JP2001178767A - Absorbent article - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an absorbent article mountable without requiring shorts or pants, hard to leak and inexpensive to manufacture while using existing facilities. SOLUTION: An under pants type absorbent article has an absorbent body 1 formed substantially rectangular, consisting of a liquid retainable absorbing layer 11 and a liquid-nonpermeable leak preventing layer 14. A pair of flap materials 2, 3 expansive at least in the cross direction are bonded to both ends of the absorbent body 1 in the longitudinal direction, the pair of flap materials 2, 3 being bonded to each other at their opposed edges.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an absorbent article particularly suitable as a sanitary napkin or incontinence pad, and more particularly to a pants-type absorbent article which can be easily worn without requiring shorts or pants. .

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Generally,
The sanitary napkin is used by being fixed to shorts or pants via an adhesive portion provided at a predetermined location. But,
Fixing to shorts or pants is a cumbersome operation, and if it is improperly fixed, it may be distorted or misaligned during wearing and cause liquid leakage. Also, as an absorbent article, a pants-type disposable diaper is known, but in the manufacture thereof, a conventional deployable diaper, that is, a diaper having fastening tapes on left and right side edges of a back side. The production line cannot be utilized.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to be able to easily attach without the need for shorts and pants, to prevent leakage,
An object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article that can be manufactured at low cost by utilizing existing facilities, and a compact folded body of the absorbent article.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a pant-type absorbent article having a substantially elongated absorbent body comprising a liquid-retentive absorbent layer and a liquid-impermeable leakproof layer. A pair of flaps having elasticity in at least the width direction are connected to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body, and the pair of flaps have both side edges joined to each other. By providing absorbent articles that have been
The above object has been achieved.

[0005] The present invention also relates to a folded body of the absorbent article, wherein a pair of the flap members protects the skin contact surface side or the non-skin contact surface side of the absorbent body, and The above object has been achieved by providing a folded body of an absorbent article in which the absorbent body is folded in two or three in the longitudinal direction.

In the present invention, the longitudinal direction and the width direction are directions substantially corresponding to the vertically long absorbent main body,
Unless otherwise stated, the directions are the same as those in the absorbent body.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, an absorbent article and a folded body of the present invention will be described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The sanitary napkin of the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 includes an absorbent main body 1 including a liquid-retaining absorbent layer 11 and a liquid-impermeable leak-proof layer 14. The absorbent main body 1 is formed substantially vertically long, and both ends in the longitudinal direction are arc-shaped.

The absorbent layer 11 comprises a liquid-permeable top sheet 12 for forming the skin-contacting surface of the absorbent main body 1,
1, a liquid-retentive absorber 13 disposed on the non-skin contact surface side, and a leak-proof layer 14 is a liquid-impermeable leak-proof member disposed on the non-skin contact surface side of the absorber 13. Consists of sheets. Top sheet 1
The leak-proof sheet 2 and the leak-proof sheet 14 as the leak-proof layer extend outward from the left and right side edges and the front and rear end edges of the absorber 13, and are joined to each other at the extended peripheral portions.

As a material for forming each component of the absorbent main body 1, a conventional absorbent article can be used without any particular limitation. For example, as the topsheet 12, a nonwoven fabric such as a suction heat-bonded nonwoven fabric, a nonwoven fabric provided with a large number of openings, a sheet provided with a large number of openings in a film such as a polyethylene film, or the like can be used. The absorbent 13 may be a mixed fiber of flap pulp and superabsorbent polymer particles or a single ply in which superabsorbent polymer particles are sandwiched between two absorbent sheets and both absorbent sheets are integrated. Absorbing paper or the like can be used. Further, a film such as a polyethylene film can be used as the leakage prevention sheet 14.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of flaps 2 and 3 are connected to both ends of the absorbent main body 1 in the longitudinal direction. Each of the flap members 2 and 3 has its skin contact surface side 2c (only one of which is shown) joined to the skin contact surface side 1c at the longitudinal end of the absorbent main body 1, and Are linked. One end 2 of each flap material 2, 3
The front and rear joint portions 21 and 31 formed by joining the a and 3a to the absorbent main body 1 are formed in an arc shape along the curved shape of the front and rear end edges of the absorbent main body 1.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a groove-shaped leak-proof portion 4 (one side) is provided between the flap members 2 and 3 and the absorbent body 1 at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent body 1. Only shown). Even if the liquid flows on the topsheet 12 in any of the front and rear directions, the leak preventing portion 4 traps the liquid and prevents the liquid from flowing out further.
As a result, leakage of the liquid from the front-rear direction of the napkin 1 and contamination of clothes caused by the leakage are effectively prevented.

Further, in the present embodiment, the pair of flap members 2, 3 are used when the napkin is used.
Are formed so as to be folded back to the front side and the rear side of the absorbent main body 1 at a pair of joints 21 and 31 formed by the joints of FIG. And each flap material 2,3
21 formed by joining the absorbent body 1 and
Since the groove 31 is formed in an arc shape, the groove-shaped leakage preventing portion 4 is formed.
Has a deep pocket shape when used, and has an excellent effect of preventing liquid leakage. FIG.
Shows only the leak-proof part 4 formed at the front end of the absorbent main body 1, but a similar leak-proof part is also formed at the rear end (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of flap members 2,
3 is an absorbent body 1 before use of the napkin.
Is provided so as to cover the skin contacting surface side, that is, the top sheet 12 side. As a result, the surface sheet 12, which is the portion in contact with the wearer's skin, is not exposed to the outside until the napkin is used, and the skin contact surface is protected and kept clean. Further, since the skin contact surface is protected, there is no particular need for a separate packaging using a packaging material. From such a viewpoint, it is preferable that the entire area of the skin contact surface of the absorbent main body 1 is covered with the flap materials 2 and 3.

The pair of flap materials 2 and 3
Are joined at both side edges along the longitudinal direction. Specifically, when the two flap materials 2 and 3 are respectively divided into two regions in the longitudinal direction, belt-shaped waist portions 22 and 32 arranged around the waist of the wearer, and the waist portions 22 and 32,
32 and a continuous portion 23, 33 interposed between the longitudinal end of the absorbent main body 1 and the pair of flaps 2, 3
2a and 32a are joined to each other,
Both side edges in 3 and 33 are not joined. In this way, by joining the side edges of the pair of flap members 2 and 3 to each other, the sanitary napkin includes:
A waist opening 5 and a pair of leg openings 6, 6 are formed.

The connecting portions 23 and 33 of the flap members 2 and 3 are gradually widened toward the waist portions 22 and 32, respectively. In a natural state before use, the longitudinal length L2 of one flap material 2 and the other flap material 3
Is preferably equal to or greater than the length L1 of the absorbent body 1 in the longitudinal direction, and the length of both flap materials 2 and 3 is both absorbent. It is more preferable that the length of the main body 1 is 1/2 or more.
Note that the flap members 2 and 3 in the present embodiment have the same length in the longitudinal direction and the length of the continuous portions 23 and 33, respectively. Also, the width W1 between both side edges of both flap materials 2 and 3
Is preferably configured to be able to expand and expand to at least 300% or more of the width W2 of the absorbent main body 1.

Also, the waist portions 2 of the flap members 2 and 3
Each of 2 and 32 has a horizontally-long rectangular shape and is arranged on the absorbent main body 1 in a state of being in contact with each other. Flap material 2
Forms a ventral part arranged on the ventral side of the wearer when worn,
The flap material 3 forms a back part arranged on the back side. still,
As a method of joining the flap materials 2 and 3 to the absorbent main body 1 and a method of joining the flap materials 2 and 3 to each other, various conventionally known methods such as an adhesive and stitching can be used. Thermal fusion such as sonic sealing is preferred.

The flap members 2 and 3 have elasticity at least in the width direction of the absorbent main body 1. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, elastic members 24 are fixed to the flap members 2 and 3 in the width direction of the absorbent main body 1 in an extended state. , Waist 2
Gathers are formed at 2,32. The elastic member 2
Reference numeral 4 is in the form of a thread or a string, and is disposed between both side edges of each of the flap portions 2 and 3. FIG. 1 shows a natural state in which these elastic members are contracted.

The flap material 2 in this embodiment is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, a liquid permeable sheet 25 forming the skin contact surface 2c when the napkin is mounted, a liquid impermeable sheet 26 forming the outer surface of the napkin, and a liquid retaining property interposed between the two sheets 25, 26. The two sheets 25 and 26 extend outward from the front and rear edges and both left and right edges of the absorbent layer 27 and are joined to each other at the extended portions. . The elastic member 24 includes two sheets 25,
26 and fixed between them. The flap 3 (not shown) has the same configuration as the flap 2.

Liquid permeable sheet 26, liquid impermeable sheet 2
6 and the absorption layer 27 may be the same as the topsheet 12, the leakage prevention sheet 14 and the absorber 13 in the absorbent main body 1, respectively. Also, the elastic member 24
Various types and materials of thread rubber and the like conventionally used for disposable diapers and the like can be used.

The sanitary napkin of this embodiment can be worn in the same manner as ordinary shorts and pants. Therefore, it can be mounted very easily without the need for shorts or pants, and there is no need to provide fixing means such as an adhesive portion. In addition, since the absorbent main body 1 is fixed around the wearer's waist via the flaps 2 and 3 formed in an annular shape, the absorbent main body 1 is less likely to be distorted or misaligned. Even if it moves violently, leakage of liquid and dirt on clothes caused by the liquid leakage are effectively prevented.

The napkin of the present embodiment is manufactured by using a conventionally known sanitary napkin having a substantially rectangular shape as the absorbent body 1, connecting a pair of flap materials thereto, and joining both flap materials together. So you can
It can be manufactured at low cost by utilizing existing facilities for manufacturing conventional absorbent articles.

In the sanitary napkin according to the present embodiment, the flaps 2 and 3 extend outward from both longitudinal edges 1a and 1a of the absorbent main body 1 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4 (a), the pair of left and right extending portions 7, 7 is attached to both side edges 1 a, 1 a of the absorbent main body 1. After being folded back along the non-skin contact surface side 1b of the absorbent main body 1 as shown in FIG.
The absorbent article can be folded in two or three in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body 1 to obtain a compact folded body 1A as shown in FIG. 4 (c).

Such a folded sanitary napkin 1
According to A, the form when individually packaged or when a plurality of pieces are packed together can be made extremely compact, and can be stored, transported, sold, etc. in a sanitary napkin in the same packaging form as conventional sanitary napkins. can do. In the folded body of the sanitary napkin, the pair of extending portions 7
The absorbent body 1 may be folded back to the skin contact surface side.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, FIG. 5 shows a sanitary napkin as another embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention, in which a pair of flap materials 2 and 3 contracts greatly in the width direction of the absorbent main body 1 in a natural state. , The two flap materials 2 and 3 in the contracted state
Is different from the above-described embodiment in that the width W1 between both side edges is substantially the same as the width W2 of the absorbent main body 1,
In other respects, it has the same configuration.

According to such a sanitary napkin, in addition to the same operational effects as those of the above-described embodiment, it can be morphologically handled like a conventional sanitary napkin, and can be packaged and stored. It is convenient for transportation. For example, the absorbent body 1
Can be folded in two or three without folding the flap material at the side edge of the absorbent main body 1 to obtain a compact folded body similar to a conventional sanitary napkin. From the viewpoint of a form convenient for packaging, storage, transportation, etc., the width W1 between both side edges of both flap materials 2, 3 in the natural state is 80 to 150 times the width W2 of the absorbent main body 1.
%, Particularly preferably 90 to 120%. In addition, about the point which does not specifically describe this sanitary napkin,
This is the same as the sanitary napkin of the above-described embodiment.

In the present invention, the flap material may be composed of a liquid-permeable sheet and a liquid-impermeable sheet, or a single sheet (for example, a liquid-impermeable sheet or a sheet having elasticity). Sheet).
Further, the flap material may be a material using a stretchable sheet material instead of the elastic member. Further, the flap material may have elasticity in two directions. Further, the configurations of the pair of flap members may be different from each other. Further, the groove-shaped leakage preventing portion may be formed only at one end in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body 1. In the folded body of the absorbent article, the non-skin contact surface side of the absorbent body may be protected by the flap material.

Although the above embodiment relates to a sanitary napkin as an example of an absorbent article, the present invention can also be applied to an incontinence pad, a vagina sheet and the like. .

[0028]

As described above, the absorbent article of the present invention can be easily mounted without the need for shorts and pants, does not easily leak, and can be manufactured at low cost by utilizing existing equipment.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a state before use of a sanitary napkin as one embodiment of an absorbent article of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sanitary napkin shown in FIG.
It is a perspective view showing the state where a pair of flap materials was separated.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing one embodiment of a folded body of an absorbent article according to the present invention and a method for producing the folded article. FIG. 4 (a) shows an absorbent article before being folded from the skin contact surface side of the absorbent body. It is the figure which looked at, and (b) is the figure which looked at the state where the extension part was turned up from the non-skin contact surface side of the absorptive main part.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state before use of a sanitary napkin as another embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Absorbent main body 11 Absorbing layer 12 Back sheet 13 Absorber 14 Leak-proof layer (leak-proof sheet) 2, 3 Flap material 21, 31 Joining part 22, 32 Waist part 23, 33 Continuous part 5 Waist opening part 6, 6 Leg opening

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A pants-type absorbent article comprising a substantially vertically long absorbent body comprising a liquid-retentive absorbent layer and a liquid-impermeable leakproof layer, An absorbent article in which a pair of flaps having elasticity at least in the width direction are connected to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the flexible main body, and the pair of flaps are joined at both side edges. 2. A skin contact surface side of at least one of the pair of flap materials is joined to a skin contact surface side at a longitudinal end portion of the absorbent main body, and the flap material and the absorbent body are connected to each other. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein a groove-shaped leak-proof portion is formed between the absorbent body and the main body. 3. The flap material is a strip-shaped waist arranged around the wearer's waist, and a continuous portion interposed between the waist and a longitudinal end of the absorbent body. 3. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the pair of flap members have both side edges of the waist portion joined to each other, and both side edges of the continuous portion are not joined to each other. 4. The folded body of the absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein a pair of the flap members protects a skin contact surface side or a non-skin contact surface side of the absorbent main body, and A folded body of the absorbent article, wherein the absorbent body is folded in two or three in the longitudinal direction. 5. The pair of flap members have a pair of left and right extensions extending outward from both side edges in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body. 5. The absorbent body according to claim 4, wherein the absorbent body is folded back to the skin contact side or the non-skin contact side along the both side edges of the absorbent body, and then the absorbent body is folded in two or three. A folded body of an absorbent article.