JPH0670958A - Absorptive article and manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To continuously produce absorptive articles which can prevent leakage of egesta or the like, in a simple and rapid way. CONSTITUTION:An absorptive article comprises a liquid permeable top-sheet 2, a liquid impermeable back sheet 3, an absorbing body 4 interposed between both sheets, a pair of side flaps which are extended widthwise outward from longitudinally opposite side edges of the absorbing body 4, and a pair of longitudinally expandable elastic bands 9A, 9B attached to the side flaps. Further, in the absorptive article which is sectioned into a belly part 8 adapted to be positioned on the belly part of the user, a back part 7 adapted to be positioned on the back side of the user and an inside leg part 6 located along the inside of the legs, upon wearing, the pair of elastic bands are each composed of a plurality of thread-like members 9 having spacing which becomes wider in the inside leg part 6, and bundled in the back and belly parts in the vicinity of the longitudinal opposite side edges thereof so as to have a narrow spacing.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to absorbent articles such as disposable diapers used for infants, adults and incontinent persons, and a method for producing the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a disposable diaper as an absorbent article, various leak-proof mechanisms for the crotch portion have been conventionally proposed. For example, JP-B-52-40267, JP-A-54-115939, JP-A-52-
In JP120045 and JP-A-52-89602, elastic members are linearly arranged along a side edge portion of a disposable diaper, and gathers are formed in a crotch part to form a crotch part of a wearer. Disclosed is a disposable diaper in which gathers are closely attached to prevent excrement from leaking.

Further, as a method of forming a gather on the crotch part, a method disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-26219 is known, but the method has the following problems. At the longitudinal end of the diaper, the elastic member is preferably non-functionalized in terms of fitability, operability, etc. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a non-adhesive region in the path of the elastic member at the longitudinal end. The absorbed excrement leaks from the opening formed by the non-adhesive region, the high-molecular absorbent polymer spills on the absorber, and the appearance is impaired.

As a means for closing the opening, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 56-68101 proposes a method of stretching and relaxing an elastic member and continuously adhering it to a back web (back sheet). Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 58-18402 proposes a method of separating an elastic member and a back web which are intermittently bonded in a non-bonding region, and removing the separated elastic member, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-112008 discloses an elastic member. There has been proposed a method of cutting only the non-adhesive region and then adhering it to the top sheet.
Nos. 602 and 59-150101 propose a method of intermittently applying a non-stretched portion and a stretched portion to a back sheet, and in JP-A-59-1122010, an elastic member is intermittently narrowed. A method of adhering a composite elastic body formed by adhering to the non-woven fabric to a back sheet has been proposed.

[0005]

However, in any of the above-mentioned methods, the high-speed continuous production is difficult because the manufacturing process for forming the gathers is complicated and the apparatus for each process becomes large. there were.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article which prevents leakage of excrement and the like, and which enables easy and high-speed continuous production, and a manufacturing method thereof.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, an absorber disposed between these sheets, and both side edges in the longitudinal direction of the absorber. A belly that has a pair of side flaps that extend outward in the width direction from the section and a pair of elastic bands that is elastically attached in the longitudinal direction of the side flaps and that is located on the ventral side of the wearer when worn. In an absorbent article divided into a side part, a back side part located on the back side, and a crotch part located on the crotch part, the pair of elastic bands are each composed of a plurality of thread-shaped elastic members. The elastic members are wide in the crotch portion, and the elastic members are bundled in the vicinity of both longitudinal end portions of the back side portion and the abdominal side portion and are arranged close to each other. By providing an absorbent article It is those that have achieved the above objects.

Further, according to the present invention, the plurality of elastic members are separated into lines, and the supplying step of supplying the elastic members toward the continuous web which is continuously supplied, and the elastic member supplied by the supplying step are the above-mentioned continuous steps. With respect to the web, a swinging step of periodically swinging by a swinging mechanism with one or two lengths of the web to be a product as one cycle, and a swinging step arranged adjacent to the swinging mechanism. A stopping step in which a plurality of the elastic members are bundled by a stopper bar to provide a stopping portion linearly arranged, and on the other hand, at least the elastic member of the topsheet or the backsheet is supplied while supplying the topsheet or the backsheet. And a step of applying an adhesive to the surface to be adhered, and when the elastic member and the topsheet or backsheet are joined with the adhesive, the elastic member is applied to the top. By providing together a method of manufacturing an absorbent article characterized by having a a pressing step for pressing against over preparative or backsheet is obtained by achieving the above object.

[0009]

According to the absorbent article of the present invention, since the elastic members are bundled in the non-adhesive region, the opening formed by the non-adhesive region can be minimized from the opening. It is possible to prevent leakage of excrement and the like. Further, according to the method for manufacturing an absorbent article of the present invention,
The above absorbent article can be easily and continuously produced at high speed.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a plan view showing a developed state of a disposable diaper according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which the disposable diaper shown in FIG. 1 is continuously manufactured, and FIG. 3 is a book. According to an embodiment of the invention,
It is a top view which showed typically the change of the position of a rocking | swiveling guide, and an adhesion shape, FIG. 4 is a side view which shows schematically the manufacturing apparatus of the disposable diaper shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a developed state of the disposable diaper according to the embodiment of FIG. 6, and FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which the disposable diapers shown in FIG. 5 are continuously manufactured.

The disposable diaper 1 shown in FIG.
A liquid-permeable topsheet 2 forming a side in contact with the wearer's skin, a liquid-impermeable backsheet 3 corresponding to the topsheet 2, and absorbing excrement disposed between these two sheets 2 and 3. The absorbent body 4 is provided. The disposable diaper 1 is formed into an hourglass shape with a waist in the center in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction in the drawing), and a crotch portion 6 is formed in the waisted portion. A back side portion 7 located on the back side of the wearer is formed on the wide portion of the hourglass type, and a ventral side portion 8 located on the ventral side of the wearer is formed on the other wide portion. A pair of tape fasteners 5 and 5 are arranged on the pair of side flaps formed on the back side portion 8, and the wearer is provided with the tape fasteners 5 and 5 on the ventral side portion 7 of the back sheet 3. It is designed to be attached to a target tape (not shown).

Elastic bands 9A and 9B are stretchably stretched on both sides along the longitudinal direction of the disposable diaper 1 to form leg gathers, and the elastic bands 9A and 9B are respectively formed. It is composed of three thread-like elastic members (thread-like elastic members) 9. Elastic bands 9A, 9B
Are stretched in a curved shape, and the distance between the two is narrowest in the crotch portion 6, widest in the back portion 7 and the abdominal portion 8, and is formed in a shape along the recessed portion of the crotch portion 6. Also,
The distance between each of the three thread-like elastic members 9, 9 adjacent to each other is
Each of them is wide at the crotch portion 6 and gradually narrows from there to both ends of the abdominal portion 8 and the back portion 7, and linearly near both longitudinal ends of the back portion 8 and the abdominal portion 7. They are arranged in a bundle. By thus widening the distances between the thread-like elastic members 9, 9 in the crotch portion 6, it is possible to form an effective gather that fits the body shape and reliably prevent leakage in the crotch portion.

The elastic bands 9A and 9B are arranged between the backsheet 3 and the topsheet 2, and the backsheet 3 and / or the topsheet 2 are mainly formed by the adhesive applied intermittently on the crotch portion 6. Is glued to. By performing such intermittent adhesion, the elastic bands 9A and 9B at the longitudinal ends are in a non-adhesive state. Therefore, when the final cut is made at the end in the longitudinal direction, the thread-like elastic members 9, 9 in the non-adhesive state are relaxed and retracted into the disposable diaper 1, and at this time, the retracted portion is Although the openings remain, the openings have a size of a cross section in which the thread-like elastic bodies are bundled and are sufficiently small.

Further, FIG. 2 shows a state where the disposable diaper 1 of this embodiment is cut into individual diapers 1 from the state of the product web 11. In FIG. 2, the product web 11 flows from left to right, and the gather patterns of the elastic bands 9A and 9B are repeatedly formed in a sinusoidal shape for each product.
The sinusoidal curve forms one cycle for each disposable diaper as one product (disposable diaper). Also, FIG.
In the middle, the imaginary line 12 of the final cutter is shown by a chain line, but when the product web 11 is cut by the imaginary line 12 of the final cutter to become individual products, the thread-like elastic member in the non-adhesive state located at the end in the longitudinal direction. 9 is relaxed so that it can be withdrawn into the inside of the disposable diaper 1.

As described above, in the disposable diaper of this embodiment, since the opening for the retracting path of the elastic member at the longitudinal end is the size of the bundled thread-like elastic member 9, the opening is minimized. Therefore, it is possible to prevent leakage of liquid from the portion and leakage of the absorbent polymer when used.

Next, each component of this embodiment will be described. The material of the thread-like elastic member 9 is not particularly limited as long as it is a relatively thin material, as long as it has elastic elasticity such as thread-like rubber, flat rubber, ribbon-like elastic body, and water-absorbing shrinkable fiber. .

The absorber 4 is preferably formed in the shape of an hourglass in which the crotch part is constricted, because it is easy to apply it to the crotch and is excellent in wearing. The absorbent body 4 is preferably made of defibrated pulp as a main material and is also used with a high-molecular water-absorbing polymer. In addition, a heat-treated mixture of cellulose fibers, a thermoplastic resin, and a high-molecular water-absorbing polymer is preferable. The high water absorbing polymer may be present in any of the upper layer, the middle layer and the lower layer, and may be mixed with the pulp. The high molecular weight water-absorbing polymer preferably has a property of absorbing and retaining a liquid 20 times or more its own weight and has a property of gelling. Examples of such a high molecular weight water-absorbing polymer include starch- Acrylic acid (salt) graft copolymers, saponified starch-acrylonitrile copolymers, crosslinked sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, acrylic acid (salt) polymers and the like are preferable.

As the topsheet 2, the excrement absorbent body 4 is used.
It is preferable that the liquid permeable sheet that is permeated to have a feel close to that of underwear, and as such a liquid permeable sheet,
In addition to woven fabrics and non-woven fabrics, porous films and the like which have recently begun to come into the limelight are preferred. In addition, water repellency can be obtained by applying a hydrophobic compound such as a silicone oil or paraffin wax to the peripheral edge of the surface sheet 2, or by applying a hydrophilic compound such as an alkyl phosphate and cleaning the peripheral edge with warm water. It is preferable to apply a treatment to prevent leakage due to bleeding of urine or the like in the peripheral portion.

The back sheet 3 is a liquid impermeable sheet having vapor permeability and vapor permeability, which is obtained by adding a filler to a thermoplastic resin and is stretched, or a sheet having a feeling similar to underwear, for example, a composite of a film and a nonwoven fabric. Material or the like is used.

As the base material of the tape fasteners 5 and 5,
Generally, materials such as paper, cellophane, acetate film, cloth, biaxially oriented polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and non-woven fabric are used, and an adhesive is used in combination with a base material. Adhesives basically consist of base polymer, tackifier, and softener, and are classified into rubber-based, EVA-based, olefin-based, and acrylic-based depending on the difference in the base polymer. Generally, rubber-based adhesives for disposable diapers. Agents are used. The target tape (not shown) is similar to the tape fastener, and generally, biaxially oriented polypropylene is preferably used as the base material, and rubber-based hot melt is preferably used as the adhesive. The tape fastener and the target tape are not limited to these as long as they can be fastened to each other. For example, it may be a male and female Velcro fastener (trademark), or may be directly attached to the back sheet 3 without using a target tape.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the method for manufacturing the disposable diaper will be described step by step.
It should be noted that FIG. 3 is drawn in a state in which the longitudinal direction of the product web is contracted from the actual state due to the relation of drawing. In the supply step, the three thread-like elastic members 9 are unwound from the respective webs, fed through the feed rolls 51, and separated by the swing guides 52.
Supply for.

In the rocking process, the rocking guide 52 moves the product 1
The reciprocating motion is repeated in synchronization with the conveyance of the continuous web so as to form a pattern similar to a sine curve (sine wave) having a length of one sheet (one disposable diaper) as one cycle. As the swing mechanism that gives the swing guide 52 a reciprocating motion, various conventionally known ones such as a crank mechanism, a link mechanism, a cam mechanism, and a linear motion mechanism using a ball screw can be used.

In the stopping step, a plurality of elastic members are bundled and linearly arranged to form the stopping portion 57 by the stopper bar 53 arranged adjacent to the swinging step. On the other hand, in the coating step, the backsheet 3 (or the topsheet 2) is unwound from the original shaft 51 and supplied to the chill roll 59. In the chill roll 59, the hotmelt adhesive is intermittently applied by the hotmelt adhesive coating device 55. Or apply in a fixed pattern.

In the pressing step, when the thread-like elastic member 9 and the backsheet 3 (or the topsheet 2) are joined via the adhesive, the rocked thread-like elastic member is used as the backsheet 3.
(Or the top sheet 2) is pressed, but the swung thread-like elastic member 9 is deformed into a desired waveform through the stopper bar 53, and then the back sheet 3 is conveyed by the pressing roll 54 onto the chill roll 59. (Or the top sheet 2) is pressed and adhered. In this pressing step, the back sheet 3 and the top sheet 2 may be pressed and bonded while sandwiching the elastic member 9, and in this case, the swinging mechanism and the pressing roll are arranged adjacent to each other.

The back sheet 3 thus formed, to which a curved elastic member is adhered, the absorber 4 of a predetermined length which is intermittently conveyed, and the top sheet 2 unwound from the original fabric. Are bonded together to form the product web 11. Next, the recessed portion is cut out in the crotch portion 6, the tape fastener 5 and the target tape are attached, and the tape is conveyed to the final cutting step and divided into individual products along the virtual line of the final cutter.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the swing guide 5
The distance L from 2 to the contact point between the pressing roll 54 and the chill roll 59 is the elastic member 9 swung by the swing guide 52.
Is important in determining the amount of attenuation. Swing guide 52
It is difficult to set the distance L to 0 due to the adhesion of the adhesive to the surface and the physical limitation due to the arrangement of the stopper bar 53 and the pressing roll 54. However, when the distance L is set to 0, the bonding shape of the elastic member is Is not attenuated with respect to the swing pattern by the swing guide 52. The amount of damping is preferably small in order to reduce the load on the rocking unit. Therefore, in order to reduce the amount of damping, the swing guide 52 is a roll that has an increased friction coefficient on the roll surface and is subjected to a non-adhesive treatment for the purpose of eliminating slippage of the elastic member on the pressing roll 54. Is preferred.

The expansion rate of the elastic member 9 is determined by the feed roll 5
Controlled by 1. In the case where the extension rate is constant in the bonded shape portion, the swing guide 52
It is preferable to shift the feed roll 51 in synchronism with the above. That is, when the adhesive shape is approximated to a sine curve, in order to obtain a uniform expansion rate, the length of the elastic member required per unit length differs near the inflection point of the sine curve and near the extreme value. Therefore, it is preferable to supply more elastic members near the inflection point than in the vicinity of the extreme value.

3 (a) to 3 (d) are front views schematically showing changes in the position of the swing guide 52 and the bonding shape.
The rocking guide 52 rocks the elastic member 9 by repeating the reciprocating motion whose output waveform is approximated to a sine curve. In the figure, the backsheet web 3 flows from left to right, and the swing guide 52 swings vertically.
In (a), the swing guide 52 moves upward in the drawing. The elastic member 9 is pressed by the pressing roller 54 to the back sheet web 3 to which the adhesive has been applied in advance, and is bonded to the back sheet web 3 as much as it is supplied.

In (b), the swing guide 52 reaches the top dead center 55. By contacting the stopper bar 53, the elastic member 9 is bundled into one line and adhered to the back sheet web 3, and as a result, the retaining portion 57 is formed. In the retaining portion 57, the elastic member 9 is linearly arranged and is not displaced in the width direction.

In (c), the swing guide 52 moves downward in the figure. The elastic member 9 has a stopper bar 53.
After being released, the constraint on the insertion path is released, and the displacement in the width direction is started.

In (d), the swing guide 52 reaches the bottom dead center 56. In the vicinity of the bottom dead center 56, the elastic member 9 forms an extreme value in its adhesive shape. After that, by repeating (a) to (d) in sequence, a product web in which a sinusoidal elastic member having a retaining portion 57 is adhered to the back sheet 3 can be obtained.

5 and 6 show another embodiment of the absorbent article of the present invention, the same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. To do. In a disposable diaper 21 according to another embodiment, elastic bands 22A and 22B stretched on a side flap are arranged in an oblique straight line, and the distance between the elastic bands 22A and 22B is from the back side 7 to the abdominal side 8. It is gradually narrowing. Further, in each of the three thread-shaped elastic members 22, the distance between the thread-shaped elastic members adjacent to each other is wide in the crotch portion 6, and the distance becomes gradually narrower from there to the both ends of the abdominal portion 8 and the back portion 7, Near both ends in the longitudinal direction, they are arranged in a straight line. Further, in this embodiment, the elastic band 22 is formed so that the length of two product webs forms one cycle.
A and 22B are arranged.

FIG. 6 shows a state diagram in which the disposable diaper 21 of this embodiment is cut into individual diapers 21 from the state of the product web 31. In the figure, the product web 31 flows from left to right, and the same gather pattern is repeatedly formed for every two products. That is, the product is produced by alternately changing the direction. When the product web 31 is cut along the final cutter virtual line 12 into individual products,
A non-bonded elastic member 22A located at the longitudinal end,
22B relaxes and retracts inside the diaper 21.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment,
Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
For example, the number of thread-like elastic members forming the elastic band is not limited to three, but may be plural, and it is preferable that the number of thread-like elastic members is 2 to 6 in view of the function of gathers formed. Further, the thread-like elastic member is not limited to being adhered to the back sheet, but may be adhered to the top sheet or both the back sheet and the top sheet.

[0035]

The absorbent article and the method for producing the same according to the present invention are absorbent articles in which excrement and the like are prevented from leaking, and can be easily and continuously produced at high speed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a developed state of a disposable diaper according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state where the disposable diapers shown in FIG. 1 are continuously manufactured.

FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing the change of the position and the bonding shape of the swing guide according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing the manufacturing apparatus for the disposable diaper shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a developed state of a disposable diaper according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state where the disposable diapers shown in FIG. 5 are continuously manufactured.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 21 Disposable diapers 2 Topsheet 3 Backsheet 4 Absorber 6 Crotch 7 Back side 8 Ventral side 9, 22 Elastic member 9A, 9B, 22A, 22B Elastic band 52 Swing guide 53 Stopper bar 54 Pressing roll

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display location 2119-3B A41B 13/02 T 7603-4C A61F 13/18 310 Z 7603-4C 330

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, an absorbent body arranged between these sheets, and a widthwise outward direction extending from both side edges in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent body. A pair of side flaps that have been taken out and a pair of elastic bands that are elastically attached in the longitudinal direction of the side flaps, and are located on the ventral side of the wearer's ventral side when worn and on the back side. In the absorbent article divided into a dorsal side portion and a crotch portion located in the crotch, each of the pair of elastic bands is composed of a plurality of thread-shaped elastic members, and each elastic member in the crotch portion. The absorbent article is characterized in that the elastic members are bundled in the vicinity of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the back side portion and the abdominal side portion and are arranged with a narrow gap therebetween. 2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of elastic bands is composed of two to six thread-shaped elastic members. 3. A supplying step of dividing a plurality of elastic members into a continuous web which is continuously supplied, and an elastic member supplied by the supplying step to the continuous web. , One or two webs that should be products
A plurality of elastic members are bundled into a linear shape by a swinging step of periodically swinging by a swinging mechanism with the length of one sheet as one cycle, and a stopper bar arranged adjacent to the swinging mechanism. And a coating step of applying an adhesive to at least the surface of the topsheet or the backsheet to which the elastic member is to be bonded while supplying the topsheet or the backsheet, A pressing step of pressing the elastic member against the topsheet or the backsheet when joining the elastic member and the topsheet or the backsheet with the adhesive. Production method. 4. The method of manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 3, wherein in the pressing step, the elastic member is sandwiched between the back sheet and the top sheet and pressed to adhere. 5. The applying step is adapted to apply the adhesive intermittently, and has a cutting step of individually dividing the continuous web at the non-adhesive part of the retaining portion after the pressing step. The method for manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that.