JP2010148730A - Surface sheet of absorbent article - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the surface sheet of an absorbent article with excellent liquid suction property and liquid permeability. <P>SOLUTION: The surface sheet 2 of the absorbent article includes recesses 20 and projections on a skin abutment surface, where constituent fibers include heat-extensible fibers, and the recesses 20 are formed of linear embosses 21, and the fibers 25 present in non-emboss areas 24 adjacent to the edges of each of the linear embosses 21 are oriented in a nearly regular manner in a direction Q intersecting the direction of line of the emboss in the edges. It is preferable that the surface sheet 2 has, in the projections, heat-fused bonding points, where the crossed constituent fibers are thermally-fused and bonded at intersections. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a surface sheet of an absorbent article.

Conventionally, as a surface sheet of an absorbent article such as a sanitary napkin or a disposable diaper, one made of a nonwoven fabric or one made of a perforated film in which a three-dimensional aperture is formed in a resin film has been widely used.
The surface sheet made of non-woven fabric can draw liquid between fibers by capillary action and has good absorbability, while the drawn liquid tends to stay in the sheet and when pressure is applied to the skin of the wearer It is easy to give a wet feeling to the wearer. On the other hand, the surface sheet made of a perforated film in which three-dimensional apertures are formed is excellent in liquid permeability and difficult to give a wet feeling to the wearer's skin, while inferior in liquid absorbency in the direction against gravity, For example, the liquid may move along the skin while sleeping, leading to leakage.

Further, the surface layer of the absorbent article is a surface layer composed of a large number of continuous filaments of thermoplastic synthetic resin extending in parallel in one direction, and the joining sites of the filaments are intermittently arranged in the one direction. What is provided has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).
Further, the base material and the continuous filament layer are joined by a plurality of joint portions having a base material and a continuous filament layer and spaced in the extending direction of the continuous filament, and between the joint portion and the joint portion. A continuous filament raised in a loop shape is known (see Patent Document 2).
However, since these are arranged in parallel over the entire length including the gap between the joints, they are inferior in strength as a non-woven fabric, and concealment performance of liquid such as menstrual blood Also inferior.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-151152 JP 2002-65736 A

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a surface sheet of an absorbent article that is excellent in liquid drawability and liquid permeability.

The present invention has a concave portion and a convex portion on the skin contact surface side, and the constituent fibers include heat-extensible fibers.
The concave portion is formed by linear embossing, and the fibers in the non-embossed region adjacent to the linear embossing (wrinkles) are generally aligned in a direction intersecting the embossing linear direction. The object is achieved by providing a surface sheet of an absorbent article.

  Further, the present invention provides an absorbent article comprising a top sheet that forms a skin contact surface, a back sheet that forms a non-skin contact surface, and an absorbent body interposed between the two sheets. The absorbent article which is the surface sheet of this invention is provided.

  The surface sheet of the absorbent article of the present invention is excellent in liquid drawability and liquid permeability.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on a preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a surface sheet of an absorbent article of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the topsheet 2 in the present embodiment is made of a single-layered nonwoven fabric, and has linear embosses 21 in which constituent fibers are integrated by thermal fusion in a lattice shape.
In the present invention, the line shape is not limited to a straight line in plan view, but includes a curved line. Each line may be a continuous line or a broken line, but an embossed shape in which points such as a circle are formed intermittently. Is not included. The term “intermittently” means that the distance between adjacent point-shaped embosses is 5 mm or more.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the top sheet 2 has a plurality of first linear embosses 21 a formed in parallel with each other at predetermined intervals as linear embosses 21. A plurality of second linear embosses 21b formed in parallel and at predetermined intervals, and the first linear emboss 21a and the second linear emboss 21b form an angle α with each other. Crossed. The width W1 of the first linear emboss 21a and the width of the second linear emboss 21b are the same, and the interval W2 between the first linear embosses 21a and the interval between the second linear embosses 21b are also the same. The same.

The width W1 (only one is shown) of the first and second linear embosses 21a and 21b is 0.1 to 1.5 mm, particularly 0.3 to 0, in order to securely fix the fiber in the linear embossing. Is preferably 9 mm, and the interval W2 between the first linear embosses 21a and the interval between the second linear embosses 21b are 2 to 14 mm so as to easily form a fiber parallel standing portion described later, 2 to 8 mm is particularly preferable. W1 and W2 are measured in a direction perpendicular to the line. The width of the line may change from the intersection, but W1 is measured at the intersection and the midpoint of the intersection. W2 is measured by a line connecting opposite sides of the partition region 22.
The X direction in FIGS. 1 and 2 is the same as the sheet flow direction (MD) at the time of manufacturing the surface sheet, and coincides with the longitudinal direction of the napkin 1 when incorporated in a sanitary napkin 1 described later. The direction is the same. The Y direction in FIGS. 1 and 2 is the same as the direction (CD) perpendicular to the flow direction of the sheet at the time of manufacturing the top sheet, and the width direction of the napkin 1 when incorporated in a sanitary napkin 1 described later. The direction to be matched is also the same direction.

The surface sheet 2 has a concave portion 20 formed by hot embossing on the surface (non-skin contact surface 2a) directed to the wearer's skin side when incorporated in the absorbent article, The recess 20 has the linear emboss 21 described above.
Since the linear emboss 21 is formed in a lattice shape as described above, the top sheet 2 is formed with partitioned regions 22, 22... Partitioned by the linear emboss 21.
Each partition area 22 is an area surrounded by a linear emboss 21 and has a rhombus shape in plan view. The central portion of each partition region 22 is raised relative to the concave portion 20 surrounding the partition region 22 to form a convex portion 23.

The linear emboss 21 in the surface sheet 2 of the present embodiment is formed by subjecting a fiber web formed by a card method to hot embossing. Instead of hot embossing, the linear emboss 21 can be formed by high frequency embossing or ultrasonic embossing.
In the linear emboss 21, the heat-fusible fibers, which are constituent fibers of the top sheet 2 or the non-woven fabric constituting the top sheet 2, are integrated by heat-sealing. In the heat-fusible fiber in the linear emboss 21, the heat-fusible component is melted and the fiber form is not maintained.

The surface sheet 2 of the present embodiment includes a heat-extensible fiber as a constituent fiber. The heat-extensible fiber is preferably a heat-fusible fiber.
The heat-fusible fiber as the heat-extensible fiber is preferably a composite fiber composed of a heat-fusible component and a high-melting-point component having a higher melting point than the heat-fusible component, and more preferably, the heat-fusible component is a sheath. A core-sheath type composite fiber having a high melting point component as a core is used. The heat fusion component and the high melting point component are preferably thermoplastic resins. Examples of the heat fusion component include polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene-1, polypentene-1, or a random or block copolymer thereof. Examples of the high melting point component include polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate, polyamides such as nylon-6 and nylon-66, and the like.
Preferred combinations of the heat fusion component and the high melting point component include polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene and polypropylene, low melting point polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene and polybutylene terephthalate, etc. Absent. The core-sheath type composite fiber may be a concentric type, an eccentric type, or a fiber having a core component exposed at a part of the entire circumference of the fiber.

  The heat-fusible fiber is preferably a heat-extensible composite fiber from the viewpoint of the formability of the fiber side-upstanding portion described later and the formability of the uneven shape. The heat-extensible composite fiber is a fiber whose length is extended by heating, and is a fiber that extends at a temperature of 90 ° C. or higher, preferably 110 ° C. to 130 ° C. When the heat-extensible conjugate fiber is stretched during the production of the topsheet 2, it is possible to form irregularities with large undulations and to easily generate a fiber parallel upright portion described later. Therefore, after the surface sheet 2 is completed, many of them are in an extended state, and do not mean fibers that are further extended from the state. The heat-extensible composite fiber after extension is also included in the heat-extensible composite fiber.

Examples of the heat-stretchable composite fiber include a fiber that changes in the crystalline state of the resin by heating or is stretched, or a fiber that has been crimped and has an apparent length that is released by crimping. .
As the heat-extensible composite fiber, it is 10 to 30 ° C. higher than the softening point of the heat-fusible component, and 10 ° C. lower than the melting point. And is preferable from the viewpoint of remarkably forming an uneven shape. Preferable examples of the heat-extensible conjugate fiber are described in paragraphs [0024] to [0040] of JP-A-2005-350836.

  The ratio of the composite fiber composed of the heat fusion component and the high melting point component, particularly the heat-extensible composite fiber, is preferably 40 to 100% by mass, more preferably 70 to 100% by mass in the constituent fibers of the surface sheet. More preferably, it is 95-100 mass%. Examples of fibers to be blended in addition to these composite fibers include fibers made of thermoplastic resins (non-composite fibers).

In the surface sheet 2 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the recess 20 is formed by a linear emboss 21, and is a non-embossed region adjacent to the line (wrinkle) of the linear emboss 21. In this case, the fibers 25 are generally aligned in the direction Q intersecting the embossed line direction P.
More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the surface sheet 2 of the present embodiment has constituent fibers (more specifically, heat-extensible composite fibers) in the vicinity of the linear emboss 21. And a fiber parallel upright portion 24 rising in parallel in a direction away from the linear emboss 21. The fiber parallel upright portions 24 are formed adjacent to the first linear emboss 21a and the second linear emboss 21b, respectively. As shown in FIG. 4, the fiber 25 of each of the fiber parallel standing portions 24 has one end 25 a in the longitudinal direction fixed to the linear emboss 21 by melting the heat-fusible component, and the other end in the longitudinal direction. Is a direction intersecting with the direction P in which the first or second linear embosses 21a, 21b extend, more specifically, in a direction (Q direction) substantially orthogonal to the direction P in the plan view of the top sheet 2. It extends towards.
As shown in FIG. 4, the fibers 25 that form the fiber parallel upright portions 24 are arranged in parallel in the P direction in a plan view of the topsheet 2, and as shown in FIG. 3, It is arranged to stand up from the linear emboss 21. The direction of rising is a direction approaching the wearer's skin when used as a top sheet of an absorbent article.
By forming the linear embossing into a linear shape, the heat-extensible fibers extend in parallel from the line. The linear shape is preferably a continuous straight line or curved line. In the case of a broken line, the interval between the lines may not be extremely large, but the interval between the lines is preferably 2 mm or less.
Further, the fiber 25 arranged in the fiber parallel upright portion 24 has an extended portion 25b extending beyond the fiber parallel upright portion 24, and these extended portions 25b are non-parallel to the convex portion 23. A fiber joining point (not shown) is formed in the convex portion 23, particularly in the central portion thereof, in which crossed constituent fibers are heat-sealed at each other intersection.

It is preferable that the length L (refer FIG.3 and FIG.4) measured along the fiber which comprises the surface by the side of the skin contact surface 2a of the fiber parallel standing part 24 is 0.5-4.0 mm, More preferably, it is 0.5-2.0 mm, More preferably, it is 0.5-1.0 mm.
Moreover, the fiber parallel standing part 24 formed adjacent to the 1st or 2nd linear embossing 21a, 21b is set to 100% when the circumference | surroundings of the division area 22 are formed over the perimeter. 70% or more, preferably 40% or more.

A straw-like space is formed between the fibers arranged in parallel in the fiber parallel upright portion 24, and the liquid is drawn toward the linear emboss 21 through the space. Further, since the fibers in the vicinity of the linear embossing 21 stand up while extending in the direction intersecting with the direction in which the linear embossing 21 extends, the linear embossing of the liquid that has reached the boundary with the linear embossing 21 is performed. Movement along the direction in which the emboss 21 extends is relatively difficult.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the liquid supplied to the skin contact surface 2 a side of the top sheet 2 smoothly moves to the absorbent body 4 through the fiber parallel upright portions 24, and the liquid is applied to the top sheet 2. The rest is unlikely to occur.

  In addition, the partition region 22 partitioned by the linear emboss 21 is formed, and the fiber parallel upright portion 24 is formed around the partition region 22, so that the movement of the liquid across the partition region 22 is suppressed. Inconvenience such as liquid leakage due to the liquid flowing on the top sheet 2 is unlikely to occur.

  In addition, the topsheet 2 of the present embodiment has a fiber parallel upright portion 24, and has a fiber joining point in which crossed constituent fibers are heat-sealed at each other intersection at the center of the convex portion 23. Therefore, unlike a surface material in which continuous filaments made of tow and thermoplastic fibers are parallel throughout the longitudinal direction, sufficient strength as a sheet or non-woven fabric can be obtained and concealment of colored liquid such as menstrual blood Also excellent in properties.

The area of each partition region 22 is preferably 0.25 to ² cm ² .
Further, the area ratio of the linear emboss 21 is preferably 16% or less, particularly preferably 14% or less because the liquid hardly remains in the surface sheet. If the area ratio of the linear emboss 21 is too high, the convex portion of the sheet is pressed down, and the liquid tends to remain in the surface sheet.
Further, the area ratio of the linear emboss 21 is preferably 10% or more, particularly 11% or more from the viewpoint of improving liquid suction. If the area ratio of the linear embossing 21 is too low, the width of the linear embossing becomes narrow and the strength of the linear embossing cannot be secured, so that the liquid sucking property is deteriorated.
A method for measuring the area ratio of the linear emboss will be described later in Examples.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 3, the surface sheet 2 of this embodiment has a non-woven fabric constituting the surface sheet 2 in a linear shape on the non-skin contact surface side, overlapping with the fiber parallel upright portions 24. It has the fiber parallel part 26 located in a line in the direction away from the embossing 21 of this.
By having the fiber parallel part 26 in the part which overlaps with the fiber parallel standing part 24, it is prevented that the liquid drawn in through the fiber parallel standing part 24 stays in the non-skin contact surface vicinity of the surface sheet 2, FIG. As shown, the liquid A moves to the absorber 4 more smoothly.
From the viewpoint of further improving the transferability of the liquid to the absorbent body 4, when the topsheet 2 is incorporated into the absorbent article, the fiber parallel part 26 contacts the absorbent body 4 substantially in parallel as shown in FIG. 5. It is preferable to arrange so as to. In addition, it is preferable that the fiber parallel part 26 has the same configuration as the fiber parallel stand part 24 except that the fiber parallel stand part 26 is not raised.

When a partitioned area surrounded by linear embossing is formed on the surface sheet, each partitioned area or two types of partitioned areas with different dimensions are formed with a dimensional ratio of golden ratio or white silver ratio. Is preferred.
The golden ratio is the most beautiful ratio since ancient times, and the approximate ratio a: b is 9:16, but the golden ratio a: b in the present invention is in the range of 9:15 to 9:17. . By forming the partition region having the golden ratio, it is possible to obtain a surface sheet or an absorbent article having a beautiful appearance as well as excellent absorption performance.
The silver ratio is a ratio based on a traditional Japanese wood split and is said to have stable and timeless beauty, and a: b is 1: 1.414. The silver ratio a: b is in the range of 1: 1.3 to 1: 1.5. By forming the partition region having the silver ratio, it is possible to obtain a surface sheet and an absorbent article that have excellent absorption performance and give a sense of stability and security.

As an example in which each partition region has a dimensional ratio of golden ratio or white silver ratio, as shown in FIG. 2, the ratio of the diagonal lengths L1 and L2 of the rhombic partition region 22 is set to the golden ratio or white silver The ratio a: b is mentioned. In this case, a of golden ratio or silver ratio a: b may be L1, b may be L2, a may be L2, and b may be L1. In addition, the length with the center of the intersection of 21a (21) and 21b (21) shown in the figure as the starting point / ending point may be the length corresponding to L1 and L2.
As an example of giving a dimensional ratio of golden ratio or silver ratio to a plurality of types of partitioned areas, as shown in FIG. 6, two types of partitioned areas 22A and 22B having different dimensions and shapes are parallel to each other or on a straight line. The ratio of the lengths of the diagonal lines L3 and L4 that are aligned with each other is the golden ratio or the silver ratio a: b. In this case, a in the golden ratio or silver ratio a: b may be L3, b may be L4, a may be L4, and b may be L3.
In addition, when recalling the diagonal line of each division area as a virtual line which comprises golden ratio or white silver ratio, the line of an absorbent article edge part and side groove embossing play an auxiliary role. Therefore, it is more effective to match the larger ratio in the longitudinal direction of the product.

The manufacturing method of the surface sheet 2 mentioned above is demonstrated, referring FIG. 7 for the case where it manufactures using a heat | fever extensible composite fiber as an example.
First, a web 2A serving as a raw sheet of the top sheet 2 is produced using a predetermined web forming means (not shown). The web 2A contains a heat-extensible composite fiber or is made of a heat-extensible composite fiber. Examples of the web forming means include (a) a card method in which short fibers are opened using a card machine, and (b) a method in which melt-spun continuous filaments are directly pulled by air soccer and deposited on a net (spunbond). And (c) a known method such as a method (air array method) in which short fibers are transported in an air stream and deposited on a net.

  Then, the web 2A is introduced into the heat embossing device 51. In the heat embossing device 51, the web 2A is subjected to heat embossing. The heat embossing device 51 includes a pair of rolls 52 and 53. The roll 52 is a smooth roll having a smooth peripheral surface. On the other hand, the roll 53 is a sculpture roll in which a lattice-like convex portion corresponding to the linear emboss 21 is formed on the peripheral surface thereof. Each of the rolls 52 and 53 can be heated to a predetermined temperature.

  The heat embossing is performed at a temperature at which the heat-fusible component of the heat-extensible composite fiber in the web 2A is melted. The processing temperature of the heat embossing is preferably performed at a temperature that is equal to or higher than the melting point of the heat-fusible component in the heat-extensible composite fiber in the web 2A and lower than the melting point of the high-melting point component. Moreover, it is preferable to carry out at the temperature below the elongation start temperature of a heat | fever extensible fiber.

The nonwoven fabric 54 which has the linear embossing 21 is obtained by heat embossing.
Subsequently, the nonwoven fabric 54 is conveyed to the hot air spraying device 55. In the hot air spraying device 55, the nonwoven fabric 54 is subjected to air-through processing. The hot air blowing device 55 is configured such that hot air heated to a predetermined temperature penetrates the nonwoven fabric 54. The air-through process is performed at a temperature at which the heat-extensible composite fiber in the nonwoven fabric 54 is elongated by heating. And it is performed at a temperature at which the intersections of the heat-extensible composite fibers in a free state existing in the non-woven fabric 54 other than the linear emboss 21 are thermally fused. However, it is preferable that the temperature is lower than the melting point of the high melting point component of the heat-extensible conjugate fiber.

By such an air-through process, the heat-extensible conjugate fiber contained in the nonwoven fabric 54 is stretched at portions other than the linear emboss 21. Since a part of the thermally stretchable conjugate fiber is fixed by the linear emboss 21, it is the portion between the linear embosses 21 that extends. Since a part of the thermally stretchable conjugate fiber is fixed by the linear emboss 21, the stretched portion of the stretched thermally stretchable conjugate fiber loses its place in the plane direction of the non-woven fabric 54, so The heat stretchable conjugate fiber on the hot air blowing side moves in the thickness direction of the nonwoven fabric 54. As a result, a fiber parallel upright portion 24 is formed in the vicinity of the linear emboss 21, and a convex portion 23 is formed at the center of the partition region surrounded by the linear emboss 21. Further, the intersections of the heat-extensible composite fibers existing between the linear embosses 21 are joined by heat fusion by air-through processing, and the fiber joining points are formed in a three-dimensionally dispersed state on the convex portion 23. .
In this way, the target surface sheet 2 is obtained.

FIG. 8 is a view showing another embodiment of the top sheet of the absorbent article of the present invention. The points that are not particularly described with respect to the topsheet 2A shown in FIG.
The top sheet 2A shown in FIG. 8 has a two-layer structure in which an upper layer 27 and a lower layer 28 are laminated. The top sheet 2A has the upper layer 27 side facing the wearer's skin and the lower layer 28 side is absorbed. Used by being incorporated into an absorbent article toward the body side.

The upper layer 27 is made of the heat-extensible conjugate fiber described above or includes the heat-extensible conjugate fiber, and the lower layer 28 does not contain the heat-extensible conjugate fiber or is smaller in amount than the upper layer 27. Contains composite fiber. The upper layer 27 and the lower layer 28 are joined by a lattice-like joint formed by embossing, and the joint becomes the linear emboss 21 in the topsheet 2A.
In the vicinity of the linear emboss 21 in the upper layer 27, a fiber parallel standing portion 24 similar to the fiber parallel standing portion of the top sheet 2 described above is formed adjacent to the linear emboss 21. In the convex portion 23 formed by the above, a heat fusion point 29 is formed in which the heat-extensible conjugate fibers are heat-sealed at each other intersection.
Since the topsheet 2A also has the fiber parallel upright portions 24, the same function and effect as the topsheet 2 is achieved.

  When the upper layer 27 and the lower layer 28 are laminated like the surface sheet 2A, the lower layer 28 constituting the non-skin contact surface side of the surface sheet 2A is more rigid than the constituent fibers of the upper layer 27. It is preferable to use a high fiber. By using a highly rigid fiber on the non-skin contact surface side, it is possible to effectively prevent the surface sheet from being twisted. Here, the highly rigid fiber is a fiber having a higher melting point or higher resin density than the fiber used on the skin contact surface side.

The top sheet of the absorbent article of the present invention is used as the top sheet of the absorbent article.
The absorbent article is mainly used for absorbing and holding excretory body fluids such as urine and menstrual blood. Absorbent articles include, for example, disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, incontinence pads, and the like, but are not limited to these, and widely include articles used to absorb liquid discharged from the human body.
The absorbent article typically includes a top sheet, a back sheet, and a liquid-retaining absorbent body disposed between both sheets. Absorbent articles generally have a skin contact surface that contacts the wearer's skin when worn and a non-skin contact surface directed to the opposite side (usually clothing side such as shorts). The back sheet is disposed on the skin contact surface side, and the back sheet is disposed on the non-skin contact surface side. The surface sheet in this invention is distribute | arranged toward the wearer's skin side in the direction where a fiber parallel standing part stands.

9 and 10 are views showing a sanitary napkin 1 using the topsheet 2 of the above-described embodiment as a topsheet.
The surface sheet 2 in the sanitary napkin 1 is formed with the lattice-like linear emboss 21 described above over the entire area. More specifically, the first and second linear embosses 21 a and 21 b described above draw a large number of lines from one side 11 in the longitudinal direction of the sanitary napkin 1 to the other side 12. Furthermore, it is formed over the entire length between both end portions in the napkin width direction.
Since the linear emboss 21 is formed so as to draw a large number of lines from one side 11 in the longitudinal direction of the sanitary napkin 1 to the other side 12, the width direction of the sanitary napkin 1 Wrinkles are prevented from occurring due to the deformation pressure from As described above, the surface sheet 2 used for the sanitary napkin 1 has a fiber orientation in which the fibers in the vicinity of the linear emboss 21 are difficult to bleed, so that the embossed portion (linear emboss 21) is liquid. Such an anti-wrinkle effect can be obtained while preventing bleeding and side leakage.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the sanitary napkin 1 includes a top sheet 2 and a back sheet 3 that extend outward from the longitudinal side edges 41 of the absorbent body 4 on both sides in the longitudinal direction. It has the side flap part 13 which consists of. The topsheet 2 extends outward from the side edge 41 of the absorbent body and has the above-described partition region 22 in the above-described portion. Since the portion of the topsheet 2 having the partition region 22 and the above-described fiber side-upstanding portion 24 is less likely to diffuse the liquid as compared to the case where the topsheet 2 does not have them, the partition region 22 of the topsheet 2 is formed on the side flap portion 13. The sanitary napkin which is excellent in the side leakage prevention property without providing a leakproof sheet, a three-dimensional guard, etc. which cover the side part of the surface sheet 2 by providing the part which has. In FIG. 10, reference numeral 14 denotes an adhesive.

  As the absorbent body 4 and the back sheet 3 of the sanitary napkin 1, materials usually used in the technical field can be used without particular limitation. For example, as the absorbent body, a fiber assembly made of a fiber material such as pulp fiber or a fiber assembly in which an absorbent polymer is held can be coated with a covering sheet such as tissue paper or nonwoven fabric. As the back sheet, a liquid-impermeable or water-repellent sheet such as a thermoplastic resin film or a laminate of the film and a nonwoven fabric can be used. The back sheet may have water vapor permeability.

As mentioned above, although several preferable embodiment of this invention was described, the surface sheet and absorbent article of this invention are not restrict | limited to embodiment mentioned above, It can change suitably.
For example, the planar view shape of the partition region is not limited to a rhombus shape, and may be an arbitrary shape such as a square, a rectangle, a parallelogram, an ellipse, or a triangle. In addition, a plurality of types of partition regions having different shapes in plan view can be provided on one surface sheet, for example, by combining diamond-shaped partition regions and parallelogram-shaped partition regions.

  Moreover, the absorbent article may be provided with various members according to the specific application of the absorbent article, in addition to the top sheet, the absorber, and the back sheet. Such members are known to those skilled in the art. For example, when applying an absorbent article to a disposable diaper or a sanitary napkin, a pair or two or more pairs of three-dimensional guards can be disposed on the left and right sides of the topsheet.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although this invention is further demonstrated using an Example, this invention is not restrict | limited at all by this Example.
[Example 1]
A core-sheath type composite fiber (core: polypropylene, sheath: polyethylene) having a fiber diameter of 4 dtex and an elongation rate of 8% is passed through a card machine to form a web, and the web is introduced into a heat embossing device. Formed. Subsequently, the web was introduced into a hot air spraying apparatus, and hot air treatment was performed by air-through processing to obtain a surface sheet having a fiber parallel standing portion in the vicinity of the linear embossing. The linear embossing formation pattern of the obtained surface sheet is the pattern shown in FIG. 2, and the width W1 of each of the first and second linear embosses 21a and 21b is 0.5 mm, and the first linear embossing is performed. The distance between 21a and the distance W2 between the second linear embosses 21b were 6 mm, and the ratio of the diagonal lines L1 and L2 (L1: L2) of the formed rhombic partition region was 7:13. Moreover, the area ratio of the linear embossing was 14%.

[Measurement method of area ratio of linear emboss]
The area ratio of the linear emboss is obtained by image analysis of a real photograph. At this time, when there is a fiber defect in the linear emboss, manual correction is performed, and measurement is performed on the assumption that there is a fiber.

[Example 2]
A surface sheet was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the width W2 and the ratio (L1: L2) were changed to 7.5 mm and 9:13 in this order. The obtained surface sheet had an area ratio of linear embossment of 11%.

Example 3
In Example 1 described above, two types of fibers were used (core-sheath type composite fiber with a fiber diameter of 4 dtex (core is polypropylene, sheath is polyethylene) at a weight ratio of 50%, and a core-sheath type composite with a fiber diameter of 3.3 dtex. Fiber (with polyethylene terephthalate as the core and polyethylene as the sheath) at a weight ratio of 50%), each fiber is passed through a card machine to form a web, the web is overlaid, introduced into a heat embossing device, and linear on the web Formed an emboss.

Example 4
In Example 3 described above, the two types of fibers used were mixed and then passed through a card machine to form a web, and the web was introduced into a heat embossing device to form a linear emboss on the web.

[Evaluation]
Remove the surface sheet from the commercially available sanitary napkin of Kao Corporation (trade name “Laurier Sarah Cushion Skin Clean Absorption”), and instead, stack each surface sheet of Example and Comparative Example, and fix the periphery A sanitary napkin for evaluation was obtained.

The following evaluation was performed using each sanitary napkin, and the results are shown in Table 1.
[Liquid remaining amount]
Place a sanitary napkin horizontally, put an acrylic plate with a 1 cm diameter injection port on top, inject 3 g of defibrinated horse blood (manufactured by Nippon Biotest Co., Ltd.) from the injection port. Retained. Next, the acrylic plate is removed, the surface sheet is taken out from the napkin, the weight of the surface sheet before and after injection is measured, and the weight of defibrinated horse blood remaining in the sheet is measured to obtain the surface liquid remaining amount. .

[Suction remaining amount]
1 g of defibrinated horse blood (manufactured by Nippon Biotest Co., Ltd.) was dropped on a flat glass surface plate placed horizontally, and a sanitary napkin was placed thereon with the surface sheet facing down. . After maintaining the state for 1 minute, the sanitary napkin was removed, and the weight of defibrinated horse blood remaining on the plate was measured.

  From the results shown in Table 1, the area ratio of the linear emboss 21 is 14% or less from the viewpoint of the remaining liquid amount that leads to an apparent dry feeling, and 11% or more from the viewpoint of the residual amount of wicking that leads to skin wetness. More preferred.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a surface sheet of an absorbent article of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing a part on the skin contact surface side of the top sheet shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line III-III of the topsheet shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a photomicrograph of the linear embossing and the fiber parallel standing portion adjacent to the linear embossing as viewed from the skin contact surface side of the top sheet. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the topsheet shown in FIG. 1 is arranged on an absorbent body of an absorbent article such as a sanitary napkin. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating some examples in the case where individual partition regions or a plurality of types of partition regions have a dimensional ratio of golden ratio or silver ratio. FIG. 7 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a method for producing the topsheet shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the top sheet of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a plan view of an embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention as viewed from the top sheet side. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sanitary napkin 2 Surface sheet 2a Skin contact surface side 2b of surface sheet Non-skin contact surface side 20 of surface sheet Recess 21 Linear emboss 21a First linear emboss 21b Second linear emboss 22 Partition area 23 Convex part 24 Fiber parallel standing part 25 Fiber 26 constituting fiber parallel standing part Fiber parallel part 3 Back sheet 4 Absorber

Claims (7)

The skin contact surface side has a concave portion and a convex portion, and the constituent fiber includes a heat-extensible fiber,
The concave portion is formed by linear embossing, and the fibers in the non-embossing region adjacent to the linear embossing are substantially aligned in the direction intersecting the linear direction of the embossing at that time. A surface sheet of a functional article.   The topsheet according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion has a heat fusion point where crossed constituent fibers are heat-sealed at each other intersection. A plurality of partitioned regions partitioned by the linear embossing, the area of each region is 0.25 to ² cm ² , and the area ratio of the linear embossing is 16% or less. The surface sheet according to 1 or 2.   2. A plurality of partitioned areas partitioned by the linear embossing, wherein each partitioned area or a plurality of types of partitioned areas are formed with a dimensional ratio of golden ratio or silver ratio. The surface sheet according to any one of?   The topsheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein fibers having higher bending rigidity than constituent fibers on the skin contact surface side are used on the non-skin contact surface side. In an absorbent article comprising a top sheet that forms a skin contact surface, a back sheet that forms a non-skin contact surface, and an absorbent body interposed between the two sheets,
An absorbent article, wherein the topsheet is the topsheet according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   The topsheet has a large number of partition regions partitioned by the linear embossing, and the portions having the partition regions of the topsheet are outside in the width direction from the positions of both side edges in the longitudinal direction of the absorber. The absorptive article according to claim 6 extended toward the direction.