JP2021132890A - Absorbent article, and absorbent article production method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an absorbent article having high absorption performance and furthermore sufficiently exhibiting a function of a medical agent such as perfume.SOLUTION: An absorbent article comprises: a liquid impermeable rear surface sheet; a liquid permeable front surface sheet; and an absorber provided between the rear surface sheet and the front surface sheet, and has a cross direction corresponding to a cross direction of a body of a wearer, and a width direction orthogonal to the cross direction. The absorber comprises: a center region which is provided at a center in the width direction and includes a body fluid outlet corresponding region; and a side portion region which is adjacent to the center region and extends to an end in the width direction. The side portion region has a medical agent applied portion to which a medical agent is applied, and a groove is formed along the cross direction in a front surface sheet side of the absorber. The medical agent applied portions are provided in at least a bottom portion and an edge portion of the groove.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an absorbent article and a method for producing an absorbent article.

It is known that absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, and incontinence pads are provided with a drug containing a fragrance component, a deodorant component, or other functional component.

For example, in Patent Document 1, the fragrance is arranged inside the absorber located on the facing portion of the excretion portion, and a plurality of slits formed on the facing portion of the excretion portion reach the surface on which the fragrance is arranged. The article is disclosed. Patent Document 1 describes that the above-mentioned structure can sustainably and sufficiently scent the fragrance.

JP-A-2017-217

In the absorbent article, the excretion portion facing portion (the portion facing the body fluid discharging portion of the body) is a portion that directly receives the body fluid, and the absorber in this portion is required to have high absorbency. However, when a drug such as a fragrance is arranged on the opposite portion of the excretion portion of the absorber as in the absorbent article described in Patent Document 1, the absorption of the absorber depends on the type and amount of the drug used. Performance may be compromised.

In view of the above, one aspect of the present invention is an object of providing an absorbent article capable of sufficiently exerting the functions of a drug such as a fragrance while having high absorption performance.

A first aspect of the present invention includes a liquid-impermeable back surface sheet, a liquid-permeable front surface sheet, and an absorber arranged between the back surface sheet and the front surface sheet, and the wearer's body. An absorbent article having an anteroposterior direction corresponding to the anteroposterior direction and a width direction orthogonal to the anteroposterior direction, wherein the absorber is located in the center of the width direction and includes a region corresponding to a body fluid discharge port. And a side region adjacent to the central region to the end in the width direction, and a chemical coating portion to which a chemical is applied is provided in the side region, and is provided on the surface sheet side of the absorber. A groove formed along the front-rear direction is formed, and the drug application portion is provided at least at the bottom and the edge of the groove.

According to the first aspect, the drug application portion is provided in the side region. When using an absorbent article, the body fluid is first discharged to the area corresponding to the body fluid discharge port. Therefore, in the absorber, the one that has a particularly large effect on the absorption performance of the entire absorber is the absorbency of the central region including the region corresponding to the body fluid discharge port, and the absorbency of the side region is as high as that of the central region of the entire absorber. Does not affect the absorption performance of. Therefore, even if the chemical is applied to the absorber, high absorption performance can be ensured.

Further, a groove is formed in the side region of the absorber, and the drug is applied to the bottom and the edge of the groove. The chemical applied to the bottom of the groove is hard to volatilize. Therefore, it is possible to enhance the functional sustainability of the drug in use. Further, since the drug applied to the edge of the groove is more likely to volatilize than the drug applied to the bottom of the groove, the function of the drug can be exhibited at an early stage after the start of use.

In the second aspect of the present invention, the drug application portion is not provided in the region corresponding to the body fluid discharge port.

According to the second aspect, the absorbability of the absorber in the region corresponding to the body fluid discharge port can greatly affect the absorption performance of the entire absorber. Therefore, by avoiding the application of the drug in the region corresponding to the body fluid discharge port, The absorption performance of the absorber can be further improved.

In the third aspect of the present invention, the groove is formed by squeezing.

According to the third aspect, since the groove is a squeezed groove, the density of the groove and the peripheral portion of the absorber is high. Therefore, when the drug is a liquid, the drug is particularly likely to collect and be retained in the groove, so that the function sustainability of the drug in use can be enhanced and the function of the drug can be prevented from deteriorating until the start of use. It can be further improved.

In the fourth aspect of the present invention, the edge of the groove is bulging.

According to the fourth aspect, the opening of the groove is narrowed by the bulging edge of the groove. Therefore, volatilization or evaporation of the chemical applied in the groove can be further prevented. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the effect of enhancing the functional sustainability of the drug being used and preventing the functional deterioration of the drug until the start of use. Further, the swelling of the edge portion can be obtained by a simple method of applying a liquid chemical.

In the fifth aspect of the present invention, the width of the groove in the state where the drug is not applied is so small that it approaches the bottom.

According to the fifth aspect, the shape of the groove before applying the drug is widened from the bottom toward the opening. Therefore, when the drug is applied from above the groove, the drug can also be adhered to the wall portion of the groove. As a result, the wall portion of the groove also swells, so that the opening of the groove can be further narrowed, and the volatilization or evaporation of the chemical applied in the groove can be further prevented. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the effect of enhancing the functional sustainability of the drug being used and preventing the functional deterioration of the drug until the start of use.

In the sixth aspect of the present invention, the wing extends outward in the width direction at the center in the front-rear direction.

In use, the wing is folded back to the back side of the underwear (opposite the side on which the absorbent article is placed) and secured to the underwear. At that time, the side region of the absorber is pulled outward in the width direction so that the front side is stretched, so that the opening of the groove is widened. Therefore, according to the sixth aspect, the volatilization of the drug can be suppressed until the start of use, and the volatilization of the drug can be promoted at the time of use, so that the function of the drug can be exerted more strongly.

In the seventh aspect of the present invention, a gap is formed on the chemical coating portion provided on the bottom portion.

According to the seventh aspect, there is a gap above the chemical application portion provided at the bottom, and other members of the absorbent article are not in contact with each other. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the drug at the bottom of the groove from penetrating into other members, moving to another place outside the groove, and dissipating before use of the absorbent article.

In the eighth aspect of the present invention, the wearer's body includes a liquid-impermeable back surface sheet, a liquid-permeable front surface sheet, and an absorber arranged between the back surface sheet and the front surface sheet. A method for producing an absorbent article having a front-rear direction corresponding to the front-rear direction of the above, wherein a central region extending in the front-rear direction so as to include a region corresponding to a body fluid discharge portion and a side region adjacent to the central region. A raw absorber having a And the chemical is applied to the edge to form the chemical coating.

According to the eighth aspect, the absorbent article according to any one of the first to seventh aspects can be produced.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an absorbable article that can sufficiently exert the functions of a drug such as a fragrance while having high absorption performance.

It is a partial fracture view of the absorbent article by one embodiment of this invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II of FIG. It is a top view of the absorber in one form of this invention. It is a partial plan view enlarged view and a cross-sectional enlarged view of a groove and a chemical solution application part. It is a figure which shows the modification of the absorber. It is a figure explaining the specific structure and function of a groove and a chemical solution application part. It is a figure explaining the specific structure and function of a groove and a chemical solution application part. It is a figure explaining the specific structure and function of a groove and a chemical solution application part. It is a figure which shows the modification of the absorber.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, unless otherwise specified, the same or corresponding configurations may be designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof may be omitted. In addition, the drawings are schematic to help the understanding of the invention.

(Basic structure of absorbent articles)
First, the basic structure of an absorbent article will be described using a sanitary napkin as an example. FIG. 1 shows a partially broken plan view of the absorbent article 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Further, FIG. 2 shows a sectional view taken along line I-I of the absorbent article 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the absorbent article 1 includes a liquid-impermeable back sheet 2, a liquid-permeable front sheet 3, and an absorber 4 provided between both sheets 2 and 3. It has a flat shape as a whole. When the absorbent article 1 is attached, the front surface sheet 3 side is the side that comes into contact with the skin (skin side or front side), and the back surface sheet 2 side is the side that is fixed to the underwear (underwear side or back side).

In the present specification, as shown in FIG. 1, the front-back direction of the absorbent article 1 corresponding to the front-back direction of the wearer's body when the absorbent article 1 is worn is set as the first direction D1, and the absorbent article 1 The width direction is the second direction D2. The absorbent article 1 shown in FIG. 1 has an elongated shape in a plan view, has a predetermined length in the first direction D1, and has a predetermined width in the second direction D2 orthogonal to the first direction D2. be. In the form shown in FIG. 1, the absorbent article 1 has a plan view shape that is substantially line-symmetrical with respect to the center line (center line in the front-rear direction) CL extending in the first direction D1, but the shape is line-symmetrical. It doesn't have to be. Further, the configuration other than the shape of the absorbent article 1 (including the thickness and density of the absorber 4, the size and position of the squeezing groove, etc.) may be substantially symmetric with the center line CL as the axis of symmetry, or may be asymmetric. It may be.

The absorbent article 1 has an intermediate region 1M that mainly corresponds to the crotch of the wearer at the time of wearing, a front region 1F in front of the intermediate region 1M, and a rear region 1B behind the intermediate region 1M. The intermediate region 1M includes the region Q corresponding to the body fluid discharge port. The body fluid discharge port corresponding area Q is a region corresponding to the body fluid discharge port such as the wearer's vaginal opening and urethral opening at the time of wearing, and the center thereof is located on the longitudinal center line CL. In FIG. 1, the region Q corresponding to the body fluid discharge port is drawn in an elliptical shape as a region corresponding to the vaginal opening, has a length (length of the first direction D1) of about 10 to 50 mm, and a width (second direction D2). Length) is about 5 to 40 mm. However, the above-mentioned size and shape of the region Q corresponding to the body fluid discharge port is merely an example for explaining the absorbent article according to this embodiment.

The intermediate region 1M may have a pair of wing WGs and WGs protruding outward in the first direction D2. The wing WG and WG can be folded back and attached to the underwear at the time of attachment, whereby the absorbent article 1 can be securely fixed to the underwear. The front region 1F may be a region from a position serving as a front starting point of the wing WG to the front edge, and a rear region 1B may be a region from a position serving as a rear starting point of the wing WG to the trailing edge. can. When the wing WG and WG are provided, the position of the midpoint of the length of the wing WG and WG in the first direction D1 can correspond to the position of the center of the body fluid discharge port corresponding region Q in the first direction D1. The absorbent article 1 may be in a form without wings WG and WG. In that case, when the wing WG and WG are formed, the area in front of the starting point of the wing WG and WG is set as the front area 1F, and the area behind the wing WG and WG is set as the rear area. It can be region 1B.

The back surface sheet 2 may be a sheet having at least water impermeability, and may be, for example, a sheet made of an olefin resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene. Further, a laminated non-woven fabric in which a non-woven fabric is laminated on a polyethylene sheet or the like, or a laminated non-woven fabric sheet in which a waterproof film is interposed to ensure substantially impermeable liquidability can be used. Further, from the viewpoint of preventing stuffiness, it is more desirable to use a material having moisture permeability. Such a water-impervious / moisture-permeable sheet material is obtained by melt-kneading an inorganic filler in an olefin resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene to form a sheet, and then stretching the sheet in the uniaxial or biaxial direction. A porous sheet or the like can be used.

The surface sheet 3 can be a liquid-permeable sheet that rapidly permeates body fluids such as menstrual blood, vaginal discharge, and urine. As the surface sheet 3, a perforated or non-perforated non-woven fabric, a porous plastic sheet, or the like is preferably used. As the material fibers constituting the non-woven fabric, for example, olefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, synthetic fibers such as polyester and polyamide, recycled fibers such as rayon and cupra, blended fibers thereof, and natural fibers such as cotton can be used alone or. Two or more types can be used in combination. Examples of the non-woven fabric processing method include a spunlace method, a spunbond method, a thermal bond method, a melt blown method, and a needle punch method. Among these processing methods, the spunlace method is preferable in that it can produce a flexible non-woven fabric and the spunbond method is preferable in that it can produce a drapeable non-woven fabric, and the thermal bond method is preferable in that it can produce a bulky and soft non-woven fabric. Further, composite fibers such as core-sheath type fibers having a high melting point fiber as a core and a low melting point fiber as a sheath, side-by-side type fibers, and split type fibers can also be used.

The absorber 4 is not limited as long as it is a material capable of absorbing and retaining body fluid, but preferably contains cotton-like pulp and a water-absorbent polymer. As the water-absorbent polymer, a superabsorbent polymer (SAP), a superabsorbent fiber (SAF)), and a combination thereof can be used. Examples of the pulp include chemical pulp obtained from wood, cellulose fibers such as dissolving pulp, and artificial cellulose fibers such as rayon and acetate. As a raw material for chemical pulp, hardwood, softwood and the like are used, but softwood is preferably used because of its long fiber length and the like.

Further, synthetic fibers may be mixed with the absorber 4. As the synthetic fiber, polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate, polyamides such as nylon, and copolymers thereof can be used, and two of these may be mixed and used. You can also. Further, composite fibers such as core-sheath type fibers having a high melting point fiber as a core and a low melting point fiber as a sheath, side-by-side type fibers, and split type fibers can also be used. It is also possible to use a hydrophobic fiber whose surface is treated with a hydrophilic agent to give it an affinity for body fluids. The absorber 4 is preferably manufactured by a stacking fiber or an airlaid method.

At both end edges of the absorber 4 in the front-rear direction (first direction D1), the edge portion of the back surface sheet 2 and the edge portion of the front surface sheet 3 are joined by an adhesive, a heat seal, or the like. Further, side non-woven fabrics 7 and 7 are arranged on both sides of the absorbent article 1, that is, on both sides in the width direction (second direction D2) on the front side (surface sheet 3 side) along the first direction D1. There is. The side nonwoven fabrics 7 and 7 project outward in the second direction D2 in the intermediate region 1M, and are similarly joined to the back surface sheet 2 projecting in the second direction D2 in the intermediate region 1M to form the above-mentioned wings WG and WG. Has been done.

The side non-woven fabric 7 may be constructed by using a non-woven fabric material which has been subjected to an appropriate water-repellent treatment or hydrophilic treatment according to the purpose of preventing the permeation of body fluids or enhancing the feeling of touch. The material of the side non-woven fabric 7 may be natural fiber, synthetic fiber, regenerated fiber or the like. When the side nonwoven fabric 7 is water-repellent, a silicon-based, paraffin-based, or other water-repellent agent can be used for the treatment.

(Absorber)
Next, the absorber 4 in this embodiment will be described more specifically. FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the absorber 4 of the absorbent article 1 shown in FIG. The absorber 4 may have an elongated shape in the first direction (front-back direction) D1 as in the plan view shape of the absorbent article 1. The absorber 4 has an anterior region 4F, an intermediate region 4M, and a posterior region 4B along the first direction D1, but these regions are the anterior region 1F, the intermediate region 1M, and the posterior region of the absorbent article 1. It corresponds to 1B respectively. In the form of FIG. 3, the width (length in the second direction) of the absorber 4 is constant, but the width varies depending on the location of the first direction D1, and becomes narrow in the intermediate region 4M, for example. You may be.

Further, the absorber 4 has a central region C located in the center of the second direction D2 and extending from the front end to the rear end of the first direction D1, and further adjacent to the central region C on each side of the central region C. And it may have side regions S, S extending to the end of the second direction D2 (FIGS. 1 to 3). The central region C includes the region Q corresponding to the body fluid discharge port. Further, the width of one side region S may be 25 to 35% of the width of the absorber 4.

The thickness of the absorber 4 can be preferably 0.3 to 30 mm, more preferably 1.0 to 15 mm. The absorber 4 does not have to have a uniform thickness over the entire surface, and may have a structure in which the body fluid discharge port corresponding region Q and the region in the vicinity thereof are bulged. The length of the first direction (front-back direction or longitudinal direction) D1 of the absorber 4 is preferably 110 to 450 mm, more preferably 130 to 290 mm. The length of the second direction (width direction or lateral direction) D2 of the absorber 4 can be 40 to 200 mm, preferably 60 to 120 mm.

The absorber 4 may be one in which the main body portion of the absorber 4 is wrapped with an encapsulating sheet made of crepe paper, non-woven fabric, or the like. Since the absorber 4 is provided with the encapsulating sheet, the absorber 4 can be prevented from twisting or cracking, and the shape can be maintained. As the encapsulating sheet, uncolored (that is, white) crepe paper or non-woven fabric can be used, or colored ones can be used. When a colored encapsulating sheet is used, the color of the encapsulating sheet can be reflected as a light color even from the surface sheet 3 side. Therefore, the color of the discharged body fluid can be mixed with the reflected color of the encapsulating sheet to make it inconspicuous. The encapsulating sheet can be colored, for example, to complement the color of the body fluid. For example, in an absorbent article (sanitary napkin or the like) configured for the purpose of absorbing menstrual blood, the encapsulating sheet can be colored green, which is a complementary color of red.

(Drug)
A drug is applied to the absorber 4, and the portion of the absorber 4 to which the drug is applied is referred to as a drug application portion A. The drug application portion A refers to a portion where the drug remains on the surface of the absorber 4 and a portion where the drug that has penetrated into the absorber 4 exists. The form of the drug is not limited, but a liquid preparation in which a functional component capable of imparting some function to the absorbent article 1 is dispersed or dissolved in a solvent is preferable. The functional component may contain, for example, one or more aroma component, deodorant component, refreshing sensation improving component, warming sensation improving component, and the like, and is preferably volatile.

The fragrance component may be a natural fragrance or a synthetic fragrance. Specific examples of natural fragrances include Ryuzen fragrance, benzoin fragrance, castoreum fragrance, sacred cat fragrance, choji oil, galvanum, jasmine absolute, rabutanum, mate tea, melilot, mimosa, musktonkin, millula, oak moss or moss de sine, frankincense, and biakshi fragrance. , Oris, Bachuri, Rosemary oil, Danish oil, Vetiba oil, Violet leaf absolute and the like. Specific examples of synthetic fragrances include higher alcohols, aldehydes, benzaldehydes, benzoic acids, cinnamic acid, cinnamic aldehydes, cinnamic alcohols, coumarins, esters, indols, ketones, salicylic acid and related compounds, terpenoids, vanillin and the like. Can be mentioned.

As the functional component contained in the drug, two or more kinds of compounds may be used in combination. Further, a component having a deodorizing action as well as an aromatic action can be used. Further, the functional component contained in the drug may be in the form of an inclusion compound encapsulated by the host compound or in the form of microencapsulation using a membrane material, depending on the solvent and the type of the functional component.

Since the drug is easy to handle and can be adjusted to an appropriate volatilization rate, it is preferable that the drug is a solution obtained by dissolving a functional component using an aqueous substance, particularly water, as a solvent.

The drug may be attached to at least the surface of the absorber 4, and the means for applying the drug is not particularly limited. The chemical can be applied using, for example, a sprayer, a brush, a brush, a bar coater, a gravure coater, a roll coater, or the like. Of these, since a groove (described later) is formed in the absorber 4, the drug can be easily applied to the bottom of the groove. Is preferably applied.

The chemical application portion A is provided not on the exposed surface of the absorbent article 1 but on the internal absorber 4. Therefore, the drug is less likely to volatilize or evaporate, and the function of the drug is less likely to be lost. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the drug application portion A is provided in the side regions S and S of the absorber 4. The drug application portion A can be provided in at least one of the side regions S and S, but is preferably provided in both the side regions S and S as shown in the figure.

Since the drug permeates a part of the absorber 4, the absorption performance of the absorber 4 may be slightly lowered depending on the type of the drug. However, the body fluid is usually discharged to the region Q corresponding to the body fluid discharge port, the body fluid permeates the absorber 4, moves inside the absorber 4, and spreads in the absorber 4. Therefore, the absorbency of the side region S is less likely to affect the absorption performance of the absorber than the absorbency of the central region C including the region G corresponding to the body fluid discharge port. Therefore, by providing the drug coating portion A in the side region S, the high absorption performance of the absorber 4 can be ensured. Further, for the same reason, the drug application portion A is preferably not provided in the body fluid discharge port corresponding region Q, and more preferably not provided in the central region C.

The total amount of the chemicals applied to both side regions S and S with respect to the total amount of the chemicals applied to the absorber 4 (when applied only to one side region S, to one side region S). The amount of the applied drug) may be preferably 90% by mass or more, more preferably 95% by mass or more, and further preferably 100% by mass.

The chemical application portion A can be provided so as to have a width of 1 to 10 mm in a plan view (top view). Further, it is preferable that the chemical application portion A is provided at a position at a predetermined distance of about 2 to 20 mm from the end of the second direction D2 of the absorber 4. On both sides of the absorbent article 1, an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive is used for joining the side non-woven fabric 7 and the back surface sheet 2. This is to reduce the influence of the chemical coating portion A on the adhesive because some of the chemicals affect the adhesive strength of the adhesive. At the time of mounting, the absorbent article 1 is pushed inward in the second direction D2 by both legs, so that the absorbent body 4 and the adhesive are easily brought close to each other, especially in the intermediate region 1M (4M), and the adhesive is easily affected by the drug. Is likely to occur. Therefore, it is preferable that the drug application portion A is separated from the end of the absorber 4 in the second direction D2 at least in the intermediate region 1M (4M).

The absorbent article 1 may be provided on the back surface sheet 2 side with a slip-preventing portion made of an adhesive layer for securely fixing the absorbent article 1 with underwear. In that case, depending on the type of the drug, the action of the slip-preventing portion may be affected. Therefore, the total area where the drug-applied portion A and the slip-preventing portion overlap in a plan view is the state in which the absorbent article 1 is expanded. It is preferably 10% or less, and more preferably 0%, of the total area of the slip prevention portions in the folded or individually packaged state.

(Groove and chemical application part)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a groove 8 extending along the first direction D1 is formed in the side region S of the absorber 4. The groove 8 may be provided in at least one side region S, but as shown in the figure, the grooves 8 and 8 are provided in both side regions S and S of the absorber 4, respectively. It is preferable to have.

The groove 8 is provided on the surface sheet 3 side. That is, the groove 8 is recessed from the skin side to the non-skin side of the absorbent article 1. When the absorber body is wrapped with the encapsulating sheet, the groove 8 may be formed before wrapping with the encapsulating sheet, or may be formed after wrapping. When formed after wrapping with an encapsulating sheet, the shape stability of the absorber 4 can be enhanced.

The depth of the groove 8 can be more than 0 mm to 25 mm in a state where the drug-applied portion A is not provided on the absorber 4. Further, the width of the groove 8 can be 1 to 5 mm in a state where the chemical coating portion A is not provided on the absorber 4. When the width varies depending on the depth of the groove 8, the width may be the average of the width at the bottom of the groove 8 and the width at the opening. The depth and / or width of the groove 8 may be the same along the first direction D1 or may differ depending on the position of the first direction D1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the above-mentioned chemical application portion A is provided in and around the groove 8. FIG. 4A shows an enlarged view of Part II of FIG. 3, and FIG. 4B shows an enlarged view of a cross section taken along line III-III of FIG. Note that FIG. 4B shows a state immediately after the drug is applied to the absorber 4. The drug-coated portion A that has reached the surface of the absorber 4 penetrates into the inside of the absorber 4 in whole or in part with the passage of time.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the chemical application portion A is provided on the bottom 8b and the edges 8e and 8e of the groove 8. The drug at the bottom 8b of the groove 8 is less likely to volatilize or evaporate. Therefore, since volatilization gradually occurs during use, the function of the drug can be maintained. On the other hand, since the chemicals at the edges 8e and 8e of the groove are provided at the level of the surface of the absorber 4, they are more likely to volatilize than the chemicals in the grooves. Therefore, the drug can be volatilized relatively immediately after the start of use, and the user can feel the function of the drug. As described above, since the drug application portion A is provided on both the bottom 8b and the edges 8e and 8e of the groove 8, the function of the drug can be exhibited from an early stage, and the function of the drug can be exhibited over time. Sustainability can be enhanced.

It is preferable that the amount of the chemical applied in the groove 8 is larger than the amount of the chemical applied to the edges 8e and 8e of the groove 8. As a result, volatilization or evaporation of a larger amount of the drug can be suppressed, so that the drug can be prevented from being dissipated by the start of use.

The edges 8e and 8e of the groove 8 may be bulged. This bulge can be formed by applying a liquid drug to the edges 8e and 8e. The bulging of the edges 8e and 8e will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of a cross section of the absorber 4 at the position where the groove 8 is formed. FIG. 5 is a diagram of a portion corresponding to FIG. 4 (b). FIG. 5A shows a diagram in which a drug is applied to the bottom 8b and the edges 8e and 8e of the groove 8 formed in the absorber 4, and the drug application portion A is formed. The state shown in FIG. 5A shows a view after the drug has slightly penetrated into the absorber 4 from the state shown in FIG. 4B. After that, when a certain amount of time elapses, the drug further permeates into the absorber 4, and the portion of the absorber 4 that has absorbed the drug swells. The state of the groove 8 of the absorber 4 after swelling is shown in FIG. 5 (b). As shown in FIG. 5B, the edges 8e and 8e bulge in the thickness direction of the absorber 4 and bulge so as to narrow the width of the opening of the groove 8. As a result, the drug in the groove 8 is less likely to volatilize or evaporate, so that the effect of enhancing the functional sustainability of the drug in use and preventing the functional deterioration of the drug until the start of use can be further improved. Can be done.

When the absorber 4 is manufactured, the absorber 4 may be formed into a shape in which the edges 8e and 8e of the groove 8 bulge. However, if the bulges of the edge portions 8e and 8e of the groove 8 are formed by applying the edge portions 8e and 8e of the drug as described above, the swelling of the edge portions 8e and 8e of the groove 8 depends on the device and process for deforming the edge portions 8e and 8e of the groove. It is preferable because it can be easily obtained.

Further, the drug coating portion A may be formed on both the edges 8e and 8e of the groove 8, or may be formed on one of the edges 8e and 8e. Further, the drug application portion A may be provided intermittently along the first direction D1. Further, the drug coating portion A may be provided on the surface or inside of the absorber 4 in a portion other than the grooves 8 and 8.

In the examples shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the width of the groove 8 is equal to the thickness direction from the bottom 8b to the opening position before the drug is applied to the absorber 4. However, the width at the opening of the groove 8 and the width at the bottom 8b may be different. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the width of the groove 8 may gradually increase from the bottom 8b toward the opening. In other words, the cross-sectional shape cut along the second direction D2 of the groove 8 is an inverted trapezoid (a trapezoid whose upper base is longer than the lower base). In this case, when the drug is applied from above the groove 8 with a sprayer or the like, the drops of the drug sprayed from the nozzle N of the sprayer may also adhere to the walls 8w and 8w of the groove 8.

In this way, when the drug adheres to the wall portions 8w and 8w, the wall portions 8w and 8w also bulge, so that the width of the opening of the groove 8 is narrowed and the width of the portion from the bottom 8b to the opening is reached. Also narrows. Therefore, the chemicals adhering to the groove 8 are trapped by the edge portions 8e and 8e of the groove and the wall portions 8w and 8w, and are more difficult to volatilize or evaporate. As a result, it is possible to further improve the effect of enhancing the functional sustainability of the drug being used and preventing the functional deterioration of the drug until the start of use.

The method for forming the groove 8 is not particularly limited, but it is preferably performed by squeezing such as embossing. In the squeezing process, for example, a roll having a convex portion is placed on the skin side of the absorber (the side on which the front surface sheet 3 is placed), and a roll without a convex portion is placed on the non-skin side of the absorber (the back surface sheet 2 is placed). It can be done by arranging it on the side) and passing an absorber before processing between both rolls to pressurize it.

The groove 8 is formed by squeezing, that is, the groove 8 is a squeezed groove, so that the density of the absorber at the bottom, the wall, the edge, and the periphery of the groove is increased. Therefore, when the drug is a liquid, the drug is easily drawn into the groove 8 due to the capillary phenomenon, and particularly easily gathers in the groove 8 and is easily held. Therefore, the effect of enhancing the functional sustainability of the drug in use can be further enhanced. Also. It is possible to better prevent the functional deterioration of the drug until the start of use.

Further, when the groove 8 is a squeezing groove, the body fluid that has moved in the second direction D2 is easily drawn into the groove 8 and is easily held. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the leakage of body fluid to the outside of the second direction D2.

The groove 8 can be formed by using a mold having a protruding position corresponding to the groove 8 at the stage of forming the absorbent body 4 to produce the fiber stack, regardless of the pressing process. Further, the absorber 4 is composed of two layers including a lower layer (non-skin side layer) and an upper layer (skin side layer), and the lower layer is composed of a flat layer having the same plan view shape as the plan view shape of the absorber 4. Then, the upper layer may be formed by forming a divided flat layer separated at a position forming the groove 8 and connecting the upper layer and the lower layer.

(Modification example of groove and chemical application area)
In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the groove 8 provided with the drug application region A extends continuously from the front end to the rear end of the absorber 4 along the first direction D1. The groove 8 provided with the drug application region A may be intermittently provided at one or more locations along the first direction D1. For example, the groove 8 provided with the drug application region A may be provided only in the intermediate region 4M of the absorber 4, or may be provided only in at least one of the front region 4F and the rear region 4B of the absorber 4. You may.

For example, in another example of the absorber 4 shown in FIG. 7, grooves 8 and 8 provided with the drug application region A are formed in each of the side region S and S, respectively, but when viewed in the first direction D1. , Only the front region 4F and the rear region 4B, and are not formed in the intermediate region 4M. Here, the intermediate region 4M is susceptible to the forces of both legs of the wearer during use, and the absorber 4 is likely to be pushed or twisted. Therefore, in the intermediate region 4M, even if the drug A is applied in the groove 8, the drug is more likely to volatilize or evaporate during use than in the front region 4F and the rear region 4B. Therefore, if it is desired to improve the sustainability of the function of the drug by minimizing the volatilization of the components of the drug depending on the type and amount of the drug or the application, as shown in FIG. 7, the drug application region in the intermediate region 4M Avoiding the formation of A, the grooves 8F and 8F provided with the drug application portion A are formed in the front region 4F, and / or the grooves 8R and 8R provided with the drug application portion A are formed in the rear region 4B. You may. Further, when it is desired to enhance the sustainability of the function of the drug, the grooves 8R and 8R may not be formed in the rear region 4B that easily hits the buttocks, but only the grooves 8F and 8F in the front region 4F may be used.

On the other hand, when it is desired to promote the volatilization of the drug depending on the type and amount of the drug or the application, it is preferable to provide the groove 8 having the drug coating portion A in the intermediate region 4M. At the time of use, the groove 8 is deformed by the force of both legs of the wearer, so that the volatilization of the drug may be promoted. Further, if it is desired to promote the volatilization of the drug, it is preferable that the absorbent article 1 has a pair of wing WGs and WGs (FIGS. 1 and 2).

(Action by wing)
When the wing WG and WG are provided and the groove 8 having the drug application portion A is formed in the intermediate region 4M, the intermediate region 4M of the absorber 4 is formed when the wing WG and WG are fixed to the underwear. Is pulled in the second direction D2. This action will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 (a) is a reprint of FIG. 5 (b). That is, FIG. 8A shows a state in which the drug application portion A is formed on the bottom portion 8b of the groove 8 and the edge portions 8e and 8e, and the edge portions 8e and 8e are bulged. Here, when the wings WG and WG are folded back to the back side of the underwear, the groove 8 is pulled in the second direction D2 as shown in FIG. 8B, and the width of the opening of the groove 8 is widened. Therefore, the chemical in the groove is likely to volatilize.

Grooves 8 and 8 extending continuously from the front end to the rear end may be formed in the side regions S and S, respectively, and the drug application portion A may be formed only in a part of the groove 8. .. Alternatively, although the grooves 8 and 8 are formed intermittently, the drug application portion A may be formed even in a place where there is no groove, and may be formed continuously and linearly from the front end to the rear end.

(Other variants)
FIG. 9 shows a further modification of the absorber 4. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the morphology of the groove 8 and the drug application portion A is the same as that shown in FIGS. Highly absorbent portion h is formed. The highly absorbent portion h is a band-shaped region extending in the second direction D2 from both edge portions 8e and 8e of the groove 8 in a plan view. The highly absorbent portion h may be formed over the entire thickness direction of the absorber 4, or is 10 to 50% of the thickness of the absorber 4 only from the upper portion of the absorber 4, for example, from the front surface of the absorber 4. It may be formed up to the depth of.

The super absorbent polymer h can be formed, for example, by increasing the amount of the superabsorbent polymer contained, or by using a superabsorbent polymer having higher absorbency. Alternatively, it may be locked by increasing the density of the absorber 4.

Although the specific embodiment of the present invention has been described above by taking a sanitary napkin as an example, this embodiment can be applied not only to sanitary napkins, panty liners, incontinence pads, etc., but also to disposable diapers.

(Manufacturing method of absorbent articles)
One embodiment of the present invention is a method for producing the absorbent article 1 described above. The manufacturing method according to this embodiment includes forming a groove 8 and a drug coating portion A in the absorber 4. In this case, the drug-coated portion A may be formed after the groove 8 is formed, or the groove 8 may be formed after the drug-coated portion A is formed. However, since it is easier to obtain a shape in which the edges 8e and 8e of the groove 8 are bulged, it is preferable to form the drug application portion A after the groove 8 is formed.

Therefore, in one form, an unprocessed absorber that is processed to become the absorber 4 is prepared, and the unprocessed absorber is provided with the surface sheet 3 in the front-rear direction (first direction) in the side region S. A groove 8 extending along D1 can be formed, and a drug can be applied to at least the bottom 8b and the edges 8e and 8e of the groove 8 to form the drug application portion A.

1 Absorbent article 1F Front area of absorbent article 1M Intermediate area of absorbent article 1B Rear area of absorbent article 2 Back sheet 3 Front sheet 4 Absorber 4F Front area of absorber 4M Intermediate area of absorber 4B Rear area 7 Side non-woven fabric 8, 8F, 8R Groove 8b Groove bottom 8e Groove edge 8w Groove wall A Chemical application part C Central area CL Front-back direction center line S End area D1 First direction D2 Second direction h Highly absorbent part Q Body fluid discharge port Corresponding area w Groove width WG Wing

Claims (8)

A front-rear direction corresponding to the front-rear direction of the wearer's body, including a liquid-impermeable back sheet, a liquid-permeable front sheet, and an absorber arranged between the back sheet and the front sheet. , An absorbent article having a width direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction.
The absorber has a central region located in the center of the width direction and including a region corresponding to a body fluid discharge port, and a side region adjacent to the central region to the end in the width direction. , A drug application part to which the drug is applied is provided,
Grooves formed along the front-rear direction are formed on the surface sheet side of the absorber.
An absorbent article in which the drug application portion is provided at least at the bottom and edge of the groove. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the drug application portion is not provided in the area corresponding to the body fluid discharge port. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the groove is formed by pressing. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the edge of the groove is bulging. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the width of the groove in the state where the drug is not applied is smaller as it approaches the bottom. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which has a wing extending outward in the width direction at the center in the front-rear direction. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein a gap is formed on the chemical coating portion provided on the bottom portion. A liquid-impermeable back sheet, a liquid-permeable front sheet, and an absorber arranged between the back sheet and the front sheet are provided, and the front-back direction corresponding to the front-back direction of the wearer's body is provided. It is a method of manufacturing an absorbent article having
A raw absorber having a central region extending in the anteroposterior direction and a side region adjacent to the central region so as to include a region corresponding to the body fluid discharge portion is prepared.
A groove extending along the front-rear direction in the side region is formed on the raw absorber on the side where the surface sheet is provided.
A method for producing an absorbent article, in which a drug is applied to at least the bottom and edges of the groove to form a drug-coated portion.

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