JP7339068B2 - Soft defecation pad - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a soft defecation pad.

Investigations have been made in consideration of treatment and retention of loose stools with regard to constituent members of absorbent articles such as diapers. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an auxiliary sheet having a fiber assembly composed of long fibers of cellulosic semi-synthetic fibers such as acetate fibers. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses an absorbent body containing superabsorbent polymer particles and a permeable sheet. Absorbent articles covered with 0.01-0.2 g/cm ³ nonwoven are disclosed.

JP 2016-59740 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-346210

Absorbent articles such as diapers generally have an absorbent body as a main liquid absorbing part of excrement. Absorbent bodies generally contain absorbent materials such as fluff pulp and absorbent polymers, but since such absorbent bodies have a lower absorption capacity for loose stools than urine, they may not be able to absorb loose stools quickly. In an absorbent article having such an absorbent body, loose stools excreted in the absorbent article are released when a large amount of defecation occurs multiple times or when an external force is applied due to a change in the wearer's posture. There was a risk of leakage. Since the absorbent articles described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not effectively take in loose stools, the loose stool leakage prevention effect is insufficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a soft defecation pad that overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art.

The present invention comprises a retention layer and a liquid-permeable surface sheet covering both sides of the retention layer,
The holding layer has a structure in which a plurality of bulky sheets are laminated, and the bulky sheet contains heat-fusible fibers and is made of an air-through nonwoven fabric having a thickness greater than that of the surface sheet,
The bulky sheet has, in its thickness direction, a first region having an inter-fiber distance of 150 μm or more and a second region having an inter-fiber distance longer than that of the first region. is.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the soft feces removal pad which takes in loose feces rapidly and hold|maintains can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the soft defecation removing pad of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the cross-sectional structure of the bulky sheet shown in FIG. 2 in the thickness direction. 4(a) to (c) are cross-sectional views showing a laminated structure of bulky sheets forming a holding layer. FIG. 5 is a view equivalent to FIG. 2 showing another embodiment of the soft feces removing pad according to the present invention. 6A to 6C are cross-sectional views showing the laminated structure of bulky sheets forming the retention layer in the embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 showing still another embodiment of the soft feces removing pad according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a laminated structure of bulky sheets forming a holding layer in the embodiment shown in FIG.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on its preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The soft defecation removing pad 1a of this embodiment has a longitudinal direction X and a width direction Y orthogonal thereto, and the longitudinal direction X is aligned with the direction extending from the abdomen of the wearer to the dorsal side via the crotch. The absorbent article is used in such a state that it is laid on the skin-facing surface (inner surface) of an absorbent article such as a diaper. In other words, the soft feces removal pad is used as an inner layer for absorbent articles such as diapers together with the absorbent articles, and is suitably used for taking in and retaining loose feces.

In this specification, the "skin-facing surface" of the absorbent article refers to the surface of the absorbent article or its constituent members (e.g., absorbent body) that faces the wearer's skin when the absorbent article is worn. It is the side closest to the wearer's skin. In addition, the "non-skin facing surface" of the absorbent article refers to the surface of the absorbent article or its constituent members that faces the side opposite to the skin side (clothing side) when the absorbent article is worn. is the side far from the skin of the It should be noted that the term "when worn" as used herein means a state in which the absorbent article is maintained in a normal and appropriate wearing position, that is, in a correct wearing position of the absorbent article.

As shown in FIG. 2, the soft feces removing pad 1a includes a retaining layer 2a and topsheets 6 covering both sides of the retaining layer 2a. The topsheet 6 of this embodiment includes a first topsheet 6a that covers the entire surface of one side of the holding layer 2a, and a sheet separate from the first topsheet 6a that covers the entire area of the other side of the holding layer 2a. and a second surface sheet 6b covering the . The second surface sheet 6b extends outward in the width direction Y from both side edges along the longitudinal direction X of the retention layer 2a, and the extended portions are rolled up on one side of the retention layer 2a. Instead of this, the first surface sheet 6a extends outward in the width direction Y from both side edges along the longitudinal direction X of the retention layer 2a, and the extended portions are rolled up to the other side of the retention layer 2a. may have been Alternatively, the topsheet 6 may be composed of a single sheet. The first surface sheet 6a and the second surface sheet 6b in this embodiment are joined by a known joining means such as an adhesive at the portions where they overlap each other. The holding layer 2a and the surface sheet 6 may or may not be joined by a known joining means such as an adhesive.

As the surface sheet 6, any liquid-permeable sheet conventionally used in the relevant technical field can be used without particular limitation. Examples of the surface sheet 6 include paper such as tissue paper, fiber sheets such as hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics (spunbond nonwoven fabrics, spunlace nonwoven fabrics containing hydrophilic fibers such as acrylic and rayon, etc.), and perforated films. . The surface sheet 6 is preferably liquid-permeable and hydrophilic as described above.

The soft feces removing pad 1a of this embodiment is used with one of the surface covered with the first surface sheet 6a and the surface covered with the second surface sheet 6b as the skin facing surface. That is, one surface of the soft feces removing pad 1a may be used as the skin-facing surface, and the other surface of the soft feces removing pad 1a may be used as the skin-facing surface.

The retaining layer 2a in the soft feces removing pad 1a is a part that takes in and retains loose feces and the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the holding layer 2a has a structure in which a plurality of bulky sheets 3 are laminated. The bulky sheet 3 is thicker than the surface sheet 6. - 特許庁That is, the bulky sheet 3 is formed to be bulkier than the topsheet 6 . The term "bulky" as used herein means having a lower density and a greater thickness than sheet members generally used for absorbent articles such as diapers. The term "commonly used sheet member" as used herein refers to a member other than a member that functions as a main excreta absorption site (for example, an absorbent core). The name "bulky sheet" is intended to indicate its morphological characteristics. The thickness and density of the bulky sheet 3 can be set, for example, within the ranges described later. The bulky sheet 3 may be exposed to hot air to restore its thickness.

The bulky sheet 3 contains heat-fusible fibers. As the heat-fusible fibers, fibers that are fused together by the action of heat, such as fibers made from thermoplastic resins, can be used. Polyolefins such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) as thermoplastic resins; polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET); polyamides such as nylon 6 and nylon 66; polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid alkyl esters, polyvinyl chloride, Polyvinylidene chloride and the like can be mentioned, and one of these can be used alone or two or more of them can be used in combination. A preferable example of the constituent fibers of the bulky sheet 3 is a conjugate fiber composed of two or more components of a low-melting point component and a high-melting point component. As the conjugate fiber composed of two or more components of a low-melting point component and a high-melting point component, core-sheath type conjugate fibers are preferable, and those having a core made of high-melting point PET or PP and a sheath made of low-melting point PET, PP, or PE are preferable. The core-sheath type conjugate fiber may be of a concentric type or an eccentric type.

From the viewpoint of improving the absorption of loose feces, which will be described later, the bulky sheet 3 preferably contains hydrophilic heat-fusible fibers. The hydrophilic heat-fusible fibers may be, for example, inherently hydrophilic thermoplastic fibers such as polyacrylonitrile fibers, or hydrophobic thermoplastic fibers subjected to a hydrophilic treatment. One type can be used alone or two or more types can be used in combination. Examples of the latter "hydrophilized thermoplastic fibers" include thermoplastic fibers kneaded with a hydrophilizing agent, thermoplastic fibers having a hydrophilizing agent attached to the surface, and plasma-treated thermoplastic fibers. etc. As the hydrophilizing agent, general hydrophilizing agents used for sanitary products, such as ordinary surfactants, can be used. "Hydrophilic" means that the contact angle of the fiber with water is less than 90 degrees. The contact angle of the fiber with water can be measured, for example, according to the method described in JP-A-2015-142721. The bulky sheet 3 may contain other fibers in addition to the heat-fusible fibers. Other fibers include non-heat-fusible fibers such as natural and semi-natural fibers such as cellulose fibers.

From the viewpoint of taking in loose stool, which will be described later, the hydrophilic fiber content in the bulky sheet 3 is preferably 60 parts by weight or more, more preferably 80 parts by weight or more, based on 100 parts by weight of the bulky sheet.

The bulky sheet 3 is made of an air-through nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible fibers. Such a bulky sheet 3 has a plurality of fused points formed by fused intersections of thermally fused fibers, and the plurality of fused portions are three-dimensionally dispersed.

The bulky sheet 3 has a first region 5 and a second region 4 in its thickness direction Z, as shown in FIG. The first region 5 has a fiber-to-fiber distance of 150 μm or more, and the second region 4 has a fiber-to-fiber distance longer than that of the first region 5 . Therefore, the second region 4 has a lower density of constituent fibers than the first region 5 . Thus, the first region 5 and the second region 4 are divided according to the length of the inter-fiber distance of the constituent fibers.

As shown in FIG. 2, the holding layer 2a of this embodiment has a two-layer structure consisting of an upper layer 21 located on one side and a lower layer 23 located on the other side. consists of the bulky sheet 3.

As described above, the soft defecation removing pad 1a of the present embodiment is used by stacking it on an absorbent article such as a diaper. That is, the wearer's excrement is excreted on the soft feces removing pad 1a. When loose stool is excreted on the soft stool removing pad 1a, the soft stool passes through the liquid-permeable surface sheet 6, moves to the holding layer 2a side, and is quickly taken into the holding layer 2.例文帳に追加The consideration of the present inventors regarding the uptake of such loose stools will be described below, taking as an example the case where the surface of the retention layer covered with the first surface sheet 6a is used as the skin-facing surface. Loose stool reaches the upper layer 21 side surface of the retention layer 2a after passing through the first surface sheet 6a. The second region 4 is arranged on the skin-facing surface side of the upper layer 21, and both the second region 4 and the first region 5 arranged therebelow have a fiber-to-fiber distance of 150 μm or more. Loose stools that are loose and viscous easily enter between the fibers and are easily taken into the upper layer 21. - 特許庁In addition, the bulky sheet 3 constituting the upper layer 21 is made of an air-through nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible fibers, and has a fusion point where the constituent fibers are partially fused. It spreads and migrates to the inside of the holding layer 2a more quickly. Moreover, since the holding layer 2a has a laminated structure in which a plurality of bulky sheets 3 having two regions with different inter-fiber distances are laminated, even if the upper layer 21 is crushed under load, the presence of the lower layer 23 keeps the entire holding layer thickness is easily maintained. Therefore, the retaining layer 2a easily maintains a space for retaining loose feces. According to the soft stool removing pad 1a of the present embodiment, loose stool is quickly taken and held inside the holding layer 2a. As a result, loose stools are taken in and held in the holding layer 2a even when a large amount of stools are excreted a number of times, so leakage of loose stools can be effectively suppressed. In addition, clogging between fibers due to loose stool is suppressed on the skin-facing surface of another absorbent article that is used with the soft stool removing pad 1a of the present embodiment stacked thereon, and a decrease in the liquid absorption performance of the absorbent article is prevented. effectively suppressed.

From the viewpoint of further improving the uptake of loose stool, as shown in FIG. The bulky sheet 3 facing the other side (the non-skin facing side) of the retaining layer 2a preferably has the second region 4 facing the other side. In such a soft feces removing pad 1a, since loose feces are more easily taken into the second region 4 having a longer interfiber distance than the first region 5, the absorption rate of loose feces into the holding layer 2a is further improved. In addition, loose stools taken in from the second region 4 are rapidly transferred to the first region 5 having a shorter interfiber distance than the second region 4, so that even a large amount of soft stools can be taken in satisfactorily. It is considered that this is because the first region 5 having a shorter inter-fiber distance than the second region 4 has more fusion points. The holding layer 2a of this embodiment is formed by the second regions 4 on both sides thereof. In the holding layer 2a of the present embodiment, the first region 5 of the upper layer 21 and the first region 5 of the lower layer 23 face each other inside in the thickness direction Z, and the second region 4 of the upper layer 21 and the lower layer Each of the 23 second regions 4 faces the topsheet 6 . Since the holding layer 2a in this embodiment has a laminated structure in which the same bulky sheets 3 are laminated, the distance between the fibers in the second region 4 in the upper layer 21 and the distance between the fibers in the second region 4 in the lower layer 23 the distance is the same. Further, the inter-fiber distance of the first regions 5 in the upper layer 21 and the inter-fiber distance of the first regions 5 in the lower layer 23 are also the same.

The soft defecation removing pad 1a of the present embodiment has a structure in which the second regions 4 are positioned above and below and the first region 5 is provided therebetween even when the surface covered with the second surface sheet 6b is used as the skin-facing surface. Therefore, the above-described effects can be obtained.

From the viewpoint of taking in loose stool more quickly, the inter-fiber distance of the constituent fibers in the second region 4 is preferably within the following range.
The interfiber distance of the constituent fibers in the second region 4 is preferably 1.2 times or more, more preferably 1.3 times or more, and preferably 1 0.8 times or less, more preferably 1.7 times or less, more preferably 1.2 times or more and 1.8 times or less, more preferably 1.3 times or more and 1.7 times or less.
The inter-fiber distance of the constituent fibers in the second region 4 is preferably 200 μm or more, more preferably 220 μm or more, still more preferably 240 μm or more, and is preferably 600 μm or less, more preferably 550 μm or less, further preferably 500 μm or less. It is preferably 200 μm or more and 600 μm or less, more preferably 220 μm or more and 550 μm or less, and still more preferably 240 μm or more and 500 μm or less.

The inter-fiber distance of the constituent fibers in the first region 5 is shorter than the inter-fiber distance of the constituent fibers in the second region 4. The inter-fiber distance is preferably 150 μm or more, more preferably 170 μm or more, provided that it is shorter than the inter-fiber distance of the constituent fibers in the second region 4 . The interfiber distance is measured by the following method.

<Method for measuring distance between fibers>
The inter-fiber distance of a fiber assembly such as non-woven fabric and paper is determined by the following formula (1) based on Wrotnowski's assumption. The following formula (1) is generally used when determining the inter-fiber distance of a fiber assembly. Under Wrotnowski's assumption, the fibers are cylindrical, and the individual fibers are regularly arranged without crossing each other.
Since the bulky sheet to be measured has a multi-layer structure consisting of the first region and the second region, it is obtained according to the following procedure.
First, the inter-fiber distances in the first region and the second region are calculated by the following formula (1). At that time, the thickness t, basis weight W, fiber resin density ρ, and fiber diameter D used in the following formula (1) are those for the first region and the second region to be measured, respectively. The thickness t, basis weight W, and fiber diameter D are average values of measured values at a plurality of measurement points.
The thickness t (mm) is measured by the following method. First, a sheet to be measured is cut into a size of 50 mm in the longitudinal direction and 50 mm in the width direction to prepare a cut piece of the sheet. However, if a cut piece of this size cannot be produced as a sheet to be measured, a cut piece as large as possible is produced. Next, this cut piece is placed on a flat plate, a glass plate on the flat plate is placed on it, a weight is evenly placed on the glass plate so that the load including the glass plate is 49 Pa, and the cut Measure the thickness of the piece. The measurement environment is a temperature of 20±2° C. and a relative humidity of 65±5%, and a microscope (VHX-1000 manufactured by Keyence Corporation) is used as the measuring instrument. To measure the thickness of the cut piece, first, an enlarged photograph of the cut surface of the cut piece is obtained. In this magnified photograph, an object of known dimensions is photographed at the same time. Next, the enlarged photograph of the cut surface of the cut piece is scaled, and each thickness of the first region and the second region of the cut piece is measured. The above operation is performed three times, and the average value of the three times is taken as the thickness t of the first region or the second region.

In the cut surface of the cut piece, the first region and the second region are distinguished by the following method. As described above, since the second region has a lower density of constituent fibers than the first region, two regions having different amounts (density) of constituent fibers are observed on the cut surface of the cut piece. Specifically, a region with a large number of constituent fibers is the first region, and a region with a small number of constituent fibers is the second region. These two regions are also distinguishable with the naked eye.

The basis weight W (g/m ² ) is obtained by cutting each of the first region and the second region in the sheet to be measured into a predetermined size (for example, 12 cm × 6 cm), and measuring the mass. It is obtained by dividing by the area obtained from the predetermined size ("basis weight W (g/m ² )=mass÷area obtained from predetermined size"). This measurement is repeated four times, and the average value is taken as the basis weight.
The resin density ρ (g/cm ² ) of the fiber is measured using a density gradient tube according to the density gradient tube method described in JIS L1015 Chemical fiber staple test method (URL is http:// kikakurui.com/l/L1015-2010-01.html, JIS Handbook Textile-2000 for books, (Japanese Standards Association) P.764-765).
The fiber diameter D (μm) is the average value of 10 fiber cross sections taken from the first region or the second region using an S-4000 field emission scanning electron microscope manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd. is defined as the fiber diameter D (μm). The method for measuring the fiber diameter D follows <Method for measuring fiber diameter> described later.

<Method for measuring fiber diameter>
The sheet to be measured is cut with a razor (for example, a single edged blade manufactured by Feather Safety Shave Co., Ltd.) to obtain a measurement piece having a square shape (8 mm×4 mm) in plan view. When cutting the object to be measured, care must be taken so that the structure of the cut surface of the piece to be measured formed by the cutting is not destroyed by pressure or the like during cutting. As a preferred method for cutting the object to be measured, prior to cutting the object to be measured, the object to be measured is immersed in liquid nitrogen and sufficiently frozen, and then cut. Using a double-sided paper tape (Nichiban Co., Ltd., Nicetac NW-15), the measurement piece is attached to the sample table. The measuring piece is then platinum coated. For the coating, an ion sputtering apparatus E-1030 (trade name) manufactured by Hitachi Naka Seiki Co., Ltd. is used, and the sputtering time is 30 seconds. A cut surface of the measurement piece is observed at a magnification of 1000 using a S-4000 field emission scanning electron microscope manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd. Since the bulky sheet has the first region and the second region, the boundary between the first region and the second region is determined from the difference in the density of the fibers from the electron microscope image, and each layer (first region or second region) 10 lengths in the width direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the fiber are measured, and the average value is taken as the fiber diameter.

The holding layer 2a of the present embodiment has a structure in which two bulky sheets 3 are laminated, but as shown in FIG. may have. That is, the holding layer 2a may have a laminated structure in which a plurality of bulky sheets 3 are laminated, or may have a laminated structure in which one bulky sheet 3 is folded. 4(b) and 4(c), in addition to the upper layer 21 and the lower layer 23, the holding layer 2a may have an intermediate layer 22 positioned between these layers 21 and 23. FIG. Intermediate layer 22 is a layer or layers located between upper layer 21 and lower layer 23 . As shown in FIG. 4(b), the holding layer 2a having a laminated structure of three or more layers consisting of an upper layer 21, an intermediate layer 22, and a lower layer 23 is formed by folding one bulky sheet 3 in three or more. or by stacking three or more bulky sheets 3 as shown in FIG. 4(c). Each holding layer 2a shown in FIG. 4 is formed by second regions 4 on both sides thereof.

From the viewpoint of achieving both intake and retention of loose stool, the number of layers of the bulky sheets 3 in the retention layer 2a is preferably 1 to 6, more preferably 2 to 5.

From the same viewpoint as above, the thickness T1 (see FIG. 2) of the retention layer 2a is preferably 5 mm or more, more preferably 10 mm or more, and is preferably 30 mm or less, more preferably 25 mm or less. It is 5 mm or more and 30 mm or less, more preferably 10 mm or more and 25 mm or less.

From the same viewpoint as above, the thickness T3 (see FIG. 2) of the bulky sheet 3 is preferably 3 mm or more, more preferably 5 mm or more, and is preferably 15 mm or less, more preferably 13 mm or less. It is 3 mm or more and 15 mm or less, more preferably 5 mm or more and 13 mm or less.

From the same point of view as above, in the soft defecation removing pad 1a, the retention layer 2a preferably does not contain a water-absorbing material such as a water-absorbing polymer or a superabsorbent fiber. Examples of water-absorbing polymers include various hydrogel materials, for example, cross-linked polymers or copolymers of acrylic acid or alkali metal acrylate salts, cross-linked products of polyacrylic acid and its salts, and polyacrylate graft polymers, and starch. or a crosslinked product of carboxymethylated cellulose, a crosslinked product of a hydrolysis product of a starch-acrylate graft copolymer, a crosslinked product of a vinyl alcohol-acrylate copolymer, a crosslinked product of maleic anhydride-grafted polyvinyl alcohol, Crosslinked isobutylene-maleic anhydride copolymers, saponified products of vinyl acetate-acrylic acid ester copolymers, and the like can be mentioned. The shape of the water-absorbent polymer includes, for example, a spherical shape, a massive shape, a bale shape, an irregular shape, and the like. A superabsorbent fiber is a synthetic fiber made of a synthetic resin having fiber-forming ability, and is capable of absorbing and retaining water. In addition, dissolved substances contained in the solution may also be absorbable. Preferably, the superabsorbent fiber can absorb and retain 30 times its own weight in water. Super absorbent fibers include Super Absorbent Fiber (manufactured by Technical Absorbents. Ltd.), Ranseal (manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd., Ranseal is a registered trademark), which is an absorbent fiber such as polyacrylic acid fiber, and polyacrylic acid sodium salt. Bell Oasis (manufactured by Kanebo Co., Ltd.), which is obtained by directly spinning a polymer as a main component into a fiber shape, and the like. When the retention layer 2a contains a water-absorbing material, the content of the above-mentioned water-absorbing material is preferably 80 parts by weight or less in 100 parts by weight of the bulky sheet.

Next, another embodiment of the soft feces removing pad according to the present invention will be described. Regarding another embodiment to be described later, components different from those of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 will be mainly described, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. The description of the above-described embodiment is appropriately applied to components that are not particularly described.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the soft feces removing pad. In the holding layer 2b of the soft feces removing pad 1b of the present embodiment, the bulky sheet 3 forming one surface has the first region 5 facing the one surface and the bulky sheet forming the other surface. The sheet 3 has the first area 5 facing the other side. That is, both surfaces of the holding layer 2b of the present embodiment are formed by the first regions 5. As shown in FIG. In the holding layer 2b of the present embodiment, the second region 4 of the upper layer 21 and the second region 4 of the lower layer 23 face each other inside in the thickness direction Z, and the first region 5 of the upper layer 21 and the lower layer Each of the 23 first regions 5 faces the topsheet 6 . The soft feces removing pad 1b of this embodiment has the same configuration as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 described above, except for such configuration.

The effects of the soft feces removing pad 1b of the present embodiment will be explained by taking the case where the surface covered with the first surface sheet 6a is used as the skin facing surface as an example. The soft stool removing pad 1b of this embodiment has the same configuration as that of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 described above, so that soft stool is quickly taken and held inside the holding layer 2b. In addition, in the soft defecation removing pad 1b of the present embodiment, the upper layer 21 of the holding layer 2b and the non-skin facing side of the holding layer 2b are provided with first fibers having a shorter interfiber distance than the second region 4, respectively. Since the region 5 is arranged, the loose stool taken inside the retaining layer 2b is less likely to leak from the retaining layer 2b to the outside. Therefore, even when an external force is applied due to a change in the posture of the wearer, it is possible to effectively suppress leakage of soft stool taken in to the outside of the soft stool removing pad 1b.
The soft feces removing pad 1b of the present embodiment also exhibits the above-described effects when the surface covered with the second surface sheet 6b is used as the skin-facing surface.

Although the holding layer 2b of this embodiment has a structure in which two bulky sheets 3 are laminated, it has a laminated structure in which a plurality of bulky sheets 3 are laminated as in the above-described embodiment. (see FIG. 5), or may have a laminated structure in which one bulky sheet 3 is folded (see FIG. 6(a)). 6(b) and 6(c), the holding layer 2b includes the upper layer 21 and the lower layer 23, as well as the intermediate layer 22 positioned between the two layers 21 and 23, as shown in FIGS. 6(b) and 6(c). may have

The inter-fiber distance of the constituent fibers in the first region 5 of this embodiment is 150 μm or more as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. The fiber-to-fiber distance of the constituent fibers in the first region 5 is preferably 150 μm or more, more preferably 170 μm or more, provided that the fiber-to-fiber distance is shorter than the fiber-to-fiber distance of the constituent fibers in the second region 4 .

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing still another embodiment of the soft defecation removing pad according to the present invention. In the holding layer 2c of the soft feces removing pad 1c of the present embodiment, the bulky sheet 3 forming one surface has the second region 4 facing the one surface and the bulky sheet forming the other surface. The sheet 3 has the first area 5 facing the other side. That is, the holding layer 2 c of this embodiment has one surface formed by the second region 4 and the other surface formed by the first region 5 . In addition, in the holding layer 2c of the present embodiment, the first region 5 of the upper layer 21 and the second region 4 of the lower layer 23 face each other inside in the thickness direction Z, and the second region 4 of the upper layer 21 and the first regions 5 of the lower layer 23 face the top sheet 6 . The soft feces removing pad 1c of this embodiment has the same configuration as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 described above, except for such configuration.

In the soft feces removing pad 1c of the present embodiment, the surface side formed by the second region 4, which is one surface of the holding layer 2c, is used as the skin facing surface side. That is, the surface covered with the first surface sheet 6a of the present embodiment is used as the surface facing the skin. The effect of the soft feces removing pad 1c will be discussed below by the present inventor. The soft stool removing pad 1c of this embodiment has the same configuration as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 described above, so that soft stool is quickly taken and held inside the holding layer 2c. In addition, since the retention layer 2c in this embodiment has a skin-facing surface formed by the second region 4, loose stools are more rapidly taken into the retention layer 2c, and the second region 4 is removed from the first region 5. Soft stools quickly shift to . Moreover, since the first region 5 is arranged on the non-skin-facing surface side of the lower layer 23 of the retaining layer 2c, loose feces taken into the retaining layer 2c leak to the non-skin-facing surface side of the soft feces removing pad 1c. Coming out is restricted.

The holding layer 2c of this embodiment has a structure in which two bulky sheets 3 are laminated. The holding layer 2c may have a laminated structure in which a plurality of bulky sheets 3 are laminated (see FIGS. 7 and 8), as in the embodiment described above. 8, the retaining layer 2c may have an upper layer 21 and a lower layer 23 as well as an intermediate layer 22 positioned between these layers 21 and 23, as in the above embodiment. . When the intermediate layer 22 is provided, it may have a laminated structure in which a plurality of bulky sheets 3 are laminated and a laminated structure in which one bulky sheet 3 is folded (not shown). However, as described above, the soft feces removing pad 1c of the present embodiment has the surface side formed by the second region 4 in the holding layer 2c as the skin facing surface side, and the holding layer 2c is formed by the first region 5 The face side is used as the non-skin facing side. From the viewpoint of facilitating identification of the skin-facing surface and the non-skin-facing surface, the soft defecation removing pad 1c has a skin-facing surface marked with an indication indicating that it is the skin-facing surface, or the non-skin-facing surface is marked with an indication. is preferably labeled to indicate that it is the non-skin facing surface. Such representations may be letters, graphics, symbols or a combination thereof.

Next, the preferred configuration and the like of each of the above-described embodiments will be described in detail.
It is preferable that the surface sheet 6 has a plurality of pores from the viewpoint of facilitating the passage of loose stools in order to further improve the migration of loose stools. In particular, it is more preferable that the surface sheet 6 arranged on the skin facing side has a plurality of openings. It is preferable that the plurality of openings are formed in a dotted pattern when the surface sheet 6 is viewed from above. From the same viewpoint as above, the size of the opening, that is, the opening width is preferably 1 mm or more, more preferably 3 mm or more, and is preferably 10 mm or less, more preferably 8 mm or less, and is preferably 1 mm or more. It is 10 mm or less, more preferably 3 mm or more and 8 mm or less. For hole-forming, for example, a cutting device having a cutter roll and an anvil roll, and having a cutting blade having a shape corresponding to the outline of the hole on the outer peripheral surface of the cutter roll can be used. .

From the viewpoint of more reliably ensuring the retention capacity of loose feces, the basis weight of the retention layer 2 is preferably 100 g/m ² or more, more preferably 120 g/m ² or more, and preferably 500 g/m ² or less. It is preferably 450 g/m ² or less, more preferably 200 g/m ² or less, more preferably 100 g/m ² or more and 500 g/m ² or less, more preferably 120 g/m ² or more and 450 g/m ² or less, still more preferably It is 120 g/m ² or more and 200 g/m ² or less.
From the same viewpoint as above, the basis weight of the bulky sheet 3 is preferably 50 g/m ² or more, more preferably 60 g/m ² or more, and preferably 100 g/m ² or less, more preferably 90 g/m ² . or less, preferably 50 g/m ² or more and 100 g/m ² or less, more preferably 60 g/m ² or more and 90 g/m ² or less. From the same viewpoint as above, the density of the bulky sheet 3 is preferably 0.001 g/cm ³ or more, more preferably 0.001 g/cm ³ or more, and the upper limit is 0.02 g/cm 3 . It is preferably ³ or less, more preferably 0.01 g/cm ³ or less. The density of the bulky sheet 3 is calculated by dividing the basis weight of the bulky sheet 3 by the thickness of the bulky sheet 3 .

From the same viewpoint as above, the volume of the retention layer 2 is preferably 200000 mm ³ or more, more preferably 250000 mm ³ or more, and preferably 60000 mm ³ or less, more preferably 55000 mm ³ or less, and more preferably 20000 mm ³ . 60000 mm ³ or more, more preferably 25000 mm ³ or more and 55000 mm ³ or less.

From the viewpoint of further improving the transferability of soft stool, each basis weight in the first region 5 and the second region 4 is preferably within the following range.
The basis weight of the first region 5 is preferably 10 g/m ² or more, more preferably 15 g/m ² or more, still more preferably 30 g/m ² or more, and preferably 80 g/m ² or less, more preferably 70 g. /m ² or less, more preferably 60 g/m ² or less, more preferably 10 g/m ² or more and 80 g/m ² or less, more preferably 15 g/m ² or more and 70 g/m ² or less, still more preferably 30 g/m 2 or less ² or more and 60 g/m ² or less.
The basis weight of the second region 4 is preferably 10 g/m ² or more, more preferably 15 g/m ² or more, still more preferably 20 g/m ² or more, and preferably 80 g/m ² or less, more preferably 70 g. /m ² or less, more preferably 40 g/m ² or less, preferably 10 g/m ² or more and 80 g/m ² or less, more preferably 15 g/m ² or more and 70 g/m ² or less, still more preferably 20 g/m 2 or less. ² or more and 40 g/m ² or less.

When loose stool is highly viscous, it tends to be difficult to migrate. From the viewpoint of further improving the transferability of highly viscous loose feces, it is preferable that the retention layer 2 has through holes that penetrate in the thickness direction Z or non-through holes that do not penetrate. In this case, the holding layer 2 may have single or multiple through holes or non-through holes. The opening width of the through-holes or non-through-holes is preferably 1 mm or more, more preferably 3 mm or more, more preferably 20 mm or less, more preferably 15 mm or less, and more preferably 1 mm or more and 20 mm or less, more preferably 3 mm. 15 mm or less. The through-holes or non-through-holes may be formed by partially cutting the holding layer 2 by a known cutting means. It is possible to use a cutting device having a plurality of cutter rolls formed by dispersing the blades into a plurality of blades and an anvil roll for receiving the blades of the cutter rolls.

From the viewpoint of further improving loose stool migration from the topsheet 6 to the retention layer 2 , the bulky sheet 3 preferably has higher hydrophilicity than the topsheet 6 . That is, it is preferable that the first region 5 and the second region 4 have higher hydrophilicity than the surface sheet 6 . Hydrophilicity is determined, for example, according to the method described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-142721, based on the contact angle with water of fibers collected from the member or site to be measured. Specifically, a high degree of hydrophilicity is synonymous with a small contact angle, and a low degree of hydrophilicity is synonymous with a large contact angle.
From the same viewpoint as above, the contact angle of the bulky sheet 3 is preferably smaller than the contact angle of the topsheet 6 . In this case, the difference in contact angle between the bulky sheet 3 and the topsheet 6 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 10 degrees or more, more preferably 20 degrees or more, from the viewpoint of further improving loose stool migration.

The contact angle of the bulky sheet 3 is preferably 80 degrees or less, more preferably 70 degrees or less, from the viewpoint of further improving the migration of loose feces.
From the same point of view as above, the contact angle of the topsheet 6 is preferably 90 degrees or less, more preferably 80 degrees or less, provided that it is larger than the contact angle of the bulky sheet 3 .

From the viewpoint of improving the capillary force in the retention layer 2 and further improving the migration of loose stools, the first region 5 preferably has a smaller fiber diameter than the second region 4 . The fiber diameter of the constituent fibers is measured by <Method for Measuring Fiber Diameter> described above.
From the viewpoint of further improving the migration of loose stool, the fiber diameter of the constituent fibers in the first region 5 is preferably 15 μm or more, more preferably 20 μm or more, and is preferably 35 μm or less, more preferably 30 μm or less, Further, it is preferably 15 μm or more and 35 μm or less, more preferably 20 μm or more and 30 μm or less.
From the same point of view as above, the fiber diameter of the constituent fibers in the second region 4 is preferably greater than the fiber diameter of the constituent fibers in the first region 5, preferably 35 μm or more, more preferably 40 μm or more, and It is preferably 55 μm or less, more preferably 50 μm or less, more preferably 35 μm or more and 55 μm or less, more preferably 40 μm or more and 50 μm or less.

When the fiber diameters of the constituent fibers in the first region 5 and the second region 4 are the same, from the viewpoint of further improving the migration of loose stool, the fiber diameters of the constituent fibers in the first region 5 and the second region 4 are It is preferably 15 μm or more, more preferably 20 μm or more, still more preferably 25 μm or more, more preferably 45 μm or less, more preferably 40 μm or less, still more preferably 35 μm or less, more preferably 15 μm or more and 45 μm or less, more preferably It is 20 μm or more and 40 μm or less, more preferably 25 μm or more and 35 μm or less.

From the viewpoint of further improving the migration of loose stools, it is preferable that the first region 5 and the second region 4 have different orientations of the constituent fibers, and the constituent fibers in the second region 4 are oriented in the thickness direction Z. more preferably. The degree of orientation of the fibers does not need to be uniform. For example, the orientation of the fibers in the thickness direction Z increases stepwise or continuously from one surface of the second region to the other surface. may be The orientation of the fibers in the thickness direction Z can be achieved by controlling the wind speed, wind direction, etc. of the hot air blown onto the web when the bulky sheet 3 is manufactured. Further, the surface of the nonwoven fabric manufactured by the air-through method is further subjected to mechanical processing (hereinafter, this processing is also referred to as "machine processing") to cut some of the fusion points between the heat-fusible fibers. can also be achieved by Machining may be performed only on one side of the nonwoven fabric, or may be performed on both sides of the nonwoven fabric. The presence or absence of cutting of the fusion point is determined by observing the heat fusion fibers in the holding layer with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and confirming that a fiber mass thicker than the fiber diameter of the heat fusion fiber adheres to one heat fusion fiber. It can be judged by whether it is in a state of being stuck or whether it is in a state of being attached by involving a plurality of heat-fusible fibers. Specifically, when a part of the fusion point is cut, a fiber mass thicker than the fiber diameter of the heat-fusible fiber is attached to one heat-fusible fiber, or a plurality of A state in which the heat-fusible fibers are wrapped around and adhered is observed.

The orientation of the fibers can be evaluated by the orientation angle and orientation strength of the fibers. The orientation angle indicates the angle at which the fibers are most oriented, and the orientation strength indicates the strength at that orientation angle. Specifically, the orientation angle of fibers is a concept that indicates in which direction a plurality of fibers having various orientations are oriented as a whole, and quantifies the shape of an aggregate of fibers. As the orientation angle, the closer the angle between the direction of the retaining layer (extending direction of the retaining layer) and the fiber is to a value closer to 90 degrees, the more the fibers are oriented in the thickness direction Z of the sheet. The fiber orientation strength is a concept that indicates the amount of fibers exhibiting an orientation angle. If the orientation strength is less than 1.05, it is not oriented, and if it is 1.05 or more, it can be said that there is orientation. Also, the larger the value of the orientation strength, the more consistent the orientation of the fibers.

From the viewpoint of further improving the migration of loose stools, it is preferable that the orientation angle of the fibers in the second region 4 is as close to 90 degrees as possible. Specifically, the orientation angle of the fibers is preferably 40 degrees or more and 140 degrees or less, more preferably 50 degrees or more and 130 degrees or less. From the same viewpoint as above, it is preferable that the constituent fibers in the second region 4 have a fiber orientation strength of 1.05 or more.
From the same viewpoint as above, it is preferable that the orientation angle of the fibers in the first region 5 is as close to 60 degrees as possible. Specifically, the orientation angle of the fibers is preferably 10 degrees or more and 110 degrees or less, and more preferably 20 degrees or more and 100 degrees or less. From the same point of view as above, it is preferable that the constituent fibers in the first region 5 have a fiber orientation strength of 1.05 or more.

The orientation angle and orientation strength of fibers can be evaluated as follows.
[Method for Measuring Orientation Angle and Orientation Strength of Fiber]
First, using a digital microscope VHX-1000 manufactured by Keyence, the site to be measured is magnified to an observable size (10 to 100 times). The sample is left still so that the thickness direction Z of the bulky sheet 3 and the vertical direction of the scope are aligned. An image taken from a direction perpendicular to the measurement plane of the sample is then printed. A transparent PET sheet is placed on the printed image, and fibers are traced through the transparent PET sheet to transfer the orientation of the fibers in the image to the transparent PET sheet. This transparent PET sheet is scanned and imported into a personal computer, and the image of the fiber transferred to the transparent PET sheet is binarized using nexusNewQube (trade name; stand-alone version) image processing software manufactured by Nexus Co., Ltd. . Subsequently, the binarized image is subjected to Fourier transform using Fiber Orientation Analysis 8.13 Single software (trade name), which is a fiber orientation analysis program, to obtain a power spectrum. The orientation angle and orientation intensity are obtained from the figure. The measurement is performed at three locations, and the measured values are averaged to obtain the orientation angle and the orientation intensity of each measurement sample.

The soft defecation removing pad 1 in each embodiment described above can be manufactured, for example, by the following method.
The bulky sheet 3 constituting the holding layer 2 can be formed, for example, by laminating a plurality of webs having the same density of constituent fibers and subjecting the laminated webs to a raising process. Examples of the method of performing the raising process include the method described in JP-A-2012-092476 and the method described in JP-A-2013-028891. Alternatively, it can be formed by laminating two webs having different densities of constituent fibers and making them into a non-woven fabric by an air-through method. The non-woven fabric (bulky sheet) formed by the above method has the first region 5 on the side with the higher density of the constituent fibers, and the second region 4 on the side with the lower density of the constituent fibers. A plurality of bulky sheets 3 thus obtained can be laminated, or one sheet can be folded and laminated to form the holding layer 2 . Next, an adhesive is applied to one surface of the topsheet 6, and the outer surface (surface) of the retaining layer 2 is covered with the adhesive-applied topsheet 6 to obtain the soft feces removing pad 1. .

Although the present invention has been described above based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.
Although the soft defecation removing pad of the embodiment described above comprises the surface sheet 6 and the holding layer 2, it may comprise other members other than these constituent members. For example, a sheet for forming three-dimensional gathers (not shown) extending along the longitudinal direction of the holding layer may be provided on the side of the soft defecation removing pad facing the skin.
Further, although the holding layer 2 in the above-described embodiment has a laminated structure in which the same bulky sheets 3 are laminated, it may have a laminated structure in which different types of bulky sheets 3 are laminated. For example, the holding layer may have a laminated structure in which a plurality of types of bulky sheets having different inter-fiber distances between the first regions 5 or different inter-fiber distances between the second regions 4 are laminated.

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to such examples.

[Examples 1 to 3]
Soft defecation pads shown in FIG. 2 were manufactured and used as samples for each example. Specifically, an air-through nonwoven fabric having a structure in which two layers having different interfiber distances of constituent fibers are laminated was prepared, and this was used as a bulky sheet. Then, two of the bulky sheets were laminated to form a holding layer. The outer surface of this holding layer was covered with a surface sheet to obtain a soft defecation removing pad. As the constituent fibers of the bulky sheet, core-sheath type composite fibers with a core of PP and a sheath of PE, or core-sheath type composite fibers with a core of PET and a sheath of PE were used. In Examples 1 to 3, bulky sheets having different fiber diameters D, basis weights W, and inter-fiber distances of constituent fibers were used. Table 1 below shows the specifications of the bulky sheets of each example and comparative example. The surface sheet used an air-through nonwoven fabric containing PP fibers and PE fibers at a content ratio (PP:PE) of 50:50. The surface sheet had an average fiber diameter of 18 μm, a basis weight of 20 g/m ² , and an inter-fiber distance of 109 μm. The fiber diameter D, basis weight W, and inter-fiber distance in each of the first and second regions shown in Table 1 were measured by the methods described above.
In Examples 1 to 3, the second regions are located on the skin-facing side of the upper layer and on the non-skin-facing side of the lower layer.

[Examples 4 to 6]
A soft defecation removing pad shown in FIG. 5 was manufactured and used as a sample for each example. In Examples 4 to 6, soft defecation pads were produced in the same manner as in Examples 1 to 3, except that the first regions were arranged on the skin-facing side of the upper layer and on the non-skin-facing side of the lower layer.

[Examples 7 to 9]
A soft defecation removing pad shown in FIG. 7 was manufactured and used as a sample for each example. In Examples 7 to 9, soft defecation pads were produced in the same manner as in Examples 1 to 3 described above, except that the first region was arranged on the non-skin facing side of the lower layer.

[Comparative Example 1]
A core-sheath type composite fiber (fiber diameter 33 μm) having a PP core and a PE sheath and a core-sheath type composite fiber (fiber diameter 20 μm) having a PET core and a PE sheath were mixed at a ratio of 50:50. A sheet containing these conjugate fibers in a mixed ratio and having a constant inter-fiber distance was prepared. A soft defecation removing pad was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 above, except that two sheets of this sheet were stacked to form a holding layer. Since the distance between the fibers in each layer constituting the upper layer and the lower layer of the holding layer is constant, the soft defecation removing pad does not have the first region and the second region.

With regard to the soft feces removing pads of Examples and Comparative Examples described above, the absorption time of soft feces was measured according to the following method, and the performance was evaluated based on the absorption time. The measurement environment was room temperature of 23° C. and humidity of 50% RH. The results are shown in Table 1 below.

[Performance evaluation]
Samples of 5 cm×5 cm were cut from the central portions in the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the soft defecation removing pads of Examples and Comparative Examples described above. Subsequently, a bottomless rectangular tube having a bottom inner dimension of 5 cm×5 cm and a height of 7 cm was prepared, and a wire mesh having a mesh size of 1 mm×1 mm was placed on the bottom. Next, a sample was put into the rectangular tube through the opening on the side opposite to the wire mesh, and the sample was placed on the wire mesh. The sample was placed in the rectangular tube so that the surface sheet was on the side opposite to the wire mesh. In such a rectangular tube, the wire mesh side is the non-skin facing side, and the side opposite to the wire mesh is the skin facing side. Then, 60 g of simulated loose stool was injected through the tube onto the surface sheet of the sample. The simulated loose stool was a suspension prepared by dissolving or dispersing bentonite in water, and the viscosity of the simulated loose stool was adjusted to 40 mPa·s by adjusting the bentonite concentration.
After injecting the pseudo-soft stool into the sample, the absorption time until the injected pseudo-soft stool was incorporated into the soft stool pad was measured. Specifically, the time from the start of injection of the pseudo-soft stool to the disappearance of all the liquid surface of the pseudo-soft stool from the surface sheet was measured.

Based on the measurement result of the absorption time described above, the soft stool uptake was evaluated according to the following criteria. It can be evaluated that the shorter the absorption time, the better the uptake of loose stools. Table 1 shows the evaluation results.
3 points: Absorption time is 5 seconds or less 2 points: Absorption time is over 5 seconds and 10 seconds or less 1 point: Absorption time is over 10 seconds

In Examples 1 to 9, the absorption time of the pseudo-soft stool was shorter than that of the comparative example, and the evaluation of the uptake of the soft stool was high. Moreover, in Examples 1 to 9, it was not confirmed that the pseudo loose stool taken in from the skin-facing side (surface layer) of the sample leaked out from the non-skin-facing side (wire mesh side) of the sample. That is, in Examples 1 to 9, the pseudo loose stool taken into the sample was well retained.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 soft feces removing pad 2 retention layer 3 bulky sheet 4 second region 5 first region 6 surface sheet 21 upper layer 23 lower layer X longitudinal direction Y width direction Z thickness direction

Claims (10)

comprising a retention layer and a liquid-permeable surface sheet covering both sides of the retention layer,
The holding layer has a structure in which a plurality of bulky sheets are laminated, and the bulky sheet is made of an air-through nonwoven fabric containing heat-fusible fibers,
The bulky sheet has, in its thickness direction, a first region having a fiber-to-fiber distance of 150 μm or more and a second region having a fiber-to-fiber distance longer than that of the first region ,
A soft defecation pad that does not contain a water-absorbent polymer . The bulky sheet forming one surface of the retention layer has a second region facing the one surface,
2. The soft feces removing pad according to claim 1, wherein the bulky sheet forming the other side of the retaining layer has a second region facing the other side. The bulky sheet forming one surface of the retention layer has a second region facing the one surface,
2. The soft feces removing pad according to claim 1, wherein the lofty sheet forming the other side of the retaining layer has a first region facing the other side. The soft defecation removing pad according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said surface sheet has a plurality of apertures. The soft defecation removing pad according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the retention layer has a basis weight of 100 g/m ² or more. The soft defecation removing pad according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the retaining layer has a volume of 200,000 mm ³ or more. The soft defecation removing pad according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the holding layer has through holes penetrating in the thickness direction. The soft defecation removing pad according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said bulky sheet has higher hydrophilicity than said surface sheet. The soft defecation removing pad according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first region has a smaller fiber diameter of constituent fibers than the second region. The soft defecation removing pad according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first region and the second region have different orientations of constituent fibers.

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