JP2008289631A - Absorbent article and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an absorbent article whose wing part is easily picked when it is worn and which is excellent in operability. <P>SOLUTION: The absorbent article has a practically vertically long absorbent main body 10 provided with an absorption layer 11 and a leakage prevention layer 12 and a pair of wing parts 5 and 5 extending from both side edge parts of the absorbent main body 10, and the wing part 5 is formed of a wing forming sheet material 50 joined to both side parts of the absorbent main body 10. The wing forming sheet material 50 is provided with a wing forming part 51 forming the wing part 5 and a wing joining part 52 positioned on the absorbent main body 10. The tip end 53 of the wing part 5 is formed by laminating two or more layers of the sheet materials 50 of the wing forming part 51, and the inner side edge part 55 of the wing joining part 52 is formed by folding back the sheet material 50. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an absorbent article such as a sanitary napkin having a wing portion and a method for producing the same.

  Absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins and incontinence pads are generally configured with an absorber interposed between a top sheet and a back sheet. In addition, a pair of wing portions extending outward in the width direction is also provided in the absorbent article for the purpose of improving the fastness to underwear and leakage prevention. Such a wing part is formed by, for example, extending the surface sheet and the back sheet outward in the width direction from the absorbent body and joining them, and then cutting the extension region of both sheets into the shape of the wing part. Has been. However, when the wing portion is formed in this way, the material loss increases, and the type of material is limited, such as the need to use the same material as the top sheet or the back sheet.

  Then, the absorbent article which joined the sheet | seat material different from a surface sheet and a back surface sheet to a surface sheet or a back surface sheet, and formed the wing part from this sheet | seat material is proposed. As such an absorbent article, in Patent Document 1, a sheet material for wing formation different from the top sheet and the back sheet is joined to the skin contact surface side of the top sheet to form a wing part, An absorbent article is disclosed in which a side barrier is formed by folding the sheet material at the inner edge in the width direction of the portion located on the top sheet of the sheet material.

JP-A-6-47072

  However, in the absorbent article described in Patent Document 1, the sheet material for wing formation has a single layer structure except for the inner edge in the width direction of the portion located on the top sheet. There is a problem that when the absorbent article is small, the wing portion is difficult to pick and the operability is poor.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article that is easy to pick a wing part when worn and has excellent operability, and a method for manufacturing the same.

  The present invention has a substantially vertically long absorbent main body having an absorbent layer and a leak-proof layer, and a pair of wing portions extending from both side edges of the absorbent main body. An absorbent article formed by a wing-forming sheet material joined to both side portions of the main body, wherein the wing-forming sheet material is formed on the wing-forming portion and the absorbent main body forming the wing portion. The wing joint portion is formed by laminating two or more layers of the sheet material of the wing formation portion, and the inner edge portion of the wing joint portion is The object is achieved by providing an absorbent article formed by folding the sheet material.

  Moreover, this invention folds this original fabric in three as a preferable manufacturing method of the absorbent article of this invention, with the both ends of the width direction in the original fabric of the said sheet | seat material for wing formation facing the width direction inward. A three-fold step, a wing intermediate forming step for forming a wing intermediate having a substantially wing shape in an individual state from an original fabric of the three-folded sheet material, and the leading end of the wing intermediate, the absorbent main body The manufacturing method of the absorbent article which has a wing intermediate body joining process joined to the skin contact surface side of this absorptive main body so that it may face outward of the width direction of this.

According to the absorbent article of the present invention, since the wing-forming sheet material is laminated at the tip of the wing part to form a multilayer structure, the wing part can be easily picked when the absorbent article is mounted, and the operability is excellent. .
Moreover, according to the manufacturing method of the absorbent article of this invention, the absorbent article of this invention can be obtained efficiently and the material loss of a wing part can be decreased.

Hereinafter, an absorptive article of the present invention is explained based on a desirable embodiment, referring to drawings. The absorbent article 1 of this embodiment is a sanitary napkin.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the absorbent article 1 of the present embodiment has a substantially vertically long absorbent main body 10 having an absorbent layer 11 and a leak-proof layer 12 and both side edges of the absorbent main body 10. It has a pair of wing parts 5 and 5 extended from. Further, the wing part 5 is formed by a sheet material 50 for wing formation joined to both side parts of the absorbent main body 10.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sheet material 50 for wing formation includes a wing formation portion 51 that forms the wing portion 5 and a wing joint portion 52 that is positioned on the absorbent main body 10. The leading edge 53 of the wing portion 5 is formed by laminating two or more layers of the sheet material 50 of the wing forming portion 51, and the inner edge 55 of the wing joint portion 52 is formed by the sheet material 50. It is folded and formed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the absorbent layer 11 of the absorbent article 1 of the present embodiment is mainly composed of a liquid-permeable surface sheet 2 and a liquid-retaining absorbent body 4. The leak-proof layer 12 is composed mainly of a liquid-impermeable or liquid-impermeable back sheet 3. The top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3 cover the entire skin contact surface side and non-skin contact surface side of the absorbent body 4, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 3, the top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3 extend from the both sides of the absorbent body 4 outward in the width direction at both sides in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body 10. The sheet 3 is bonded to the extended portion by a known bonding method such as heat sealing.
Both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3 are respectively extended from both ends in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent body 4 and joined by a known joining method such as heat sealing.

As shown in FIG. 2, an annular leakage preventing groove G <b> 1 is formed on the skin contact surface side of the absorbent main body 10. The annular leakage preventing groove G1 extends along the longitudinal direction from the front part A to the rear part C on both sides of the absorbent main body 10, and is connected at the front end of the front part A and the rear end of the rear part C. It is a ring. A front groove G2 that is convexly curved toward the front end is formed inside the leakage preventing groove G1 in the front portion A. The front groove G2 has a substantially semicircular shape, and a pair of rear end portions thereof are connected to the leakage prevention groove G1 in the vicinity of the boundary between the front portion A and the central portion B. A pair of rear grooves G3 and G3 extending toward the rear end are formed inward in the width direction of the leakage preventing groove G1 in the rear portion C. The pair of rear grooves G3, G3 extends rearward from the vicinity of the boundary between the central portion B and the rear portion C, and their rear ends are connected to the front side of the rear end of the leakage preventing groove G1. .
The leak-proof groove G1, the front groove G2, and the pair of rear grooves G3, G3 are formed by integrally compressing the topsheet 2 and the absorber 4.

A pair of wing parts 5 and 5 in the absorptive article 1 of this embodiment are explained in detail.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the wing portion 5 is formed by bonding the sheet material 50 for wing formation to the skin contact surface side of the topsheet 2 at both side portions in the central region in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body 10. Has been. As shown in FIG. 2, the sheet material 50 has a rectangular wing joint 52 located on the absorbent main body 10 and an upper bottom connected to the outer side in the width direction of the wing joint 52 in a plan view. A substantially trapezoidal wing forming portion 51 facing outward in the width direction. The sheet material 50 and the surface sheet 2 are joined by a known method such as an adhesive or heat sealing.

  The sheet material 50 may be bonded to the surface sheet 2 over the entire surface of the wing bonding portion 52, but the sheet material 50 and the surface sheet 2 are not bonded in the vicinity of the inner edge 55 of the wing bonding portion 52. It is preferable. Since the sheet material 50 and the topsheet 2 are not joined in the vicinity of the inner edge 55, the inner edge 55 becomes a free end and exhibits a leak-proof effect, and excreted body fluid leaks from the side of the absorbent article. Can be prevented.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inner edge 55 of the wing joint 52 is formed by folding the sheet material 50. Further, a hollow portion 55 a is formed in the vicinity of the inner edge portion 55 in the wing joint portion 52 by folding the sheet material 50. The hollow portion 55a has a configuration in which the upper and lower sides are sandwiched between wing-forming sheet materials 50 and is an internal cavity. The hollow portion 55 a is formed along the inner edge 55. The hollow portion 55a preferably has a length in the direction along the inner edge 55 of 50 to 100%, particularly 60 to 80% of the length of the inner edge 55.
By having the hollow part 55a, the leakage prevention effect and the softness of the part in contact with the skin are improved.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the distal end portion 53 of the wing portion 5 has a two-layer structure in which two layers of sheet materials 50 are laminated. Further, the wing portion 5 has a three-layer structure portion in which three layers of the sheet material 50 are laminated on the inner portion 54 (the absorbent main body 10 side with respect to the tip portion 53). The inner edge portion 55 of the wing joint portion 52 is folded back to form a folded end.

  The laminated structure of the sheet material 50 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the pair of wing portions 5 and 5 are each composed of a first sheet material 50a and a second sheet material 50b. The laminated structure of the sheet material 50 in the part 5A is different from the laminated structure of the sheet material 50 in the other wing part 5B.

  The first sheet material 50a is folded in two so as to form a folded end inward in the width direction of the absorbent main body 10 in both the one wing portion 5A and the other wing portion 5B. This folded end forms an inner edge 55 of the wing joint 52. The outer edge of the upper layer of the first sheet material 50a folded in half is positioned inward in the width direction with respect to the outer edge of the lower layer of the sheet material 50a.

  In one wing portion 5A, as shown in FIG. 3, a second sheet material 50b different from the first sheet material 50a is interposed between the upper layer and the lower layer of the first sheet material 50a. Yes. The position of the outer edge of the second sheet material 50b is substantially aligned with the position of the outer edge of the lower layer of the first sheet material 50a, and the position of the inner edge of the second sheet material 50b is the width direction of the wing portion 5A. Located near the center.

  In the other wing portion 5B, the second sheet material 50b is arranged on the skin contact surface side of the upper layer of the first sheet material 50a. The position of the outer edge of the second sheet material 50b in the other wing portion 5B is substantially aligned with the position of the outer edge of the lower layer of the first sheet material 50a, and the inner edge of the second sheet material 50b is the wing. It is located near the center in the width direction of the portion 5B.

  Thus, in the pair of wing portions 5, 5, the tip portions 53, 53 are formed by laminating the lower layer of the first sheet material 50a and the second sheet material 50b as shown in FIG. Has been. And in one wing part 5A and the other wing part 5B, a three-layer structure in which three layers of an upper layer of the first sheet material 50a, a lower layer of the first sheet material 50a, and a second sheet material 50b are laminated. The width L2 of the part is the same.

  From the viewpoint of improving the operability of the wing part 5, the width L1 of the tip part 53 having a two-layer structure is preferably 3 to 20 mm, more preferably 5 to 15 mm. Moreover, when it has a 3 layer structure part in the inner part 54 of the wing part 5, width L2 of this 3 layer structure part becomes like this. Preferably it is 3-25 mm, More preferably, it is 5-15 mm.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pair of wing portions 5, 5 is subjected to dot-like embossing, and a large number of pressing portions 56 are formed. The laminated sheet materials 50 are joined to each other at a large number of pressing portions 56 formed on the wing portion 5. The pressing portion 56 is preferably formed at least at the tip portion 53 in the wing portion 5 (wing forming portion 51), but it is preferable that the pressing portion 56 is not formed in the wing joint portion 52. It is preferable from the viewpoint of maintaining the feel and cushion feeling.
The laminated sheet material 50 can be joined by an adhesive instead of embossing. Further, the laminated sheet material 50 may be bonded using both embossing and an adhesive.

  As the sheet material 50 for forming the wing, various sheet materials used for this type of absorbent article can be used without limitation, but a bulky nonwoven fabric or a stretchable nonwoven fabric from the viewpoint of improving the touch when worn. Is preferably used.

  As the top sheet 2, the back sheet 3, and the absorbent body 4, those conventionally used for absorbent articles such as disposable diapers and sanitary napkins can be used without particular limitation.

According to the absorbent article 1 of the present embodiment having the above-described configuration, the wing-forming sheet material 50 is laminated at the front end portion 53 of the wing portion 5 to form a two-layer structure. 5 is easy to pick and is excellent in the operability of the wing part 5 when worn.
Moreover, by having a three-layer structure part in the inner part 54 of the wing part 5, the rigidity of the wing part 5 becomes larger and the operativity of the wing part 5 further improves. In addition, the wing portion 5 can be easily bent with the boundary between the three-layer structure portion and the two-layer structure portion located inward in the width direction of the inner portion 54 of the wing portion 5 as a flexible shaft. The operability is further improved.

Furthermore, the rigidity of the wing part 5 is increased and the operability of the wing part 5 is improved by providing the wing part 5 with a large number of pressing parts 56 by embossing.
Further, since the rigidity of the wing part 5 is increased, an adhesive for preventing misalignment for fixing the wing part 5 to the underwear when worn can be applied to the non-skin contact surface side of the wing part 5. There is also an effect that it becomes easy.
In addition, the wing joint 52 that is in contact with the wearer's body is excellent in the touch when worn because the inner edge 55 is a folded end.

  Next, a preferred embodiment of the method for producing an absorbent article of the present invention described above will be described with reference to FIGS.

The manufacturing method of the absorbent article of this embodiment has the following processes P1-P8.
(1) Adhesive application process P1: A hot melt adhesive is applied to the center in the width direction of the original fabric 57 of the sheet material for wing formation, which is a material for forming the wing part 5 [FIG. 4, FIG. )reference〕.
(2) Tri-folding step P2: Folding the original fabric 57 in three with the both ends in the width direction of the original fabric 57 of the sheet material for wing formation facing inward in the width direction [FIGS. 4 and 5 (b) reference〕.
(3) Embossing step P3: A large number of pressing portions 56 are formed by embossing at the center in the width direction of the original fabric 57a of the wing-forming sheet material folded in three (see FIGS. 4 and 5B).

(4) Wing intermediate forming step P4: A wing intermediate 59 having a substantially individual wing shape is formed from an original fabric 57a of a wing-forming sheet material folded in three [FIGS. 4, 5 (b), FIG. 5 (c)]. The “wing intermediate body 59 having a substantially wing shape” refers to a member in which most of the peripheral edge portion extending from the absorbent main body 10 in the wing portion 5 is formed. That is, it refers to a member in a state where the wing part 5 is completed after a front and back sheet / wing intermediate cutting step P7 described later [see FIGS. 6 (b) and 6 (c). ]. The wing intermediate body 59 has a wing forming portion 51 and a wing joint portion 52.
(5) Wing intermediate joining process P5: Joining the wing intermediate 59 to the surface sheet raw material 20 which is a forming material of the surface sheet 2 so that the tip 53 thereof faces outward in the width direction of the absorbent main body 10 [Refer to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5D].
(6) Front and back sheet joining step P6: Absorbing between the non-skin contact surface side of the top sheet original fabric 20 and the skin contact surface side of the back sheet original fabric 30 that is the forming material of the back sheet 3 It joins in the state which interposed the body 4 (refer FIG.4, FIG.5 (d), FIG.5 (e), FIG.5 (f), FIG.6 (a), FIG.6 (b)).

(7) Front and Back Sheet / Wing Intermediate Cutting Step P7: The front sheet original fabric 20, the back sheet original fabric 30, and the wing intermediate 59 are cut into predetermined shapes to form the absorbent main body and the wing portion 5 [FIG. FIG. 6 (c), FIG. 6 (d)].
(8) Wing part folding step P8: The wing part 5 is folded so that the tip 53 thereof faces inward in the width direction of the absorbent main body 10, and the folded state is maintained [FIGS. 4 and 6 (c), See FIG. 6D].

  First, the materials used for manufacturing the absorbent article of the present embodiment will be described. As the raw material 57 of the sheet material for forming the wing, the front surface raw material 20, the back surface raw material 30, the plurality of absorbent bodies 4, and the like. A material usually used in absorbent articles can be used as appropriate.

  The width of the surface sheet original fabric 20 and the back sheet original fabric 30 is set to be larger than the width of the absorber 4 from the viewpoint of joining both the original fabrics 20 and 30 with the absorber 4 interposed therebetween. From the viewpoint of cutting both raw fabrics 20 and 30 to form both side edges of the absorbent main body 10, the width is set larger than the width of the absorbent main body 10 (the width of the top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3 in the product state). Has been.

From the viewpoint of forming the laminated structure of the sheet material 50 in the wing portion 5 of the absorbent article of the present invention described above, the width of the raw fabric 57 of the sheet material for wing formation is preferably 100 to 200 mm, more preferably 120 to 200 mm. 180 mm.
The widths of the top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3 (absorbent main body 10), the absorber 4, the wing part 5, the top sheet original fabric 20, and the back sheet original fabric 30 are appropriately set. 110 mm, 60 mm to 90 mm, 40 mm to 70 mm, 75 mm to 120 mm, and 75 mm to 120 mm.

(1) Adhesive coating process P1
In the adhesive coating process P1, as shown in FIG. 4, a raw fabric 57 of a sheet material for wing formation is fed out. A hot melt adhesive M <b> 1 is applied to the central portion in the width direction on the upper surface of the unrolled original fabric 57 using an adhesive dispenser 60. Here, the hot melt adhesive M1 is applied in a spiral shape. The hot melt adhesive M <b> 1 is preferably applied to a region to be the wing forming portion 51 in the wing intermediate body 59 formed by the wing cutter mechanism 62 described later.
The reason why the hot melt adhesive M1 is applied to the region to be the wing forming portion 51 is that the rigidity of the wing forming portion 51 is increased to facilitate handling, and when the user wears or removes the absorbent article This is to prevent the two-layer or three-layer wing forming portion from being peeled off.
The width of the region to be coated is preferably 10 to 50 mm. By applying hot melt only to the wing forming part and not applying hot melt to the wing connecting part 52 that hits the base of the user's foot, the wing joint becomes bulky and can maintain a good touch and cushion feeling. .

(2) Tri-fold process P2
In the three-fold process P2, as shown in FIG. 4, the sheet material 57 for forming a wing is formed on the upper surface side of the sheet material 57 with both ends in the width direction facing inward in the width direction. Is folded back into three. The folded wing forming sheet material 57a is joined by the hot melt adhesive M1 applied in the adhesive application process P1. In the three-fold process P2, as shown in FIG. 5B, it is preferable that both ends of the original fabric 57 are folded back so as to overlap each other at the center in the width direction. As shown in FIG. 7 (a), a three-layer structure portion is formed in the central portion in the width direction of the original fabric 57a that is folded in three, and portions other than the central portion are formed. It becomes a two-layer structure. Further, folded ends are formed on both sides. The width L3 of the three-layer structure portion is preferably 3 to 25 mm.

(3) Embossing process P3
In the embossing process P3, as shown in FIG. 4, the original fabric 57a of the wing-forming sheet material folded in three is introduced into the pressing portion forming mechanism 61. The pressing portion forming mechanism 61 includes an embossing roller 61A and a cylindrical roller 61B. A large number of convex portions are formed on the peripheral surface of the embossing roller 61A. By passing through the pressing portion forming mechanism 61, the original fabric 57a of the wing-forming sheet material folded in three is sandwiched between the embossing roller 61A and the cylindrical roller 61B. As shown in (b), a large number of pressing portions 56 are formed. The original fabric 57a of the wing-forming sheet material folded in three is also joined to each other by the pressing portion 56. The pressing portion 56 is preferably formed in a region substantially the same as the region where the hot melt adhesive M1 is applied in the adhesive application step P1. By making the area | region which forms the press part 56 into the area | region substantially the same as the hot-melt-adhesive M1, the wing junction part 52 which hits a user's foot base becomes bulky, and it can maintain a touch and a feeling of cushion.
In addition, illustration of the press part 56 is abbreviate | omitted in FIG.4, FIG.5 (c), FIG.5 (d), and FIG.

(4) Wing intermediate formation process P4
In the wing intermediate forming step P4, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5B, first, a wing-forming sheet material 57a for forming a wing, which is formed of a large number of pressing portions 56 and folded in three, is a wing. A pair of wing intermediate bodies 58 and 58 are formed by being drawn out from the upstream side in the feed direction by the cutter mechanism 62 and cut into wavy lines. The wing cutter mechanism 62 includes a pair of wing cutter rollers 62A and a receiving roller 62B. A cutter blade 62C is provided at the center in the width direction of the outer peripheral surface of the wing cutter roller 62A. The cutter blade 62 </ b> C has a wavy line shape in which substantially trapezoidal shapes corresponding to the outer shape of the wing intermediate body 59 are alternately arranged.

By passing through the wing cutter mechanism 62, the three-folded wing-forming sheet material 57a is cut into a wavy shape along the longitudinal direction, and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5B, the wing A pair of wing intermediate continuums 58 and 58 in which the intermediate 59 is continuous in the longitudinal direction are formed. The positions in the longitudinal direction of the pair of wing intermediate continuums 58, 58 immediately after being formed are shifted by a half pitch. Here, “1 pitch” is the distance between the center lines of the wing intermediate bodies 59 and 59 adjacent to each other in the feed direction.
Here, the pair of wing intermediate body continuums 58 and 58 are arranged in a state in which the longitudinal position is shifted by a half pitch with the tip 53 of each wing intermediate body 59 facing inward in the width direction.

  Next, in the wing intermediate forming step, as shown in FIG. 4, the pair of wing intermediate continuums 58 and 58 passes through the wing position adjusting mechanism 63. The wing position adjusting mechanism 63 includes a plurality of position adjusting rollers 63A... Arranged at predetermined positions and orientations. The plurality of position adjusting rollers 63A... Make the pair of wing intermediate continuums 58, 58 formed in the wing cutter mechanism 62 intersect in the width direction in the conveying path, and one wing intermediate continuum. The longitudinal position of 58 can be shifted by a half pitch relative to the longitudinal position of the other wing intermediate continuum 58. Therefore, by passing through the wing position adjusting mechanism 63, the leading end portions 53 of the respective wing intermediate bodies 59 face outward in the width direction, and are arranged in a state in which the longitudinal direction positions coincide with each other.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 (c), the pair of wing intermediate continuums 58, 58 are cut by the wing separating mechanism 64 at a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction, and a pair of wing intermediate bodies in an individual state is obtained. 59, 59 are formed. The wing separation mechanism 64 includes a pair of separation cutter rollers 64A and a receiving roller 64C. A cutter blade 64B extending linearly along the axial direction is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the separation cutter roller 64A.
As shown in FIG. 7B, the pair of wing intermediates 59, 59 formed in this way has a two-layer structure at the front end 53, and the inner edge 55 is a folded end. Further, a three-layer structure portion is formed on the inner side in the width direction of the distal end portion 53. Further, the layer structures of the pair of wing intermediate bodies 59 and 59 are different from each other.

(5) Wing intermediate joining process P5
In the wing intermediate joining step P5, first, as shown in FIG. 4, the hot melt adhesive M2 is applied to the skin contact surface side of the surface sheet raw fabric 20 by the adhesive dispenser 65A.

In the wing intermediate joining step P5, next, as shown in FIG. 1, the surface sheet original fabric 20 coated with the hot melt adhesive M2 and the pair of wing intermediates 59 conveyed by the receiving roller 64C, 59 is pinched between the pair of receiving rollers 64C and the pressing roller 65B in the wing pressing mechanism. 4 and FIG. 5D, the wing intermediate body 59 is bonded to a predetermined position on the skin contact surface side of the surface sheet original fabric 20 via the hot melt adhesive M2.
As a result, the first intermediate body in which the wing intermediate body 59 is joined to the surface sheet original fabric 20 via the hot melt adhesive M2 with the front end portion 53 facing outward in the width direction (see FIG. 5D). ] Is obtained.

(6) Front and back sheet joining step P6
In the front and back sheet joining step P6, as shown in FIG. 4, the first intermediate body (the surface sheet original fabric 20 with the wing intermediate body 56 joined) is conveyed by a surface sheet conveying mechanism (not shown). The Moreover, as shown in FIG. 4, the hot melt adhesive M3 is applied to the skin contact surface side of the back sheet original fabric 30 by an adhesive dispenser 65C. The back sheet original fabric 30 coated with the hot melt adhesive M3 is conveyed by a back sheet conveyance mechanism (not shown) and merges with the front sheet original fabric 20. Moreover, as shown in FIG.4, FIG.5 (f) and FIG.6 (a), the absorber 4 is interposed between the surface sheet original fabric 20 and the backsheet original fabric 30 by the absorber conveyance mechanism (not shown). Be transported.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 (a), the surface sheet original fabric 20 (first intermediate), the absorber 4 and the back sheet original fabric 30 to which the wing intermediate body 59 is bonded are bonded to each other by hot melt bonding. They are joined via the agent M3 to form a laminate.
This laminated body is heat-sealed by a pair of heat rollers 66 and 66 as shown in FIGS. Here, as shown in FIGS. 6B to 6D, the heat seal portion S has a circumferential shape located slightly outward from the entire peripheral edge portion of the absorbent main body 10.
As a result, a second intermediate body (see FIG. 6B), which is a laminated body composed of the wing intermediate body 59, the top sheet original fabric 20, the absorber 4, and the back sheet original fabric 30, is obtained.

(7) Front and back sheet / wing intermediate cutting step P7
In the front and back sheet / wing intermediate cutting step P7, as shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 (c) and FIG. 6 (d), the top sheet 20 and the back sheet 30 in the second intermediate are provided. And the wing intermediate body 59 is cut into a predetermined shape by the front and back sheet cutting mechanism 67, and the absorbent main body 10 and the wing portion 5 are formed. The front and back sheet cutting mechanism 67 includes a trimming roller 67A and a receiving roller 67B. A cutter blade 67C is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the trimming roller 67A. The cutter blade 67 </ b> C has a shape corresponding to the entire peripheral edge portion and the wing portion of the absorbent main body 10.

(8) Wing part folding step P8
In the wing part folding step P8, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 (d), the pair of wing parts 5, 5 extending outward in the width direction of the absorbent article 1 is a wing part folding mechanism (not shown). )), It is folded back inward in the width direction.

On the upper surface of the pair of wing portions 5 and 5 folded back by the wing portion folding mechanism, a release paper R coated with an adhesive by an adhesive dispenser (not shown) is provided with a release paper sticking mechanism (not shown). ), As shown in FIG. 6D, the pair of wing portions 5 and 5 are pasted together.
As a result, the absorbent article 1 [see FIG. 6D] in which the wing portion 5 is folded back inward in the width direction and the folded state is maintained is obtained. In order to maintain the folded state of the wing part 5, after the adhesive is applied to the wing parts 5 and 5 from the adhesive dispenser, the adhesive is applied as shown in FIG. Alternatively, the release paper R may be pasted so as to span the pair of wing portions 5 and 5.

The absorbent article 1 including the absorbent main body 10 and the wing part 5 formed through the front and back sheet / wing intermediate cutting process P7 and the wing part folding process P8 is a post-process (not shown) such as an individual folding process. ).
The trim T remaining after the absorbent main body 10 and the wing portion 5 are formed from the second intermediate is separately discarded or reused.

  According to the manufacturing method of the absorbent article of the present embodiment having the steps (1) to (8) described above, the widthwise central portion of the original fabric 57a of the sheet material for wing formation folded in three is elongated. Since the wing intermediate body 59 is formed by cutting in a wave shape along the direction, the wing intermediate body 59 is formed in which the front end portion 53 has a two-layer structure and the inner edge 55 of the wing joint portion 52 is a folded end. Thus, the absorbent article of the present invention can be easily obtained continuously.

  Further, the folding of the raw fabric 57 of the wing sheet material and the formation of the wing intermediate body 59 are carried out as in this embodiment or the embodiment shown in FIGS. In the case of forming the two-layer or three-layer structure portion of the wing portion 5 and the wing intermediate body 59, the upper and lower surfaces in the thickness direction are formed from the same surface of the original fabric 57 before folding. The non-woven fabric often has a surface with a lot of fluff and a smooth surface (a surface with less fuzz) in its production, but the two- or three-layer structure portion of the wing portion 5 and the wing intermediate 59 is a smooth surface of the non-woven fabric. By being configured, the touch on the skin contact surface side of the wing forming portion 51 and the wing joint portion 52 can be improved, and the non-skin contact surface side of the wing forming portion 51 is hot. Adhesiveness of the melt adhesive, for example, transferability when a hot melt adhesive is applied to form a misalignment prevention portion for fixing the wing portion 5 to the undergarment is improved.

  In addition, the adhesive coating process P1 and the embossing process P3 are performed before the wing cutter mechanism 62 in the wing intermediate forming process P4, and the hot melt adhesive M1 and the embossing are folded in three. By being applied to the central portion of the original fabric 57a, the original fabric 57a can be easily cut by the wing cutter mechanism 62.

  Moreover, since the wing intermediate body 59 is disposed on the skin contact surface side of the top sheet 2, a soft and soft material is used as the wing-forming sheet material 50, and the wearer's leg base is prevented from rubbing. can do. Furthermore, since the wing part 5 is formed from a material different from the top sheet 2 and the back sheet 3, it is possible to give the wing part 5 an added value such as expansion and contraction.

  Further, the hot melt adhesive coating and embossing for performing two-layer adhesion of the wing forming sheet material 50 are continuously performed in a narrow width only at the center in the width direction of the original fabric 57 of the wing forming sheet material. By doing so, the cutting in the next wing intermediate forming process cuts in a state where the wing tip part faces inward without any zigzag loss, so the wing tip part that requires rigidity can be fixed with hot melt or emboss to the edge This makes it possible to prevent the two layers from peeling off, and the inner folded portion is outside the range of hot melt or embossing, so that the softness and cushion feeling of the nonwoven fabric can be maintained. The hot melt and the embossing roll may be prepared with a narrow apparatus, and the desired effect can be obtained while suppressing the equipment cost.

  The absorbent article of the present invention and the method for producing the absorbent article are not limited to the above-described embodiments and embodiments, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in the wing intermediate forming step P4, the wing intermediate continuous body 58 is not separated into a pair of wing intermediate bodies 59 and 59 in an individual state in the wing separation mechanism 64, and remains in a continuous state, and the wing intermediate joining step You may join to the skin contact surface side of the surface sheet original fabric 20 by P5. In this case, in the front and back sheet / wing intermediate cutting step P7, the wing intermediate bodies 59 and 59 are separated by the front and back sheet cutting mechanism 67, and the wing portion 5 is formed. When the wing intermediates 59 and 59 are joined to the surface sheet original fabric 20 in a continuous state, it is useful for preventing misalignment when a highly stretchable sheet material for wing formation is used. In the wing part 5 formed in this way, the wing joint part 52 is present in substantially the entire length in the longitudinal direction of the sanitary napkin. "

In the laminated structure of the wing-forming sheet material 50 in the absorbent article of the present invention, one wing portion 5A and the other wing portion 5B may have the same configuration.
The wing portion 5 has the three-layer structure portion in the above-described embodiment, but may not have the three-layer structure portion. Moreover, the wing part 5 may have a single layer structure part.

The original fabric 57 of the sheet material for wing formation was folded back so that both ends of the original fabric 57 overlapped at the central portion in the width direction in the three-fold process P1 in the above-described embodiment. The both ends of the original fabric 57a may be folded back so as to be butted at the center in the width direction (see FIG. 8). Further, it may be folded back so that a gap is opened between both ends (see FIG. 9). Furthermore, the original fabric 57 of the sheet material for wing formation is folded back so that a wide three-layer structure portion is formed in the central portion of the original fabric 57a folded in three, and the wing portion 5 having the tip portion 53 of the three-layer structure is formed. It may be formed (see FIG. 10).
That is, the sheet material 57 may be folded in three or the like so that the tip 53 of the wing 5 formed through the wing intermediate forming step P4 has a laminated structure of two layers or three or more layers. .
When the original fabric 57 is folded back so that a gap is opened between both ends of the folded original fabric 57a, the width of the gap is set so that the front end portion 53 of the wing portion 5 forms a two-layer structure. Therefore, it is preferably within 15 mm, more preferably within 10 mm.

The wing portion 5 of the absorbent article obtained in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 has a laminated structure in which the tip portion 53 has two layers or three or more layers. Therefore, the operability of the wing part is good. Moreover, the wing part 5 of the absorbent article obtained by the method shown in FIG. 8 is, for example, as shown in FIG. 510 has occurred. By having such a butting portion 50d, the left and right wings have exactly the same configuration. The distance L4 (see FIG. 11) from the leading end of the wing portion 5 in the protruding direction to the butted portion 50d is preferably 5 to 20 mm, and is 10 to 50% of the protruding length L5 of the wing portion 5 It is preferable.
In any of the embodiments, it is preferable that the range from the tip in the protruding direction of the wing portion 5 to 5 mm toward the absorbent main body has a laminated structure of at least two layers or three layers or more.

  Further, as in the sanitary napkin (absorbent article) shown in FIG. 11, the folding of the wing-forming sheet material 50 at the wing joint 52 does not cause a hollow portion near the inner edge 55 of the wing joint 52. It may be a turn of the aspect.

  The absorbent article and the method for producing the absorbent article of the present invention are not limited to sanitary napkins and the production thereof, and can also be applied to panty liners (orimono sheets) and incontinence pads. Moreover, it is also applicable to the absorbent article provided with 2 or more pairs of wing parts.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a sanitary napkin which is an embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the sanitary napkin shown in FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line XX shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining the outline of all the steps of one embodiment of the method for producing an absorbent article of the present invention. 5 (a) to 5 (f) are plan views for sequentially explaining the outline of the steps of one embodiment of the method for producing an absorbent article of the present invention. 6A to 6D are plan views for sequentially explaining the continuation of the process shown in FIG. 7A and 7B are a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. 5B and a cross-sectional view taken along line ZZ in FIG. 5C, respectively. FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the main part of another embodiment of the method for producing an absorbent article of the present invention. FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing the main part of still another embodiment of the method for producing an absorbent article of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing the main part of still another embodiment of the method for producing an absorbent article of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view (corresponding to FIG. 3) showing a sanitary napkin which is another embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Absorbent article 10 Absorbent main body 11 Absorbent layer 12 Leak-proof layer 2 Top sheet 3 Back sheet 4 Absorber 5 Wing part 50 Wing forming sheet material 50a First sheet material 50b Second sheet material 51 Wing forming part 52 Wing joint part 53 Tip part 54 Inner part 55 Inner edge part 55a Hollow part 56 Press part 57 Raw material of sheet material for wing formation 58 Wing intermediate continuum 59 Wing intermediate R Release paper S Heat seal part

Claims (8)

A substantially vertically long absorbent main body having an absorbent layer and a leak-proof layer, and a pair of wings extending from both side edges of the absorbent main body, the wing parts being opposite side parts of the absorbent main body An absorbent article formed by a sheet material for wing formation bonded to
The sheet material for wing formation has a wing formation portion that forms the wing portion and a wing joint portion that is positioned on the absorbent main body, and a leading end portion of the wing portion is a portion of the wing formation portion. The absorbent article is formed by laminating two or more layers of sheet material, and the inner edge portion of the wing joint is formed by folding the sheet material.   The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the wing portion has a two-layer structure at the tip portion and a three-layer structure portion closer to the absorbent main body than the tip portion.   The absorptive article according to claim 1 or 2 by which a large number of press parts are formed in said wing part by embossing.   The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a hollow portion formed by folding the sheet material in the vicinity of the inner edge portion of the wing joint portion. A method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A three-fold process of folding the original fabric in three with both ends in the width direction of the original material of the sheet material for wing formation facing inward in the width direction;
A wing intermediate forming step of forming a wing intermediate having a substantially wing shape in an individual state from an original fabric of the sheet material folded in three;
Manufacturing a absorbent article having a wing intermediate joining step for joining the wing intermediate to the skin contact surface side of the absorbent main body so that a tip portion thereof faces outward in the width direction of the absorbent main body Method.   6. The manufacturing of an absorbent article according to claim 5, wherein in the three-folding step, both end portions in the width direction of the original sheet of the sheet material for wing formation are folded in three so as to overlap each other in the width direction central portion of the original fabric. Method.   The absorbent article according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising an adhesive application step of applying a hot melt adhesive to a central portion in the width direction of the sheet material for wing formation before the three-folding step. Manufacturing method.   8. The embossing step of forming a large number of pressing portions by embossing at a central portion in the width direction of the original sheet material for wing formation folded in three after the three-folding step. The manufacturing method of the absorbent article as described in any one of.

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