JP4167409B2 - Absorbent articles - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an absorbent article, and more particularly, to an absorbent article suitable for a health hygiene device, such as a sanitary napkin, to be attached to a part of a body having a relatively complicated unevenness.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, in a sanitary napkin, in order to prevent the leakage of menstrual blood, it is important that the sanitary napkin is in close contact with the body so that there is no gap. For this reason, sanitary napkins generally have a portion corresponding to the menstrual discharge port of the absorbent body and its front and rear sides are made higher than other portions to eliminate gaps with the skin, and elastic gathers are provided on both sides. To prevent leakage.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the crotch surface is not only a depression such as a menstrual discharge port, but the pubic area on the front side is higher than the other parts, and the part from the anus to the buttocks is a complicated curved surface such as a groove shape It is impossible to make it close to the curved surface of the entire crotch simply by raising the portion corresponding to the menstrual discharge port and the vicinity thereof. Also, the gathers on both sides only prevent side leakage and do not function to prevent leakage in the front-rear direction.
[0004]
In view of this, it is conceivable to provide an elastic material such as a rubber thread that expands and contracts in the lateral direction at both front and rear ends of the absorbent body to form an elastic gather at the end. However, although this measure seems to fit into the curved surface of the crotch at first glance, if gathers are formed on the absorbent body itself, the thickness of the gathered overlapping part will increase greatly, so the position beside this overlapping part. On the other hand, a large gap is created between the body and the body. In particular, the portions of the crotch that correspond to the front and rear ends of the sanitary napkin are also easy to move along with standing and sitting movements and leg movements. On the contrary, it is easy to create a gap. In addition, since the thickened portion is pressed against the body, there is a problem that a feeling of discomfort is caused and a feeling of wearing is deteriorated.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and it is possible to form a gather having a shape that is well adapted to relatively small irregularities at the front and rear end portions of the crotch while keeping the thickness small, and yet the absorber An object is to provide a novel absorbent article in which the capacity does not decrease.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve this object, an absorbent article according to claim 1 is an absorbent article in which an absorbent body is provided between a liquid-permeable top sheet and a liquid-impermeable back sheet.
A cutout portion formed at an intermediate portion in the width direction of the front and rear end portions of the absorber and a region corresponding to the cutout portion, and is extendable in the opening and closing direction of the cutout portion, and closes the cutout portion by contraction force. it by and is characterized by comprising a stretchable gathers curving concavely the front and rear end portions of the liquid pervious topsheet and a liquid-impervious backsheet to the absorbent side.
[0007]
The stretchable gathers at both the front and rear ends of the absorbent article are formed at the cutouts, and the cutouts are closed by the contraction force of the stretchable gathers so that the front and rear ends of the absorbent article rise to some extent. Therefore, the portion folded in a wave shape by the formation of gathers does not include an absorber, so that it is possible to minimize the increase in the thickness of the overlapping portions in the portion folded in the wave shape, and the notch portion. The part that rises after closing to some extent exhibits a concave shape that draws a relatively smooth curve. It is possible to form a gather with a shape that fits well with relatively small irregularities at the front and rear ends of the crotch while keeping the thickness of the heel small.
[0008]
In the present invention, the depth of the notch to be provided in the absorber is selected in accordance with the thickness and rigidity of the absorber or the lateral width of the entire absorbent article. In order to form a beautiful stretchable gather without significantly reducing the capacity, the depth of the notch is 2% or more of the full length in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article as described in claim 2. % Or less, preferably 5% or more and 20% or less.
[0009]
In addition, the shape of the notch portion in the present invention is preferably a shape having a wider left-right width toward the opening side, and in particular, as in claim 3, a shape in which the left-right width expands toward the opening side, that is, a V-shape or the like. Then, a notch part can be closed in a beautiful shape with expansion and contraction of the expansion and contraction gather. In this case, the opening angle of the notch is suitably 10 ° or more and 60 ° or less in order to allow the expansion / contraction gathers to be widened to some extent without enlarging the notch. It should be 10 ° or more and 30 ° or less.
[0010]
If the elongation at the time of providing the stretchable material is too large, the stretchable gather will be thick, and if it is too small, the rise of the stretchable gather will be insufficient. Therefore, the elongation of this stretchable material is 110% or more and 300% or less, preferably 110% or more and 200% or less, as described in claim 4. The region where the elastic material is provided is not necessarily limited to the region corresponding to the notch, and the end of the elastic material may reach the absorber as long as the absorber does not become wrinkles depending on the elastic material. .
[0011]
As described in claim 5, when the elongation of the stretchable material is increased as it is closer to the opening of the cutout portion, the contraction force of the stretchable material becomes stronger as the opening distance of the cutout portion is longer. Corresponding portions of the sheet can be wrinkled evenly, the concave formed by the gathers is clean, and the close contact with the body is stabilized. In this case, the elongation of the stretchable material is 130% or more and 200% or less, preferably around 160% for those close to the opening of the notch, and is preferably 110% or more and 150% for those close to the back of the notch. In the following, it is desirable to set it to about 130%.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Below, the detail of the absorbent article which concerns on this invention is demonstrated according to embodiment shown in drawing. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the present invention is applied to a sanitary napkin 1.
[0013]
[A. Basic structure)
The sanitary napkin 1 includes a liquid-impermeable back sheet 3, an absorbent body 5 held on one surface of the back sheet 3, an absorbent sheet 7 placed on the absorbent body 5, the absorbent body 5 and It has a multilayer structure including a liquid-permeable top sheet 9 stacked on the back sheet 3 with the absorbent sheet 7 interposed therebetween. An expansion / contraction gather 21 is provided at the middle part in the left-right direction at both front and rear ends of the sanitary napkin 1. The stretchable gathers 21 stand so that the front and rear ends of the sanitary napkin 1 form a concave shape (see FIG. 1).
[0014]
2 and 4 show the sanitary napkin 1 with the stretchable gather 21 extended. The description of the shapes of the sheets 3, 7, 9 and the absorber 5 will be made with respect to the shape in which the stretchable gather 21 is extended.
[0015]
The back seat 3 has a generally bowl shape that is long in the front-rear direction. The back sheet 3 is formed of a polyethylene sheet, a polyethylene laminated nonwoven fabric, or the like, and preferably has a liquid-impervious and moisture-permeable material, for example, an olefin resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene melted and kneaded with an inorganic filler. It is formed by the treated microporous sheet.
[0016]
The absorbent body 5 is made of a pile fiber pulp in which cotton-like pulp, synthetic pulp or the like is laminated with a relatively light basis weight, and is formed into a sheet shape having a substantially uniform thickness on the entire surface. The planar shape of the absorbent body 5 is basically a rectangular shape extending in the front-rear direction. The front and rear end edges 5a of the absorbent body 5 swell in opposite directions so as to form arcs that are substantially similar to the front and rear end edges of the backsheet 3. The absorbent body 5 has a length in the front-rear direction that is slightly shorter than the length in the same direction of the backsheet 3, and the left-right width is slightly smaller than the left-right width of the narrowest portion of the backsheet 3. It has become. This left and right width is about 50 to 80 mm corresponding to the adult female crotch interval.
[0017]
And the notch part 11 opened to the edge 5a is provided in the intermediate part of the left-right direction in the front-back both ends of the absorber 5. FIG. The notch 11 has a V-shape, and a rear end 11a corresponding to the closed end of the V-shape is located on the center line o (see FIG. 4) of the left and right width of the absorber 5, and the V-shaped opening is the center. The line o is symmetric with respect to the line o. Such an absorber 5 is bonded to one surface of the back sheet 3. This adhesion is performed with an adhesive such as hot melt, and is aligned so that the back sheet 3 protrudes with the same size on both the front and rear sides and the left and right sides of the absorbent body 5.
[0018]
The symbol Lo in FIG. 4 indicates the longitudinal length of the sanitary napkin 1, that is, the longitudinal length of the backsheet 3, and the symbol L1 indicates the depth of the notch 11. In this embodiment, L1 is approximately 24% of Lo. Further, symbol α in the figure indicates a V-shaped opening angle of the notch 11, and in this embodiment, the opening angle α is approximately 56 °.
[0019]
The absorbent sheet 7 is used to maintain the shape of the absorbent body 5 or to quickly transfer body fluid absorbed from the surface to the absorbent body. For example, crepe paper or nonwoven fabric is used. The top sheet 9 is the same size as the back sheet 3 in a state in which the top sheet 9 is attached, but is divided into a main top sheet 9 a and a left and right side top sheet 9 b that are substantially the same size as the absorbent sheet 7. Has been. The top sheet 9 is formed of a nonwoven fabric or a plastic mesh sheet having a large number of holes. The main top sheet 9a is adhered to the absorbent sheet 7 in an overlapping manner, and the side top sheet 9b is adhered to the side part of the back sheet 3 with its linear side part overlapping the main top sheet 9a. Such adhesion and adhesion of the absorbent sheet 7 are performed by an adhesive such as hot melt or heat sealing.
[0020]
The sanitary napkin 1 has such a layer structure. Therefore, in the region 15 corresponding to the notch 11, the back sheet 3, the absorbent sheet 7, and the main top sheet 9a are simply bonded to each other. Become.
[0021]
[B. Stretchable gather] In a region 15 corresponding to the notch 11, three rubber yarns 23, 24, 25 as stretchable materials are provided. These rubber yarns 23, 24, 25 are provided at intervals in the direction extending in the left-right direction, and are bonded between the back sheet 3 and the absorbent sheet 7. One of the three rubber threads 23 is disposed around the opening of the notch 11, another rubber thread 25 is disposed at a substantially intermediate position in the depth direction of the notch 11, and the intermediate rubber thread 24 is connected to the rubber thread 23. It is provided at a relatively close position. Accordingly, the stretchable gathers 21 are formed by the back sheet 3, the absorbent sheet 7, the main top sheet 9a, and the rubber yarns 23, 24, and 25 in the region 15, and the region 15 is formed as the rubber yarns 23, 24, and 25 contract. It is folded like a wave in the left-right direction.
[0022]
[C. (Expansion gather function etc.)
When the stretchable gather 21 is contracted, the notch portion 11 is closed, and both front and rear end portions of the sanitary napkin 1 are raised to some extent as shown in FIG. 1, and are curved to the absorption surface side, that is, the top sheet 9 side to form a concave shape. . Since the expansion / contraction gathers 21 can expand and contract in the opening / closing direction of the notches 21, they extend and contract following the movement of the body. Therefore, there is no gap between the front and rear ends of the sanitary napkin 1 and the skin, and leakage from the front and rear of the sanitary napkin 1 can be prevented. Since there is no absorber in the portion where the stretchable gathers 21 are folded in a wave shape, the increase in the thickness of the overlapping portions in the portion folded in the wave shape is minimized, and the notch portion 11 is closed and rises. The part has a concave shape with a smooth curve.
[0023]
FIG. 5 shows a state where the sanitary napkin 1 having such a configuration is worn. As can be seen from the figure, the concave part at the front end of the sanitary napkin 1 is positioned so as to wrap around the pubic area, and the concave part at the rear end is from the anus. It is positioned so as to dam the back groove-shaped depression. Since the folds of the stretchable gathers 21 in these concave portions are kept small, there is no gap between the stretchable gathers 21 and the skin, and the folds of the stretchable gathers 21 may press the body. Almost no.
[0024]
The three rubber yarns 23, 24, and 25 are provided in a state of being stretched at different elongations. That is, the rubber thread 23 closest to the opening of the notch 11 is stretched to about 160%, and the intermediate rubber thread 24 is stretched to about 150%, and the rubber thread closest to the back end 11a. 25 is elongated to an elongation of about 130%. Accordingly, the contraction force increases in the order of the rubber threads 23, 24, and 25. Thus, since the elongation of the three rubber threads 23, 24, 25 is approximately proportional to the width of the left and right width of the notch 11, the notch 11 is closed in a clean form without distortion. . Therefore, a concave shape that fits the body can be obtained.
[0025]
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and even if there is a design change or the like without departing from the gist of the present invention. Included in the invention. In particular, the shape of each part, such as the top sheet, back sheet, absorbent body, and elastic material in the present invention, and materials thereof are not limited to those shown in the embodiment, and in some cases, the unidirectionality to the notch part. It is also possible to provide a stretchable sheet. Of course, the present invention can also be applied to a type having a side gather. The present invention is not limited to sanitary napkins and can be widely applied to various absorbent articles such as paper diapers.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the expansion and contraction gathers at both the front and rear ends do not include the absorber in the portion folded in the wave shape, so the thickness of the portions overlapping each other in the portion folded in the wave shape is increased. The portion where the notch is closed and stands up has a concave shape that draws a smooth curve. Therefore, it is possible to cleanly form a gather that is well adapted to the relatively small irregularities at the front and rear ends of the crotch while suppressing the thickness of the stretchable gathers from the heel. Therefore, leakage before and after the absorbent article can be prevented, and the expansion / contraction gathers do not press on the body.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sanitary napkin according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the sanitary napkin shown in FIG. 1 with a part of the sheet turned up with the stretchable gathers extended.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the sanitary napkin shown in FIG.
4 is a plan view showing the sanitary napkin shown in FIG. 1 in a state where stretchable gathers are extended. FIG.
5 is a side view showing a state in which the sanitary napkin shown in FIG. 1 is worn. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Absorbent article, 3 ... Back sheet, 5 ... Absorber, 5a ... End edge, 9 ... Top sheet, 11 ... Notch part, 21 ... Stretch gather, 23 ... Stretch material, 24 ... Stretch material, 25 ... Stretch material , L1 ... missing depth, Lo ... longitudinal length of absorbent article, α ... opening angle

Claims (5)

In an absorbent article provided with an absorbent body between a liquid-permeable top sheet and a liquid-impermeable back sheet,
A notch formed in the middle portion in the width direction of the front and rear end portions of the absorbent body, provided in a region corresponding to the cutout portion, and telescopic opening and closing direction of the notch, close the cut-out portion the contraction force Thus , an absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable top sheet and an expansion / contraction gather that curves the front and rear ends of the liquid-impervious back sheet in a concave shape toward the absorption surface. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the notch is 2% or more and 30% or less of the entire length in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article. 3. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the cutout portion has a shape in which a left-right width expands toward the opening side, and an opening angle of the cutout portion is 10 ° or more and 60 ° or less. Absorbent articles characterized by The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the stretchable material for forming the stretchable gathers is provided in an elongation of 110% to 300%. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a plurality of stretchable materials for forming stretchable gathers are arranged, and the stretchability of the stretchable material is increased as it is closer to the notch opening. Absorbent article characterized.

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