JP2024070802A - Absorbent articles - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] The present invention aims to provide an absorbent article that can more reliably bring a leakproof wall into contact with the wearer's skin. [Solution] The absorbent article includes an absorbent body, an exterior body, an adhesive part that bonds the absorbent body and the exterior body, and a leakproof wall provided at an end of the absorbent body in the width direction, the adhesive part includes a narrow part that is narrower than the absorbent body in the width direction and is arranged so that the absorbent body and the exterior body are not bonded to each other on the width direction outer side of the narrow part, side flap parts extending in the longitudinal direction are formed by the parts of the absorbent body that are not bonded to the exterior body, including the parts from the end of the narrow part in the width direction to the end of the absorbent body in the width direction, the exterior body overlaps at least a part of the side flap parts, and a first elastic member extending along the width direction is provided in a stretched state in the area of the exterior body that overlaps with the side flap parts. [Selected Figure] Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to an absorbent article.

Absorbent articles that absorb liquids such as urine and body fluids are known (for example, Patent Document 1). The absorbent article is equipped with a leak-proof wall (three-dimensional gathers) to prevent leakage of discharged liquids such as urine. The leak-proof wall is provided extending in the longitudinal direction along the widthwise end of the absorbent body of the absorbent article, and rises against the skin side in the crotch area of the wearer to abut against the skin surface and prevent lateral leakage of discharged liquids.

JP 2021-79034 A

However, if the leak-proof wall does not make firm contact with the wearer's skin, a gap will form between the wall and the skin, and excrement may leak through this gap.

The present invention aims to provide a technology that can more reliably bring the leak-proof wall into contact with the wearer's skin.

The absorbent article according to one aspect of the present invention is an absorbent article having a front body region located on the abdominal side of the wearer when worn, a crotch region located under the crotch, and a back body region located on the back side, arranged in this order in the longitudinal direction, and having a length along the longitudinal direction and a width along a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the absorbent article being arranged at a position including the crotch region and capable of absorbing liquid discharged by the wearer, an outer body arranged on the non-skin-facing side of the wearer relative to the absorbent body, an adhesive portion that bonds the absorbent body and the outer body, and an adhesive portion that is arranged at an end of the absorbent body in the width direction and is formed to extend in the longitudinal direction and rise to the skin-facing side of the wearer. and a leak-proof wall, the adhesive portion includes a narrow portion that is narrower than the absorbent body in the width direction and is arranged so that the absorbent body and the exterior body are not adhered to each other on the outer side of the narrow portion in the width direction, and a side flap portion extending in the longitudinal direction is formed by the portion of the absorbent body that is not adhered to the exterior body, including the portion from the end of the narrow portion in the width direction to the end of the absorbent body in the width direction, the exterior body overlaps with at least a portion of the side flap portion, and a first elastic member extending along the width direction is provided in a stretched state in the region of the exterior body that overlaps with the side flap portion.

The present invention makes it possible to more reliably bring the leak-proof wall into contact with the wearer's skin.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pants-type disposable diaper for adults according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the diaper according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a development view of the diaper according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating an adhesive pattern between the outer body and the inner body of the diaper according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the diaper taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the backsheet, absorbent core, topsheet, and sidesheets extracted from the diaper according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the diaper taken along line BB in FIG. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an absorbent body and a part of rubber thread extracted from a diaper according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a diaper according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a diaper according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic state in which the side flap portion of the diaper according to the present embodiment is raised. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the structure of a side sheet of a diaper according to a modified example. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a diaper according to a modified example.

<Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a diaper according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the configurations of the following embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of these embodiments.

1 is a perspective view of a pants-type disposable diaper for adults (hereinafter, simply referred to as a "diaper") according to an embodiment. In the diaper, the direction connecting the front body arranged opposite the wearer's abdomen and the rear body arranged opposite the back is defined as the longitudinal direction. Between the front body (one side in the longitudinal direction) and the rear body (the other side in the longitudinal direction) (the center in the longitudinal direction) is located the crotch part arranged under the wearer's crotch (opposed to the crotch). In addition, when the diaper is worn by a wearer, the side facing the wearer's skin is defined as the skin-facing side, and the opposite side to the skin-facing side is defined as the non-skin-facing side. Furthermore, the direction connecting the skin-facing side and the non-skin-facing side is defined as the thickness direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction and the thickness direction is defined as the width direction. In addition, the view from the thickness direction is defined as a plan view. The diaper 1 has a length along the longitudinal direction and a width along the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and is worn under the wearer's crotch. In addition, terms related to directions used in this application refer to directions that correspond to the front, back, left and right of the wearer when the diaper 1 is worn by the wearer. For example, the left and right direction in this application refers to the directions that correspond to the left and right of the wearer when the diaper 1 is worn by the wearer. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the "width direction" refers to the width direction of the diaper, and the "longitudinal direction" refers to the longitudinal direction of the diaper.

In this embodiment, as an example of an absorbent article, a pants-type disposable diaper with a tubular structure having an opening for the wearer's abdominal circumference and a pair of openings for inserting the wearer's left and right lower legs is exemplified, but the "absorbent article" in this application is not limited to pants-type disposable diapers for adults. The "absorbent article" in this application includes pants-type disposable diapers for children. In addition, various types of absorbent articles that can wrap the abdominal circumference and crotch area are included, such as tape-type disposable diapers in which a tubular structure is formed by attaching a tape fixed near one end of a sheet-like member that covers the wearer's crotch area (genitals) from the front to the back of the body to the other end of the sheet-like member.

The diaper 1 has a crotch region 1B, which is a region corresponding to the crotch region covering the wearer's pubic region (crotch) when worn, a front body region 1F, which is a region corresponding to the front body in the wearer's waist and covers the wearer's abdominal side, and a rear body region 1R, which is a region corresponding to the rear body in the wearer's waist and covers the wearer's back side. Here, the front body region 1F is located in front of the crotch region 1B, and the rear body region 1R is located behind the crotch region 1B. Since the diaper 1 in this embodiment is a pants-type disposable diaper, the left edge of the front body region 1F and the left edge of the rear body region 1R are joined to each other, and the right edge of the front body region 1F and the right edge of the rear body region 1R are joined to each other. Thus, in the diaper 1, a waist opening 2T is formed by the upper edge of the front body region 1F and the upper edge of the rear body region 1R. In addition, the diaper 1 has a left lower leg opening 2L formed in the left side of the crotch region 1B where the above-mentioned joining is not performed, and a right lower leg opening 2R formed in the right side of the crotch region 1B. The torso opening 2T is an example of a "torso opening" in the present disclosure, and the left lower leg opening 2L and the right lower leg opening 2R are examples of "leg openings" in the present disclosure. When the diaper 1 is worn such that the wearer's left lower leg is inserted through the left lower leg opening 2L, the wearer's right lower leg is inserted through the right lower leg opening 2R, and the wearer's torso is inserted into the torso opening 2T, the front body region 1F is disposed on the wearer's abdomen side, the rear body region 1R is disposed on the wearer's back side, and the left lower leg opening 2L and the right lower leg opening 2R are fixed to the wearer's body in a state where they surround the wearer's thighs. Since the diaper 1 is fixed to the wearer's body in this manner, the wearer can move freely while wearing the diaper 1. Hereinafter, with respect to the completed diaper 1 as shown in FIG. 1, the side facing upward when worn will be referred to as the "waist opening side (torso opening side)" and the side facing downward will be referred to as the "crotch side".

In the diaper 1, an absorbent capable of absorbing and retaining liquid is mainly arranged around the crotch region 1B. The absorbent is arranged at a position including the crotch region 1B and is configured to absorb liquid discharged by the wearer. In addition, in order to prevent the formation of a gap between the diaper 1 and the wearer's skin that can be a liquid outflow path, the diaper 1 is provided with a three-dimensional gather 3BL at the left lower leg opening 2L surrounding the thigh of the left lower leg of the wearer, a three-dimensional gather 3BR at the right lower leg opening 2R surrounding the thigh of the right lower leg of the wearer, and a waist gather 3R at a portion surrounding the wearer's abdominal circumference. The three-dimensional gathers 3BL and 3BR are examples of the "leak prevention wall" of the present disclosure. In addition, leg gathers 3LF and 3LR (leg gathers 3LR are not shown in FIG. 1) are provided at positions surrounding the base of the wearer's legs. The leg gathers 3LF are provided in the front body region 1F, and the leg gathers 3LR are provided in the back body region 1R. In FIG. 1, only the leg gathers 3LF are illustrated. The elasticity of the rubber threads allows the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR and the waist gathers 3R to adhere closely to the wearer's skin. The leg gathers 3LF, 3LR also prevent gaps from forming between the wearer's groin and the diaper 1. Therefore, waste from the wearer's genitals is absorbed into the absorbent body of the diaper 1 with almost no leakage from the diaper 1.

The diaper 1 can be used in combination with an inner pad (not shown). The inner pad is a substantially rectangular absorbent article with an absorbent body, and absorbs discharged liquid. When the diaper 1 and the inner pad are used in combination, the inner pad is placed on the skin side of the diaper 1 so as to abut the wearer's discharge hole. Discharged liquid is first absorbed by the inner pad, and only discharged liquid that cannot be absorbed by the inner pad reaches the absorbent body of the diaper 1 and is further absorbed. This makes it possible to prevent the discharged liquid from leaking out of the diaper 1 even if the amount of discharged liquid is large. In addition, if the amount of discharged liquid is small and can be absorbed entirely by the inner pad, only the inner pad needs to be replaced even if discharged liquid occurs, reducing care costs. In addition, the diaper 1 can be used for a long time.

2 is an exploded perspective view of a diaper 1 according to an embodiment. The diaper 1 has a cover sheet 4 and an inner cover sheet 5. The cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5 are roughly hourglass-shaped (gourd-shaped) sheets that are bonded together to form the outer surface of the diaper 1, and have the same shape except for the end on the front body region 1F side and the end on the back body region 1R side. When worn by a wearer, the cover sheet 4 is laminated on the side that faces away from the wearer's skin, and the inner cover sheet 5 is laminated on the side that faces the skin. Between the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5, rubber threads are provided to form the waist gathers 3R and the leg gathers 3LF, 3LR. Instead of the rubber threads, an elastic member such as a strip-shaped rubber can be appropriately selected.

The cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5 can be made of a nonwoven fabric made of a liquid-impermeable thermoplastic resin, for example, in order to suppress leakage of excrement. Examples of liquid-impermeable thermoplastic resins include polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Hereinafter, the absorbent body 8 and the combination of the absorbent body 8 with the back sheet 6, the top sheet 9, and the side sheets 10L and 10R are referred to as the inner body, and the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5 on which the rubber thread is arranged are collectively referred to as the outer body (an example of the "outer body" of the present disclosure) as a concept corresponding to the inner body. The inner body includes the absorbent body 8 and is arranged on the skin side of the wearer, and the outer body is arranged on the non-skin side of the wearer relative to the absorbent body 8 and the inner body.

The diaper 1 has a back sheet 6, an absorbent 8, and a top sheet 9 having a water-permeable region, which are laminated in this order on the wearer-facing surfaces of the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5. The back sheet 6 is a substantially rectangular sheet having a length in the longitudinal direction that extends from the front body of the wearer through the crotch to the rear body, and a predetermined width in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The absorbent 8 and the top sheet 9 are both sheet-like members having a substantially rectangular appearance like the back sheet 6, and are laminated in order on the back sheet 6 with their longitudinal directions coinciding with the longitudinal direction of the back sheet 6. The back sheet 6 is a sheet formed from a liquid-impermeable thermoplastic resin material to suppress leakage of excrement. The top sheet 9 is a sheet-like member that is provided closer to the wearer's skin than the absorbent 8 so as to cover the water-absorbing surface of the absorbent 8. This top sheet 9 is liquid-permeable in part or in whole. Therefore, when the diaper 1 is worn, liquid excreted from the wearer passes through the top sheet 9, which may come into contact with the wearer's skin, and penetrates into the absorbent body 8, where it is absorbed. Examples of liquid-permeable sheets include woven fabrics, nonwoven fabrics, and porous films. The top sheet 9 may also be hydrophilic.

The absorbent body 8 is provided at a position including the crotch region 1B, and is arranged so that one end in the longitudinal direction is located in the front body region 1F and the other end is located in the back body region 1R. The absorbent body 8 has a mat-shaped absorbent core 8c made of one or more absorbent mats and a core wrap sheet 7 (permeable sheet) that encases the absorbent core 8c, and is configured to absorb liquid discharged by the wearer. The absorbent core 8c is provided at a position including the crotch region 1B, and is arranged so that one end in the longitudinal direction is located in the front body region 1F and the other end is located in the back body region 1R. The absorbent core 8c is approximately hourglass-shaped with a narrowed portion in the crotch region 1B. The absorbent core 8c has a structure in which granular absorbent resin (polymer absorbent material) such as SAP (Super Absorbent Polymer), which is a hydrophilic polymer with a cross-linked structure capable of absorbing and retaining water, is held in the gaps between short fibers of cellulosic fibers such as pulp fibers, rayon fibers, or cotton fibers, or short fibers obtained by hydrophilizing synthetic fibers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyethylene terephthalate. When the absorbent core 8c absorbs liquid discharged from the wearer, the absorbent resin held in the gaps between the short fibers swells to retain the liquid within the short fibers. In this embodiment, the absorbent core 8c is approximately hourglass-shaped with a narrowed center, but the absorbent core 8c can have any shape appropriate for the purpose. Examples of the shape of the absorbent core 8c include a rectangular shape, an elliptical shape, and various other shapes.

The core wrap sheet 7 is a thin liquid-permeable sheet. The core wrap sheet 7 is wider than the absorbent core 8c, and wrapping the absorbent core 8c with the core wrap sheet 7 makes it difficult for the SAP of the absorbent core 8c to be mixed with other structures. In addition, the shape of the absorbent core 8c is suppressed. The core wrap sheet 7 can be formed of pulp fibers, and tissue paper can be used as an example. The core wrap sheet 7 may be a single sheet, but may also be composed of two sheets, an upper sheet arranged on the wearer's skin side and a lower sheet arranged on the wearer's non-skin side and wrapping around the side and skin side of the absorbent core 8c. When the core wrap sheet 7 is composed of two sheets, the width direction end of the upper sheet may be wrapped in another sheet (for example, the side sheets 10L and 10R, the back sheet 6, and the top sheet 9 described later). The absorbent body 8 is wrapped in the back sheet 6 and the top sheet 9, and these sheets can also suppress the shape from being lost, so the core wrap sheet 7 may not be provided.

In the following description, the widest part of the absorbent core 8c that is narrowed in the width direction in the crotch region 1B is referred to as the wide section 88A, and the narrowest part is referred to as the narrowest part 88B (see FIG. 3). The part sandwiched between the wide section 88A and the narrowest part 88B, which gradually widens from the crotch region 1B to the front body region 1F or the back body region 1R, is referred to as the widening section 88C.

The back sheet 6, absorbent body 8, and top sheet 9 all extend from the front body region 1F to the rear body region 1R. Therefore, when the back sheet 6, absorbent body 8, and top sheet 9 are layered to cover the wearer's private parts (crotch area), both ends in the longitudinal direction of the back sheet 6, absorbent body 8, and top sheet 9 are located on the wearer's ventral and dorsal sides. In other words, the wearer's private parts are covered by the absorbent body 8 from the wearer's ventral to dorsal sides. Therefore, whether the wearer is in a ventral or dorsal position when excreting liquid, the excreted liquid comes into contact with the absorbent body 8 via the top sheet 9.

The diaper 1 also has elongated, strip-shaped side sheets 10L, 10R for forming the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR described above. The side sheets 10L, 10R are an example of the "leakproof sheet" of the present disclosure. The side sheets 10L, 10R are non-permeable nonwoven fabric sheets provided at both widthwise ends of the absorbent body 8, and constitute a pair of side sheets covering the widthwise sides of the absorbent body 8. In practice, the side sheets 10L, 10R are provided on the long sides of the top sheet 9. Rubber threads 10L1, 10R1 are bonded to the side sheets 10L, 10R along the longitudinal direction. More specifically, the rubber threads 10L1, 10R1 are provided so as to be in an elongated state when worn. Thus, when the cover sheet 4 is joined at its left edge 4F4 of the front body region 1F and its left edge 4R4 of the rear body region 1R, and at its right edge 4F5 of the front body region 1F and its right edge 4R5 of the rear body region 1R, the diaper 1 is completed as shown in FIG. 1. The side sheets 10L, 10R are pulled in the longitudinal direction by the contraction force of the rubber threads 10L1, 10R1 and rise from the exterior body (top sheet 9) along the fold lines 10L2, 10R2. As a result, three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR are formed to prevent the outflow of liquid from the left lower leg opening 2L and the right lower leg opening 2R (details will be described later). The fold lines 10L2, 10R2 are the joining ends of the side sheets 10L, 10R on the inside in the width direction with the top sheet 9, and are formed at positions overlapping the top sheet 9. The method of joining edges 4F4 and 4R4, and edges 4F5 and 4R5 is not particularly limited, but can be performed by, for example, heat sealing, high-frequency sealing, ultrasonic sealing, etc.

Furthermore, the diaper 1 has an end sheet 11F laminated on the wearer-facing surface of the cover sheet 4 in the front body region 1F, and an end sheet 11R laminated on the wearer-facing surface of the cover sheet 4 in the rear body region 1R, sandwiching the back sheet 6, absorber 8, top sheet 9, and side sheets 10L, 10R. The end sheets 11F, 11R are strip-shaped sheets laminated on the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5 at one end side in the longitudinal direction of the top sheet 9. The end sheets 11F, 11R are non-permeable nonwoven fabrics, and mainly reinforce the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5 at the waist-contacting portion of the diaper 1. An adhesive is applied to each of the end sheets 11F, 11R, and the end sheets 11F, 11R are bonded to the inner cover sheet 5 by the adhesive. The end sheets 11F, 11R are positioned on the skin side of the laminate (i.e., the inner body) formed by the back sheet 6, absorbent body 8, top sheet 9, and side sheets 10L, 10R, and prevent the ends of the laminate from directly touching the skin side, causing discomfort to the wearer.

The cover sheet 4 is folded back at one end at the fold-back lines 4FF and 4RF shown in FIG. 2. The waist gather 3R described above is formed by adhering rubber threads (rubber threads) 4F1 and 4F2 in a stretched state to the front body region 1F of the cover sheet 4, and adhering rubber threads (rubber threads) 4R1 and 4R2 in a stretched state to the back body region 1R of the cover sheet 4. More specifically, the rubber threads 4F1, 4F2, 4R1 and 4R2 are arranged so as to be in a stretched state when worn. The rubber threads 4F1 and 4F2 are arranged in the order of rubber threads 4F1 and rubber threads 4F2 from the fold-back line 4FF side along the fold-back line 4FF that will form the upper edge of the front body region 1F when folded back. Like the elastic threads 4F1 and 4F2, the elastic threads 4R1 and 4R2 are arranged in the order of elastic threads 4R1 and 4R2 from the side of the fold line 4RF along the fold line 4RF that will form the upper edge of the back body region 1R when folded back.

Therefore, the rubber threads 4F1 and 4F2 are provided on the cover sheet 4 with their longitudinal direction, which is the stretch direction, oriented in the left-right direction of the diaper 1. The rubber threads 4R1 and 4R2 are provided on the cover sheet 4 with their longitudinal direction, which is the stretch direction, oriented in the left-right direction of the diaper 1. Therefore, when the edge 4F4 and the edge 4R4 are joined to each other and the edge 4F5 and the edge 4R5 are joined to each other, the rubber threads 4F1 and 4F2 and the rubber threads 4R1 and 4R2 form a substantially annular stretch member that goes around the waist opening 2T, and exert the function of contracting the waist opening 2T in the waist circumference direction. That is, the rubber threads 4F1 and 4F2 and the rubber threads 4R1 and 4R2 exert a contraction force to bring the diaper 1 into close contact with the wearer and prevent the formation of a gap between the diaper 1 and the wearer's abdominal circumference. A part of the multiple rubber threads 4F2 and the rubber threads 4R2 on the crotch region 1B side overlaps with the absorbent body 8.

The rubber threads 4F1, 4R1 are provided so as to extend in the left-right direction along the upper edges of the front body region 1F and the rear body region 1R shown in FIG. 1. The rubber threads 4F2, 4R2 are provided in parallel with a predetermined distance between them. When the diaper 1 is worn, the rubber threads 4F1, 4R1 tighten the wearer's abdominal circumference relatively strongly above the rubber threads 4F2, 4R2. The rubber threads 4F1, 4R1 fit the diaper 1 closely to the wearer, preventing the diaper 1 from shifting when worn, and preventing excrement from leaking from the abdomen or back. The rubber threads 4F2, 4R2 relieve the feeling of pressure on the wearer caused by the contraction force of the rubber threads 4F1, 4R1. In addition, when an inner pad is used, the rubber threads 4F2, 4R2 suppress the inner pad from shifting.

The cover sheet 4 is folded back at the fold lines 4FF, 4RF and extends to the area where the rubber threads 4F1, 4R1 are arranged, reinforcing the area where the rubber threads 4F1, 4R1 are arranged at the folded back portion. The end sheets 11F, 11R are provided in the area where the rubber threads 4F2, 4R2 are arranged where the cover sheet 4 folded back at the fold lines 4FF, 4RF does not extend, reinforcing the area where the rubber threads 4F2, 4R2 are arranged.

Furthermore, rubber threads 4F3 and 4R3 are bonded to the cover sheet 4 in a stretched state. More specifically, the rubber threads 4F3 and 4R3 are arranged so as to be in a stretched state when worn. The rubber threads 4F3 and 4R3 are elastic members arranged in the area of the cover sheet 4 closer to the crotch region 1B than the rubber threads 4F2 and 4R2. However, unlike other rubber threads that extend in the width direction of the diaper 1 from the left end to the right end of the cover sheet 4, the rubber threads 4F3 and 4R3 are arranged curved in the direction of the crotch region 1B and overlap with a part of the core wrap sheet 7 at the narrowed portion of the hourglass-shaped absorbent core 8c. The rubber threads 4F3 and 4R3 are an example of the "first elastic member" of the present disclosure. As the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 themselves contract in the direction in which they extend, the portions of the cover sheet 4 to which the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 are attached become pleated, functioning as leg gathers 3LF, 3LR that fit the diaper 1 closely to the wearer's crotch.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the diaper 1 according to the embodiment in an unfolded and stretched state. Figure 3(A) shows a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state as viewed from the left side. Figure 3(B) is a schematic plan view showing the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state. Note that side sheets 10L, 10R and end sheets 11F, 11R are omitted from Figure 3(B).

As shown in FIG. 3B, the rubber thread 4F3 forming the leg gathers 3LF is provided along the edge of the front body region 1F of the right and left lower leg openings 2R and 2L into which the wearer's legs will enter when the diaper 1 is assembled. The rubber thread 4F3 is provided so as to cross in the left-right direction (width direction) in the crotch region 1B on the front body side, and overlaps with the widened portion 88C of the absorbent core 8c. In the place where the rubber thread 4F3 is provided so as to cross in the left-right direction, the rubber thread 4F3 and the absorbent 8 overlap in the thickness direction of the diaper 1. The center of the width direction of such a crossing region corresponds to the urethral opening of the wearer when the diaper 1 is worn. In the region where the absorbent 8 overlaps in the thickness direction, the arrangement of the rubber thread 4F3 is not limited to crossing as shown in FIG. 3B. It is sufficient that the extension direction of the rubber thread 4F3 has a width component, and preferably the width component of the extension direction of the rubber thread 4F3 is greater than the longitudinal component.

On the other hand, the rubber thread 4R3 forming the leg gathers 3LR is provided along the edges of the right leg opening 2R and the left leg opening 2L on the rear body region 1R side. In the crotch region 1B on the rear body side, the tip of the rubber thread 4R3 faces in the width direction. However, the rubber thread 4R3 is cut in the center in the width direction, and the rubber thread 4R3 on the left side is not connected to the rubber thread 4R3 on the right side. In the crotch region 1B on the rear body side, the rubber thread 4R3 extends widthwise inward to a position where it overlaps with the absorbent core 8c, and overlaps with the widened portion 88C of the absorbent core 8c and the core wrap sheet 7 on both sides of the widened portion 88C in the width direction.

The outer body (more specifically, the inner cover sheet 5) and the absorbent body 8 are appropriately bonded with adhesive via the back sheet 6 from the front body region 1F to the back body region 1R. However, as shown in FIG. 3B, in the region in the front body region 1F where the rubber thread 4F3 crosses, the inner cover sheet 5 and the absorbent body 8 are not bonded (referred to as a non-bonded region 13). In fact, in the non-bonded region 13, the inner cover sheet 5 and the back sheet 6 are not bonded. In this embodiment, the non-bonded region 13 is provided in the entire overlapping region of the crotch region 1B where the rubber thread 4F3 and the absorbent body 8 overlap. In other words, the non-bonded region 13 is formed across both ends of the absorbent body 8 in the width direction.

Here, the non-adhesive region 13 is provided including a region corresponding to the wearer's urethral opening (hereinafter referred to as the "urethral opening corresponding region"). The urethral opening corresponding region is the region where the wearer's urethral opening is located when the diaper 1 is worn. As shown in FIG. 3B, the non-adhesive region 13 is crossed by rubber threads 4F3. The diaper 1 lifts the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5 to the skin side by the contraction force of the rubber threads 4F3. Generally, the absorbent body in the crotch region becomes heavy as it absorbs urine and tends to move away from the skin side of the wearer, and there is a risk that the three-dimensional gathers will also move away from the skin side when the absorbent body moves away from the skin side. In contrast, the diaper 1 according to this embodiment can prevent the absorbent body 8 and the three-dimensional gathers from moving away from the skin side by lifting the absorbent body 8 in the crotch region 1B to the skin side by the rubber threads 4F3.

Furthermore, the diaper 1 is provided with a non-adhesive region 13 in the region where the rubber thread 4F3 and the absorbent body 8 overlap, thereby preventing the shape of the absorbent body 8 from being linked to the shape of the exterior body. This allows the absorbent body 8 to be pressed against the skin while maintaining the state in which it is deformed by the lines 15 and while maintaining the state in which the side flap portions 14 (see FIG. 4 ) are erected, as will be described later. This allows the diaper 1 to instantly absorb urine excreted by the wearer and to prevent the urine excreted by the wearer from leaking out of the diaper 1.

In this application, the state in which sheets are overlapped is not limited to a state in which the overlapping sheets are in full contact with each other, but includes a concept including a state in which parts of the sheets overlap. For example, the end sheet 11F is overlapped with a part of one end side in the longitudinal direction of the back sheet 6 touching a part of the cover sheet 4. The diaper 1 is formed by stacking the back sheet 6 and the top sheet 9 with the absorbent body 8 sandwiched therebetween, as well as the cover sheet 4, the end sheets 11F, 11R, the inner cover sheet 5, and the side sheets 10L, 10R, so it can be said to have a laminate of these multiple sheets.

Figure 4 is a plan view for explaining the adhesive pattern between the exterior body and the absorbent body 8 of the diaper according to the embodiment. Figure 4 shows the diaper 1 according to the embodiment in a spread and stretched state. The top sheet 9, side sheets 10L, 10R, and end sheets 11F, 11R are omitted in Figure 4. Also, in Figure 4, the adhesive portion 12 that adheres the exterior body and the inner body (absorbent body 8) is shown by a hatched pattern. In reality, the adhesive portion 12 adheres the inner cover sheet 5 of the exterior body to the back sheet 6 of the inner body.

Specifically, the adhesive portion 12 that bonds the inner cover sheet 5 and the back sheet 6 includes a plurality of linear adhesive portions 12a that extend along the width direction of the diaper 1. These linear adhesive portions 12a are formed from a hot melt adhesive. The linear adhesive portions 12a are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction.

The adhesive portion 12 includes a narrow portion 12B that is narrower than the absorbent body 8, and wide portions 12F and 12R that are wider than the narrow portion 12B. The wide portions 12F and 12R and the narrow portion 12B are made up of a plurality of linear adhesive portions 12a, and are arranged in the following order from the front body region 1F side to the back body region 1R side: wide portion 12F, narrow portion 12B, wide portion 12R.

The narrow portion 12B is provided in the crotch region 1B, and the central portion of the absorbent body 8 in the longitudinal direction is bonded to the inner cover sheet 5. The narrow portion 12B overlaps the narrowest portion 88B of the absorbent core 8c and the widened portion 88C on the rear body region 1R side. The linear adhesive portion 12a constituting the narrow portion 12B extends in a range excluding both ends in the width direction of the absorbent body 8. More specifically, the linear adhesive portion 12a extends from the center in the width direction of the absorbent body 8 toward the outside in the width direction, and does not reach the ends in the width direction of the absorbent body 8. In other words, in the narrow portion 12B, the length in the width direction of the linear adhesive portion 12a is shorter than the width of the absorbent body 8 (specifically, the width of the core wrap sheet 7). Therefore, the width of the narrow portion 12B is narrower than the absorbent body 8.

The wide portion 12F is provided in the front body region 1F, and the region of the absorbent 8 on the front body region 1F side is bonded to the inner cover sheet 5. The wide portion 12F overlaps with the wide portion 88A on the front body region 1F side of the absorbent core 8c. The wide portion 12R is provided in the rear body region 1R, and the region of the absorbent 8 on the rear body region 1R side is bonded to the inner cover sheet 5. The wide portion 12R overlaps with the wide portion 88A on the rear body region 1R side of the absorbent core 8c. The width of the linear adhesive portion 12a constituting the wide portions 12F and 12R is longer than the width of the linear adhesive portion 12a constituting the narrow portion 12B, and shorter than the width of the absorbent 8 (specifically, the width of the core wrap sheet 7). In other words, the width of the wide portions 12F and 12R is wider than the narrow portion 12B and narrower than the absorbent 8. The width of the wide portions 12F and 12R may be equal to the width of the absorbent body 8.

The narrow width portion 12B further includes a first width portion 12B1 overlapping the narrowest portion 88B of the absorbent core 8c, and a second width portion 12B2 overlapping the wide width portion 88C on the rear body region 1R side.
The first width portion 12B1 and the second width portion 12B2 are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction, and the second width portion 12B2 is narrower than the first width portion 12B1. Therefore, a step in the width direction is formed between the first width portion 12B1 and the second width portion 12B2. In the first width portion 12B1, the length in the width direction of the linear adhesive portion 12a is larger than the width of the widened portion 88C of the absorbent core 8c and smaller than the width of the core wrap sheet 7. In addition, the linear adhesive portion 12a constituting the second width portion 12B2 extends between both ends in the width direction of the absorbent core 8c and does not extend outward in the width direction beyond the absorbent core 8c. In other words, in the second width portion 12B2, the length in the width direction of the linear adhesive portion 12a is equal to the width of the narrowest portion 88B of the absorbent core 8c. In the second width portion 12B2, the width direction end of the absorbent core 8c and the width direction end of the adhesive portion 12 overlap each other.

The wide portion 12R and the first width portion 12B1 of the narrow portion 12B are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, a step in the width direction is formed between the wide portion 12R and the narrow portion 12B. On the other hand, the wide portion 12F and the narrow portion 12B are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction so that the inner cover sheet 5 and the absorbent body 8 are not bonded to each other in the entire overlapping area of the crotch region 1B where the rubber thread 4F3 and the absorbent body 8 overlap. In other words, the linear adhesive portion 12a is not provided in the overlapping area. As a result, a non-adhesive area 13 is formed between both ends of the absorbent body 8 in the width direction in the overlapping area of the crotch region 1B where the rubber thread 4F3 and the absorbent body 8 overlap. The non-adhesive area 13 overlaps with the widened portion 88C on the front body region 1F side.

As shown in FIG. 4, the wide portion 12R, the first width portion 12B1, and the second width portion 12B2, which are different in width, are adjacent in the longitudinal direction to form a step in the width direction, so that the adhesive portion 12 is formed in a stepped shape. As a result, the adhesive portion 12 is formed so that its width narrows from the rear body region 1R side toward the longitudinal center side (the crotch region 1B side). Note that the diaper 1 does not need to have a non-adhesive region 13, and the adhesive portion 12 may be formed in a stepped shape so that its width narrows from the front body region 1F side toward the longitudinal center side (the crotch region 1B side).

As shown in FIG. 4, in the diaper 1, the width of the adhesive portion 12 in the narrow portion 12B is narrower than the width of the absorbent body 8, so that the absorbent body 8 and the exterior body are not adhered to each other on the widthwise outer side of the narrow portion 12B. In reality, the inner cover sheet 5 and the back sheet 6 are not adhered to each other on the widthwise outer side of the narrow portion 12B. As a result, side flap portions 14L and 14R that are not adhered to the exterior body are formed at both widthwise ends of the absorbent body 8. In FIG. 4, the side flap portions 14L and 14R are illustrated with a dot pattern. More specifically, the side flap portions 14L and 14R are formed by portions of the absorbent body 8 that are not adhered to the exterior body and extend in the longitudinal direction, including the portion from the widthwise end of the narrow portion 12B of the adhesive portion 12 to the widthwise end of the absorbent body 8. The side flap portion 14L is provided at the left end of the absorbent body 8, and the side flap portion 14R is provided at the right end of the absorbent body 8. The side flap portions 14L, 14R extend between the wide portions 12F, 12R in the longitudinal direction. Hereinafter, when the side flap portions 14L, 14R are not distinguished from each other, they are simply referred to as the side flap portions 14. A part of the side flap portion 14 overlaps with the non-adhesive region 13. The side flap portions 14 formed on both sides of the adhesive portion 12 in the width direction are not attached to the outer body, and therefore tend to rise up toward the wearer's skin side compared to the portion attached to the outer body. The width of the adhesive portion 12 is not limited to the above as long as the side flap portion 14 can be formed. For example, the adhesive portion 12 may not be stepped as shown in FIG. 4, but may be uniform in width narrower than the absorbent body 8 over the entire longitudinal area.

Here, the exterior body (more specifically, the inner cover sheet 5) overlaps with the side flap portion 14, and in the region of the exterior body overlapping with the side flap portion 14, rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 extending along the width direction are provided in a stretched state. The rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 are provided so as to overlap the longitudinal ends of the side flap portion 14, with the rubber threads 4F3 overlapping with the end of the side flap portion 14 on the front body region 1F side, and the rubber threads 4R3 overlapping with the end of the side flap portion 14 on the rear body region 1R side. In addition, in the region of the exterior body overlapping with the side flap portion 14, the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 extend from the outer end of the side flap portion 14 in the width direction to the inner end of the side flap portion 14 in the width direction. In other words, the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 are provided so as to overlap with the outer end and the inner end of the side flap portion 14 in the width direction. The rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 extend to the region overlapping with the adhesive portion 12. That is, the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 extend so as to overlap a region of the absorbent body 8 that is on the widthwise inner side of the side flap portion 14. The rubber thread 4R3 is also provided so as to overlap a step region formed between the narrow portion 12B and the wide portion 12R of the adhesive portion 12. Furthermore, no absorbent core 8c is present in the region of the side flap portion 14 that overlaps with the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3.

In this way, in the diaper 1, the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 extending along the width direction are provided on the exterior body so as to overlap the side flap portions 14 in a stretched state, and the contraction of the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 urges the side flap portions 14L, 14R toward the skin surface, facilitating the standing up of the side flap portions 14L, 14R. In the present invention, it is sufficient that the exterior body overlaps at least a portion of the side flap portions, and the first elastic member is provided in the area overlapping the side flap portions. In other words, it is sufficient that at least a portion of the area of the exterior body where the first elastic member is provided overlaps at least a portion of the side flap portions. For example, in this embodiment, the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5 do not have a portion on the crotch side of the area overlapping the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3, and may be separated at the center in the longitudinal direction.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic cross-sectional structure of the diaper 1 according to the embodiment when cut along line AA in Figure 3. In this figure, the absorbent core 8c is wrapped in a water-permeable core wrap sheet 7 that is wider than the absorbent core 8c. Furthermore, the core wrap sheet 7 is divided into an upper core wrap sheet 7f that is located on the skin side of the wearer when worn, and a lower core wrap sheet 7b that is located on the non-skin side of the wearer when worn. The lower core wrap sheet 7b wraps the side of the absorbent core 8c and reaches the skin side, and is folded back at the widthwise end of the absorbent core 8c to overlap the upper core wrap sheet 7f from the skin side. An adhesive portion 16A is formed between the folded portion of the lower core wrap sheet 7b and the upper core wrap sheet 7f by applying hot melt adhesive so as to extend along the longitudinal direction. The upper core wrap sheet 7f and the lower core wrap sheet 7b are mutually bonded by this adhesive portion 16A at the widthwise end of the skin side of the absorbent core 8c.

The back sheet 6 is laminated on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 8. The back sheet 6 is wider than the absorbent body 8, and wraps around the sides of the absorbent body 8 to reach the skin side. It is folded back at the widthwise end of the absorbent body 8 to overlap the folded back portion of the lower core wrap sheet 7b from the skin side. A hot melt adhesive is applied to extend along the longitudinal direction between the folded back portion of the back sheet 6 and the folded back portion of the lower core wrap sheet 7b to form an adhesive portion 16B. This adhesive portion 16B bonds the back sheet 6 and the core wrap sheet 7 (lower core wrap sheet 7b) to each other at the widthwise end of the skin side of the absorbent body 8.

The top sheet 9 is laminated on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 8 so as to abut against the wearer's skin. In other words, on the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 8, the top sheet 9 is laminated closer to the skin-facing side than the back sheet 6. The top sheet 9 is also wider than the absorbent body 8, wraps around the sides of the absorbent body 8 and reaches the non-skin-facing side, and is folded back at the widthwise end of the absorbent body 8 to overlap the back sheet 6 from the non-skin-facing side. An adhesive section 16C is formed between the top sheet 9 and the folded-back portion of the back sheet 6 by applying hot melt adhesive to extend along the longitudinal direction. This adhesive section 16C bonds the top sheet 9 and the back sheet 6 to each other at the widthwise end of the skin-facing side of the absorbent body 8.

The side sheets 10L, 10R are positioned outboard of the widthwise center of the diaper 1 and are laminated on the skin-facing side of the top sheet 9. The side sheets 10L, 10R wrap around the sides of the absorbent body 8 to reach the non-skin-facing side, and are folded back at the widthwise end of the absorbent body 8 to overlap the back sheet 6 from the non-skin-facing side. An adhesive section 16D is formed between the folded-back portions of the side sheets 10L, 10R and the back sheet 6 by applying hot melt adhesive to extend along the longitudinal direction. The adhesive section 16D bonds the side sheets 10L, 10R and the back sheet 6 to each other at the widthwise end of the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent body 8.

Furthermore, the side sheets 10L, 10R form three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR that rise to the skin-facing side at both widthwise ends of the skin-facing side of the absorbent 8 to prevent lateral leakage of discharged liquid. A hot melt adhesive is applied between the top sheet 9 and the side sheets 10L, 10R so as to extend along the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1, forming an adhesive section 16E. The top sheet 9 and the side sheets 10L, 10R are bonded to each other at the widthwise ends of the skin-facing side of the absorbent 8 by this adhesive section 16E. The adhesive section 16E is also formed by a hot melt adhesive having water impermeability. As a result, the adhesive section 16E prevents discharged liquid from entering between the side sheets 10L, 10R and the top sheet 9, thereby preventing liquid from leaking from the widthwise ends of the diaper 1. The adhesive section 16E is also formed from the front body region 1F to the rear body region 1R so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1. This allows the diaper 1 to prevent side leakage from any position at the widthwise end. In addition, the side sheets 10L, 10R cover the widthwise ends of the top sheet 9 and the back sheet 6. This allows the diaper 1 to prevent side leakage even if liquid penetrates toward the widthwise end side beyond the adhesive portion 16E.

The three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR formed by the side sheets 10L, 10R are provided at both widthwise ends of the absorbent body 8 (specifically, the top sheet 9), and are formed so as to extend in the longitudinal direction and rise to the skin-facing side. The three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR rise to the skin-facing side from the fold lines 10L2, 10R2, which are the joint ends with the top sheet 9, as their base ends. The fold lines 10L2, 10R2, which are the base ends of the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR, are formed along the widthwise inner ends of the side sheets 10L, 10R and the adhesive part 16E, and are located on the widthwise inner side of the diaper 1 than the adhesive part 16E. As shown in FIG. 5, the fold lines 10L2, 10R2 (standing lines) are provided at positions overlapping the side flap parts 14 in the crotch region 1B. In other words, in the diaper 1, the side flap portion 14 rises up toward the skin surface and approaches the wearer's skin surface due to the contraction force of the elastic threads 4F3, 4R3 that are attached to the outer body in a stretched state so as to overlap with the side flap portion 14, and the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR also rise up toward the skin surface from the widthwise ends of the side flap portion 14.

In addition, when the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR are folded toward the skin-facing side as shown in FIG. 5, they have base end side pieces 3BL1, 3BR1 extending from the fold lines 10L2, 10R2 toward the inside in the width direction of the diaper 1, fold-back portions 3BL2, 3BR2 (an example of a "folded portion" in this disclosure) formed extending longitudinally on the inside side of the width direction of the base end side pieces 3BL1, 3BR1 and folded from the base end side pieces 3BL1, 3BR1 toward the skin-facing side and outward in the width direction, free end side pieces 3BL3, 3BR3 folded outward in the width direction of the diaper 1 and extending outward in the width direction from the fold-back portions 3BL2, 3BR2, and free end portions 3BL4, 3BR4 provided at the tips of the free end side pieces 3BL3, 3BR3. In other words, the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR are configured such that the free end pieces 3BL3, 3BR3 are folded outward from the inner side of the base end pieces 3BL1, 3BR1 that face inward. The three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR come into contact with the wearer's skin from the folded-over parts 3BL2, 3BR2 to the free ends 3BL4, 3BR4.

The side sheets 10L, 10R are provided with a plurality of rubber threads 10L1, 10R1 that are bonded in a stretched state and extend in the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1. The plurality of rubber threads 10L1, 10R1 are arranged at intervals in the width direction of the diaper 1. The side sheets 10L, 10R form three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR by rising toward the skin side at fold-back lines 10L2, 10R2 due to the contractile force of the rubber threads 10L1, 10R1. The fold-back lines 10L2, 10R2 are the rising lines along which the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR rise. Of the side sheets 10L, 10R, the base end pieces 3BL1, 3BR1, the folded-back portions 3BL2, 3BR2, the free end pieces 3BL3, 3BR3, the free ends 3BL4, 3BR4, and the rubber threads 10L1, 10R1 constitute the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR. In the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, one rubber thread 10L1, 10R1 is disposed on the widthwise inner side of the base end pieces 3BL1, 3BR1 (i.e., the folded-back portions 3BL2, 3BR2), and two rubber threads 10L1, 10R1 are disposed on the free end pieces 3BL3, 3BR3. Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 5, the rubber threads 10L1, 10R1 provided on the widthwise inner side of the base end side pieces 3BL1, 3BR1 will be referred to as rubber threads 10L1A, 10R1A, and the rubber threads 10L1, 10R1 provided on the free end side pieces 3BL3, 3BR3 will be referred to as rubber threads 10L1B, 10R1B. The rubber threads 10L1A, 10R1A are an example of the "second elastic member" of the present disclosure, and the rubber threads 10L1B, 10R1B are an example of the "third elastic member" of the present disclosure. The rubber threads 10L1B, 10R1B are arranged so as to overlap the non-adhered area of the widthwise end of the absorber 8 and the exterior body.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the diaper 1 according to the embodiment, in the region of the inner body on the widthwise outer side of the adhesive portion 12, the number of overlapping sheets and the number of adhesive portions are greater on the widthwise end side than on the widthwise center side. Specifically, on the widthwise end side, the back sheet 6, the lower core wrap sheet 7b, the top sheet 9, and the side sheets 10L and 10R are folded back and overlapped, and adhesive portions 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, and 16E are provided. In contrast, on the widthwise center side, there are fewer folded back portions of the sheets and adhesive portions. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the side flap portion 14 is formed with a high stiffness region 14A and a low stiffness region 14B having a lower stiffness than the high stiffness region 14A. As shown in FIG. 4, the high stiffness region 14A extends in the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1, including the region of the side flap portion 14 that overlaps with the rubber threads 4F3 and 4R3, and the low stiffness region 14B is located inward in the width direction from the high stiffness region 14A.

In the high-rigidity region 14A, the side sheets 10L, 10R, the top sheet 9, and the back sheet 6 are bonded to each other, thereby increasing the rigidity. For example, the rigidity of the overlapping portion where the side sheets 10L, 10R and the top sheet 9 overlap is higher than the rigidity of the portion of the top sheet 9 that is on the inner side in the width direction than the overlapping portion. As shown in FIG. 5, the high-rigidity region 14A is provided at the tip end (outer end in the width direction) of the side flap portion 14L, 14R. Note that the region and size in which the high-rigidity region 14A is provided are not limited to this example, and it may be provided in any region from the base end of the side flap portion 14L, 14R to the free end 3BL4, 3BR4 of the three-dimensional gather 3BL, 3BR (i.e., the outer end in the width direction) of the side sheet 10L, 10R. In other words, the high stiffness region 14A only needs to be located outside the base end of the side flap portions 14L and 14R (i.e., the width direction end of the adhesive portion 12 (narrow width portion 12B)). Also, the back sheet 6 does not need to overlap the high stiffness region 14A.

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the absorbent 8, the top sheet 9, and the side sheets 10L and 10R extracted from the diaper 1 according to the present embodiment. In Fig. 7, the adhesive portion 12 is illustrated by a hatching pattern. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a cross section including the top sheet 9 and the side sheet 10L when cut along the line BB in Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 6, the three-dimensional gathers 3BL and 3BR are provided at the width direction end of the absorbent 8 and extend between both longitudinal ends of the absorbent 8. Hereinafter, the base end fixing portion and the free end fixing portion provided at the longitudinal end of the three-dimensional gathers 3BL and 3BR will be described using Fig. 7 with reference to Fig. 6. Note that, hereinafter, the base end fixing portion and the free end fixing portion of the side sheet 10L will be described, but the base end fixing portion and the free end fixing portion of the side sheet 10R are similar, so their description will be omitted.

At the longitudinal end, the diaper 1 has a base end adhesive portion 31 (an example of a "base end fixing portion" in this disclosure) that bonds the base end side piece 3BL1 to the top sheet 9, and a free end adhesive portion 32 (an example of a "free end fixing portion" in this disclosure) that bonds the free end side piece 3BL3 to the base end side piece 3BL1. The base end adhesive portion 31 and the free end adhesive portion 32 are formed by heat sealing (thermal welding). However, the form of the base end adhesive portion 31 and the free end adhesive portion 32 is not limited to this, and they may be formed by applying a hot melt adhesive.

The base end side piece 3BL1 is fixed to the top sheet 9 by the base end adhesive section 31 at each end in the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1 in order to stand on the skin side at the ends other than the longitudinal end. The base end adhesive section 31 adheres the widthwise inner side edge of the base end side piece 3BL1 to the top sheet 9. The base end side piece 3BL1 is fixed to the top sheet 9 in the longitudinal direction in the range where the base end adhesive section 31 is formed. Since both longitudinal ends of the base end side piece 3BL1 are fixed to the top sheet 9 by the base end adhesive section 31, the three-dimensional gather 3BL can rise to the skin side by the action of the contraction force of the thread rubber 10L1. The three-dimensional gather 3BL rises to the skin side in the area where the base end adhesive section 31 is not formed, with the fold-back line 10L2 shown in FIG. 6 as the boundary. The base end adhesive section 31 is provided at the longitudinal end of the adhesive section 16E. The base end adhesive portion 31 is formed to be wider than the adhesive portion 16E located closer to the center in the longitudinal direction (the crotch side) than the base end adhesive portion 31.

The free end side piece 3BL3 is fixed to the base end side piece 3BL1 by the free end adhesive portion 32 at each longitudinal end of the diaper 1 so that it stands up against the skin at the ends other than the longitudinal end.

Here, the range in the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1, i.e., in the extension direction of the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR, where the base end adhesive portion 31 is not formed, is defined as the non-fixed range R1. In other words, the non-fixed range R1 is the range in the longitudinal direction between the base end adhesive portion 31 that fixes one longitudinal end of the base end side piece 3BL1 and the base end adhesive portion 31 that fixes the other end, and is the longitudinal range in which the parts of the base end side pieces 3BL1, 3BR1 extend excluding the parts fixed by the base end adhesive portion 31. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, in the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, in the non-fixed range R1, there are no adhesive portions 12 at both widthwise ends of the absorbent body 8, and the widthwise ends of the absorbent body 8 are not bonded to the exterior body.

The range in the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1 in which the base end adhesive portion 31 is formed is referred to as the fixed range R2. In other words, the fixed range R2 is the longitudinal range in which the base end adhesive portion 31 extends, and is the longitudinal range in which the portions of the base end side pieces 3BL1, 3BR1 fixed by the base end adhesive portion 31 extend. As shown in FIG. 6, in the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, even in the fixed range R2, there are no adhesive portions 12 at both widthwise ends of the absorbent body 8, and the widthwise ends of the absorbent body 8 are not bonded to the exterior body.

6, in the longitudinal direction, the end portion on the crotch side (longitudinal center side) of the free end adhesive portion 32 is located further toward the crotch side than the end portion on the crotch side of the base end adhesive portion 31. In other words, the free end adhesive portion 32 extends toward the longitudinal center side further than the base end adhesive portion 31. Therefore, the free end adhesive portion 32 is also present in the non-fixed range R1 where the base end adhesive portion 31 is not formed. The contractile force of the rubber threads 10L1B, 10R1B provided on the free end pieces 3BL3, 3BR3 acts on the base end pieces 3BL1, 3BR1 via the free end adhesive part 32, but since the free end adhesive part 32 exists in the non-fixed range R1 where the base end piece 3BL1 is not fixed to the top sheet 9, the fixed parts of the base end pieces 3BL1, 3BR1 and the free end pieces 3BL3, 3BR3 in the non-fixed range R1 are pulled by the free end piece 3BL3 due to the action of the contractile force of the rubber threads 10L1B, 10R1B, and lift up from the top sheet 9. The lifting up of the base end pieces 3BL1, 3BR1 at both longitudinal ends of the non-fixed range R1 makes it easier for the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR to stand up.

Furthermore, among the multiple rubber threads 10L1, 10R1, the elongation rate of the rubber threads 10L1, 10R1 arranged on the outer side in the width direction of the diaper 1 is lower than the elongation rate of the rubber threads 10L1, 10R1 arranged on the inner side in the width direction of the diaper 1. Here, the elongation rate refers to the draft rate. The draft rate (%) of the rubber thread is expressed as a percentage by dividing the length (cut length) of the rubber thread when incorporated into the diaper by the natural length of the rubber thread. The rubber threads 10L1, 10R1 are incorporated into the diaper 1 in a stretched state in order to exert a contractile force. For this reason, the draft rate is a value greater than 100%. In the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, the elongation rate of the rubber threads 10L1, 10R1 arranged on the widthwise outer side is made lower than the elongation rate of the rubber threads 10L1, 10R1 arranged on the widthwise inner side, thereby causing the inner regions in the side sheets 10L, 10R to shrink more than the outer regions, and preventing the outer regions from collapsing more inward in the width direction than the inner regions, i.e., preventing the free ends 3BL4, 3BR4 of the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR from collapsing toward the top sheet 9.

Figure 8 is a plan view showing the absorbent body 8 and a part of the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 extracted from the diaper 1. In addition, in Figure 8, the non-adhesive region 13 is illustrated with a hatched pattern. Here, the lines 15 formed in the absorbent body 8 will be described with reference to Figure 8. The absorbent body 8 is compressed linearly, and is shown as lines 15 in Figure 8. As shown in Figure 8, the lines 15 extend along the width direction at the end on the rear body region 1R side, and bend outward in the width direction at the end on the front body region 1F side. This line 15 has five grooves formed by squeezing the absorbent body 8. The five grooves are composed of grooves 15AL, 15AR, grooves 15BL, 15BR, and groove 15C. Since the lines 15 are composed of compressed grooves, they have a higher rigidity than other parts of the absorbent body 8. Such squeezing of the absorbent body 8 is achieved, for example, by embossing with a roller. The lines 15 may be formed by squeezing only the absorbent core 8c, or may be formed by squeezing the absorbent body 8 including the core wrap sheet 7. In this embodiment, the lines 15 are formed by squeezing the core wrap sheet 7 and the absorbent core 8c from the skin-facing side. The lines 15 are an example of a "different stiffness portion" of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 8, the grooves 15AL, 15AR are a pair of left and right grooves that extend from the widthwise center of the diaper 1 outwardly from the crotch region 1B toward the side end of the front body region 1F in the region corresponding to the wearer's groin. The formation of the grooves 15AL, 15AR allows the absorbent body 8 to bend along the wearer's groin. The grooves 15BL, 15BR are a pair of left and right grooves that extend along the longitudinal direction in the region corresponding to the wearer's urethral opening. The formation of the grooves 15BL, 15BR allows the absorbent body 8 between the grooves to be raised toward the urethral opening.

8, the non-adhesive region 13 where the absorbent body 8 and the inner cover sheet 5 are not adhered is provided including the region overlapping the grooves 15AL, 15AR and the end of the grooves 15BL, 15BR on the front body region 1F side. If the non-adhesive region 13 was not formed including the region overlapping the grooves 15AL, 15AR and the grooves 15BL, 15BR and the absorbent body 8 and the outer body (inner cover sheet 5) were adhered in that region, the contraction force of the rubber thread 4F3 would cause the outer body to press against the skin, and as a result, the state of the outer body would be transmitted to the absorbent body 8, and a force would be applied to the absorbent body 8 to make it flatter. In contrast, in the diaper 1, the regions overlapping the grooves 15AL, 15AR and the grooves 15BL, 15BR are included in the non-adhesive region 13, so that the absorbent body 8 can be pressed against the skin while being kept bent along the wearer's groin by the grooves 15AL, 15AR and raised toward the urethral opening between the grooves 15BL, 15BR. This allows the diaper 1 to improve the adhesion of the absorbent body 8 to the wearer's skin.

In addition, the rubber thread 4F3 is arranged to include an area overlapping the grooves 15AL, 15AR and the end of the grooves 15BL, 15BR on the front body region 1F side when viewed in a plan view, and a non-adhesive area 13 is provided in the area where the rubber thread 4F3 and the absorbent body 8 overlap. This configuration enhances the effect of pressing the absorbent body 8 against the wearer's skin side in a state where it is bent along the wearer's groin by the grooves 15AL, 15AR or raised toward the urethral opening between the grooves 15BL, 15BR. This is because the absorbent body 8 is not deformed in conjunction with the shape of the outer body, but the absorbent body 8 raised toward the skin side by the grooves 15AL, 15AR and the grooves 15BL, 15BR can be pressed against the skin. As a result, the diaper 1 can press the absorbent body 8 against the urethral opening, improving the adhesion of the absorbent body 8 to the wearer's skin.

8, the groove 15C is disposed closer to the rear body region 1R than the grooves 15BL and 15BR and extends in the width direction. The groove 15C is a compressed groove, and therefore has a higher rigidity than the groove-formed region. As described above, the grooves 15BL and 15BR are formed in the diaper 1, so that the absorbent body 8 is narrowed in the left-right direction by the legs of the wearer when worn, and the absorbent body 8 is bent so as to be convex toward the skin side starting from the grooves 15BL and 15BR, improving the adhesion to the urethral opening. However, if the part of the absorbent body 8 that is convex toward the skin side starting from the grooves 15BL and 15BR extends to the anus of the wearer, the absorbent body 8 will be convex toward the anus, and there is a risk that the absorbent body 8 will enter the gluteal cleft (crack) of the buttocks, causing discomfort to the wearer. In contrast, in the diaper 1, the absorbent body 8 is formed with a groove 15C, so that the absorbent body 8 does not protrude toward the skin side in the area of the diaper 1 that corresponds to the anus. Note that the reference numeral 30 in FIG. 8 indicates the area where the wearer's anus is located when the diaper 1 is worn (the area corresponding to the anus).

As described above, the diaper 1 according to this embodiment includes an absorbent body 8 that is disposed in a position including the crotch region 1B and is capable of absorbing liquid discharged by a wearer, an outer body that is disposed closer to the wearer's skin side than the absorbent body 8, an adhesive portion 12 that bonds the absorbent body 8 to the outer body, and three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR that are disposed at the widthwise ends of the absorbent body 8 and are formed to extend in the longitudinal direction and rise to the skin-facing side. The adhesive portion 12 includes a narrow portion 12B that is narrower in width than the absorbent body 8, and the narrow portion 12B is disposed so that the absorbent body 8 and the outer body are not bonded to each other on the widthwise outer side of the narrow portion 12B. In addition, the side flap portion 14 extending in the longitudinal direction is formed by the portion of the absorbent body 8 that is not bonded to the outer body, including the portion from the widthwise end of the narrow portion 12B to the widthwise end of the absorbent body 8. In addition, the exterior body of the diaper 1 overlaps at least a portion of the side flap portion 14, and in the area of the exterior body that overlaps with the side flap portion 14, rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 extending in the width direction are provided in a stretched state.

Here, when the side flap portion 14 is made to stand on the skin side with respect to the widthwise center portion of the absorbent body 8 and the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR are brought into contact with the skin, the wearer's body is flat on the ventral side and back side, so the side flap portion 14 is less likely to stand up independently compared to the crotch side. In contrast, in the diaper 1 according to the present embodiment, as described above, the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 extending in the width direction are provided in the outer body in an area overlapping the side flap portion 14. As a result, when the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 contract, the contraction force acts so that the outer body sticks to the skin. Then, the side flap portions 14L, 14R are biased toward the skin side because they overlap the area of the outer body where the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 are provided. This makes it easier for the side flap portions 14L, 14R to stand up toward the skin side of the wearer.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic state in which the side flap portions 14L, 14R of the diaper 1 according to this embodiment are raised. In Figure 9, the structure of the absorbent body 8 is illustrated in a simplified manner. As shown in Figure 9, in the diaper 1, the side flap portion 14 is raised toward the skin side and close to the skin side of the wearer, and the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR are raised toward the skin side from the widthwise end of the side flap portion 14. As a result, the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR can be more reliably abutted against the wearer's skin, and side leakage of excrement can be suitably suppressed. In the embodiment, both of the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 are provided so as to overlap the side flap portion 14, but only one of the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 may be provided so as to overlap the side flap portion 14.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, in the diaper 1, the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 extend so as to overlap an area of the absorbent 8 that is more inward in the width direction than the side flap portions 14. As a result, the bases (inner ends in the width direction) of the side flap portions 14 are biased by the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3, so that the side flap portions 14 rise from the bases. Therefore, compared to a case in which the bases of the side flap portions 14 are not biased and rise from the outer sides in the width direction than the bases, the outer sides of the side flap portions 14 in the width direction are more likely to come close to the skin. As a result, the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR can be more reliably brought into contact with the skin.

In addition, in the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, the adhesive portion 12 includes a wide portion 12R that is adjacent to the narrow portion 12B in the longitudinal direction and is wider than the narrow portion 12B, and the rubber thread 4R3 is provided so as to overlap the step region formed between the narrow portion 12B and the wide portion 12R. The absorbent body 8 is adhered to the exterior body at the wide portion 12R, so that it is difficult for the absorbent body 8 to rise toward the skin side, but is not adhered to the exterior body at the step region formed between the narrow portion 12B and the wide portion 12R, so that it is easy for the absorbent body 8 to rise toward the skin side. This step region is located near the boundary between the region where the absorbent body 8 is difficult to rise and the region where it is easy to rise (i.e., the side flap portion 14). By providing the rubber thread 4R3 so as to overlap the boundary with the region where it is difficult to rise, the contraction force of the rubber thread 4R3 is concentrated in the side flap portion 14 that is easy to rise. As a result, it becomes easier to make the side flap portion 14 rise more reliably.

In the diaper 1 according to the present embodiment, the side flap portion 14 is provided in the crotch region 1B, and the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 are provided so as to overlap both longitudinal ends of the side flap portion 14. As a result, the side flap portion 14 is biased by the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 at the longitudinal ends, so that the entire side flap portion 14 is easily raised. As a result, the side flap portion 14 can be brought closer to the skin even in the crotch region 1B, which is the region of the diaper 1 where the wearer's skin is most likely to be farthest away, and the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR can be reliably brought into contact with the skin. The rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 may overlap only one of the longitudinal ends of the side flap portion 14. However, by overlapping the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 with both longitudinal ends of the side flap portion 14, the side flap portion 14 is more easily raised reliably than when overlapping only one end.

In the diaper 1 according to the present embodiment, the width of the adhesive portion 12 in the width direction narrows from the rear body region 1R toward the crotch region 1B in the longitudinal direction. As a result, the side flap portion 14, which is a portion not attached to the outer body, becomes wider in the crotch region 1B. Therefore, the height of the side flap portion 14 when it stands up due to the contraction force of the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 can be made higher in the crotch region 1B. As a result, the side flap portion 14 can be brought closer to the skin even in the crotch region 1B, which is the region of the diaper 1 where the skin of the wearer is most likely to be farthest, and the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR can be reliably brought into contact with the skin. The width of the adhesive portion 12 may narrow from at least one side in the longitudinal direction toward the crotch region 1B, or may narrow from the front body region 1F toward the crotch region 1B, or may narrow from both ends in the longitudinal direction toward the crotch region 1B.

In the diaper 1 according to the present embodiment, the side flap portion 14 includes a high-rigidity region 14A that extends in the longitudinal direction including an area overlapping with the rubber threads 4F3 and 4R3, and a low-rigidity region 14B that is located inward in the width direction from the high-rigidity region 14A and has a lower rigidity than the high-rigidity region 14A. As shown in FIG. 4, the rubber threads 4F3 and 4R3 are not arranged so as to overlap over the entire longitudinal direction of the side flap portion 14, but since the high-rigidity region 14A that overlaps with the rubber threads 4F3 and 4R3 has high rigidity and extends in the longitudinal direction of the side flap portion 14, the high-rigidity region 14A is likely to rise over the entire longitudinal direction. On the other hand, the low-rigidity region 14B that is inward in the width direction from the high-rigidity region 14A has low rigidity and rises following the rise of the high-rigidity region 14A. As a result, the side flap portion 14 can also rise up toward the skin in the widthwise inner portion of the portion overlapping with the elastic threads 4F3, 4R3. As a result, the side flap portion 14 can be brought closer to the skin even in the crotch region 1B, which is the region of the diaper 1 where the wearer's skin is most likely to be farthest away, and the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR can be reliably brought into contact with the skin.

Furthermore, the absorbent body 8 of the diaper 1 according to this embodiment has a mat-like absorbent core 8c capable of absorbing liquid discharged by the wearer, and the absorbent core 8c is not present in the area of the side flap portion 14 that overlaps with the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3. This reduces the rigidity of the side flap portion 14 in the area that overlaps with the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3. As a result, the side flap portion 14 is biased by the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 and is therefore more likely to rise up. Note that in the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, the absorbent core 8c is not present in the entire area of the side flap portion 14, which makes it even easier for the side flap portion 14 to rise up.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the narrowest portion 88B, a part of the widthwise end of the absorbent core 8c overlaps with a part of the widthwise end of the narrow portion 12B of the adhesive portion 12. In other words, in a part of the longitudinal region, the absorbent core 8c is present up to the base of the side flap portion 14, and the absorbent core 8c is not present on the widthwise outer side of the base of the side flap portion 14. As a result, when comparing the rigidity and vertical thickness of the part of the absorbent body 8 that is on the inner side of the side flap portion 14 in the width direction and the side flap portion 14, the side flap portion 14 has a lower rigidity and a thinner thickness. This makes it easier for the side flap portion 14 to stand up from its base due to the contraction force of the rubber threads 4F3 and 4R3. It is sufficient that at least a part of the widthwise end of the absorbent core 8c overlaps with at least a part of the widthwise end of the narrow portion 12B.

In addition, in the diaper 1, the absorbent core 8c has a narrowest portion 88B in the crotch region 1B, where a part of the widthwise end of the absorbent core 8c overlaps a part of the widthwise end of the adhesive portion 12. This makes it easier for the side flap portions 14 to stand up from their bases in the crotch region 1B due to the contraction force of the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3, and also makes it possible to increase the height of the side flap portions 14 when they stand up in the crotch region 1B.

In addition, the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 of the diaper 1 according to this embodiment extend in the width direction in the region overlapping with the side flap portion 14 of the outer cover, and extend toward the torso opening 2T side along the lower leg openings 2L, 2R in the region on the widthwise outer side of the side flap portion 14. In other words, the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 for forming the leg gathers are used to raise the side flap portions 14. In this way, when the legs are inserted through the left and right lower leg openings 2L, 2R, the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3 are pulled in the left and right direction. As a result, not only can the side flap portions 14 be raised by the contraction force of the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3, but the absorbent body 8 can also be reliably pressed against the skin surface side of the wearer.

Furthermore, in the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, in the overlapping region of the crotch region 1B where the exterior body and the absorbent body 8 overlap, a non-adhesive region 13 is provided in which the absorbent body 8 and the exterior body are not adhered to each other across both ends in the width direction of the absorbent body 8. The rubber thread 4F3 for forming the leg gathers extends along the width direction in the region where the non-adhesive region 13 and the side flap portion 14 of the exterior body overlap. By providing the non-adhesive region 13 in the region where the rubber thread 4F3 and the absorbent body 8 overlap, the shape of the absorbent body 8 can be prevented from being linked to the shape of the exterior body. As a result, as described later, the absorbent body 8 can be pressed against the skin while maintaining the side flap portion 14 standing up due to the contraction of the rubber thread 4F3. Note that, in the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, the non-adhesive region 13 is formed on the front body region 1F side, but the non-adhesive region 13 may be formed on the rear body region 1R side. In this case, the elastic thread 4R3 for forming the leg gathers needs to extend along the width direction in the area where the non-adhesive area 13 of the outer body and the side flap portion 14 overlap.

Furthermore, in the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, a line 15 extending in the longitudinal direction is formed in an area of the absorbent body 8 that is more inward in the width direction than the side flap portion 14, and the line 15 is formed to have a different rigidity than other parts of the absorbent body 8. Therefore, the absorbent body 8 is easily bent at the line 15. As a result, the part of the absorbent body 8 that is more outward in the width direction than the line 15 is easily raised toward the skin side starting from the line 15 due to the contraction force of the rubber threads 4F3, 4R3.

10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the absorbent 8 of the diaper 1 according to the present embodiment is bent at the line 15. In FIG. 10, the structure of the absorbent 8 is illustrated in a simplified manner. As shown in FIG. 10, in the diaper 1, the part of the absorbent 8 on the outer side in the width direction than the line 15 rises toward the skin side from the line 15 as a starting point, so that the side flap part 14 and the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR are more likely to come close to the skin. As a result, it is possible to make the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR more reliably contact the skin of the wearer. Note that the line 15 of the present embodiment is made of a compressed groove, and therefore has a higher rigidity than other parts of the absorbent 8, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The different rigidity part of the present disclosure may be configured to have a different rigidity from other parts of the absorbent, and may have a lower rigidity than other parts. The different rigidity part may be configured not only by a compressed groove but also by a slit. The different rigidity part may be formed by making the number of overlapping sheets or the number of bonding points different from other parts.

Here, Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the side flap portions 14L, 14R of the diaper 1 according to the present embodiment are raised, and shows the position of the high stiffness region 14A. In Fig. 11, the structure of the absorbent body 8 is shown in a simplified manner, and the structure of the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR is shown in more detail than in Fig. 9. In the diaper 1 according to the present embodiment, the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR are provided at the ends of the absorbent body 8 in the width direction, so that the side flap portions 14L, 14R rise integrally with the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR to form barriers on both sides in the width direction. In such a case, the distance from the base end 141 of the side flap portions 14L, 14R in the width direction to the free end portions 3BL4, 3BR4 of the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR becomes long. Therefore, in the barrier consisting of the side flap portions 14L, 14R and the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR, if a certain degree of rigidity is not ensured between the base end 141 and the free end 3BL4, 3BR4, the position of the free end 3BL4, 3BR4 may not be stable. As a result, it may be difficult to abut the free end 3BL4, 3BR4 of the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR at an appropriate position on the skin. In response to this, in the diaper 1 according to the present embodiment, the high rigidity region 14A is provided at the outer end in the width direction of the side flap portion 14. As described above, since the high rigidity region A1 has high rigidity, the change in the relative position of the high rigidity region A1 with respect to the absorbent core 8c is suppressed. By providing such a high rigidity region 14A midway from the base end 141 to the free end of the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR, the change in the relative position of the free end 3BL4, 3BR4 with respect to the absorbent core 8c is also suppressed. As a result, the region from the folded-back portion 3BL2, 3BR2 of the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR to the free end portion 3BL4, 3BR4 (the free end side piece 3BL3, 3BR3) can be brought into contact with an appropriate position on the skin, thereby achieving a comfortable feel against the skin. As described above, according to the diaper 1 according to the embodiment, the elastic threads 4F3, 4R3 of the outer body make it easy to raise the side flap portions 14L, 14R toward the wearer's skin, and further, due to a synergistic effect with the high rigidity region A1, the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR can be brought into contact with an appropriate position on the skin.

[Modification]
A diaper 1A according to a modification of the present embodiment will be described below. The following description of the modification will focus on the differences between the diaper 1A according to the present embodiment and the diaper 1 described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described in detail.

Figure 12 is a diagram showing the structure of a side sheet of a diaper 1A according to a modified example. More specifically, it is a diagram showing the side sheets 10LA, 10RA constituting the diaper 1A. The side sheets 10LA, 10RA include an upper region 101 of the leak-preventing wall, a lower region 102 of the leak-preventing wall, fold-back lines 10L2, 10R2, an absorbent body side region 103, and an absorbent body bottom region 104, which are arranged in sequence from the inside to the outside in the width direction. Rubber threads 10L1, 10R1 are attached to the upper region 101 of the leak-preventing wall. The side sheets 10LA, 10RA rise toward the skin side at the fold-back lines 10L2, 10R2 due to the biasing force of the rubber threads 10L1, 10R1, forming three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR. The leak-preventing wall upper region 101, which is the extension region of the rubber threads 10L1 and 10R1, comes into contact with the wearer's skin surface and plays a role in preventing side leakage. The leak-preventing wall lower region 102, which exists between the leak-preventing wall upper region 101 and the fold-back lines 10L2 and 10R2, serves as a buffer region for the three-dimensional gathers 3BL and 3BR to rise sufficiently due to the biasing force of the rubber threads 10L1 and 10R1. The absorbent body side region 103, which is located widthwise outside the fold-back lines 10L2 and 10R2, covers the side portion of the absorbent body 8, and the absorbent body bottom region 104, which is located widthwise outside the absorbent body side region 103, covers a part of the bottom portion of the absorbent body 8.

The absorbent side region 103 is provided with a plurality of high-rigidity parts 10LW1, 10RW1, and the leak-proof wall lower region 102 is provided with a plurality of high-rigidity parts 10LW2, 10RW2. The high-rigidity parts 10LW1, 10RW1, 10LW2, 10RW2 are composed of a plurality of embossed figures arranged at intervals, and have higher rigidity than the surrounding parts. The high-rigidity parts 10LW1, 10RW1, 10LW2, 10RW2 can be formed, for example, by embossing the side sheets 10L, 10R by ultrasonic welding or the like. The method of forming the high-rigidity parts 10LW1, 10RW1, 10LW2, 10RW2 is not limited to ultrasonic welding, and can be formed by heat welding such as heat sealing and high-frequency sealing. They may also be formed by intermittently applying an adhesive such as hot melt. Also, the high stiffness portions 10LW1, 10RW1, 10LW2, 10RW2 do not have to be multiple. The side sheets 10L, 10R have stiffness due to the high stiffness portions 10LW1, 10RW1 in the absorber side region 103, and stiffness due to the high stiffness portions 10LW2, 10RW2 in the leakproof wall lower region 102. The high stiffness portions 10LW1, 10RW1 are larger than the high stiffness portions 10LW2, 10RW2. Furthermore, the high stiffness portions 10LW1, 10RW1 are arranged at a higher density than the high stiffness portions 10LW2, 10RW2. Therefore, the absorber side region 103 has a higher stiffness than the leakproof wall lower region 102.

Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a modified diaper 1A. In this figure, the side sheet 10RA is taken as an example, but the side sheet 10LA has a similar structure. As shown in Fig. 8,
The leak preventing wall upper region 101 stands up due to the biasing force of the rubber thread 10R1 and comes into contact with the skin surface of the wearer. The leak preventing wall lower region 102 may come into contact with the skin surface of the wearer, but since the high rigidity parts 10RW2 are small and the arrangement density thereof is low, the discomfort felt by the wearer is reduced.

In contrast, in the absorbent side region 103, high stiffness portions 10RW1 larger than high stiffness portions 10RW2 are arranged at high density, but since the absorbent side region 103 is located outside the three-dimensional gathers 3BR when worn, it does not come into contact with the wearer's skin. Therefore, even if relatively large high stiffness portions 10RW2 are provided at high density in the absorbent side region 103, the wearer feels almost no discomfort.

In the diaper 1A according to the modified example, the side sheet 10R can be reinforced by providing the high stiffness portions 10RW1 and 10RW2 in the side sheet 10LA. In particular, by reinforcing the absorber side region 103 covering the side portion of the absorber 8 with the high stiffness portion 10RW1, the structure of the absorbent core 8c can be easily maintained and deformation can be suppressed.

Furthermore, by providing a high-rigidity portion 10RW1 in the absorbent body side region 103 that covers the side portion (widthwise end) of the absorbent body 8, the rigidity of the widthwise outer end (high-rigidity region 14A) of the side flap portion 14 can be increased. This makes it possible to more effectively suppress changes in the relative position of the three-dimensional gathers 3BR to the absorbent core 8c, and allows the three-dimensional gathers 3BR to abut against the skin at an appropriate position.

The above is an illustrative embodiment of the diaper 1 as an absorbent article according to the present invention, but the above embodiment can be modified in various ways, such as by adding, omitting, substituting, or otherwise modifying the components, as appropriate, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1B : Crotch region 1F : Front body region 1R : Back body region 2L : Left leg opening 2R : Right leg opening 2T : Torso opening 3BL, 3BR : Three-dimensional gathers 3LL, 3LR : Leg gathers 3R : Waist gathers 4 : Cover sheet 4F1, 4F2, 4F3 : Elastic thread 4F4, 4F5 : Edge 4FF : Fold-up line 4R1, 4R2, 4R3 : Elastic thread 4R4, 4R5 : Edge 4RF : Fold-up line 5 : Inner cover sheet 6 : Back sheet 6A : Fold-up portion 7 : Core wrap sheet 8 : Absorbent body 9 : Top sheet 10L : Side sheet 10L1 : Elastic thread 10L2 : Fold-up line 10R : Side sheet 10R1 : Elastic thread 10R2 : Fold-up lines 11F, 11R : End sheet 12 : Adhesive portion 13 : Non-adhesive region 14 : Side flap portion 15 : Line 16 : Adhesive portion

Claims (14)

An absorbent article having a front body region located on the abdomen side of a wearer when worn, a crotch region located between the crotch of the wearer, and a rear body region located on the back side, arranged in this order in a longitudinal direction, the absorbent article having a length along the longitudinal direction and a width along a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction,
an absorbent body provided at a position including the crotch region and capable of absorbing liquid discharged by the wearer;
An exterior body arranged on a side of the wearer that faces away from the skin of the wearer relative to the absorbent body;
An adhesive portion that bonds the absorber and the exterior body;
a leakage prevention wall provided at an end portion in the width direction of the absorbent body, extending in the longitudinal direction and rising toward the skin surface side of the wearer;
Equipped with
the adhesive portion includes a narrow portion that is narrower than the absorbent body in the width direction, and is disposed so that the absorbent body and the exterior body are not adhered to each other on the outer side of the narrow portion in the width direction,
a side flap portion extending in the longitudinal direction is formed by a portion of the absorbent body that is not bonded to the exterior body, the portion including a portion from an end of the narrow portion in the width direction to an end of the absorbent body in the width direction;
The exterior body overlaps at least a portion of the side flap portion,
A first elastic member extending along the width direction is provided in a stretched state in a region of the exterior body overlapping with the side flap portion.
Absorbent articles. The first elastic member extends to a region of the absorbent body that is more inward in the width direction than the side flap portion.
The absorbent article of claim 1. the adhesive portion includes a wide portion adjacent to the narrow portion in the longitudinal direction and having a width greater than that of the narrow portion,
The first elastic member is provided so as to overlap a step region formed between the narrow portion and the wide portion.
3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2. The side flap portion is provided in the crotch region,
The first elastic member is provided so as to overlap at least one of both ends of the side flap portion in the longitudinal direction.
3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2. A top sheet having a water permeable region provided on the skin side of the absorbent body;
A leak-proof sheet for forming the leak-proof wall, the leak-proof sheet being impermeable and arranged on the skin side of the top sheet;
Equipped with
The leak-proof wall is
The adhesive layer is joined to the top sheet and rises from the joint end with the top sheet toward the skin side,
A base end piece extending inward in the width direction from the joint end,
A folding portion that folds from the base end side piece toward the skin surface side and outward in the width direction;
A free end piece extending from the bent portion to the outside in the width direction;
a base end fixing portion that fixes each of the longitudinal ends of the base end piece to the top sheet;
a free end fixing portion that fixes each of the longitudinal ends of the free end piece to the base end piece;
A second elastic member provided in a stretched state on the base end side piece and extending along the longitudinal direction;
a third elastic member provided in a stretched state on the free end side piece and extending along the longitudinal direction;
having
3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2. The leak-proof sheet includes an absorbent body side region that covers the end portions of the absorbent body in the width direction,
The absorbent body side region is provided with a high-rigidity portion having a higher rigidity than the surrounding portion.
The absorbent article of claim 5. The width of the adhesive portion in the width direction narrows from at least one side in the longitudinal direction toward the crotch region.
3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2. The side flap portion includes a high-rigidity region extending in the longitudinal direction including a region overlapping with the first elastic member, and a low-rigidity region disposed inward in the width direction from the high-rigidity region and having a lower rigidity than the high-rigidity region.
3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2. The high rigidity region is provided at an outer end of the side flap portion in the width direction.
The absorbent article of claim 8. The absorbent body has a mat-shaped absorbent core capable of absorbing liquid discharged by the wearer,
The absorbent core is not present in the area of the side flap portion that overlaps with the first elastic member.
3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2. The absorbent body has a mat-shaped absorbent core capable of absorbing liquid discharged by the wearer,
At least a part of the widthwise end portion of the absorbent core overlaps with at least a part of the widthwise end portion of the narrow width portion.
3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2. The outer casing has a waist opening through which the wearer's waist circumference can be inserted, and two leg openings through which the wearer's legs can be inserted,
The first elastic member extends along the width direction in a region of the exterior body that overlaps with the side flap portion, and extends toward the waist opening side along the leg opening in a region that is outboard of the side flap portion in the width direction.
3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2. The outer casing has a waist opening through which the wearer's waist circumference can be inserted, and two leg openings through which the wearer's legs can be inserted,
a non-adhesive region in which the absorbent body and the exterior body are not adhered to each other is provided in an overlapping region of the crotch region where the exterior body and the absorbent body overlap each other across both ends of the absorbent body in the width direction,
The first elastic member extends along the width direction in a region where the non-bonded region and the side flap portion of the exterior body overlap, and extends toward the waist opening side along the leg opening in a region outside the side flap portion in the width direction.
3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2. In a region of the absorbent body that is on the inner side in the width direction from the side flap portion, a different stiffness portion extending in the longitudinal direction and having a stiffness different from that of other portions of the absorbent body is formed.
3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2.

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