WO2024080056A1

WO2024080056A1 - Wearable-article accommodation body and wearable article

Info

Publication number: WO2024080056A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/033235
Authority: WO
Inventors: 洋介新保; 健人梨子木; 沙也佳櫻井; チュティカーンコータンサブ; マリサーウォンキティシン
Original assignee: ユニ・チャーム株式会社
Priority date: 2022-10-12
Filing date: 2023-09-12
Publication date: 2024-04-18

Abstract

A wearable-article accommodation body (90) comprises: a wearable article (1) that is stretchable and is used together with an absorbent pad (100); and an accommodation member (70) that accommodates the wearable article (1). The wearable article (1) is made of a knitted fabric, is provided with a pair of leg openings (LH), and has an engagement region (30) that engages with the absorbent pad (100). The pair of leg openings (LH) are formed so that, when regions above the upper ends of the leg openings (LH) are widened from a natural state to 200% in a lateral direction, the maximum length (h_s) from the upper end (31t) of the engagement region (30) to the lower end (1b_s) of the wearable article (1) is shorter than the maximum length (h₀) from the upper end (31t) of the engagement region (30) to the lower end (1b₀) of the wearable article (1) in the natural state by twice the length (L31) of the engagement region (30) in a vertical direction at most.

Description

Wearing article container and wearing article

The present invention relates to a wearable item container and a wearable item.

　Conventionally, there are known pants-type elastic wearable articles that use an absorbent pad attached to the crotch area to absorb urine and other excrement. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a wearable article in the shape of so-called boxer shorts that is worn in combination with a pad-type absorbent.

JP 2015-128587 A

In highly stretchable wearable articles made of knitted fabrics or the like, for example, when the wearer tries to widen the waist opening from its natural state to the left and right in order to put their legs through, the product may shrink vertically (the vertical dimension may become smaller). In such cases, the vertical position of the engagement area on the wearable article may change before and after contraction, causing a vertical misalignment with the engagement area on the absorbent pad, which may make it difficult to engage the absorbent pad with the wearable article.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a wearable article that allows easy engagement of the absorbent pad even when the waist opening is widened when worn.

The main invention for achieving the above object is a wearing article container comprising a wearing article having vertical, horizontal and front-rear directions intersecting each other, stretchable in the vertical and horizontal directions, to be used in combination with an absorbent pad, and a container member for containing the wearing article, wherein the wearing article is reusable, the container member is provided with a marking that reminds the user that the wearing article is to be used in combination with the absorbent pad, the wearing article is made of knitted fabric, has a pair of leg openings, and has an engagement region for engaging with the absorbent pad, the engagement region being provided at the front of the wearing article, the pair of leg openings are provided at least at one each on the front and rear sides in the rear direction, and the pair of leg openings are formed such that, on at least one of the front and rear sides in the front-to-rear direction, when an area above upper ends of the pair of leg openings is expanded 200% in the left-right direction from a natural state, a maximum length from an upper end of the engagement area to a lower end of the wearing article is not shorter than a maximum length from the upper end of the engagement area to the lower end of the wearing article in the natural state by more than twice the length of the engagement area in the up-down direction.
Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention and the accompanying drawings.

The present invention makes it possible to provide a wearable article that can hold an absorbent pad firmly while allowing the absorbent pad to easily fit to the wearer's body.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a worn article 1. FIG. Fig. 2A is a plan view of the worn article 1 in a natural state as viewed from the front side in the front-rear direction. Fig. 2B is a plan view of the worn article 1 in a natural state as viewed from the rear side in the front-rear direction. 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating a method for manufacturing the worn article 1. 1A and 1B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of an absorbent pad 100. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a conventional wearing article 200 (comparative example). 6A to 6C are diagrams illustrating a method of wearing the wearing article 200 when used in combination with an absorbent pad 300. FIG. 7A to 7C are diagrams illustrating a method of wearing the wearing article 1 when used in combination with the absorbent pad 100. FIG. 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating deformation that occurs when a pants-type article made of knitted fabric is stretched in the left-right direction. 9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating the amount of contraction in the up-down direction when the wearing article 1 is expanded 200% in the left-right direction from its natural state. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an example of a wearing article container 90. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which a front waist region BR and a rear waist region BR of a wearing article 1 are cut at both lateral ends and spread out in the vertical direction. FIG.

The following points become clear at least from the description in this specification and the accompanying drawings.

(Aspect 1)
a housing member for housing the wearing article, the housing member having a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a front-rear direction that intersect with each other, the vertical direction, and the horizontal direction, the wearing article being stretchable in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, the wearing article being used in combination with an absorbent pad, the wearing article being made of knitted fabric, the housing member having a marking that evokes that the wearing article is used in combination with the absorbent pad, the wearing article being made of knitted fabric, the housing member having a pair of leg openings, and the wearing article having an engagement region for engaging with the absorbent pad, the engagement region being provided at least in one place on a front side and a rear side in the front-rear direction of the wearing article, the pair of leg openings being formed such that, when a region above upper ends of the pair of leg openings is expanded 200% in the horizontal direction from a natural state, the maximum length from the upper end of the pair of leg openings to a lower end of the wearing article is not shorter than the maximum length from the upper end of the engagement region to the lower end of the wearing article in the natural state by more than twice the vertical length of the engagement region.

With the wearable article container of aspect 1, even if the waist area is expanded in the left-right direction when wearing the wearable article contained in the container, vertical contraction is restricted in the area between the pair of leg openings, and the length from the upper end of the engagement area to the lower end of the wearable article is unlikely to contract. Therefore, when the absorbent pad is inserted up to the crotch part of the wearable article, there is a high probability that the engagement area on the wearable article and the absorbent pad engagement area on the absorbent pad will have overlapping portions (engageable portions) in the vertical direction. Therefore, it is possible to provide a wearable article and a container thereof that are easy to engage with the absorbent pad.

(Aspect 2)
a pair of leg openings, the pair of leg openings being formed on at least one of the front and rear sides in the front-to-rear direction such that, when an area above upper ends of the pair of leg openings is expanded 200% in the left-to-right direction from a natural state, the maximum length from an upper end of the pair of leg openings to a lower end of the wearing article is not shorter than the maximum length from the upper end of the engagement region to the lower end of the wearing article in the natural state by more than twice the length of the engagement region in the up-to-down direction.

In the wearing article of aspect 2, even if the waist region is expanded in the left-right direction when worn, vertical contraction is restricted in the region between the pair of leg openings, and the length from the upper end of the engagement region to the lower end of the wearing article is unlikely to contract. Therefore, when the absorbent pad is inserted up to the crotch part of the wearing article, there is a high probability that the engagement region on the wearing article and the absorbent pad engagement region on the absorbent pad will have overlapping portions (engageable portions) in the vertical direction. This makes it easier to engage the absorbent pad with the wearing article.

(Aspect 3)
The wearing article according to aspect 2, wherein the pair of leg openings are formed at least on one of the front and rear sides in the fore-and-aft direction such that when an area above the upper ends of the pair of leg openings is expanded 200% in the left-right direction from a natural state, a maximum length from an upper end of the engagement area to a lower end of the wearing article is not shorter than a maximum length from the upper end of the engagement area to the lower end of the wearing article in the natural state by at least the length of the engagement area in the up-down direction.

The wearing article of aspect 3 can increase the probability that the engagement area of the wearing article and the engagement area of the absorbent pad will have overlapping portions in the vertical direction. This makes it easier to engage the absorbent pad with the wearing article.

(Aspect 4)
The wearing article according to aspect 2 or 3, wherein in a natural state, upper ends of the leg openings are located higher than a lower end of the wearing article at a central position in the left-right direction.

In the wearing article of aspect 4, the leg openings are formed at an angle, so that the proportion of the waist area formed above the upper end of the leg openings in the vertical direction in the wearing article is reduced. In addition, the width of the waist area, which is likely to shrink in the vertical direction, is narrowed, so that the amount of vertical shrinkage of the wearing article as a whole is smaller than that of boxer shorts-type wearing articles, etc. Therefore, the engagement area of the wearing article and the absorbent pad engagement area tend to overlap in the vertical direction, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad with the wearing article.

(Aspect 5)
The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 2 to 4, further comprising a waist region located between upper ends of the leg openings and an upper end of the wearing article in the vertical direction, the engagement region being provided within the waist region, and an upper end position of the engagement region being lower than a center position of the waist region in the vertical direction.

In the wearing article of aspect 5, the upper end of the engagement region is located lower than the center position of the waist region, so the distance from the upper end of the engagement region to the lower end of the wearing article is shorter than in the opposite case. This reduces the vertical positional shift of the engagement region that occurs when the wearing article contracts in the vertical direction, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad with the wearing article.

(Aspect 6)
The wearing article according to any one of aspects 2 to 5, wherein a force required to stretch the engagement region by a unit length in the up-down direction and the left-right direction is greater than a force required to stretch the knitted fabric by a unit length in the up-down direction and the left-right direction.

When the wearable article of aspect 6 is pulled in the left-right direction, the effect of stretching in the area above the engagement area is less likely to extend to the area below the engagement area, making it easier to suppress vertical contraction in the lower area. Also, because the engagement area itself is less likely to expand and contract vertically, vertical contraction of the wearable article as a whole is more likely to be suppressed. This makes it harder for the engagement area to shift position vertically, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad with the wearable article.

(Aspect 7)
The wearing article according to any one of aspects 2 to 6, further comprising a crotch region located between upper ends of the leg openings and a lower end of the wearing article in the vertical direction and between inner ends of a pair of the leg openings in the left-right direction, and further comprising an overlapping portion between the engagement region and the crotch region in the left-right direction.

The wearing article of aspect 7 tends to suppress left-right expansion of the crotch region in the area that overlaps with the engagement region. This suppresses up-down contraction of the crotch region, making it difficult for the engagement region to shift position in the up-down direction. This makes it easier to engage the absorbent pad with the wearing article.

(Aspect 8)
A wearing article according to any one of Aspects 2 to 7, wherein the crotch region is provided with stretch suppressing means having a predetermined length in the vertical direction.

With the wearable article of aspect 8, even when the wearable article is stretched in the left-right direction, the portion of the crotch region where the stretch suppression means is provided is less likely to shrink in the up-down direction. This reduces the vertical positional deviation of the engagement region, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad with the wearable article.

(Aspect 9)
A wearing article according to any one of Aspects 2 to 8, wherein the stretch suppressing means is continuous in the vertical direction from the crotch region to a position above an upper end of the crotch region.

The wearing article of aspect 9 makes it easier to suppress vertical contraction over a wide range in the vertical direction (from the crotch region to the waist region). This reduces the vertical positional deviation of the engagement region, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad with the wearing article.

(Aspect 10)
Aspects 10. The wearing article according to any one of aspects 2 to 9, wherein the stretch suppressing means has a central stretch suppressing part provided in a central part in the left-right direction.

In the wearing article of aspect 10, the central stretch suppressing portion is provided in the left-right central portion where up-down shrinkage is most likely to occur, thereby suppressing excessive shrinkage in the left-right central portion. This reduces the vertical positional deviation of the engagement area, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad with the wearing article.

(Aspect 11)
A wearing article according to any one of Aspects 2 to 10, wherein the stretch suppressing means has a pair of side stretch suppressing portions on both sides of the central stretch suppressing portion in the left-right direction.

With the wearable article of aspect 11, when the wearable article is opened to both sides in the left-right direction, vertical contraction is also easily suppressed on both left-right sides. Therefore, vertical contraction is easily suppressed over a wide range in the left-right direction of the wearable article, and vertical positional deviation of the engagement area can be reduced. This makes it easier to engage the absorbent pad with the wearable article.

(Aspect 12)
A wearing article according to any one of aspects 2 to 11, further comprising a serged portion along a periphery of each of the pair of leg openings.

In the wearing article of aspect 12, the rigidity of the periphery of the leg openings is increased by the overlocking, which weakens the stretchability of both sides of the crotch region. This makes it difficult for both sides of the crotch region to contract in the vertical direction, and reduces the vertical positional deviation of the engagement area. This makes it easier to engage the absorbent pad with the wearing article.

(Aspect 13)
A wearing article according to any one of Aspects 2 to 12, wherein a crotch seam having a predetermined length in the left-right direction is provided at a lower end in the up-down direction.

In the worn article of aspect 13, the crotch seam increases the rigidity of the lower end of the crotch region, suppressing stretching in the left-right direction. Therefore, even if the worn article is spread out on both sides in the left-right direction, the crotch region is less likely to stretch in the left-right direction, and vertical contraction of the crotch region is also more likely to be suppressed. This reduces the vertical positional deviation of the engagement region, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad with the worn article.

(Aspect 14)
A wearing article according to any one of aspects 2 to 13, wherein the overlock seam and the crotch seam have an intersecting portion.

In the wearing article of aspect 14, the crotch seam and the leg overlock seam are connected to function like a skeleton, which increases the rigidity of the lower end and both sides of the crotch area, making it easier to suppress excessive stretching of the crotch area as a whole. This reduces the vertical positional deviation of the engagement area, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad with the wearing article.

(Aspect 15)
Aspects 15. The wearing article according to any one of aspects 2 to 14, wherein the stretch suppressing means does not include an elastic member.

With the wearable article of aspect 15, at least in its natural state, the wearable article does not shrink in the vertical direction, so that it is easy to prevent the amount of vertical shrinkage from becoming excessively large when the wearable article is spread out in the left-right direction. This reduces the vertical positional deviation of the engagement area, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad with the wearable article.

(Aspect 16)
A wearing article according to any one of aspects 2 to 15, wherein in a state in which an area above upper ends of the pair of leg openings is expanded 200% in the left-right direction from the natural state, a force required to extend a maximum length from an upper end of the engagement area to a lower end of the wearing article to a maximum length from the upper end of the engagement area to the lower end of the wearing article in the natural state is ⅕ or less of a force required to expand an area above upper ends of the pair of leg openings 200% in the left-right direction from the natural state.

With the wearing article of aspect 16, even if the vertical dimension of the wearing article shrinks when the wearing article is opened in the left-right direction to insert the absorbent pad, the vertical dimension of the wearing article can be easily restored to its original dimension by gently pushing the absorbent pad toward the crotch side. Therefore, compared to the reverse case, the length from the upper end of the engagement area to the lower end of the wearing article can be easily restored to its original state. Therefore, vertical positional deviation between the engagement area of the wearing article and the engagement area of the absorbent pad is less likely to occur, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad with the wearing article.

(Aspect 17)
17. The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 2 to 16, wherein the fabric constituting the wearing article contains 90% by weight or more of polyester or polyethylene.

In the wearable article of aspect 17, polyester and polyethylene are materials that have higher elongation than cotton, and by including a large amount of such materials, it is possible to realize greater stretchability. In addition, polyester and polyethylene are non-absorbent and highly quick-drying materials, which improves the drying properties of the wearable article.

(Aspect 18)
18. The wearing article according to any one of Aspects 2 to 17, wherein a fabric constituting the wearing article does not contain a water-absorbent material.

According to the wearable article of aspect 18, the fabric does not absorb water easily because it does not contain a water-absorbent material. This shortens the drying time after washing and improves the drying properties of the wearable article.

(Aspect 19)
19. The wearing article according to aspect 17 or 18, wherein the fabric constituting the wearing article contains less than 10% by weight of polyester or a material having a higher elasticity than polyethylene.

In the wearable article of aspect 19, 90% by weight or more of the fabric constituting the wearable article is polyester or polyethylene, so that the remaining 10% by weight or less is made up of a material with higher elasticity, thereby ensuring good drying properties while improving elasticity.

(Aspect 20)
20. The wearing article according to any one of aspects 2 to 19, wherein the fabric constituting the wearing article has an area including a material having a higher elasticity than polyester or polyethylene and an area including no material.

In the wearable article of aspect 20, by placing a highly elastic material in an area where a good fit is particularly required (i.e., forming an area containing a more elastic material), it is possible to improve the fit of a limited area of the wearable article, thereby improving functionality. In addition to improving the fit of a portion of the wearable article, it is also possible to improve the fit of the wearable article as a whole, for example, by providing areas containing a more elastic material at intervals in multiple locations.

(Aspect 21)
A wearing article according to any one of Aspects 2 to 20, wherein the engagement region is provided with a separate sheet member different from the knitted fabric constituting the main body, the separate sheet member being made of polyethylene or polyester.

In the wearable article of aspect 21, the separate sheet member is joined to the main body portion, and like the main body portion, the separate sheet member is also made of a material that dries quickly, improving the drying properties of the wearable article.

(Aspect 22)
22. The wearing article according to claim 21, wherein the separate sheet member is joined to the fabric constituting the wearing article by sewing the separate sheet member with thread along a peripheral portion of the separate sheet member.

In the wearable article of aspect 22, the fabric and the separate sheet member are not in close contact (joined) in the thickness direction in the area inside the circumferential edge sewn with thread, and a space is formed between the separate sheet member and the fabric. In other words, since the separate sheet member is not entirely joined to the fabric, the surface area of the separate sheet member that comes into contact with the fabric is larger than when the entire sheet member is joined, making it easier for moisture to evaporate. This improves drying properties.

(Aspect 23)
23. The wearing article according to

aspect

21 or 22, wherein the separate sheet member and the stretch-suppressing portion have an overlapping portion when viewed in the thickness direction.

In the wearing article of aspect 23, the provision of the stretch suppressing portion causes a change in the contraction force of the fabric constituting the wearing article, making it easier for a space to form between the skin side of the fabric and the non-skin side of the separate sheet member. Air can easily escape from such a space, improving the drying property.

(Aspect 24)
A wearing article according to any one of Aspects 21 to 23, wherein the separate sheet member has a vertical length of 50 mm or less and a horizontal length of 150 mm or less.

In the wearing article of aspect 24, if the separate sheet member becomes too large, there is a risk that the portion of the sheet member in question will be difficult to dry, but by making the size within the above-mentioned range, the area is secured to maintain a sufficient engagement force with the fabric and the portion will be easier to dry.

(Aspect 25)
A wearing article according to any one of Aspects 21 to 24, wherein the separate sheet member has a thickness of 3 mm or less.

The wearable article of aspect 25 has a thickness that allows it to maintain a sufficient engagement force with the fabric, but is not too thick, so it can also be dried easily.

(Aspect 26)
A wearing article according to any one of aspects 2 to 25, wherein, in a state in which the front and rear waist regions of the wearing article are cut at both left-right ends and laid out in the up-down direction, an area of a region S1 between an upper end of the front engagement region and an upper end of the rear engagement region in the up-down direction and between one end of the front engagement region and the rear engagement region and the other end of the front engagement region and the rear engagement region in the left-right direction is smaller than an area of the other region S2.

In the wearing article of aspect 26, region S1 of the fabric constituting the wearing article is the region that is covered by the absorbent pad when the absorbent pad is worn. Therefore, if the wearing article is not dried sufficiently after washing, or if the wearing article becomes wet after the absorbent pad is worn due to another factor, region S1 is likely to become less dry thereafter because it is covered by the absorbent pad. However, since the area of region S1 is smaller than the area of region S2 in the fabric constituting the wearing article, it is easier to suppress a decrease in the overall dryness of the wearing article compared to the reverse case.

(Aspect 27)
A wearing article according to any one of aspects 2 to 25, wherein, in a state in which the front and rear waist regions of the wearing article are cut at both left-right ends and laid out in the up-down direction, an area of a region S1 between an upper end of the front engagement region and an upper end of the rear engagement region in the up-down direction and between one end of the front engagement region and the rear engagement region and the other end of the front engagement region and the rear engagement region in the left-right direction is larger than an area of the other region S2.

With the wearable article of aspect 27, even if the wearable article is not dried sufficiently after washing, the area S1 is covered by the absorbent pad, so the skin is less likely to get wet and the wearing comfort is less likely to deteriorate.

====Embodiment===
As an example of a wearing article according to an embodiment of the present invention, a pants-type wearing article 1 (hereinafter, simply referred to as "wearing article 1") that can be used by attaching an absorbent pad 100 therein for absorbing excrement such as urine will be described.

<Basic configuration of worn article 1>
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a worn article 1 according to the present embodiment. In the pants-type state shown in FIG. 1, the worn article 1 has a "vertical direction", a "lateral direction", and a "front-rear direction" that are mutually orthogonal. In the vertical direction, the side that is the wearer's torso side when the wearer wears the worn article 1 is referred to as the "upper side", and the side that is the wearer's crotch side is referred to as the "lower side". In the front-rear direction, the side that is the wearer's abdominal side when the worn article 1 is worn is referred to as the "front side", and the side that is the wearer's back side is referred to as the "rear side". In addition, each material (sheet member) constituting the worn article 1 has a "thickness direction". In the thickness direction, the side that is close to the wearer's skin when the wearer wears the worn article 1 is referred to as the "skin side", and the opposite side is referred to as the "non-skin side".

The wearing article 1 of this embodiment is formed in a pants-type with a waist opening BH provided on the upper side in the vertical direction and a pair of leg openings LH, LH provided on the lower side in the vertical direction and on both sides in the left-right direction. An absorbent pad 100 can be attached detachably to the inside of the pants-type, and the wearing article 1 itself can be used (worn) repeatedly by replacing the absorbent pad 100. For example, if a user (user) excretes urine or the like while wearing the wearing article 1 to which the absorbent pad 100 is attached, the absorbent pad 100 that has absorbed the excrement can be removed from the wearing article 1 and replaced with a new absorbent pad 100, making it possible to reuse the wearing article 1. In addition, the wearing article 1 can be washed, and can be used hygienically for a long period of time (for example, two weeks or more).

Figure 2A is a plan view of the worn article 1 in its natural state as viewed from the front side in the front-to-rear direction. Figure 2B is a plan view of the worn article 1 in its natural state as viewed from the rear side in the front-to-rear direction. Here, the "natural state" refers to the state of the worn article 1 when it is left for a predetermined period of time. For example, after the folded and stored worn article 1 is removed from the package, it is gently unfolded so as not to cause distortion and placed on a flat surface such as a desk. The natural state is the state in which the worn article 1 is left lying flat in this manner for 5 minutes, until almost no wrinkles remain on the surface of the worn article 1.

The worn article 1 has a main body 10, an elasticity suppressing section 20, and an engagement region 30. The main body 10 is a part that constitutes the exterior of the worn article 1, and is formed of an elastic sheet material. In this embodiment, the sheet material that forms the main body 10 is made of a "woven fabric" or a "knitted fabric", and has elasticity in the vertical and horizontal directions. The "woven fabric" is a fabric that is made into a flat shape by intersecting a weft thread at a right angle with a large number of parallel warp threads, and an example of such a fabric is a fabric called "woven cloth". In the woven fabric, a woven fabric having elasticity can be formed by using highly elastic threads or changing the density of the threads. On the other hand, the "knitted fabric" is a fabric that is made into a flat shape by looping threads and connecting other loops to the loops, and an example of such a fabric is a fabric called "knit". Since the knitted fabric is made by connecting a large number of loops, it can be greatly stretched even with a small force by deforming each loop. In the following, the main body 10 (worn article 1) is described as being made of a knitted fabric.

The main body 10 is made of a so-called circular knit fabric that is woven into a cylindrical shape in the vertical direction. The upper end of the cylindrical main body 10 is partially folded from the top to the bottom in the vertical direction to form a waist fold 11. This waist fold 11 prevents fraying of the thread at the upper end of the circular knit fabric (i.e., the waist opening BH). Furthermore, a thread that is less likely to stretch than other parts is woven into the waist fold 11. This increases the contraction force along the periphery of the waist opening BH, and when the wearable article 1 is worn, the waist opening BH is prevented from slipping down, improving the fit. Instead of folding back the upper end of the circular knit fabric, a separate sheet member may be layered and joined to the upper end to apply a large contraction force along the periphery of the waist opening BH.

On the other hand, at the bottom end of the main body 10, a crotch seam 12 is formed where the front and back sides of the circular knit fabric are sewn together. The bottom end of the main body 10 is joined by the crotch seam 12, so that the tubular circular knit fabric is formed into a pants-like shape with a pair of leg openings LH, LH (see FIG. 3 described below). In this embodiment, the crotch seam 12 is located at the bottommost position in the vertical direction of the worn article 1 (see FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B).

The pair of leg openings LH, LH are formed by cutting a part of the main body 10 (see FIG. 3). A leg overlock portion 13 is formed on the periphery of each leg opening LH, LH. The leg overlock portion 13 is formed by sewing the edge of the knitted fabric around the periphery of the leg opening LH with thread, which prevents fraying of the thread at the cut point of the leg opening LH. Furthermore, the formation of the leg overlock portion 13 improves the fit of the leg opening LH when worn, making it easier to prevent lateral leakage of excrement such as urine.

As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, in the vertical direction of the worn article 1 in its natural state, the upper end of the leg opening LH is designated as LHt. The upper end LHt is located slightly inside the outermost end in the left-right direction. Similarly, in the vertical direction of the worn article 1 in its natural state, the lower end of the leg opening LH is designated as LHb. The lower end LHb is located at the lowest side in the vertical direction of the worn article 1 and at the innermost side in the left-right direction of the leg opening LH.

The crotch region CR is defined as the shaded area in the worn article 1 between the upper end LHt and the lower end LHb of the leg opening LH (i.e., the lower end of the worn article 1) in the vertical direction and between the lower ends LHb, LHb of the pair of leg openings LH in the left-right direction (i.e., between the inner ends of the leg openings LH). The crotch region CR is a region that is mainly located in the crotch area of the wearer (user) when the worn article 1 is worn, and is also a region that holds at least a part of the absorbent pad 100 when the absorbent pad 100 is attached. The waist region BR is defined as the area in the worn article 1 between the upper end LHt of the leg opening LH and the upper end of the worn article 1 in the vertical direction. The waist region BR is a region that is mainly located in the waist area (abdomen and buttocks to waist) of the wearer (user) when the worn article 1 is worn.

The stretch suppressing portion 20 is a portion that functions as a stretch suppressing means for suppressing stretching in the up-down direction of the worn article 1. In this embodiment, a plurality of stretch suppressing portions 20 having a predetermined length in the up-down direction are provided at predetermined positions of the main body portion 10 of the worn article 1. Specifically, at the front side of the front-to-back direction of the worn article 1 (main body portion 10), a front central stretch suppressing portion 21 is provided in the center in the left-right direction, and a pair of front side stretch suppressing portions 23, 23 (corresponding to both side stretch suppressing means) are provided on both left-right sides of the front central stretch suppressing portion 21 (see FIG. 2A). Similarly, at the rear side of the front-to-back direction of the worn article 1 (main body portion 10), a rear central stretch suppressing portion 22 is provided in the center in the left-right direction, and a pair of rear side stretch suppressing portions 24, 24 (both side stretch suppressing means) are provided on both left-right sides of the rear central stretch suppressing portion 22 (see FIG. 2B).

When the wearer (user) puts on the wearable article 1, the wearer puts his/her legs through a pair of leg openings LH, and then grasps the waist region BR and pulls it up to the crotch area. As described above, the main body 10 is made of a stretchable knitted (or woven) fabric. Therefore, if the main body 10 stretches excessively in the vertical direction when pulling up the wearable article 1, it may become difficult to pull up the wearable article 1. In contrast, in the wearable article 1 of this embodiment, the vertical stretch (stretch) of the main body 10 is suppressed in the area where the stretch suppressing section 20 is provided, making it easier to pull up the wearable article 1.

The stretch suppressing section 20 (stretch suppressing means) is realized by subjecting the knitted fabric constituting the main body 10 to a process that reduces the stretchability of the knitted fabric in the vertical direction. For example, the stretchability in the vertical direction can be reduced by sewing low-stretch thread into a specified area of the knitted fabric constituting the main body 10 (so-called "stitching"). In addition, when knitting the knitted fabric, the knitting pattern or the stretchability of the thread may be changed in a specified area to reduce the stretchability in a part of the knitted fabric. Alternatively, the stretchability may be reduced by applying a compression process (embossing, etc.) to a specified area of the knitted fabric.

The engagement region 30 is an area for removably attaching the absorbent pad 100 to the wearable article 1, and is provided on the skin side in the thickness direction of the main body 10. In this embodiment, a rectangular front engagement region 31 is provided on the skin side of the waist region BR at the front side in the front-to-rear direction (see FIG. 2A), and a rectangular rear engagement region 32 is provided on the skin side of the waist region BR at the rear side in the front-to-rear direction.

The absorbent pad 100 can be attached and held on the inside (skin side) of the wearing article 1 by engaging the engagement area 30 provided on the wearing article 1 with the absorbent pad engagement area 120 (see FIG. 4 described later) provided on the absorbent pad 100. The engagement area 30 also functions as a reference (i.e., a marker) when the user attaches the absorbent pad 100 to the wearing article 1, and by visually checking the engagement area 30, the absorbent pad 100 can be attached to the correct position on the wearing article 1.

In this embodiment, it is preferable that the engagement region 30 is provided with a separate sheet member different from the knitted fabric constituting the main body 10. For example, a known hook-and-loop fastener having a plurality of engaging protrusions (male material, hooks) or engaged protrusions (female material, loops) on the surface of a base sheet can be used as the separate sheet member. In order to improve visibility, it is more preferable that the color of the hook-and-loop fastener is different from the color of the knitted fabric constituting the main body 10. However, it is not necessary to provide a separate sheet member as the engagement region 30, and it is sufficient that an area is formed on the skin side of the worn article 1 where the absorbent pad engagement region 120 can be detachably engaged. For example, if the knitted fabric constituting the main body 10 itself is detachably engageable with the absorbent pad engagement region 120, the engagement region 30 may be formed by printing a predetermined area on the skin side of the main body 10 with ink of a different color from that of the main body 10.

Here, an outline of the manufacturing method of the worn article 1 will be described. Figures 3A to 3C are diagrams explaining the manufacturing method of the worn article 1. In Figure 3, a case where the worn article 1 is formed from the above-mentioned "knitted fabric" is explained.

First, as shown in FIG. 3A, a tubular knitted fabric 10A (so-called "circular knit") is formed by knitting yarn in a circular shape. At this time, stretch-suppressing sections 20 (21-24) are also formed along the central axis of the cylindrically knitted fabric 10A (corresponding to the up-and-down direction in FIG. 1). As described above, the stretch-suppressing sections 20 are formed by processing such as changing the knitting pattern or sewing in a different yarn. Note that the stretch-suppressing sections 20 may be formed in a process different from the process of forming the circular knitted fabric 10A (FIG. 3A). For example, after the circular knitted fabric 10A is formed, a separate process may be performed to form the stretch-suppressing sections 20 (stretch-suppressing means).

Then, the circular knit fabric 10A is cut at predetermined positions in the vertical direction (axial direction) to cut out the main body portion 10 constituting each individual wearing article 1, as shown in FIG. 3B. Here, the circular knit fabric 10A is cut at positions C1 and C2 in the vertical direction (see FIG. 3A). Cut position C1 is the top side of the main body portion 10 in the vertical direction, and cut position C2 is the bottom side of the main body portion 10 in the vertical direction. In addition, the portion that will become the leg openings LH is cut from the main body portion 10. In FIG. 3B, both left and right sides at the bottom end of the tubular main body portion 10 are cut diagonally to form a pair of leg openings LH, LH.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3C, the upper end of the tubular main body 10 in the vertical direction is folded back to form the waist fold 11. At the lower end of the tubular main body 10 in the vertical direction, the front lower edge 12f and the rear lower edge 12b are sewn together to form the crotch seam 12. This forms the tubular main body 10 into a pants-like shape. Then, overlock stitches are performed along the periphery of the cut leg openings LH to form the leg overlock stitches 13. Finally, a separate sheet member (e.g., a hook-and-loop fastener) is attached to the inside (skin side) of the main body 10 to form the engagement region 30 (31, 32). This forms the worn article 1 described in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The order in which the processes described in FIG. 3C are performed may be changed.

<Stretchability of the worn article 1>
The worn article 1 has been described as having stretchability in the up-down and left-right directions, but more specifically, when a sample piece is cut out from the knitted fabric constituting the main body 10 and a tensile test is performed, the worn article 1 is deemed to have stretchability if it satisfies the following conditions: That is, when a sample piece of 50 mm x 200 mm is pulled with a force of 5 N in both the up-down and left-right directions, the maximum elongation of the sample piece is 200% or more.

The tensile test can be carried out, for example, as follows. First, a rectangular sample piece having a length of 220 mm in the vertical direction and 50 mm in the horizontal direction is cut out from the main body 10 of the worn article 1. In addition, 10 mm at both ends of the 220 mm in the vertical direction of the sample piece are gripping margins for the chucks of the tensile tester. In addition, when cutting out the sample piece, it is desirable not to include the stretch suppressing part 20 and the engagement region 30. Next, 10 mm at each end in the vertical direction of the cut out sample piece is clamped by the chucks of a known tensile tester (for example, a universal material testing machine manufactured by Instron). At this time, the distance between the chucks of the tensile tester is set to G ₀ =200 mm. From this state, the sample piece is pulled and stretched in the direction of increasing the distance between the chucks at a pulling speed of about 200 mm/min, and the distance between the chucks G ₁ (mm) is measured when the tensile force (magnitude of force) in the tensile test becomes 5 N. The length of the sample piece after pulling relative to the length before pulling (= _G1 / _G0 ) is calculated and recorded as the elongation percentage. This test is repeated multiple times to determine the maximum elongation percentage ( _G1 / _G0 ). If the maximum elongation percentage ( _G1 / _G0 ) is 200% or more, the fabric constituting the worn article 1 (main body 10) is deemed to have elasticity in the up-down direction. The size of the zipper gripping margin can be changed as appropriate.

Similarly, a rectangular sample piece measuring 220 mm in the left-right direction and 50 mm in the up-down direction is cut out from the main body 10 of the worn article 1, and a tensile test in the left-right direction is performed according to the above procedure. If the elongation is 200% or more, the fabric constituting the worn article 1 (main body 10) is deemed to have stretchability in the left-right direction. Note that when cutting out a sample piece that is long in the left-right direction from the worn article 1, the stretch suppressing section 20 may be included. This is because the stretch suppressing section 20 mainly has the function of reducing stretchability in the up-down direction and does not have a significant effect on the measurement of stretchability in the left-right direction.

<Basic configuration of absorbent pad 100>
4 is a plan view and a cross-sectional view of the absorbent pad 100. The absorbent pad 100 is generally rectangular in plan view, and has a vertical direction, a width direction, and a thickness direction that are perpendicular to each other. The vertical direction is a direction along the up-down direction (and front-rear direction) of the wearing article 1 when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1, and the horizontal direction is a direction along the left-right direction of the wearing article 1 when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1. The front side in the vertical direction is a side that is located on the wearer's abdomen side (the front side in the front-rear direction of the wearing article 1) when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1, and the rear side in the vertical direction is a side that is located on the wearer's back side (the rear side in the front-rear direction of the wearing article 1) when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1.

The absorbent pad 100 has an absorbent body 110, a top sheet 111 arranged on the skin side of the absorbent body 110, a back sheet 112 arranged on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 110, and a pair of

side sheets

115, 115 provided on both sides in the left-right direction on the skin side of the top sheet 111. It also has an absorbent pad engagement region 120 for engaging with the engagement region 30 of the wearing article 1.

The absorbent 110 has a polymer absorbent (super absorbent polymer, also called "SAP") and liquid-absorbent fibers such as pulp fibers, and in this embodiment is formed in a roughly hourglass shape with the vertical center recessed inward in the left-right direction as shown by the dashed line in Figure 4. The liquid-absorbent fibers containing SAP may be covered with a liquid-permeable core wrap sheet (not shown). In addition, the configuration of the absorbent 110 is not limited to the above, and examples include an SAP sheet in which an SAP layer is attached to a hydrophilic sheet, and an airlaid sheet in which liquid-absorbent fibers are formed into a sheet shape by an airlaid method.

The top sheet 111 is a liquid-permeable sheet member disposed on the skin side of the absorbent 110, and is a member that comes into direct contact with the wearer's skin and excretory opening when the absorbent pad 100 is in use. For this reason, it is desirable for the top sheet 111 to be a sheet member that is as flexible as possible and soft against the skin. Examples of sheet members that constitute the top sheet 111 in this embodiment include air-through nonwoven fabrics. In addition, a second sheet (not shown in FIG. 4) that is substantially liquid-permeable in the same manner as the top sheet 111 may be provided between the absorbent 110 and the top sheet 111 in the thickness direction.

The back sheet 112 is a liquid-impermeable and breathable sheet member that is arranged on the non-skin side of the absorbent body 110 in the thickness direction of the absorbent pad 100. The provision of this back sheet 112 prevents excreted liquid such as urine absorbed by the absorbent pad 100 from penetrating to the non-skin side in the thickness direction. Therefore, when the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the skin side of the wearing article 1 for use, excreted liquid such as urine absorbed by the absorbent pad 100 can be prevented from penetrating into the non-skin side of the wearing article 1. Examples of sheet members that constitute the back sheet 112 in this embodiment include resin films such as polyethylene and polypropylene.

The side sheets 115 are members that make up both lateral sides of the skin-facing side of the absorbent pad 100. When the absorbent pad 100 is in use, the side sheets 115 are also likely to come into direct contact with the wearer's skin, so like the top sheet 111, it is desirable for the side sheets 115 to be as flexible as possible. Examples of sheet members that make up the side sheets 115 of this embodiment include air-through nonwoven fabrics.

In addition, absorbent pad elastic members 116 such as rubber thread are provided on the inner ends in the lateral direction of the pair of

side sheets

115, 115, each stretched along the longitudinal direction. The inner ends in the lateral direction of the side sheets 115 are folded back outward in the lateral direction as shown in the A-A cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, and the absorbent pad elastic members 116 are attached so as to be sandwiched between the folded back portions. When the absorbent pad 100 is in use, the inner ends of the pair of

side sheets

115, 115 rise up against the skin in the thickness direction based on the elasticity exhibited by the absorbent pad elastic members 116, and function as a leak prevention wall (three-dimensional gathers), thereby suppressing lateral leakage of urine, etc.

The absorbent pad engagement region 120 is provided on the non-skin side of the back sheet 112 and is a portion that releasably engages with the engagement region 30 of the worn article 1, and has a front absorbent pad engagement region 121 located at the front end in the vertical direction, and a rear absorbent pad engagement region 122 located at the rear end in the vertical direction. The absorbent pad engagement region 120 is provided with a sheet member such as a hook-and-loop fastener that corresponds to the engagement region 30 of the worn article 1. For the same reason as the engagement region 30 described above, the absorbent pad engagement region 120 is preferably formed in a color different from the color of the back sheet 112 so that the user can easily see the engagement position.

When the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearable article 1 for use, the absorbent pad 100 is folded in half at its longitudinal center position CL so that the skin side of the absorbent pad 100 faces inward. The folded absorbent pad 100 is then inserted from above the waist opening BH of the wearable article 1, and adjusted so that the longitudinal center position CL of the absorbent pad 100 is positioned at the lowest end of the wearable article 1 (overlapping with the crotch seam 12). In this state, the front absorbent pad engagement region 121 is engaged with the front engagement region 31 of the wearable article 1, and the rear absorbent pad engagement region 122 is engaged with the rear engagement region 32 of the wearable article 1. The position of the absorbent pad engagement region 120 in the longitudinal direction (up and down direction) is previously adjusted so that it overlaps with the engagement region 30 of the wearable article 1 when the absorbent pad 100 is inserted inside the wearable article 1, so that the engagement regions 30 and 120 can be easily engaged with each other. In this way, the absorbent pad 100 can be correctly attached to the wearable article 1.

<About the wearing action of the wearing article 1 when using the absorbent pad 100 together>
Next, a specific operation of putting on the wearing article 1 when using the absorbent pad 100 will be described.

First, as a comparative example, the operation of a conventional wearing article 200 when worn in combination with an absorbent pad 300 will be described. Figure 5 is a schematic plan view of a conventional wearing article 200 (comparative example). Figures 6A to 6C are diagrams explaining a method of wearing the wearing article 200 when the wearing article 200 and the absorbent pad 300 are used in combination.

The comparative wearing article 200 shown in FIG. 5 is a pants-type wearing article having a waist opening BH and a pair of leg openings LH, LH and a certain degree of stretchability, but unlike the wearing article 1 of this embodiment, the leg openings LH, LH protrude below the crotch portion (the lower end at the center position in the left-right direction of the wearing article 200), making it a so-called "boxer shorts" type. The wearing article 200 does not have a structure equivalent to the stretch suppressing portion 20 or the engagement region 30 of the wearing article 1. The absorbent pad 300 has a structure substantially similar to the absorbent pad 100 described in FIG. 4, but does not have a region equivalent to the absorbent pad engagement region 120.

In the comparative example, when the wearable article 200 and the absorbent pad 300 are used together, first, as shown in FIG. 6A, the absorbent pad 300 is placed on the crotch area of the wearer, and then the wearer passes both legs through the leg openings LH, LH of the wearable article 200 and pulls them up to around the knees.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6B, one hand holds the absorbent pad 300 to prevent it from slipping off the body, while the other hand grabs the wearing article 200 and pulls it upward. Since the wearing article 200 is a boxer shorts type as described in FIG. 5, friction occurs between the leg opening LH protruding downward and the wearer's leg, and the leg opening LH (hem) is likely to get caught on the wearer's leg. Therefore, when trying to pull up the wearing article 200, the pulled part stretches significantly in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 6B, making it difficult to pull up the entire wearing article 200 to the crotch part with one hand. Therefore, it is necessary to take time to pull up the wearing article 200 to the crotch part while appropriately changing the hand and the pulling position, which causes problems with wearability. In addition, since both hands are occupied during the pulling process, it is difficult for the wearer to support his or her own body by placing hands on a wall, chair, etc., and sufficient attention must be paid to ensure safety.

After the worn article 200 is pulled up near the wearer's crotch area, as shown in FIG. 6C, the positions of the worn article 200 and the absorbent pad 300 are adjusted to fit securely around the crotch area. At this time, as the worn article 200 is pulled back and forth, left and right, up and down, the position of the absorbent pad 300 may shift. For example, if the worn article 200 is pulled diagonally upwards to adjust its position, the absorbent pad 300 also tends to shift in the direction it is pulled. In this case, it becomes necessary to pull the absorbent pad 300 in the opposite direction to adjust its position again, but pulling the front side will cause the back side to shift, making it difficult to fit the absorbent pad 300 into the appropriate position in the crotch area.

It is possible for a caregiver or other third party to assist in putting on the wearable article 200 and absorbent pad 300, but this can place a heavy mental burden on the wearer and the third party, so it is desirable for the wearer to be able to put them on easily by themselves.

Next, the operation of the wearable article 1 of this embodiment when worn in combination with the absorbent pad 100 will be described. Figures 7A to 7C are diagrams explaining how to wear the wearable article 1 when the wearable article 1 and the absorbent pad 100 are used in combination.

In this embodiment, first, the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearing article 1. As described above, the absorbent pad 100 is attached by engaging the absorbent pad engagement area 120 of the absorbent pad 100 with the engagement area 30 of the wearing article 1. Then, as shown in FIG. 7A, the wearer's legs are passed through the leg openings LH, LH of the wearing article 1 with the absorbent pad 100 attached, and pulled up to around the knees.

Then, the wearer grasps the waist region BR of the wearable article 1 and pulls it upward. In FIG. 7B, the wearer grasps both sides of the waist region BR in the left-right direction with both hands and pulls it upward. In this embodiment, since the absorbent pad 100 is attached to the wearable article 1 in advance, there is no need to hold the absorbent pad with one hand as in FIG. 6B of the comparative example, and the wearer can pull up the wearable article 1 with both hands or while supporting the body with one hand. In addition, since the leg openings of the wearable article 1 are cut diagonally, the leg openings LH are less likely to get caught on the wearer's legs when worn, compared to the boxer shorts-type wearable article 200 of the comparative example. Furthermore, the wearable article 1 is provided with an expansion/contraction suppressing portion 20 as a means for suppressing expansion/contraction in the vertical direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6B, the leg openings LH are prevented from getting caught on the wearer's legs and the wearable article 1 is prevented from stretching vertically, and the entire wearable article 1 can be smoothly pulled up.

After the worn article 1 is pulled up to the wearer's crotch area, the positions of the worn article 1 and the absorbent pad 100 are adjusted as shown in FIG. 7C. In the worn article 1, the worn article 1 and the absorbent pad 100 are firmly engaged via the engagement region 30 (absorbent pad engagement region 120), so that by adjusting the position of the worn article 1 by pulling it, the position of the absorbent pad 100 can be adjusted accordingly. Therefore, the absorbent pad 100 can be made to fit appropriately to the wearer's crotch area.

<Deformation of the worn article 1>
When putting on the wearing article 1, it is first necessary for the wearer to put both legs through the waist opening BH and the leg openings LH as shown in Fig. 7A. At that time, the wearing article 1 is pulled to both sides in the left and right direction with both hands to widen the waist opening BH and the leg openings LH. A pants-type wearing article made of a highly stretchable knitted fabric such as the wearing article 1 can usually be easily stretched even with a weak force, so that the waist opening BH and the like can be widely widened in the left and right direction.

However, when such a worn article is significantly stretched in the left-right direction, it may be easily contracted in the up-down direction. Figures 8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining deformation caused when a pants-type worn article made of knitted fabric is stretched in the left-right direction. Figure 8A shows the worn article 1 in a natural state. In the natural state of Figure 8A, the length of the worn article 1 in the left-right direction is L ₀ , and the length of the worn article in the up-down direction is H ₀ .

Fig. 8B shows the state when the waist region BR of the wearing article 1 is stretched to a length of 200% in the left-right direction from the natural state. That is, it shows the state when the wearing article 1 is stretched to a length of _2L0 in the left-right direction. In Fig. 8B, the length in the up-down direction of the wearing article 1 is _H1 which is shorter than _H0 ( _H1 < _H0 ). That is, when the wearing article 1 is expanded to a dimension in the left-right direction of 200% from the natural state, the dimension in the up-down direction contracts from _H0 to _H1 . This is due to the properties of the knitted fabric constituting the wearing article 1.

As mentioned above, typical knitted fabrics are formed into a flat shape by forming loops with yarn and connecting adjacent loops together. When multiple connected loops are pulled in a certain direction (for example, the so-called "course direction"), each loop is deformed so that it is crushed in a direction that intersects with the certain direction (the so-called "wale direction"). This causes the knitted fabric to shrink in the direction that intersects with the direction in which it is pulled.

In the wearing article 1 of this embodiment, an engagement region 30 is provided at a predetermined position in the vertical direction, and the absorbent pad 100 is attached by engaging the absorbent pad engagement region 120 of the absorbent pad 100 with the engagement region 30. Therefore, when the wearing article 1 contracts in the vertical direction as shown in Figs. 8A and 8B, the position of the engagement region 30 in the vertical direction changes, and there is a risk of a vertical misalignment occurring between the engagement region 30 and the absorbent pad engagement region 120 provided on the absorbent pad 100, making it difficult for the two to engage with each other.

In view of this, the leg openings LH are formed in the worn article 1 so that the distance from the upper end of the engagement region 30 to the lower end of the worn article 1 is unlikely to shrink when the worn article 1 is stretched in the left-right direction from its natural state, thereby making it difficult for the engagement region 30 to become displaced in the up-down direction. For example, in FIG. 8B, when the waist region BR is stretched in the left-right direction by 200%, the waist region BR significantly shrinks in the up-down direction. On the other hand, the crotch region CR, which is located below the waist region and between the pair of leg openings LH, LH in the left-right direction, expands less in the left-right direction than the waist region BR, and therefore shrinks less in the up-down direction. In other words, the amount of shrinkage in the up-down direction in the crotch region CR of the worn article 1 can be adjusted by adjusting the size and shape of the leg openings LH. The amount of shrinkage in the up-down direction of the worn article 1 will be described below.

9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining the amount of contraction in the up-down direction when the wearing article 1 is expanded 200% in the left-right direction from its natural state. 9A and 9B are schematic cross-sectional views of the wearing article 1 with the absorbent pad 100 attached, as viewed from the left-right direction. FIG. 9A shows the wearing article 1 and absorbent pad 100 in their natural state, and FIG. 9B shows the state when the waist region BR of the wearing article 1 is expanded 200% in the left-right direction from its natural state (FIG. 9A). Note that the wearing article 1 has engagement regions 30 (31, 32) on the front and rear sides in the front-to-rear direction, but the same can be considered for both the front and rear engagement regions 30 (31, 32), so the following description focuses on the front engagement region 31 provided on the front side.

When attaching the absorbent pad 100 to the wearing article 1, the absorbent pad 100 is folded in half with the fold at the longitudinal center position CL, inserted into the upper side of the waist opening BH of the wearing article 1, and positioned so that the fold of the absorbent pad 100 abuts on the lowest side (lower end 1b ₀ in FIG. 9A ) of the wearing article 1. In this state, the heights of the engagement region 30 and the absorbent pad engagement region 120 in the vertical direction are adjusted so that the front engagement region 31 of the wearing article 1 and the front absorbent pad engagement region 121 of the absorbent pad 100 can engage with each other. That is, with the fold (CL) of the absorbent pad 100 positioned at the lower end 1b ₀ of the wearing article 1, the front engagement region 31 and the front absorbent pad engagement region 121 have an overlapping portion in the vertical direction. In addition, in the natural state of FIG. 9A , the vertical length from the upper end 31t of the front engagement region 31 to the lower end 1b0 of the wearing article ₁ is defined as _h0 , and the vertical length of the front engagement region 31 (the distance between the upper end 31t and the lower end 31b) is defined as L31.

Next, when the waist region BR of the wearing article 1 is pulled to both sides in the left-right direction to elongate the wearing article 1 by 200% in the left-right direction from the natural state, the wearing article 1 is contracted in the up-down direction as shown in Fig. 9B. When the up-down position (height) of the upper end 31t of the front engagement region 31 is adjusted to the same height as the up-down position of the upper end 31t in Fig. 9A in the state shown in Fig. 9B, the lower end position of the wearing article 1 moves from _1b0 in Fig. 9A to _1bs in Fig. 9B. At this time, the vertical length from the upper end 31t of the front engagement region 31 to the lower end _1bs of the wearing article 1 in the contracted state is _hs . In other words, by stretching the wearing article 1 by 200% in the left-right direction from the natural state, the vertical length _h0 from the upper end 31t of the front engagement region 31 to the lower end _1b0 of the wearing article 1 is contracted by ( _h0 - _hs ). In other words, the position of the lower end 1b ₀ of the worn article 1 in the up-down direction is moved upward by (h ₀ -h _s ).

9B, the absorbent pad 100 is not stretched in the left-right direction, and no contraction occurs in the up-down direction. Therefore, as the position of the lower end _1b0 of the wearing article 1 moves upward by ( _h0 - _hs ), the position of the absorbent pad 100 also moves upward by ( _h0 - _hs ) as a whole. That is, the position of the front absorbent pad engagement region 121 of the absorbent pad 100 moves upward by ( _h0 - _hs ). As a result, if the front absorbent pad engagement region 121 and the front engagement region 31 of the wearing article 1 do not have an overlapping portion in the up-down direction, it becomes difficult to engage the front absorbent pad engagement region 121 with the front engagement region 31.

Conversely, even if the position of the front absorbent pad engagement region 121 moves upward by (h ₀ -h _s ), so long as there is an overlapping portion with the front engagement region 31 in the up-down direction, it is possible to engage the front absorbent pad engagement region 121 with the front engagement region 31. For example, in Fig. 9B, the lower end 121b of the front absorbent pad engagement region 121 is located below the upper end 31t of the front engagement region 31 and above the lower end 31b in the up-down direction, so that the front absorbent pad engagement region 121 and the front engagement region 31 have an overlapping portion and are engageable with each other. In other words, so long as the length L31 of the front engagement region 31 in the up-down direction is greater than the amount of upward movement of the front absorbent pad engagement region 121 (h ₀ -h _s ), the front absorbent pad engagement region 121 can be engaged with the front engagement region 31 (L31>h ₀ -h _s ).

In the wearing article 1 of this embodiment, the pair of leg openings LH, LH are formed so that the vertical length _hs from the upper end 31t of the front engagement region 31 to the lower end _1b0 of the wearing article 1 when the wearing article 1 is expanded 200% in the left-right direction from the natural state _is not shorter than the vertical length _h0 from the upper end 31t of the front engagement region 31 to the lower end 1b0 of the wearing article 1 in the natural state by more than twice the vertical length L31 of the front engagement region 31 ( _hs > _h0 -L31x2). In other words, the leg openings LH, LH are formed so that the vertical length L31 of the front engagement region 31 is greater than half the upward movement amount ( _h0 - _hs ) of the front absorbent pad engagement region 121 (L31>( _h0 - _hs )/2).

As a result, even if the waist region BR is expanded in the left-right direction when wearing the wearable article 1, contraction in the up-down direction is restricted in the crotch region CR between the leg openings LH, LH, and there is a high probability that the engagement region 30 provided on the wearable article 1 and the absorbent pad engagement region 120 provided on the absorbent pad 100 have overlapping portions (engageable portions) in the up-down direction. This makes it easier to engage the absorbent pad 100 with the wearable article 1.

If the length L31 in the vertical direction of the front engagement region 31 is made larger than the upward movement amount (h ₀ -h _s ) of the front absorbent pad engagement region 121 (L31>h ₀ -h _s ), the probability that the engagement region 30 and the absorbent pad engagement region 120 have overlapping portions in the vertical direction can be increased. This makes it easier to engage the absorbent pad 100 with the wearing article 1.

In addition, in the natural state, the upper end LHt of the leg opening LH is located above the lower end (1b ₀ in FIG. 9A ) at the center position in the left-right direction of the wearing article, and the leg opening LH has a shorts-like shape cut up at an angle (see FIG. 2 , etc.). Since the leg opening LH has a predetermined width in the vertical direction, the width of the waist region BR in the vertical direction is narrower than that of a boxer shorts-type wearing article as exemplified in FIG. 5 . That is, the proportion of the waist region BR in the entire vertical direction of the wearing article 1 is smaller, and the proportion of the crotch region CR is larger. As described above, when the wearing article 1 is spread out horizontally, the waist region BR shrinks more in the vertical direction, whereas the crotch region CR shrinks less in the vertical direction than the waist region BR. Therefore, the amount of shrinkage in the vertical direction of the region from the upper end of the engagement region 30 to the lower end of the wearing article 1 is relatively small, and the engagement region 30 and the absorbent pad engagement region 120 are less likely to be misaligned in the vertical direction (see FIG. 9B ). This allows the absorbent pad 100 to be more easily engaged with the wearing article 1 .

The engagement region 30 of the wearing article 1 is provided in the waist region BR. As shown in FIG. 2A, the upper end 31t of the engagement region 30 (31) is located below the center position CLBR of the waist region BR in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the change (contraction) in the vertical distance between the upper end of the engagement region 30 and the lower end of the wearing article 1 is reduced, making it difficult for the engagement region 30 and the absorbent pad engagement region 120 to be misaligned in the vertical direction. Therefore, if the upper end of the engagement region 30 is located above the waist region BR, the vertical distance between the upper end of the engagement region 30 and the lower end of the wearing article 1 becomes longer, so the rate of contraction also becomes larger, making it easier for the absorbent pad engagement region 120 to be misaligned in the vertical direction. In contrast, since the upper end of the engagement region 30 is located below the center position of the waist region BR, the distance from the upper end of the engagement region 30 to the lower end of the wearing article 1 becomes shorter compared to the opposite case. This reduces the amount of vertical movement of the engagement area 30 that accompanies vertical contraction of the wearing article 1, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad 100 with the wearing article 1.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the elasticity of the engagement region 30 is lower than that of the fabric constituting the worn article 1 (main body portion 10). In other words, it is preferable that the force required to stretch the engagement region 30 by a unit length in the vertical and horizontal directions is greater than the force required to stretch the knitted fabric constituting the main body portion 10 by a unit length in the vertical and horizontal directions. With this configuration, when the worn article 1 is pulled in the horizontal direction, the influence of the stretching in the region above the engagement region 30 is less likely to extend to the region below the engagement region 30 (including the crotch region CR). In other words, the vertical contraction in the region below the engagement region 30 (the crotch region CR) is more likely to be suppressed. Furthermore, since the engagement region 30 itself is less likely to stretch in the vertical direction, the contraction in the vertical direction of the worn article 1 as a whole is more likely to be suppressed. As a result, the engagement region 30 is less likely to move in the vertical direction, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad 100 with the worn article 1.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the engagement region 30 and the crotch region CR have an overlapping portion in the left-right direction. Since the worn article 1 is less likely to stretch in the left-right direction in the engagement region 30, which has low elasticity compared to other regions, the left-right stretching of the crotch region CR is more likely to be suppressed in the overlapping portion with the engagement region 30. Therefore, even if the worn article 1 is spread in the left-right direction, contraction of the crotch region CR in the up-down direction is suppressed, and the engagement region 30 is less likely to move in the up-down direction. This makes it easier to engage the absorbent pad 100 with the worn article 1.

The crotch region CR of the worn article 1 is provided with a stretch suppressing means (stretch suppressing portion 20) having a predetermined length in the vertical direction. In FIG. 2, central

stretch suppressing portions

21, 22 are provided as stretch suppressing means over the entire vertical direction of the crotch region CR. The central

stretch suppressing portions

21, 22 are formed by processing, such as sewing low-stretch thread into a predetermined portion of the main body portion 10 made of a highly elastic knitted fabric, and are less likely to shrink in the vertical direction compared to a portion not subjected to such processing. Therefore, even if the worn article 1 is stretched in the horizontal direction, the portion of the crotch region CR where the stretch suppressing means (central stretch suppressing portions 21, 22) is provided is less likely to shrink in the vertical direction. This reduces the vertical movement of the engagement region 30, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad 100 with the worn article 1.

The stretch suppression means (central stretch suppression sections 21, 22) are provided continuously in the vertical direction from the crotch region CR to the waist region BR above the upper end of the crotch region CR. Therefore, in the area where the central

stretch suppression sections

21, 22 are provided, vertical contraction is more easily suppressed over a wide range in the vertical direction of the worn article 1. This reduces the vertical movement of the engagement region 30, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad 100 with the worn article 1.

The stretch suppressing means (central stretch suppressing sections 21, 22) are provided in the center in the left-right direction. When the wearing article 1 is opened to both sides in the left-right direction, the center in the left-right direction is most likely to shrink. In other words, the wearing article 1 is most likely to shrink in the up-down direction at the center in the left-right direction. In contrast, by providing the central

stretch suppressing sections

21, 22 in the center in the left-right direction, excessive shrinkage in the center in the left-right direction of the wearing article 1 is more likely to be suppressed. Therefore, the amount of movement of the engagement area 30 in the up-down direction is reduced, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad 100 with the wearing article 1.

Also, a pair of side stretch suppressing parts 23, 23 (24, 24) (side stretch suppressing means) having a predetermined length in the vertical direction are provided on both sides of the central stretch suppressing part 21 (22) in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 2). The side stretch suppressing part 23 (24) also functions as a stretch suppressing means for suppressing vertical stretch of the main body part 10, similar to the central stretch suppressing part 21 (22). Therefore, when the wearing article 1 is to be spread on both sides in the horizontal direction, the provision of the side stretch suppressing part 23 (24) makes it easier to suppress vertical contraction on both sides in the horizontal direction. In other words, vertical contraction is easily suppressed over a wide range in the horizontal direction of the wearing article 1, and the amount of movement of the engagement area 30 in the vertical direction can be reduced. This makes it easier to engage the absorbent pad 100 with the wearing article 1.

In the worn article 1 of this embodiment, the stretch suppressing means (stretch suppressing section 20) does not include an elastic member. That is, when forming the stretch suppressing section 20 on the main body section 10, no processing is performed to weld or press an elastic member such as silicone or rubber. If an elastic member were included in the stretch suppressing section 20, the elastic force of the elastic member may cause the worn article 1 to easily shrink in the vertical direction even in the natural state. In contrast, if the stretch suppressing means (stretch suppressing section 20) does not include an elastic member, the worn article 1 does not shrink in the vertical direction at least in the natural state, and excessive vertical shrinkage when the worn article 1 is spread in the left and right direction can be suppressed. Therefore, the amount of movement of the engagement region 30 in the vertical direction can be reduced.

Furthermore, the pair of leg openings LH, LH are provided with leg overlock sections 13 along their periphery. The leg overlock sections 13 increase the rigidity of the periphery of the leg openings LH, LH provided on both sides of the crotch region CR, thereby weakening the stretchability of both sides of the crotch region CR. As a result, both sides of the crotch region CR are less likely to contract in the vertical direction, and the vertical distance between the upper end of the engagement region 30 and the lower end of the worn article 1 is less likely to change, making it possible to reduce the amount of vertical movement of the engagement region 30. This makes it easier to engage the absorbent pad 100 with the worn article 1.

Furthermore, a crotch seam 12 having a predetermined length in the left-right direction is provided at the lower end of the worn article 1 (crotch region CR). The crotch seam 12 increases the rigidity of the lower end of the crotch region CR, making it easier to suppress expansion and contraction in the left-right direction. In other words, even if the waist region BR is expanded in the left-right direction, the crotch region CR is less likely to stretch in the left-right direction. Therefore, contraction in the up-down direction of the crotch region CR is also suppressed, and the amount of movement of the engagement region 30 in the up-down direction can be reduced. This makes it easier to engage the absorbent pad 100 with the worn article 1.

The worn article 1 has an intersection between the crotch seam 12 and the leg overlock seam 13. The two are connected and function like a skeleton, which increases the rigidity of the lower end and both sides of the crotch region CR, making it easier to suppress excessive stretching of the crotch region CR as a whole. In other words, the left-right expansion and up-down contraction of the crotch region CR are more easily suppressed. This reduces the amount of movement of the engagement region 30 in the up-down direction, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad 100 with the worn article 1.

In addition, in the wearing article 1, the force required to extend the maximum length (h _s in FIG. 9A ) from the upper end of the engagement region 30 to the lower end of the wearing article 1 when the waist region BR is expanded 200% in the left-right direction from the natural state to the maximum length (h ₀ in FIG. 9A ) from the upper end of the engagement region 30 to the lower end of the wearing article 1 in the natural state is preferably 1/5 or less of the force required to expand the waist region BR 200% in the left-right direction from the natural state. That is, even if the vertical length from the upper end of the engagement region 30 to the lower end of the wearing article 1 is contracted by expanding the wearing article 1 200% in the left-right direction, it is preferable that the contracted length can be extended by a weak force. With this configuration, even if the vertical dimension of the wearing article 1 is contracted when the wearing article 1 is expanded in the left-right direction and the absorbent pad 100 is inserted, the vertical dimension can be returned to the original state (the vertical dimension in the natural state) by lightly pushing the absorbent pad 100 toward the crotch side.

In other words, compared to the opposite case (where the force required to extend the maximum length from the upper end of the engagement region 30 to the lower end of the worn article 1 when the waist region BR is expanded 200% in the left-right direction from its natural state to the maximum length from the upper end of the engagement region 30 to the lower end of the worn article 1 in its natural state is greater than 1/5 of the force required to expand the waist region BR 200% in the left-right direction from its natural state), the length from the upper end of the engagement region 30 to the lower end of the worn article 1 can be more easily returned to its original state. Therefore, vertical positional misalignment between the engagement region 30 of the worn article 1 and the absorbent pad engagement region 120 is less likely to occur, making it easier to engage the absorbent pad 100 with the worn article 1.

<Regarding the container for the worn article 1>
The wearing articles 1 manufactured in a manufacturing factory or the like are folded compactly and shipped in a state in which one or more of the wearing articles 1 are accommodated in a predetermined accommodation member, and are then distributed in the market. In the following, a wearing article accommodation body 90 in which a plurality of the wearing articles 1 are accommodated in a accommodation member 70 will be described.

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a wearable article container 90 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "container 90"). The container 90 has a container member 70, which is a bag-shaped member, and one or more wearable articles 1 contained inside the container member 70. Note that the container 90 does not contain an absorbent pad 100, and when a user uses the wearable article 1 in combination with the absorbent pad 100, the user must prepare the absorbent pad 100 by purchasing it separately, etc.

As shown in FIG. 10, the container 90 has a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction that intersect with one another. One side of the first direction is the upper side, and the other side is the lower side. Similarly, one side of the second direction is the right side, and the other side is the left side, and one side of the third direction is the front side, and the other side is the rear side.

The storage member 70 is a container having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in FIG. 10, and is formed by folding a base sheet 71, which is a sheet member constituting the storage member 70, and joining predetermined portions. The base sheet 71 is a resin sheet member, and liquid-impermeable resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polycarbonate, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be used. When storing the wearing articles 1 in the storage member 70, first. The base sheet 71 is folded to form a bag shape having an opening at the upper end in the first direction (not shown), and a predetermined number of wearing articles 1 are stored through the opening at the upper end. After storing the wearing articles 1, the base sheet 71 is folded at the upper end as shown in FIG. 1 (for example, gusset folding), and the opposing surfaces are joined to close the opening. This results in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped storage body 90 as shown in FIG. 10. However, the shape of the storage member 70, the method of folding the base sheet 71, and the method of enclosing the wearing articles 1 are not limited to this.

The front surface of the storage member 70 in the third direction corresponds to the front of the storage body 90, and is the surface that the user sees at a store or the like. Information consisting of a plurality of characters and pictures is displayed (printed) on the front of the storage member 70. In the example of FIG. 10, a product name display section 72, a product image display section 73, an explanation display section 74, and a note display section 75 are provided. The product name display section 72 is a section where information showing the product name of the worn article 1 is displayed, and the user can select and purchase the worn article 1 from among many types of absorbent articles using the product name display section 72 as a guide. The product image display section 73 is a section where information showing images related to the worn article 1 and the user is displayed. By visually checking the product image display section 73, the user can easily understand at a glance the overview of the product and the type of person that the product is intended to wear.

The explanation display section 74 is an area where information is displayed that shows the product description of the wearable article 1, and includes at least an indication that evokes the use in combination with the absorbent pad 100. In FIG. 10, information is displayed that the wearable article 1 can be used in combination with an absorbent pad, and information is displayed explaining the absorbent pad (absorbent pad 100) to be used in combination. The note display section 75 is an area where notes other than the information displayed in the explanation display section 74 are displayed, and indicates information that is beneficial to the user. In FIG. 10, information is displayed indicating that the wearable article 1 can be used repeatedly, allowing the user to recognize that the wearable article 1 is reusable.

In addition, these information display sections 72 to 75 may not be printed on the base sheet 71 that constitutes the storage member 70, but may be constructed by attaching a sticker showing predetermined information to the surface of the base sheet 71, for example. Furthermore, if the base sheet 71 is a transparent sheet member, they may be constructed by enclosing a card or the like showing predetermined information inside so that the card can be seen from the outside.

By distributing this type of container 90 on the market, users who see the container 90 can easily recognize the function and usage of the wearable article 1, and can use the wearable article 1 correctly.

<Washing of the worn article 1>
As described above, the wearing article 1 can be washed and reused, and after washing, it is important that the wearing article 1 dries easily. For example, assuming a usage pattern in which the wearing article 1 is washed and dried while the wearer of the wearing article 1 is taking a bath, and the washed wearing article 1 is worn again after the wearer gets out of the bath, it is preferable that the wearing article 1 has high drying properties.

The wearable article 1 of this embodiment has the following configuration to improve the dryability. First, the configuration to improve the dryability will be described from the viewpoint of the fabric that makes up the wearable article 1. In this embodiment, the fabric that makes up the wearable article 1 (main body 10) contains 90% or more by weight of polyester or polyethylene. Polyester and polyethylene are materials with higher elongation than cotton, and by including a large amount of such materials, it is possible to realize greater stretchability. In addition, since polyester and polyethylene are non-absorbent and have high quick-drying properties, it is possible to shorten the drying time after washing, and the dryability of the wearable article 1 is improved. The composition of the fabric (weight % of each material) can be confirmed by measurement, or the "mixing ratio" written on the product tag may be confirmed.

In addition, in this embodiment, the fabric constituting the worn article 1 does not contain any absorbent material. Examples of absorbent materials include cotton and rayon. By not containing any absorbent material, the fabric is less likely to absorb water, and therefore the drying time after washing can be shortened, improving the drying properties of the worn article 1.

The fabric constituting the worn article 1 contains less than 10% by weight of a material that is more elastic than polyester or polyethylene. Examples of such more elastic materials include polyurethane. Since 90% by weight or more of the fabric constituting the worn article 1 is polyester or polyethylene, the remaining 10% by weight of the more elastic material described above can be included, thereby improving elasticity while ensuring good drying properties. If the mixing rate of such highly elastic materials is too high (10% by weight or more), there is a risk that the worn article 1 (main body 10) will shrink to the point of wrinkling, or that it will shrink so much that the legs will easily get caught when passing through the leg openings LH, LH, so it is preferable that the mixing rate is less than 10% by weight.

The fabric constituting the worn article 1 has regions that contain a material that is more elastic than polyester or polyethylene, and regions that do not. For example, by arranging a highly elastic material in a portion of the worn article 1 where a fit is particularly required (i.e., forming a region that contains a more elastic material), the fit can be improved in a limited portion of the worn article 1, improving functionality. In addition to improving the fit in a portion, the fit of the worn article 1 as a whole can also be improved by, for example, providing multiple areas spaced apart that contain a more elastic material.

Next, the configuration for enhancing drying properties will be described from the viewpoint of the engagement region 30. As described above, it is preferable that the engagement region 30 is provided with a separate sheet member (e.g., a hook-and-loop fastener) that is different from the knitted fabric that constitutes the main body portion 10, and the separate sheet member is preferably made of polyethylene or polyester. Since the separate sheet member is joined to the main body portion 10, like the main body portion 10, the separate sheet member is also made of a material that has high quick-drying properties, thereby improving the drying properties of the worn article 1.

The separate sheet member is joined to the fabric (main body 10) constituting the worn article 1 by sewing the peripheral portion of the separate sheet member with thread. Therefore, in the area inside the peripheral portion sewn with thread, the fabric and the separate sheet member are not in close contact (joined) in the thickness direction, and a space is formed between the separate sheet member and the fabric. In other words, since the entire separate sheet member is not joined to the fabric, the surface area of the separate sheet member that comes into contact with the fabric is larger than when the entire sheet member is joined, making it easier for moisture to evaporate. Such a configuration that allows air to easily escape improves drying properties.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, when viewed in the thickness direction, there is an overlapping portion between the separate sheet member and the stretch suppressing portion 20 (front central stretch suppressing portion 21 and rear central stretch suppressing portion 22) (see FIG. 2). Specifically, the separate sheet member is arranged to straddle areas of different contractile forces (stretch suppressing portions 20). The provision of the stretch suppressing portion 20 causes a change in the contractile force of the fabric constituting the worn article 1, making it easier for a space to form between the skin side of the fabric and the non-skin side of the separate sheet member. Air can easily escape from such a space, improving dryness.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the size of the separate sheet member is 50 mm or less in the vertical direction and 150 mm or less in the horizontal direction. If the separate sheet member is too large, there is a risk that the part of the sheet member in question will be difficult to dry, but by making the size within the above-mentioned range, it will be easier to dry while ensuring an area that can maintain a sufficient engagement force with the fabric.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the thickness of the separate sheet member is 3 mm or less. This ensures that the thickness is sufficient to maintain a sufficient engagement force with the fabric, but is not too thick, so that it can be dried easily.

Next, a configuration for enhancing dryness will be described from another perspective. FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing the state in which the front waist region BR and the rear waist region BR of the wearing article 1 are cut at both left and right ends and unfolded in the vertical direction. Specifically, the unfolded state described above is a state in which the wearing article 1 is unfolded in the vertical direction and placed on a horizontal surface in a natural state. In the unfolded state shown in FIG. 11, the area of the region S1 (shown by diagonal lines in FIG. 11) between the upper end 31ue of the front engagement region 31 and the upper end 32ue of the rear engagement region 32 in the vertical direction and between the ends 31pe, 32pe on the most one side (left side) of the front engagement region 31 and the rear engagement region 32 in the horizontal direction and the ends 31re, 32re on the most other side (right side) of the front engagement region 31 and the rear engagement region 32 is smaller than the area of the other region S2. The region S1 of the fabric constituting the wearing article 1 is usually covered by the absorbent pad 100 when the absorbent pad 100 is worn. Therefore, if the drying of the wearing article 1 after washing is slightly insufficient, or if the wearing article 1 becomes wet after putting on the absorbent pad 100 due to another factor, the area S1 is likely to have low subsequent drying properties because it is covered by the absorbent pad 100. However, because the area of area S1 is smaller than the area of area S2 in the fabric constituting the wearing article 1, it is easier to suppress a decrease in the overall dryness of the wearing article 1 compared to the reverse case.

In this embodiment, the area of the above-mentioned region S1 is smaller than the area of the remaining region S2, but this is not limited to this. Conversely, the area of region S1 may be larger than the area of the remaining region S2. In this case, even if the worn article 1 is slightly insufficiently dried after washing, the region S1 is covered by the absorbent pad 100, so that the skin is less likely to get wet and the wearing comfort is less likely to deteriorate.

===Other===
The above-mentioned embodiment is for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified or improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

In the above embodiment, it has been described that the stretch suppressing section 20 is provided as a stretch suppressing means for suppressing the stretch of the main body section 10, but stretch suppressing means other than the stretch suppressing section 20 may be provided. For example, if a separate sheet member such as a hook-and-loop fastener is provided in the engagement region 30, the stretch of the main body section 10 is suppressed in the engagement region 30 as well. In other words, the engagement region 30 may also function as a stretch suppressing means.

1. Wearing article (pants-type wearing article),
1b ₀ bottom end (natural state), 1b _s bottom end (when contracted),
10 Main body portion,
11 waist fold, 12 crotch seam, 13 leg sewn,
20 expansion/contraction suppression unit (expansion/contraction suppression means),
21 front central stretch suppressing portion, 22 rear central stretch suppressing portion,
23 Front side stretch suppression portion (both side stretch suppression means),
24 Rear side stretch suppressing portion (both side stretch suppressing means),
30 engagement region,
31 front engagement region, 31b lower end,
31pe one end, 31re the other end, 31t upper end, 31ue upper end,
32 rear engagement region,
32pe one end, 32re the other end, 32ue upper end,
70 storage member,
71 Base sheet,
72 Product name display section, 73 Product image display section, 74 Explanation display section,
75 Note display section,
90 Wearing article container,
100 absorbent pads,
110 Absorbent body, 111 Top sheet, 112 Back sheet,
115 Side sheet, 116 Absorbent pad elastic member,
120 absorbent pad engaging area,
121 front absorbent pad engagement area,
122 rear absorbent pad engagement area;
200 Wearing article (Comparative example),
300 Absorbent pad (comparative example),
BH waist opening,
LH leg opening, LHt upper end, LHb lower end,
BR waist area,
CR crotch area;
_h0 length (natural state), _hs length (contracted)
S1 region, S2 region

Claims

a wearing article having a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a front-rear direction intersecting each other, the wearing article having elasticity in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, the wearing article being used in combination with an absorbent pad;
a storage member for storing the wearing article;
A wearing article container comprising:
The wearing article is reusable,
the container member is provided with an indication that the wearing article is to be used in combination with the absorbent pad,
The wearing article is made of a knitted fabric and has a pair of leg openings,
an engagement region for engaging with the absorbent pad;
The engagement region is provided at least one on each of a front side and a rear side in the front-to-rear direction of the wearing article,
At least one of the front side and the rear side in the front-rear direction,
When the region above the upper ends of the pair of leg openings is expanded 200% in the left-right direction from the natural state, the maximum length from the upper end of the engagement region to the lower end of the wearing article is
the pair of leg openings are formed so as to be no shorter than a maximum length from an upper end of the engagement region to a lower end of the wearing article in the vertical direction by more than twice the length of the engagement region in the vertical direction in the natural state.
The vertical direction, the horizontal direction, and the front-rear direction intersect with each other,
The knitted fabric is stretchable in the vertical and horizontal directions,
A wearing article having a pair of leg openings and used in combination with an absorbent pad,
an engagement region for engaging with the absorbent pad;
The engagement region is provided at least one on each of a front side and a rear side in the front-to-rear direction of the wearing article,
At least one of the front side and the rear side in the front-rear direction,
When the region above the upper ends of the pair of leg openings is expanded 200% in the left-right direction from the natural state, the maximum length from the upper end of the engagement region to the lower end of the wearing article is
the pair of leg openings are formed so as to be no shorter than a maximum length from an upper end of the engagement region to a lower end of the wearing article in the vertical direction by more than twice the length of the engagement region in the vertical direction in the natural state.
The wearing article according to claim 2,
At least one of the front side and the rear side in the front-rear direction,
When the region above the upper ends of the pair of leg openings is expanded 200% in the left-right direction from the natural state, the maximum length from the upper end of the engagement region to the lower end of the wearing article is
the pair of leg openings are formed so that the length of the engagement region in the up-down direction is not shorter than a maximum length from an upper end of the engagement region to a lower end of the wearing article in the natural state.
The wearing article according to claim 2 or 3,
The wearing article, wherein in a natural state, upper ends of the leg openings are located higher than a lower end of the wearing article at a central position in the left-right direction.
The wearing article according to claim 4,
a waist region located between an upper end of the leg openings and an upper end of the wearing article in the vertical direction;
The engagement region is provided within the waist region,
A wearing article, characterized in that, in the vertical direction, an upper end position of the engagement region is lower than a center position of the waist region.
The wearing article according to claim 4,
a force required to stretch the engagement region by a unit length in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction is greater than a force required to stretch the knitted fabric by a unit length in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.
The wearing article according to claim 6,
a crotch region located between upper ends of the leg openings and a lower end of the wearing article in the vertical direction and between inner ends of the pair of leg openings in the left-right direction;
A wearing article, comprising: a portion where the engagement region and the crotch region overlap in the left-right direction.
The wearing article according to claim 7,
A wearing article characterized in that the crotch region is provided with an elasticity suppressing means having a predetermined length in the vertical direction.
The wearing article according to claim 8,
The stretch suppressing means is continuous in the vertical direction from the crotch region to above an upper end of the crotch region.
The wearing article according to claim 8,
The stretch suppressing means has a central stretch suppressing portion provided in the center in the left-right direction.
The wearing article according to claim 10,
The stretch suppressing means includes a pair of side stretch suppressing portions on both sides of the central stretch suppressing portion in the left-right direction.
The wearing article according to claim 4,
A wearing article comprising a pair of leg openings, each having a serged portion along a peripheral edge thereof.
The wearing article according to claim 12,
A wearing article characterized in that a crotch seam having a predetermined length in the left-right direction is provided at a lower end in the up-down direction.
The wearing article according to claim 13,
A wearing article comprising an intersecting portion of the overlock portion and the crotch seam.
The wearing article according to claim 8,
The stretch suppressing means does not include an elastic member.
The wearing article according to claim 2 or 3,
In a state where the region above the upper ends of the pair of leg openings is expanded 200% in the left-right direction from the natural state, the force required to extend the maximum length from the upper end of the engagement region to the lower end of the wearing article to the maximum length from the upper end of the engagement region to the lower end of the wearing article in the natural state is:
The force required to expand the area above the upper ends of the pair of leg openings by 200% in the left-right direction from the natural state is 1/5 or less.