JP6778073B2 - Pants-type worn items, their manufacturing methods, and how to wear pants-type worn items - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to pants-type wearing articles such as pants-type disposable diapers having a side seal portion.

As a conventional pants-type worn article, an absorbent body and an exterior body forming the outer surface of the worn article are provided, and a pair of both side edges of the exterior body on the front body and both side edges of the exterior body on the back body are joined. Pants-type disposable diapers on which the side seals of the diapers are formed are known. Further, conventionally, in the manufacturing process of absorbent articles such as disposable diapers and sanitary napkins, a heat roll device has been widely used for joining stacked sheets, and generally, a side seal portion is formed by using a heat roll device. Will be done.

Pants-type disposable diapers are usually manufactured through the following steps. That is, a diaper continuous body having a structure in which a plurality of diapers are connected in one direction (transportation direction) is manufactured, and in this diaper continuous body, the outer body on the front body side and the outer body on the back body side that overlap each other at the planned side seal portion formation portion. It is manufactured through a step of dividing into individual diapers by joining the exterior body with a joining means such as a heat roll device and then cutting the joint portion with a cutting means such as a cutter. The side seal portion of the conventional pants-type disposable diaper manufactured in this way is formed by overlapping the side edge portion of the front body and the side edge portion of the rear body in a palm-shaped manner, and the top of the palm-shaped portion is the periphery. Since it protrudes outward from the diaper, it can be easily recognized visually.

Patent Document 1 considers the problem that in a pants-type disposable diaper provided with such a palm-shaped side seal portion, the side seal portion is caught by the wearer's leg or butt when the diaper is worn, making it difficult to wear. Therefore, one or more seal intermittent portions are formed in the middle of the side seal portion in the longitudinal direction, and the front body and the back body of the diaper are easily folded back along the waist circumference by using the seal intermittent portion as a folding line position. It is stated that. The seal intermittent portion is preferably formed at the outer edge position of the side seal portion with a length of 5 to 10 mm, and is a part of the side seal portion continuous from the waist opening to the leg opening cut out. Or, it is formed by making a part of the side seal portion an unsealed portion. Further, the seal intermittent portions are formed in a pair of side seal portions, with one pair of side seal portions and one set of the other side seal portions as one set, and one and the other of the pair of side seal portions. And, the pattern of the seal intermittent part is the same. Further, the side seal portion is configured by arranging a plurality of seals having a predetermined shape at a small interval in the longitudinal direction of the side seal portion, and the side seal portions are divided at the small intervals to form two seals. It is discontinuous at the portion sandwiched between the seal intermittent portions.

Further, in recent years, a method using laser light has been proposed as a method for forming a side seal portion other than the method using a heat roll device or the like. For example, in Patent Document 2, a diaper continuum composed of a laminated sheet in which a plurality of sheets are stacked is deformed into a shape along the peripheral surface of a rotating roll having a laser light transmitting portion on the peripheral surface and conveyed. At the same time, the planned side seal portion of the diaper continuum is irradiated with a laser beam from the inside of the rotating roll to melt the diaper continuum into individual diapers, and at the same time, the division occurs. A method of forming a side seal portion of a pants-type disposable diaper by fusing the cut edges of the sheet laminate to each other is described.

The side seal portion (hereinafter, also referred to as the laser cutting side seal portion) formed by the method using laser light as described in Patent Document 2 was formed by using a heat roll device or the like as described in Patent Document 1. Compared to the conventional gassho-shaped side seal part, the joint width between the exterior bodies is narrower, so it is excellent in flexibility and touch, and it is also excellent in tearing ease, so that the diaper can be removed smoothly. It has various advantages such as being able to. However, on the other hand, if the joint width between the exterior bodies in the side seal portion is narrowed, the visual visibility becomes low in the diaper wearing state or the natural state (contracted state), and it is difficult to visually recognize its existence. For example, after using the diaper, it is difficult for the guardian (for example, the mother) to find the side seal portion when removing the diaper from the infant who is the wearer, and the diaper removal work may take time.

Therefore, in the pants-type disposable diaper described in Patent Document 2, the non-seal portion in which the edge portion of the exterior body of the front body and the edge portion of the exterior body of the rear body face each other in a non-bonded state with the laser-cut side seal portion. Is partially and intentionally formed. In this non-sealed portion, at least when the diaper is worn, a gap is generated between the edge of the exterior body of the front body that defines the non-sealed portion and the edge of the exterior body of the rear body, and the gap is passed through the gap. The wearer's skin becomes visible from the outside.

JP-A-2010-104654 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-8943

Since middle-aged and older people called active seniors are energetic and as active as the active generation, the side seal part of the pants-type disposable diaper for active seniors has a side seal part even for the violent movement of the wearer's body. A practically sufficient joint strength that does not break is required. Therefore, for example, when the side seal portion of a pants-type disposable diaper for active seniors is used as a laser-fused side seal portion, in order to meet the demand for improvement of such joint strength, a laser used at the time of forming the side seal portion is used. It is conceivable to adopt a method of increasing the light output more than when forming the side seal portion of the diaper for other purposes. However, in the laser-cut side seal portion formed by such a method, although the joint width between the exterior bodies is narrower than that of the gassho-shaped side seal portion, the hard fusion portion between the exterior bodies is on the diaper side. Since it extends continuously in a line along the edge, there is a risk of giving the wearer a sense of discomfort when wearing a diaper provided with the laser cutting side seal portion, and the laser when the diaper is attached or detached. When the fusing side seal portion is touched from the outer surface side with a finger, the hardness of the fusing side seal portion may cause pain.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a pants-type worn article having excellent flexibility and touch of the side seal portion, a method for manufacturing the same, and a method for attaching the pants-type worn article.

The present invention includes an exterior body that forms the outer surface of the worn article, and a pair of side seal portions and a waist opening are joined by joining both side edges of the exterior body on the front body and both side edges of the exterior body on the back body. A pants-type worn article in which a portion and a pair of leg openings are formed, and in each of the pair of side seal portions, the edge portion of the exterior body on the front body and the edge portion of the exterior body on the back body are formed. The side seal portions are connected by fusion portions extending in the longitudinal direction, and the fusion portions are dotted with a plurality of cuts in the longitudinal direction, and the fusion portions have two fusion portions. It is a pants-type wearing article that is continuous in the portion sandwiched between the cuts.

Further, the present invention is the method for manufacturing the pants-type worn article of the present invention, wherein a portion to be formed of a side seal portion in a strip-shaped exterior body in which the front body side and the back body side are overlapped is pressed. By irradiating the planned formation portion of the side seal portion in the pressurized state with a laser beam through a light passing portion extending in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the exterior body. The exterior body is divided, and the cut edges of the laminated exterior body generated by the division are fused to each other, and the fused portion has the side seal portion in which the cut is not formed. An intermediate manufacturing process for obtaining a manufacturing intermediate for a pants-type worn article, and a cut forming in which the side seal portion of the manufacturing intermediate is extended in the longitudinal direction to form the cut in the fused portion of the side seal portion. It is a method of manufacturing a pants-type worn article, which comprises a process.

Further, the present invention includes an exterior body that forms the outer surface of the worn article, and a pair of side seal portions and a waist are joined by joining both side edges of the exterior body on the front body and both side edges of the exterior body on the back body. An opening and a pair of leg openings are formed, and in the side seal portion, the edge portion of the exterior body on the front body and the edge portion of the exterior body on the rear body extend in the longitudinal direction of the side seal portion. It is a method of attaching a pants-type worn article that is connected by a continuous linear fusion part, and prior to attaching the worn article, the side seal portion is pinched by fingers and pulled so as to extend in the longitudinal direction. Alternatively, a method of wearing a pants-type disposable diaper, in which a plurality of cuts are formed in the fused portion so as to be scattered in the longitudinal direction by pressing the side seal portion from the inner surface side to the outer surface side thereof. Is.

According to the present invention, there is provided a pants-type worn article having excellent flexibility and touch of the side seal portion, and a method for manufacturing the same. Further, according to the method of attaching the pants-type worn article of the present invention, the flexibility and touch of the side seal portion can be sufficiently satisfied.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a pants-type disposable diaper according to an embodiment of the pants-type wearing article of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a cross section taken along line II of FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing the inner surface side of the diaper shown in FIG. 1 in the expanded and extended state. FIG. 4A is a schematic view of the diaper shown in FIG. 1 when the diaper is visually observed from the outer surface side so that the front body and the rear view are located on both sides of the side seal portion. The plan view and FIG. 4B are enlarged plan views schematically showing an enlarged side seal portion and a peripheral portion thereof shown in FIG. 4A. FIG. 5 is a front view schematically showing the outer surface side of one side in the lateral direction in the natural state of the diaper shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing a manufacturing process of a diaper continuum in the manufacturing of the diaper shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a laser joining device preferably used for manufacturing the pants-type worn article of the present invention and a state of fusing the diaper continuous body using the laser joining device. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a cross section of a part of the peripheral surface portion of the cylindrical roll in the laser joining apparatus shown in FIG. 7 along the circumferential direction. 9 (a) to 9 (c) explain how the laser joining device shown in FIG. 7 is used to divide the diaper continuous body (strip-shaped exterior body) and at the same time form the side seal portion. It is a figure. 10 (a) is a schematic top view of one embodiment of the cut forming step in the diaper manufacturing method shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 10 (b) is a schematic side view thereof, and FIG. 10 (c) is a schematic side view thereof. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a cross section taken along line II-II of FIG. 10 (a). FIG. 11 is a schematic side view (corresponding to FIG. 10B) of another embodiment of the cut forming step in the diaper manufacturing method shown in FIG. FIG. 12 (a) is an explanatory view of the operation in one embodiment of the method of wearing the pants-type worn article of the present invention, and FIG. 12 (b) is the pants-type worn article obtained by the operation shown in FIG. 12 (a). It is a front view which shows typically the outer surface side of one side in the lateral direction of. 13 (a) is an explanatory view of the operation in another embodiment of the method of wearing the pants-type worn article of the present invention, and FIG. 13 (b) is the pants-type obtained by the operation shown in FIG. 13 (a). It is a front view which shows typically the outer surface side of one side in the lateral direction of the wear article.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on its preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the pants-type disposable diaper 1 according to an embodiment of the pants-type worn article of the present invention includes an absorbent main body 2 and an exterior body 3 forming an outer surface of the worn article. Left and right side edges A1 and A1 along the vertical direction X of the exterior body 3 in the front body F (ventral side 1A) and left and right side edges along the vertical direction X of the exterior body 3 in the back body R (dorsal side 1B) This is a pants-type disposable diaper in which B1 and B1 are joined to form a pair of side seal portions 4, 4, a waist opening WH, and a pair of leg openings LH, LH. The exterior body 3 is located on the non-skin facing surface side of the absorbent body 2 and fixes the absorbent body 2.

The diaper 1 has a vertical direction X corresponding to the front-rear direction of the wearer and a horizontal direction Y orthogonal to the vertical direction X in a plan view in a developed and extended state as shown in FIG. In the diaper 1, the vertical direction X is the direction (longitudinal direction) along the long side in the unfolded and extended plan view of the diaper 1 as shown in FIG. 3, or the long side of the absorbent body 2 which is a constituent member thereof. It corresponds to the along direction (longitudinal direction), and the lateral direction Y corresponds to the width direction of the diaper 1 or the absorbent body 2 which is a constituent member thereof. The diaper 1 can be divided into a crotch portion 1C arranged in the crotch portion of the wearer when worn, and a ventral side portion 1A and a dorsal side portion 1B located in front of and behind the crotch portion X thereof. The exterior body 3 in the crotch lower portion 1C is formed with recesses for forming leg openings LH and LH at the left and right side edges along the vertical direction X. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the diaper 1 can be divided into a front body F and a back body R with a virtual center line CL that divides the diaper 1 into two in the vertical direction X as a boundary.

In the present specification, the "skin facing surface" is a surface of the pants-type wearing article or a component thereof (for example, an absorbent body) that is directed toward the skin side of the wearer when the pants-type wearing article is worn, that is, relatively worn. The side close to the skin of the person, and the "non-skin facing surface" is the surface of the pants-type worn article or its constituent members that is directed to the side opposite to the skin side (clothing side) when the pants-type worn article is worn, that is, It is the side relatively far from the wearer's skin. In addition, "when worn" here means a state in which the normal proper wearing position, that is, the correct wearing position of the pants-type wearing article is maintained, and the pants-type wearing article is deviated from the wearing position. Not included if present.

As shown in FIG. 3, the absorbent main body 2 has a vertically long shape in which one direction (vertical direction X) is relatively long, and is not a surface sheet (not shown) forming a skin facing surface. A back surface sheet (not shown) forming a skin-facing surface and a liquid-retaining absorber (not shown) interposed between the two sheets are provided, and the absorber is the same as in the vertical direction X. It has a long shape in the direction. The absorbent body 2 is joined to the central portion of the exterior body 3 by a known joining means (adhesive or the like) so that the longitudinal direction thereof coincides with the vertical direction X of the diaper 1 in the expanded and extended state. Here, the unfolded and extended state means that the side seal portion is peeled off to bring the pants-type worn article into the unfolded state, and the elastic member of each part is extended to bring the worn article in the unfolded state to the design dimension (elastic member). It refers to the state in which it is expanded to the same size as when it is expanded in a plane with no influence.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the exterior body 3 is arranged on the inner surface side of the outer layer sheet 31 forming the outer surface of the diaper 1 (the non-skin facing surface of the exterior body 3) and the diaper 1 The inner layer sheet 32 forming the inner surface (skin facing surface of the exterior body 3) and a plurality of thread-like or band-shaped elastic members 5, 6 and 7 fixed between the two sheets 31 and 32 by an adhesive are included. It is configured. Both sheets 31 and 32 are joined at a predetermined portion by an adhesive, a heat seal or the like (not shown). As shown in FIG. 3, both sheets 31 and 32 are located on the skin-facing surface side of the inner layer sheet 32 at positions outward in the longitudinal direction X from the absorbent body 2 in each of the ventral side portion 1A and the dorsal side portion 1B. It is folded back, and the folded-back portion of the exterior body 3 covers both ends of the absorbent body 2 in the vertical direction X. Reference numeral 33 in FIG. 3 is the tip of the folded-back portion 3 of the exterior body 3. Therefore, the ventral side portion 1A and the dorsal side portion 1B have partially different layer structures of the exterior body 3, and the number of sheets laminated on the waist opening WH side where the folded portion of the exterior body 3 exists is relatively large. The number of sheets laminated on the crotch portion 1C side is relatively small, and the number of constituent sheets of the exterior body 3 is different with the tip 33 of the folded portion of the exterior body 3 as a boundary.

The exterior body 3 (outer layer sheet 31, inner layer sheet 32) contains a resin material and is formed mainly of the resin material. As an example of the exterior body 3 (outer layer sheet 31, inner layer sheet 32), a heat-sealing synthetic resin such as polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, or polypropylene is contained as a resin material, and a non-woven fabric, a film, a laminated sheet of a non-woven fabric and a film, or the like is used. Can be mentioned. Examples of the non-woven fabric include air-through non-woven fabric, heat-roll non-woven fabric, spunlace non-woven fabric, spunbond non-woven fabric, melt-blown non-woven fabric, and a laminate in which one or more of these are laminated in two or more layers.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 in the diaper 1 are continuous over the entire length between the waist opening WH and the leg opening LH, respectively. In each side seal portion 4, as shown in FIG. 2, the edge portion of the exterior body 3 in the front body F and the edge portion of the exterior body 3 in the rear body R are in the longitudinal direction of the side seal portion 4, respectively. It is connected by a fusion zone 40 extending in the vertical direction X). The fused portion 40 is formed by melting and solidifying the constituent resins of the plurality of sheets (outer layer sheet 31, inner layer sheet 32) constituting the exterior body 3 in a state where the edges are overlapped with each other.

As one of the main features of the diaper 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a plurality of cuts 41 are formed in the fused portion 40 of the side seal portion 4 in the longitudinal direction (longitudinal direction) of the side seal portion 4. There are points scattered in the direction X). Although only one of the pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a plurality of cuts 41 are also formed in the fused portion 40 of the other side seal portion 4. It is scattered in the longitudinal direction of the portion 4. In FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the directions indicated by reference numerals P are inward and outward directions from the side closer to the skin of the wearer diaper 1 to the side farther from the skin, and the directions indicated by reference numeral Q are the inner and outer directions. It is a thickness direction orthogonal to P.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the diaper 1 is visually observed from the outer surface side so that the front body F and the rear view R are located on both sides of the side seal portion 4, that is, FIG. 4 (a) or In the outer plan view of the side seal portion 4 as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the plurality of cuts 41 in the fused portion 40 usually do not have the same shape and / or dimensions, and the cuts adjacent to each other in the vertical direction X. The intervals between 41 and 41 are also non-uniform. There are various shapes of the plurality of cuts 41 in the fused portion 40 in a plan view, such as a linear shape, a V shape, and a Y shape. As will be described later, the plurality of cuts 41 in the fused portion 40 are continuous linear fused portions 40 extending in the longitudinal direction (longitudinal direction X) of the side seal portion 4 in which such cuts are not formed. Is formed by extending in the longitudinal direction. The continuous linear fusion portion 40 of the side seal portion 4 is formed according to a conventional method, but the continuous linear fusion portion 40 thus formed does not have a cut 41, and the fusion portion 40 is formed. A plurality of cuts 41 are formed in the fused portion 40 only when the welded portion 40 is intentionally extended in the longitudinal direction. Since each cut 41 is a fractured portion irregularly formed in the fused portion 40 by extending the fused portion 40 (side seal portion 4) in the longitudinal direction, a plurality of cut portions having the same shape and dimensions are formed. The cut 41 is usually absent.

In this way, the side, which is the joint portion between the edge of the exterior body 3 (outer layer sheet 31, inner layer sheet 32) in the front body F and the edge of the exterior body 3 (outer layer sheet 31, inner layer sheet 32) in the rear body R. The fused portion 40 of the seal portion 4 has a plurality of cuts 41 scattered in the longitudinal direction of the fused portion 40, and is divided into a plurality of short line segments by the plurality of cuts 41. The short line segment of, that is, the portion sandwiched between the two cuts 41 and 41 in the fused portion 40, is in both the inner and outer directions P and the thickness direction Q due to the short length of the vertical direction X, respectively. High degree of freedom of movement. That is, the side seal portion 4 includes a fusing portion 40 in which a plurality of portions (portions sandwiched between the two cuts 41 and 41) having a relatively high degree of freedom of movement are connected in the vertical direction X. Therefore, the whole is relatively flexible, exhibits high followability to the wearer's body in both the inner and outer directions P and the thickness direction Q, and is excellent in fit to the skin. Further, in the side seal portion 4, since the fusion portion 40 is divided into a plurality of short line segments by the cut 41, the "hardness" peculiar to the fusion portion that is felt when touched by a finger is not a conventional break. It is reduced compared to the fused part that is continuous to the surface, and is excellent in touch. Therefore, for example, when the side seal portion 4 is grasped by fingers when the diaper 1 is attached or detached, it is difficult to feel the hardness felt by the conventional pants-type disposable diaper and the pain caused by it. Further, since the fusing portion 40 is divided into a plurality of short line segments by the cut 41, for example, the side seal portion 4 is bent in the inward / outward direction P with the movement of the wearer of the diaper 1. When an external force is applied, the side seal portion 4 flexibly follows the wearer's body, so that the wearer does not feel uncomfortable.
Such an effect related to the side seal portion 4 (fused portion 40) by the diaper 1 can be achieved by a conventional pants-type disposable diaper having a seamlessly continuous fusion portion over the entire length of the side seal portion in the longitudinal direction. It is a particularly remarkable effect that is difficult to do.

Then, in the diaper 1, in addition to the plurality of cuts 41 scattered in the vertical direction X in the fused portion 40, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), there are two fused portions 40. It is continuous at the portion sandwiched between the cuts 41 and 41. That is, the fused portion 40 is not divided between an arbitrary cut 41 and another cut 41 in the vicinity of the one cut 41. The feature of such a diaper 1 is in contrast to Patent Document 1 in which the portion of the side seal portion (fused portion) sandwiched between the two seal intermittent portions (cuts) is discontinuous. Due to the characteristics of the diaper 1, even if the joint width between the outer body 3 of the front body F and the outer body 3 of the rear view R in the side seal portion 4 is narrow, sufficient joint strength can be obtained for practical use. Therefore, the diaper 1 is worn. While preventing the occurrence of inconveniences such as tearing of the side seal portion 4 inside, the effect of dividing the fused portion 40 into short line segments by the above-mentioned cut 41 can be more reliably achieved. Since the side seal portion 4 is formed by using laser light as described later, the joint width between the exterior bodies 3 in the side seal portion 4 is larger than that of the conventional gassho-shaped side seal portion. And narrow.

Further, in the diaper 1, the pattern of the cut 41 in the fused portion 40 is different between one of the pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 and the other. Such a feature of the diaper 1 is in contrast to Patent Document 1 in which the pattern of the seal intermittent portion is the same for one and the other of the pair of side seal portions. The characteristic pattern of the cut 41 in the diaper 1 is made for the first time by simultaneously pulling the pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 in the longitudinal direction thereof (see FIGS. 10 and 11), as will be described later. , It is closely related to the method of forming such a cut. In other words, the diaper 1, which exerts the above-mentioned exceptionally remarkable effect due to the formation of the cut 41, can be manufactured by simply pulling the pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 in which the cut 41 is not formed. .. That is, the diaper 1 is of high quality, but can be manufactured by a relatively simple process and equipment, and is also excellent in productivity. Further, the pattern of the left-right asymmetrical cut 41 can be expected to improve the design of the diaper 1.

The above-mentioned "the pattern of the cut 41 is different" means that the one fusion portion 40 and the other fusion portion 40 have a "shape of the cut 41" (a plan view shape as shown in FIG. 4B) and ". It means that at least one of the "positions of the cut 41" (positions of the fused portions 40 in the longitudinal direction) is different. The mode in which the shape of the cut 41 is different includes the case where the shape of the cut 41 in a plan view is different as shown in FIG. In addition, the mode in which the positions of the cuts 41 are different includes the case where the distances between the cuts 41 are different. If the shape and position of a part of the plurality of cuts 41 are the same, but the shape and / or position of the other part is different between the one fusion portion 40 and the other fusion portion 40, It is assumed that "the pattern of the cut 41 is different". That is, in the present invention, not only one of the pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 and the other have different shapes and positions of all the plurality of cuts 41 in the fused portion 40, but also in the fused portion 40. Some of the plurality of cuts 41 have the same shape and position, but other cuts 41 have different shapes and / or positions.

As shown in FIG. 4B, most of the plurality of cuts 41 existing in the fused portion 40 have the fused portion 40 in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (longitudinal direction X), that is, in the fused portion 40. It crosses in the width direction (thickness direction Q). That is, most of the plurality of cuts 41 existing in the fused portion 40 extend continuously from one side edge extending in the longitudinal direction of the fused portion 40 to the other side edge, and in the continuous cut 41. The fused portion 40 is divided. In this way, since the fusion zone 40 is divided into a plurality of short sections by the plurality of continuous cuts 41, the degree of freedom of movement of each section is further improved, so that the flexibility of the side seal portion 4 , Fit to the skin, feel, etc. can be further improved. From the viewpoint of ensuring that the action and effect of this "continuous cut 41" is more reliably performed, the continuous cut 41 preferably occupies at least half or more of all the cuts 41 existing in the fused portion 40. .. According to the findings of the present inventors, when a plurality of cuts are formed by a method described later (a method of extending the fused portion in the longitudinal direction thereof), almost all of the formed cuts (95%). The above) is a "continuous break", and the other breaks are usually 5% or less, which is almost nonexistent.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, the "continuous cut 41" crosses the fused portion 40 in the width direction (thickness direction Q) thereof, but is not in the vicinity of the cut 41. The fused portion is not cut. The continuous cut 41 does not extend beyond the fused portion 40 to the nearby non-fused portion, and the portion of the exterior body 3 located on the virtual extension line of the cut 41 is not cut. Here, "the exterior body 3 is not cut" means that the constituent fibers of the exterior body 3 (outer layer sheet 31, inner layer sheet 32) are not cut. Such a feature of the diaper 1 is in contrast to the non-seal portion between the exterior bodies formed in the side seal portion (fused portion) in Patent Document 2. In the diaper 1 having such a feature, since the non-fused portion in the vicinity thereof is not cut in most of the plurality of cuts 41, usually almost all of them, the formation position of the cut 41 of the fused portion 40 when worn. Does not form a gap having a size that allows the wearer's skin to be visually recognized from the outside, unlike the non-seal portion formed in the diaper described in Patent Document 2. Therefore, when the diaper 1 is worn, the inconvenience that the wearer's skin is exposed through the cut 41 is unlikely to occur, and the formation of the cut 41 does not cause a problem in the appearance of the worn article.

In the outer plan view of the side seal portion 4 as shown in FIG. 4B, the ratio of the length L in the longitudinal direction of the cut 41 to the length L2 in the thickness direction Q of the fused portion 40 is L / L2. It is preferably 0.7 or more, more preferably 0.9 or more, and preferably 3 or less, still more preferably 2.5 or less.
In the outer plan view of the side seal portion 4 as shown in FIG. 4B, the length, that is, the width W in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the cut 41 is preferably 1 μm or more, more preferably 10 μm or more, and preferably 10 μm or more. It is 1500 μm or less, more preferably 1000 μm or less.
The ratio of the depth D of the cut 41 (see FIG. 5) to the length L1 of the fused portion 40 in the inward / outward direction P is preferably 0.5 to 1, more preferably 0.6 to 1, as D / L1. Is.
The total number of cuts 41 existing in one side seal portion 4 is preferably 1 or more, and more preferably 3 or more.
The dimensions and number of each part of the cut 41 include the material of the exterior body 3 (outer layer sheet 31, inner layer sheet 32), dimensions such as the width of the fused portion 40, various conditions at the time of formation (laser output, etc.), and the cut 41. It can be adjusted by appropriately adjusting the pulling operation of the side seal portion 4, which is an operation necessary for forming.

In the diaper 1, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the plurality of cuts 41 are discretely present in the longitudinal direction over the entire length of the side seal portion 4 in the longitudinal direction (longitudinal direction X). Therefore, the flexibility, touch, and the like of the entire side seal portion 4 are improved. In the present invention, instead of such a mode, a mode in which the cut 41 is partially formed only in a part of the side seal portion 4 can be adopted. For example, a portion of the side seal portion 4 where hardness is particularly likely to be felt, more specifically, a portion of the ventral side portion 1A and the dorsal side portion 1B near the crotch portion 1C (the portion where the leg portion elastic member 7 is arranged and its vicinity). A cut 41 may be selectively formed only in the fused portion 40 of), and the fused portion 40 of the portion may be divided into a plurality of short line segments by the cut 41. Such partial division of the fused portion 40 can be formed, for example, by selectively pulling only the planned division portion so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the side seal portion 4 (see FIG. 12).

Further, the cut 41 is preferably formed at the boundary between the portions where the number of laminated sheets forming the side seal portion 4 is different, that is, at or near the tip 33 of the folded portion of the exterior body 3, and in particular, this boundary. It is preferable that the sheets are formed in the vicinity of 33 (a region within 10 mm from the boundary 33) and on the side where the number of laminated sheets is relatively small. With such a configuration, the discomfort caused by the difference in the number of laminated sheets is reduced, and the flexibility and touch of the portion where the number of laminated sheets is small, in which the hardness of the side seal portion 4 is easily felt, is improved.

The side seal portion 4 of the diaper 1 has a so-called laser cutting side formed by using a laser beam as described later, in addition to the fusion portion 40 being divided into a plurality of short line segments by a plurality of cuts 41. Since it is a seal portion, the exterior of the front body F and the exterior of the rear view R are compared with the conventional gassho-shaped side seal portion formed by using a heat roll device or the like as described in Patent Document 1. Since the joint width with the body 3 is narrow, flexibility is provided in the so-called basic configuration in which the "fused portion 40 is divided into a plurality of short line segments by a cut 41" is not provided in the first place. Excellent in touch and ease of tearing. Therefore, the side seal portion 4 of the diaper 1 has flexibility, touch, and workability for removing the diaper 1 due to the combination of the action effect peculiar to the laser cutting side seal portion and the action effect due to the division of the fusion part 40. Excellent for such things.

Further, due to the fact that the side seal portion 4 is a laser cutting side seal portion, as shown in FIG. 2, both the outer edge 40a and the inner edge 40b of the inner and outer edges P of the fused portion 40 are in the inner and outer directions P. It has a cross-sectional shape that protrudes inwardly, and the fused portion 40 has a crescent-shaped cross-sectional shape as a whole. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the side seal portion 4 does not have a portion where the constituent fibers of the exterior body 3 leave the fiber shape outside the fused portion 40 in the inner / outer direction P. Therefore, the visibility of the fused portion 40 when the diaper 1 is worn can be reduced, and the appearance of the diaper 1 becomes similar to that of underwear.

As shown in FIG. 2, the side seal portion 4, which is a so-called laser cutting side seal portion, has a length L2 in the thickness direction Q longer than the length L1 in the inner / outer direction P for the fused portion 40. The ratio of the length L1 to the length L2 is preferably 0.05 or more, more preferably 0.1 or more, and preferably 0.5 or less, still more preferably 0.3 or less as L1 / L2. ..
The length L1 (see FIG. 2) of the fused portion 40 in the inward-outward direction P is preferably 0.02 mm or more, more preferably 0.05 mm or more, and preferably 2 mm or less, further preferably 1 mm or less.
The length L2 (see FIG. 2) of the fused portion 40 in the thickness direction Q is preferably 0.05 mm or more, more preferably 0.1 mm or more, and preferably 2 mm or less, further preferably 1 mm or less.

The above-mentioned diaper 1 can be manufactured, for example, by the manufacturing method described below, which is an embodiment of the manufacturing method of the pants-type worn article of the present invention.
The method for manufacturing the diaper 1 of the present embodiment includes a polymerization pressurization step of pressurizing a portion to be formed of a side seal portion in the strip-shaped exterior body 3 in which the front body side and the back body side are overlapped.
The exterior body 3 is divided by irradiating the planned formation portion of the side seal portion in the pressurized state with a laser beam through a light passing portion extending in a direction intersecting the transport direction D of the exterior body 3. At the same time, the manufacturing intermediate of the diaper 1 is provided with the side seal portion 4 in which the cut edges of the laminated exterior body are fused to each other and the fused portion 40 is not formed with the cut 41. Intermediate manufacturing process to obtain body 1'and
A cut forming step of extending the side seal portion 4 of the manufacturing intermediate 1'in the longitudinal direction thereof to form a cut 41 in the fused portion 40 of the side seal portion 4 is provided. The intermediate manufacturing step includes a side seal portion forming step of forming the seamless side seal portion 4 in the fused portion 40.
Further, the method for producing the diaper 1 of the present embodiment includes a main body fixing step of fixing the absorbent main body 2 to the strip-shaped outer body 3 (outer layer sheet 31, inner layer sheet 32) before the polymerization pressurization step. There is.

More specifically, in the method of manufacturing the diaper 1, as shown in FIG. 6, in the polymerization pressurization step, the strip-shaped exterior body 3 (outer layer sheet 31, inner layer sheet 32) is folded in the width direction thereof. , The front body side and the back body side of the strip-shaped exterior body 3 to which the absorbent body 2 is fixed are overlapped with each other, thereby "a precursor of a pants-type disposable diaper having no side seal formed" in one direction. A series of diaper continuums 10 "is manufactured. Then, in the side seal portion forming step, the strip-shaped exterior body 3 in the diaper continuous body 10 is individually divided (fused) by irradiation with the laser beam 30 as shown in FIG. 7, and at the same time, the division is performed. Pants having an exterior body 3 having a pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 by fusing the cut edges of a plurality of laminated exterior bodies 3 (outer layer sheet 31, inner layer sheet 32) generated by The mold disposable diaper 1 is continuously manufactured.

More specifically, first, as shown in FIG. 6, the strip-shaped outer layer sheet 31 continuously supplied from the raw fabric roll (not shown) and the original fabric roll (not shown) are continuously supplied. A waist elastic member 5 forming waist gathers, a waist elastic member 6 forming waist gathers, and a leg elastic member 7 forming leg gathers are stretched between the band-shaped inner layer sheets 32. Distribute a plurality of each in a stretched state. At this time, the leg portion elastic member 7 is arranged while forming a predetermined leg circumference pattern via a known swing guide (not shown) that reciprocates in a direction orthogonal to the flow direction of the seat. Further, on the strip-shaped outer layer sheet 31 and the strip-shaped inner layer sheet 32, before superimposing them, an adhesive coating machine is applied to a predetermined portion of either one or both of the two sheets 31 and 32 on the facing surfaces (FIG. Apply hot melt adhesive by (not shown). It should be noted that the elastic members such as the waist elastic member 5 and the waist elastic member 6 are divided by the irradiation of the laser beam in both the sheets 31 and 32 (the portion where the side seal portion 4 is planned to be formed, the reference numeral in FIG. 9). When the elastic member is arranged in an extended state so as to straddle the portion to be divided shown by 10C, the elastic member and the elastic member thereof are in order to avoid inconveniences such as significant shrinkage of the elastic member and removal of the elastic member after the division. It is preferable to apply an adhesive in the vicinity. A hot melt type adhesive is intermittently applied to the waist elastic member 5 and the waist elastic member 6 by an adhesive coating machine (not shown) before being arranged between the sheets 31 and 32. You may.

Then, as shown in FIG. 6, a band-shaped outer layer sheet 31 and a band-shaped outer layer sheet 31 in which the waist elastic member 5, the waistline elastic member 6 and the leg elastic member 7 are sandwiched between the pair of nip rolls 11 and 11 in an extended state. By feeding and pressurizing the inner layer sheet 32 of the above, a strip-shaped exterior body 3 in which a plurality of elastic members 5, 6 and 7 are arranged in an extended state is formed between the strip-shaped sheets 31 and 32.
In the step of forming the exterior body 3, a plurality of joints (not shown) for joining the strip-shaped outer layer sheet 31 and the strip-shaped inner layer sheet 32 are formed between two adjacent elastic members 6 and 6 around the waist. , It is also preferable to form by using a joining means (not shown) such as a convex roll and a corresponding anvil roll.
After that, if necessary, using an elastic member precut means (not shown), a plurality of elastic members 6 around the waist and a plurality of leg portions are used in correspondence with the positions where the absorbent main body 2 described later is arranged. The elastic member 7 is pressed and divided into a plurality of pieces so that the contraction function is not exhibited. Examples of the elastic member precutting means include an elastic member dividing portion used in the method for manufacturing a composite elastic member described in JP-A-2002-253605.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive is previously applied (not shown) to the absorbent main body 2 manufactured in another step, and the absorbent main body 2 is rotated 90 degrees. , It is intermittently supplied and fixed on the inner layer sheet 32 constituting the strip-shaped exterior body 3 (main body fixing step). The adhesive for fixing the absorbent main body may be applied in advance to the planned arrangement position of the absorbent main body 2 on the inner layer sheet 32 instead of the absorbent main body 2.
Then, as shown in FIG. 6, a leg hole LO'is formed inside the annular portion surrounded by the leg portion elastic member 7 in the strip-shaped exterior body 3 in which the absorbent body 2 is arranged. This leg hole forming step can be carried out by using a method similar to the conventional method in the manufacturing method of this kind of article such as a rotary cutter and a laser cutter. In the illustrated embodiment, the leg holes are formed after the absorbent main body 2 is arranged on the strip-shaped exterior body 3, but the leg holes may be formed before the absorbent main body 2 is arranged.

Next, the strip-shaped exterior body 3 is folded in the width direction (direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the exterior body 3). More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, both side portions 3a and 3a of the strip-shaped exterior body 3 along the transport direction are folded back so as to cover both ends in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body 2 to cover the absorbent main body 2. After fixing both ends in the longitudinal direction, the exterior body 3 is folded in half in the width direction together with the absorbent body 2 (polymerization step in the polymerization pressurization step). In this way, the diaper continuum 10 is obtained.
The diaper continuous body 10 has a band-shaped outer body 3 in which the front body side and the back body side are overlapped, and an absorbent main body 2 intermittently fixed to the band-shaped outer body 3. The diaper continuous body 10 and the strip-shaped exterior body 3 have a planned formation portion, that is, a planned division portion 10C of the side seal portion 4 between the absorbent main bodies 2 and 2 in the transport direction. In the portion 10C where the side seal portion is to be formed, the front body side and the back body side of the strip-shaped exterior body 3 are in a state of directly overlapping each other without sandwiching the absorbent main body 2. The band-shaped exterior body 3 portion of the diaper continuous body 10 also corresponds to "a band-shaped exterior body in which the front body side and the back body side are overlapped".

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the diaper continuum 10 manufactured in this manner is irradiated with laser light using a laser joining device 20 to form a pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 (side seal portions 4 and 4). (Forming step), the manufacturing intermediate 1'of the pants-type disposable diaper 1 including the exterior body 3 having the pair of side seal portions 4 is continuously manufactured (intermediate manufacturing step). As shown in FIG. 9, in the manufacturing method of the present embodiment, the side seal portion in the "belt-shaped exterior body in which the front body side and the back body side are overlapped" constituting a part of the diaper continuous body 10. A pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 serving as side seal portions of two diapers (pants-type worn articles) are formed in each of the planned formation portions 10C.

The laser joining device 20 will be described. The laser joining device 20 is a laser joining device that irradiates laser light to divide and fuse the objects to be transported, and as shown in FIG. 7, the direction of arrow D A cylindrical roll 23 that is rotationally driven, an introduction roll 28 that introduces a diaper continuum 10 to be transported on the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical roll 23, an irradiation head 35 having a lens that collects laser light 30, and a cylinder. The pressurizing head, which is a pressurizing member 26 that pressurizes the diaper continuous body 10 supported on the outer peripheral portion of the roll 23, and the diaper 1 as a short object formed by splitting and fusing the diaper continuous body 10 into a cylinder. It includes a lead-out roll 29 that is led out from the outer peripheral portion of the roll 23.

The outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical roll 23 is formed by a support member 21. As shown in FIG. 7, the support member 21 forming the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical roll 23 has a first surface 21a and a second surface 21b located on the opposite side thereof, and is introduced by the introduction roll 28. The diaper continuum 10 is supported on the first surface 21a. In other words, the support member 21 in the laser joining device 20 of the present embodiment is a member for forming a peripheral surface portion of a hollow cylindrical roll 23 which is a cylinder rotationally driven in the direction of arrow D. The support member 21 is fixed between a pair of annular frames (not shown) forming both ends in the rotation axis direction of the cylindrical roll 23. The support member 21 is preferably made of a metal material such as iron, aluminum, stainless steel or copper, or a heat-resistant material such as ceramics.

Laser light 30 irradiated from the second surface 21b side can pass through the peripheral surface portion of the cylindrical roll 23 at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction, and an opening 27 having a long shape in the width direction of the diaper continuous body 10 is formed. ing. The opening 27 is a slit-shaped opening having a long shape in the axial direction of the cylindrical roll 23, and is a “light transmitting portion through which laser light can pass”. The opening 27 has a narrow rectangular shape in a plan view, and its longitudinal direction intersects the transport direction D of the diaper continuous body 10, more preferably the axial length of the rotation axis of the cylindrical roll 23. It extends in a direction parallel to the direction.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the peripheral surface portion of the cylindrical roll 23 is between the first support member 121, which is arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical roll 23, and the first support member 121 in the circumferential direction. It is formed from a second support member 131 arranged in. As shown in FIG. 8, the first support member 121 includes a base portion 122 and a pair of slit-forming members 123 and 124 fixed to the upper surface of the base portion 122. The base portion 122 has a recess 122a on the inner surface side of the cylindrical roll 23, that is, the surface side facing the irradiation head 35, and the bottom portion of the recess 122a has a vertically long rectangular shape that is long in the axial direction of the cylindrical roll 23. It has an opening 122b. The pair of slit forming members 123 and 124 are plate-like bodies having a long shape in the axial direction of the cylindrical roll 23, so that the opposing edge portions 27a and 27b are located on the opening 122b of the base portion 122. , Is fixed to the upper surface of the base portion 122.

As shown in FIG. 7, the pressurizing member 26 is formed in the roll 25 that rotates in conjunction with the cylindrical roll 23 in the same number as the openings 27 (light transmitting portions) provided in the cylindrical roll 23. In the laser joining device 20, the pressurizing member 26 is swung by a known swinging mechanism using a cam mechanism or a cylinder mechanism, and in a predetermined pressurizing area, the laser light irradiation portion of the diaper continuum 10 is used. Pressurization is performed in the vicinity, and no pressurization is performed in other areas. The pressurized area includes an irradiation area of the irradiation area of the laser beam 30.

The irradiation head 35 irradiates the diaper continuous body 10 to be transported with laser light through the slit-shaped openings 27 formed between the pair of slit forming members 123 and 124. The irradiation head 35 is a galvano scanner (a device having a mirror on the motor shaft) that freely scans the laser light 30, a mechanism for moving the laser light 30 forward and backward in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the cylindrical roll 23, and a laser light 30. A mechanism for moving the position (irradiation point) of the diaper continuous body 10 supported on the first surface 21a of the support member 21 in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical roll 23, and a spot of the laser beam 30 on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical roll 23. It is equipped with an adjustment mechanism that keeps the diameter constant. By having such a configuration, the laser irradiation mechanism can arbitrarily move the irradiation point of the laser beam 30 in both the circumferential direction of the cylindrical roll 23 and the direction orthogonal to the circumferential direction.

In the side seal portion forming step using the laser joining device 20 in the manufacturing method of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the diaper continuum 10 is conveyed in a state where a predetermined tension is applied. After the direction is changed by the introduction roll 28, it is introduced onto the first surface 21a of the support member 21 forming the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical roll 23 that is rotationally driven in the direction of arrow D. The diaper continuum 10 introduced on the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical roll 23 is conveyed to the irradiation area of the laser beam 30 located at a predetermined distance in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical roll 23 from the introduction portion by the rotation of the cylindrical roll 23. During the transportation, the support member 21 forming the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical roll 23 is wound with a predetermined tension and is pressurized by the pressurizing member 26.

Then, in the irradiation area of the laser light 30, the laser light 30 is irradiated to the diaper continuous body 10, and the diaper continuous body 10 is divided. In the irradiation area of the laser beam 30, the pressurizing head, which is the pressurizing member 26, causes the laser beam irradiation portion of the diaper continuous body 10, that is, the vicinity of the planned division portion of the diaper continuous body 10 (the planned formation portion of the side seal portion 4). The diaper continuous body 10 is irradiated with the laser beam 30 from the inside of the cylindrical roll 23 through the openings 27 formed between the pair of slit forming members 123 and 124, whereby the diaper is diapered. At the same time that the continuous body 10 is divided, the cut edges of the plurality of sheets (exterior body 3) under pressure generated by the division are fused to each other to form the side seal portion 4 (the side seal portion 4 is formed). Side seal part forming process, intermediate manufacturing process).

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the diaper continuous body 10 (strip-shaped sheet laminate) is divided and the side seal portion 4 (seal edge portion) is formed at the same time by using the laser joining device 20. In 9 (a), the planned division portion 10C (the planned formation portion of the side seal portion 4) of the diaper continuous body 10 by the laser beam 30 and its vicinity are schematically shown. The planned division portion 10C of the diaper continuous body 10 in the illustrated embodiment is the center of the longitudinal direction (transportation direction D) in the region where the absorbent main body 2 of the diaper continuous body 10 is not arranged. In the planned division portion 10C, the opening end portion of the waist opening WH (see FIG. 1) and its vicinity are an eight-layer structure portion in which eight sheets are stacked, and the other portion is a four-sheet sheet. It is a stacked four-layer structure part. As shown in FIG. 9A, the four-layer structure portion includes two sheets (outer layer sheet 31 and inner layer sheet 32) constituting one exterior body 3 in the ventral side portion 1A, and a dorsal side portion 1B. It is also composed of two sheets 31 and 32 constituting one exterior body 3, and these four sheets are laminated. On the other hand, as described above, the eight-layer structure portion is folded back so that both side portions 3a and 3a of the strip-shaped exterior body 3 cover both ends in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent body 2 during the manufacture of the diaper continuum 10. (See FIGS. 3 and 6), because there are two exterior bodies 3 on each of the ventral side 1A and the dorsal side 1B, and a total of four exterior bodies 3 and 3 are laminated. As a result, eight sheets 31 and 32 are laminated. In each of the four-layer structure portion and the eight-layer structure portion, elastic members such as the waist elastic member 5 and the waist circumference elastic member 6 may be interposed between the sheets 31 and 32 that overlap each other. Hereinafter, the four-layer structure portion will be mainly described, but unless otherwise specified, the eight-layer structure portion is also configured in the same manner as the four-layer structure portion to form the side seal portion 4.

In the planned division portion 10C of the four-layer structure of the diaper continuous body 10, other than the outer layer sheet 31 forming one surface 10a (contact surface with the support member 21) of the diaper continuous body 10 and the sheet forming one surface 10a. (Inner layer sheet 32) is a sheet in which either one or both absorbs the laser beam 30 and generates heat. In the illustrated embodiment, all of the four sheets 31 and 32 constituting the planned division portion 10C are sheets (nonwoven fabric) that absorb the laser beam 30 and generate heat. Further, the two sheets of the outer layer sheet 31 and the inner layer sheet 32 that overlap each other in the planned division portion 10C and its vicinity may be joined by an adhesive or the like before the irradiation of the laser beam 30, and are completely joined. It does not have to be.

As shown in FIG. 9B, in the diaper continuous body 10, one surface 10a abuts on the support member 21 and the planned division portion 10C (the planned formation portion of the side seal portion 4) is on the slit-shaped opening 27. It is introduced on the support member 21 that rotates in the direction of arrow D so as to be located at, and the pressurizing member 26 is pressed against the other surface 10b, so that the pressurizing member 26 is conveyed in the direction of arrow D and pressurized in the thickness direction ( (Compressed). Then, the laser beam 30 is irradiated from the support member 21 side through the opening 27 to the portion 10C to be divided during the transportation and in the pressurized state. The irradiation point of the laser beam 30 is configured to be arbitrarily movable in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical roll 23, and is set to follow the movement of the opening 27 along the circumferential direction for scanning. The laser beam 30 is continuously irradiated to the planned division portion 10C located on the opening 27 for a certain period of time during the transportation.

When the laser beam 30 is irradiated to the planned division portion 10C of the four-layer structure, the forming materials (fibers, etc.) of the sheets 31 and 32 existing in the planned division portion 10C are thermally decomposed by the heat generated by the direct irradiation of the laser light 30. At the same time as cutting, the forming material existing in the vicinity of the planned division portion 10C is heated and melted by heat generation by direct irradiation of the laser beam 30 and indirect heat transfer. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9C, the planned division site 10C of the four-layer structure is melted, and one single-leaf sheet laminate (diaper precursor) is separated from the diaper continuous body 10. At the same time that the diaper continuum 10 is divided, the cut edges of the four sheets 31 and 32 in the single-wafer sheet laminate generated by the division and the separated diaper continuum 10 The cut edges of the four sheets 31 and 32 are fused to each other. Each of these cut edges is in a pressurized state (compressed state) by being sandwiched between the support member 21 and the pressurizing member 26 before its formation (before the diaper continuous body 10 is divided by the irradiation of the laser beam 30). ) Was supposed to be. According to the method for manufacturing a diaper according to the illustrated embodiment, the strip-shaped exterior body 3 is divided by a single laser irradiation, and the exterior body 3 is in a pressurized state at two locations caused by the division. Since the fusion of the cut edges of the above is performed at the same time, the fusion and the division are the same with about half the laser output compared to the method of fusion of the two fusion points by irradiating the two laser beams. It can be carried out in a process, and the diaper 1 can be efficiently manufactured.

The cut edges of the sheets 31 and 32 generate heat and are in a molten state during and immediately after the irradiation of the laser beam 30, but one sheet is separated from the diaper continuum 10 by the irradiation of the laser beam 30. After the irradiation is completed, the leaf diaper precursor and the diaper continuum 10 are quickly cooled and solidified by the outside air while the pressure state of the support member 21 and the pressure member 26 is maintained, and the cutting is performed. The fusion portion 40 is formed by melting and integrating the material for forming the edge portion (fiber or the like). By forming the fused portion 40 in this way, one of the pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 in one diaper 1 (manufacturing intermediate 1') is formed. If necessary, the cut edges of the sheets 31 and 32 may be forcibly cooled by using a known cooling means such as a suction device and an exhaust device to promote the formation of the fused portion 40.

When one part to be divided 10C (the part to be formed of the side seal portion 4) is divided in this way, the laser beam 30 so that the irradiation point hits another opening 27 adjacent in the direction opposite to the transport direction D. Is irradiated to another planned division site 10C located above the other opening 27. As a result, another planned division portion 10C is divided and fused in the same manner as described above, and the other side seal portion 4 (fused portion 40) paired with the previously formed side seal portion 4 is formed. After that, by repeating the same operation, the manufacturing intermediate 1'of the pants-type disposable diaper 1 having the exterior body 3 having the pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 is continuously manufactured.

In the intermediate manufacturing step (the side seal forming step), laser light is irradiated while pressurizing the vicinity of the planned division portion 10C of the diaper continuous body 10, and the fibers at the cut end are melted. It is preferable to transport the laminate while maintaining the pressurized state, and after the molten resin solidifies, release the pressurized state. In the side seal portion 4 thus obtained, as shown in FIG. 2, the outer edge 40a of the fused portion 40 is inside the worn article in a cross section orthogonal to the extending direction of the side seal portion 4 when worn. It has a shape that is recessed toward. From the viewpoint of promoting the solidification of the molten resin, it is preferable that the diaper continuous body 10 is pressurized by applying a metal member having excellent thermal conductivity to at least one surface thereof, or is cooled by an air facility or the like.

Explaining the laser light 30, the laser light irradiating the diaper continuous body 10 (belt-shaped exterior body 3) is absorbed by the sheets (outer layer sheet 31 and inner layer sheet 32) constituting the exterior body 3 to generate heat. Use laser light of wavelength. Here, the "sheet constituting the exterior body" is not limited to the sheet constituting one surface of the exterior body (contact surface with the support member 21) (for example, the outer layer sheet 31 in the above-described embodiment), and the exterior body. Any sheet may be used as long as it constitutes. Whether or not the laser light irradiating the exterior body is the wavelength at which the individual sheets constituting the exterior body are absorbed by the sheet to generate heat is determined by the material of the sheet and the wavelength of the laser light used. It depends on the relationship with. When the sheet constituting the exterior body is a non-woven fabric or film made of synthetic resin that is generally used for manufacturing absorbent articles (sanitary products) such as disposable diapers and sanitary napkins, the laser light includes CO ₂ laser and YAG. It is preferable to use a laser, an LD laser (semiconductor laser), a YVO4 laser, a fiber laser, or the like. When the sheet constituting the exterior body contains polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, or the like as the synthetic resin, the wavelength that can be absorbed by the sheet and cause the sheet to generate heat satisfactorily is, for example, 8.0 μm or more. It is preferable to use 0 μm or less, and it is particularly preferable to use an oscillation wavelength of 9.0 μm or more and 11.0 μm or less of a CO ₂ laser in which a high-power laser device exists. The spot diameter of the laser beam, the laser output, and the like can be appropriately selected in consideration of the material and thickness of the sheet constituting the exterior body.

In the manufacturing intermediate 1'manufactured in this way, the side seal portion 4 has the edge portion of the exterior body 3 on the front body F and the edge portion of the exterior body 3 on the rear body R in the longitudinal direction of the side seal portion 4. A seal edge portion connected by a continuous linear fusion portion 40 extending to the surface is formed. That is, no cut 41 is formed in the fused portion 40 in each of the pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 of the manufacturing intermediate 1', and the fused portion 40 extends over the entire length of the side seal portion 4 in the longitudinal direction. It extends continuously and is not divided.

In the manufacturing method of the diaper 1 of the present embodiment, the transport direction immediately after the manufacturing of the manufacturing intermediate 1'manufactured in the intermediate manufacturing step (the side seal portion forming step) is the lateral direction of the manufacturing intermediate 1'. That is, it coincides with the lateral direction Y of the diaper 1. That is, in this embodiment, the manufacturing intermediate 1'is manufactured by the so-called cross-flow method. Then, in the present embodiment, the manufacturing intermediate 1'that has undergone the intermediate manufacturing step is rotated by 90 degrees, and its transport direction is made to coincide with the vertical direction of the manufacturing intermediate 1', that is, the vertical direction X of the diaper 1 (product). Inversion step), supply to the cut formation step of the next step.

Next, the side seal portion 4 is extended in the longitudinal direction of the manufacturing intermediate 1'produced in this manner, and a cut 41 is formed in the fused portion 40 of the side seal portion 4 (cut forming step). In the present embodiment, the extension of the side seal portion 4 in the longitudinal direction in the cut forming step is performed by pulling the side seal portion 4 in the longitudinal direction. That is, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, two conveyors 50 and 51 having different transport speeds are used, and a part of each of the pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 of the manufacturing intermediate 1'is used on one side. The side seal portion 4 is pulled in the longitudinal direction by transporting the other portion of the side seal portion 4 by the other transport conveyor 51, and the cut forming step is carried out.

The conveyor 50 includes an upper conveyor 50A and a lower conveyor 50B, and both conveyors 50A and 50B each include an endless conveyor belt 52 spanned by a drive roll and a driven roll. The conveyor 50 is adapted to convey in a predetermined direction while sandwiching the manufacturing intermediate 1'which is the object to be conveyed between the conveyor belts 52 and 52 of the conveyors 50A and 50B, respectively. The conveyor 51 is also configured in the same manner, and is configured to convey the manufacturing intermediate 1'in a predetermined direction while sandwiching the manufacturing intermediate 1'between the upper conveyor 51A and the lower conveyor 51B. The transport conveyors 50 and 51 have the same transport direction MD of the manufacturing intermediate 1', but their transport speeds are different from each other, and the transport speed of the conveyor 51 arranged on the downstream side of the transport direction MD is different. V2 is set to be higher than the transfer speed V1 of the transfer conveyor 50 on the upstream side, that is, V2> V1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, one end side of the side seal portions 4 and 4 of the manufacturing intermediate 1'is sandwiched between the upper and lower conveyors 50A and 50B of the conveyor 50 and the other end side thereof. Is sandwiched between the upper and lower conveyors 51A and 51B of the conveyor 51, and when the manufacturing intermediate 1'is conveyed to the MD in the same direction by both conveyors 50 and 51 along the vertical direction X, the speed difference between the two is V2-V1. As a result, the pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 of the manufacturing intermediate 1'are pulled so as to extend in the longitudinal direction X, respectively. By such an operation, a plurality of cuts 41 as shown in FIG. 4 are formed in the fusion portions 40 of each of the side seal portions 4 and 4 so as to be scattered in the longitudinal direction of the side seal portions 4, and the fusion portions are formed. 40 is divided into a plurality of short line segments in its longitudinal direction. In this way, the target pants-type disposable diaper 1 is manufactured.

The cut forming step can also be carried out using the conveyors 53 and 54 shown in FIG. The transport conveyors 53 and 54, respectively, face the manufacturing intermediate 1'which is the object to be transported by sandwiching the transport belt 52 in addition to the endless breathable transport belt 52 spanned by the drive roll and the driven roll, respectively. A vacuum box 55 arranged at a possible position is provided, and the manufacturing intermediate 1'on the conveyor belt 52 is sucked downward by the vacuum box 55 and fixed at a predetermined position of the conveyor belt 52 in a predetermined direction. It is designed to be transported. Both the transfer conveyors 53 and 54 have the same transfer direction MD of the manufacturing intermediate 1', but their transfer speeds are different from each other, and the transfer speed of the transfer conveyor 54 arranged on the downstream side of the transfer direction MD. V2 is set to be higher than the transfer speed V1 of the transfer conveyor 53 on the upstream side, that is, V2> V1. Even when the conveyors 53 and 54, which are so-called suction conveyors, are used, the pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 of the manufacturing intermediate 1'are respectively provided in the longitudinal direction in the same manner as when the conveyors 50 and 51 are used. The fused portion 40 can be divided in the same direction by pulling so as to extend to X, and the desired pants-type disposable diaper 1 can be manufactured.

In the method shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, since the pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 which should have the same configuration in design are pulled with the same strength in the setting of the device, one side seal is used. It seems that the pattern of the cut 41 in the fused portion 40 is the same between the portion 4 and the other side seal portion 4. However, in reality, due to unavoidable manufacturing errors during manufacturing, there is a slight difference in configuration between the one fused portion 40 and the other fused portion 40 before the side seal portion 4 is extended. It is present, and when the side seal portion 4 is stretched, there may be a slight difference in stretching conditions between the one fused portion 40 and the other fused portion 40. Such a slight difference in the configuration and elongation conditions of the pair of fused portions 40, 40 is a factor in forming a cut 41 having a different pattern from each other by the methods shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. It is inferred that.

In the method for manufacturing a pants-type worn article of the present invention, in the cut forming step, the side seal portion 4 of the manufacturing intermediate 1'is transported in the longitudinal direction of the side sealing portion 4 and the manufacturing intermediate 1'. A cut 41 can also be partially formed in the fused portion 40 of the side seal portion 4 by periodically extending the joint. For example, referring to FIG. 10, the transfer speed V2 of the transfer conveyor 51 is cycled so that V2> V1 and V2 = V1 in accordance with the transfer of the manufacturing intermediate 1'with respect to the transfer speed V1 of the transfer conveyor 50. By periodically extending the side seal portion 4 of the manufacturing intermediate 1', a cut 41 is formed in the fused portion 40 of the side seal portion 4, and the length of the side seal portion 4 is lengthened. It can be partially formed so as to be scattered in the direction. Further, referring to FIG. 11, the transfer speed V2 of the transfer conveyor 54 is cycled so that V2> V1 and V2 = V1 in accordance with the transfer of the manufacturing intermediate 1'with respect to the transfer speed V1 of the transfer conveyor 53. It can also be changed.

By the way, the above-mentioned manufacturing intermediate body 1'has" provided an exterior body 3 forming the outer surface of the worn article, and the outer body 3 on both side edges A1 and A1 of the outer body 3 on the front body F and the rear body R. Both side edge portions B1 and B1 are joined to form a pair of side seal portions 4, a waist opening WH and a pair of leg openings LH and LH. In the side seal portion 4, the exterior body 3 on the front body F is formed. The edge portion A1 of the diaper and the edge portion B1 of the exterior body 3 on the back body R are connected by a continuous linear fusion portion 40 extending in the longitudinal direction of the side seal portion 4. The configuration is the same as that of the manufacturing object diaper 1 except that the fused portions 40 in each of the pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 are not divided into a plurality of short line segments by a plurality of cuts 41. Furthermore, it has the same configuration as a conventional pants-type disposable diaper. Therefore, for example, the user who sells the manufacturing intermediate 1'itself as a product and purchases the manufacturing intermediate 1'owns himself / herself the pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 of the manufacturing intermediate 1'in the longitudinal direction. The operation may be performed to extend the product.

For example, as shown in FIG. 12A, prior to mounting the manufacturing intermediate 1', the side seal portions 4 are pinched by fingers with respect to each of the pair of side seal portions 4 and 4 in the longitudinal direction (longitudinal direction X). ) To extend it. More specifically, as shown in the drawing, both ends of the side seal portion 4 in the longitudinal direction are pinched by fingers and pulled so as to extend the entire side seal portion 4 in the longitudinal direction. By such an operation, as shown in FIG. 12B, a plurality of cuts 41 are scattered in the longitudinal direction over the entire continuous linear fused portion 40 extending in the longitudinal direction of the side seal portion 4. A pants-type disposable diaper 1 having an exterior body 3 formed on the diaper and having side seal portions 4 divided into a plurality of short line segments can be obtained. The diaper 1 thus obtained is attached according to a conventional method.

Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 13A, only a part of the side seal portion 4 is selectively selected in the longitudinal direction without extending the entire side seal portion 4 in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. 12A. It may be extended to. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13A, the lower end portion 42, which is a portion in which the hardness is particularly easily felt in the side seal portion 4, that is, the portion closer to the crotch portion 1C in the ventral side portion 1A and the dorsal side portion 1B (side seal portion). Only the lower part of the crotch 4 (the portion closer to 1C) is selectively extended in the longitudinal direction. By such an operation, as shown in FIG. 13B, a plurality of cuts 41 are formed only in the lower end portion 42 of the side seal portion 4, and the diaper 1 is obtained.

In the method of attaching (using) the pants-type disposable diaper shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a cut 41 is made in the side seal portion 4 of the manufacturing intermediate 1'in the longitudinal direction (longitudinal direction X) of the side seal portion 4. As a method of forming the side seals so as to be scattered, another method can be adopted instead of the above-mentioned method of pinching the side seal portions 4 with fingers and pulling them so as to extend in the longitudinal direction. That is, the side seal portion 4 is pressed from the inner surface side to the outer surface by inserting a finger into the inner surface side of the side seal portion 4 of the manufacturing intermediate 1'and pressing the side seal portion 4 toward the outer surface side with the pad of the finger. A method of pressing toward the side may also be used. Also by such a method, a plurality of cuts 41 are formed in the fused portion 40 of the side seal portion 4 of the manufacturing intermediate 1'so as to be scattered in the longitudinal direction of the side seal portion 4, and the fused portion 40 is formed. It can be divided into a plurality of short line segments by the cut 41.

Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiment, the present invention can be appropriately modified without being limited to the embodiment.
For example, the strip-shaped exterior body (sheet laminated body) is one in which four sheets are stacked as shown in FIG. 9A, and two, three, or five or more sheets are stacked. You may.
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the exterior body 3 in the above embodiment is not divided into the ventral portion 1A and the dorsal portion 1B, but is an hourglass extending over the ventral portion 1A, the crotch lower portion 1C, and the dorsal portion 1B. Although it had a continuous shape such as a shape, the exterior body in the present invention is not limited to such a continuous shape, and is, for example, a ventral seat member arranged on the ventral side (front side) of the wearer. , It is divided into a dorsal seat member arranged on the back side (rear side) of the wearer, and the absorbent main body may be bridged and fixed to both of these seat members. The polymerization pressurization step in the method for manufacturing a pants-type disposable diaper provided with such a split type outer body is performed on the front body side (belt-shaped ventral sheet member) of the band-shaped outer body to which the absorbent body is fixed. The part to be formed of the side seal portion in the strip-shaped exterior body having the structure in which the back body side (belt-shaped dorsal seat member) is overlapped is put into a pressurized state.

Further, the pants-type worn article in the present invention is not limited to the pants-type disposable diaper, but may be a pants-type sanitary napkin, and also includes an exterior body forming an outer surface of the worn article, while having an absorbent main body. It may be a diaper cover or the like that does not include the above.
The omitted description in one embodiment and the requirements of only one embodiment can be appropriately applied to other embodiments, and the requirements in each embodiment can be appropriately applied to each other. Can be replaced with.
The following additional notes will be further disclosed with respect to the above-described embodiments of the present invention.

<1>
It is provided with an exterior body that forms the outer surface of the article to be worn, and a pair of side seal portions, a waist opening, and a pair are joined by joining both side edges of the exterior body on the front body and both side edges of the exterior body on the back body. Pants-type wearing item with leg openings formed
In each of the pair of side seal portions, the edge portion of the exterior body on the front body and the edge portion of the exterior body on the rear body are connected by a fusion portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the side seal portion.
A plurality of cuts are scattered in the longitudinal direction in the fused portion.
The fused portion is a pants-type worn article that is continuous at a portion sandwiched between the two cuts.

<2>
The pants-type worn article according to <1>, wherein the pattern of the cut in the fused portion is different between one and the other of the pair of side seal portions.
<3>
More than half of the plurality of the cuts existing in the fused portion cross the fused portion in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, but the constituent fibers of the non-fused portion in the vicinity of the cut are present. The pants-type worn article according to <1> or <2>, which is not cut.

<4>
The pants-type worn article according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein the plurality of cuts in the fused portion of each of the pair of side seal portions do not have the same shape and / or dimensions.
<5>
The pants-type worn article according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein the distance between the vertically adjacent cuts is not uniform in the fused portion of each of the pair of side seal portions.
<6>
The pants-type worn article according to any one of <1> to <5>, wherein the plan view shape of the cut is a straight line, a V shape, or a Y shape.

<7>
When the direction from the side closer to the wearer's skin to the side far from the skin of the worn article is the inner-outer direction and the direction orthogonal to the inner-outer direction is the thickness direction, the fused portion has the length in the inner-outer direction. The pants-type wearing article according to any one of <1> to <6>, which has a longer length in the thickness direction.
<8>
The pants-type worn article according to any one of <1> to <7>, wherein a plurality of the cuts are formed so as to be scattered in the longitudinal direction over the entire side seal portion.
<9>
The pants-type worn article according to any one of <1> to <7>, wherein a plurality of the cuts are formed only in the lower end portion of the side seal portion.
<10>
The side seal portion is partially different in the number of laminated sheets constituting the side seal portion, and the boundary between the portions having the different number of laminated sheets (more specifically, the tip of the folded portion of the exterior body). The pants-type wearing article according to any one of <1> to <9>, wherein the cut is formed in or in the vicinity thereof.
<11>
The pants type according to <10>, wherein the cut is formed in the vicinity of the boundary (more specifically, in a region within 10 mm from the boundary) and on the side where the number of laminated sheets is relatively small. Worn items.

<12>
The method for manufacturing a pants-type worn article according to any one of <1> to <11>.
A polymerization pressurization step that pressurizes the part where the side seal portion is to be formed in the strip-shaped exterior body in which the front body side and the back body side are overlapped.
By irradiating the planned formation portion of the side seal portion in the pressurized state with a laser beam through a light passing portion extending in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the exterior body, the exterior body is divided and , A manufacturing intermediate for the pants-type worn article, which has the side seal portions in which the cut edges of the laminated exterior body generated by the division are fused to each other and the fused portions are not formed. In the intermediate manufacturing process to obtain
A method for manufacturing a pants-type worn article, comprising a cut forming step of extending the side seal portion of the manufacturing intermediate in the longitudinal direction thereof and forming the cut in the fused portion of the side seal portion.

<13>
In the cut forming step, the side seal portion of the production intermediate is periodically extended in the longitudinal direction of the side seal portion and in accordance with the transportation of the production intermediate, whereby the side seal portion is melted. The method for manufacturing a pants-type worn article according to <12>, wherein the cut is partially formed in the wearing portion.
<14>
The method for manufacturing a pants-type worn article according to <12> or <13>, wherein the side seal portion is extended in the longitudinal direction in the cut forming step by pulling the side seal portion in the longitudinal direction.

<15>
It is provided with an exterior body that forms the outer surface of the article to be worn, and a pair of side seal portions, a waist opening, and a pair are joined by joining both side edges of the exterior body on the front body and both side edges of the exterior body on the back body. A leg opening is formed,
In the side seal portion, the edge portion of the exterior body on the front body and the edge portion of the exterior body on the rear body are connected by a continuous linear fusion portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the side seal portion. , How to wear pants-type wear items,
Prior to mounting the worn article, the side seal portion is pinched by fingers and pulled so as to extend in the longitudinal direction, or the side seal portion is pressed from the inner surface side to the outer surface side thereof to achieve the fusion. A method of wearing a pants-type disposable diaper in which a plurality of cuts are formed in the wearing portion so as to be scattered in the longitudinal direction.
<16>
In the <15>, in which only a part of the side seal portion is selectively extended in the longitudinal direction to form a plurality of cuts in the fused portion in the portion thereof so as to be scattered in the longitudinal direction. How to wear the described pants-type disposable diaper.
<17>
The worn article has a lower crotch that is placed in the crotch of the wearer when worn.
By selectively extending only the portion of the side seal portion near the crotch portion in the longitudinal direction, a plurality of cuts are interspersed in the fusion portion in the portion near the crotch portion in the longitudinal direction. The method for wearing a pants-type disposable diaper according to the above <15> or <16>.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited to such Examples.

[Example 1]
A pants-type disposable diaper having the same configuration as that of the diaper 1 of the above embodiment was manufactured and used as Example 1. As the outer layer sheet constituting the exterior body, an elastic sheet having elasticity in the lateral direction of the diaper was used. In this elastic sheet (outer layer sheet), ^two fiber layers made of polypropylene (PP) spunbonded non-woven fabric having a basis weight of 18 g / m ² are arranged facing each other, and a plurality of elastic filaments (styrene-based) are formed between the two fiber layers. It is composed of a composite in which a thermoplastic elastomer having a basis weight of 10 g / m ² ) is sandwiched and fixed so as to extend in the same direction, and the composite has elasticity in the extending direction of the elastic filament. There is. The elasticity of the elastic sheet (outer layer sheet) was imparted by applying a stretching treatment to the composite produced according to a conventional method. Specifically, an elastic expression processing device (stretching device) provided with a pair of tooth groove rolls in which teeth and tooth bottoms are alternately formed in the circumferential direction is used, and the complex is placed between the pair of tooth groove rolls. Stretching treatment was performed by introducing. Further, as the inner layer sheet, a PP spunbonded non-woven fabric having a basis weight of 20 g / m ² was used.
The production of the pants-type disposable diaper of Example 1 was carried out according to the method for producing the diaper 1 described above. Specifically, first, the polymerization pressurization step and the intermediate manufacturing step are carried out by the methods shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and a manufacturing intermediate having a pair of side seal portions as laser cutting seal portions is manufactured. Then, the cut forming step was carried out on the manufacturing intermediate by the method shown in FIG. 12, and the desired pants-type disposable diaper was obtained. The laser joining device used in the intermediate manufacturing step has basically the same configuration as the laser joining device 20 shown in FIG. 7.

In the pants-type disposable diaper of Example 1, the fused portion of each of the pair of side seal portions is divided into a plurality of short line segments by a plurality of cuts scattered in the longitudinal direction of the side seal portions, and each fused portion is formed. The part was continuous at the part sandwiched between the two cuts. Further, the pattern of the cut in the fused portion was different between one of the pair of side seal portions and the other. In addition, almost all of the plurality of cuts existing in the fused portions of each of the pair of side seal portions cross the fused portion in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the side seal portions, and non-fusion in the vicinity of the cuts. The constituent fibers of the landing part were not cut. Further, in the fused portion of each of the pair of side seal portions, the cut is formed near the boundary between the portions where the number of laminated sheets constituting the side seal portion is different and on the side where the number of laminated sheets is relatively small. It had been.

[Comparative Example 1]
The manufacturing intermediate produced in Example 1, that is, the pants-type disposable diaper which did not undergo the cut forming step and had no cut formed in the fused portion of the side seal portion was used as it is as Comparative Example 1.

〔Evaluation test〕
For the diapers of each Example and Comparative Example, the flexural rigidity and the coefficient of friction of the side seal portion were measured by the following methods. The results are shown in Table 1 below.

<Measurement method of flexural rigidity of side seal part>
Measure using a hand romator (manufactured by Kao Corporation). A 100 mm × 50 mm rectangular shape in a plan view having the side seal portion at the center in the lateral direction is cut out from the side seal portion and its peripheral portion in the exterior body of the diaper to be measured, and used as a measurement sample. A measurement sample is placed in the center of the slit spacing on a test table in which the slit spacing is set to 20 mm so that the side seal portion of the measurement sample straddles the slit spacing, and a blade is used in the measurement sample. The portion overlapping the slit is pushed from the inner surface side, that is, the skin facing surface side to the outer surface side, that is, the non-skin facing surface side, and the resistance force generated at that time is measured. The measurement is performed 10 times (n = 10), and the average value of 10 points is used as the measured value. The measurement is performed at 23 ± 2 ° C. and a humidity of 50 ± 5%.
The smaller the measured value of flexural rigidity, the better the flexibility of the side seal portion, and the higher the evaluation.

<Measurement method of friction coefficient of side seal part>
The measurement is performed using a friction tester manufactured by Kato-Tech (trade name "KES-FB4-AUTO-A"). As the friction element, a contact surface having a contact surface with a measurement sample having a square shape in a plan view of 10 mm × 10 mm formed by winding a piano wire having a thickness of 0.5 mm is used. A 200 mm × 50 mm rectangular shape in a plan view having the side seal portion at the center in the lateral direction is cut out from the side seal portion and its peripheral portion in the exterior body of the diaper to be measured, and used as a measurement sample. The measurement sample is placed on a test table with the outer surface side, that is, the non-skin facing surface side facing upward, a friction element is placed on the measurement sample, and a weight is placed on the friction sample, and a load of 49 cN is applied to the measurement sample. The friction element is reciprocated by 30 mm at a moving speed of 1 mm / sec so as to be orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the side seal portion of the measurement sample and straddle the side seal portion, while applying the friction coefficient. Measure the maximum value. The measurement is performed 10 times (n = 10), and the average value of 10 points is used as the measured value. The measurement is performed at 23 ± 2 ° C. and a humidity of 50 ± 5%.
The smaller the value of the coefficient of friction, the better the feel of the side seal portion, and the higher the evaluation.

1 Pants-type disposable diapers (pants-type wearing items)
1'Pants-type disposable diaper manufacturing intermediate 1A Ventral part 1B Back side 1C Crotch part F Front body R Back body 2 Absorbent body 3 Exterior body 31 Outer layer sheet 32 Inner layer sheet 4 Side seal part 40 Fusion part 41 Cut 10 Diaper continuum (belt-shaped exterior)
20 Laser joining device 21 Support member 23 Cylindrical roll 27 Opening (light passing part)
30 Laser light 50, 51, 53, 54 Conveyor conveyor 52 Conveyor belt 55 Vacuum box

Claims (7)

It is provided with an exterior body that forms the outer surface of the article to be worn, and a pair of side seal portions, a waist opening, and a pair are joined by joining both side edges of the exterior body on the front body and both side edges of the exterior body on the back body. Pants-type wearing item with leg openings formed
In each of the pair of side seal portions, the edge portion of the exterior body on the front body and the edge portion of the exterior body on the rear body are connected by a fusion portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the side seal portion.
A plurality of cuts are scattered in the longitudinal direction in the fused portion.
The fused portion is continuous at the portion sandwiched between the two cuts .
A pants-type worn article in which one and the other of the pair of side seal portions have different patterns of cuts in the fused portion . More than half of the plurality of the cuts existing in the fused portion cross the fused portion in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, but the constituent fibers of the non-fused portion in the vicinity of the cut are present. The pants-type worn article according to claim 1, which is not cut. When the direction from the side closer to the wearer's skin to the side far from the skin of the worn article is the inner-outer direction and the direction orthogonal to the inner-outer direction is the thickness direction, the fused portion has the length in the inner-outer direction rather than the length in the inner-outer direction. The pants-type worn article according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the length in the thickness direction is longer. The method for manufacturing a pants-type worn article according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
A polymerization pressurization step that pressurizes the part where the side seal portion is to be formed in the strip-shaped exterior body in which the front body side and the back body side are overlapped.
By irradiating the planned formation portion of the side seal portion in the pressurized state with a laser beam through a light passing portion extending in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the exterior body, the exterior body is divided and , A manufacturing intermediate for the pants-type worn article, which has the side seal portions in which the cut edges of the laminated exterior body generated by the division are fused to each other and the fused portions are not formed. In the intermediate manufacturing process to obtain
A method for manufacturing a pants-type worn article, comprising a cut forming step of extending the side seal portion of the manufacturing intermediate in the longitudinal direction thereof and forming the cut in the fused portion of the side seal portion. In the cut forming step, the side seal portion of the production intermediate is periodically extended in the longitudinal direction of the side seal portion and in accordance with the transportation of the production intermediate, whereby the side seal portion is melted. The method for manufacturing a pants-type worn article according to claim 4 , wherein the cut is partially formed in the wearing portion. The method for manufacturing a pants-type worn article according to claim 4 or 5 , wherein the side seal portion is extended in the longitudinal direction in the cut forming step by pulling the side seal portion in the longitudinal direction. It is provided with an exterior body that forms the outer surface of the article to be worn, and a pair of side seal portions, a waist opening, and a pair are joined by joining both side edges of the exterior body on the front body and both side edges of the exterior body on the back body. A leg opening is formed,
In the side seal portion, the edge portion of the exterior body on the front body and the edge portion of the exterior body on the rear body are connected by a continuous linear fusion portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the side seal portion. , How to wear pants-type wear items,
Prior to mounting the worn article, the side seal portion is pinched by fingers and pulled so as to extend in the longitudinal direction, or the side seal portion is pressed from the inner surface side to the outer surface side thereof to achieve the fusion. A method of wearing a pants-type disposable diaper in which a plurality of cuts are formed in the wearing portion so as to be scattered in the longitudinal direction.

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