JP2016013194A - Absorbent article - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an absorbent article which is easily deformable in accordance with a body shape and has a hardly tearable absorber.SOLUTION: An absorbent article includes an absorber, and a cover sheet at least a part of which is bonded to the absorber by an adhesive, and has a plurality of splits penetrating the cover sheet and formed up to the middle in the thickness direction of the absorber.

Description

  The present invention relates to an absorbent article.

  Absorbent articles such as napkins and incontinence pads are worn against the wearer's crotch and are therefore desired to be deformed so as to follow the wearer's body shape. As an absorbent article that is easily deformed so as to follow such a body shape, Patent Document 1 discloses a sanitary napkin in which a plurality of broken cut lines are formed through a bodily fluid absorbent layer. It is disclosed. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a sanitary napkin in which a low-rigidity portion including a cut portion penetrating the absorption layer is formed in a liquid absorption layer in a region surrounded by a bonding pattern.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-51930 JP 2006-81558 A

  Both sanitary napkins disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have a cut portion formed in the absorbent layer for the purpose of reducing rigidity, and the cut portion is formed so as to penetrate the absorbent layer. Has been. However, if the absorbent layer is formed with a notch that completely penetrates the absorbent layer, the rigidity of the absorbent layer can be reduced, but the strength of the absorbent layer itself is also reduced. If the product is used for a long time, the absorbent body is torn starting from the above-mentioned incision, and the absorbent layer is unevenly distributed.As a result, the sanitary napkin is easily swayed during use, and the body fluid such as menstrual blood There is a risk of inducing leakage or making the wearer feel anxious about leakage of body fluid such as menstrual blood.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the absorbent article which is easy to deform according to a body shape and an absorber is hard to tear.

  The absorbent article of the present invention comprises an absorbent body positioned between a liquid-permeable top sheet and a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and a covering sheet at least partially joined to the absorbent body with an adhesive. And having a plurality of slit portions that penetrate through the covering sheet and are formed partway in the thickness direction of the absorber.

  Since the absorbent article of the present invention has a plurality of slit portions that penetrate the covering sheet that at least partially covers the absorber and is formed halfway in the thickness direction of the absorber, the transport and arrangement of the covering sheet The rigidity caused by the tension applied during the process and the rigidity of the absorbent body itself are reduced, and the absorbent article can be easily deformed following the wearer's body shape. As a result, the wearer of the absorbent article The fit to can be improved. Further, since the slit portion is formed halfway in the thickness direction of the absorber and does not penetrate the absorber, it is possible to ensure a certain absorber strength while facilitating deformation of the absorber, and absorption. The absorbent body is difficult to tear during use of the property article.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, an absorbent article which is easy to deform | transform according to a body shape and an absorber is hard to tear even if used for a long time can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of an absorbent body and a covering sheet used for an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the central axis C _L extending in the longitudinal direction D _L of the absorber and the cover sheet shown in FIG. Fig.4 (a) is a top view of the absorber and cover sheet which are used for the absorbent article which concerns on another embodiment of this invention. 4 (b) and 4 (c) are plan views of an absorbent body and a covering sheet, respectively, used in an absorbent article according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the absorbent article of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a sanitary napkin 1 which is an absorbent article according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the napkin 1, in plan view, has an elongated shape with a width direction D _W perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D _L and longitudinal D _L. The napkin 1 is located on the clothes side of the pair of left and right liquid-impermeable side sheets 2a and 2b located on the wearer's skin side, and is a non-woven fabric or liquid-permeable plastic film. A liquid-permeable top sheet 3 made of, etc., a liquid-impermeable back sheet (not shown) located on the clothes side (that is, the side opposite to the skin surface side), the top sheet 3 and the back surface An absorbent body 4 that is positioned between the sheets and absorbs and holds body fluids such as menstrual blood; and a liquid permeability that is positioned between the topsheet 3 and the absorbent body 4 and at least partially covers the absorbent body 4 And various cover members including the covering sheet 5.

The absorber and covering sheet used for the absorbent article of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the absorbent body 4 and the covering sheet 5 used in the absorbent article (napkin 1) according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is the absorbent body 4 and the covering sheet 5 shown in FIG. it is a longitudinal D _L partial section taken along the central axis C _L extending in the diagram of. As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the absorber 4 and the covering sheet 5 is longer in the longitudinal direction of the direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction D _L of the absorbent article (MD direction), it has a vertically long shape ing.

  In the present embodiment, the absorbent body 4 is obtained by dispersing and holding a superabsorbent polymer in a fiber structure containing pulp. The absorbent body used in the absorbent article of the present invention is a body fluid such as menstrual blood. Any absorbent material such as a nonwoven fabric may be used in addition to those obtained by dispersing and holding a superabsorbent polymer in the fiber structure containing pulp described above. Can do. In addition, as the absorbent body, the above-described absorbent material compressed by a press or the like can be suitably used because the absorbent body has high rigidity and thus the absorbent body is difficult to tear during use of the absorbent article. .

In the absorbent article of the present invention, the basis weight of the absorber is not particularly restricted, the liquid-absorbent and flexibility, from the viewpoint of strength, preferably ^{100g / m 2 ~500g / m 2} , more preferably 150g / M ^{2 to} 300 g / m ² . Moreover, although it does not restrict | limit especially also about the thickness of an absorber, From a viewpoint similar to the above, Preferably it is 1.0 mm-10.0 mm, More preferably, it is 1.5 mm-5.0 mm.

  In the present embodiment, the covering sheet 5 is a liquid-permeable sheet such as a nonwoven fabric made of synthetic fibers such as polyolefin fibers (for example, polyethylene and polypropylene) and polyester fibers (for example, polyethylene terephthalate). However, the covering sheet used in the absorbent article of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can permeate body fluid such as menstrual blood, and other than the above-mentioned non-woven fabric, any other plastic film or woven fabric can be used. The sheet material can be used.

When the covering sheet is made of a fiber structure such as a nonwoven fabric or a woven fabric, the basis weight of the fiber structure is not particularly limited, but is preferably 10 g / m ^{2 to} 70 g from the viewpoint of liquid permeability, flexibility, strength, and the like. / ^{m 2,} still more preferably from ^{20 g} / m 2 to 40 g / ^{m 2.} Moreover, although it does not restrict | limit especially also about the thickness of a coating sheet, From the same viewpoint as the above, Preferably it is 0.1 mm-5.0 mm, More preferably, it is 0.2 mm-2.0 mm.

  In the present embodiment, at least a part of the covering sheet 5 is joined to the absorbent body 4 by an arbitrary adhesive such as hot melt. Since the absorbent body 4 and the covering sheet 5 are bonded via an adhesive, the absorbent body 4 and the covering sheet 5 are difficult to tear from a slit portion described later during use of the absorbent article. Moreover, in the absorbent article of this invention, in order to integrate an absorber and a coating sheet, you may use together crimping means, such as embossing, other than the above-mentioned adhesive agent. In particular, when embossing is used to integrate the absorbent body and the covering sheet, the absorbent body and the covering sheet are joined by a plurality of pressing parts formed by pressing with a plurality of embossed spins. It becomes difficult for the absorbent body to sway and tear due to the separation from the lip, and the rigidity of the absorbent body is increased by forming compressed parts with high fiber density at a plurality of locations, so that it is absorbed during use of the absorbent article. Things like tearing are less likely to occur.

  In this embodiment, the covering sheet 5 is disposed between the top sheet 3 and the absorbent body 4, but the covering sheet used for the absorbent article of the present invention is at a position at least partially covering the absorbent body. If there is no particular limitation, it can be arranged at any position according to the desired absorption performance, strength, etc. For example, even if the covering sheet is arranged between the absorber and the back sheet, the absorber It may be arranged so as to surround the whole.

And the absorber 4 and the covering sheet 5 joined as mentioned above have the some slit part 6 penetrated the covering sheet 5, and was formed to the middle part of the thickness direction _DT of the absorber 4. FIG. As shown in FIG.2 and FIG.3, in one Embodiment of this invention, the linear slit part 6 is arrange | positioned over the substantially whole surface of the absorber 4 and the coating sheet 5 by planar view. Yes. In the present embodiment, each of the plurality of slit portions 6 has a lateral direction (in a plan view) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the absorbent body 4 and the covering sheet 5 (that is, the longitudinal direction D _L of the absorbent article). CD direction), i.e. extend in a direction parallel to the width direction D _w of the absorbent article.

In the absorbent article of the present invention, the length of the linear slit portion is not particularly limited, but is preferably 3 mm to 50 mm, and more preferably 5 mm to 15 mm. If the length of the slit portion is 3 mm or more, the absorbent article is easily deformed following the curvature of the wearer's body shape, and if the length of the slit portion is 50 mm or less, the absorbent body is outside in the width direction D _W. When the pressure from is received, the slit portion does not open and tear, and the durability as an absorbent article can be ensured.

  The depth of the slit part is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.05 mm to 5.0 mm, preferably 0.1 mm to 3.0 mm, from the viewpoint of easy folding of the absorbent article. In addition, in this specification, the depth of a slit part means the distance between the plane along the surface of the side which has a slit part, and the deepest part in a slit part, and specifically, the following measuring methods Refers to the depth required by. (1) An absorber and a covering sheet (hereinafter referred to as “absorber or the like”) having a slit portion are cut along a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the slit portion extends. (2) A cross section of the cut absorber or the like is observed with an electron microscope such as a scanning electron microscope, and the thickest part located between any two adjacent slits (hereinafter, “thickest part”) The thickness (mm) is measured. (3) The thickness (mm) of any 10 thickest portions is measured, and the average value is defined as the thickest portion average thickness (mm). (4) Using an electron micrograph or an image, when the absorber or the like is placed on a horizontal surface with the surface opposite to the surface having the slit portion such as the absorber facing down, from the portion in contact with the horizontal surface Is assumed to be a virtual bottom surface, and a plane parallel to the virtual bottom surface and located at a position where the distance from the bottom surface coincides with the average thickness of the thickest part is assumed to be a virtual reference surface, The distance (mm) from the virtual reference surface to the deepest part of the slit part is measured. (5) For any 10 slit portions, the distance (mm) from the virtual reference surface to the deepest portion of the slit portion is measured, and the average value is taken as the depth (mm) of the slit portion.

Moreover, in this embodiment, each of the some slit part 6 is extended in the direction parallel to the width direction _DW of an absorbent article by planar view. When multiple slits extend in such a direction, the absorbent body is liable to bend in the longitudinal direction D _L of the absorbent article, the absorbent article is a large curvature portion of the body shape of the wearer Correspondingly, it becomes easy to deform | transform and can improve the fitting property of the absorbent article with respect to a wearer.

In this embodiment, the several slit part 6 is arrange | positioned in zigzag form over the substantially whole surface of the absorber 4 and the coating sheet 5 by planar view. Since the the plurality of slits are arranged in a zigzag pattern as a region of high nonexistent rigidity of slits in the absorbent body is not formed continuously in the longitudinal direction D _L of the absorbent article, the absorbent article Becomes easier to deform. Moreover, this effect is not limited to the staggered arrangement of the above, for example, a plurality of slits, the slit portions longitudinally adjacent D _L of the absorbent article overlapping always in the longitudinal direction D _L It can obtain by arrange | positioning so that it may have a part.

  The means for forming the plurality of slit portions is not particularly limited, and any cutting means can be used. For example, the plurality of slit portions are provided on the peripheral surface of the rotating cutting roll from above the covering sheet while conveying the absorbent body and the covering sheet after being joined as described above by any conveying means. It can be formed by pressing a plurality of cutting blades. In addition, the slit part can be formed so as not to penetrate the absorber by adjusting the clearance between the cutting blade of the cutting roll and the conveying means.

As the method of forming the slit portion, there are a step (a) of transporting the integrated covering sheet and absorber by an arbitrary transporting means, and a plurality of processes from above the covering sheet while transporting the covering sheet and absorber. A step (b) of forming a plurality of slit portions penetrating through the covering sheet and extending to the middle part in the thickness direction _DT of the absorber by pressing the cutting blade of the covering sheet; and the covering sheet and the absorption And a step (c) of removing the cutting blade from the body.

  In this method, in the step (b), the plurality of slit portions are formed. At that time, the portion between the bottom portion of the slit portions and the conveying means is compressed by the pressing force of the cutting blade. Then, since the densified portion is formed, it is possible to accurately fold the absorbent body starting from the densified portion, and to provide a comfortable wearing feeling to the wearer.

In the absorbent article of the present invention, the extending direction of the slit portion is not limited to a direction parallel to the width direction D _W of the absorbent article, and is a direction substantially parallel to the width direction D _W of the absorbent article. including. In this specification, the “direction substantially parallel to the width direction D _W of the absorbent article” means that when the plurality of slit portions are formed to extend in such a direction, the absorbent body and The covering sheet indicates a direction in which the sheet is likely to bend to the surface side having the slit portion (that is, the surface is easily valley-folded to the surface side having the slit portion). This is a direction in which an angle of 0 ° or more and less than 45 ° is formed with respect to the width direction D _W. In the present specification, “an angle of 0 ° or more and less than 45 ° with respect to the width direction D _W of the absorbent article” means that a straight line parallel to the width direction D _W of the absorbent article intersects with the slit portion. The smallest angle among the angles formed by means that the angle is 0 ° or more and less than 45 °. Further, when the angle formed between the extending direction of the slit portion and the width direction D _W of the absorbent article is 45 ° or more, when the slit portion is formed, the absorbent article is formed in the width direction D _W of the absorbent article. Since the oriented fibers are easily cut, the strength in the width direction of the absorbent body may be reduced. On the other hand, when the extending direction of the slit portion is a direction substantially parallel to the width direction D _W of the absorbent article, the absorber and the covering sheet are easily bent to the surface side having the slit portion. Therefore, while making it easy to deform an absorber and a covering sheet along a wearer's body shape, it can prevent that the pulp etc. in an absorber are exposed from the slit part.

Fig.4 (a) is a top view of the absorber and cover sheet which are used for the absorbent article which concerns on another embodiment of this invention. In this embodiment, each of the plurality of slit portions 6 extends in a direction forming a predetermined angle of more than 0 ° and less than 45 ° with respect to the width direction D _W of the absorbent article in plan view. ing. When the plurality of slit portions extend in such a direction, the absorbent body is easily deformed in the longitudinal direction D _L of the absorbent article, and the absorbent body is aligned in the width direction D _W of the absorbent article. It is possible to prevent tearing along the plurality of slit portions. Furthermore, during manufacturing, when the slit portion is formed, the absorbent body and the covering sheet that are being transported are cut obliquely with respect to the transport direction, so that they are perpendicular to the transport direction of the absorbent body and the cover sheet. As compared with the case of cutting in any direction, the force for pressing the cutting blade of the cutting roll can be reduced, and the plurality of cutting blades of the rotating cutting roll can be continuously applied on the absorbent body and the covering sheet being conveyed. Since they can be pressed, the cutting blade can be reduced in wear, chipping, etc., and equipment costs can be reduced.

  Moreover, in the absorbent article of the present invention, the arrangement form of the plurality of slit portions is not limited to the above-described zigzag shape, and is arbitrary within a range that does not impair the ease of deformation of the absorber and the strength as the absorber. An arrangement form can be adopted. For example, the plurality of slit portions can be arranged so that no other slit portion exists on an extension line of one slit portion in plan view. When a plurality of slit portions are arranged in this way, there is no portion where the plurality of slit portions are aligned on a straight line, so the plurality of slit portions aligned on a straight line act like a perforated cut line, and the absorber You can prevent things like tearing.

FIG.4 (b) is a top view of the absorber and cover sheet which are used for the absorbent article which concerns on another embodiment of this invention. In this embodiment, the plurality of slit portions arranged in the longitudinal direction D _L of the absorbent article are the same at a predetermined angle of more than 0 ° and less than 45 ° with respect to the width direction D _{W of} the absorbent article in plan view. A plurality of slit portions aligned in the direction and aligned in the width direction D _W of the absorbent article are arranged so as to be alternately aligned in a zigzag shape. Thus, when the plurality of slit portions arranged in the width direction D _W of the absorbent article are alternately oriented, compared to the case where all the slit portions are oriented in the same direction, deformability of the absorber, difficult biased in a predetermined direction other than the longitudinal direction D _L of the absorbent article.

FIG.4 (c) is a top view of the absorber and cover sheet which are used for the absorbent article which concerns on another embodiment of this invention. Parallel in this embodiment includes a central axis C _L extending in the longitudinal direction D _L of the absorbent article, and a plurality of slits arranged in the longitudinal direction D _L of the absorbent article, the width direction D _W of the absorbent article such oriented in direction, furthermore, the absorbent plurality of slits arranged in the longitudinal direction D _L of the absorbent article on both sides in the longitudinal direction D _L of the article, the central axis on C _W extending in the width direction D _W of the absorbent article or around the slit portion extending in the central axis C _W width direction D _W in the vicinity, it is arranged so as to gradually become oriented inclined toward the both ends in the longitudinal direction D _L of the absorbent article. Since a plurality of slit portions when being arranged in this manner, an absorbent body may be configured so that the longitudinal direction D intensity increases toward the ends of the _L of the absorbent article increases, the durability of the absorber Can be improved.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, the absorbent article of the present invention has a longer length in the width direction of the absorbent body and the covering sheet (if the absorbent body and the covering sheet have the same width, It is preferable that the slit portions do not exist on both edges in the width direction _DW of both. Since there is no slit at both edges, a predetermined strength can be ensured at both edges, so both edges in the width direction D _W of the absorbent article and the thigh of the wearer Even if friction or the like occurs between the surroundings, the absorber is difficult to tear.

  In the absorbent article of the present invention, from the viewpoint of preventing separation between the absorbent body and the covering sheet, the absorbent body and the covering sheet are compressed and integrated with embossing or the like to form a plurality of compressed portions. However, depending on the number and size of the plurality of compressed parts, the rigidity of the absorbent body may become too high, and the absorbent article may be difficult to deform following the wearer's body shape. Therefore, when forming a some pressing part in an absorber and a covering sheet, it is preferable to comprise so that at least one part of the said pressing part may overlap with a slit part. Since the rigidity of the absorbent body can be reduced by forming the slit part in at least a part of the compressed part, excessive rigidity of the absorbent body by a plurality of compressed parts can be suppressed within a certain range. , Suitable fit as an absorbent article can be obtained.

Further, in the absorbent article of the present invention, the plurality of slit portions may be disposed only in a partial region of the absorber and the covering sheet in plan view. In this case, the plurality of slit portions are rigid. It is preferable to be arranged only at a location where it is desired to reduce the temperature. For example, in the absorbent article of the present invention, in order to improve the absorption performance of the excretion opening contact area where the wearer's excretion opening contacts, the amount of pulp in the absorbent body of the excretion opening contact area is more than the surrounding area. However, when the amount of pulp in the absorbent body increases, the rigidity of the excretory opening contact area increases. Therefore, by arranging a plurality of slit portions in the excretion opening contact area, the absorbent article It is possible to suppress the increase in rigidity of the absorber while improving the absorption performance. Further, the front region and the rear region located on both ends in the longitudinal direction D _L of the absorbent article are the areas corresponding to the large curvature portion of the body shape of the wearer, the front region or the back region By arranging a plurality of slit portions in at least one region, the rigidity of the region corresponding to the portion of the wearer's body shape having a large curvature is lowered, and the fit of the absorbent article to the wearer's body shape is further improved. Can be made.

  In the absorbent article of the present invention, the shape of the slit portion in plan view is not limited to the above-described linear shape, and may be any shape within a range that does not impair the ease of deformation of the absorber and the strength as the absorber. Can be adopted. Examples of the shape of the slit portion include a curve, a V shape, a waveform, a zigzag shape, a circle, and a polygon.

  The present invention can be applied to various absorbent articles such as a panty liner and an incontinence pad in addition to the sanitary napkin of each embodiment described above. Further, the absorbent article of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed within the scope not departing from the object and spirit of the present invention.

1 Napkin (absorbent article)
2a, 2b Side sheet 3 Surface sheet 4 Absorber 5 Cover sheet 6 Slit part

Claims (7)

A liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, an absorber positioned between the top sheet and the back sheet, and a covering sheet at least partially joined to the absorber with an adhesive A vertically long absorbent article comprising
The said absorbent article which has the some slit part penetrated through the said covering sheet and was formed to the middle of the thickness direction of the said absorber.   The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the slit portion extends in a direction substantially parallel to the width direction of the absorbent article in a plan view.   The absorptive article according to claim 1 or 2 by which said slit part does not exist in both edge parts in the width direction of a longer one of said absorber and said covering sheet in the width direction.   The absorption according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of slit portions are arranged so that an end of another slit portion does not exist on an extension line of one slit portion in a plan view. Sex goods.   It has a plurality of pressing parts for joining the absorber and the covering sheet, and the pressing parts include a pressing part at least partially overlapping the slit part in plan view. Item 5. The absorbent article according to any one of Items 1 to 4.   The plurality of slit portions are arranged such that the slit portions adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article have a portion that always overlaps in the longitudinal direction in plan view. Absorbent article according to item.   The absorbent article according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of slit portions are arranged in a staggered manner in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article in a plan view.

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