JP2023122342A - Absorbent composite and absorbent article - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an absorbent composite having excellent absorption performance and fitting property, and absorbent article including the absorbent composite.SOLUTION: An absorbent composite 1 includes a composite sheet 1A in which a superabsorbent polymer is uniformly arranged between two identical or different liquid permeable sheets 2 and 3 in a plane direction. The composite sheet 1A is folded back to a same surface side along a pair of side edges 1S along one direction 1X in the absorbent composite, so as to form a pair of multilayer parts 7 in which composite sheets 1A formed by the folding-back face to each other. Each of the pair of multilayer parts 7 has joint parts 8 in which facing surfaces of the composites 1A are joined together with an adhesive, and a plurality of side slits 9 are formed in side areas 1L along the side edges 1S so as to extend from the side edge 1S in a direction 1Y crossing the one direction. An absorbent article includes the absorbent composite 1 as an absorber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to absorbent composites and absorbent articles.

Absorbent articles such as disposable diapers and sanitary napkins have an absorbent body that absorbs and retains excretions such as urine and menstrual blood. In recent years, sheet-like absorbent bodies containing absorbent polymers and absorbent articles having the same have been developed for the purpose of improving wearing comfort while providing sufficient absorption performance.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and a sheet-like absorbent body containing a superabsorbent polymer disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet. The absorbent body is C-folded with the raised surface facing outward, and the abundance ratio of the superabsorbent polymer in the folded portion is smaller than the abundance ratio of the superabsorbent polymer in the non-folded portion. The document describes that the central portion of the absorbent body is not affected by the expansion of the superabsorbent polymer even after excretion is absorbed, and the absorption performance is good because the absorbent body is C-folded. there is

Patent Document 2 includes a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent body containing superabsorbent polymer particles positioned between the topsheet and the backsheet, wherein the sides of the absorbent layer contained in the absorbent body are: Absorbent articles are described that are divided into multiple sections called winglets. The document states that when the absorbent article is worn, the gaps between adjacent winglets are reduced, increasing the flexibility of the sides of the absorbent layer.

JP 2021-7719 A Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-508264

In the absorbent article described in Patent Document 1, since the absorbent body is C-folded, although there is some absorption performance in the overlapping part of the absorbent body, the existence ratio of the superabsorbent polymer after excrement absorption is reduced. A difference in thickness due to the difference in the thickness of the absorber occurs, and there is room for improvement in terms of improving the feeling of wearing.

In the absorbent article described in Patent Document 2, slits are formed on the sides of the absorbent body, and although it is thought that the wearing comfort is somewhat improved, improvement of the absorption performance has not been sufficiently studied.

Therefore, the present invention relates to an absorbent composite material having excellent absorption performance and wearing comfort, and an absorbent article comprising the absorbent body.

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an absorbent composite including a composite sheet in which a superabsorbent polymer is evenly distributed in the planar direction between two liquid-permeable sheets that are the same or different.
The composite sheet is folded back to the same side along a pair of side edge portions along one direction in the absorbent composite material, and the folding forms a pair of multilayer portions in which the composite sheets face each other. preferably.
Each of the pair of multilayer portions has a joint portion in which the facing surfaces of the composite sheets are joined with an adhesive, and a plurality of side slits are formed in side regions along the side edges. It is preferable to extend from the side edge portion in a direction intersecting with the one direction.

The present invention also relates to an absorbent article comprising an absorbent body, a topsheet placed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body, and a backsheet placed on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body.
It is preferable that the absorbent composite is used for the absorber.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the absorbent composite material which is excellent in an absorption performance and a feeling of wearing, and an absorbent article provided with this absorbent composite material are provided.

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing one embodiment of the absorbent composite of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the absorbent composite shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line II. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing an example of a II-II line cross-section of the absorbent composite shown in FIG. 1 in use. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing one embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention. 5(a) and 5(b) are plan views schematically showing another embodiment of the absorbent composite of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below based on its preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show one embodiment of the absorbent composite of the present invention.
The absorbent composite 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a composite comprising two liquid-permeable sheets 2 and 3 and a superabsorbent polymer 4 disposed between the two liquid-permeable sheets 2 and 3. It has a seat 1A.
In the composite sheet 1A, the two liquid-permeable sheets 2 and 3 are arranged opposite to each other, and the superabsorbent polymer 4 is interposed between the oppositely arranged sheets 2 and 3. The two liquid-permeable sheets 2 and 3 and the superabsorbent polymer 4 are integrated to form a sheet. The two liquid-permeable sheets 2 and 3 are flexible, and the composite sheet 1A is also flexible.

One of the two liquid-permeable sheets 2 and 3 may be the same as or different from the other. The “same sheet” is a sheet having the same constituent material and manufacturing method. The same constituent material means that when a plurality of constituent materials are included, for example, the liquid-permeable sheet is a fiber sheet formed from a fiber material, and the constituent fibers are a plurality of fibers having different fiber diameters, fiber lengths, or constituent resins. When fibers are included, it means that the blending ratio of the plurality of constituent materials is also the same. On the other hand, "different sheets" refer to sheets other than the same sheet. For example, when the liquid-permeable sheet is a fiber sheet formed from a fiber material, at least one of the constituent fibers and manufacturing method is different.
The superabsorbent polymer 4 is evenly distributed in the planar direction of the composite sheet 1A. Uniform in the plane direction means that the superabsorbent polymer 4 is uniformly distributed when viewed along the surfaces located at both ends in the thickness direction of the composite sheet 1A, and the composite sheet 1A is covered with the composite sheet 1A. It means that there are no regions where the amount of superabsorbent polymer 4 present is intentionally reduced compared to other regions.
There are no other members on the outer surfaces of the liquid-permeable sheets 2 and 3 shown in FIGS. Arrangement on the outer surface of the permeable sheets 2 and 3 is not prohibited.

In the present embodiment, the composite sheet 1A includes, as liquid-permeable sheets, a first sheet 2 which is a liquid-permeable sheet positioned on the surface side of the absorbent composite 1 when the absorbent composite 1 is formed, and an absorbent and a second sheet 3 which is a liquid-permeable sheet positioned inside the flexible composite material 1 . As the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3, the same type may be used, or different types may be used. The sheet of the same type includes the "same sheet" described above.
The first sheet 2 has a superabsorbent polymer 4 uniformly distributed on one surface thereof. Superabsorbent polymer 4 is joined to first sheet 2 by adhesive 6A. The superabsorbent polymer 4 located opposite the side facing the first sheet 2 is joined to the second sheet 3 by an adhesive 6B. Since the superabsorbent polymer 4 is joined by the adhesives 6A and 6B, even if stress is applied to the absorbent composite 1 from the outside, the superabsorbent polymer 4 is less likely to move excessively or come off. there is

As the constituent fibers of the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3, each independently, for example, wood pulp, natural pulp such as cotton and hemp, modified pulp such as mercerized pulp and chemically crosslinked pulp, polyethylene and polypropylene. Synthetic fibers containing at least one of synthetic resins such as polyester such as polyolefin and polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate, regenerated fibers such as rayon, cupra and tencel, or these fibers are subjected to hydrophilic treatment or hydrophobic treatment. Various fibers, such as the fiber which carried out, are mentioned.

The forms of the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3 are paper, woven fabric, or non-woven fabric, respectively. The first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3 may each independently be single-layered or multi-layered. In addition, the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3 may be composed of only one fiber assembly (regardless of single layer or multiple layers), or the first fiber assembly and the fiber assembly may be It may have a multi-ply laminate structure in which another fiber assembly or sheet material other than the fiber assembly is laminated. From the viewpoint of improving the absorption performance of the absorbent composite 1, the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3 are preferably single-layer sheets.

In the absorbent composite 1, the composite sheet 1A has a structure in which the composite sheet 1A is folded back to the same side along each of a pair of side edges 1S, 1S along one direction 1X of the absorbent composite 1 (Fig. 2). More specifically, the side regions of the composite sheet 1A in the planar state, which have been positioned outside the position of the side edges 1S, are shifted to the second direction so that the composite sheets 1A face each other as shown in FIG. The two sheets 3 are folded back on the surface side. In this embodiment, the folding is performed over the entire length of the absorbent composite 1 in the longitudinal direction 1X.

In the present embodiment, the one direction 1X is a direction that coincides with the longitudinal direction 1X of the absorbent article along the wearer's front-back direction when the absorbent composite 1 is used as a constituent member of the absorbent article 10 described later. The orthogonal direction 1Y orthogonal to the one direction 1X corresponds to the horizontal direction 1Y orthogonal to the longitudinal direction 1X of the absorbent article 10 when used as a constituent member of the absorbent article 10 . Hereinafter, the one direction 1X and the direction 1Y orthogonal to the one direction 1X in the absorbent composite 1 are also referred to as the longitudinal direction 1X and the lateral direction 1Y.
The one direction 1X of the absorbent composite material 1 has a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction in a plan view, in relation to the orientation when incorporated into the absorbent article, or regardless of the orientation. The longitudinal direction or the transverse direction in is also preferred, and as shown in FIG. 1, the longitudinal direction is more preferred.

By folding back the side regions of the composite sheet 1A, as shown in FIG. 2, a pair of portions in which the composite sheet 1A faces each other is formed. A multilayer portion 7 is a portion where the composite sheets 1A face each other. The thickness of the multilayer portion 7 is greater than the thickness of one composite sheet 1A. The expression that the composite sheets 1A are opposed to each other includes the case where the mutually facing surfaces of the composite sheets 1A overlap each other in surface contact and the case where there is a gap between the mutually facing surfaces of the composite sheet 1A. Although both are included, from the viewpoint of improving the absorption performance, it is preferable that the opposing surfaces of the composite sheet 1A are in contact or close to each other.

Thus, in the absorbent composite 1 of the present invention, the multilayered portion 7 is formed by overlapping the composite sheets 1A, and in the multilayered portion 7, the superabsorbent polymer 4 is arranged in two layers. Therefore, compared with the case where the superabsorbent polymer 4 is arranged in a single layer state, the absorbent composite material 1 and the absorbent article using it can further improve the absorbent performance. From the viewpoint of improving the absorption performance of the entire absorbent composite 1, such folding is preferably performed over the entire longitudinal direction 1X of the composite sheet 1A.

In the multilayer portion 7 formed by the folding described above, the folded composite sheets 1A face each other. In this embodiment, the second sheets 3 of the composite sheet 1A face each other. Each of the pair of multilayer portions 7 in the absorbent composite 1 has a joint portion 8 where the opposing surfaces of the composite sheets 1A, that is, the opposing surfaces of the second sheets 3 are joined with an adhesive 6C. .
In the present invention, one multilayer portion 7 and the other multilayer portion 7 in the pair of multilayer portions 7 may be separated from each other in the orthogonal direction 1Y orthogonal to the one direction 1X, or may be continuous in the orthogonal direction 1Y. You may have Similarly, the joint portion 8 of one multilayer portion 7 and the joint portion 8 of the other multilayer portion 7 may be separated from each other in the orthogonal direction 1Y, or may be continuous.
When one multilayer portion 7 and the other multilayer portion 7 are continuous in the orthogonal direction 1Y, as shown in FIG. and
In the present embodiment, one multilayer portion 7 and the other multilayer portion 7 are continuous in the width direction 1Y, thereby improving the absorbent performance of the absorbent composite 1 in the entire width direction 1Y. FIG. 2 shows a mode having a portion in which three layers of the composite sheet 1A are overlapped in the central portion in the width direction 1Y, but the entire width direction 1Y is a multilayer portion 7 in which two layers of the composite sheet 1A are overlapped. , or a mode in which only portions having a predetermined width from each of both ends in the width direction 1Y are the multilayer portions 7 are also preferable.

In the longitudinal direction 1X of the absorbent composite 1, the joint portion 8 of the multilayer portion 7 is preferably formed at least in the longitudinal central region B of the absorbent composite 1, and extends from the front region A through the longitudinal central region B. More preferably, it is formed so as to extend in the longitudinal direction 1X so as to reach the rear region C. The joint portions 8 of the multilayer portion 7 are preferably formed continuously in the longitudinal direction 1X in the longitudinal central region B or the like, but may be intermittently formed so as to have gaps at predetermined intervals. . The front area A, the longitudinal central area B, and the rear area C are each area when the absorbent composite 1 is divided into three areas by dividing the total length in the longitudinal direction 1X into three areas.
Since the pair of multi-layered portions 7 of the absorbent composite 1 have the joint 8, even if pressure is applied to the absorbent composite 1 from the outside, the folded structure of the absorbent composite 1 is released. The improved absorption performance due to the folded structure is maintained.

From the viewpoint of improving the absorption performance, the length of each of the pair of multilayer portions 7 in the lateral direction 1Y is preferably 10% or more, more preferably 20% or more, of the total length of the absorbent composite 1 in the lateral direction 1Y. , more preferably above 40%. There is no particular upper limit, and the total length of the length in the lateral direction 1Y of one multilayer portion 7 and the length in the lateral direction 1Y of the other multilayer portion 7 is the total length of the absorbent composite 1 in the lateral direction 1Y. is. As shown in FIG. 2 , when there is an overlapping portion between one multilayer portion 7 and the other multilayer portion 7 in the central portion or the like in the horizontal direction Y, the length of the outer overlapping portion is equal to the above total length. not included in

The first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3 are directly attached to the ends of the composite sheet 1A, for example, one or both ends of the composite sheet 1A located at the overlapping portion of the multilayer portion 7 and the multilayer portion 7 of the other side. It is also preferred to provide areas that are bonded and free of superabsorbent polymer 4 .

As the adhesives 6A, 6B, and 6C, it is preferable to use adhesives having flexibility that can be stretched according to swelling changes associated with liquid absorption of the superabsorbent polymer 4 . Examples of such raw materials include (co)polymers of vinyl monomers such as 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, cyanoacrylate, vinyl acetate, and methyl methacrylate (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, etc.). ), etc., silicone adhesives containing polydimethylsiloxane polymer, etc., natural rubber adhesives including natural rubber, etc., polyisoprene, chloroprene, etc. Isoprene adhesive, styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBR), styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer (SIS), styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS), styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer Examples include rubber-based adhesives such as styrene-based adhesives containing one or more polymers (SEBS), styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene block copolymers (SEPS), and the like. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The adhesives 6A and 6B disposed on the surfaces of the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3 facing the superabsorbent polymer 4 and the adhesive 6C forming the joint may be of the same type. , may be heterogeneous. The adhesives 6A and 6B used in the composite sheet 1A may be of the same type or of different types.

It has excellent flexibility and stretchability, and the first sheet 2 and the superabsorbent polymer 4 and the second sheet 3 and the superabsorbent polymer 4 are directly bonded even after the superabsorbent polymer 4 is swollen. From the viewpoint of maintaining the state, the viewpoint of maintaining the folded structure of the absorbent composite 1, and the contraction force of the absorbent composite 1, the superabsorbent polymer is inserted between the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3. From the viewpoint of making it easier to hold 4, it is preferable to use a rubber-based adhesive as the adhesives 6A, 6B, and 6C, and it is more preferable to use a styrene-based adhesive among the rubber-based adhesives.

The adhesives 6A and 6B are preferably hot-melt adhesives from the viewpoint of achieving both the flexibility of the adhesive and the adhesiveness to the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3 .
From the viewpoint of adhesiveness between the second sheets 3 and workability, the adhesive 6C is also preferably a hot-melt adhesive.
As the hot melt adhesive, various known ones can be used. For example, the various adhesives described above, a tackifier such as a petroleum resin or a polyterpene resin, a plasticizer such as a paraffin oil, and, if necessary, Antioxidants such as phenol, amine, phosphorus, and benzimidazole may be included accordingly.

The application pattern of each adhesive 6A, 6B, 6C is not particularly limited, and for example, a coating method such as spiral coating, summit coating, omega coating, etc., in which non-coated portions of the adhesives 6A, 6B are formed is adopted. Alternatively, a method such as spray coating or coater coating that can continuously apply the adhesives 6A, 6B, and 6C to the sheet surface may be employed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, in a plan view of the absorbent composite 1, a plurality of side slits 9 are formed in the side region 1L along the side edge 1S. The plurality of side slits 9 are each formed extending from the side edge 1S in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction 1X, more specifically in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction 1X.
A side slit 9 is formed through the multilayer portion 7 . Moreover, the side slit 9 is not formed by cutting out a part of the absorbent composite 1, but is formed in a thin line shape. By forming the side slits 9 in this manner, flexibility is imparted even to the side regions 1L, which are thicker and stiffer due to the folded structure. As a result, for example, when the absorbent composite material 1 is used as the absorbent article 10, the ability to follow the movement of the wearer's crotch region is particularly excellent, and the wearing comfort is improved.

In this embodiment, the side slits 9 are distributed over the entire lengthwise direction 1X of the absorbent composite 1 in each of the pair of side regions 1L. More specifically, a plurality of side slits 9 are formed in each of the front region A, longitudinal center region B, and rear region C described above for each side region 1L.
From the viewpoint of improving the wearing comfort, the range in which the side slits 9 are formed in the longitudinal direction 1X of the absorbent composite 1 is preferably 30% or more, more preferably 50% of the total length of the absorbent composite 1. % or more, preferably 95% or less, more preferably 90% or less, more preferably 30% or more and 95% or less, more preferably 50% or more and 90% or less.
From the same point of view, the side slits 9 are preferably formed at least in the longitudinal central region B, and preferably formed in the front region A and the rear region C in addition to the longitudinal central region B.
From the same point of view, the number of side slits 9 is preferably 5 or more, more preferably 10 or more, still more preferably 15 or more, and preferably 50 or less per side region 1L. It is preferably 40 or less, more preferably 30 or less.

From the same point of view, for each side region 1L, the interval between the side slits 9 adjacent in the longitudinal direction 1X is preferably 5% or more, more preferably 7% or more, relative to the total length of the absorbent composite 1. Also preferably 15% or less, more preferably 12% or less, more preferably 5% or more and 15% or less, more preferably 7% or more and 12% or less.
From the same point of view, the length of the side slits 9 in the lateral direction 1Y is preferably 5% or more, more preferably 6% or more, and still more preferably 7% or more of the total width of the absorbent composite 1. , preferably 15% or less, more preferably 13.5% or less, still more preferably 12% or less. The length in the lateral direction 1Y is measured along the direction orthogonal to the side edge 1S, the distance between one end farther from the side edge 1S and the side edge 1S.

In the absorbent composite 1 according to the present embodiment, a pair of multilayer portions 7 formed by folding the composite sheet 1A has joint portions 8, and side slits 9 are formed in the side regions 1L along the longitudinal direction 1X. Therefore, even if external pressure is applied to the absorbent composite 1 in the side region 1L, the folded structure of the composite sheet 1A is easily maintained, regardless of whether it is before or after liquid absorption, The flexibility and absorption performance resulting from the structure are well maintained, and deformation such as curving a part or the whole of the side region 1L of the absorbent composite 1 easily occurs, and it is a constituent member of the absorbent article. When used as, the fit to the wearer's skin shape and the followability to the wearer's movement are improved. Due to such actions, excellent absorption performance and wearing comfort can be obtained.

As shown in FIG. 2, each of the multilayer portions 7 in the absorbent composite 1 has a predetermined width between the joint portion 8 and the end 7e on the side edge portion 1S side of the portion where the composite sheets 1A face each other. It has a non-bonded region 8S. The non-bonded region 8S is a region where the opposing surfaces of the composite sheet 1A are not bonded. In the non-bonded region 8S of the present embodiment, the opposing surfaces of the composite sheet 1A are not bonded together by an adhesive, and are not bonded by a bonding means other than the adhesive, such as heat sealing.

When the absorbent composite 1 absorbs liquid and the superabsorbent polymer 4 swells, the component members of the absorbent composite 1 are twisted from the outside to the inside in the lateral direction 1Y. Since the absorbent composite 1 has the non-bonded area 8S, the boundary between the non-bonded area 8S and the bonded portion 8 acts as a stopper for twisting. As a result, even if twisting occurs, the expansion of the absorbent composite material 1 as a whole is suppressed, so that the wearing comfort is maintained even after excretion.
From the viewpoint of improving the feeling of wearing, the innermost position in the lateral direction 1Y of the non-bonded region 8S is preferably the distance from the side edge of the absorbent composite 1 with respect to the entire width of the absorbent composite 1. 5% or more, more preferably 7% or more, preferably 12% or less, more preferably 10% or less, more preferably 5% or more and 12% or less, more preferably 7% or more and 10% or less .

When the multilayer portion 7 has the non-bonded region 8S, the innermost end of the side slit 9 in the lateral direction 1Y may be located in the non-bonded region 8S or may reach the bonded portion 8. . It is preferable that the innermost end of the side slit 9 be positioned within the non-bonded region 8S in order to prevent the adhesive from coming into contact with the skin.
When the multilayer part 7 has the non-bonded regions 8S, the range in which the side slits 9 are formed and the range in which the non-bonded regions 8S are formed are at least one in the longitudinal direction 1X of the absorbent composite 1. It is preferable that the portions overlap, and it is preferable that the non-bonded region 8S is formed over the entire range in which the slits 9 are formed.

In the non-bonded region 8S, there may be a gap between the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3 that are positioned to face each other. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of improving the absorption performance, it is preferable that the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3, which face each other, are in contact with each other or at least close to each other. From these points of view, in the non-bonded region 8S, the maximum separation distance between the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3 that are positioned to face each other is is preferably 0% or more, more preferably 2% or less, more preferably 1% or less, more preferably 0% or more and 2% or less, more preferably 0% or more and 1% or less. The maximum separation distance is measured by cutting the absorbent composite 1 before liquid absorption along the lateral direction 1Y and observing the cross section under no load. The measurement is preferably performed by enlarging with a microscope or the like.

At least one of the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3 is preferably a nonwoven fabric, more preferably a nonwoven fabric in which constituent fibers are entangled with each other. The term "entangled" as used herein means a state in which constituent fibers are sufficiently entangled with each other, and the state in which fiber layers are simply superimposed is not included in the entangled state. By using such a sheet, when the absorbent composite 1 is used for the absorbent article 10, the flexibility of the absorbent composite 1 is increased, and the wearing comfort is improved.

From the viewpoint of further improving the wearing comfort, at least one of the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3 is, in addition to the above configuration, a fiber sheet having no heat-sealed portion of the constituent fibers, or a heat-sealed portion. is preferably a nonwoven fabric having a predetermined ratio or less.
Specifically, at least one of the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3 is preferably a fiber sheet that does not have heat-sealed portions between constituent fibers. Alternatively, at least one of the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3 has the number of heat-sealed portions between constituent fibers of 30 or less, more preferably 20 or less, still more preferably 10. It is also preferable to use a nonwoven fabric having a number of pieces/pieces or less.
By using such a sheet, the flexibility of the absorbent composite 1 is increased, and when the absorbent composite 1 is used for the absorbent article 10, the side edges 1S of the absorbent composite 1 come into contact with the wearer. The sense of discomfort caused by this is reduced, and the feeling of wearing is improved.

Fiber sheets without heat-sealed constituent fibers include thin paper obtained by a wet or dry papermaking method, spunlace nonwoven fabric obtained by making a web formed by a carding or air laying method into a nonwoven fabric by hydroentangling or a binder, and airlaid. A nonwoven fabric or the like can be used. A nonwoven fabric having a heat-bonded part of constituent fibers at a predetermined ratio or less is obtained by using, as constituent fibers of the nonwoven fabric, two or more types of fibers, a fiber containing a high-melting point component and a fiber containing a low-melting point component. can be obtained easily. Fibers containing a high melting point component include fibers containing a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Fibers containing a low melting point component include, for example, fibers containing a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene (PE).
Thin paper can also be used as the fiber sheet used as one or both of the first sheet 2 and the second sheet 3 . As the thin paper, one to which deodorant performance and antibacterial performance are imparted can be used. From the viewpoint of imparting flexibility to the absorbent composite 1 and improving the wearing feeling when it is made into an absorbent article, it is preferable to use deodorant antibacterial paper as the first sheet 2, and spunlace nonwoven fabric as the second sheet 3. It is preferable to use

The number of heat-sealed portions of a constituent fiber is the number of heat-sealed portions present in one fiber, and is defined in units of "pieces/fiber".
The number of heat-sealed portions can be measured by the following method. First, the sheet to be measured is taken out from the absorbent composite 1 while being careful not to change the thickness of the sheet. When the sheet to be measured is bonded to another member with an adhesive, the adhesive is solidified by cooling means such as cold spray and then taken out. Also, if the superabsorbent polymer 4 adheres to the sheet to be measured, the adhesive is similarly solidified using a cold spray or the like, and then the superabsorbent polymer 4 is removed.
Next, the sheet to be measured is cut into a size of 100 mm square to prepare a measurement piece. The measurement piece is placed and fixed on a sample stage of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) on which a carbon tape is placed. From the SEM image obtained by magnifying 150 times, the total number of portions where the intersections of the constituent fibers are fused is counted. The fused portion is a portion where the boundary between constituent fibers is unclear.
Also, based on the same SEM image, the length of the displayed fiber is measured from all the displayed constituent fibers. This operation is performed from five SEM images. Separately, an SEM image magnified 35 times is obtained, 50 constituent fibers are extracted, and the arithmetic mean fiber length is taken as the fiber length of one constituent fiber. By dividing the total fusion point in the screen of the 140x SEM image by the total fiber length in the screen of the 140x SEM image, and multiplying by the length of each constituent fiber in the 35x SEM image , the number of fusion points per constituent fiber can be measured.
These measurements are performed in an environment with a temperature of 15° C. or higher and 35° C. or lower and a humidity of 20% RH or higher and 70% RH or lower.

The absorbent composite 1 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 may be used as it is. In this case, one absorbent composite material 1 may be used alone, or a plurality of absorbent composite materials 1 may be stacked or arranged in a planar direction.

The absorbent composite 1 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 described above can be used as a constituent member of absorbent articles, and is preferably used as an absorbent body of absorbent articles. Examples of absorbent articles include, but are not limited to, disposable diapers, incontinence pads, sanitary napkins, panty liners, and the like. It broadly encompasses articles used to absorb liquids.

The absorbent article 10 typically has a longitudinal direction along the wearer's front-rear direction and a width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and is arranged on the absorbent body, the side facing the skin of the absorbent body. and a back sheet arranged on the non-skin facing side of the absorbent body. The absorbent article 10 of the present invention can use the absorbent composite 1 as an absorbent body. Examples of absorbent articles 10 include incontinence pads, sanitary napkins, and disposable diapers. When the absorbent composite 1 is used as a constituent member of the absorbent article 10 from the viewpoint of improving the liquid absorbency of the absorbent article 10, the absorbent composite 1 may be used singly or laminated. A plurality of sheets may be used in a state where they are attached. Alternatively, in addition to the absorbent composite 1, an absorbent body other than the absorbent composite may be further laminated and used. When an absorbent body other than the absorbent composite material is laminated on the absorbent composite material 1 and used, the other absorbent body is preferably arranged at least in the central region of the absorbent composite material 1 . Other absorbents include, for example, a pile of hydrophilic fibers such as cellulose such as pulp, and a mixed pile of hydrophilic fibers and an absorbent polymer.

FIG. 4 shows an example of an absorbent article 10 using the absorbent composite 1 as an absorbent body.
The surface sheet 11 used in the absorbent article 10 has a surface facing the skin of the wearer who wears the absorbent article 10 when the absorbent article 10 is worn in a proper position (hereinafter referred to as "skin facing surface"). ) side, and the back sheet 12 has a surface facing away from the skin of the wearer wearing the absorbent article 10 (hereinafter also referred to as a “non-skin facing surface”). .) are the sheets that make up the sides. As the topsheet 11 and the backsheet 12 used in the absorbent article 10, those conventionally used in the absorbent article 10 can be used without particular limitation. As the surface sheet 11, for example, various liquid-permeable nonwoven fabrics, perforated films, and the like can be used. As the back sheet 12, a liquid-impermeable or water-repellent resin film, a laminate of a resin film and a non-woven fabric, or the like can be used.

In addition to the above-described topsheet, backsheet, and absorbent body, leak-preventing cuffs extending in the longitudinal direction are arranged on both sides along the longitudinal direction on the side facing the skin, depending on the specific use of the absorbent article 10 . may be A leak-tight cuff generally has a proximal end and a free end. The leak-proof cuff has a base end on the skin-facing side of the absorbent article and stands up from the skin-facing side. The leak-tight cuff is constructed from a liquid-resistant or water-repellent and breathable material. An elastic member made of rubber thread or the like may be arranged in a stretched state at or near the free end of the leak-proof cuff. When the pants-type absorbent article is worn, the elastic member contracts, causing the leak-proof cuffs to stand up toward the wearer's body, and the liquid excreted on the topsheet is absorbed into the absorbent article 10. It is effectively prevented from leaking outward in the width direction.

When the absorbent composite 1 is used as a constituent member of the absorbent article 10, the surface of the absorbent composite 1 opposite to the side where the composite sheet 1A is folded faces the skin facing side of the absorbent article 10. It is preferably arranged to face (see FIG. 4). By arranging the absorbent composite 1 in this way, the flat surface is arranged on the skin side, and there is an effect that it is difficult to feel discomfort due to the stepped portion of the folded back.

5(a) and 5(b) show another embodiment of the absorbent composite 1 of the present invention. Regarding the embodiment of the absorbent composite 1 shown in these figures, the configuration different from that of the absorbent composite 1 shown in FIGS. , and the description is omitted. Moreover, the description of the absorbent composite 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is appropriately applied to configurations not particularly described in the embodiments shown in these figures.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5(a), in a plan view of the absorbent composite 1, a plurality of intermediate slits 9A extending in the lateral direction 1Y are formed in the intermediate region located between the pair of side regions 1L, 1L. It is The intermediate slits 9A are formed in a zigzag pattern over the entire length of the absorbent composite 1 in the longitudinal direction 1X. In addition, the interval between side slits 9 adjacent to each other in the absorbent composite 1 is narrower than that of intermediate slits 9A adjacent in the longitudinal direction 1X.
Since the absorbent composite 1 is formed with the intermediate slits 9A in addition to the side slits 9, the flexibility of the absorbent composite 1 as a whole is improved. As a result, when the absorbent composite 1 is used in the absorbent article 10, the wearing comfort is improved.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5(b), a plurality of intermediate slits 9A are formed in a V-shape opening rearward in the vertical direction 1X.
Since the mid-region slit 9A is formed in a V-shape, the flexibility of the absorbent composite 1 as a whole is improved, and as a result, the feeling of wearing is improved. Furthermore, since the force applied inward in the lateral direction 1Y from the both side regions 1L can be received while being dispersed in the intermediate region of the absorbent composite 1, the intermediate region is less likely to fold at the peaks or folds at the valleys. There is also the effect of reducing discomfort in the state.

In the case of providing the intermediate area slit 9A, from the viewpoint of receiving the force applied inward in the lateral direction 1Y from the both side areas 1L in the intermediate area of the absorbent composite 1, The angle θ2 (see FIG. 5(b)) of the intermediate slit 9A is preferably less than 45°, more preferably 30° or less, even more preferably 15° or less, with a lower limit of 0°. is parallel to

The angle θ1 (see FIG. 5A) of the side slits 9 with respect to the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 1X, that is, the lateral direction 1Y is preferably less than 45°, more preferably 30° or less, and even more preferably 15°. It is below. The lower limit of the angle θ1 is 0°. When the angle θ1 is 5° or less, including the case where the angle θ1 is 0°, it is expressed as being parallel to the horizontal direction 1Y, and is most preferably parallel to the horizontal direction 1Y. By setting the angle θ1 to less than 45° and forming the side slits 9 in a direction that intersects with the longitudinal direction 1X, the effect of reducing the hardness of the folded side region 1L can be achieved more reliably.

Although the present invention has been described above based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, the side slits 9 can be formed only in the longitudinal central region B, formed only in the longitudinal central region B and the front region A, or formed only in the longitudinal central region B and the rear region C. Similarly, the non-bonded region 8S can be formed only in the longitudinal central region B, formed only in the longitudinal central region B and the front region A, or formed only in the longitudinal central region B and the rear region C.

The intermediate slit 9A may not be provided, and the orientation and arrangement pattern of the intermediate slit 9A may be changed as appropriate. For example, the orientation of the intermediate slits 9A in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) may be changed to extend in the vertical direction 1X, and multiple arrangement patterns may be changed as appropriate.

1 Absorbent Composite Material 1A Composite Sheet 2 First Sheet (Liquid Permeable Sheet)
3 Second sheet (liquid permeable sheet)
4 Super Absorbent Polymer 6A Adhesive 6B Adhesive 7 Multilayer Part 8 Joining Part 6C Adhesive 8S Non-joining Area 9 Side Slit 9A Intermediate Area Slit 1S Side Edge 1L Side Area 1X Longitudinal Direction (One Direction)
1Y lateral direction (perpendicular direction orthogonal to one direction)
A Front region B Vertical central region C Rear region 10 Absorbent article

Claims (7)

An absorbent composite comprising a composite sheet in which a superabsorbent polymer is uniformly arranged in a plane direction between two liquid-permeable sheets that are the same or different,
The composite sheet is folded back to the same side along a pair of side edges along one direction of the absorbent composite, and the folding forms a pair of multilayer portions in which the composite sheets face each other. and
Each of the pair of multilayer portions has a joint portion in which the facing surfaces of the composite sheets are joined with an adhesive, and a plurality of side slits are formed in side regions along the side edges. An absorbent composite formed by extending from the side edges in a direction that intersects the one direction. At least one of the two liquid-permeable sheets,
2. The nonwoven fabric according to claim 1, which is a fiber sheet that does not contain heat-sealed portions of constituent fibers, or a nonwoven fabric in which the number of heat-sealed portions of constituent fibers is 30 or less per piece and the constituent fibers are entangled with each other. absorbent composites. Each of the pair of multi-layered portions has a predetermined width in which the opposing surfaces of the composite sheets are not joined to each other between the end portion on the side edge side of the portion where the composite sheets face each other and the joint portion. 3. The absorbent composite according to claim 1 or 2, having an unbonded region of . 4. The absorbent composite according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an intermediate zone slit is formed in an intermediate zone located between a pair of said side zones. 5. The absorbent composite of claim 4, wherein the side slits adjacent in the one direction are spaced less apart than the mid-zone slits adjacent in the one direction. 6. The absorbent composite according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the angle of said side slits with respect to a direction perpendicular to said one direction is less than 45[deg.]. An absorbent article comprising an absorbent body, a topsheet arranged on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body, and a backsheet arranged on the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body,
An absorbent article, wherein the absorbent composite according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is used in the absorbent body.