CN109069318B - Disposable diaper having a disposable diaper core - Google Patents

Abstract

A diaper (1) comprises an absorbent main body (10), a rear waist portion (20), and a front waist portion (30). Both side ends (200) of the rear waist portion (20) and both side ends (300) of the front waist portion (30) are connected to each other, respectively. A cutout portion (40) is provided in a widthwise central portion of the front waist portion (30) at a vertically upper end portion (34 a) of the front waist portion (30). Wherein the overlapping portions (35) having a number of layers greater than the number of layers in the vertically lower end portion (34 b) of the front waist portion (30) are disposed higher in the vertical direction than the lower ends (402) of the cutout portions (40) of the front waist portion (30).

Description

Disposable diaper having a disposable diaper core

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to disposable diapers.

Background

A pull-on disposable diaper having a single waist opening and a pair of leg openings is known. For example, patent document 1 discloses a disposable diaper including a front waist portion (front body part), a crotch portion, a rear waist portion (rear body part), an exterior member formed by connecting both end portions (side edges) of the front waist portion and the rear waist portion (side edge connecting portions) to each other, respectively, to provide a pair of connecting portions, and an absorbent main body disposed inside the exterior member. Fig. 3A, 3B and 3C propose a disposable diaper having a cutout portion formed at the center of an upper end portion of a front waist portion so that an upper end edge of the front waist portion is formed in a downwardly convex shape.

[ list of citations ]

[ patent document ]

Patent document 1: JP-A-2012-192115

Disclosure of Invention

[ problem ] to

In a disposable diaper having a cutout portion positioned at the center of an upper end portion of a front waist portion, the upper end portion of the front waist portion is manufactured to be discontinuous from the cutout portion in a lateral direction. Therefore, in the manufacturing process, if both side end portions of the rear waist portion and both side end portions of the front waist portion are connected to each other, respectively, in a state where the front waist portion is pulled in the transverse direction, they can be connected together in a state where the upper end portions positioned on both side surfaces of the cutout portion are curled downward, i.e., toward the crotch portion side of the wearer. Therefore, deviation may occur in the connection portion.

In view of the above-described problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a disposable diaper capable of suppressing deviation of a connecting portion between both side end portions of a front waist portion and both side end portions of a rear waist portion.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a disposable diaper having a vertical direction and a lateral direction crossing the vertical direction, the disposable diaper comprising: an absorbent main body for absorbing excreta; a rear waist portion positioned at one end side of the absorbent main body; and a front waist portion positioned at the other end side of the absorbent main body, both side ends of the rear waist portion and both side ends of the front waist portion being connected to each other, respectively, a cutout portion being provided on a widthwise central portion of a vertically upper end of the front waist portion, wherein a portion of the layer number larger than that in a vertically lower end of the front waist portion is provided higher than a lower end of the cutout portion of the front waist portion in the vertical direction. Other features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the description in the following specification and drawings.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress deviation of the connecting portion between both lateral end portions of the front waist portion and both lateral end portions of the rear waist portion.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an exemplary configuration of a diaper according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the diaper in an unfolded and stretched state as viewed from the skin side of the wearer;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2;

fig. 4A to 4C are explanatory views showing the front waist portion, wherein fig. 4A is an explanatory plan view showing the periphery of the front waist portion in a deployed and extended state, fig. 4B is a sectional view taken along line IVB-IVB of fig. 4A, and fig. 4C is a sectional view taken along line IVC-IVC of fig. 4A;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a diaper manufacturing process;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a folding step of the diaper manufacturing process;

fig. 7A to 7C are explanatory views showing a diaper in a comparative example, in which fig. 7A is an explanatory plan view showing a state of a front waist portion during manufacture, fig. 7B is a sectional view showing the front waist portion of the diaper, and fig. 7C is an explanatory plan view showing a state of a connecting portion;

fig. 8A to 8C are explanatory views showing the front waist portion of a diaper according to a first modification, in which fig. 8A is an explanatory plan view showing the periphery of the front waist portion in an unfolded stretched state, fig. 8B is a sectional view taken along line VIIIB-VIIIB of fig. 8A, and fig. 8C is a sectional view taken along line VIIIC-VIIIC in fig. 8A;

fig. 9A to 9C are explanatory views showing the front waist portion of a diaper according to a second modification, in which fig. 9A is an explanatory plan view showing the periphery of the front waist circumference in an unfolded stretched state, fig. 9B is a sectional view taken along the line IXB-IXB of fig. 9A, and fig. 9C is a sectional view taken along the line IXC-IXC of fig. 9A;

fig. 10A to 10C are explanatory views illustrating the front waist portion of a diaper according to a second embodiment of the invention, in which fig. 10A is an explanatory plan view showing the periphery of the front waist circumference in an unfolded stretched state, fig. 10B is a sectional view taken along the line XB-XB of fig. 10A, and fig. 10C is a sectional view taken along the line IVC-IVC of fig. 10A;

fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an overlapping step of the manufacturing process of the diaper according to the second embodiment.

Detailed Description

At least the following features will be apparent from the description and drawings.

In the following description, there is disclosed a disposable diaper having a vertical direction and a lateral direction crossing the vertical direction, the disposable diaper comprising: an absorbent main body which absorbs excrement; a rear waist portion positioned at one end side of the absorbent main body; and a front waist portion positioned at the other end side of the absorbent main body, both side end portions of the rear waist portion and both side end portions of the front waist portion being connected to each other, respectively, a cutout portion being provided at a widthwise central portion of a vertically upper end portion of the front waist portion, wherein a portion having a greater number of layers than in a vertically lower end portion of the front waist portion is provided higher than a lower end of the cutout portion of the front waist portion in the vertical direction.

According to this disposable diaper, since the portion in which the number of layers is larger than that in the lower end portion is provided in both sides of the cutout portion in the front waist portion, the rigidity of the portion increases. Therefore, when both lateral end portions of the front waist portion and both lateral end portions of the rear waist portion are respectively connected to each other in a state where the front waist portion is pulled laterally, the upper end portions are less likely to curl downward. Therefore, the deviation of the connecting portion between both lateral end portions of the front waist portion and both lateral end portions of the rear waist portion can be suppressed.

In the above-described disposable diaper, it is desirable that the portion in which the number of plies is larger than that in the lower end portion of the front waist portion is disposed across the regions from the slit edge to both side end portions of the front waist portion in the lateral direction.

According to such a disposable diaper, the portion in which the number of layers is larger than the number of layers in the lower end portion across the region from the edge of the cutout portion to both lateral ends of the front waist portion is disposed in both side faces of the cutout portion of the front waist portion, and therefore the rigidity increases over the entire length in the lateral direction. Therefore, when both lateral end portions of the front waist portion and both lateral end portions of the rear waist portion are respectively connected to each other in a state where the front waist portion is pulled laterally, the upper end portion of the front waist portion is less likely to curl downward.

In the above-described disposable diaper, it is desirable to set the lower end of the portion in which the number of plies is larger than that in the lower end portion of the front waist portion lower than the lower end of the cutout portion in the vertical direction.

According to this disposable diaper, the portion in which the number of plies is greater than that in the lower end portion is disposed so as to extend lower than the lower end of the cutout portion in the front waist portion, and therefore the portion having high rigidity increases in the vertical direction. Therefore, when both lateral end portions of the front waist portion and both lateral end portions of the rear waist portion are respectively connected to each other in a state where the front waist portion is pulled laterally, the upper end portion of the front waist portion is less likely to curl downward.

In the above-described disposable diaper, it is desirable that the lower end of the portion in which the number of plies is larger than that in the lower end portion of the front waist portion is located vertically below the upper end of the absorbent main body.

According to this disposable diaper, in the front waist portion, the portion in which the number of plies is larger than that in the lower end portion is disposed up to a position where the portion overlaps with the absorbent main body, and therefore the portion having high rigidity increases in the vertical direction. Therefore, when both lateral end portions of the front waist portion and both lateral end portions of the rear waist portion are respectively connected to each other in a state where the front waist portion is pulled laterally, the upper end portion of the front waist portion is less likely to curl downward.

In the above-described disposable diaper, it is desirable that the absorbent main body includes therein an absorbent core, and wherein a lower end of a lower end portion of the front waist portion, which has a greater number of layers than in the portion, is located vertically below an upper end of the absorbent core.

According to this disposable diaper, since the portion in which the number of layers is larger than that in the lower end portion is disposed in the front waist portion up to a position where the portion overlaps with the absorbent core having a certain rigidity, the portion having a high rigidity increases in the vertical direction. Therefore, when both lateral end portions of the front waist portion and both lateral end portions of the rear waist portion are respectively connected to each other in a state where the front waist portion is pulled laterally, the upper end portion of the front waist portion is less likely to curl downward.

In the above-described disposable diaper, it is desirable that the front waist portion includes a sheet member, and the portion in which the number of plies is larger than the number of plies in the lower end portion of the front waist portion includes a folded portion formed by folding down the vertically upper end portion of the sheet member.

According to such a disposable diaper, the folded portion formed by folding down the upper end portion of the sheet member of the front waist portion forms the portion in which the number of layers is larger than that in the lower end portion of the front waist portion, and thus there is no need to separately provide a sheet member for increasing the number of layers, so that the number of materials can be reduced.

In the above-described disposable diaper, it is desirable that the front waist portion includes a sheet member, and that portion in which the number of plies is greater than the number of plies in the lower end portion of the front waist portion is provided with a sheet member different from the sheet member constituting the lower end portion.

According to such a disposable diaper, by overlapping the separate sheet members except the sheet member constituting the lower end portion of the front waist portion, the portion in which the number of layers is larger than the number of layers in the lower end portion of the front waist portion is formed, so that the disposable diaper can be manufactured without requiring a complicated process, for example, as compared with a case where the portion is formed by folding the sheet member.

In the above-described disposable diaper, it is desirable that the upper end of the portion in which the number of plies is greater than that in the lower end portion of the front waist portion is located vertically below the uppermost end of the front waist portion.

According to such a disposable diaper, the upper end of the portion having the number of layers greater than the number of layers in the lower end portion of the front waist portion is located vertically below the uppermost end of the front waist portion, that is, the upper end portion of the front waist portion does not have the portion in which the number of layers is greater than the number of layers in the lower end portion of the front waist portion, so that the rigidity is reduced in the vicinity of the waist opening, whereby the soft texture can be improved.

In the above-described disposable diaper, it is desirable that the front waist portion includes an elastic member positioned on each side of the cut-out portion and higher in the vertical direction than the lower end of the cut-out portion, the elastic member being extensibly contractible in the lateral direction.

According to this disposable diaper, the front waist portion has an elastic member of a certain rigidity, which is positioned on each side of the cutout portion and is higher in the vertical direction than the lower end of the cutout portion, so that the rigidity of the upper end portion of the front waist portion is increased. Therefore, when both lateral end portions of the front waist portion and both lateral end portions of the rear waist portion are respectively connected to each other in a state where the front waist portion is pulled laterally, the upper end portion of the front waist portion is less likely to curl downward.

In the above-described disposable diaper, it is desirable that the elastic member is provided in a portion in which the number of layers is larger than that in the lower end portion of the front waist portion.

According to such a disposable diaper, an elastic member having a certain rigidity is provided in the portion in which the number of layers is larger than that in the lower end portion of the front waist portion, so that the rigidity is increased in the portion. Therefore, when both lateral end portions of the front waist portion and both lateral end portions of the rear waist portion are respectively connected to each other in a state where the front waist portion is pulled laterally, the upper end portion of the front waist portion is less likely to curl downward.

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a disposable diaper having a vertical direction and a lateral direction crossing the vertical direction, the disposable diaper comprising: an absorbent main body which absorbs excrement; a rear waist portion positioned at one end side of the absorbent main body; and a front waist portion positioned at the other end side of the absorbent main body, the method including: a first step of increasing the number of layers on a side higher than a vertical lower end portion of the front waist portion; a second step of forming a cutout portion in a widthwise central portion of a vertically upper end portion of the front waist portion after the first step; and a third step of connecting both side end portions of the rear waist portion and both side end portions of the front waist portion to each other, respectively, after the second step, wherein in the second step, the cutout portions are formed such that lowermost ends of the cutout portions are positioned above upper ends of the portions having the larger number of layers formed in the first step.

According to this method of manufacturing a disposable diaper, the slit portions are formed and both lateral end portions of the rear waist portion and both lateral end portions of the front waist portion are connected to each other, respectively, in a state in which the rigidity is increased by increasing the number of layers on the side higher than the lower end portion of the front waist portion. Therefore, the upper end portion of the front waist portion is less likely to curl downward at the time of such connection, so that the deviation of the connection portion between the both side end portions of the front waist portion and the both side end portions of the rear waist portion can be suppressed.

First embodiment

By way of example, a pull-on disposable diaper that is generally pulled on a newborn is described as the disposable diaper 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "diaper 1") according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

< construction of diaper 1 >

First, the construction of the diaper 1 will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 3.

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an exemplary configuration of a diaper 1. Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the diaper 1 in a developed and stretched state as viewed from the skin side of the wearer. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in fig. 2.

The diaper 1 has a "vertical direction", a "lateral direction" intersecting the vertical direction as shown in fig. 1, and a "thickness direction" as shown in fig. 3. In the vertical direction, the waist side of the wearer will be referred to as "upper side", and the crotch side of the wearer will be referred to as "lower side". In addition, assuming that the wearer wears the diaper 1, the side of the front side of the wearer will be simply referred to as "front side", and the side of the rear side of the wearer will be simply referred to as "rear side". The "thickness direction" refers to a direction in which the components of the diaper 1 are stacked. Assuming that the wearer wears the diaper 1, the side in contact with the wearer's skin will be referred to as the "skin side", and the side opposite thereto will be referred to as the "non-skin side".

The diaper 1 is assumed to be a so-called three-piece diaper having a belt-like absorbent main body 10, a rear waist portion 20 positioned at the rear of the wearer, and a front waist portion 30 positioned at the front of the wearer.

As shown in fig. 2, in the diaper 1 in the unfolded state, the rear waist portion 20 is placed on one longitudinal end side 10a of the absorbent main body 10, and the front waist portion 30 is placed on the other longitudinal side 10b of the absorbent main body 10. That is, the absorbent main body 10 extends with a spacing between the rear waist portion 20 and the front waist portion 30.

The absorbent main body 10 of the diaper 1 is folded in half with respect to its longitudinal center such that the uppermost end 201 of the rear waist portion 20 and the uppermost end 301 of the front waist portion 30 are aligned with each other. Then, both side ends 200 of the rear waist portion 20 and both side ends 300 of the front waist portion 30 are connected to each other, thereby providing a pull-on diaper having a single waist opening 1HB and two leg openings 1HL (see fig. 1). In this way, a pair of connecting portions 100 is formed by connecting both side end portions 200 of the rear waist portion 20 and both side end portions 300 of the front waist portion 30 to each other, respectively, as shown in fig. 1.

A plurality of elastic members oriented in the transverse direction are disposed in the rear waist portion 20 and the front waist portion 30. As the plurality of elastic members contract in the lateral direction when the diaper 1 is worn, the diaper 1 is fitted to the rear waist portion and the front waist portion of the wearer to improve the fit. Note that the diaper 1 has an extended state in the developed state of fig. 2. Here, the "stretched state" refers to a state in which the rear waist portion 20 and the front waist portion 30 are stretched without gathers by stretching the plurality of elastic members of the rear waist portion 20 and the front waist portion 30 in the transverse direction. More specifically, in the stretched state, the rear waist portion 20 is stretched until the transverse dimension of the rear waist portion 20 becomes equal to or close to the transverse dimension of the sheet member of the rear waist portion 20 itself, and the front waist portion 30 is stretched until the transverse dimension of the front waist portion 30 becomes equal to or close to the transverse dimension of the sheet member of the front waist portion 30 itself.

The absorbent main body 10 is a member to be placed against the crotch of the wearer to absorb excrement such as urine. As shown in fig. 3, the absorbent main body 10 includes a topsheet 11 disposed on the skin side, a backsheet 13 disposed on the non-skin side, an absorbent core 12 disposed between the topsheet 11 and the backsheet 13, and an outer sheet 14 disposed closer to the non-skin side than the backsheet 13. As shown in fig. 2, the absorbent main body 10 also has side panels 15 positioned on both sides.

The top sheet 11 is a liquid-permeable sheet member such as nonwoven fabric, and the back sheet 13 is a liquid-impermeable sheet member such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The absorbent core 12 is formed by laminating liquid-absorbent materials such as pulp fibers or super absorbent polymers. Note that the absorbent core 12 may be covered with a so-called core wrap as a liquid-permeable sheet-like member such as a nonwoven fabric or tissue. The outer sheet 14 is a soft sheet member such as nonwoven fabric.

The side sheet 15 is a leakage-preventing sheet member obtained by processing, for example, nonwoven fabric or the like. As shown in fig. 2, elastic members 151 extendably contractible in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body 10 are provided at the laterally outer ends of the side sheets 15. As a result, both side portions of the absorbent main body 10 function as so-called leg gathers LG to fit both legs of the wearer. For example, an elastic thread or an elastic sheet may be used as the elastic member 151. Note that, in fig. 2, the elastic member 151 is indicated by a one-dot chain line.

Meanwhile, the laterally inner ends of the side panels 15 are folded outward in the lateral direction, so that the folded portions are provided with elastic members (not shown) which are extendably contractible in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body 10. As a result, the laterally inner end of the side sheet 15 functions as a so-called barrier cuff LSG which can be supported on the skin side to prevent leakage of excrement.

As shown in fig. 2, the rear waist portion 20 has a rectangular shape with its longer sides in the lateral direction when viewed in plan. As shown in fig. 3, the rear waist portion 20 has an inner sheet 21 disposed on the skin side, an outer sheet 22 disposed on the non-skin side, and a plurality of elastic members 23 extendably contractible in the transverse direction. The inner sheet member 21 and the outer sheet member 22 are sheet members such as nonwoven fabric.

A plurality of elastic members 23 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction between the inner sheet 21 and the outer sheet 22, and are fixed to the inner sheet 21 and the outer sheet 22 while being stretched in the transverse direction. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of elastic threads are employed as the plurality of elastic members 23. However, the elastic yarn is not limited to a plurality of elastic yarns, and for example, a linear polyurethane elastic fiber, a sheet-like elastic member, or the like may be used. Note that the plurality of elastic members 23 are indicated by broken lines in fig. 1 and 2.

As shown in fig. 2, the elastic member 23 arranged above the absorbent core 12 in the vertical direction is continuously provided from one end to the other end in the lateral direction. The elastic member 23 overlapping the absorbent core 12 has a discontinuous portion on the absorbent core 12. In this way, since the elastic member 23 has a discontinuous portion on the absorbent core 12, it is possible to suppress excessive contraction of the absorbent core 12 on the rear side in the transverse direction and to allow the absorbent core 12 to closely rest on the rear of the wearer without a gap. This can suppress leakage of excrement.

As shown in fig. 2, the front waist portion 30 has a rectangular shape with its longer side in the lateral direction when viewed in plan. As shown in fig. 3, the front waist portion 30 has an inner sheet 31 disposed on the skin side, an outer sheet 32 disposed on the non-skin side, and a plurality of elastic members 33 extensibly contractible in the transverse direction. The inner sheet 31 and the outer sheet 32 are sheet members such as nonwoven fabric. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the front waist portion 30 has the folded portion 320 formed by folding down the vertically upper end portion of the outer sheet 32. As shown in fig. 3, the folded portion 320 is arranged on the skin side of the inner sheet 31 and the non-skin side of the absorbent main body 10 in the thickness direction. The folded portion 320 will be described in detail below.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the front waist portion 30 has a cutout portion 40, and the cutout portion 40 is formed by cutting a widthwise central portion of the vertically upper end portion 34a downward in an arc shape from an uppermost end 301. Therefore, the "upper end portion 34a" refers to a region extending from the lowermost end 402 of the cutout portion 40 to the uppermost end 301 of the front waist portion 30 in the vertical direction of the front waist portion 30. Note that although in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the cutout portion 40 has an arc shape protruding downward, the cutout portion 40 may have other shapes such as a rectangular shape, not limited to an arc shape. In this case, since the cutout portion 40 is formed by a straight line, the design work can be simplified. For example, the cutout portion 40 may be a straight slit having a predetermined length in the vertical direction. In this case, it is possible to facilitate the manufacturing and prevent the cut portion to be discarded from being generated during the manufacturing. In fig. 3, respective portions of the inner sheet 31 and the outer sheet 32 (including the folded portion 320) cut out by the cutout portions 40 are indicated by broken lines.

In this way, since the front waist portion 30 has the cutout portion 40, it is possible to avoid a wet navel of a newborn as a wearer or a clip which the newborn is worn on his/her navel to prevent bleeding from hitting the front waist portion 30. In addition, it is also possible to avoid an event such as a person (mother or the like) who puts the diaper 1 on a newborn baby worrying about the diaper 1 coming into contact with the navel or the like and failing to sufficiently pull the diaper 1 upward to cause leakage of excrement. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the rear waist portion 20 has no cutout portion. However, the cutout portion may also be provided in the rear waist portion 20.

A plurality of elastic members 33 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction between the inner sheet 31 and the outer sheet 32, and are fixed to the inner sheet 31 and the outer sheet 32 while being stretched in the transverse direction. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of elastic threads are employed as the plurality of elastic members 33. However, similar to the plurality of elastic members 23, other materials may be used for the plurality of elastic members 33 instead of the plurality of elastic threads. For example, linear polyurethane elastic fibers, sheet-like elastic members, and the like may also be used. Note that the plurality of elastic members 33 are indicated by broken lines in fig. 1 and 2.

As shown in fig. 2, the elastic member 33, which is arranged higher than the absorbent core 12 in the vertical direction and lower than the lower end 402 of the cutout portion 40, continuously extends from one end to the other end in the transverse direction. The elastic member 33 disposed to overlap the absorbent core 12 has a discontinuous portion on the absorbent core 12. Since the elastic member 33 has a discontinuous portion on the absorbent core 12, it is possible to suppress excessive contraction of the absorbent core 12 in the transverse direction on the front side and to bring the absorbent core 12 into close contact with the front of the wearer without a gap. This produces an effect of suppressing leakage of excrement.

In the portion higher than the lower end 402 of the cutout portion 40 in the vertical direction on both sides of the cutout portion 40, the elastic members 33 are continuously provided from the edge 401 of the cutout portion 40 to both side ends 300 of the front waist portion 30.

< folded part 320>

Next, the folded portion 320 of the front waist portion 30 will be described in detail with reference to fig. 4A to 4C.

Fig. 4A to 4C are explanatory views for describing the front waist portion 30. Fig. 4A is an explanatory plan view showing the periphery of the front waist portion 30 in the unfolded and stretched state. Fig. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVB-IVB of fig. 4A. Fig. 4C is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVC-IVC of fig. 4A. Note that, in fig. 4B, respective portions of the inner layer sheet 31 and the outer layer sheet 32 (including the folded portion 320) cut out by the cutout portion 40 are indicated by broken lines.

As shown in fig. 4B and 4C, since the front waist portion 30 is provided with the folded portion 320, the front waist portion 30 has a portion 35 in which the number of layers is larger than that in the lower end portion 34B. In the following description, "the portion 35 in which the number of layers is larger than that in the lower end portion 34 b" will be referred to as "the overlapping portion 35". Specifically, the number of layers in the overlapping portion 35 is 3, and the number of layers in the lower end portion 34b of the front waist portion 30 is 2, so that the number of layers in the overlapping portion 35 is larger than that in the lower end portion 34 b. In the overlapping portion 35, the number of layers increases due to the folded portion 320. That is, the number of layers increases as much as the upper end portion of the outer sheet 32 is folded downward. As a result, the rigidity of the overlapping portion 35 is greater than the rigidity of the lower end portion 34b of the front waist portion 30.

Here, "stiffness" refers to deformability in response to an external force applied to the front waist portion 30. As the rigidity value for comparing the rigidity levels, for example, a value obtained by dividing a measurement value based on the Gurley bending resistance by the length of the sample may be used. The Gurley bending resistance can be measured based on the standard JIS-L1096 using a Gurley type rigidity tester No.311 manufactured by YASUDA SEIKI SEISAKUSHO Co., ltd.

In this way, since the overlapped portion 35 is formed by the folded portion 320, it is not necessary to separately provide a sheet member for increasing the number of layers in the overlapped portion 35. Therefore, the number of members constituting the front waist portion 30 can be reduced. However, the overlapping portion 35 need not be provided with the folded portion 320. A case where the overlapped portion 35 is formed by providing other types of sheet members will be described below in conjunction with the second embodiment.

According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 4A and 4B, the lower end 352 of the overlapping portion 35 is located vertically below the upper end 101 of the absorbent main body 10 and higher than the upper end 121 of the absorbent core 12. Thus, the lower end 352 of the overlapping portion 35 is positioned below the lower end 402 of the cut-out portion 40 at least in the vertical direction.

According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated in fig. 4C, the upper end 311 of the inner sheet 31 is vertically below the uppermost end 301 of the front waist portion 30. Therefore, as with the lower end portion 34b, the number of layers is 2 in the portion from the upper end 311 of the inner sheet 31 to the uppermost end 301 of the front waist portion 30 in the vertical direction. The overlapping portion 35 of the number of layers 3 corresponds to a portion from the lower end 322 of the folded portion 320 to the upper end 311 of the inner sheet 31 in the vertical direction.

That is, the position in the vertical direction of the lower end 352 of the overlapping portion 35 is the same as the position of the lower end 322 of the folded portion 320, and the position in the vertical direction of the upper end 351 of the overlapping portion 35 is the same as the position of the upper end 311 of the inner sheet 31. Therefore, the upper end 351 of the overlapping portion 35 is located vertically below the uppermost end 301 of the front waist portion 30.

In this way, since the overlapping portion 35 is not provided in the upper end portion of the front waist portion 30 (the portion vertically higher than the upper end 311 of the inner layer sheet 31), the rigidity of the front waist portion 30 in the vicinity of the waist opening 1HB (see fig. 1) is lower (softer) than the rigidity of the overlapping portion 35. Therefore, the texture of the diaper 1 when worn can be improved.

According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 4A, the overlapping portion 35 extends from the edge 401 of the cutout portion 40 to one end 300a and the other end 300b (both ends 300) of the front waist portion 30 in a portion vertically above the lower end 402 of the cutout portion 40. Therefore, a pair of elastic members 33 disposed on both sides of the cutout portion 40 of the front waist portion 30 and higher than the lower end 402 of the cutout portion 40 in the vertical direction are provided in the overlap portion 35.

The overlapping portion 35 extends continuously from one end 300a to the other end 300b in the lateral direction of the front waist portion 30 on the side lower than the lower end 402 of the cutout portion 40 in the vertical direction. Therefore, a plurality of elastic members 33 arranged lower than the lower end 402 of the cutout portion 40 in the vertical direction are provided in the overlapping portion 35. In fig. 4A, the range of the overlapping portion 35 is indicated by a thick line. In this way, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the overlapping portion 35 extends from one lateral end portion 300a to the other lateral end portion 300b of the front waist portion 30 except for the cutout portion 40. Thus, the stiffness increases in the transverse direction.

Note that, in the lower end portion 34b of the front waist portion 30, the number of layers is two, and therefore, the rigidity thereof is lower than that of the overlapping portion 35. Since the lower end portion 34b is close to the wearer's legs, the lower end portion 34b becomes soft at the wearer's legs. Therefore, by setting the rigidity of the lower end portion 34b lower than the rigidity of the overlapping portion 35, the uncomfortable feeling when worn can be reduced.

< method for producing diaper 1 >

Next, a method of manufacturing the diaper 1 will be described with reference to fig. 5 and 6.

Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a manufacturing process of the diaper 1. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the folding step S2 in the manufacturing process of the diaper 1.

As shown in fig. 5, the method of manufacturing the diaper 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a waist forming step S1, a folding step S2, an absorbent body transferring step S3, a cut portion forming step S4, a laminating step S5, a joining step S6, and a cutting step S7.

In the waist forming step S1, a plurality of elastic members 23 and 33 in the conveying direction are conveyed while being arranged between an inner sheet member P1 of an inner sheet 31 including the inner sheet 21 of the rear waist portion 20 and the front waist portion 30 and an outer sheet member P2 of an outer sheet 32 including the outer sheet 22 of the rear waist portion 20 and the front waist portion 30 (the inner sheet member P1, the outer sheet member P2, and the plurality of elastic members 23 and 33). In this case, the plurality of elastic members 23 and 33 are conveyed in the conveying direction in a stretched state.

Cut portions C1 and C2 for separating the inner sheet member P1 and the outer sheet member P2 into the rear waist portion 20 side and the front waist portion 30 side are formed in central portions in the width direction (perpendicular to the conveying direction) of the sheet members, respectively. The cut portions C1 and C2 are formed such that the cut portion C1 of the inner sheet member P1 and the cut portion C2 of the outer sheet member P2 are laminated so as to be aligned with each other when the inner sheet member P1 and the outer sheet member P2 are laminated with each other. In this way, in the waist forming step S1, respective portions corresponding to the rear waist portion 20 and the front waist portion 30 of the diaper 1 are formed.

In fig. 5 and 6, the conveying direction of the member is indicated by an arrow MD, and the direction (vertical direction) perpendicular to the conveying direction is indicated by a double-headed arrow CD. In the following description, the conveying direction will be referred to as "MD direction", and the vertical direction will be referred to as "CD direction".

In the folding step S2, as shown in fig. 6, when the inner sheet member P1 and the outer sheet member P2 stacked on each other pass through the nip portion N, the outer end portion in the CD direction corresponding to the front waist portion 30 is folded inward. As a result, as shown enlarged in fig. 5, a portion corresponding to the folded portion 320 and a portion corresponding to the overlapping portion 35 are formed. Therefore, as shown in fig. 5 in an enlarged manner, in the waist portion forming step S1, the length in the CD direction corresponding to the front waist portion 30 is set to be longer than the length in the CD direction corresponding to the rear waist portion 20.

In the absorbent body transferring step S3, a transferring operation is performed so that the absorbent body 10, in which the absorbent core 12 is disposed, is stretched between a side corresponding to the rear waist portion 20 and a side corresponding to the front waist portion 30 spaced apart in the CD direction by the cut portions C1 and C2, as shown in fig. 5. In this case, the transfer operation is performed so that the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body 10 is aligned with the CD direction.

In the notch portion forming step S4, the inner sheet member P1 and the outer sheet member P2 are cut in an arc shape from the outer edge inward in the CD direction on the side corresponding to the front waist portion 30. As a result, the cutout portion 40 is formed (see fig. 1 and 2). In this case, the cutout portion 40 is formed such that the lowermost end 402 of the cutout portion 40 is positioned below the upper end 351 of the overlapping portion 35 formed in the folding step S2 (see fig. 4A and 4C). In the manufacturing process of the diaper 1, the cut-out portion 40 is formed after the overlapping portion 35 having a certain rigidity is formed in the folding step S2 in this manner.

In the laminating step S5, the side corresponding to the front waist portion 30 is folded to be in contact with the side corresponding to the rear waist portion 20 to match the laminating position in the MD direction provided in the longitudinal direction central portion of the absorbent main body 10. As a result, the absorbent main body 10 is folded in half.

In the connecting step S6, the respective portions of the two side end portions 200 corresponding to the rear waist portion 20 and the respective portions of the two side end portions 300 corresponding to the front waist portion 30 are connected to each other, respectively, in a state where the side corresponding to the rear waist portion 20 and the side corresponding to the front waist portion 30 are pulled in the MD direction, for example, by thermal bonding or ultrasonic bonding. As a result, respective portions corresponding to a pair of the connection portions 100 (see fig. 1) are formed.

In the cutting step S7, respective portions corresponding to the pair of connection portions 100 formed in the connection step S6 are cut along the dicing line in the CD direction. As a result, the diaper 1 having a laminated state is produced.

According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the manufacturing process is performed in the order of the waist forming step S1, the folding step S2, the absorbent body transferring step S3, the slit portion forming step S4, the laminating step S5, the connecting step S6, and the cutting step S7. However, without being limited to this processing order, for example, the absorber main body transferring step S3 may follow the slit portion forming step S4. In this case, the longitudinal length of the absorbent main body 10 must be set so as not to overlap with the area of the cut portion 40.

The manufacturing process of the diaper 1 may not be limited as long as at least the step of forming the slit portions 40 (slit portion forming step S4) follows the folding step S2 and the joining step S6 follows the step of forming the slit portions 40. That is, as a step of increasing the number of layers in the upper end portion 34a of the front waist portion 30, the first step refers to a step of forming a portion corresponding to the folded portion 320, the second step refers to a step of forming the cutout portion 40, and the third step refers to a step of connecting portions corresponding to both side end portions 200 of the rear waist portion 20 and portions corresponding to both side end portions 300 of the front waist portion 30, respectively. In this case, at least the first to third steps may be performed in this order.

< differences from diaper 1A of comparative example >

Next, differences between the diaper 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure and the diaper 1A according to the comparative example will be described with reference to fig. 4A to 4C and 7A to 7C.

Fig. 7A to 7C are explanatory views showing a diaper 1A of a comparative example. Fig. 7A is an explanatory plan view showing a state on the front waist portion 30A side during manufacture. Fig. 7B is a sectional view showing the front waist portion 30A of the diaper 1A. Fig. 7C is an explanatory plan view showing a state of the connection portion 100A. Note that in fig. 7A to 7C, the plurality of elastic members 33 are not shown for simplicity.

As shown in fig. 7B, the front waist portion 30A of the diaper 1A of the comparative example does not have a folded portion, unlike the front waist portion 30 of the diaper 1 of the embodiment of the present disclosure. That is, the upper end portion of the outer sheet 32 is not folded down. Therefore, as shown in fig. 7B, the number of layers in the front waist portion 30A is set to 2 in the region spanning from the vertically lowermost end 302 to the uppermost end 301, and the rigidity of the front waist portion 30A is lower in the region spanning the front waist portion 30A than the rigidity of the overlapping portion 35 of the front waist portion 30 in the diaper 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

In this case, in the connecting step S6 (see fig. 5), if the portions corresponding to the two side ends 200 of the rear waist portion 20 and the portions corresponding to the two side ends 300 of the front waist portion 30 are connected to each other in a state where the side corresponding to the front waist portion 30A is pulled in the lateral direction (the direction along the MD direction) (as shown in fig. 7A), the upper end portions 34a discontinuously formed by the cut portions 40 are connected in a state of being curled downward (toward the absorbent main body 10). As shown in fig. 7C, deviation may occur in the pair of connecting portions 100A. Note that fig. 7C shows, as an example, a case where the deviation occurs in only one of the pair of connecting portions 100A.

However, in the diaper 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, since the front waist portion 30 has the overlapping portion 35 having three layers on the side higher than the lower end 402 of the cutout portion 40 in the vertical direction as described above (see fig. 4B and 4C), the rigidity of the overlapping portion 35 becomes higher than the rigidity of the upper end portion 34a of the front waist portion 30A according to the comparative example. Therefore, in the connecting step S6, even when the portions corresponding to the two side ends 200 of the back waistline portion 20 and the portions corresponding to the two side ends 300 of the front waistline portion 30 are connected to each other in a state where the side corresponding to the front waistline portion 30 is pulled in the transverse direction (the direction in the MD direction), that is, when the plurality of elastic members 33 are stretched, the upper end portions 34a are less likely to be curled downward, so that the deviation of the pair of connecting portions 100 can be suppressed.

In the manufacturing method of the diaper 1, in the cut-out portion forming step S4, the cut-out portions 40 are formed (to form portions corresponding to the folded portions 320) in a state where the number of layers of the upper end portions 34a of the front waist portion 30 is increased in the folding step S2 to increase the rigidity, and then the process proceeds to the joining step S6. Therefore, the portion corresponding to the upper end portion 34a of the front waist portion 30 is less likely to curl in the connecting step S6, so that the deviation of the pair of connecting portions 100 can be suppressed.

According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, since the lower end 352 of the overlapping portion 35 is located vertically below the lower end 402 of the cutout portion 40 and also vertically below the upper end 101 of the absorbent main body 10 (see fig. 4A to 4C) as described above, the overlapping portion 35 is provided so as to straddle a region that is wider in the vertical direction. Therefore, a portion having high rigidity is increased. Therefore, even when work for connecting the both side ends 200 of the rear waist portion 20 and the both side ends 300 of the front waist portion 30 to each other, respectively, is performed in a state where the front waist portion 30 is pulled in the lateral direction, the upper end portion 34a is less likely to curl downward.

According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, as described above, the overlapping portion 35 is provided across the region on the side (see fig. 4A) higher than the lower end 402 of the cutout portion 40 at least in the vertical direction from the edge 401 of the cutout portion 40 to the both side ends 300 of the front waist portion 30, and therefore the rigidity across the entire region in the lateral direction is increased on both sides of the cutout portion 40. Note that the overlapping portions 35 need not be provided across the area from the edge 401 to both lateral ends 300 of the front waist portion 30. Instead, the overlapping portion 35 may be provided in a part of both side areas of the cutout portion 40.

In addition, since the elastic member 33 having a certain rigidity is provided higher in the vertical direction than the lower end 402 of the cutout portion 40 on both sides of the cutout portion 40 and overlaps with the overlapping portion 35 (see fig. 4A), the rigidity of the upper end portion 34A of the front waist portion 30 increases. Therefore, even when the both side end portions 200 of the rear waist portion 20 and the both side end portions 300 of the front waist portion 30 are connected together in a state where the front waist portion 30 is pulled in the lateral direction, the upper end portions 34a are less likely to be curled further downward. Note that the elastic member 33 does not necessarily overlap with the overlapping portion 35.

First modification

Next, the configuration of a diaper 1B according to a first modification will be described with reference to fig. 8A to 8C.

Fig. 8A to 8C are explanatory views showing the front waist portion 30B of the diaper 1B according to the first modification. Fig. 8A is an explanatory plan view showing the periphery of the front waist portion 30B in the unfolded and stretched state. Fig. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIIB-VIIIB of fig. 8A. Fig. 8C is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIIC-VIIIC of fig. 8A. In fig. 8A to 8C, the same elements as those in the diaper 1 of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. The same applies to the second modification (fig. 9A to 9C) and the second embodiment (fig. 10A to 10C and fig. 11).

In the diaper 1B according to this modification, the vertical length of the overlapping portion 35B is shorter than that of the overlapping portion 35 of the diaper 1 of the first embodiment. That is, the folding amount of the upper end portion in the outer sheet 32 of the front waist portion 30B is smaller than that of the diaper 1 according to the first embodiment, and the vertical length of the folded portion 320B is shorter than that of the folded portion 320 of the diaper 1 according to the first embodiment.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 8A, the lower end 352 of the overlapping portion 35B is vertically above the lower end 402 of the cutout portion 40. Therefore, the overlapping portion 35B is not provided lower than the lower end 402 of the cutout portion 40 in the vertical direction (as shown in fig. 8B), but the overlapping portion 35B is provided to extend each side of the cutout portion 40 laterally (as shown in fig. 8A and 8C). Note that, in fig. 8A, a range corresponding to the overlapping portion 35B is indicated by a thick line.

Even in this case, the overlapping portion 35B, which is higher in rigidity than the lower end portion 34B, is disposed higher than the lower end 402 of the cutout portion 40 in the vertical direction of the front waist portion 30B. Therefore, even when the both side ends 200 of the rear waist portion 20 and the both side ends 300 of the front waist portion 30B are respectively connected to each other in a state where the front waist portion 30B is pulled in the transverse direction (in the direction along the MD direction), that is, in a state where the plurality of elastic members 33 are stretched, the upper end portions 34a are less likely to be curled downward, so that the deviation of the pair of connecting portions 100 can be suppressed.

Therefore, unlike the diaper 1 of the first embodiment, the lower end 352 of the overlapping portion does not have to be located vertically below the lower end 402 of the cutout portion 40. Instead, at least the overlapping portion 35 may be disposed vertically higher than the lower end 402 of the cutout portion 40.

Second variant

Next, the configuration of a diaper 1C according to a second modification will be described with reference to fig. 9A to 9C.

Fig. 9A to 9C are explanatory views showing the front waist portion 30C of the diaper 1C according to the second modification. Fig. 9A is an explanatory plan view showing the periphery of the front waist portion 30C in the unfolded and stretched state. Fig. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IXB-IXB of fig. 9A. Figure 9C is a cross-sectional view taken along line IXC-IXC of figure 9A.

In the diaper 1C according to this modification, the vertical length of the overlapping portion 35C is longer than that of the overlapping portion 35 of the diaper 1 according to the first embodiment. Specifically, the folding amount of the upper end portion of the outer sheet 32 in the front waist portion 30C is larger than that of the diaper 1 of the first embodiment, and the vertical length of the folded portion 320C is longer than that of the folded portion 320 of the diaper 1 according to the first embodiment.

Therefore, as shown in fig. 9A, the lower end 352 of the overlapping portion 35C is located vertically below the upper end 121 of the absorbent core 12 of the absorbent main body 10, and the overlapping portion 35C overlaps with the absorbent core 12 in the thickness direction, as shown in fig. 9B. However, as shown in fig. 9A, the overlapping portion 35C is not provided in the lower end portion 34b of the front waist portion 30C, and two layers are formed in the lower end portion 34b according to this modification.

In this case, since the overlapping portion 35C extends up to a position where the overlapping portion 35C overlaps with the absorbent core 12 having a certain thickness, the high rigidity portion is further increased in the vertical direction. Therefore, even when the both side end portions 200 of the rear waist portion 20 and the both side end portions 300 of the front waist portion 30C are respectively connected to each other in a state where the front waist portion 30C is pulled in the transverse direction (in the direction along the MD direction), that is, in a state where the plurality of elastic members 33 are stretched, the upper end portions 34a are less likely to be curled downward, so that the deviation of the pair of connecting portions 100 can be further suppressed.

Second embodiment

Next, a diaper 1D according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to fig. 10A to 10C and fig. 11.

Fig. 10A to 10C are explanatory views showing the front waist portion 30D of the diaper 1D according to the second embodiment. Fig. 10A is an explanatory plan view showing the periphery of the front waist portion 30D in a deployed and extended state. Fig. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along line XB-XB of fig. 10A. Fig. 10C is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVC-IVC of fig. 10A. Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an overlapping step S20 in the manufacturing process of the diaper 1D according to the second embodiment.

Unlike the configuration of the overlapping portion 35 of the diaper 1 according to the first embodiment, the diaper 1D according to the second embodiment does not have a folded portion, and the overlapping portion 35D is provided with the separate sheet 36 as a sheet member different from the sheet members (the inner sheet 31 and the outer sheet 32) of the lower end portion 34b of the front waist portion 30D, as shown in fig. 10C.

In the manufacturing process of the diaper 1D according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the overlapping portion 35D is formed by the overlapping step S20 instead of the folding step S2 in the manufacturing process of the diaper 1 of the first embodiment. Specifically, after the waist portion forming step S1 (see fig. 5), in the overlapping step S20 shown in fig. 11, a sheet member (individual sheet 36) different from the inner sheet member P1 and the outer sheet member P2 is overlapped with the outer end portion in the CD direction on the side corresponding to the front waist portion 30D. As a result, the overlapping portion 35D is formed with a larger number of layers than the lower end portion 34 b.

In this way, the overlapped portion 35D is formed by placing at least the separate sheet 36 different from the inner sheet 31 and the outer sheet 32 constituting the lower end portion 34b of the front waist portion 30D on the side higher than the lower end 402 of the cutout portion 40 in the vertical direction. Therefore, compared with the case where the overlapping portion 35 is formed by folding the upper end portion of the outer sheet 32 as in the diaper 1 of the first embodiment, the diaper 1D can be manufactured without requiring a complicated process, for example.

According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the separate sheet 36 is disposed on the skin side of the inner sheet 31 and on the non-skin side of the absorbent main body 10 in the thickness direction, as illustrated in fig. 10B. Without being limited thereto, for example, the separate sheet 36 may be provided on the skin side of the absorbent main body 10 so as to cover a part of the other end side 10b of the absorbent main body 10. In this case, it is also possible to suppress discomfort that may be caused when worn by reducing the difference in thickness between the absorbent main body 10 and the front waist portion 30D.

Other examples

The foregoing embodiments have been described to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure and are not to be construed in a limiting sense. Various changes or modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, including, of course, its equivalents.

Although a so-called three-piece diaper including three separate components is described in the foregoing embodiments by way of example, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The present invention may also be applied to a diaper formed such that the rear waist portion, the front waist portion, and the absorbent main body are integrated and both side end portions of the rear waist portion and both side end portions of the front waist portion are connected to each other, respectively, without being limited thereto.

Although the description has been made assuming that the diaper is pulled on the newborn in the foregoing embodiment, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Babies larger than newborns or adults such as the elderly may also wear diapers.

Although the description has been made on the assumption that the upper end 351 of the overlapping portion 35 is vertically located below the uppermost end 301 of the waist portion 30, 30B, 30C, or 30D in the above-described embodiment, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The upper end 351 of the overlapping portion 35 may also be positioned vertically at the uppermost end 301.

Although the number of layers in the lower end portion 34b of the front waist portion 30 is set to 2 and the number of layers in the overlapping portion 35 is set to 3 in the above-described embodiment, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The number of layers is not particularly limited.

Although the overlapping portion 35 is formed in the front waist portion 30 in the foregoing embodiment, the present disclosure is not limited to the front waist portion 30. The overlapping portion 35 may also be formed in the rear waist portion 20.

[ list of reference numerals ]

1. 1B, 1C, 1D diaper (Disposable diaper)

10. Absorbent body

12. Absorbent core

20. Back waist part

30. Front waist part

31. Inner layer sheet (sheet member)

32. Outer sheet (sheet member)

33. Elastic member

34a upper end portion

34b lower end portion

35. Overlapping portion (portion in which the number of layers is larger than that in the lower end portion)

36. Independent sheet

40. Cut-out portion

101. Upper end of absorber main body

121. Upper end of the absorbent core

200. 300 two end parts

300a end portion

300b at the other end

301. The uppermost end of the front waist part

320. 320B, 320C folded portion

351. Upper end of the overlapping portion

401. Edge of the cut portion

402. Lower end of the notched portion

S2 folding step (first step)

S4 notch portion forming step (second step)

S6 connecting step (third step)

Claims (8)

1. A disposable diaper having a vertical direction and a lateral direction crossing the vertical direction, the disposable diaper comprising:

an absorbent main body which absorbs excrement;

a rear waist portion positioned at one end side of the absorbent main body; and

a front waist portion positioned at the other end side of the absorbent main body,

both side end portions of the rear waist portion and both side end portions of the front waist portion are respectively connected to each other,

a cutout portion is provided in a widthwise central portion of a vertically upper end portion of the front waist portion,

wherein a portion having a number of layers greater than that in a vertically lower end portion of the front waist portion is disposed higher in the vertical direction than a lower end of the cutout portion of the front waist portion,

the front waist portion includes a sheet member, and

wherein the portion having the number of layers larger than the number of layers in the lower end portion of the front waist portion is provided with a sheet member different from the sheet member constituting the lower end portion,

wherein an upper end of the portion having a number of layers greater than the number of layers in the lower end portion of the front waist portion is vertically lower than an uppermost end of the front waist portion.

2. The disposable diaper according to claim 1,

the portion in which the number of layers is larger than that in the lower end portion of the front waist portion is disposed across the region from the edge of the cutout portion to both side end portions of the front waist portion in the lateral direction.

3. The disposable diaper according to claim 1 or 2,

the lower end of the portion in which the number of layers is larger than that in the lower end portion of the front waist portion is located vertically below the lower end of the cutout portion.

4. The disposable diaper according to claim 3,

the lower end of the portion in which the number of plies is larger than that in the lower end portion of the front waist portion is positioned vertically lower than the upper end of the absorbent main body.

5. The disposable diaper according to claim 4,

the absorbent main body includes an absorbent core therein, and

wherein a lower end of the portion having the number of layers larger than that in the lower end portion of the front waist portion is vertically lower than an upper end of the absorbent core.

6. The disposable diaper according to claim 1,

the front waist portion includes an elastic member positioned on each lateral side of the cutout portion and higher in the vertical direction than a lower end of the cutout portion, the elastic member being extensibly contractible in the lateral direction.

7. The disposable diaper according to claim 6,

the elastic member is disposed in the portion in which the number of layers is larger than that in the lower end portion of the front waist portion.

8. A method of manufacturing a disposable diaper having a vertical direction and a lateral direction intersecting the vertical direction, the disposable diaper comprising:

an absorbent main body which absorbs excrement,

a rear waist portion positioned at one end side of the absorbent main body, an

A front waist portion positioned at the other end side of the absorbent main body, the method comprising:

a first step of increasing the number of layers on a side higher than a vertically lower end portion of the front waist portion;

a second step of, after the first step, forming a cutout portion in a widthwise central portion of a vertically upper end portion of the front waist portion; and

a third step of connecting both side ends of the rear waist portion and both side ends of the front waist portion to each other, respectively, after the second step,

wherein in the second step, the cutout portion is formed such that a lowermost end of the cutout portion is positioned lower than an upper end of the portion having the larger number of layers formed in the first step,

the front waist portion includes a sheet member, an

Wherein the portion having the number of layers larger than the number of layers in the lower end portion of the front waist portion is provided with a sheet member different from the sheet member constituting the lower end portion,

wherein an upper end of the portion having a number of layers greater than the number of layers in the lower end portion of the front waist portion is vertically lower than an uppermost end of the front waist portion.

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