JP7725197B2 - absorbent articles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an absorbent article.

In the past, a known technique for absorbent articles such as pants-type disposable diapers that have a waistband member and an absorbent body is to place functional materials such as cooling agents or fragrances in the waistband member to provide a refreshing feeling to the wearer. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pants-type absorbent article that contains a fragrance in the waist region of the ventral portion A and dorsal portion C (corresponding to the waistband member) that releases fragrance components into the air under atmospheric pressure.

JP 2018-102612 A

In the pants-type absorbent article of Patent Document 1, the fragrance is placed so that it overlaps part of the joint where the waistband member and the absorbent main body are joined in the thickness direction. In this case, there is a risk that the adhesive forming the joint will mix with the oil in the fragrance, reducing the bond strength at the joint. Furthermore, in the area where the waistband member and the absorbent main body are joined, the rigidity of the absorbent main body is likely to inhibit the stretchability of the waistband member, making it difficult for the waistband member to fit closely to the wearer's body and making it difficult for functional materials such as fragrances to act on the wearer's skin.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems with the conventional absorbent article, and its purpose is to provide an absorbent article equipped with a cooling agent that easily acts on the wearer's skin without reducing the bonding strength between the waistband member and the absorbent main body.

The main invention to achieve the above object is:
The absorbent body has a liquid-absorbent main body and a waistband member joined to the non-skin side of the absorbent main body,
An absorbent article comprising a cooling sensation agent placement region in which a cooling sensation agent is placed in at least a part of the waistband member, and a cooling sensation agent non-placement region in which the cooling sensation agent is not placed,
a main body joining portion in which an adhesive is arranged to join the absorbent main body and the waistband member;
When the absorbent article is unfolded and viewed in the thickness direction, the main body joint and the cooling sensation agent non-disposed region at least partially overlap each other,
The waistband member has a front waistband portion and a rear waistband portion,
having a vertical direction and a horizontal direction that intersect with each other,
the cooling agent placement region is provided between an upper end of the rear waistband member and an upper end of the rear side of the absorbent main body in the vertical direction,
The absorbent article is characterized in that the cooling agent placement area has a first cooling agent placement area and a second cooling agent placement area spaced apart below the first cooling agent placement area in the vertical direction .
Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

This invention makes it possible to provide an absorbent article equipped with a cooling agent that easily acts on the wearer's skin without reducing the bonding strength between the waistband member and the absorbent body.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a diaper 1. FIG. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a cooling agent placement region 70 in the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state. 10 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the wearer's body and the cooling agent placement region 70 when the diaper 1 is worn. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the waistband member 20 of the diaper 1. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a modified example of the cooling agent placement area 70. FIG.

At least the following matters will become clear from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.
An absorbent article comprising a liquid-absorbent main body and a waistband member joined to the non-skin side of the absorbent main body, and comprising a cooling sensation agent placement area in which a cooling sensation agent is placed in at least a part of the waistband member, and a cooling sensation agent non-placement area in which the cooling sensation agent is not placed, characterized in that the absorbent article has a main body joint in which an adhesive is placed to join the absorbent main body and the waistband member, and when the absorbent article is unfolded and viewed in the thickness direction, the main body joint and the cooling sensation agent non-placement area at least partially overlap.

With this type of absorbent article, the adhesive forming the body joint and the cooling agent are less likely to mix, so the bond strength between the absorbent body and the waistband member is less likely to decrease. Furthermore, the cooling agent placement area of the waistband member is less affected by the rigidity of the absorbent body, so the cooling agent placement area fits easily to the wearer's skin when the absorbent article is worn. This makes it possible to create an absorbent article equipped with a cooling agent that easily acts on the wearer's skin, without reducing the bond strength between the waistband member and the absorbent body.

In such an absorbent article, it is desirable that the total weight of the cooling sensation agent provided in the area where the waistband member and the absorbent main body do not overlap is greater than the total weight of the cooling sensation agent provided in the area where the waistband member and the absorbent main body overlap.

In this type of absorbent article, if a cooling agent is provided in the area of the waistband member that overlaps with the absorbent main body, the absorbent main body being interposed between the wearer's skin and the cooling agent may make it difficult for the cooling agent to reach the wearer's skin, making it difficult for the cooling effect to be felt. In contrast, by providing more cooling agent in the area that does not overlap with the absorbent main body than in the area that does overlap with the absorbent main body, the cooling effect is prevented from being hindered by the absorbent main body, making it easier for the wearer to feel the cooling effect.

In such an absorbent article, it is desirable that the entire main body joint overlaps with the cooling agent-free area when viewed in the thickness direction.

With this type of absorbent article, there is less chance of the cooling agent mixing with the adhesive forming the main body joint, making it easier to prevent a decrease in the bonding strength between the absorbent main body and the waistband member. Furthermore, because the cooling agent placement area does not overlap with the highly rigid absorbent main body, it fits better to the wearer's skin, making it easier for the wearer to feel the cooling effect.

In such an absorbent article, it is desirable that the waistband member has a front waistband portion and a rear waistband portion, and that the total weight of the cooling sensation agent provided in the rear waistband portion is greater than the total weight of the cooling sensation agent provided in the front waistband portion.

With this type of absorbent article, by placing more cooling agent on the back side (dorsal side) than on the front side (ventral side), the wearer can feel a greater cooling effect on the back side, where sweating is more likely. Therefore, a good feeling of coolness can be imparted to the wearer's back side.

In such an absorbent article, it is desirable that the cooling agent placement region be positioned in a location that abuts the area from the posterior superior iliac spine to the iliac crest on the wearer's back when the absorbent article is worn.

In this type of absorbent article, the protrusion of the iliac crest allows the waistband member (cooling agent placement area) to easily adhere to the wearer's skin in this area, making it easier for the wearer to feel the cooling effect of the cooling agent. In particular, when the wearer is sitting or lying down, they are more likely to sweat in this area, which further enhances the comfort provided by the cooling agent.

The absorbent article has a vertical direction and a horizontal direction that intersect with each other,
It is desirable that the cooling agent placement region be provided between the upper end of the rear waistband member and the upper end of the rear side of the absorbent main body in the vertical direction.

With this type of absorbent article, by providing a cooling agent placement area near the upper end of the rear waistband, where sweat tends to accumulate and become stuffy due to the large amount of sweat produced when worn, the wearer can easily feel a cooling sensation in this area, reducing discomfort caused by sweat buildup.

It is desirable that such an absorbent article has a vertical direction and a horizontal direction that intersect with each other, and that the cooling agent placement area has a discontinuous portion in the center in the horizontal direction.

With this type of absorbent article, compared to when the cooling sensation agent placement area is provided continuously in the left-right direction, even if a discontinuous area is provided in the central area abutting the depression between the left and right iliac crests, there is little difference in the cooling sensation provided to the wearer. Therefore, by not providing a cooling sensation agent in the central area, it is possible to reduce the cost of placing the cooling sensation agent while maintaining a good cooling sensation effect.

In such an absorbent article, it is desirable that the cooling agent placement region has a discontinuous portion in the left-right direction that straddles the center position of the absorbent article.

In this type of absorbent article, the gap between the body and the rear waistband portion is largest at the left-right center position between the iliac crests, making it a region that is unlikely to contribute to the cool sensation provided to the wearer. Therefore, by providing a discontinuous cooling agent placement region that straddles this center position, it is possible to efficiently form the cooling agent placement region while keeping costs down and without reducing the cooling effect. Furthermore, because no cooling agent is placed in the region where the gap is largest, air can easily pass through in the vertical direction, making it less likely for the absorbent article to become stuffy when worn.

It is desirable that such an absorbent article has a vertical direction and a horizontal direction that intersect with each other, has side joints at both ends in the horizontal direction that join the front waistband portion and the rear waistband portion, and that the cooling agent placement area is positioned a predetermined distance away from the side joints in the horizontal direction.

In this type of absorbent article, the cooling sensation agent is provided so that it does not overlap with the side joints, which prevents the oil contained in the cooling sensation agent from reducing the bond strength of the side joints. This makes it difficult for the front waistband and rear waistband to separate.

It is desirable that such an absorbent article has a vertical direction and a horizontal direction that intersect with each other, and that in the vertical direction, the cooling agent placement area is positioned a predetermined distance from the upper end of the waistband member.

With this type of absorbent article, the upper edge of the waistband member is likely to come into contact with the wearer's clothing when the absorbent article is worn. Therefore, by providing the cooling agent so that it does not overlap with the upper edge, it is possible to prevent the cooling agent from adhering to the wearer's clothing.

It is desirable that such an absorbent article has vertical and horizontal directions that intersect with each other, and that the cooling agent placement region has a first cooling agent placement region and a second cooling agent placement region that is spaced apart below the first cooling agent placement region in the vertical direction.

With this type of absorbent article, even if the waistband member folds when the wearer moves, there is a high probability that at least one of the two upper and lower cooling agent placement areas will remain in close contact with the wearer's skin. This makes it easier for the wearer to feel the cooling effect.

In such an absorbent article, it is desirable that the width of the first cooling agent placement area in the vertical direction is equal to or greater than the width of the second cooling agent placement area in the vertical direction.

This type of absorbent article increases the likelihood that the first cooling agent placement area will come into close contact with the wearer's skin in the upper waist area, where sweating is likely to occur. This improves the cooling effect in areas where sweat tends to accumulate when the absorbent article is worn.

In such an absorbent article, it is desirable that a joining portion that joins the skin-side sheet and non-skin-side sheet of the rear waistband member in the thickness direction be provided between the first cooling sensation agent placement area and the second cooling sensation agent placement area in the vertical direction.

In this type of absorbent article, the skin-side sheet and the non-skin-side sheet are joined together in the region between the first cooling sensation agent region and the second cooling sensation agent region, making this region less likely to lift up from the wearer's skin when the absorbent article is worn. This makes it easier for the first cooling sensation agent region and the second cooling sensation agent region located above and below this region to adhere to the wearer's skin, making it easier for the wearer to feel the cooling effect.

Such an absorbent article has a vertical direction and a horizontal direction that intersect with each other, and the waistband member has waistband elastic members that stretch in the horizontal direction. When a region of the waistband member that overlaps with the cooling agent placement region in the vertical direction is defined as a first region, and a region adjacent to and below the first region that does not overlap with the cooling agent placement region in the vertical direction is defined as a second region, it is desirable that the stress in the horizontal direction of the waistband elastic members in the first region is greater than the stress in the horizontal direction of the waistband elastic members in the second region.

With this type of absorbent article, by increasing the stress of the waist elastic member in the first region that overlaps with the cooling agent placement region, the rear waist portion (cooling agent placement region) is more likely to fit closely to the wearer's skin in the first region, making it easier for the wearer to feel the cooling effect.

It is desirable that such an absorbent article have an overlapping portion between the cooling agent placement area and the waist elastic member when viewed in the thickness direction.

With this type of absorbent article, the contractile force of the waist elastic member is more likely to act directly on the cooling agent placement area. As a result, when the absorbent article is worn, the cooling agent placement area is pressed against the wearer's skin, improving the cooling effect.

In such an absorbent article, it is desirable that there is no overlap between the cooling agent placement area and the waist elastic member when viewed in the thickness direction.

This type of absorbent article prevents the oil in the cooling agent provided in the cooling agent placement area from mixing with the adhesive attached to the waist elastic member, which would reduce the bonding strength. This makes it easier to prevent the waist elastic member from shifting position, etc.

In such an absorbent article, it is desirable that the waistband member has a skin-side sheet, a non-skin-side sheet, and a skin-facing sheet laminated on the skin-side of the skin-facing sheet, and that the cooling sensation agent be provided between the skin-facing sheet and the skin-facing sheet.

With this type of absorbent article, the cooling sensation agent can be placed close to the wearer's skin while preventing the cooling sensation agent from coming into direct contact with the wearer's skin. This allows the wearer to feel a sufficient cooling sensation while preventing skin problems.

In such an absorbent article, it is desirable that the sheet members adjacent to the skin side and non-skin side of the cooling agent placement area are each made of nonwoven fabric containing a meltblown layer.

In this type of absorbent article, the nonwoven fabric containing the meltblown layer is made of ultrafine fibers, resulting in a high fiber density, which prevents the cooling agent from passing through the waistband member and falling out from the inside to the outside in the thickness direction.

It is desirable that such an absorbent article has a vertical direction and a horizontal direction that intersect with each other, the waistband member has a front waistband portion and a rear waistband portion, and has side joints at both ends in the horizontal direction that join the front waistband portion and the rear waistband portion, and the cooling agent placement area is provided below the lower end of the side joint in the vertical direction.

With this type of absorbent article, the cooling agent placement area is provided below the waistband member, making it easier for the wearer of the absorbent article to feel the cooling effect even when moving their legs or sitting down.

It is desirable that such an absorbent article has rear leg elastic members along the lower edge of the rear waistband portion, and that, when viewed in the thickness direction, there is an overlapping portion between the rear leg elastic members and the cooling agent placement area.

With this type of absorbent article, the lower edge of the rear waistband portion (buttocks cover) is less likely to roll up even when the wearer walks or moves their legs while wearing the absorbent article, and the cooling effect can be enhanced along the leg openings. This provides the wearer with an even more pleasant feeling of freshness.

In such an absorbent article, it is desirable that the waistband member has a portion where irregularities are formed in the thickness direction when the absorbent article is worn or in its natural state, and that when viewed in the thickness direction, the portion where the irregularities are formed has a portion where the cooling agent placement area overlaps.

With this type of absorbent article, the unevenness creates areas where the waistband member easily comes into contact with the wearer's body and areas where it does not, thereby creating areas where the cooling sensation agent is easily effective and areas where it is not, allowing the cooling sensation function to be exerted for a long period of time. This makes it easier to maintain comfort when wearing the absorbent article.

===Embodiment===
The absorbent article according to the present invention will be described by taking a pants-type disposable diaper (hereinafter also referred to as "diaper 1") as an example. However, the absorbent article according to the present invention also includes shorts-type napkins and other pants-type (shorts) absorbent articles.

<Configuration of diaper 1>
Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the diaper 1. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state. Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 2. The "stretched state" of the diaper 1 refers to a state in which the entire diaper 1 (the entire product) is stretched without wrinkles, specifically, a state in which the dimensions of each component constituting the diaper 1 (e.g., the absorbent main body 10 and waistband member 20, which will be described later) are stretched to the same dimensions as or close to the dimensions of the individual component.

1, the diaper 1 has a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a front-to-back direction that intersect with one another, and has a waist opening BH and a pair of leg openings LH, LH. The upper side in the vertical direction corresponds to the waist opening BH side, and the lower side corresponds to the crotch side. The front side in the front-to-back direction corresponds to the wearer's abdominal side, and the rear side corresponds to the wearer's back side. In the unfolded state shown in FIG. 2, the diaper 1 has a vertical direction and a horizontal direction that intersect with one another. The vertical direction is the vertical direction in FIG. 1 and corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the absorbent main body 10. The horizontal direction is the horizontal direction in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the thickness direction is the direction in which the materials constituting the diaper 1 are layered. In the thickness direction, the side that comes into contact with the wearer's skin is referred to as the skin side, and the opposite side is referred to as the non-skin side.

The diaper 1 comprises a liquid-absorbent main body 10 and a waistband member 20 disposed on the non-skin side of the absorbent main body 10. The waistband member 20 comprises a front waistband portion 30 corresponding to the front body of the diaper 1 and a rear waistband portion 40 corresponding to the rear body of the diaper 1. In other words, the diaper 1 of this embodiment is a so-called three-piece pants-type diaper, comprising the absorbent main body 10 as the first component, which is placed against the wearer's crotch area and absorbs urine and other body waste, the front waistband portion 30 as the second component, which covers the wearer's abdominal area, and the rear waistband portion 40 as the third component, which covers the wearer's dorsal area.

In the unfolded state shown in Figure 2, the front waistline section 30 and the rear waistline section 40 are aligned parallel to each other with a vertical gap between them, with the absorbent body 10 spanning between them. Each longitudinal end 10ea, 10eb of the absorbent body 10 (corresponding to the vertical direction in Figure 2) is joined and fixed to the skin side of the nearest waistline section 30, 40 via a body joint 60. Specifically, in the front overlap region OL30 where the absorbent body 10 and the front waistline section 30 overlap in the thickness direction, the non-skin side of the absorbent body 10 and the skin side of the front waistline section 30 are joined by a front body joint 61 (body joint 60) formed with an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive (see Figures 2 and 3). Similarly, in the rear overlap region OL40 where the absorbent main body 10 and the rear waistline section 40 overlap in the thickness direction, the non-skin side of the absorbent main body 10 and the skin side of the rear waistline section 40 are joined by a rear main body joint 62 (main body joint 60) formed with an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive.

Then, from this unfolded state, the absorbent main body 10 is folded in half, with the longitudinal center position CL as the folding position (fold line). In this folded state, the opposing front waistline section 30 and rear waistline section 40 are joined and connected to each other at the side portions 30sw and 40sw on both the left and right sides, forming a pair of side joining portions 50, 50. In other words, the front waistline section 30 and rear waistline section 40 are formed into a ring shape by the pair of side joining portions 50, 50. The side joining portions 50 are formed by known joining methods such as welding or adhesive bonding. This results in a pants-type diaper 1 having a waistline opening BH and a pair of leg openings LH, LH as shown in FIG. 1.

(Absorbent body 10)
The absorbent body 10 has an absorbent core 11 that absorbs excreted liquid, a top sheet 12 that is disposed closer to the skin than the absorbent core 11 in the thickness direction, and a back sheet 13 that is disposed closer to the skin than the absorbent core 11 (see FIG. 3 ). However, the absorbent body 10 may also include sheet members other than these. For example, a second sheet (not shown) may be provided between the top sheet 12 and the absorbent core 11 in the thickness direction.

The absorbent core 11 is a member that absorbs and retains excretions such as urine, and is formed from liquid-absorbent fibers such as pulp fibers mixed with superabsorbent polymer (SAP). The outer surface of the absorbent core 11 may be covered with a liquid-permeable sheet material (core wrap sheet 11b) such as tissue paper or nonwoven fabric. The absorbent core 11 of this embodiment has a waisted portion 11c between the front and rear longitudinal ends, where the width in the left-right direction is narrowed, and has a generally hourglass shape in plan view as shown in FIG. 1. This waisted portion 11c is the portion that is sandwiched between the wearer's legs when the diaper 1 is worn, and the short length (narrow width) of this portion in the left-right direction allows the absorbent core 11 to fit more easily between the wearer's legs.

The top sheet 12 is a liquid-permeable sheet, and may be made of, for example, a hydrophilic air-through nonwoven fabric or a spunbond nonwoven fabric. The top sheet 12 may be configured so that both left and right sides are folded back in the thickness direction from the skin side to the non-skin side, enveloping the absorbent core 11 (not shown in Figure 3).

The back sheet 13 has a two-layer structure consisting of a liquid-impermeable sheet 13a and a hydrophobic outer sheet 13b placed on the non-skin side. The liquid-impermeable sheet 13a may be made of, for example, a resin film, and the outer sheet 13b may be made of, for example, a flexible nonwoven fabric.

A pair of leakage prevention walls (not shown in Figure 3) may also be provided along the vertical direction (the longitudinal direction of the absorbent body 10) on both left and right sides of the absorbent body 10. For example, a pair of leakage prevention walls can be formed by folding a portion of the outer sheet 13b toward the skin while extending outward beyond both ends of the absorbent core 11 in the left-right direction (horizontal direction). Providing such leakage prevention walls makes it easier to prevent side leakage of excrement absorbed by the absorbent body 10 when the diaper 1 is worn.

(Front waist portion 30)
As shown in Figure 3, the front waist portion 30 has a skin-side sheet 31 arranged on the skin side in the thickness direction, a non-skin-side sheet 32 laminated adjacent to the non-skin side of the skin-side sheet 31, and a waist elastic member 35 provided between the skin-side sheet 31 and the non-skin-side sheet 32 in the thickness direction.

The skin-side sheet 31 and the non-skin-side sheet 32 are sheet members that are rectangular in plan view as shown in Figure 2, and are made of, for example, SMS (spunbond-meltblown-spunbond) nonwoven fabric.

The waist elastic members 35 are formed, for example, from rubber thread, and are arranged in a vertical line between the skin-side sheet 31 and the non-skin-side sheet 32, and are attached in a stretched state in the left-right direction. The stretchability provided by these waist elastic members 35 allows the front waist portion 30 to fit snugly around the wearer's abdominal waist.

The waist elastic member 35 can be attached using an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive. For example, the waist elastic member 35 can be attached by applying hot melt adhesive to the waist elastic member 35, stretching it at a predetermined stretch ratio, and sandwiching it between the skin-side sheet 31 and the non-skin-side sheet 32. In other words, the skin-side sheet 31 and the non-skin-side sheet 32 are joined by the adhesive via the waist elastic member 35. Note that the waist elastic member 35 may also be attached by applying adhesive to the skin-side sheet 31 and the non-skin-side sheet 32, rather than to the waist elastic member 35.

A skin-contact sheet 36 is laminated on a portion of the surface of the front waistband 30 closest to the skin. As shown in FIG. 3, the skin-contact sheet 36 is a sheet member arranged to cover (straddle in the vertical direction) the upper end 10ea (front end in the longitudinal direction) of the ventral side of the absorbent main body 10 from the skin side, and functions as a cover sheet. This prevents the upper end edge of the absorbent main body 10 from digging into the wearer's skin when the diaper 1 is worn. The skin-contact sheet 36 is formed, for example, from an SMS nonwoven fabric. The skin-contact sheet 36 may also be a sheet member that is stretchable in the left-right direction (for example, a stretchable nonwoven fabric).

(Rear waist portion 40)
The rear waistline portion 40 has a configuration substantially similar to that of the front waistline portion 30. That is, the rear waistline portion 40 has a skin-side sheet 41 arranged on the skin-side in the thickness direction, a non-skin-side sheet 42 laminated adjacent to the non-skin-side of the skin-side sheet 41, and a plurality of waistline elastic members 45 provided between the skin-side sheet 41 and the non-skin-side sheet 42 in the thickness direction. The configuration of each member is substantially similar to that of the front waistline portion 30, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

On the other hand, the external shape of the rear waistline portion 40 is different from that of the front waistline portion 30. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the rear waistline portion 40 has a buttocks cover 40b that is generally trapezoidal in shape below the side joint portion 50 (side portion 40sw). The buttocks cover 40b narrows in width from the top to the bottom in the vertical direction, and its outer edge is curved. The provision of the buttocks cover 40b enables the rear waistline portion 40 to widely cover the wearer's buttocks when the diaper 1 is worn.

The buttocks cover 40b is provided with rear leg elastic members 47, such as rubber thread, as shown in Figure 2. The rear leg elastic members 47 are attached between the skin-side sheet 41 and the non-skin-side sheet 42 in a stretched state along the periphery of the buttocks cover 40b. The stretchability of the rear leg elastic members 47 allows the buttocks cover 40b of the rear waistband portion 40 to fit easily around the wearer's buttocks when the diaper 1 is worn, and also makes it less likely to roll up from the buttocks.

As with the front waistband portion 30, a skin-facing sheet 46 is laminated on a portion of the skin-facing surface of the rear waistband portion 40. As shown in FIG. 3, the skin-facing sheet 46 is a sheet member arranged to cover (straddle in the vertical direction) the upper end 10eb (the rear end in the longitudinal direction) of the back side of the absorbent body 10 from the skin side. Furthermore, the rear waistband portion 40 of the diaper 1 has a cooling agent placement region 70 in which a cooling agent is provided between the skin-facing sheet 46 and the skin-facing sheet 41 in the thickness direction.

<Cooling agent placement area 70>
Fig. 4 is a plan view showing an example of a cooling agent placement region 70 in the diaper 1 in an unfolded and stretched state. As shown in Fig. 4, the diaper 1 of this embodiment has a cooling agent placement region 70 in which a cooling agent is provided in a partial region of the rear waistline portion 40 of the waistline member 20. The cooling agent is arranged in a shape such as a planar, linear, spiral, Z-shaped, line, or dot shape.

The cooling agent used in this embodiment can be any agent generally known in the art, but is preferably one that is volatile and acts on the receptor-activated channel (TRPM8) in the nerves of the skin. Examples include menthol (e.g., l-menthol) and its derivatives (e.g., menthyl lactate), methyl salicylate, camphor, cucumber extract, and essential oils derived from plants (e.g., mint, eucalyptus, nutmeg). Alternatively, the cooling agent placement area 70 may be formed by applying water-disintegrating microcapsules containing these cooling agents to a predetermined area. Details of microcapsules will be described later.

In the example of FIG. 4, a pair of cooling agent placement areas 70, 70 are provided in the upper region of the rear waistline portion 40 in the up-down direction, i.e., at a position closer to the upper end 40eu than to the lower end 40ed of the rear waistline portion 40 in the up-down direction. The pair of cooling agent placement areas 70, 70 are spaced apart a predetermined distance gw70 in the left-right direction. Each of the pair of cooling agent placement areas 70, 70 has a first cooling agent placement area 71 extending in a strip shape in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) and a second cooling agent placement area 72 located below the first cooling agent placement area 71 in the up-down direction. The first cooling agent placement area 71 and the second cooling agent placement area 72 are spaced apart a predetermined distance gl70 in the up-down direction.

In addition, the area of the waistband member 20 (rear waistband portion 40) where no cooling agent (microcapsules) is provided is referred to as the cooling agent non-placement area 75. For example, in FIG. 4, the area between the pair of cooling agent placement areas 70, 70 in the left-right direction (the area represented by gw70) is the cooling agent non-placement area 75. Similarly, the area between the first cooling agent placement area 71 and the second cooling agent placement area 72 in the up-down direction (the area represented by gl70) is also the cooling agent non-placement area 75.

When the diaper 1 is distributed to the market, it is shipped folded and packaged. However, during product transportation or when a user opens the diaper 1 after purchasing it, there is a possibility that the cooling agent (microcapsules) may detach from the cooling agent distribution area 70 and adhere to other areas of the diaper 1 (non-cooling agent areas 75). Furthermore, when the diaper 1 is worn, the cooling agent (microcapsules) may similarly detach from the cooling agent distribution area 70 due to the wearer's body movements or the friction of the nonwoven fabric. In other words, even the non-cooling agent distribution area 75 may contain cooling agent (microcapsules) with a probability of substantially less than 1%. However, in this embodiment, areas to which cooling agent (microcapsules) that have unintentionally fallen off are not included in the cooling agent distribution area 70. In other words, areas where the concentration of cooling agent (microcapsules) is clearly lower than that of the cooling agent distribution area 70, or areas where the concentration of cooling agent is below a certain value, are also considered to be non-cooling agent distribution areas 75.

If the cooling agent is colorless and transparent, it is difficult to visually identify the cooling agent placement area 70. However, the location of the cooling agent placement area 70 can be confirmed, for example, by conducting a sensory test as follows. First, the unfolded waistband member 20 is cut into sections (e.g., 20 equal sections vertically and 10 equal sections horizontally), and each section is further cut into multiple pieces of a predetermined size (e.g., 2 x 2 cm). The cut-out sections are then peeled off one by one, for example, with a cold spray, to create multiple sample sheets (patches). Next, PE sheets (polyethylene sheets; this is just one example, and any airtight sheet will do) of the same size as the sample sheets are prepared for the number of sample sheets. Next, a PE sheet is placed on top of the first sample sheet, and the first sample sheet is placed against the inside of the examiner's upper arm during the sensory test. The time until the examiner feels the cooling effect of the sample sheet is measured and recorded. This sensory test is conducted for multiple sample sheets, and the time is measured and recorded for each. This type of sensory test is performed in all sections, and the time for each sample sheet is measured and recorded. By comparing the time for each sample sheet, it is possible to identify the sample sheets to which the cooling agent has been applied.

The cooling agent placement area 70 can also be identified using, for example, headspace solid-phase microextraction. Specifically, a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (e.g., Shimadzu GCMS-QP2010 Plus) is used, with helium as the carrier gas, and the measurement mode set to scanning, using electron impact ionization. In this method, each sample sheet is folded into a small ball and placed in a beaker. The top of the beaker is covered with aluminum foil, which is then covered with plastic paraffin film. The sealed beaker is then placed in a 37°C water bath. An SPME fiber (Sigma-Aldrich 50/39 μm DVB/CAR/PDMS, Stableflex 2 cm) is inserted into the beaker through the aluminum foil to extract the aroma components of each sample sheet. The SPME fiber is then removed from the beaker and immediately measured using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. The masses obtained are divided by the area of the sample sheet to calculate the mass. By comparing these divided values, it is possible to identify sample sheets to which a cooling agent has been applied.

Furthermore, if the cooling agent is encapsulated in microcapsules and the microcapsules are made of water-soluble starch, it is possible to visualize the cooling agent placement area 70 by coloring them with iodine or the like. Alternatively, the cooling agent placement area 70 may be determined by observing the area where the microcapsules are placed using an electron microscope or the like and measuring the number of microcapsules provided in each area.

<About microcapsules>
In this specification, water-disintegrable microcapsules refer to capsules having a diameter of 1 to 1,000 μm and having a space for encapsulating a core material (cooling sensation ingredient). The capsules are not particularly limited in their external shape, as long as they can encapsulate a core material and control the release of the core material, and examples of such external shapes include spherical and amorphous. Furthermore, the capsules may be mono-core types having one space for encapsulating a core material, poly-core types having multiple spaces for encapsulating a core material, or matrix types having a structure in which a particulate core material is dispersed within a particle, or a structure in which a liquid core material is impregnated. Examples of the shape of the space include spherical and amorphous.

In microcapsules, the membrane material (wall material) that encapsulates (or contains) the core material changes in response to a chemical stimulus, releasing the encapsulated (or contained) component. An example of a chemical stimulus is contact between the microcapsule wall material and a liquid (aqueous solution) such as body fluid.

Applying these chemical stimuli to the wall material of the microcapsules can cause the wall material to collapse. This can initiate the release of the core material inside the microcapsules, or, if the core material was being released gradually before the stimuli, can accelerate the degree of release. When microcapsules are water-disintegrating, as in the present invention, this means that they disintegrate to the extent that the encapsulated cooling sensation ingredient is released upon contact with liquid (body fluid) such as sweat. Specifically, examples include cases where the wall material of the microcapsules dissolves in water and disintegrates, or cases where, upon contact with liquid, the microcapsules swell in water, reducing their strength and causing the microcapsules to break down, resulting in disintegration.

In the absorbent article 1 of this embodiment, if the microcapsules disintegrate by dissolving in water, the microcapsules preferably have a water solubility of 10 to 300 g, more preferably 20 to 200 g, and even more preferably 30 to 100 g per 100 g of water at 25°C. The water solubility is measured according to the OECD Guideline No. 105 flask method, except that the test temperature is 25°C.

It is also preferable that the microcapsules are insoluble in the solvent that serves as the dispersion medium for the microcapsules, and that they do not swell in the solvent that serves as the dispersion medium for the microcapsules. This is from the perspective of protecting the cooling sensation ingredient encapsulated within. Examples of materials for water-disintegrating microcapsules include sugars, such as monosaccharides (e.g., glucose), disaccharides (e.g., sucrose), polysaccharides (e.g., dextrin, glucomannan, sodium alginate, water-soluble starch, etc.), cyclic oligosaccharides (cyclodextrin), gelatin, and water-soluble polymers (e.g., polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, etc.).

The above microcapsules are commercially available, for example, INCAP (trademark) available from Symrise.

The microcapsules can also be produced by dissolving the microcapsule material in water to form an aqueous solution, mixing the cooling sensation ingredient and surfactant into the aqueous solution, and drying the aqueous solution under reduced pressure while spraying it.

The solvent used as the dispersion medium for the microcapsules is preferably one that keeps the cooling sensation ingredient encapsulated in the microcapsules. For information on such solvents, see Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-13154.

<Effect of Cooling Agent Arrangement Area 70>
The diaper 1 of this embodiment includes a cooling agent-disposed region 70 in which a cooling agent is provided in the waistline member 20, thereby producing a cooling effect on the wearer's skin and providing a refreshing feeling when wearing the diaper 1. The cooling agent-disposed region 70 of the diaper 1 is arranged so as not to overlap with the main body joint portion 60 (rear main body joint portion 62) that joins the absorbent main body 10 and the waistline member 20 (rear waistline portion 40) when viewed in the thickness direction (see FIG. 4 ). In other words, the diaper 1 is configured so that the cooling agent-free region 75, which does not contain a cooling agent, partially overlaps with the main body joint portion 60 when viewed in the thickness direction.

In conventional disposable diapers, when a so-called functional material such as a cooling sensation agent is provided in the waistband member, it is common to apply the cooling sensation agent (functional material) over as wide an area as possible, from one side to the other in the horizontal direction (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this case, the main body joint of the waistband member and the cooling sensation agent (functional material) overlap, and there is a risk that the adhesive forming the main body joint will mix with the oil contained in the cooling sensation agent (functional material), reducing the joint strength of the main body joint. Furthermore, in the portion of the waistband member overlapping with the absorbent main body, the rigidity of the absorbent main body tends to impede the stretchability of the waistband member, making it difficult for the waistband member to adhere to the wearer's body, and there is a risk that the cooling sensation agent (functional material) will not act on the wearer's skin.

In contrast, in the diaper 1 of this embodiment, by limiting the cooling agent placement region 70 (and cooling agent-free region 75) to the position described in Figure 4, the adhesive forming the main body joint 60 is less likely to mix with the cooling agent, making it less likely that the bond strength between the absorbent main body 10 and the waistline member 20 will decrease. Furthermore, the cooling agent placement region 70 of the waistline member 20 (rear waistline portion 40) is less affected by the rigidity of the absorbent main body 10, so that the cooling agent placement region 70 fits easily against the wearer's skin when the diaper 1 is worn. This makes it possible to realize an absorbent article equipped with a cooling agent that easily acts on the wearer's skin without decreasing the bond strength between the waistline member 20 and the absorbent main body 10.

In the diaper 1, the cooling agent placement region 70 is positioned so as not to overlap the entire main body joint 60 (rear main body joint 62) when viewed in the thickness direction. In other words, the entire main body joint 60 (rear main body joint 62) overlaps with the cooling agent non-placement region 75. Therefore, the adhesive forming the main body joint 60 in the diaper 1 is highly unlikely to mix with the cooling agent, making it easier to prevent a decrease in the bond strength between the absorbent main body 10 and the waistband member 20. Furthermore, the cooling agent placement region 70 is less likely to be affected by the rigidity of the absorbent main body 10, making it easier for the cooling agent placement region 70 (rear waistband 40) to fit better against the wearer's skin, making it easier for the wearer to feel the cooling effect.

Furthermore, with the above-described configuration, the total weight of the cooling agents provided in the areas where the waistline member 20 and the absorbent main body 10 do not overlap is greater than the total weight of the cooling agents provided in the areas where the waistline member 20 and the absorbent main body 10 overlap (overlapping areas OL30, OL40 in Figure 2). That is, the cooling agent placement areas 70 are formed so that the proportion of the cooling agent provided in the waistline member 20 that overlaps with the absorbent main body 10 is small. If a cooling agent were placed in the overlapping areas OL30, OL40 of the waistline member 20 that overlap with the absorbent main body 10, when the diaper 1 is worn, the absorbent main body 10 would be interposed between the wearer's skin and the cooling agent in the thickness direction, making it difficult for the cooling agent to come into contact with the wearer's skin and thus reducing its cooling effect. Therefore, the greater the proportion of cooling agent provided in the overlapping areas OL30, OL40, the smaller the cooling effect of the diaper as a whole. In contrast, in the diaper 1 of this embodiment, the amount of cooling agent provided in the area where the waistband member 20 and the absorbent main body 10 overlap is greater than the amount of cooling agent provided in the area where the waistband member 20 and the absorbent main body 10 overlap, so the cooling effect is less likely to be hindered by the absorbent main body, making it easier for the wearer to feel the cooling effect.

In addition, in the diaper 1, the total weight of the cooling agent provided in the rear waistband 40 of the waistband member 20 is greater than the total weight of the cooling agent provided in the front waistband 30. The human body of the person wearing the diaper 1 typically has more sweat glands in the rear (back) waistband than in the front (belly) waistband, making it easier to sweat on the back side. Therefore, by providing more cooling agent on the back side compared to the belly side, the wearer can experience a greater cooling effect on the back side where sweating is more likely. In Figure 4, the cooling agent placement area 70 is provided in the rear waistband 40, but not in the front waistband 30. Therefore, the diaper 1 is more likely to provide an excellent cooling sensation on the wearer's back side.

Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the wearer's body and the cooling agent placement region 70 when the diaper 1 is being worn. As shown in Figure 5, the cooling agent placement region 70 is positioned in a region that abuts the area from the posterior superior iliac spine to the iliac crest on the wearer's back when the diaper 1 is being worn. The protrusion of the iliac crest allows the waistband member 20 to adhere more closely to the wearer's skin in this region, making it easier for the wearer to feel the cooling effect of the cooling agent provided in the cooling agent placement region 70. Furthermore, when the wearer is sitting or lying down, the waistband member 20 is pressed against the skin in this region, making it easier for the wearer to sweat. Therefore, by positioning the cooling agent placement region 70 in the position shown in Figure 5, the comfort provided by the cooling agent can be further enhanced.

The cooling agent placement region 70 is provided in the vertical direction (lengthwise direction) between the rear upper end 10eb of the absorbent main body 10 and the upper end 40eu of the rear waistline section 40 (see Figure 4). When the diaper 1 is worn, the area where the rear waistline section 40 comes into contact with the wearer's body tends to become more sweaty and accumulate more easily, leading to stuffiness, especially in the upper vertical direction, i.e., closer to the waistline opening BH. Therefore, by providing the cooling agent placement region 70 in an area above the rear upper end 10eb of the absorbent main body 10 (the upper end of the rear waistline section 40), the wearer can be more likely to feel the cooling effect in that area, reducing discomfort caused by sweat buildup. Furthermore, by providing the cooling agent placement region 70 above the rear upper end 10eb of the absorbent main body 10, when the diaper 1 is worn, the absorbent main body 10 is not interposed between the cooling agent placement region 70 and the wearer's skin (in the thickness direction), making it easier for the cooling effect to act directly on the wearer's skin. This further improves the comfort provided by the cooling agent.

As described above, the cooling agent placement regions 70 of this embodiment are provided in pairs on the left and right, spaced a predetermined distance gw70 apart in the left-right direction. In other words, the cooling agent placement regions 70 have a discontinuous portion in the left-right center, which serves as a non-cooling agent placement region 75 where no cooling agent is placed. As shown in FIG. 5 , the region between the pair of cooling agent placement regions 70, 70 is an area where the waistline member 20 (rear waistline portion 40) is less likely to adhere to the wearer's body due to the depression between the left and right iliac crests, making it less likely to contribute to the cooling effect. In other words, compared to when the cooling agent placement regions 70 are provided continuously in the left-right direction, even if a discontinuous portion (non-cooling agent placement region 75) is provided in the center, there is less of a difference in the cooling sensation imparted to the wearer. Therefore, by not providing a cooling agent in the center, it is possible to reduce the cost of placing the cooling agent while maintaining a good cooling effect.

It is desirable that the discontinuous portion of the cooling agent distribution region 70 in the left-right direction (cooling agent non-disposed region 75) be positioned across the left-right center of the diaper 1. The depression between the iliac crests (see Figure 5) is usually deepest at the left-right center. In other words, the left-right center is the area that is least likely to contribute to providing a refreshing sensation to the wearer. Therefore, by providing the discontinuous portion of the cooling agent distribution region 70 across the left-right center of the diaper 1, the cooling agent distribution region 70 can be formed efficiently without reducing the cooling effect while keeping costs down. Furthermore, since no cooling agent is positioned in the region between the iliac crests where the gap between the body and the rear waistband portion 40 is largest, air can easily pass through in the vertical direction, making the diaper 1 less likely to become stuffy when worn.

The cooling agent placement region 70 is also positioned a predetermined distance from the side joint 50 in the left-right direction. That is, there is a predetermined gap between the outer edge of the cooling agent placement region 70 and the side joint 50 in the left-right direction. As described above, the front waistline 30 and the rear waistline 40 are connected to each other at the side joint 50 using a joining method such as welding or adhesive. If the cooling agent placement region 70 were positioned overlapping the side joint 50, the presence of a cooling agent between the front waistline 30 and the rear waistline 40 could reduce the joining strength of the side joint 50 due to the influence of oil contained in the cooling agent. In contrast, in the diaper 1 of this embodiment, the cooling agent is positioned so as not to overlap the side joint 50, thereby preventing the cooling agent from reducing the strength of the welding or adhesive. This makes it more difficult for the front waistline 30 and the rear waistline 40 to separate, making it easier for the diaper 1 to maintain its pants-like shape.

The cooling agent placement region 70 is also spaced a predetermined distance from the upper end (40eu) of the waistband member 20 in the vertical direction (see FIG. 4). That is, a predetermined gap is provided between the upper end of the cooling agent placement region 70 and the upper end 40eu of the waistband member 20 in the vertical direction. The upper ends 30eu, 40eu of the waistband member 20 form the upper edge of the diaper 1, and are likely to come into contact with the wearer's clothing when the diaper 1 is worn. If a cooling agent were provided on this upper edge, there is a risk that the cooling agent would adhere to the wearer's clothing. In contrast, in the diaper 1 of this embodiment, the cooling agent is provided so as not to overlap with the upper edge of the waistband member 20, thereby preventing the cooling agent from adhering to the wearer's clothing when the diaper 1 is worn.

The cooling agent placement region 70 also includes a first cooling agent placement region 71 and a second cooling agent placement region 72 spaced a predetermined distance gl70 below the first cooling agent placement region 71. When the wearer moves while wearing the diaper 1, the waist member 20 may fold, making it difficult for the skin-side surface of the waist member 20 to fit snugly against the wearer's skin. This may result in wrinkles forming in the waist member 20, creating gaps between the waist member 20 and the wearer's skin. In these gaps, the cooling agent provided in the waist member 20 may not easily come into contact with the wearer's skin, potentially making it difficult to provide a cooling effect. In contrast, the waist member 20 of the diaper 1 of this embodiment has two cooling agent placement regions 71, 72 spaced apart from each other at the top and bottom. Therefore, even if the waist member 20 folds, at least one of the upper and lower cooling agent placement regions 71, 72 is likely to remain in close contact with the wearer's skin. Therefore, even when the wearer of the diaper 1 moves, the wearer can easily feel the cooling effect.

In this case, it is desirable that the vertical width H71 of the first cooling agent placement region 71 be equal to or greater than the vertical width H72 of the second cooling agent placement region 72. This configuration increases the likelihood that the first cooling agent placement region 71 will come into close contact with the wearer's skin in the upper waist region (the region close to the waist opening BH), where sweating is more likely to occur when the diaper 1 is worn. Therefore, the cooling effect can be efficiently improved in areas where sweat is likely to accumulate when the diaper 1 is worn.

Furthermore, in the diaper 1, at least one waist elastic member 45 is provided in the region (region indicated by gl70) between the first cooling agent distribution region 71 and the second cooling agent distribution region 72 in the vertical direction (see Figure 4). As described above, the waist elastic member 45 is bonded in the thickness direction between the skin-side sheet 41 and the non-skin-side sheet 42 of the rear waist portion 40 using an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive. Therefore, in the region between the first cooling agent distribution region 71 and the second cooling agent distribution region 72 in the vertical direction, a joint is provided that bonds the skin-side sheet 41 and the non-skin-side sheet 42 in the thickness direction via this waist elastic member 45. Therefore, when the diaper 1 is worn, the region between the first cooling agent distribution region 71 and the second cooling agent distribution region 72 (region indicated by gl70) adheres closely in the thickness direction and is less likely to lift up from the wearer's skin. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, if waist elastic members 45 are placed in the gl70 region, the contractile force of the waist elastic members 45 acts on this region, pressing it against the wearer's skin. Therefore, the first cooling agent placement region 71 and the second cooling agent placement region 72, which are provided above and below the gl70 region, are more likely to adhere to the wearer's skin, making it easier for the wearer to feel the cooling effect.

Furthermore, in the waistline member 20 (rear waistline portion 40) of the diaper 1, the region overlapping the cooling agent placement region 70 in the vertical direction is designated as the first region R1, and the region adjacent to and below the first region R1 but not overlapping the cooling agent placement region 70 is designated as the second region R2 (see Figure 4). It is desirable that the lateral stress of the waistline elastic members 45 in the first region R1 be greater than the lateral stress of the waistline elastic members 45 in the second region R2. The term "stress" here refers to the force with which the elastic members return from a stretched state to their original state (i.e., contractile force). For example, when placing the waistline elastic members 45 in the rear waistline portion 40 during the manufacturing process of the diaper 1, the stress can be adjusted for each region by varying the transport speed of the waistline elastic members 45 to change the degree of stretch or by varying the number of waistline elastic members 45 placed. In this way, by increasing the stress of the waist elastic member 45 in the first region R1 that overlaps with the cooling agent placement region 70, the first region R1 of the rear waist portion 40 is more likely to adhere to the wearer's skin, making the cooling effect more noticeable.

The magnitude of stress in the first region R1 and the second region R2 can be examined using a known tensile tester. For example, a sample piece is taken from each region by cutting a predetermined length (e.g., 50 mm) from the rear waistband portion 40. The sample piece is then held between a pair of chucks of the tensile tester so that the gap in the left-right direction (stretch direction) is 10 mm. In this state, the sample piece is pulled at a predetermined pulling speed until the gap between the holding chucks becomes 15 mm. The force with which the sample piece tries to return to its original shape is measured. By performing this measurement at several locations and comparing the results, the magnitude of stress can be examined.

In addition, in Figure 4, when viewed in the thickness direction, there is an overlapping portion between the cooling agent placement region 70 and the waist elastic member 45. With this configuration, the contractile force of the waist elastic member 45 is more likely to act directly on the cooling agent placement region 70. In other words, when the diaper 1 is worn, the cooling agent placement region 70 is pressed against the wearer's skin, enhancing the cooling effect.

On the other hand, the cooling agent placement area 70 and the waist elastic member 45 may not overlap when viewed in the thickness direction. The waist elastic member 45 is bonded to the waist member 20 with a hot melt adhesive or the like. Therefore, if the cooling agent placement area 70 and the waist elastic member 45 overlap, the oil in the cooling agent provided in the cooling agent placement area 70 may mix with the adhesive attached to the waist elastic member 45, potentially weakening the bonding strength. By positioning the waist elastic member 45 so that it does not overlap with the cooling agent placement area 70, the bonding strength between the waist elastic member 45 and the waist member 20 is less likely to be weakened, and displacement of the waist elastic member 45 can be prevented.

In addition, in the diaper 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a cooling agent distribution region 70 is provided in the thickness direction between the skin-side sheet 41 and the skin-facing sheet 46 that constitute the waistline member 20 (rear waistline portion 40). In other words, sheet members such as nonwoven fabrics are laminated on the skin-side and non-skin-side of the cooling agent distribution region 70. Therefore, the cooling agent (microcapsules) that constitute the cooling agent distribution region 70 are less likely to come into direct contact with the wearer's skin, making it easier to prevent skin problems such as rashes. In this embodiment, only one sheet member, the skin-facing sheet 46, is laminated on the skin side of the cooling agent distribution region 70. In other words, the cooling agent is provided close to the wearer's skin, sandwiched between one sheet member, so that the wearer can experience a sufficient cooling effect while preventing skin problems.

Furthermore, of the sheet members constituting the waistband member 20 (rear waistband portion 40), the sheet members adjacent to the skin side and non-skin side of the cooling agent placement area 70 are desirably formed from a nonwoven fabric containing a meltblown layer. Nonwoven fabric containing a meltblown layer is composed of ultrafine fibers, resulting in a high fiber density, which prevents the cooling agent (microcapsules) from penetrating the nonwoven fabric and falling out from the inside to the outside in the thickness direction. In this embodiment, the skin-facing sheet 46 adjacent to the skin side of the cooling agent placement area 70 and the skin-side sheet 41 adjacent to the non-skin side of the cooling agent placement area 70 are both made from an SMS nonwoven fabric containing a meltblown layer. Therefore, the cooling agent provided in the cooling agent placement area 70 is less likely to fall out to the outside in the thickness direction, making it less likely to lose its cooling function.

Furthermore, in the waistband member 20 of the diaper 1, multiple wrinkles are formed on the surface as the waistband elastic members 35, 45 contract in the left-right direction (see Figure 1). That is, the waistband member 20 has portions that are uneven in the thickness direction when worn or in its natural state. When viewed in the thickness direction, it is desirable that these uneven portions overlap at least partially with the cooling agent placement area 70. The unevenness creates portions where the waistband member 20 is likely to come into contact with the wearer's body and portions where it is unlikely to come into contact, thereby creating portions where the cooling agent is likely to act and portions where it is unlikely to act, allowing the cooling function to be exerted for a long period of time. This makes it easier to maintain comfort when wearing the diaper 1.

<Modification>
Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the waistband member 20 of the diaper 1. Fig. 6 corresponds to Fig. 3 and shows a cross-sectional view of the diaper 1 in a thickness direction at the center in the left-right direction in an unfolded and extended state. In this modified example, the front waistband portion 30 does not include a skin-contact sheet 36. A portion of the non-skin-side sheet 32 is folded back at the upper end 30eu of the front waistband portion 30 from the non-skin-side to the skin-side in the thickness direction and from the upper side to the lower side in the vertical direction (longitudinal direction) to form a folded-back portion 32f. Similarly, the rear waistband portion 40 does not include a skin-contact sheet 46, and a portion of the non-skin-side sheet 42 is folded back at the upper end 40eu of the rear waistband portion 40 to form a folded-back portion 42f. These folded-back portions 32f, 42f straddle the upper ends 10ea, 10eb of the absorbent main body 10 and cover them from the skin side, thereby achieving the same function as the skin-facing sheets 36, 46. That is, in the modified example of FIG. 6, the folded-back portions 32f, 42f correspond to the skin-facing sheets 36, 46.

In the modified example shown in Figure 6, a cooling agent (microcapsules) is provided between the skin-side sheet 41 and the folded-back portion 42f in the rear waistband portion 40, forming a cooling agent placement area 70. Even with this configuration, it is possible to achieve the same effect as the cooling agent placement area 70 described above.

Next, Figure 7 is a plan view showing a modified example of the cooling agent placement area 70. Figure 7 corresponds to Figure 4 and shows a plan view of the diaper 1 in an unfolded and extended state. In the modified example of Figure 7, in addition to the first cooling agent placement area 71 and second cooling agent placement area 72 described above, a third cooling agent placement area 73 is provided. Note that the first cooling agent placement area 71 and second cooling agent placement area 72 are the same as those described in Figure 4.

The third cooling agent placement region 73 is a region in the waistline member 20 where a cooling agent (microcapsules) similar to that in the first cooling agent placement region 71, etc., is provided. In the modified example shown in FIG. 7 , multiple third cooling agent placement regions 73 are arranged along the peripheral edge of the buttocks cover 40b, vertically below the lower end of the side joint portion 50 in the rear waistline portion 40. While the first cooling agent placement region 71 and the second cooling agent placement region 72 are arranged above the waistline member 20, the third cooling agent placement region 73 is arranged below the waistline member 20. In this way, by providing cooling agents near the leg openings LH, it is possible to make the wearer of the diaper 1 feel the cooling effect more easily, even when moving their legs or sitting down.

When viewed in the thickness direction, the third cooling agent placement region 73 has an overlapping portion with the rear leg-hole elastic member 47. With this configuration, when the diaper 1 is worn, the contractile force of the leg-hole elastic member 47 acts, making it easier for the third cooling agent placement region 73 to adhere to the wearer's skin. Therefore, even when the wearer walks or moves their legs while wearing the diaper 1, the buttocks cover 40b is less likely to roll up, and the cooling effect can be enhanced along the leg-hole openings LH. This provides the wearer with an even better feeling of freshness.

===Other Embodiments===
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

In the above-described embodiment, a substance such as menthol that acts on the receptor-activated channel (TRPM8) was used as an example of the cooling agent forming the cooling agent placement area 70, but this is not limited thereto, and other substances may be used as long as they act on the wearer's skin.

In the above-described embodiment, the skin-facing sheets 36, 46 and the folded-over portions 32f, 42f where the non-skin-facing sheets are folded are provided on the skin-facing side of the waistband member 20. However, these sheet members may be provided with colored portions (not shown) colored in cool colors such as blue or green. By making the colored portions colored in cool colors visible, the wearer can be more easily reminded of the refreshing sensation of the cooling agent. Furthermore, the colored portions may be arranged so as to overlap the cooling agent placement area 70 in the thickness direction, making the presence of the cooling agent visually recognizable. In this way, the wearer can immediately tell which parts will produce the cooling effect, allowing them to wear the diaper 1 with confidence.

1. Diapers (absorbent articles),
10 absorbent body,
10ea upper end (anterior side, ventral side), 10eb upper end (posterior side, dorsal side),
11 absorbent core, 11b core wrap sheet, 11c constricted portion,
12 top sheet,
13 Back sheet, 13a Liquid-impermeable sheet, 13b Outer sheet,
20 waistband member,
30 front waist portion,
30eu top, 30sw side,
31 skin side sheet, 32 non-skin side sheet, 32f folded portion,
35 waist elastic member,
36 Skin-facing sheet,
40 rear waistband portion, 40b buttocks cover,
40eu top, 40sw side,
41 skin side sheet, 42 non-skin side sheet, 42f folded portion,
45 waist elastic member,
46 skin-facing sheet, 47 rear leg elastic member,
50 side joint,
60 main body joint,
61 front body joint, 62 rear body joint,
70 cooling agent placement area,
71 first cooling agent placement area, 72 second cooling agent placement area,
73 third cooling agent placement area,
75 cooling agent non-placement area,
BH waist opening, LH leg opening,
CL central position (vertical, longitudinal direction),
OL30 anterior overlapping area, OL40 posterior overlapping area

Claims (19)

The absorbent body has a liquid-absorbent main body and a waistband member joined to the non-skin side of the absorbent main body,
An absorbent article comprising a cooling sensation agent placement region in which a cooling sensation agent is placed in at least a part of the waistband member, and a cooling sensation agent non-placement region in which the cooling sensation agent is not placed,
a main body joining portion in which an adhesive is arranged to join the absorbent main body and the waistband member;
When the absorbent article is unfolded and viewed in the thickness direction, the main body joint and the cooling sensation agent non-disposed region at least partially overlap each other,
The waistband member has a front waistband portion and a rear waistband portion,
having a vertical direction and a horizontal direction that intersect with each other,
the cooling agent placement region is provided between an upper end of the rear waistband member and an upper end of the rear side of the absorbent main body in the vertical direction,
The absorbent article is characterized in that the cooling agent placement area has a first cooling agent placement area and a second cooling agent placement area spaced apart below the first cooling agent placement area in the vertical direction . The absorbent article according to claim 1,
than the total weight of the cooling sensation agent provided in the area where the waistband member and the absorbent main body overlap,
An absorbent article, characterized in that the total weight of the cooling sensation agent provided in the region where the waistband member and the absorbent main body do not overlap is greater. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2,
An absorbent article characterized in that, when viewed in the thickness direction, the main body joint portion entirely overlaps the cooling sensation agent-free region. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
than the total weight of the cooling sensation agent provided in the front waistband portion ,
An absorbent article characterized in that the total weight of the cooling sensation agents provided in the rear waistband portion is greater than the total weight of the cooling sensation agents provided in the rear waistband portion. The absorbent article according to claim 4,
An absorbent article characterized in that the cooling agent placement area is positioned in a location that abuts the area from the posterior superior iliac spine to the iliac crest on the back of the wearer when the absorbent article is worn. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The absorbent article is characterized in that the cooling sensation agent arrangement region has a discontinuous portion in the center in the left-right direction. The absorbent article according to claim 6 ,
The absorbent article, wherein the cooling agent arrangement region has a discontinuous portion across a central position of the absorbent article in the left-right direction. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
a side joining portion that joins the front waistline portion and the rear waistline portion at both ends in the left-right direction ;
The absorbent article is characterized in that the cooling agent placement area is placed at a predetermined distance from the side joint portion in the left-right direction. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 8 ,
The absorbent article is characterized in that the cooling agent placement region is placed at a predetermined distance from an upper end of the waistband member in the vertical direction . The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
An absorbent article, characterized in that the width of the first cooling sensation agent placement area in the vertical direction is equal to or greater than the width of the second cooling sensation agent placement area in the vertical direction. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 10 ,
An absorbent article characterized in that a joint is provided between the first cooling sensation agent placement area and the second cooling sensation agent placement area in the vertical direction, joining the skin-side sheet and non-skin-side sheet of the rear waistband member in the thickness direction. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 11 ,
The waistband member has a waistband elastic member that stretches in the left-right direction,
When a region of the waistband member that overlaps with the cooling sensation agent placement region in the up-down direction is defined as a first region, and a region that is adjacent to the lower side of the first region and does not overlap with the cooling sensation agent placement region in the up-down direction is defined as a second region,
An absorbent article, wherein the stress in the left-right direction of the waistline elastic member in the first region is greater than the stress in the left-right direction of the waistline elastic member in the second region. 13. The absorbent article of claim 12 ,
An absorbent article characterized in that, when viewed in the thickness direction, there is a portion where the cooling sensation agent arrangement region and the waist elastic members overlap. 13. The absorbent article of claim 12 ,
An absorbent article characterized in that, when viewed in the thickness direction, there is no overlapping portion between the cooling agent placement region and the waist elastic members. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 14 ,
the waistband member has a skin side sheet, a non-skin side sheet, and a skin surface sheet laminated on the skin side of the skin side sheet,
The absorbent article is characterized in that the cooling agent is provided between the skin-side sheet and the skin-facing sheet. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 15 ,
The absorbent article is characterized in that the sheet members adjacent to the skin side and non-skin side of the cooling sensation agent placement area are each made of nonwoven fabric containing a meltblown layer. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 16 ,
a side joining portion that joins the front waistline portion and the rear waistline portion at both ends in the left-right direction ;
The absorbent article is characterized in that the cooling agent placement area is provided below the lower end of the side joint portion in the vertical direction. 18. The absorbent article of claim 17 ,
a rear leg elastic member along a lower edge of the rear waistband portion;
An absorbent article characterized in that, when viewed in the thickness direction, there is a portion where the rear leg elastic members and the cooling agent placement area overlap. The absorbent article according to any one of claims 1 to 18 ,
the waistband member has a portion in which irregularities are formed in the thickness direction when the absorbent article is worn or in a natural state,
An absorbent article characterized in that, when viewed in the thickness direction, there is a portion where the portion where the concaves and convexes are formed overlaps with the cooling sensation agent placement region.