for example, in the range of 15 g/ ^m2 to 60 g/ ^m2 in terms of strength and processability. In order to prevent stuffiness during wear, it is preferable that the back sheet 30 is breathable. In order to provide the back sheet 30 with breathability, for example, a filler may be blended into the resin film of the base material, or the back sheet 30 may be embossed. An example of the filler is calcium carbonate, and the blending method may be any known method without any restrictions.

<3D gathers>
The three-dimensional gathers 40 may be provided at both widthwise ends of the skin-facing surface of the top sheet 10 so as to extend along the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article 50, for example, in order to prevent lateral leakage of bodily fluids excreted by the wearer of the absorbent article 50. The three-dimensional gathers 40 include an elastic stretch member 40a and a water-repellent and/or waterproof sheet member 40b.

The elastic stretch member 40a is disposed in the longitudinal direction near the free end (other end) of the sheet member 40b, imparting uprightness to the free end, and allowing the free end of the sheet member 40b and its neighboring area to be deformed to fit the wearer's body shape. In this embodiment, the sheet member 40b has one widthwise end (fixed end) fixed near both widthwise ends of the skin side of the back sheet 30, a middle part in the widthwise direction fixed near both widthwise ends of the skin side of the top sheet 10, and the other widthwise end being a free end having uprightness. The fixing position of the fixed end (one widthwise end) of the sheet member 40b is not limited to this embodiment, and examples include the non-skin side of the back sheet 30, near both widthwise ends of the skin side or non-skin side of the joint of all or part of each edge of the top sheet 10 and the back sheet 30 with the absorbent body 20 stored therein, and near both widthwise ends of the skin side of the top sheet 10.

The sheet member 40b is a water-repellent and/or waterproof sheet, and is made of, for example, a nonwoven fabric. As the nonwoven fabric for the first sheet member, any water-repellent and/or waterproof (liquid-impermeable) nonwoven fabric formed of hydrophobic fibers can be used without any particular limitation, and examples thereof include spunbond nonwoven fabric, meltblown nonwoven fabric, and composite nonwoven fabric (SMS nonwoven fabric) which is a spunbond nonwoven fabric/meltblown nonwoven fabric/spunbond nonwoven fabric laminate. The basis weight of the sheet member 40b is, for example, in the range of 13 g/m ² or more and 20 g/m ² or less. As the elastically stretchable member 40a, for example, a thread-like, string-like, or strip-like material made of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, polyurethane, or the like can be appropriately used.

<Side seat>
The side sheets 60 may be provided so as to extend in the width direction of the absorbent article 50 at both longitudinal ends of the skin-side surface of the top sheet 10, for example, in order to facilitate the attachment of the second adhesive layer 81 when the absorbent article 50 described below is attached to the top sheet 10 and wrapped and discarded, and to more reliably prevent a new absorbent article 50 for replacement from falling off. That is, a pair of liquid-impermeable side sheets 60 may be provided at both longitudinal ends of the skin-side surface of the top sheet 10. The side sheets 60 are provided, for example, so as to cover the three-dimensional gathers 40. As the material of the side sheets 60, liquid-impermeable nonwoven fabrics or resin films similar to those used for the back sheet 30 can be used without any particular limitation. The side sheets 60 are provided, for example, so as to cover both longitudinal ends of the top sheet 10 along its shape, and the longitudinal dimensions of one and the other are, for example, in the range of 10 mm to 30 mm.

<Individually wrapped sheets>
The individual packaging sheet 70 is provided on the non-skin side surface of the back sheet 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the individual packaging sheet 70 is a laminate in which a first adhesive layer 80, a first peeling layer 85, a first individual packaging sheet 71, a second adhesive layer 81, a second peeling layer 86, and a second individual packaging sheet 72 are sequentially stacked from the skin side of the wearer of the absorbent article 50. The first adhesive layer 80 is used, for example, to adhere and fix the entire individual packaging sheet 70 to the non-skin side surface of the back sheet 30, and to attach the main body portion of the absorbent article 50 (portion other than the individual packaging sheet 70) to the underwear 90 of the wearer. The first individual packaging sheet 71 and the second adhesive layer 81 are used, for example, in the replacement method of this embodiment, to wrap and conceal the used absorbent article 50. The second individual packaging sheet 72 is used, for example, to protect the second adhesive layer 81, and is peeled off when the absorbent article 50 is worn. In addition, since the first individual packaging sheet 71 is also used as a packaging material for wrapping the used absorbent article 50, by configuring it to be wider than the main body portion of the absorbent article 50 excluding the individual packaging sheet 70, the used absorbent article 50 can be wrapped reliably and with good concealment.

(First and second individual packaging sheets)
The first individual packaging sheet 71 and the second individual packaging sheet 72 are made of, for example, a resin film, paper, a nonwoven fabric, or a laminate of two or more of these. The nonwoven fabric may be an antibacterial nonwoven fabric. The use of the antibacterial nonwoven fabric prevents the growth of bacteria in the first individual packaging sheet 71 and the second individual packaging sheet 72 and the generation of odors associated therewith, so that the replacement work of the absorbent article 50 can be carried out more hygienically and more safely. The basis weight of the antibacterial nonwoven fabric used here is, for example, in the range of 15 g/m ² or more and 50 g/m ² or less from the viewpoint of strength and processability, the basis weight of the resin film or nonwoven fabric is, for example, in the range of 15 g/m 2 or more and 30 g/m ² or less from the viewpoint of strength and processability, and the basis weight of the paper is, for example, in the range of 30 g/m ² or ^more and 70 g/m ² or less.

An antibacterial nonwoven fabric is a nonwoven fabric that contains antibacterial fibers with an antibacterial activity of 2.0 or more. Examples of antibacterial nonwoven fabric include nonwoven fabrics that contain antibacterial fibers with an antibacterial activity of 2.0 or more as the main component and also contain other fibers, and nonwoven fabrics made of antibacterial fibers with an antibacterial activity of 2.0 or more. "Containing as the main component" means that it contains more than 50% by weight of the total. Examples of fibers that can be contained other than antibacterial fibers include synthetic fibers made of synthetic resins such as polypropylene and polyethylene, regenerated fibers such as rayon, and natural fibers such as cotton.

The antibacterial fiber is not particularly limited as long as it is a fiber having antibacterial properties, but it is preferable to use a synthetic fiber kneaded with an inorganic antibacterial agent. As the inorganic antibacterial agent, an inorganic compound containing antibacterial metal ions such as silver, copper, zinc, etc. can be used without any particular restrictions, and examples thereof include metal compounds containing the above-mentioned antibacterial metal ions, zeolite, hydrotalcite, hydroxyapatite, clay minerals, inorganic porous bodies such as alumina, silica, and bentonite. The inorganic antibacterial agent can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The antibacterial fiber can be produced, for example, by adding one or more inorganic antibacterial agents to a synthetic resin in a molten state and kneading it, and then spinning the synthetic resin. Here, examples of the synthetic resin to which the inorganic antibacterial agent is mixed include polyester resins such as polyester and polyethylene terephthalate, polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyacrylamide, polyvinyl alcohol, crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinyl formal, etc. The amount of inorganic antibacterial agent mixed with synthetic resin is, for example, in the range of 0.005% by weight to 0.5% by weight, based on 100% by weight of the total amount of inorganic antibacterial agent and synthetic resin, from the viewpoint of keeping the antibacterial activity value within a specified range and the strength of the resulting antibacterial fiber.

In this embodiment, an antibacterial test is carried out using Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in accordance with the JIS L 1902 bacterial liquid absorption method, and a standard cloth (cotton cloth) is used as a control. An antibacterial fiber with an antibacterial activity value of 2.0 or more is used. Here, the antibacterial activity value is measured according to the JIS L 1902 bacterial liquid absorption method.

(Adhesive layer)
Both the first adhesive layer 80 and the second adhesive layer 81 contain an adhesive that exhibits adhesiveness to resin films, paper, nonwoven fabrics, and the like. The adhesive contained in the first adhesive layer 80 and the second adhesive layer 81 is not particularly limited, and known adhesives can be used, for example, hot melt adhesives. As the hot melt adhesive, those having a melting point of 100°C or more and 180°C or less can be used without particular limitation, and examples thereof include synthetic rubber hot melt adhesives such as styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymers and styrene-isoprene-styrene copolymers, and olefin hot melt adhesives such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers. As a method for applying the hot melt adhesive to each skin side surface of the first individual packaging sheet 71 and the second individual packaging sheet 72, known methods such as a curtain coat method or a spiral method in which the molten hot melt adhesive is applied from a nozzle in a non-contact manner, and a slot method in which the adhesive is applied in a contact manner can be used. The first adhesive layer 80 and the second adhesive layer 81 may use the same adhesive, or different adhesives. Also, double-sided tape may be used for the first adhesive layer 80 and the second adhesive layer 81 instead of the adhesive.

Preferred embodiments include an embodiment in which the basis weight of the adhesive in the first adhesive layer 80 is greater than the basis weight of the adhesive in the second adhesive layer 81, an embodiment in which the adhesive in the first adhesive layer 80 has stronger adhesive strength than the adhesive in the second adhesive layer 81, and an embodiment in which the area of the first adhesive layer 80 is greater than the area of the second adhesive layer 81. According to these embodiments, it is possible to prevent the first individually packaged sheet 71 from being accidentally peeled off when the second individually packaged sheet 72 is peeled off.

(Release Layer)
In this embodiment, a release agent is applied to each of the skin-side surfaces of the first individual packaging sheet 71 and the second individual packaging sheet 72. More specifically, a first release layer 85 and a second release layer 86, which are thin layers containing a release agent (or a release agent), are formed on each of the skin-side surfaces of the first individual packaging sheet 71 and the second individual packaging sheet 72. The first release layer 85 and the second release layer 86 may be provided on the entire surface of each skin-side surface, or on a part of the surface, or may be provided in a scattered manner. According to this embodiment, the first individual packaging sheet 71 and the second individual packaging sheet 72 can be easily peeled off, and the absorbent article 50 can be easily replaced. The release agent is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include silicone-based release agents and fluorine-based release agents. Furthermore, by making the total area of the first peel-off layer 85 on the skin-side surface of the first individually packaged sheet 71 smaller than the total area of the second peel-off layer 86 on the skin-side surface of the second individually packaged sheet 72, it is possible to prevent the first individually packaged sheet 71 from being accidentally peeled off when the second individually packaged sheet 72 is peeled off.

<Method of manufacturing absorbent articles>
The absorbent article 50 can be manufactured by a known manufacturing method, and examples of such manufacturing methods include a process of accommodating the absorbent body 20 between the top sheet 10 and the back sheet 30, a process of fixing the edge of the top sheet 10 and the edge of the back sheet 30 partially or entirely around the periphery using a hot melt adhesive, heat embossing, ultrasonic embossing, high frequency embossing, or the like, a process of placing three-dimensional gathers 40 at predetermined positions on the back sheet 30 and the top sheet 10, a process of disposing a pair of side sheets 60 as necessary, and a process of adhering an individual package sheet 70 to the non-skin side surface of the back sheet 30 with a first adhesive layer 80. The absorbent article 50 is appropriately provided with leg gathers, waist gathers, side flaps, and the like as necessary. The absorbent article 50 thus obtained is folded and, as necessary, stored in an individual package made of a resin film or the like to be manufactured.

The absorbent article 50 produced as described above has two widthwise fold lines (imaginary lines) 61, 62 set at predetermined positions in the longitudinal direction, as shown in Figure 1. The fold line 61 to one end in the longitudinal direction closest to it is region 50B, and the fold line 62 to the other end in the longitudinal direction closest to it is region 50A. When the absorbent article 50 is manufactured, as shown in Figure 4, regions 50A, 50B are each folded toward the skin-facing surface of the top sheet 10 to obtain a folded body of the absorbent article 50, and this folded body is packaged in a resin film 55. The folded body is packaged in the resin film 55 by, for example, folding the resin film 55 in the longitudinal direction, sealing the end of the resin film 55 on the outer periphery side and the resin film 55 on the inner periphery side with tape (e.g., tag tape) 87, and sealing both ends in the width direction with heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, or the like to form a sealed portion 55a, thereby packaging the folded body of the absorbent article 50 in the resin film 55 and obtaining the individually packaged product 51. When the seal 87 of the product 51 is opened and the absorbent article 50 is taken out, the used absorbent article 50, which is folded in half and covered with the first individually packaged sheet 71 and the second adhesive layer 81, can be stored and disposed of with even greater concealment.

<How to replace absorbent articles>
Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a method for replacing a used absorbent article 50 (50a) with a new absorbent article 50 (50b). The replacement method shown in Fig. 3 includes a first step (Fig. 3(a)), a second step (Fig. 3(b)), a third step (Fig. 3(c)), and a fourth step (Fig. 3(d)), which are carried out in this order. Note that in Figs. 3(b) to 3(d), each main body part of the absorbent articles 50a, 50b except for the individual packaging sheet 70 is abbreviated as one layer, and the first peeling layer 85 and the second peeling layer 86 are omitted from the illustration.

In the first step shown in FIG. 3(a), the second individual packaging sheet 72 of the new absorbent article 50b is peeled off to expose the second adhesive layer 81, and then the new absorbent article 50b is attached to the skin-facing surface of the used absorbent article 50a attached to the underwear 90 via the exposed second adhesive layer 81 to obtain a laminate of the absorbent article 50b and the absorbent article 50a (hereinafter simply referred to as the "laminate"). By removing this laminate from the underwear 90 using both hands (not shown), it becomes unnecessary to adhere the new absorbent article 50b to the wearer's body or the wall of the toilet stall. In addition, since the second peeling layer 86 is formed between the second individual packaging sheet 72 and the second adhesive layer 81, only the second individual packaging sheet 72 can be easily peeled off by applying a small force to the end of the second individual packaging sheet 72 and pulling it.

In the second step shown in FIG. 3(b), the laminate obtained in the first step is folded in half so that the used absorbent article 50a is on the inside. At this time, the folding direction may be either the lengthwise direction or the widthwise direction, but from the viewpoint of ease of folding, it is preferable to fold in the lengthwise direction.

3(c), the folded laminate obtained in the second step is gradually separated with both hands at the interface (first peeling layer 85) between the first individual packaging sheet 71 and the first adhesive layer 80 of the new absorbent article 50b while maintaining the folded state of the used absorbent article 50a, to obtain the used absorbent article 50a folded in two and wrapped in the first individual packaging sheet 71 via the second adhesive layer 81, and the new absorbent article 50b in which only the first adhesive layer 80 of the individual packaging sheet 70 remains on the non-skin side surface of the back sheet 30. Note that the first individual packaging sheet 71 is configured to be wider than the main body portion of the absorbent article 50b excluding the individual packaging sheet 70, so that the used absorbent article 50a can be securely wrapped.

In the fourth step shown in FIG. 3(d), the new absorbent article 50b obtained in the third step, in which only the first adhesive layer 80 remains on the non-skin side surface of the back sheet 30, is attached to the underwear 90 by the first adhesive layer 80, and the used absorbent article 50a obtained in the third step, folded in half and wrapped with good concealment in the first individual packaging sheet 71, is disposed of in a trash can or the like, completing the replacement process.

In this way, according to this embodiment, both hands are free during the replacement procedure, there is no need to attach the new absorbent article 50b to a wall or the like, and there is no risk of it falling to the floor, so the replacement procedure can be carried out hygienically and safely.

Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments and examples. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. Furthermore, it is clear from the claims that forms incorporating such modifications or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Top sheet 20 Absorbent body 30 Back sheet 40 Three-dimensional gather 40a Elastically stretchable member 40b Sheet member 50, 50a, 50b Absorbent article 51 Product (individually packaged body)
55 Resin film 55a Sealed portion 60 Side sheet 61, 62 Fold-back line 70 Individually wrapped sheet 71 First individually wrapped sheet 72 Second individually wrapped sheet 80 First adhesive layer 81 Second adhesive layer 85 First release layer 86 Second release layer 87 Tape 90 Underwear

Claims (4)

A method for replacing a used absorbent article with a new absorbent article, comprising the steps of:
The absorbent article comprises a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, an absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, and an individually wrapped sheet disposed on a non-skin-facing surface of the back sheet,
The individually wrapped sheet includes a first individually wrapped sheet positioned on the skin side and a second individually wrapped sheet positioned on the non-skin side,
the individual package sheet further comprises a first adhesive layer bonding the non-skin side surface of the back sheet to the skin side surface of the first individual package sheet, a second adhesive layer bonding the non-skin side surface of the first individually package sheet to the skin side surface of the second individually package sheet, a first release layer interposed between the first individually package sheet and the first adhesive layer and assisting in peeling the first individually package sheet from the first adhesive layer, and a second release layer interposed between the second individually package sheet and the second adhesive layer and assisting in peeling the second individually package sheet from the second adhesive layer,
A first step of adhering a skin-facing surface of the used absorbent article adhered to a wearer's underwear to the second adhesive layer of the new absorbent article to obtain a laminate, and removing the laminate from the underwear;
A second step of folding the laminate in half with the used absorbent article on the inside;
a third step of separating the laminate in half at an interface between the first adhesive layer and the first individually wrapped sheet of the new absorbent article to separate the used absorbent article wrapped with the first individually wrapped sheet and the second adhesive layer from the new absorbent article in which only the first adhesive layer remains on the non-skin-facing surface of the back sheet;
and a fourth step of attaching a new absorbent article to the wearer's undergarments. The method for replacing an absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the absorbent article further comprises a pair of liquid-impermeable side sheets at both ends of the absorbent article in the longitudinal direction on the skin-facing surface of the top sheet. The method for replacing an absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first and second individually wrapped sheets are each a resin film, paper, a nonwoven fabric, an antibacterial nonwoven fabric, or a laminate of two or more of these. The method for replacing an absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first release layer and the second release layer each contain a silicone-based release agent or a fluorine-based release agent.