JP7600714B2 - Absorbent articles - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to absorbent articles.

Among absorbent articles such as disposable diapers, incontinence pads, and sanitary napkins, there are so-called tape-type products that are equipped with hook-and-loop fasteners or the like to fasten them around the wearer's waist (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In this type of absorbent article, for example, tape is provided on both the left and right edges of the part of the absorbent article that corresponds to the wearer's back body, and an attachment part such as a front patch is provided in the part that corresponds to the wearer's front body. Then, by attaching the tape to the attachment part, the absorbent article is put on the wearer.

JP 2001-245923 A

However, if the area corresponding to the front and back of the absorbent article is tightly connected by tape attached to the attachment area, when the wearer's abdomen expands as the wearer moves, the load caused by the expansion is applied directly to the connection area. This can cause the attachment area between the tape and the attachment area to come off.

In one aspect, the present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an absorbent article that reduces the load on the attachment part.

In order to solve the above problem, in the present invention, the tape has a folding portion interposed between the base end and the protruding portion, and the folding portion has a first folding portion that is folded back at the edges of the left and right ends in a direction opposite to the protruding direction of the protruding portion and extends from the edges of the left and right ends to a position of a predetermined length and is bonded to the other surface of the left and right ends, and a second folding portion that is folded back at a position of the predetermined length in the protruding direction and extends to the edges of the left and right ends and overlaps the first folding portion.

In detail, the present invention relates to an absorbent article to be worn under the crotch of a wearer, comprising an absorbent body arranged in a region of the absorbent article corresponding to the crotch of the wearer, a first sheet arranged on the wearer's side of the absorbent body and in contact with the wearer's skin, a second sheet arranged on the opposite side of the absorbent body to the wearer and forming an exterior surface of the absorbent article, tapes protruding from the left and right ends of one of the regions of the absorbent article corresponding to the abdomen and back of the wearer and having an adhesive portion formed on the surface facing the wearer, and a tape provided on the exterior surface of the other region of the absorbent article and having an adhesive portion attached thereto. The tape has a base end adhered to either the wearer side or the opposite side of the left and right ends, protruding parts protruding from the edges of the left and right ends, and a folded part interposed between the base end and the protruding part, and the folded part has a first folded part that is folded back at the edges of the left and right ends in a direction opposite to the protruding direction of the protruding parts and extends from the edges of the left and right ends to a position of a predetermined length, and is adhered to the other surface of the left and right ends, and a second folded part that is folded back at the predetermined length in the protruding direction and extends to the edges of the left and right ends and overlaps the first folded part.

In the absorbent article, the base end may be longer than the first folded portion.

In the above absorbent article, the tape extends from the left and right ends in the protruding direction beyond the second fold to a part of the protruding part, and is adhered to the other surface of the left and right ends, the surface of the second fold opposite the first fold, and the wearer-facing surface of the part of the protruding part, and has auxiliary connecting parts connecting the left and right ends to the protruding part, and the adhesive part may be formed on the wearer-facing surface of the protruding part.

In addition, in the above-mentioned absorbent article, the portion of the auxiliary connection part that is bonded to the left and right ends and the second folded part may be longer than the base end.

In the above absorbent article, the tape extends from the left and right ends in the protruding direction beyond the second fold and the protruding part, and is attached to the other surface of the left and right ends, the surface of the second fold opposite the first fold, and the surface of the protruding part opposite the wearer, and has auxiliary connecting parts connecting the left and right ends and the protruding part, the auxiliary connecting parts extending in the protruding direction beyond the protruding part, and the adhesive part may be formed on the wearer-facing surface of the auxiliary connecting parts beyond the protruding part.

In the above absorbent article, the base end may be longer than the left and right ends of the auxiliary connection part and the part that is bonded to the second folded part.

The present invention can reduce the load on the attachment area.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a diaper according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the diaper. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the diaper when not being worn, taken along the width direction at the center in the longitudinal direction. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the diaper in a stretched state, as viewed from the skin-facing side. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the diaper in a stretched state, as viewed from the non-skin facing side. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the tape of the embodiment cut in the width direction of the diaper. Figure 7 (A) is a diagram showing an example of the state in which a tape of an embodiment is attached to a front patch when a normal load is applied to the connection portion between the front body region and the back body region, and Figure 7 (B) is a diagram showing an example of the state in which a tape of an embodiment is attached to a front patch when a relatively strong load is applied to the connection portion between the front body region and the back body region. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of another example of the tape cut in the width direction of the diaper. Figure 9 (A) is a diagram showing an example of a different example of tape attached to a front patch when a normal load is applied to the connecting portion between the front body region and the back body region, and Figure 9 (B) is a diagram showing an example of a different example of tape attached to a front patch when a relatively strong load is applied to the connecting portion between the front body region and the back body region.

Below, absorbent articles according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of these embodiments.

<Embodiment>
In this embodiment, a tape-type disposable diaper (an example of the “absorbent article” referred to in the present application,
In the diaper (hereinafter simply referred to as "diaper"), the direction connecting the front body arranged opposite the wearer's abdomen and the rear body arranged opposite the wearer's back is defined as the longitudinal direction. Between the front body (one side in the longitudinal direction) and the rear body (the other side in the longitudinal direction) (the center in the longitudinal direction), the crotch part arranged under the wearer's crotch (opposed to the crotch). In addition, when the diaper is worn by a wearer (hereinafter abbreviated as "worn state"), the side facing the wearer's skin (the inner side when worn) is defined as the skin-facing side, and the opposite side of the skin-facing side (the outer side when worn) is defined as the non-skin-facing side. Furthermore, the direction connecting the skin-facing side and the non-skin-facing side is defined as the thickness direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction and the thickness direction is defined as the width direction. In addition, the view from the thickness direction is defined as a planar view.

1 is a perspective view of a diaper according to this embodiment. The diaper 1 has a crotch region 1B, which is a region corresponding to the crotch of the wearer that covers the pubic area of the wearer when worn, a front body region 1F, which is located in front of the crotch region 1B and corresponds to the front body of the wearer, and a rear body region 1R, which is located behind the crotch region 1B and corresponds to the rear body of the wearer. Tapes 2L and 2R that can be attached to a front patch 2F provided on the non-wearer side surface of the front body region 1F are provided on both left and right edges of the rear body region 1R. When the tapes 2L and 2R are attached to the front patch 2F with the front body region 1F positioned on the wearer's abdomen and the rear body region 1R positioned on the wearer's back, the diaper 1 is fixed to the wearer's body in a state that surrounds the wearer's abdominal circumference and thighs. Since the diaper 1 is fixed to the wearer's body in this manner, the wearer can stand and walk while wearing the diaper 1.

In the diaper 1, an absorbent capable of absorbing and retaining liquid is mainly arranged around the crotch region 1B. In addition, in order to prevent the formation of gaps between the diaper 1 and the wearer's skin that can serve as a liquid outflow path, the diaper 1 is provided with leg gathers 3AL, 3AR in the area surrounding the wearer's legs (thighs), three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR are provided on the inside of the leg gathers 3AL, 3AR in the width direction of the diaper 1, and a waist gather 3R is provided in the area surrounding the wearer's abdominal circumference. The leg gathers 3AL, 3AR, three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR, and waist gather 3R are in close contact with the wearer's skin by the elastic force of the elastic members. Therefore, liquid discharged from the wearer's genitals is absorbed by the absorbent of the diaper 1 without leaking out of the diaper 1. Note that the elastic member can be selected appropriately from thread-like or strip-like rubber.

2 is an exploded perspective view of the diaper 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the diaper 1 when not worn, cut along the width direction at the center in the longitudinal direction. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the diaper 1 when stretched, as viewed from the skin-facing side. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the diaper 1 when stretched, as viewed from the non-skin-facing side. Note that FIG. 5 does not show elastic members 4C, 4SR, 4SL, 8EL, 8ER and side sheets 8L, 8R, which will be described later. The diaper 1 has a cover sheet 4 (an example of the "second sheet" in this application) that forms the outer surface when worn. The cover sheet 4 is a sheet-like member having a substantially rectangular appearance with constrictions 4KL, 4KR at the portions corresponding to the long sides, and forms the exterior surface of the diaper 1. The constrictions 4KL, 4KR are provided at the portions where the wearer's thighs are located (the leg-surrounding regions 10L, 10R shown in FIGS. 4 and 5). The cover sheet 4 is provided to reinforce the back sheet 5 described below and to improve the feel. For example, in order to prevent leakage of excrement, a nonwoven fabric made of a liquid-impermeable thermoplastic resin can be used as the material. Examples of liquid-impermeable thermoplastic resins include polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). The cover sheet 4 is not limited to a single-layer structure, and may be a multi-layer structure having an inner cover sheet and an outer cover sheet.

The diaper 1 has a back sheet 5, an absorbent 6C, and a top sheet 7, which are laminated in order on the wearer's side of the cover sheet 4. The back sheet 5, the absorbent 6C, and the top sheet 7 are all sheet-like members having a substantially rectangular appearance, and are laminated in order on the cover sheet 4 with their longitudinal direction coinciding with the longitudinal direction of the cover sheet 4. The back sheet 5, like the cover sheet 4, is a sheet formed of a liquid-impermeable thermoplastic resin material to suppress leakage of excrement. The back sheet 5 is preferably made of a material that also has moisture permeability to suppress stuffiness when worn. The absorbent 6C is disposed including the crotch region 1B. The top sheet 7 (an example of the "first sheet" in this application) is a sheet-like member that is disposed on the wearer's skin side so as to cover the water-absorbing surface of the absorbent 6C. The top sheet 7 is liquid permeable in part or in whole. Therefore, when the diaper 1 is worn, liquid excreted by the wearer passes through the top sheet 7, which may come into contact with the wearer's skin, and enters the absorbent body 6C, where it is absorbed. For example, woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, and porous film can be used as materials for the top sheet 7. The top sheet 7 may be hydrophilic.

The back sheet 5, absorbent 6C, and top sheet 7 all extend from the front body region 1F to the rear body region 1R. Therefore, when the wearer's genitals are covered with the cover sheet 4, in which the back sheet 5, absorbent 6C, and top sheet 7 are laminated, the longitudinal ends of the back sheet 5, absorbent 6C, and top sheet 7 are located on the wearer's ventral and dorsal sides. In other words, the wearer's genitals are covered by the absorbent 6C from the wearer's ventral to dorsal sides. Therefore, whether the wearer is in a ventral or dorsal position when excreting liquid, the excreted liquid comes into contact with the absorbent 6C via the top sheet 7.

In addition, the diaper 1 has elastic members 4SL, 4SR for forming the leg gathers 3AL, 3AR between the cover sheet 4 and the back sheet 5 so as to stretch in the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1. The elastic members 4SL, 4SR are provided in an appropriate number (three in this embodiment) determined according to the elastic force (contractile force) required in the design of the diaper 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the leg gathers 3AL, 3AR are arranged at both widthwise end portions of the crotch region 1B, including the leg surrounding regions 10L, 10R, which are the regions where the wearer's thighs are located in the diaper 1. The leg surrounding regions 10L, 10R are arranged at both widthwise end portions of the crotch region 1B. The regions where the elastic members 4SL, 4SR are arranged are the leg gathers 3AL, 3AR.

The diaper 1 also has long, narrow, strip-shaped side sheets 8L, 8R. The side sheets 8L, 8R are liquid-impermeable sheets provided on the long sides of the top sheet 7. Like the cover sheet 4, the side sheets 8L, 8R have constrictions 8KL, 8KR at the areas where the wearer's thighs are located (leg-surrounding regions 10L, 10R shown in FIG. 4). The side sheets 8L, 8R have elastic members 8EL, 8ER arranged along the longitudinal direction to form three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR. When the diaper 1 is worn, i.e., when the diaper 1 is U-shaped in side view, the side sheets 8L, 8R are pulled in the longitudinal direction by the contractile force of the elastic members 8EL, 8ER and rise from the top sheet 7, forming three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR that prevent liquid from leaking out.

In addition, the cover sheet 4 is provided with an elastic member 4C that prevents a gap from forming between the diaper 1 and the wearer's abdominal circumference, and is provided along the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1 on the inner side in the width direction of the diaper 1 from the elastic members 4SL and 4SR. The elastic member 4C is provided according to the elastic force (contractile force) required for the design of the diaper 1.

The diaper 1 also includes an elastic member 9ER for forming the waist gather 3R described above. The elastic member 9ER is provided between the back sheet 5 and the top sheet 7 at a position further toward the rear than the end of the absorbent body 6C. The elastic member 9ER extends between the back sheet 5 and the top sheet 7 so that the stretch direction of the elastic member 9ER is the width direction of the diaper 1. Thus, when the tapes 2L, 2R provided on both the left and right sides of the elastic member 9ER are attached to the front patch 2F on the abdominal side of the wearer, the elastic member 9ER exerts a contractile force to bring the diaper 1 into close contact with the wearer and prevent the formation of a gap between the diaper 1 and the wearer's abdominal circumference.

The absorbent 6C has a structure in which granular absorbent resin such as SAP (Super Absorbent Polymer), a hydrophilic polymer with a cross-linked structure that can absorb and retain water, is held in the gaps between short fibers of cellulosic fibers such as pulp fibers, rayon fibers, or cotton fibers, or short fibers that have been hydrophilically treated synthetic fibers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyethylene terephthalate. Therefore, in the absorbent 6C, the volumetric change of the absorbent resin before and after absorbing liquid basically occurs within the short fibers that hold the absorbent resin in the gaps. Therefore, when looking at the absorbent 6C as a whole, it can be said that the expansion rate of the thickness of the absorbent 6C that has absorbed liquid is not as large as the expansion rate of the absorbent resin itself.

In this embodiment, SAP particles refer to a resin composition containing SAP in a granular form. The term "resin composition containing SAP" as used herein is a concept that encompasses both a composition consisting of SAP alone and a composition that contains SAP as the main component and contains other substances to the extent that they do not adversely affect water absorption. Examples of "other substances" include additives (such as surface modifiers added to make the particle surface hydrophobic), unreacted monomers remaining during the synthesis of SAP, etc.

4 and 5, the diaper 1 is provided with a pair of side flap portions 11L, 11R (an example of the "left and right ends" in this application) that are arranged in the rear body region 1R and extend outward in the width direction of the diaper 1 beyond the absorbent body 6C. In this embodiment, the side flap portions 11L, 11R are configured to include a cover sheet 4 that forms the exterior surface of the diaper 1, and side sheets 8L, 8R that are joined to the skin-facing side of the cover sheet 4 and form three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR. The diaper 1 is also provided with tapes 2L, 2R that are connected to the pair of side flap portions 11L, 11R, respectively, and that are attached to a front patch 2F arranged in the front body region 1F to fix the diaper 1 to the waist of the wearer.

The tapes 2L, 2R have base ends 20L, 20R fixed to the side flap portions 11L, 11R, and tape bases 21L, 21R (an example of a "protruding portion" in this application) that extend outward in the width direction of the diaper 1 beyond the side flap portions 11L, 11R. The base ends 20L, 20R and the tape bases 21L, 21R are formed from a single sheet member such as a nonwoven fabric. The base ends 20L, 20R are bonded with an adhesive to either the cover sheet 4 or the side sheets 8L, 8R that constitute the side flap portions 11L, 11R, in this embodiment, the cover sheet 4 on the non-skin side. This connects the tapes 2L, 2R to the side flap portions 11L, 11R. On the other hand, the tape bases 21L, 21R protrude from the edges of the side sheets 8L, 8R. Additionally, hook portions 22L, 22R (an example of an "adhesive portion" of the "tape" as referred to in this application) are disposed on the skin-facing side of the tape bases 21L, 21R. The hook portions 22L, 22R can engage with the front patch 2F (an example of an "adhered portion" as referred to in this application). The front patch 2F has a loop portion formed on its surface with which the hook portions 22L, 22R can engage. The hook portions 22L, 22R engage with the loop portions of the front patch 2F, thereby adhering the tape 2L, 2R to the front body region 1F of the diaper 1.

By adhering the tapes 2L, 2R to the front body region 1F of the diaper 1, the front body region 1F and the rear body region 1R of the diaper 1 are connected to each other. However, if the front body region 1F and the rear body region 1R are connected with no slack by the tapes 2L, 2R, when the wearer's abdomen expands as the wearer moves, a load due to the expansion is directly applied to the connected portion. This may cause the attached portion of the tapes 2L, 2R to the front body region 1F to come off. Therefore, in this embodiment, the tapes 2L, 2R further have a folding portion and an auxiliary connecting portion.

First, the folding portion will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the tapes 2L and 2R of the embodiment cut along the width direction of the diaper 1. FIG. 6 also shows a cross-sectional view of the side flap portions 11L and 11R cut along the width direction of the diaper 1.

As shown in FIG. 6, the folded portions 23L, 23R are portions interposed between the base ends 20L, 20R and the tape bases 21L, 21R, and have first folded portions 25L, 25R adjacent to the base ends 20L, 20R, and second folded portions 26L, 26R adjacent to the tape bases 21L, 21R. The folded portions 23L, 23R, together with the base ends 20L, 20R and the tape bases 21L, 21R, are formed from the single sheet member described above.

The first folded portions 25L, 25R are folded back at the edge ES of the side flap portions 11L, 11R in the direction opposite to the protruding direction of the tape base 21L, 21R, and extend from the base end 20L, 20R to a position P1 at a predetermined length L1 from the edge ES of the side flap portions 11L, 11R on the skin-facing side of the side flap portions 11L, 11R on the side sheets 8L, 8R. The first folded portions 25L, 25R are then joined to the side sheets 8L, 8R with an adhesive.

As shown in FIG. 6, the base ends 20L, 20R extend from the edge ES of the side flap portions 11L, 11R in the cover sheet 4 to a position P2 of a predetermined length L2 (L2>L1). In this way, the base ends 20L, 20R are longer than the first folded portions 25L, 25R. In the structure of the tapes 2L, 2R shown in FIG. 6, the base ends 20L, 20R extend to a part of the side flap portions 11L, 11R, but are not limited to this structure. For example, the base ends 20L, 20R may extend to the entire side flap portions 11L, 11R, that is, from the edge ES on the tape 2L, 2R side to the edge on the top sheet 7 side in the side flap portions 11L, 11R.

The second folds 26L, 26R are folded back at position P1 in the protruding direction of the tape bases 21L, 21R, and extend from the first folds 25L, 25R to the edge ES of the side flap portions 11L, 11R. In other words, the second folds 26L, 26R overlap the first folds 25L, 25R. The second folds 26L, 26R continue to the tape bases 21L, 21R at the edge ES of the side flap portions 11L, 11R.

Next, the auxiliary connection parts 24L, 24R will be described. The auxiliary connection parts 24L, 24R are formed from a sheet material such as a plastic film, which is separate from the sheet material forming the base ends 20L, 20R, the folded parts 23L, 23R, and the tape base parts 21L, 21R. The sheet material forming the auxiliary connection parts 24L, 24R has elasticity.

As shown in FIG. 6, the auxiliary connection parts 24L, 24R extend in the protruding direction of the tape bases 21L, 21R from a position P3 that is a predetermined length L3 (L3>L1) from the edge ES of the side flap parts 11L, 11R of the side sheets 8L, 8R, beyond the second folded parts 26L, 26R to a part of the tape bases 21L, 21R. The auxiliary connection parts 24L, 24R are bonded to the side sheets 8L, 8R, the second folded parts 26L, 26R and the tape bases 21L, 21R with adhesive. This connects the side flap parts 11L, 11R to the tape bases 21L, 21R.

The length of the auxiliary connection parts 24L, 24R that are joined to the side flap parts 11L, 11R and the second folded-back parts 26L, 26R is L3.
The portion of 4R is longer than the base ends 20L and 20R (length L2).

The portion of the tape base 21L, 21R between the auxiliary connection 24L, 24R and the hook 22L, 22R is approximately the same length as the portion of the auxiliary connection 24L, 24R joined to the side flap 11L, 11R (length L3-L1). An adhesive is applied to the skin-facing surface of the portion, which serves as an adhesive portion. Therefore, when the tape base 21L, 21R is folded back toward the inside in the width direction of the diaper 1 at position P1, the adhesive portion adheres the portion of the tape base 21L, 21R to the portion of the auxiliary connection 24L, 24R. This allows the tape base 21L, 21R to be temporarily fixed to the auxiliary connection 24L, 24R, and prevents the hook 22L, 22R from engaging with the side sheet 8L, 8R or the top sheet 7 before the diaper 1 is used.

The outer end of the tape base 21L, 21R in the width direction of the diaper 1 than the hook portion 22L, 22R functions as a knob when attaching the tape 2L, 2R to the front patch 2F.

Next, the functions of the folding parts 23L, 23R and the auxiliary connection parts 24L, 24R will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7(A) is a diagram showing an example of the state in which the tapes 2L, 2R of the embodiment are attached to the front patch 2F when a normal load is applied to the connection part between the front body region 1F and the back body region 1R, and FIG. 7(B) is a diagram showing an example of the state in which the tapes 2L, 2R of the embodiment are attached to the front patch 2F when a relatively strong load is applied to the connection part between the front body region 1F and the back body region 1R. Note that FIG. 7(A) and (B) show the side flap parts 11L, 11R, the tapes 2L, 2R, the front patch 2F, and the surroundings.

When putting the diaper 1 on the wearer, the hook portions 22L, 22R of the tapes 2L, 2R engage with the loop portions of the front patch 2F, thereby attaching the tapes 2L, 2R to the front patch 2F. This connects the front body region 1F and the rear body region 1R of the diaper 1. When the tapes 2L, 2R are viewed from the non-skin facing side, the base ends 20L, 20R and tape bases 21L, 21R of the tapes 2L, 2R are visible, as shown in FIG. 7(A).

Here, if the front body region 1F and the back body region 1R are tightly connected by the tapes 2L, 2R, when the wearer's abdomen expands with the wearer's movement, the load caused by the expansion is directly applied to the connecting portion between the front body region 1F and the back body region 1R. However, the tapes 2L, 2R of this embodiment have folded portions 23L, 23R interposed between the base ends 20L, 20R and the tape bases 21L, 21R. Therefore, when a load caused by the expansion is applied to the connecting portion by a predetermined magnitude or more, the first folded portions 24L, 24R of the folded portions 23L, 23R are peeled off from the side flap portions 11L, 11R (side sheets 8L, 8R). As a result, as shown in FIG. 7B, the folded-up portions 23L, 23R (the first folded-up portions 24L, 24R and the second folded-up portions 25L, 25R) are pulled outward in the width direction of the diaper 1. As a result, the tapes 2L, 2R have a slack corresponding to the length of the first folded-up portions 24L, 24R and the second folded-up portions 25L, 25R, and the side flap portions 11L, 11R can move outward in the width direction of the diaper 1 as shown by the arrows in FIG. 7B. This reduces the load on the connection portion, making it difficult for the tapes 2L, 2R and the front patch 2F to come off. Furthermore, the wearer's movements are less likely to be transmitted to the rear body region 1R, so that the effect of the wearer's movements on the connection portion can be reduced. On the other hand, the front body region 1F can easily follow the wearer's movements, so that the connection can be prevented from interfering with the wearer's movements.

In addition, in the tapes 2L, 2R, the base ends 20L, 20R are longer than the first folded portions 25L, 25R. By making the base ends 20L, 20R relatively long in this way, the bonding strength between the base ends 20L, 20R and the side flap portions 11L, 11R (cover sheet 4) can be increased. As a result, even if the first folded portions 24L, 24R peel off from the side flap portions 11L, 11R when a load due to expansion of a predetermined magnitude or more is applied to the connecting portion, it is possible to prevent the base ends 20L, 20R from peeling off from the side flap portions 11L, 11R and the connection between the tapes 2L, 2R and the side flap portions 11L, 11R from being disconnected.

Furthermore, the tapes 2L, 2R have auxiliary connection parts 24L, 24R that connect the side flap parts 11L, 11R and the tape base parts 21L, 21R. Therefore, when a load due to expansion is applied to the connection part by a predetermined amount or more, the auxiliary connection parts 24L, 24R stretch and are able to absorb part of the load on the connection part. As a result, the load on the connection part is further alleviated, making it even more difficult for the tape 2L, 2R and the front patch 2F to come off.

In addition, in the tapes 2L, 2R, the portions of the auxiliary connection parts 24L, 24R that are joined to the side flap parts 11L, 11R and the second folded parts 26L, 26R are longer than the base ends 20L, 20R. In this way, the relatively long portions of the auxiliary connection parts 24L, 24R can increase the joining force between the portions and the side flap parts 11L, 11R. This makes it difficult for the auxiliary connection parts 24L, 24R to peel off from the side flap parts 11L, 11R, so that when a load due to expansion is applied to the connecting parts by a predetermined amount or more, the auxiliary connection parts 24L, 24R can be more reliably stretched.

<Other examples of tapes and front patches>
Other examples of the tape and front patch will be described below. Note that the structure of the diaper other than the tape and front patch is the same as the structure of the diaper 1 described above, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the tape of the different example cut along the width direction of the diaper 1. Also, Figure 9 (A) is a diagram showing an example of the state in which the tape of the different example is attached to the front patch when a normal load is applied to the connecting portion between the front body region 1F and the rear body region 1R, and Figure 9 (B) is a diagram showing an example of the state in which the tape of the different example is attached to the front patch when a relatively strong load is applied to the connecting portion between the front body region 1F and the rear body region 1R. Note that Figure 8 also shows a cross-sectional view of the side flap portions 11L, 11R cut along the width direction of the diaper 1. Also, Figures 9 (A) and (B) show the side flap portions 11L, 11R, the tape, the front patch, and their surroundings.

First, the tape will be described. As shown in FIG. 8, the tape 30L, 30R of the alternative example has base ends 31L, 31R, tape bases 32L, 32R, folded sections 33L, 33R, and auxiliary connection sections 34L, 34R. Of the tapes 30L, 30R, the base ends 31L, 31R, tape bases 32L, 32R, folded sections 33L, 33R, and auxiliary connection sections 34L, 34R are each formed from a single sheet member such as a plastic film. The sheet member forming the auxiliary connection sections 34L, 34R is stretchable.

The base ends 31L, 31R are bonded with adhesive to the skin-facing side sheets 8L, 8R of the cover sheet 4 and side sheets 8L, 8R that constitute the side flap portions 11L, 11R. This connects the tapes 30L, 30R to the side flap portions 11L, 11R. The tape bases 32L, 32R (an example of a "protrusion" in this application) protrude outward in the width direction of the diaper 1 from the edges ES of the side flap portions 11L, 11R.

The folded portions 33L, 33R are portions interposed between the base ends 31L, 31R and the tape bases 32L, 32R, and have first folded portions 35L, 35R adjacent to the base ends 31L, 31R, and second folded portions 36L, 36R adjacent to the tape bases 32L, 32R.

The first folded portions 35L, 35R are folded back at the edge ES of the side flap portions 11L, 11R in the direction opposite to the protruding direction of the tape base portions 32L, 32R, and extend from the base ends 31L, 31R to a position P4 at a predetermined length L4 from the edge ES of the side flap portions 11L, 11R on the non-skin-facing side of the cover sheet 4. The first folded portions 35L, 35R are then joined to the cover sheet 4 with an adhesive.

The second folds 36L, 36R are folded back at position P4 in the protruding direction of the tape bases 32L, 32R, and extend from the first folds 35L, 35R to the edge ES of the side flap portions 11L, 11R. In other words, the second folds 36L, 36R overlap the first folds 35L, 35R. The second folds 36L, 36R continue to the tape bases 32L, 32R at the edge ES of the side flap portions 11L, 11R.

The auxiliary connection parts 34L, 34R extend from a position P5, a predetermined length L5 (L5>L4) from the edge ES of the side flap parts 11L, 11R in the cover sheet 4, in the protruding direction of the tape bases 32L, 32R, beyond the second fold parts 36L, 36R and the tape bases 32L, 32R. The auxiliary connection parts 34L, 34R are bonded to the cover sheet 4, the second fold parts 36L, 36R and the tape bases 32L, 32R with adhesive. This connects the side flap parts 11L, 11R and the tape bases 32L, 32R.

The base ends 31L, 31R extend from the edge ES of the side flap portion 11L, 11R of the side sheet 8L, 8R to a position P6 of a predetermined length L6 (L6>L4). In this way, the base ends 31L, 31R are longer than the first folded portions 35L, 35R. In the structure of the tape 30L, 30R shown in FIG. 8, the base ends 31L, 31R extend to a part of the side flap portion 11L, 11R, but are not limited to this structure. For example, the base ends 31L, 31R may extend to the entire side flap portion 11L, 11R, that is, from the edge ES on the tape 30L, 30R side to the edge on the top sheet 7 side in the side flap portion 11L, 11R.

Furthermore, the base ends 31L, 31R are longer than the portions (length L5) of the auxiliary connection parts 34L, 34R that are joined to the side flap parts 11L, 11R and the second folded parts 36L, 36R.

Sheets 37L, 37R such as plastic film are bonded with adhesive to the skin-facing surface of the tips of the auxiliary connections 34L, 34R. The tips of the auxiliary connections 34L, 34R including the sheets 37L, 37R function as a knob when attaching the tapes 30L, 30R to the front patch 30F described below. It is desirable that the sheets 37L, 37R are colored so that they can be easily recognized by the wearer as a knob.

In addition, an adhesive is applied to the skin-facing surface of the auxiliary connecting portion 34L, 34R between the tape base 32L, 32R and the sheet 37L, 37R, and the adhesive portion 38L, 38R (an example of an "attached portion" of the "tape" in the present application) can be attached to the front patch 30F shown in FIG. 9 (an example of an "attached portion" in the present application). The front patch 30F is formed of a sheet material such as a plastic film having a flat surface without loops, unlike the front patch 2F having loops. The adhesive portion 38L, 38R is attached to the front patch 30F, and the tape 30L, 30R is attached to the front body region 1F of the diaper 1.

The portion of the auxiliary connection parts 34L, 34R, which is a combination of the tip part to which the sheet member 37L, 37R is joined and the adhesive part 38L, 38R, has approximately the same length as the base end part 31L, 31R (length L6). Therefore, when the auxiliary connection parts 34L, 34R are folded back toward the inside in the width direction of the diaper 1 at the edge ES of the side flap part 11L, 11R, the adhesive part 38L, 38R is adhered to the base end part 31L, 31R. This allows the auxiliary connection parts 34L, 34R to be temporarily fixed to the base end part 31L, 31R, and prevents the adhesive part 38L, 38R from being attached to the side sheet 8L, 8R, the top sheet 7, etc. before the diaper 1 is used.

Next, the functions of the folding portions 33L, 33R and the auxiliary connecting portions 34L, 34R will be described with reference to FIG. 9. When the diaper 1 is put on the wearer, the adhesive portions 38L, 38R of the tapes 30L, 30R are adhered to the front patch 30F, thereby attaching the tapes 30L, 30R to the front patch 30F. This connects the front body region 1F and the rear body region 1R of the diaper 1. When the tapes 30L, 30R are viewed from the non-skin facing side, the auxiliary connecting portions 34L, 34R of the tapes 30L, 30R are visible, as shown in FIG. 9(A).

As mentioned above, the front body region 1F and the back body region 1R may be connected tightly by the tapes 30L, 30R. However, the tapes 30L, 30R of the other example have the folded portions 33L, 33R interposed between the base ends 31L, 31R and the tape bases 32L, 32R. Therefore, when a load due to the expansion of the wearer's abdomen is applied to the connected portion by a predetermined magnitude or more, the first folded portions 34L, 34R of the folded portions 33L, 33R are peeled off from the side flap portions 11L, 11R (cover sheet 4). As a result, as shown in FIG. 9B, the folded folded portions 33L, 33R (the first folded portions 35L, 35R and the second folded portions 36L, 36R) are pulled out to the inside in the width direction of the diaper 1. As a result, the tapes 30L, 30R have a slack corresponding to the length of the first folded-back portions 35L, 35R and the second folded-back portions 36L, 36R, and the side flap portions 11L, 11R can move outward in the width direction of the diaper 1 as shown by the arrows in FIG. 9B. This reduces the load on the connection portion, making it difficult for the tapes 30L, 30R and the front patch 30F to come off. Furthermore, the wearer's movements are less likely to be transmitted to the rear body region 1R, so the impact of the wearer's movements on the connection portion can be reduced. On the other hand, the front body region 1F can easily follow the wearer's movements, so it is possible to suppress the interference with the wearer's movements caused by the connection.

Furthermore, the tapes 30L, 30R have auxiliary connection parts 34L, 34R that connect the side flap parts 11L, 11R and the tape base parts 32L, 32R. Therefore, when a load due to expansion is applied to the connection part by a predetermined amount or more, the auxiliary connection parts 34L, 34R stretch and are able to absorb part of the load on the connection part. As a result, the load on the connection part is further alleviated, making it even more difficult for the tape 30L, 30R and the front patch 30F to come off.

In addition, in the tapes 30L, 30R, the base ends 31L, 31R are longer than the first folded-back parts 35L, 35R, and are also longer than the parts of the auxiliary connecting parts 34L, 34R that are joined to the side flap parts 11L, 11R and the second folded-back parts 36L, 36R. Since the base ends 31L, 31R are relatively long in this way, the joining force between the base ends 31L, 31R and the side flap parts 11L, 11R (side sheets 8L, 8R) can be increased. As a result, even if the first folded-back parts 35L, 35R are peeled off from the side flap parts 11L, 11R when a load due to expansion of a predetermined magnitude or more is applied to the connecting part, it is possible to prevent the base ends 31L, 31R from peeling off from the side flap parts 11L, 11R, and the connection between the tapes 30L, 30R and the side flap parts 11L, 11R from being disconnected.

<Other embodiments>
Next, other embodiments will be described. In the diaper 1 according to the above embodiment and other examples, the side flap portions 11L, 11R are arranged in the rear body region 1R, and the tapes 2L, 2R, 30L, 30R connected to the side flap portions 11L, 11R are attached to the front body region 1F and fixed to the wearer's waist, but the manner of fixing the wearer's waist is not limited to this. For example, the diaper 1 may be arranged such that the side flap portions 11L, 11R are arranged in the rear body region 1R, and the tapes 2L, 2R, 30L, 30R connected to the side flap portions 11L, 11R are attached to the rear body region 1R and fixed to the wearer's waist. In this configuration, the attached portion is arranged on the rear body region 1R side.

In the diaper 1 according to the above embodiment, the hook portions 22L, 22R of the tapes 2L, 2R are engaged with the loop portions of the front patch 2F to attach the tapes 2L, 2R to the front patch 2F, but the manner of attachment of the tapes 2L, 2R to the front patch 2F is not limited to this. For example, by replacing the hook portions 22L, 22R of the tapes 2L, 2R and the loop portions of the front patch 2F, as in the diaper 1 according to the above other example, an adhesive portion coated with an adhesive may be provided on the skin-facing side of the tape bases 21L, 21R other than the tip portions that function as tabs, and a front patch 2F having a flat surface without a loop portion may be used, and the adhesive portions of the tapes 2L, 2R may be attached to the front patch 2F, so that the tapes 2L, 2R are attached to the front patch 2F. Furthermore, in the diaper 1 according to the above-mentioned alternative embodiment, the adhesive portions 38L, 38R of the tapes 30L, 30R are attached to the front patch 30F by adhering the adhesive portions 38L, 38R of the tapes 30L, 30R to the front patch 30F having a flat surface, but the manner of attachment of the tapes 30L, 30R to the front patch 30F is not limited to this. For example, by replacing the adhesive portions 38L, 38R of the tapes 30L, 30R and the flat surface of the front patch 30F, as in the diaper 1 according to the above-mentioned embodiment, a hook portion may be provided on the skin-facing surface of a portion of the auxiliary connection portion 34L, 34R on the sheet 37L, 37R side between the tape base portion 32L, 32R and the sheet 37L, 37R, and a front patch 30F having a loop portion may be used, and the hook portion of the tapes 30L, 30R may be engaged with the loop portion of the front patch 30F to attach the tapes 30L, 30R to the front patch 30F.

In addition, in the diaper 1 according to the above embodiment or other example, the front patch 2F, 30F is provided in the front body region 1F, but the front patch 2F, 30F may not be provided in the front body region 1F, and the hook portion 22L, 22R or the adhesive portion 38L, 38R may be capable of engaging with or adhering to a part of the cover sheet 4 in the front body region 1F (an example of the "adhered portion" of the "absorbent article" in this application). For a diaper 1 not provided with the front patch 2F, 30F, the hook portion 22L, 22R or the adhesive portion 38L, 38R is engaged with or adhered to a part of the cover sheet 4 of the diaper 1, thereby attaching the tapes 2L, 2R, 30L, 30R to the cover sheet 4.

1... Diaper 1B... Crotch region 1F... Front body region 1R... Back body region 2F, 30F... Front patch 2L, 2R, 30L, 30R... Tape 3BL, 3BR... Three-dimensional gathers 3R... Waist gathers 4... Cover sheet 4KL, 4KR... Constrictions 4C, 4SL, 4SR, 8EL, 8ER, 9ER... Elastic member 5... Back sheet 6C... Absorbent body 7... Top sheet 8L, 8R... Side sheet 10L, 10R... Leg surrounding region Regions 11L, 11R... Side flap portions 20L, 20R, 31L, 31R... Base ends 21L, 21R, 32L, 32R... Tape base portions 22L, 22R... Hook portions 23L, 23R, 33L, 33R... Folded portions 24L, 24R, 34L, 34R... Auxiliary adhesive portions 25L, 25R, 35L, 35R... First folded-back portions 26L, 26R, 36L, 36R... Second folded-back portions 37L, 37R... Sheets 38L, 38R... Adhesive portions

Claims (5)

An absorbent article to be worn under the crotch of a wearer,
an absorbent body disposed in a portion of the absorbent article corresponding to the crotch area of the wearer;
A first sheet is disposed closer to the wearer than the absorbent body and comes into contact with the wearer's skin;
A second sheet is disposed on the side opposite to the wearer from the absorbent body and forms an exterior surface of the absorbent article;
a tape protruding from the left and right ends of one of the regions of the absorbent article corresponding to the abdomen and the back of the wearer, the tape having an adhesive portion formed on the surface facing the wearer;
an attachment portion provided on the exterior surface of the other part of the absorbent article, to which the attachment portion is attached;
Equipped with
The tape has a base end portion bonded to either one of the wearer side surface and the opposite side surface of the left and right end portions, a protruding portion protruding from the edge of the left and right end portions, and a folded portion interposed between the base end portion and the protruding portion,
The folding portion includes a first folded portion that is folded back at the edges of the left and right ends in a direction opposite to the protruding direction of the protruding portion, extends from the edges of the left and right ends to a position of a predetermined length, and is bonded to the other surface of the left and right ends, and a second folded portion that is folded back at the position of the predetermined length in the protruding direction, extends to the edges of the left and right ends, and overlaps with the first folded portion;
the tape extends from the left and right ends in the protruding direction beyond the second folded-back portion to a part of the protruding portion, and is bonded to the other surface of the left and right ends, a surface of the second folded-back portion opposite to the first folded-back portion, and a surface of the part of the protruding portion facing the wearer, and has auxiliary connection portions that connect the left and right ends and the protruding portion;
The adhesive portion is formed on the wearer-facing surface of the protrusion.
Absorbent articles. The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the portions of the auxiliary connecting parts bonded to the left and right ends and the second folded-back part are longer than the base end part. An absorbent article to be worn under the crotch of a wearer,
an absorbent body disposed in a portion of the absorbent article corresponding to the crotch area of the wearer;
A first sheet is disposed closer to the wearer than the absorbent body and comes into contact with the wearer's skin;
A second sheet is disposed on the side opposite to the wearer from the absorbent body and forms an exterior surface of the absorbent article;
a tape protruding from the left and right ends of one of the regions of the absorbent article corresponding to the abdomen and the back of the wearer, the tape having an adhesive portion formed on the surface facing the wearer;
an attachment portion provided on the exterior surface of the other part of the absorbent article, to which the attachment portion is attached;
Equipped with
The tape has a base end portion bonded to either one of the wearer side surface and the opposite side surface of the left and right end portions, a protruding portion protruding from the edge of the left and right end portions, and a folded portion interposed between the base end portion and the protruding portion,
The folding portion includes a first folded portion that is folded back at the edges of the left and right ends in a direction opposite to the protruding direction of the protruding portion, extends from the edges of the left and right ends to a position of a predetermined length, and is bonded to the other surface of the left and right ends, and a second folded portion that is folded back at the position of the predetermined length in the protruding direction, extends to the edges of the left and right ends, and overlaps with the first folded portion;
the tape extends from the left and right ends in the protruding direction beyond the second folded-back portion and the protruding portion, and is bonded to the other surface of the left and right ends, a surface of the second folded-back portion opposite the first folded-back portion, and a surface of the protruding portion opposite the wearer, and has auxiliary connection portions that connect the left and right ends and the protruding portion;
The adhesive portion is formed on a surface of the auxiliary connecting portion that faces the wearer and extends beyond the protruding portion.
Absorbent articles. The absorbent article according to claim 3 , wherein the base end portion is longer than the portions of the auxiliary connecting portion that are bonded to the left and right ends and the second folded-back portion. The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the base end portion is longer than the first folded-back portion.

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