JP2006175022A - Absorbent article - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an absorbent article such as a pad or a liner for incontinence which can securely prevent the side spillage of the discharges. <P>SOLUTION: Side flaps each comprising a side sheet and a water-impermeable sheet are formed respectively on both width-wise side rims of an absorbing body. At least one first elastic member is joined on the rim of the free end part of each side flap almost along the free end part of the side flap in its longitudinal direction and a solid cuff is formed by extending the side sheet inward from the end rim side of the absorbent of the side flap. At least one second elastic member is joined on the rim of the free end part of the solid cuff almost along the free end part of the solid cuff in its longitudinal direction. The individual side flaps and the individual solid cuffs are joined respectively at both end parts or near both the end parts along the length of the absorbent article. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an absorbent article. More specifically, the present invention relates to a liner or pad for absorbing discharges such as incontinence that can be used in combination with underwear or disposable diapers.

In general, adult paper diapers are used for bedridden adults or sick people who cannot move due to severe illness. However, such a disposable diaper is expensive, and it is not economical to change the disposable diaper frequently for every light urine excretion, and it takes a lot of time for the nurse. However, changing the disposable diaper after multiple excretion is not hygienic for the wearer. In addition, for those who have symptoms of mild incontinence that are not required until a disposable diaper, using a disposable diaper is costly and unfavorable in terms of appearance when worn. It was. For this reason, sanitary napkins may be worn to absorb urine during light incontinence.
For example, in order to prevent leakage, sanitary napkins are known that are configured to have a cup shape by arranging elastic members on both sides in the lateral direction, and the lowermost part of the cup shape corresponds to the local part of the wearer (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). There is also known a napkin that prevents side leakage by branching a second flap provided with an elastic member from a side flap to form a three-dimensional cuff (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Patent Application Publication No. HEI 5-71262 Patent Application Publication No. 7-71570

However, in general, when urine is used for incontinence because of its lower viscosity than effluent during menstruation and higher discharge, urine will be It was easy to flow on the surface of the liner, and it was not possible to prevent sufficient side leakage with only the side edge weirs used in sanitary napkins. In addition, as in Patent Document 2, in the case of a napkin having two flaps, it is often recognized that the side flap portion is turned up or folded when attached, and eventually does not contribute to prevention of side leakage. In addition, people with mild incontinence are almost always active outside as normal people and have many opportunities to move, so they can more reliably prevent slippage and side leakage with each movement. There has been a need for incontinence pads and liners. There is also a need for a liner or pad that can be used more economically by a person who wears a paper diaper when used in combination with the paper diaper.
Therefore, the present invention can absorb a certain amount of urine quickly without causing side leakage, and also has an underwear or tape stopper for absorbing incontinence or a small amount of urine that is excellent in wearing feeling. It is an object to provide a liner or pad used in combination with a paper diaper or the like.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an absorbent article of the present invention is formed on a main body composed of a top sheet, a back sheet, and an absorbent body disposed between them, and on both sides in the width direction of the main body. And a side seat. A side flap composed of a side sheet and a water-impermeable sheet is formed on each side edge of the absorbent body in the width direction, and at least one first elastic member is formed on the free end edge of the side flap. Joined substantially along the free end in the longitudinal direction of the side flaps. A solid cuff is formed by extending the side sheet inward from the edge side of the absorber of the side flap, and at least one second elastic member is also attached to the free end edge of the solid cuff. Joined substantially along the free end in the longitudinal direction. Each side flap and each three-dimensional cuff are joined at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article or in the vicinity of both ends.

  According to the typical aspect of the present invention, each of the first and second elastic members has a length of 45% or more of the entire length in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, when the side flap and the three-dimensional cuff are joined on the pad, the first elastic member and the second elastic member are looped so that the three-dimensional cuff is tilted in the side flap direction. The first and second elastic members are joined so as to overlap each other.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, when the absorbent article is spread, the angle Θ1 formed by the horizontal line extending from the side edge of the absorbent body and the line connecting the side edge to the first elastic member is 60. ° or less. When the absorbent article is spread, the angle Θ2 formed by the horizontal line extending from the side edge of the absorbent body and the line connecting the side edge to the second elastic member is equal to the angle Θ1. Or on the condition that it is large, it is in the range of 30 to 85 °.

  According to another exemplary aspect of the present invention, the first elastic member and the second elastic member are selected such that the tensile stress of the second elastic member is higher than the tensile stress of the first elastic member. It has become so.

  When the absorbent article of the present invention is worn, the rising height of the solid cuff is higher than the rising height of the side flap, so that the solid cuff contacts the wearer's skin. Such an absorbent article of the present invention is designed to be used as a liner or pad used in combination with another garment or paper diaper.

At least one elastic member is attached to the edge of the side flap and the free end of the three-dimensional cuff of the absorbent article of the present invention in the longitudinal direction along each free end so as to extend around the longitudinal center of the article. ing. Since the side flaps and the three-dimensional cuffs are joined in an overlapping manner so as to form a loop with the first elastic member and the second elastic member at or near the longitudinal ends of the pad, The first elastic member and the second elastic member act complementarily, and as a result, the side flaps and the three-dimensional cuffs are secured, and side leakage or the like when using the pad can be effectively prevented.
In addition, the presence of the elastic member at the side edge of the side flap also brings about a remarkable effect that the outer edge of the side flap does not turn or bend at the time of wearing.
Furthermore, in the absorbent article of the present invention, the three-dimensional cuff made of a non-woven fabric comes into direct contact with the skin, so there is little irritation to the skin and the wear feeling is excellent.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the incontinence pad will be described as an example, but it should be understood that the incontinence liner can also be applied.
In this specification, “longitudinal direction of absorbent article”, “longitudinal direction of pad” and the like mean directions extending from the front and back of the wearer when the absorbent article and pad are worn, The “width direction”, the “width direction of the absorber” and the like mean a direction transverse or orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an entire typical incontinence pad 10 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the incontinence pad 10 of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view taken along line XX in a state where the side flap 20 and the three-dimensional cuff 21 of the incontinence pad 10 shown in FIG. 2 are raised.

  Referring to FIG. 4, in the body portion 23 of the pad 10, a transfer sheet 17 that guides fluid such as urine to the absorber is disposed below the top sheet 16, and is absorbed between the transfer sheet 17 and the back sheet 19. It consists of a configuration in which the body 18 is arranged. Such a configuration is relatively common in absorbent articles. A carrier sheet may be further disposed between the back sheet 19 and the absorber 18. The top sheet 16 may be a general non-woven fabric and is preferably formed of a material that does not irritate the wearer's skin with a soft feel because it is on the side facing the wearer's skin. . The transfer sheet 17 may also be formed of a general nonwoven fabric, and may be formed of a material that can easily transfer and disperse the wearer's urine to the absorbent body 18. Absorber 18 may comprise a hydrophilic fiber matrix of a web of cellulose fluff, such as wood pulp fluff, mixed with particles of superabsorbent material, commonly known as superabsorbent materials. Synthetic fibers or polymer fibers may be used instead of the wood pulp fluff. The back sheet 19 may be formed of a material that is impermeable to liquid so that the liquid retained in the absorbent body 18 has a waterproof function so that the liquid does not leak into the underwear, such as a polyethylene film. It is preferably formed from a thin plastic film or another cross-like flexible liquid-impermeable film. Although not shown, a general displacement stopper for fixing the pad 10 to the underwear or the like is disposed below the back sheet 19, and a release paper is disposed below the stopper to cover the same. It may be. Since the main body part of such an absorbent article is well-known, it is not explained in detail further.

  Side flaps 20 having a predetermined width, which are made of the side sheet 11 and the water-impermeable sheet 12, are arranged on both side edges of the body 23 of the pad 10. It is formed over substantially the entire length in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the nonwoven fabric 13 may be bonded to the outer surface of the water-impermeable sheet 12. The impermeable sheet 12 may be attached separately from the back sheet 19 or may be formed extending from the back sheet 19. Therefore, the water-impermeable sheet 12 is basically formed from a material substantially the same as the back sheet 19. In general, the side sheet 11 may be formed of a water-repellent nonwoven fabric with respect to the highly hydrophilic top sheet 16 and transfer sheet 17. The first elastic member 14 is joined and provided substantially along the outer edge at the outermost edge of the side flap 20, that is, the inside of the free end.

  By extending the side seat 11 inwardly from the side flaps 20 at both side edges of the main body 23, a three-dimensional cuff 21 having a predetermined width is formed on both side portions of the main body 23 along the length direction of the both side portions. Is formed. The free end portion of the three-dimensional cuff 21 formed by extending the side seat 11 is bent, and the second elastic member 15 is joined along the longitudinal edge of the three-dimensional cuff 21 in the inner space formed by the bending. Is provided. The extension widths of the side flaps 20 and the three-dimensional cuffs 21 may be substantially equal, but a slight difference may be provided.

The joining position of the first elastic member 14 and the second elastic member 15 may be the free end edges of the side flap 20 and the three-dimensional cuff 21. However, in consideration of irritation to the wearer's skin at the time of wearing, they may be joined at a distance within 5 mm inward from the free edge. By arranging the elastic member at such a position, irritation to the skin of the wearer is reduced. The lengths of the first and second elastic members 14 and 15 are preferably 45% or more of the total length in the longitudinal direction of the pad 10. When the first and second elastic members 14 and 15 are disposed on the side flap 20 and the three-dimensional cuff 21, respectively, the center of the elastic members 14 and 15 in the longitudinal direction corresponds to the approximate center of the pad 10 in the longitudinal direction. As long as it matches. Therefore, the first and second elastic members 14 and 15 are long installed around the center in the longitudinal direction of the pad 10.
The first elastic member 14 and the second elastic member 15 include strands or ribbons made of an elastomeric polymer material, polyurethane, synthetic rubber, natural rubber, and the like. Is not described in detail.
The shape of the pad 10 can be selected from various shapes such as a rectangular shape and a saddle shape. If the shape of the pad 10 is a general rectangular shape, the first and second elastic members 14 and 15 may be installed substantially in parallel as shown in FIG. When the shape of the pad 10 is generally a bowl shape as shown in FIG. 3, it is preferable that the elastic member 14 is curved slightly inward so as to match the shape. In the present embodiment, the first and second elastic members 14 and 15 are illustrated one by one. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of elastic members may be disposed.

  The side flap 20 and the three-dimensional cuff 21 are joined at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the pad 10 or in the vicinity thereof. When the side flap 20 and the three-dimensional cuff 21 are joined, the three-dimensional cuff 21 is directed outward toward the side flap so as to form loops at both longitudinal ends of the first elastic member 14 and the second elastic member 15. The first elastic member 14 and the second elastic member 15 are overlapped with each other. In this way, the side flaps 20 and the three-dimensional cuffs 21 are joined at both ends in the longitudinal direction so as to form the elastic members 14 and 15 so as to form a loop, thereby forming the side flaps 20 like the pad 10 illustrated in FIG. Then, the three-dimensional cuff 21 is erected around the substantially central portion of the pad 10. Then, gathers are formed on the outer edges of the side flaps 20 and the three-dimensional cuffs 21 by the effect of the elastic member in a state where the side flaps 20 and the three-dimensional cuffs 21 stand.

  5A and 5B are cross-sectional views taken along the YY line and the ZZ line, respectively, of the pad 10 of FIG. FIG. 5A is a schematic cross-sectional view at a substantially central portion of the pad in a state where the body of the pad 10 is expanded, and shows a preferable state when the side flap 20 and the three-dimensional cuff 21 stand up. FIG. 5 (b) is a cross-sectional view at the longitudinal end of the pad when the body of the pad 10 is unfolded. Since the side flap 20 and the three-dimensional cuff 21 are joined substantially in this region, FIG. The heights of the flap 20 and the cuff 21 when standing are substantially the same.

  With reference to Fig.5 (a), the positional relationship in the standing state of the side flap 20 and the solid cuff 21 in this invention is demonstrated more concretely. A side flap formed by a horizontal line extending outward from the longitudinal edge of the absorbent body 18 and a line connecting the absorbent body edge and the first elastic member 14 in the center of the pad 10 in a state where the body is expanded. The rising angle of 20 is Θ1. Similarly, the rising angle of the solid cuff 21 formed by a horizontal line extending outward from the longitudinal edge of the absorber 18 and a line connecting the absorber edge and the second elastic member 15 is Θ2. To do. When a plurality of elastic members 14 and 15 are used, the reference elastic member is the innermost elastic member. In this embodiment, the angle Θ1 is 60 ° or less, and the angle Θ2 is 30 ° to 85 °. Here, the angle Θ2 must be conditioned on being equal to or larger than the angle Θ1. At both ends in the longitudinal direction of the pad 10, the angles Θ <b> 1 and Θ <b> 2 are not substantially different from each other and are substantially equal to each other. Such a relationship between the first and second elastic members 14 and 15 causes a complementary action between the side flap 20 and the three-dimensional cuff 21 and enhances the side leakage prevention effect. That is, the first elastic member 14 and the second elastic member 15 that extend long from the longitudinal center of the pad 10 toward the front and rear end portions act complementarily, so that the side flap 20 and the three-dimensional cuff 15 are raised. It is ensured and the side leakage prevention effect can be enhanced.

  In the present embodiment, in order to obtain the angle range of Θ1 and Θ2 as described above, generally, the extension stress of the second elastic member 15 may be set higher than that of the first elastic member 14. By forming a difference in the angle between Θ1 and Θ2 in this way, a difference in height d between the solid cuff 21 and the side flap 20 when it rises is generated. For this reason, the three-dimensional cuff 21 formed from the nonwoven fabric side sheet 11 comes into contact with the wearer's skin before the side flap 20 including the water-impermeable film. For this reason, the three-dimensional cuff 21 is deformed so as to cover the side flaps 20, and the skin contact state during wearing is also preferable and good. This state is illustrated in FIG. Further, FIG. 6B shows a state in which the three-dimensional cuff 21 is raised even when the side flap 20 falls to the outside due to a user's operation or the like when the pad 10 of the present invention is worn. Therefore, the effect of preventing side leakage is great. Such an effect is particularly meaningful in consideration of the fact that there are many people who can use the pad as in the present invention who are not bedridden and can go outside and work. is there.

  The absorbent pad according to the present invention is used as an incontinence liner or as a pad by being attached to an underwear or a paper diaper. Of course, the absorbent pad can be used not only for adults but also for children's toilet training. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to a female sanitary napkin, and of course, can be applied to various other absorbent articles such as paper diapers.

1 is an overall perspective view of an incontinence pad according to the present invention. 1 is a plan view of an incontinence pad according to the present invention according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a plan view of an incontinence pad according to the present invention according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic structural cross-sectional view along the line XX of the incontinence pad shown in FIG. 2. (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY of the incontinence pad shown in FIG. 1, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line ZZ of the incontinence pad shown in FIG. is there. (a), (b) is the schematic which shows the state of a side flap and a solid cuff when the incontinence pad which concerns on this invention is each worn.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Pad 11 Side sheet 12 Impermeable film 14 1st elastic member 15 2nd elastic member 16 Top sheet 18 Absorber 19 Back sheet 20 Side flap 21 Three-dimensional cuff

Claims (6)

An absorbent article comprising a top sheet, a back sheet, a main body composed of an absorbent body disposed between them, and side sheets formed on both sides in the width direction of the main body,
Each side edge in the width direction of the absorbent body is formed with a side flap including the side sheet and a water-impermeable sheet, and at least one first elastic member is provided at the edge of the free end of the side flap. A member is joined substantially along the free end in the longitudinal direction of the side flap;
A solid cuff is formed by extending the side sheet inwardly from an end edge side of the absorber of the side flap, and at least one second elastic member is formed at the edge of the free end of the solid cuff. Is joined substantially along the free end in the longitudinal direction of the three-dimensional cuff,
The absorbent article, wherein the side flaps and the three-dimensional cuffs are joined at or near both ends in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article.   2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second elastic members has a length of 45% or more of a total length in a longitudinal direction of the absorbent article. An absorbent article characterized by the above.   3. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the side flap and the three-dimensional cuff are arranged so that the first elastic member and the second elastic member form a loop. An absorbent article, wherein the absorbent article is joined in such a manner that the first elastic member and the second elastic member are overlapped with each other in the flap direction. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
When the absorbent article is spread, an angle Θ1 formed by a horizontal line extending from a side edge of the absorber and a line connecting the absorber side edge to the first elastic member is 60 ° or less,
The angle Θ2 formed by the horizontal line and the line connecting the absorber side edge to the second elastic member is in the range of 30 to 85 °, provided that the angle Θ2 is equal to or greater than the angle Θ1. Absorbent article characterized by being inside.   The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the standing height of the three-dimensional cuff is higher than the standing height of the side flap at the time of wearing.   The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the absorbent article is an incontinence liner or pad used in combination with clothing or a paper diaper.

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