JP7487262B2 - Absorbent articles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to absorbent articles such as disposable diapers.

When absorbent articles such as disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, panty liners (discharge sheets), and incontinence pads are worn, skin rashes may occur due to sweating, etc. Therefore, in order to prevent the occurrence of rashes, absorbent articles using antibacterial agents have been proposed.
For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe absorbent articles in which an antibacterial agent is kneaded into the fibers constituting the surface material that comes into contact with the wearer's skin.

JP 2006-55187 A JP 2021-52938 A

In absorbent articles that use antibacterial agents, the antibacterial agent is poorly soluble in water, and this means that urine and other excretory liquids penetrate the surface sheet (surface material) before the antibacterial properties can be fully exerted, making it difficult to achieve efficient antibacterial properties.

The present invention relates to an absorbent article that can exhibit efficient antibacterial properties.

An absorbent article according to one embodiment of the present invention has a vertical direction extending from the wearer's abdominal side through the crotch region to the dorsal side, and a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, and is divided along the vertical direction into a abdominal region, a crotch region, and a dorsal region.
The absorbent article comprises:
an absorbent disposed across the abdominal region, the crotch region, and the back region;
and a surface material positioned on the skin side of the absorbent body.
The absorbent body is
A pair of deformation guides extending in the vertical direction in the crotch region and disposed on either side of a center in the horizontal direction;
A central region located between the pair of deformation guides;
and a side region located laterally outboard of the central region.
The surface material is
A first region overlaps with the central region in a plan view and includes a metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber that contains a metal oxide antibacterial agent;
and a second region located laterally outboard of the first region and containing a smaller amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent than the first region.

The absorbent article of the present invention is capable of exhibiting efficient antibacterial properties.

1 is a perspective view showing an example of a disposable diaper (absorbent article) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the disposable diaper, showing the state in which the elastic members of each portion are stretched and spread out flat, as viewed from the skin side (surface material side). FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the disposable diaper taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of a surface material and an absorbent body (broken lines) of the disposable diaper. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the disposable diaper when worn. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion of the surface material. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber used in the surface material. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a disposable diaper (absorbent article) according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a disposable diaper (absorbent article) according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

The absorbent article of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, using a disposable diaper as an example.

First Embodiment
[Overall structure of disposable diaper]
1 to 3 show a pants-type disposable diaper 1 as an absorbent article according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The pants-type disposable diaper 1 will be referred to as diaper 1 hereinafter.
The diaper 1 has a longitudinal direction X corresponding to the front-to-back direction of a wearer, and a transverse direction Y corresponding to the left-to-right direction of the wearer and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X. Furthermore, the diaper 1 has a thickness direction Z perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction X and the transverse direction Y.
In this specification, with respect to the lateral direction Y, the side closer to the vertical center line CL that divides the diaper 1 in half in the lateral direction Y is referred to as the "inner side in the lateral direction Y," and the side away from the vertical center line CL is referred to as the "outer side in the lateral direction Y."
In this specification, each component is referred to as being viewed in a plan view when viewed from the thickness direction Z. In this specification, the "skin side" of each component refers to the side that is located on the skin side of the wearer when the disposable diaper is worn. In each component, the "non-skin side" refers to the side that is located opposite the skin side of the wearer when the disposable diaper is worn. In addition, with regard to the thickness direction Z, the side that is closer to the wearer's skin when worn may be referred to as the top, and the side that is closer to the clothing may be referred to as the bottom.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the diaper 1 has a waist opening 1W and a pair of leg openings IL, and is placed around the waist and crotch area of a wearer when worn.
The diaper 1 is divided into a ventral region A, which is positioned on the ventral side of the wearer when worn, a dorsal region B, which is positioned on the dorsal side of the wearer when worn, and a crotch region C, which is located between the ventral region A and the dorsal region B and is positioned in the crotch area of the wearer when worn. The ventral region A, the crotch region C, and the dorsal region B are arranged along the longitudinal direction X. The ventral region A and the dorsal region B are joined at their side edges A1, B1 in the lateral direction Y to form a waist opening 1W. Leg openings are formed in the crotch region C, which form leg openings 1L.
2 shows the diaper 1 unfolded and laid out flat to the designed dimensions with the elastic members of each portion stretched and completely free of any effect of the elastic members. Unfolding the diaper 1 means unfolding the diaper 1 by separating the side edge portion A1 of the abdominal region A and the side edge portion B1 of the dorsal region B.

In the example shown in Figures 2 and 3, the diaper 1 has a surface material (top sheet) 2, an absorbent 4, a side sheet 5, a leak-proof sheet 3, and an exterior material 6. The diaper 1 has a configuration in which the exterior material 6, the leak-proof sheet 3, the absorbent 4, and the surface material 2 are laminated in the thickness direction Z. These components are joined to each other by known joining means such as a hot melt adhesive.

The absorbent body 4 is disposed across the abdominal region A, the crotch region C, and the back region B. The absorbent body 4 absorbs liquid excrement such as moisture contained in the wearer's urine and feces from the surface side of the surface material 2, and retains the liquid excrement by diffusing it inside.
In this specification, "excrement" refers to all excrement of the wearer, including solid feces, and "liquid excrement" refers to liquid excrement such as urine and water in feces.
The absorbent body 4 has an absorbent core 40 and a core wrap sheet 41 .
The absorbent core 40 is mainly composed of an absorbent material capable of retaining liquid excrement. Specifically, the absorbent core 40 has a structure in which a hydrophilic fiber stack is supported with an absorbent polymer, or a structure made of only a water-absorbent polymer, or the like.
The core wrap sheet 41 covers the absorbent core 40 and has a function of, for example, maintaining the shape of the absorbent core 40. The core wrap sheet 41 is formed of, for example, a thin, soft paper such as tissue paper or a liquid-permeable nonwoven fabric.

The surface material 2 is disposed so as to contact the wearer's skin when the diaper 1 is worn. The surface material 2 is disposed at least on the skin side (upper side in the thickness direction Z) of the absorbent body 4. In the example shown in Fig. 3, the surface material 2 is disposed so as to extend from the skin side of the absorbent body 4 to the side edge portion 4s in the lateral direction Y, and further wrap around to the non-skin side of the absorbent body 4.
The surface material 2 is configured as a liquid-permeable sheet material, and is formed of a nonwoven fabric containing synthetic fibers or natural fibers.
In this embodiment, the surface material 2 contains a metal oxide antibacterial agent from the viewpoint of exerting an antibacterial effect on excrement. The detailed configurations of the surface material 2 and the metal oxide antibacterial agent will be described later.

The exterior material 6 is disposed on the non-skin side (lower in the thickness direction Z) of the absorbent body 4 and, for example, constitutes almost the entire non-skin side of the diaper 1. The exterior material 6 is preferably leak-proof, and is formed, for example, from a sheet material having properties such as low liquid permeability, water vapor permeability, and water repellency.
In the example shown in FIG. 3 , the exterior material 6 includes a skin side sheet 61 and a non-skin side sheet 62 .
1 and 2, the outer material 6 forms a waist opening 1W and leg openings 1L. The outer material 6 further includes a waist elastic member 63 arranged along the waist opening 1W and a leg elastic member 64 arranged along the leg openings 1L. The waist elastic member 63 and the leg elastic member 64 are arranged, for example, between the skin side sheet 61 and the non-skin side sheet 62.

A pair of side sheets 5 are arranged on the skin side of the lateral direction Y of the surface material 2. The side sheets 5 are preferably leak-proof, and are formed of a sheet material having functions such as low liquid permeability, water vapor permeability, and water repellency. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the side sheets 5 extend from the lateral direction Y of the skin side of the surface material 2 to the non-skin side of the surface material 2. The skin side end of the side sheets 5 is spaced from the surface material 2. The non-skin side end of the side sheets 5, together with the non-skin side end of the surface material 2, is joined to the leak-proof sheet 3 or the like by adhesive, heat sealing, or the like.

In the diaper 1, a thread-like or strip-like elastic member 51 is disposed on the skin-side end of the side sheet 5. The elastic member 51 extends in the longitudinal direction X and is attached to the side sheet 5 in a stretched state. As a result, when worn, the skin-side end of the side sheet 5 stands up against the skin, forming a three-dimensional gather G.

The leakproof sheet 3 is made of a liquid-impermeable or liquid-difficult-to-permeable resin film and is disposed between the absorbent body 4 and the exterior material 6. The leakproof sheet 3 is bonded to the non-skin side of the absorbent body 4 by, for example, adhesive H1, and to the exterior material 6 by adhesive H2.

[Configuration of absorbent body]
In this embodiment, from the viewpoint of enhancing the antibacterial effect of the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained in the surface material 2, the absorbent body 4 has the following configuration.
As shown in FIG. 4, the absorbent body 4 has a pair of deformation guides 42 extending in the longitudinal direction X in the crotch region C and disposed on either side of the center in the lateral direction Y.
The deformation guide portion 42 is a portion that becomes a starting point for folding of the absorbent body 4. The deformation guide portion 42 may be configured to be capable of inducing folding of the absorbent body 4, and may be configured, for example, as any one of a slit, a low basis weight portion, a compressed portion, or a portion with a crease in the absorbent core 40.
The slit means a through hole having an elongated shape in a plan view and penetrating the absorbent core 40 in the thickness direction Z.
The low basis weight portion refers to a portion of the absorbent core 40 having a lower basis weight than the surrounding area.
The compressed portion refers to a portion where the absorbent core 40 is compressed and reduced in thickness by compression processing.
The creased portion is a portion in which a crease has been formed by a process such as folding and pressing the absorbent body 4 or the absorbent core 40 .
Of these, from the viewpoint of reliably inducing bending, the deformation guide portion 42 is preferably configured as a slit or a low basis weight portion, and more preferably configured as a slit as shown in FIG.

The deformation guide 42 may be disposed at least in the crotch region C, and may extend to at least one of the abdominal region A and the dorsal region B. In addition, the deformation guide 42 is not limited to a configuration extending over the entire length of the crotch region C, and may extend in the longitudinal direction X in at least a part of the crotch region C.
The term "the deformation inducing portion 42 extends in the vertical direction X" does not necessarily mean that the deformation inducing portion 42 extends parallel to the vertical direction X, but may extend from the ventral side to the dorsal side as a whole. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the deformation inducing portion 42 is configured in a curved shape that is convex inward in the horizontal direction Y.
The shape of the deformation inducing portion 42 in plan view is not particularly limited as long as it is elongated in the vertical direction X. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the deformation inducing portion 42 is configured in a linear (strip) shape, and the dimension in the width direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the deformation inducing portion 42 is substantially constant. Alternatively, the dimension in the width direction of the deformation inducing portion 42 may change along the extension direction.

The center in the lateral direction Y of the absorbent body 4 means the region on the vertical center line CL that divides the diaper 1 into two equal parts in the lateral direction Y. In other words, the pair of deformation guide parts 42 are disposed on both sides in the lateral direction Y of the vertical center line CL. The pair of deformation guide parts 42 divide the central region 43 and the side regions 44.

That is, the absorbent body 4 further has a central region 43 located between the pair of deformation guides 42 and side regions 44 located outside the central region 43 in the lateral direction Y.
The central region 43 is a region sandwiched between a pair of deformation guide portions 42. That is, as shown in Fig. 4, a side edge portion 43s of the central region 43 in the horizontal direction Y is a boundary portion with the deformation guide portions 42, and coincides with an inner edge portion on the inside in the horizontal direction Y of the deformation guide portions 42. An end portion of the central region 43 in the vertical direction X is a portion connecting the ends of the pair of deformation guide portions 42 in the vertical direction X.
The side regions 44 are regions located outboard in the lateral direction Y of the side edge portions 43s of the central region 43 (i.e., the inner edge portions of the deformation guide portions 42).

Here, since the width of the wearer's crotch is generally narrower than the width of the absorbent body 4 in the lateral direction Y, when the diaper is worn, the absorbent body 4 bends from the deformation guide portion 42 as a starting point. That is, as shown in Fig. 5, the absorbent body 4 deforms to fit into the wearer's crotch K, and the central region 43 and the side regions 44 rise up toward the skin side. As a result, the absorbent body 4 deforms into a concave shape with the central region 43 as the bottom and the side regions 44 as the upright portions. Based on the concave deformation of the absorbent body 4, the surface material 2 also deforms, forming a recess R on the skin side of the diaper 1, which makes it easier for excrement such as urine and feces to temporarily accumulate.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, a metal oxide antibacterial agent is blended into the surface material 2 so that antibacterial action is effectively and efficiently exerted against excrement accumulated in such recesses R.

[Surface material composition]
The surface material 2 is made of one or more sheet materials containing fibers. As the sheet material, various nonwoven fabrics such as nonwoven fabrics manufactured by a carding method, spunbond nonwoven fabrics, meltblown nonwoven fabrics, spunlace nonwoven fabrics and needlepunch nonwoven fabrics, and meltblown nonwoven fabrics, spunlace nonwoven fabrics and needlepunch nonwoven fabrics can be used.

The surface material 2 contains a metal oxide antibacterial agent. The metal oxide antibacterial agent is made of a metal oxide and is contained in the fiber. The fiber containing the metal oxide antibacterial agent is called a fiber containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent. The fiber containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent is preferably one in which the metal oxide antibacterial agent is kneaded into the fiber.
In the fiber containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent, the metal oxide antibacterial agent may be present inside the fiber, or a part of the metal oxide antibacterial agent may be exposed on the surface. For example, when the fiber containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent is a core-sheath type composite fiber, the metal oxide antibacterial agent may be contained in only one of the core and the sheath of the fiber, or may be contained in both the core and the sheath.
As the metal oxide antibacterial agent, zinc oxide, silver oxide, aluminum oxide, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, copper oxide, etc. can be used. These metal oxides may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these, the metal oxide of the present embodiment preferably contains zinc oxide in terms of high antibacterial properties, safety, and cost.

Metal oxides have low solubility in water, and therefore are unlikely to fall off in a short period of time even when the metal oxide comes into contact with liquid excrement such as urine.
Furthermore, since the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber contains a metal oxide antibacterial agent, the metal oxide antibacterial agent is effectively prevented from falling off from the fiber even when the fiber comes into contact with liquid excrement.
This allows the metal oxide antibacterial agent to remain easily on the surface material 2, enabling sufficient contact between the excrement accumulated in the recesses R and the metal oxide antibacterial agent.

Furthermore, from the viewpoint of obtaining an effective and efficient antibacterial effect, the surface material 2 has a first region 21 and a second region 22 which have different blending amounts of the metal oxide antibacterial agent.
As shown in Fig. 4, the first region 21 overlaps with the central region 43 of the absorbent body 4 in a plan view, and contains a metal oxide antibacterial agent. The first region 21 may overlap at least a part of the central region 43 in a plan view, but preferably overlaps with the entire central region 43. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the first region 21 extends over the entire length of the surface material 2 in the vertical direction X. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the edge of the first region 21 on the horizontal direction Y is configured to be straight, but may include a curved portion.
The second region 22 is located outside the first region 21 in the lateral direction Y. In a plan view, the second region overlaps with at least a part of the side region 44 of the absorbent body 4. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the second region 22 extends over the entire length of the surface material 2 in the longitudinal direction X, similar to the first region 21. The second region 22 contains a smaller amount of metal oxide antibacterial agent than the first region 21.
In this specification, the expression "a certain region contains a small amount of metal oxide antibacterial agent" is intended to include an embodiment in which the certain region does not contain a metal oxide antibacterial agent.
In other words, the second region 22 has a configuration in which the metal oxide antibacterial agent is contained in an amount smaller than that of the first region 21, or in which no metal oxide antibacterial agent is contained.

When one type of fiber containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent is used in the surface material 2, the amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the first region 21 and the second region 22 can be adjusted, for example, by the amount of the fiber containing the metal oxide antibacterial agent. For example, the mass ratio of the fiber containing the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the first region 21 can be made larger than the mass ratio of the fiber containing the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the second region 22.
Alternatively, it is possible to use fibers containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent with different blending ratios of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the first region 21 and the second region 22. For example, the blending ratio of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the fiber containing the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the first region 21 can be made higher than the blending ratio of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the fiber containing the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the second region 22.
In this embodiment, the first region 21 has a fiber layer containing fibers containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent, and the second region 22 does not have a fiber layer containing fibers containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent, so that the amount of metal oxide antibacterial agent contained in the first region 21 is adjusted to be greater than that in the second region 22. The detailed configuration will be described later.

[Effects of this embodiment]
In this embodiment, the surface material 2 includes a metal oxide antibacterial agent-blended fiber that contains a metal oxide antibacterial agent. This allows the metal oxide antibacterial agent to gradually dissolve in liquid excrement such as urine, making it possible to prevent the metal oxide antibacterial agent from falling off from the surface material 2 in a short period of time.
5, the absorbent body 4 of this embodiment deforms when worn such that the side regions 44 rise from the central region 43 toward the skin. Accordingly, a recess R is formed on the skin side of the surface material 2. In the recess R, the first region 21 overlapping with the central region 43 forms the bottom, and the second region 22 on the outer side of the central region 43 in the lateral direction Y mainly forms the rising portion. Excrement temporarily accumulates on the first region 21, which forms the bottom, and liquid excrement therein is gradually absorbed into the absorbent body 4.
In this embodiment, the first region 21 of the surface material 2 contains a large amount of metal oxide antibacterial agent. This increases the contact time between the liquid excreta and the metal oxide antibacterial agent, ensuring sufficient time for the metal oxide antibacterial agent to elute. As a result, it is possible to prevent the liquid excreta from migrating to the non-skin side of the surface material 2 before the metal oxide antibacterial agent is eluted, and it is possible to increase the amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent eluted into the liquid excreta. Therefore, even if the metal oxide antibacterial agent is made of a metal oxide that has low solubility in water and is contained in the fibers, it is possible to enhance the antibacterial effect against bacteria derived from liquid excreta.
Furthermore, by incorporating a metal oxide antibacterial agent into the surface material 2, it is possible to exert an antibacterial effect directly on the excrement that comes into contact with the skin, thereby making it possible to effectively suppress skin rashes caused by bacteria derived from the excrement.
On the other hand, since the second region 22 is an upright portion, it is likely to come into direct contact with the wearer's skin. By reducing the amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the second region 22, it is possible to prevent the metal oxide antibacterial agent from coming into direct contact with the skin. This makes it possible to prevent the metal oxide antibacterial agent from acting on the resident bacteria on the skin, and also to prevent skin rashes caused by an imbalance of the resident bacteria.
As described above, according to this embodiment, the antibacterial action of the metal oxide antibacterial agent can be effectively exerted, and it is possible to reduce the amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent mixed in the entire surface material 2. As a result, it is possible to realize a diaper (absorbent article) 1 that is low-cost, gentle on the skin, and capable of exerting antibacterial action.

[Example of arrangement of the first region and the second region of the surface material]
From the viewpoint of exerting an antibacterial effect more effectively even against a large amount of excrement, it is preferable that the first region 21 extends outward in the lateral direction Y from the central region 43 in a plan view, as shown in Fig. 4. In this case, it is sufficient that the first region 21 extends outward in the lateral direction Y from at least a part of the side edge portion 43s of the central region 43.

5, when worn, a bottom portion is formed on the central region 43 of the absorbent body 4, and upright portions are formed on the side regions 44 of the absorbent body 4, forming recesses R in the surface material 2. When a large amount of excrement is excreted at once, there is a possibility that the excrement will reach not only the bottom portion but also the upright portions.
In the above configuration, the first region 21 includes a region that can be the bottom on the central region 43, as well as a region that can be the upright portion on the side region 44. Therefore, the lateral side portions of the first region 21 in the lateral direction Y extend to the upright portion, and can sufficiently contact the excrement over a wide area. Therefore, the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained in the first region 21 can more reliably exert its antibacterial effect against bacteria derived from excrement.

In this case, the second region 22 preferably overlaps with a side edge portion 4s in the lateral direction Y of the absorbent body 4 in a plan view.
4 and 5, the side edge 4s of the absorbent body 4 is an outer edge of the side region 44 on the outer side in the lateral direction Y. When the recess R is formed during wearing, the side edge 4s of the absorbent body 4 forms the part of the upright portion that protrudes most toward the skin.
In other words, with this configuration, the amount of metal oxide antibacterial agent in the parts that are likely to come into contact with the wearer's skin can be reliably reduced, and disruption of the balance of resident bacteria can be more reliably prevented.

[Example of a two-layer surface material]
In this embodiment, from the viewpoint of easily adjusting the amounts of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the first region 21 and the second region 22, as shown in Fig. 3, the surface material 2 includes an upper layer 23 containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent, and a lower layer 24 containing a smaller amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent than the upper layer 23. The upper layer 23 is disposed on the skin side of the surface material 2, and the lower layer 24 is disposed on the non-skin side of the surface material 2.
The first region 21 includes the upper layer 23. The second region 22 includes the lower layer 24 but does not include the upper layer 23. In other words, the region of the surface material 2 that includes the upper layer 23, which has a large amount of metal oxide antibacterial agent, is defined as the first region 21, and the region of the surface material 2 that does not include the upper layer 23 is defined as the second region 22.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first region 21 preferably includes an overlap region 27 in which the upper layer 23 and the lower layer 24 overlap in a planar view. Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the overlap region 27 is disposed over the entire first region 21, and the first region 21 is composed of the overlap region 27. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the lower layer 24 is disposed continuously over the entire surface material 2 in a planar view, and the upper layer 23 is disposed in the center of the lower layer 24 in the lateral direction Y.

In the above configuration, the first region 21, which is particularly likely to come into contact with excrement, is multi-layered. This allows the first region 21 to absorb liquid excrement more slowly, and the liquid excrement can be in contact with the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the first region 21 for a longer period of time. This ensures a longer dissolution time of the metal oxide antibacterial agent into the liquid excrement, and more reliably exerts the antibacterial effect.

The surface material 2 including the upper layer 23 and the lower layer 24 may be an integrated sheet material formed by bonding two nonwoven fabric sheets together. In this case, for example, the surface material 2 can be formed by bonding the two nonwoven fabric sheets together by embossing, adhesive, or the like.
Alternatively, the surface material 2 including the upper layer 23 and the lower layer 24 may be a single nonwoven fabric sheet including two fiber layers. In this case, for example, the surface material 2 can be formed by stacking fiber webs having different fiber compositions and fusing the fibers of each layer by a heat treatment such as air-through processing.

As shown in the enlarged view of Fig. 6, the upper layer 23 and the lower layer 24 of this embodiment are preferably different fiber layers in a single nonwoven fabric sheet, which can suppress the inhibition of absorption due to the joint between the upper layer 23 and the lower layer 24 and provide a comfortable wearing experience.
In Fig. 6, fibers 25 containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent are shown as lines with white outlines. Fibers 26 not containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent are shown as lines with solid interiors. In Fig. 6, small circles with white outlines and small circles with black interiors are both schematic representations of fusion between fibers.

In this embodiment, the proportion of the mass of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the total mass of the upper layer 23 is greater than the proportion of the mass of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the total mass of the lower layer 24. In other words, the upper layer 23 contains the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fibers 25, and the lower layer 24 does not contain the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fibers 25 or contains a smaller proportion of the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fibers 25 than the upper layer 23.

The proportion of the metal oxide antibacterial agent-blended fiber 25 in the entire upper layer 23 is preferably 30% by mass or more, more preferably 80% by mass or more, and even more preferably 100% from the viewpoint of obtaining sufficient antibacterial action against excrement.
The proportion of the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber 25 in the entire lower layer 24 is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0%, from the viewpoint of reducing the effect of the metal oxide antibacterial agent on the normal bacteria on the skin.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, it is more preferable that the upper layer 23 contains only metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fibers 25 as the fiber component, and the lower layer 24 contains only metal oxide antibacterial agent-free fibers 26 as the fiber component. This allows the first region 21 to contain more metal oxide antibacterial agent and the second region 22 to contain no metal oxide antibacterial agent, and the above-mentioned effects can be obtained even more effectively. In addition, the types of fibers used in each of the upper layer 23 and the lower layer 24 can be limited, making it easier to manufacture the surface material 2.

[Example of the ratio of fibers containing metal oxide antibacterial agent in the surface material]
In order to efficiently and effectively exert the antibacterial action of the metal oxide antibacterial agent against bacteria derived from excrement that accumulate in the recesses R, the proportion of the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fibers 25 in the first region 21 to the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fibers 25 in the entire surface material 2 is preferably 30 mass% or more, and more preferably 50 mass% or more.
In addition, from the viewpoint of suppressing the effect of the metal oxide antibacterial agent on resident bacteria, the proportion of the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fibers 25 in the second region 22 to the total metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fibers 25 of the entire surface material 2 is preferably less than 30 mass%, more preferably 10 mass% or less, and even more preferably 0 mass%.

[Examples of the ratio of metal oxide antibacterial agent in surface material]
In order to efficiently and effectively exert the antibacterial action of the metal oxide antibacterial agent against bacteria derived from excrement that accumulates in the recesses R, the ratio of the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained in the first region 21 to the entire surface material 2 is preferably 0.001 mass% or more, and more preferably 0.004 mass% or more.
In addition, from the viewpoint of suppressing the effect of the metal oxide antibacterial agent on resident bacteria, the proportion of the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained in the second region 22 relative to the entire surface material 2 is preferably less than 2.0 mass%, more preferably 0.5 mass% or less, and even more preferably 0 mass%.
The ratio of the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained in each region to the entire surface material 2 refers to the ratio of the mass of the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained in each region to the mass of the entire surface material 2.
The method for calculating the proportion of the metal oxide antibacterial agent will be described later.

[Examples of the composition of fibers containing metal oxide antibacterial agents]
The metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber 25 can be obtained, for example, through a process of spinning a synthetic resin into which a metal oxide antibacterial agent has been previously mixed.
The metal oxide antibacterial agent-blended fiber 25 may be, for example, a single fiber made of one type of synthetic resin (thermoplastic resin) or a blend polymer made by mixing two or more types of synthetic resins, or may be a composite fiber. The composite fiber referred to here is a synthetic fiber (thermoplastic fiber) obtained by combining two or more types of synthetic resins with different components in a spinneret and spinning them simultaneously, and each of the multiple components has a structure that is continuous in the length direction of the fiber and is mutually bonded within the single fiber. The form of the composite fiber may be a core-sheath type, a side-by-side type, etc.
In addition, the fiber 26 not containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent may be, for example, a single fiber made of one type of synthetic resin (thermoplastic resin) or a blend polymer made by mixing two or more types of synthetic resins, or it may be a composite fiber.

From the viewpoint of effectively exhibiting antibacterial performance, it is preferable that the metal oxide antibacterial agent is exposed on the surface of the metal oxide antibacterial agent-blended fiber 25 .
In this case, from the viewpoint of efficiently exposing the metal oxide antibacterial agent to the fiber surface, it is preferable that the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber 25 is a core-sheath type fiber in which the metal oxide antibacterial agent is contained only in the sheath portion.

As shown in FIG. 7, the metal oxide antibacterial agent-blended fiber 25, into which the metal oxide antibacterial agent 29 has been kneaded, has a core 25C and a sheath 25S. The metal oxide antibacterial agent 29 is blended only in the sheath 25S. In this way, by blending the metal oxide antibacterial agent 29 only in the sheath 25S, it is possible to easily expose the metal oxide antibacterial agent 29 on the fiber surface with a small blend amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent.

The core-sheath type metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber 25 that serves as the raw fiber may have a core 25C made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or PP (polypropylene), and a sheath 25S made of PE (polyethylene) kneaded with a metal oxide antibacterial agent made of metal oxide, with a core-sheath ratio of 20/80 to 80/20 by mass. The core-sheath ratio refers to the mass ratio (core/sheath) of the resins that make up the core and sheath.

The particle size of the metal oxide antibacterial agent 29 made of a metal oxide is appropriately set in consideration of the thickness of the fiber (metal oxide antibacterial agent-blended fiber 25) to which the metal oxide antibacterial agent is blended and the ease with which the metal oxide can be kneaded into the fiber. In general, the average particle size of the metal oxide is 1.0 μm or more and 7.0 μm or less, expressed as the volume cumulative particle size _D50 at a cumulative volume of 50% by volume as measured by a laser diffraction scattering particle size distribution measurement method.

In order to efficiently and effectively exert the skin trouble prevention effect of the metal oxide antibacterial agent 29, the proportion of the metal oxide antibacterial agent 29 in the core-sheath type metal oxide antibacterial agent-blended fiber 25 is preferably 0.05 mass% or more, more preferably 0.1 mass% or more, and preferably 2.5 mass% or less, more preferably 2.0 mass% or less.
The method for calculating the proportion of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the fiber containing the metal oxide antibacterial agent will be described later.
In addition, in the case of a core-sheath type metal oxide antibacterial agent-blended fiber 25, when the metal oxide antibacterial agent is contained only in the sheath portion, the proportion of the metal oxide antibacterial agent 29 in the resin constituting the sheath portion 25S is preferably 0.1 mass% or more, more preferably 0.2 mass% or more, preferably 5.0 mass% or less, more preferably 4.0 mass% or less, preferably 0.1 mass% or more and 5.0 mass% or less, more preferably 0.2 mass% or more and 4.0 mass% or less.

[Solubility of Metal Oxide Antibacterial Agents]
As described above, from the viewpoint of suppressing the elution of the metal oxide antibacterial agent 29 into the liquid excreta and realizing efficient contact between the metal oxide antibacterial agent 29 and the liquid excreta, it is preferable that the metal oxide antibacterial agent 29 is poorly soluble in water or insoluble in water. In other words, it is preferable that the solubility of the metal oxide antibacterial agent 29 in water (the solubility of the metal oxide antibacterial agent) is low.
Specifically, the solubility of the metal oxide antibacterial agent, as measured by the method for measuring the solubility of a metal oxide antibacterial agent described below, is preferably 0.01 g/100 ml or more and 0.5 g/100 ml or less, more preferably 0.03 g/100 ml or more and 0.3 g/100 ml or less, and even more preferably 0.05 g/100 ml or more and 0.2 g/100 ml or less.

Second Embodiment
When the surface material 2 includes an upper layer 23 and a lower layer 24, the lower layer 24 may be formed discontinuously in the first region 21A.
8, in the diaper (absorbent article) 1A of the second embodiment, the first region 21A of the surface material 2A includes a non-overlapping region 28 that includes the upper layer 23 but does not include the lower layer 24A. In the non-overlapping region 28, the upper layer 23 and the lower layer 24A do not overlap in a plan view.
In the second and third embodiments described below, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.
In the second embodiment, only the configuration of the surface material 2A is different from the configuration of the surface material 2 in the first embodiment, so the surface material 2A will be mainly described.

As described above, the upper layer 23 contains a metal oxide antibacterial agent and has a greater amount of metal oxide antibacterial agent than the lower layer 24A. In this embodiment, too, the region including the upper layer 23 of the surface material 2A is referred to as the first region 21A, and the region not including the upper layer 23 of the surface material 2A is referred to as the second region 22.

With the above-mentioned configuration, by increasing the amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the first region 21A that can form the bottom of the recess R (see FIG. 5), it is possible to efficiently exert an antibacterial effect against bacteria derived from excrement. Also, by decreasing the amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the second region 22 that can form the upright portion of the recess R, it is possible to suppress adverse effects on bacteria normally present on the skin.
In addition, the material cost of the lower layer 24A can be reduced as compared to the first embodiment, and the diaper 1A can therefore be manufactured at lower cost.

8, the non-overlapping region 28 is preferably disposed in the center of the first region 21A in the lateral direction Y. This allows the lower layer 24A to be configured to be divided into left and right halves by the non-overlapping region 28, and the shape of the lower layer 24A in a plan view can be simplified.
8, the first region 21A preferably includes an overlap region 27 in which the upper layer 23 and the lower layer 24A overlap in a plan view at a side portion in the lateral direction Y. In the overlap region 27, the fibers of the upper layer 23 and the lower layer 24A may be fused or bonded to each other. Therefore, by providing the overlap region 27, separation between the upper layer 23 and the lower layer 24A is suppressed.

Third Embodiment
In the first and second embodiments, the three-dimensional gathers G are formed by the side sheets 5, so that the side regions 44 can maintain a more stable standing state.
On the other hand, from the viewpoint of maintaining the side regions 44 in a stable standing state, an elastic member may be disposed in the absorbent body.

As shown in FIG. 9, in a diaper (absorbent article) 1B of the third embodiment, an absorbent body 4B may further include elastic members 45 arranged in side regions 44 and extending in the longitudinal direction X.
The elastic member 45 is a band-like or thread-like elastic member. The term "the elastic member 45 extends in the vertical direction X" does not mean that the elastic member 45 is parallel to the vertical direction X, but includes a mode in which the elastic member 45 extends from the ventral side to the dorsal side as a whole.
The elastic members 45 are attached to the side regions 44 by adhesive or the like in a state in which they are stretched from their natural length. The elastic members 45 extend at least in the crotch region C, and may extend to the ventral side and/or the dorsal side of the side regions 44 in the longitudinal direction X.

In the above configuration, the elastic member 45 exerts a contraction force along the vertical direction X on the side region 44 of the absorbent 4B. This makes it easier for the side region 44 to stand up from the deformation guide portion 42 when worn. Therefore, when worn, the absorbent 4 can stably maintain a concave shape, making it easier for excrement to accumulate in the recess R.

The elastic members 45 are preferably arranged on the side edge portions 4s in the lateral direction Y of the absorbent body 4B. This allows the entire side region 44 to stand up stably. In this case, from the viewpoint of preventing the elastic members 45 from falling off, it is preferable that the elastic members 45 are arranged on the outer surface of the side edge portions 4s (e.g., on the core wrap sheet 41) and covered by the surface material 2. In addition, as another embodiment in which the elastic members 45 are arranged on the side edge portions 4s, they may be arranged between the side edge portions in the lateral direction Y of the absorbent core 40 and the core wrap sheet 41.

In addition, in this embodiment, since the elastic member 45 can induce stable deformation of the absorbent body 4B, the diaper 1B does not need to include a side sheet 5 that forms the three-dimensional gathers G. However, this is not limited to this, and the diaper 1B may include a side sheet 5, as in the first and second embodiments.

<Additional Information>
[Method for confirming fiber structure]
The structure of the fibers contained in the surface material can be confirmed by observing a cut surface of the surface material under magnification.
The surface material of the measurement object is cut with a razor (e.g., a single-edged razor manufactured by Feather Safety Razor Co., Ltd.) to obtain a measurement piece having a rectangular shape (8 mm x 4 mm) in a plan view. When cutting the measurement object, care should be taken so that the structure of the cut surface of the measurement piece formed by the cutting is not destroyed by the pressure during cutting. A preferred method for cutting the measurement object is to place the measurement object in liquid nitrogen prior to cutting and sufficiently freeze it, and then cut it.
The test piece is attached to the sample stage using double-sided paper tape (Nichiban Co., Ltd., Uchistack NW-15). The test piece is then platinum-coated. An ion sputtering device E-1030 (product name) manufactured by Hitachi Naka Seiki Co., Ltd. is used for the coating, and the sputtering time is 30 seconds.
The cut surface of the test piece is observed at a magnification of 1000 times using a Hitachi S-4000 field emission scanning electron microscope.

Observation of the cut surface of the surface material makes it possible to ascertain not only the cross-sectional contour of the fibers but also the fiber structure, for example, whether the fiber is a core-sheath type or a single fiber structure.
Furthermore, in the case of a core-sheath fiber, the area ratio of the core and the sheath can be calculated by observing the cut surface. Also, by observing the cut surface, the presence of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the fiber can be confirmed, and further, it can be confirmed that the metal oxide antibacterial agent is distributed only in the sheath.
In addition, the upper and lower layers can be identified from the difference in the constituent fibers in the cut surface of the surface material. Therefore, the distribution of the fibers containing the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the upper and lower layers can be confirmed by observing the cut surface of the surface material.
Furthermore, by SEM-EDX analysis of the cross section of the fiber, it was possible to confirm that the agent contained in the sheath was zinc oxide (a metal oxide antibacterial agent).

[Method of calculating the amount of metal oxide antibacterial agent per unit mass of each part of the surface material]
A method for calculating the amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent per unit mass of each part of the surface material (first region, second region, upper layer, and lower layer) will be described.
Weigh out 1 g from each part of the surface material. If it is difficult to cut out 1 g from each part, cut out a piece of any size, measure its mass, and then adjust the amounts of the following reagents, etc. according to the mass.
The cut pieces are chopped as small as possible and placed in a 300 ml beaker, and 200 ml of ion-exchanged water is added to the beaker and stirred with a magnetic stirrer so that the fibers are completely in contact with the water. While stirring the liquid, 3 ml of concentrated hydrochloric acid (about 10 M) is added little by little, and the liquid is stirred for another hour to elute the metal oxide antibacterial agent present on the surface of the fibers that make up each part. Next, 6 ml of 5.1 M sodium hydroxide aqueous solution is added to neutralize the liquid, and then 10 ml of a pH 10.7 buffer solution (containing 54.7 ml of 28% by mass _NH3 aqueous solution and 0.535 g of _NH4Cl dissolved in ion-exchanged water) is added to finely adjust the pH.
Next, Eriochrome Black T reagent (0.125 g of Eriochrome Black T powder and 1.125 g of hydroxylamine hydrochloride dissolved in 25 ml of absolute ethanol) is added as an indicator to turn the liquid pale pink. Titration is performed using 0.0002 M EDTA.2Na as the titrant, and the amount (ml) of the titrant added when the liquid changes color from pink to pale blue to green is defined as the titration value A. Then, the mass of the metal oxide antibacterial agent is calculated using the following formula. In the formula below, "5,000,000" means the volume (ml) of the titrant per 1 mol.
Mass of metal oxide antibacterial agent (g) = titration value A x mass per mol of metal oxide antibacterial agent / 5,000,000
The mass of the metal oxide antibacterial agent calculated in the above manner is the amount of metal oxide antibacterial agent contained per gram (unit mass) of each part of the surface material (first region, second region, upper layer and lower layer).
The amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in each part can be compared based on the amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained per gram (unit mass).

[Method of calculating the ratio of the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained in the first region or the second region to the entire surface material]
First, the amounts of the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained per gram (unit mass) of the first region and the second region are calculated based on the above-mentioned method for calculating the amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent.
Next, the total mass of each of the first region and the second region is calculated by multiplying the amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained per unit mass of the first region (second region) by the measured total mass of the first region (second region) to obtain the mass of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the entire first region (entire second region).
Next, the mass of the entire surface material is measured, and the mass of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the entire first region (entire second region) is divided by the mass of the entire surface material, and then multiplied by 100 to calculate the proportion (mass %) of the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained in the first region (or second region) relative to the entire surface material.

[Method of calculating the proportion of metal oxide antibacterial agent in fibers containing metal oxide antibacterial agent]
When the upper layer contains only fibers containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent as a fiber component, the ratio of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the fibers containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent can be calculated according to the above-mentioned "Method for calculating the amount of metal oxide antibacterial agent per unit mass of each part of the surface material". Specifically, the amount of metal oxide antibacterial agent per gram (unit mass) of the upper layer is calculated, and multiplied by 100 to calculate the ratio (%) of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the upper layer. When the entire upper layer is composed of fibers containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent, this ratio can be used as the ratio of the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the fibers containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent.
The presence of the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber in the upper layer can be confirmed by observing the cut surface as described above. The upper layer is not limited to the example composed of only the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber, and may contain a non-metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber that does not contain a metal oxide antibacterial agent.

[Method for measuring the solubility of metal oxide antibacterial agents]
5 g of the metal oxide antibacterial agent is added to 100 ml of water and stirred at 300 rpm for 30 minutes at room temperature (25° C.) Separately, the mass of the filter paper is measured, and the measured mass is regarded as the initial mass of the filter paper.
The stirred solution is filtered using the filter paper whose mass has been measured, and the filter paper is dried in a dryer at 40° C. for 2 hours. The mass of the dried filter paper is measured, and the measured mass is regarded as the dried mass of the filter paper. The solubility is then calculated using the following formula.
Solubility (g) = 5 (g) - {(mass of dried filter paper) (g) - (initial mass of filter paper) (g)}
A higher solubility calculated in this manner indicates a higher solubility in water, and a lower solubility indicates a lower solubility in water.

<Other embodiments>
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the absorbent body has a pair of deformation-inducing parts such as slits, but the absorbent body may have three or more deformation-inducing parts. For example, if the absorbent body has one central deformation-inducing part in the center in the horizontal direction Y and a pair of side deformation-inducing parts arranged on either side of the central deformation-inducing part, the pair of side deformation-inducing parts is considered to be the above-mentioned "pair of deformation-inducing parts" to define the central region and the side region. Also, if the absorbent body has two or more pairs of deformation-inducing parts on either side of the vertical center line, the pair of deformation-inducing parts located on the outermost side in the horizontal direction Y (side edge side) is considered to be the above-mentioned "pair of deformation-inducing parts" to define the central region and the side region.

For example, in the above embodiment, a pants-type disposable diaper is shown as an example of an absorbent article, but the absorbent article is not limited to this. The absorbent article of the present invention may be, for example, an open-type disposable diaper, disposable sanitary shorts (pants-type sanitary absorbent article), urine pad, panty liner, sanitary napkin, etc.

For example, in a fiber containing a metal oxide antibacterial agent having a core-sheath structure, in addition to the metal oxide antibacterial agent being kneaded into the sheath portion, a light scattering material such as titanium oxide may be kneaded into the core portion. This makes it possible to create a surface material that is less susceptible to stains caused by liquid excrement (urine, loose stool, blood, etc.) after absorption from the skin-facing surface (high concealment).

In addition, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber may contain antibacterial agents other than the metal oxide antibacterial agent, such as surfactants and organic compounds.

The metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber may also contain a skin care agent.
As the skin care agent, a hydrophobic skin care agent, a hydrophilic skin care agent, etc. can be used.

A hydrophobic skin care agent is a hydrophobic component that is not water-soluble or water-dispersible or has extremely low solubility, and is a composition or compound that has protective, healing, etc. effects on the wearer's skin. More specifically, a hydrophobic component is one that dissolves in an amount of less than 1 g when 10 g of the component is mixed in 1 L of ion-exchanged water and then left to stand for 24 hours, preferably one that dissolves in an amount of 0.1 g or less, and particularly preferably one that does not dissolve at all.
Examples of hydrophobic skin care agents include fatty acids with a carbon chain length of 12 to 28 or ester compounds of such fatty acids and glycerin, wax, petrolatum, etc., and in particular, it is preferable to contain unsaturated fatty acids with a carbon chain length difference of 12 to 28 or glycerin ester compounds of such unsaturated fatty acids. The glycerin ester is a monoester, diester, or triester of glycerin and the above-mentioned unsaturated fatty acid, and in particular, a triester is preferable. As agents containing fatty acids or fatty acid compounds, natural product extracts such as argan oil and shea butter can be preferably used. In particular, argan oil, which is a hydrophobic vegetable oil containing unsaturated fatty acids, maintains the balance between moisture and oil in the skin, prevents dryness, and functions as a skin care agent. In addition, argan oil contains a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid and linoleic acid, has a strong ability to remove active oxygen, and can reduce skin damage caused by, for example, sunburn.

On the other hand, a hydrophilic skin care agent is a hydrophilic component that is water-soluble or water-dispersible, and is preferably capable of suppressing the occurrence of rash or inflammation, and, if rash or inflammation occurs, suppressing the progression of the rash or inflammation or alleviating the rash or inflammation. More specifically, a hydrophilic component is one that dissolves or disperses in an amount of 1 g or more when 10 g of the component is mixed in 1 L of ion-exchanged water and left to stand for 24 hours, preferably one that dissolves or disperses in an amount of 5 g or more, more preferably one that dissolves in an amount of 1 g or more, even more preferably one that dissolves in an amount of 5 g or more, and most preferably one that dissolves completely.
As the hydrophilic skin care agent, natural extracts such as peach leaf extract and witch hazel extract, polyhydric alcohols having 2 to 4 carbon chains, polyethylene glycol, hydrophilic compounds having skin care functions, etc. can be used.
Among these, peach leaf extract (hydrophilic extract), which is a plant extract, is preferred because it has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The peach leaf extract, which is a hydrophilic component, dissolves in the liquid supplied to the surface material and transfers to the skin, providing a skin care effect.
A polyhydric alcohol having 2 to 4 carbon chains is a hydrophilic component, typically 1,3-butylene glycol. The use of 1,3-butylene glycol improves the moisturizing effect and lubricity. The improved lubricity reduces friction between the skin and the nonwoven fabric, suppressing damage to the skin. 1,3-butylene glycol is a moisturizing liquid water-soluble base component that has a smooth feel and is less sticky, and keeps the skin moist. 1,3-butylene glycol is used as a solvent in addition to being used as a moisturizing agent. For example, when peach leaf extract is used as a skin care agent, 1,3-butylene glycol can be used as a solvent for the peach leaf extract. Note that, although 1,3-butylene glycol is given as an example here, any polyhydric alcohol having 2 to 4 carbon chains will have the same effect, and for example, propylene glycol may be used. Propylene glycol can also be used as an extraction solvent for peach leaf extract (hydrophilic extract).

The present invention can also have the following configuration.
＜1＞
An absorbent article having a vertical direction extending from a wearer's abdomen through a crotch region to a back side, and a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, the absorbent article being divided along the vertical direction into an abdomen region, a crotch region, and a back region,
an absorbent disposed across the abdominal region, the crotch region, and the back region;
A surface material located on the skin side of the absorbent body,
The absorbent body is
A pair of deformation guides extending in the vertical direction in the crotch region and disposed on either side of a center in the horizontal direction;
A central region located between the pair of deformation guides;
and a side region located laterally outboard of the central region,
The surface material is
A first region overlaps with the central region in a plan view and includes a metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber that contains a metal oxide antibacterial agent;
a second region located laterally outboard of the first region, the second region having a lower amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent than the first region.
＜2＞
The metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber is a fiber in which the metal oxide antibacterial agent is kneaded into the fiber.
＜3＞
The ratio of the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained in the first region to the entire surface material is 0.004 mass% or more,
The absorbent article according to <1> or <2>, wherein the ratio of the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained in the second region to the entire surface material is less than 0.5 mass %.
＜4＞
The ratio of the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber of the first region to the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber in which the metal oxide antibacterial agent is kneaded into the entire surface material is 30 mass % or more,
The absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein the ratio of the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber of the second region to the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber of the entire surface material is less than 30 mass%.
＜5＞
The fiber containing the metal oxide antibacterial agent is a core-sheath type fiber having a core and a sheath, the metal oxide antibacterial agent is contained only in the sheath, and the metal oxide antibacterial agent is exposed on a surface of the fiber containing the metal oxide antibacterial agent.
＜6＞
The absorbent article according to <5>, wherein the metal oxide antibacterial agent accounts for 0.05% by mass or more and 2.5% by mass or less in the core-sheath fiber.
＜７＞
The absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <6>, wherein the metal oxide antibacterial agent is zinc oxide.
＜8＞
The ratio of the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained in the first region to the entire surface material is preferably 0.001 mass % or more, and more preferably 0.004 mass % or more. The absorbent article described in any one of <1> to <7>.
＜9＞
The ratio of the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained in the second region to the entire surface material is preferably less than 2.0 mass%, more preferably 0.5 mass% or less, and even more preferably 0 mass%. An absorbent article described in any one of <1> to <8>.
＜10＞
The absorbent body has an absorbent core,
The absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <9>, wherein each of the pair of deformation guide portions is a slit or a low basis weight portion of the absorbent core.
<11>
The first region extends laterally outward from the central region in a plan view,
The absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <10>, wherein the second region overlaps with a side edge portion of the absorbent body in the lateral direction in a plan view.
＜12＞
The surface material is
an upper layer containing the metal oxide antibacterial agent, and a lower layer containing a smaller amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent than the upper layer,
the first region includes the upper layer,
The absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <11>, wherein the second region includes the lower layer and does not include the upper layer.
＜13＞
The absorbent article according to <12>, wherein the first region includes an overlapping region where the upper layer and the lower layer overlap in a planar view.
＜14＞
The absorbent article according to <13>, wherein the first region is constituted by the overlapping region.
＜15＞
The absorbent article according to <12> or <13>, wherein the first region includes a non-overlapping region that includes the upper layer and does not include the lower layer.
＜16＞
The proportion of the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber in the entire upper layer is preferably 30% by mass or more, more preferably 80% by mass or more, and even more preferably 100%. The absorbent article described in any one of <12> to <15>.
＜１７＞
The absorbent article according to any one of <12> to <16>, wherein the proportion of the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber in the entire lower layer is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0%.
＜18＞
The absorbent body is
The absorbent article according to any one of <1> to <17>, further comprising an elastic member disposed in the side region and extending in the longitudinal direction.

1, 1A, 1B... Disposable diaper (absorbent article)
2, 2A... Surface material 21, 21A... First region 22... Second region 4, 4B... Absorbent body 42... Deformation guide section 43... Central region 44... Side region A... Abdominal region B... Back region C... Crotch region

Claims (12)

An absorbent article having a vertical direction extending from a wearer's abdomen through a crotch region to a back side, and a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, the absorbent article being divided along the vertical direction into an abdomen region, a crotch region, and a back region,
an absorbent disposed across the abdominal region, the crotch region, and the back region;
a surface material located on the skin side of the absorbent body and having a skin side that contacts the wearer's skin,
The absorbent body is
A pair of deformation guides extending in the vertical direction in the crotch region and disposed on either side of a center in the horizontal direction;
A central region located between the pair of deformation guides;
and a side region located laterally outboard of the central region,
The surface material is
A first region overlaps with the central region in a plan view and includes a metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber that contains a metal oxide antibacterial agent;
a second region located laterally outside the first region and having a smaller amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent than the first region;
The surface material is
an upper layer containing the metal oxide antibacterial agent, and a lower layer containing a smaller amount of the metal oxide antibacterial agent than the upper layer,
the first region includes the upper layer,
the second region includes the lower layer and does not include the upper layer;
The skin side of the facing material is formed by the upper layer in the first region and is formed by the lower layer in the second region. The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber is a fiber in which the metal oxide antibacterial agent is kneaded. The ratio of the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained in the first region to the entire surface material is 0.004 mass% or more,
The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ratio of the metal oxide antibacterial agent contained in the second region to the entire surface material is less than 0.5 mass %. The ratio of the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber of the first region to the metal oxide antibacterial agent-containing fiber in which the metal oxide antibacterial agent is kneaded into the entire surface material is 30 mass % or more,
The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the ratio of the fibers containing the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the second region to the fibers containing the metal oxide antibacterial agent in the entire surface material is less than 30 mass %. 3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fiber containing the metal oxide antibacterial agent is a core-sheath type fiber having a core and a sheath, the metal oxide antibacterial agent is contained only in the sheath, and the metal oxide antibacterial agent is exposed on the surface of the fiber containing the metal oxide antibacterial agent. The absorbent article according to claim 5 , wherein the metal oxide antibacterial agent accounts for 0.05% by mass or more and 2.5% by mass or less in the core-sheath fiber. The absorbent body has an absorbent core,
The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein each of the pair of deformation guides is formed of a slit or a low basis weight portion of the absorbent core. The first region extends laterally outward from the central region in a plan view,
The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the second region overlaps with a side edge portion of the absorbent body in the lateral direction in a plan view. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the first region includes an overlapping region in which the upper layer and the lower layer overlap in a plan view. The absorbent article of claim 9 , wherein the first region is constituted by the overlapping region. The absorbent article of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the first region comprises a non-overlapping region that includes the upper layer and does not include the lower layer. The absorbent body is
The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising elastic members disposed in the side regions and extending in the longitudinal direction.

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