JP7831258B2 - Absorbent articles - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to absorbent articles.

Absorbent items such as disposable diapers, urine pads, and sanitary products have been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a pant-type diaper with an elastic member provided around the wearer's legs.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-115459

Absorbent materials are often made in a single color. For example, pull-up diapers are often made entirely of white. Furthermore, the front and back of pull-up diapers are generally identical in shape and structure, making it difficult to distinguish between them.

The present invention aims to provide a technology that facilitates the identification of the front and back of absorbent articles.

To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an expandable member having a different color from the outer casing.

More specifically, the present invention relates to an absorbent article having a length along its longitudinal direction and a length along its width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, comprising: an absorbent body provided in a position including the crotch area and capable of absorbing the wearer's excretory fluids; a waist opening through which the wearer's waist can be inserted; and two leg openings through which the wearer's legs can be inserted; an outer casing positioned on the non-skin side of the wearer than the absorbent body; a first stretchable member provided on the outer casing along the leg openings on the wearer's ventral side; and a second stretchable member provided on the outer casing along the leg openings on the wearer's dorsal side, wherein the first stretchable member may have a different color from the outer casing, and the second stretchable member may have the same color as the outer casing.

In the above-described absorbent article, the first expandable member may be provided along one of the leg openings, crossing the crotch area, extending along the other leg opening, and provided on the outer casing in an extended state.

The absorbent article described above includes a third stretchable member positioned on the non-skin side of the absorbent material and extending in the longitudinal direction. The third stretchable member is located in the center in the width direction, has a different color from the outer casing and the absorbent material, and is visible from the outside of the outer casing. The first stretchable member may extend through the urethral opening area in the crotch area.

The absorbent article described above includes a fourth stretchable member provided on the outer casing so as to expand and contract in the width direction when extended along the waist opening, and the fourth stretchable member may have a different color from the outer casing on the wearer's abdominal side.

In the absorbent article described above, a non-adhesive region may be provided in the overlapping region of the crotch area where the first stretchable member and the absorbent overlap, in which the absorbent and the outer casing are not adhered.

The absorbent article described above is formed in the absorbent body and comprises a pair of left and right grooves extending along the longitudinal direction, and these grooves may overlap with the first expandable member when viewed in the thickness direction.

The absorbent article described above comprises a water-permeable sheet having water permeability and disposed on the skin-facing side of the absorbent, and a pair of leak-proof sheets bonded to the left and right ends of the water-permeable sheet in the width direction. Each leak-proof sheet has a free end located towards the tip of the bonded portion with the water-permeable sheet, and a fifth expandable member located on the free end side, extending along the longitudinal direction, and bonded in an extended state. The contraction of the fifth expandable member forms a leak-proof wall rising from the end of the bonded portion with the water-permeable sheet towards the wearer. The fifth expandable member may have the same color as the first expandable member.

According to this invention, it becomes easy to distinguish between the front and back of an absorbent article.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a diaper according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the diaper according to Embodiment 1. Figure 3 is an exploded view of the diaper according to Embodiment 1. Figure 4 is an unfolded view showing the absorbent material removed from the diaper according to Embodiment 1. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the diaper according to Embodiment 1, viewed from the side of the torso opening. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the diaper according to Embodiment 2. Figure 7 is an exploded view of the diaper according to Embodiment 2. Figure 8 is an exploded view showing the absorbent material removed from the diaper according to Embodiment 2. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the diaper according to Embodiment 2 when it is cut in the width direction along line AA in Figure 7. Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the diaper according to Embodiment 3.

<Embodiment 1>
A diaper according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the configurations of the following embodiments are illustrative, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

Figure 1 is an example of a perspective view of an adult disposable pant-type diaper (hereinafter simply referred to as "diaper") according to Embodiment 1. In the diaper, the direction connecting the front panel, which is positioned opposite the wearer's abdomen, and the back panel, which is positioned opposite the wearer's back, is defined as the longitudinal direction (also called the front-to-back direction). Between these front panel (one side in the longitudinal direction) and back panel (the other side in the longitudinal direction) (in the center in the longitudinal direction) lies the inseam section, which is positioned between the wearer's legs (opposite the crotch). Furthermore, when the diaper is worn by the wearer, the side facing the wearer's skin is defined as the skin side, and the side opposite the skin side is defined as the non-skin side. In addition, the direction connecting the skin side and the non-skin 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 (also called the left-to-right direction). Moreover, viewing from the thickness direction is defined as a plan view. Diaper 1 has a length along its longitudinal direction and a length along its width direction perpendicular to its longitudinal direction, and is worn between the legs of the wearer. Furthermore, the terms related to direction used in this application refer to directions that coincide with the front, back, left, and right of the wearer when diaper 1 is worn by the wearer. For example, when referring to the left and right direction in this application, it means the directions that coincide with the left and right of the wearer when diaper 1 is worn by the wearer.

In this embodiment, as an example of an absorbent article, a disposable pant-type diaper with a tubular structure having a waist opening through which the wearer's waist can be inserted, and a pair of leg openings on the left and right sides through which the wearer's left and right lower limbs can be inserted, is exemplified. Furthermore, while this embodiment exemplified an adult disposable pant-type diaper, the term "absorbent article" as used in this application is not limited to adult disposable pant-type diapers. The term "absorbent article" as used in this application includes disposable pant-type diapers for children.

Diaper 1 has a crotch region 1B, which is the part corresponding to the crotch area that covers the wearer's genitals (crotch) when worn; a front body region 1F, which is the part corresponding to the front of the wearer's waist and covers the wearer's abdominal side; and a back body region 1R, which is the part corresponding to the back of the wearer's waist and covers the wearer's back side. Here, the front body region 1F is located in front of the crotch region 1B, and the back body region 1R is located behind the crotch region 1B. In this embodiment, since diaper 1 is a pant-type disposable diaper, the left edge of the front body region 1F and the left edge of the back body region 1R are joined to each other, and the right edge of the front body region 1F and the right edge of the back body region 1R are joined to each other. Therefore, a waist opening 2T (an example of a "waist opening" in this disclosure) is formed in diaper 1 by the upper edge of the front body region 1F and the upper edge of the back body region 1R. Furthermore, the diaper 1 has a left lower limb opening 2L formed on the left side of the crotch area 1B where the above-mentioned joint is not applied, and a right lower limb opening 2R formed on the right side of the crotch area 1B. When the diaper 1 is worn, the wearer's left lower limb is inserted through the left lower limb opening 2L, the wearer's right lower limb is inserted through the right lower limb opening 2R, and the wearer's torso is placed in the torso opening 2T. The front body area 1F is positioned on the wearer's abdominal side, the back body area 1R is positioned on the wearer's back side, and the left lower limb opening 2L and the right lower limb opening 2R surround the wearer's thighs, thus fixing the diaper 1 to the wearer's body. Because the diaper 1 is fixed to the wearer's body in this manner, the wearer can move freely while wearing the diaper 1. Note that the left lower limb opening 2L and the right lower limb opening 2R are examples of the "two leg openings" described in this disclosure.

Diaper 1 has an absorbent material that can absorb and retain liquid, mainly located around the crotch area 1B. In addition, to prevent the formation of gaps between diaper 1 and the wearer's skin that could become pathways for liquid leakage, diaper 1 is provided with a three-dimensional gather 3BL at the left lower limb opening 2L surrounding the thigh of the wearer's left lower limb, a three-dimensional gather (not shown) at the right lower limb opening 2R surrounding the thigh of the wearer's right lower limb, and waist gathers 3R and tummy gathers 12 around the wearer's waist. Furthermore, leg gathers 3LF and 3LR (leg gather 3LR is not shown in Figure 1) are provided around the base of the wearer's legs. The leg gather 3LF is provided in the front body area 1F, and the leg gather 3LR is provided in the back body area 1R. In Figure 1, only the leg gather 3LF is shown as an example. The three-dimensional gathers 3BL and 3BR (an example of the "leak-proof wall" in this disclosure) and the waist gather 3R contract due to the elastic force of the stretchable material, conforming closely to the wearer's skin. Furthermore, the leg gathers 3LF and 3LR prevent gaps from forming between the wearer's groin and the diaper 1. Therefore, the discharge from the wearer's genital area is absorbed by the absorbent material of the diaper 1 with virtually no leakage.

Diaper 1 can be used in combination with an inner pad (not shown). The inner pad is a roughly rectangular absorbent article equipped with an absorbent material that absorbs the wearer's waste. When using diaper 1 and the inner pad together, the inner pad is placed on the skin-facing side of diaper 1 so as to be in contact with the wearer's urinary tract. The waste is first absorbed by the inner pad, and only the waste that could not be absorbed by the inner pad reaches the absorbent material of diaper 1 and is absorbed further. Therefore, even if the amount of waste is large, leakage from diaper 1 can be prevented. Also, if the amount of waste is small and can be fully absorbed by the inner pad, only the inner pad needs to be replaced even if the waste is discharged, thus reducing care costs. Furthermore, the frequency of changing diaper 1 can be reduced, allowing diaper 1 to be used for a longer period of time.

Figure 2 is an example of an exploded perspective view of a diaper 1 according to Embodiment 1. The diaper 1 has a cover sheet 4 and an inner cover sheet 5. The cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5 are roughly hourglass-shaped (gourd-shaped) sheets that are bonded together to form the outer surface of the diaper 1. Except for the ends on the front body region 1F and the back body region 1R, they are the same shape and approximately the same size. When worn by a person, the cover sheet 4 is laminated on the side not touching the wearer's skin, and the inner cover sheet 5 is laminated on the side touching the wearer's skin. Between the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5, there are stretchable members for forming the waist gather 3R, tummy gather 12, and leg gathers 3LF and 3LR. In this embodiment, elastic thread is used as the stretchable member. Note that, instead of elastic thread, a stretchable member such as a strip of elastic can be appropriately selected.

The cover sheet 4 and inner cover sheet 5 can be made of a nonwoven fabric made of a liquid-impermeable thermoplastic resin, for example, to suppress leakage of waste. Examples of liquid-impermeable thermoplastic resins include polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Hereinafter, the absorbent 8 and the combination of the absorbent 8 with the back sheet 6, top sheet 9, and side sheets 10L and 10R are referred to as the inner body, and the cover sheet 4 and inner cover sheet 5, on which the elastic threads are arranged, are sometimes referred to as the outer body (an example of the "outer body" in this disclosure) as a concept corresponding to the inner body.

The diaper 1 comprises a back sheet 6, an absorbent body 8, and a top sheet 9 (an example of the "water-permeable sheet" in this disclosure), which are sequentially laminated on the wearer-side surfaces of the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5. The back sheet 6 is a substantially rectangular sheet with a length in the longitudinal direction extending from the wearer's front body through the crotch to the back body, and a predetermined width in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The absorbent body 8 and the top sheet 9 are both sheet-like members having a substantially rectangular appearance similar to the back sheet 6, and are sequentially laminated on the back sheet 6 with their longitudinal directions coinciding with the longitudinal direction of the back sheet 6. The back sheet 6 is a sheet formed from a non-permeable thermoplastic resin to suppress leakage of waste. The back sheet 6 also has minute holes. The holes allow for ventilation while preventing liquid permeation. The holes are provided, for example, in the area overlapping with the absorbent body 8. The top sheet 9 is a sheet-like member positioned on the wearer's skin side so as to cover the absorbent surface of the absorbent body 8. The top sheet 9 is permeable to liquids in part or in whole. Therefore, when the diaper 1 is worn, liquids discharged from the wearer pass through the top sheet 9, which may come into contact with the wearer's skin, into the absorbent material 8, where they are absorbed. Examples of permeable sheets include woven fabrics, nonwoven fabrics, and porous films. The top sheet 9 may also be hydrophilic.

The absorbent body 8 comprises an absorbent core 8c and a core wrap sheet 7 that encloses the absorbent core 8c. The absorbent core 8c is roughly hourglass-shaped with a constricted portion. The absorbent core 8c has a structure in which granular absorbent resin (super absorbent polymer), such as SAP (Super Absorbent Polymer), a hydrophilic polymer with a cross-linked structure capable of absorbing and retaining water, is held in the gaps between short fibers of cellulosic fibers such as pulp fibers, rayon fibers, or cotton fibers, or short fibers of synthetic fibers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyethylene terephthalate that have been treated to be hydrophilic. When the absorbent core 8c absorbs liquid discharged from the wearer, it swells the absorbent resin held in the gaps between the short fibers, thereby retaining the liquid within the short fibers. In this embodiment, the absorbent core 8c is roughly hourglass-shaped with a constriction near the center. The absorbent core 8c can take on an appropriate shape depending on the purpose. Examples of shapes for the absorbent core 8c include rectangular, elliptical, and various other shapes. In this embodiment, the absorption core 8c is formed from a single mat, but the absorption core 8c may be formed from multiple mats.

The core wrap sheet 7 is a thin, liquid-permeable sheet. By wrapping the absorbent core 8c with the core wrap sheet 7, the SAP of the absorbent core 8c is less likely to mix with other structures. Furthermore, deformation of the absorbent core 8c is suppressed. The core wrap sheet 7 can be made from pulp fibers; for example, tissue paper can be used. The core wrap sheet 7 may be a single sheet, or it may consist of two sheets: an upper sheet placed on the skin side of the wearer, and a lower sheet placed on the non-skin side of the wearer, wrapping around the sides of the absorbent core and the skin side. If the core wrap sheet 7 consists of two sheets, the widthwise end of the upper sheet may be wrapped around the other sheets (for example, the side sheets 10L, 10R, back sheet 6, and top sheet 9 described later). Note that the absorbent body 8 is wrapped around the back sheet 6 and top sheet 9, and deformation can also be suppressed by these sheets; therefore, the core wrap sheet 7 may be omitted.

The back sheet 6, absorbent layer 8, and top sheet 9 all extend from the front body region 1F to the back body region 1R. Therefore, when the back sheet 6, absorbent layer 8, and top sheet 9 are layered to cover the wearer's genital area (crotch), the longitudinal ends of the back sheet 6, absorbent layer 8, and top sheet 9 are positioned on the wearer's ventral and dorsal sides. In other words, the wearer's genital area is covered by the absorbent layer 8 from the ventral to the dorsal side. Therefore, regardless of whether the wearer is lying face down or back down when expelling fluid, the expelled fluid will come into contact with the absorbent layer 8 via the top sheet 9.

Furthermore, the diaper 1 has elongated, strip-shaped side sheets 10L and 10R (an example of the "leak-proof sheet" in this disclosure) for forming the three-dimensional gathers 3BL and 3BR described above. The side sheets 10L and 10R are provided on the long sides of the top sheet 9. Elastic threads 10L1 and 10R1 (an example of the "fifth stretchable member" in this disclosure) are adhered to the side sheets 10L and 10R in an extended state along the longitudinal direction. Therefore, when the left edge 4F4 of the front body region 1F and the left edge 4R4 of the back body region 1R of the cover sheet 4 are joined to each other, and when the right edge 4F5 of the front body region 1F and the right edge 4R5 of the back body region 1R of the cover sheet 4 are joined to each other, the diaper 1 is completed as shown in Figure 1. The side sheets 10L and 10R are then pulled longitudinally by the contractile force of the elastic threads 10L1 and 10R1, rising from the top sheet 9 along the fold lines 10L2 and 10R2. As a result, three-dimensional gathers 3BL and 3BR are formed to prevent liquid from leaking out of the left and right lower limb openings 2L and 2R.

Here, when the three-dimensional gathers 3BL and 3BR are formed on the side sheets 10L and 10R, the widthwise spacing between the respective upright lines of the three-dimensional gathers 3BL and 3BR is set to allow for the insertion of the inner pad. The joining method of the edges 4F4 and 4R4, and edges 4F5 and 4R5 is not particularly limited, but can be performed by, for example, heat sealing, high-frequency sealing, ultrasonic sealing, etc.

Furthermore, the diaper 1 has an end sheet 11F that is laminated on the wearer-facing side of the front body region 1F of the cover sheet 4, and an end sheet 11R that is laminated on the wearer-facing side of the back body region 1R of the cover sheet 4, sandwiching the back sheet 6, absorbent material 8, top sheet 9, and side sheets 10L and 10R. The end sheets 11F and 11R are strip-shaped sheets that are layered on the cover sheet 4 and inner cover sheet 5 at one end in the longitudinal direction of the top sheet 9. The end sheets 11F and 11R are made of non-permeable nonwoven fabric and mainly reinforce the cover sheet 4 and inner cover sheet 5 in the waist contact area of the diaper 1. In addition, adhesive is applied to the end sheets 11F and 11R, and they are bonded to the inner cover sheet 5 by this adhesive. The end sheets 11F and 11R are positioned on the skin-facing side of the laminate formed by the back sheet 6, absorbent 8, top sheet 9, and side sheets 10L and 10R, preventing the edges of the laminate from directly touching the skin and causing discomfort to the wearer.

Figure 3 is an example of a schematic diagram showing the diaper 1 according to Embodiment 1 in an unfolded and extended state. Figure 3(A) schematically shows the internal structure of the unfolded and extended diaper 1 as viewed from the left side. Figure 3(B) is a plan view of the unfolded and extended diaper 1.

As shown in Figure 3, the elastic thread 4F3 (an example of the "first stretchable member" in this disclosure) that forms the leg gathers 3LF is provided along the edges of the front body region 1F side of the right lower limb opening 2R and the left lower limb opening 2L into which the wearer's legs enter when the diaper 1 is assembled. The elastic thread 4F3 is adhered to the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5 in an extended state. The elastic thread 4F3 is provided so as to cross in the left-right direction in the crotch region 1B on the front body side. In the area where the elastic thread 4F3 is provided so as to cross in the left-right direction, the elastic thread 4F3 and the absorbent material 8 overlap in the thickness direction of the diaper 1. Furthermore, the central part in the width direction of such a crossing region corresponds to the area of the wearer's urethral opening when the diaper 1 is worn. Note that in the area where the absorbent material 8 overlaps in the thickness direction, the arrangement of the elastic thread 4F3 is not limited to crossing as shown in Figure 3. The extension direction of the elastic thread 4F3 only needs to have a widthwise component; preferably, the widthwise component of the extension direction of the elastic thread 4F3 should be greater than the longitudinal component.

On the other hand, the elastic thread 4R3 (an example of the "second stretchable member" in this disclosure) that forms the leg gather 3LR is provided so as to follow the edges of the right lower limb opening 2R and the left lower limb opening 2L on the back body region 1R side. The elastic thread 4R3 is bonded to the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5 in an extended state. In the crotch region 1B on the back body side, the tip of the elastic thread 4R3 is facing in the width direction. However, the elastic thread 4R3 is cut in the middle in the width direction, and the left elastic thread 4R3 and the right elastic thread 4R3 are not connected.

Furthermore, the inner cover sheet 5 and the absorbent material 8 are appropriately bonded together with adhesive via the back sheet 6 from the front body region 1F to the back body region 1R. However, as shown in Figure 3, in the region of the front body region 1F where the elastic thread 4F3 crosses, the inner cover sheet 5 and the absorbent material 8 are not bonded (referred to as the non-bonded region 15). In practice, in the non-bonded region 15, the inner cover sheet 5 and the back sheet 6 are not bonded. In this embodiment, the non-bonded region 15 is provided throughout the entire overlapping region of the crotch area 1B where the elastic thread 4F3 and the absorbent material 8 overlap.

The cover sheet 4 has one end folded back along the fold lines 4FF and 4RF shown in Figure 2. The waist gather 3R described above is formed by attaching a stretched elastic thread (thread-like rubber) 4F1 to the front body region of the cover sheet 4, and attaching a stretched elastic thread (thread-like rubber) 4R1 to the back body region of the cover sheet 4. The elastic threads 4F1 and 4F2 are provided in the order of elastic thread 4F1 and elastic thread 4F2 from the fold line 4FF side, along the fold line 4FF which will form the upper edge of the front body region 1F when folded back. Similarly, the tummy gather 12 (see Figure 1) is formed by attaching a stretched elastic thread 4F2 to the front body region 1F of the cover sheet 4, and attaching a stretched elastic thread 4R2 to the back body region 1R of the cover sheet 4. Similar to the elastic threads 4F1 and 4F2, the elastic threads 4R1 and 4R2 are provided along the fold line 4RF, which forms the upper edge of the back panel region 1R when folded, in the order of elastic thread 4R1 and elastic thread 4R2 from the fold line 4RF side. Note that elastic threads 4F1, 4F2, 4R1, and 4R2 are examples of the fourth stretchable member in this disclosure.

Therefore, the elastic threads 4F1 and 4F2 are provided on the cover sheet 4 with their longitudinal direction, which is the direction of stretching, oriented in the left-right direction of the diaper 1. Similarly, the elastic threads 4R1 and 4R2 are provided on the cover sheet 4 with their longitudinal direction, which is the direction of stretching, oriented in the left-right direction of the diaper 1. Thus, when the edges 4F4 and 4R4 are joined to each other, and the edges 4F5 and 4R5 are joined to each other, the elastic threads 4F1, 4F2 and 4R1, 4R2 form a substantially annular stretchable member that circumfers along the waist opening 2T, exhibiting the function of contracting the waist opening 2T in the waist direction. In other words, the elastic threads 4F1, 4F2 and 4R1, 4R2 exert contractile force to make the diaper 1 adhere closely to the wearer, preventing the formation of a gap between the diaper 1 and the wearer's waist circumference. The elastic threads 4F2 and 4R2 overlap with the absorbent material 8 in a portion of their crotch area 1B.

The elastic threads 4F1 and 4R1 are provided to extend horizontally along the upper edges of the front and back body regions 1F and 1R shown in Figure 1. The elastic threads 4F2 and 4R2 are provided parallel to each other at a predetermined interval. When the diaper 1 is worn, the elastic threads 4F1 and 4R1 tighten relatively strongly around the wearer's waist above the elastic threads 4F2 and 4R2. The elastic threads 4F1 and 4R1 function to ensure the diaper 1 fits snugly to the wearer, preventing shifting and preventing leakage of discharge from the abdomen and back. The elastic threads 4F2 and 4R2 alleviate the feeling of pressure on the wearer caused by the contractile force of the elastic threads 4F1 and 4R1.

The cover sheet 4 is folded back along the fold lines 4FF and 4RF, extending to the area where the elastic threads 4F1 and 4R1 are placed, reinforcing that area with the folded portion. The end sheets 11F and 11R (see Figure 2) are provided in the area where the cover sheet 4, folded back along the fold lines 4FF and 4RF, does not extend, reinforcing the area where the elastic threads 4F2 and 4R2 are placed.

Furthermore, in this application, the concept of overlapping sheets is not limited to a state where the overlapping sheets are in full contact with each other, but also includes a state where only parts of the sheets overlap. For example, the end sheet 11F is overlapped such that a portion of one end of the back sheet 6 in the longitudinal direction touches a portion of the cover sheet 4. Since the diaper 1 is formed by stacking the back sheet 6 and top sheet 9 with the absorbent material 8 in between, as well as the cover sheet 4, end sheets 11F and 11R, inner cover sheet 5, and side sheets 10L and 10R, it can be said that it has a laminated structure made up of these multiple sheets stacked on top of each other.

As shown in Figure 3, the elastic thread 4F3 is provided on the outer garment along the left and right lower limb openings 2L and 2R on the wearer's ventral side (front body region 1F side). The elastic thread 4R3 is provided on the outer garment along the left and right lower limb openings 2L and 2R on the wearer's dorsal side (back body region 1R side). Both the elastic thread 4F3 and 4R3 are elastic components for forming leg gathers.

Here, the elastic thread 4F3 has a different color from the outer cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5. In this embodiment, the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5 are entirely white, while the elastic thread 4F3 is entirely a color other than white (for example, blue or red). Also, the elastic thread 4R3 is entirely the same color as the outer cover. Generally, diapers are often made entirely of the same color. For example, pull-up diapers are often made entirely of white. Also, with pull-up diapers, the front and back shapes and structures are generally the same, making it difficult to distinguish between the front and back. On the other hand, in the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, the elastic thread 4F3 provided on the abdominal side has a different color from the outer cover, and the elastic thread 4R3 provided on the back side has the same color as the outer cover. This makes it easy to distinguish between the front and back of the diaper 1. Note that it is sufficient if only a part of the elastic thread 4F3 has a different color from the outer cover. For example, the elastic thread 4F3 may have a different color from the outer casing only in the portion that extends in the width direction in the crotch area 1B.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing the absorbent material 8 and a portion of the elastic threads 4F3 and 4R3 extracted from the diaper 1. Note that in Figure 4, the non-adhesive area 15 is shown as filled in. As shown in Figure 4, in the non-adhesive area 15 where the elastic thread 4F3 crosses the crotch area 1B on the front (abdominal) side, the inner cover sheet 5 and the absorbent material 8 are not adhered. Therefore, the absorbent material 8 is pressed against the skin without shrinking in the width direction due to the contractile force of the elastic thread 4F3 provided between the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5.

Here, the non-adhesive region 15 includes the urethral opening region. The urethral opening region is the area where the wearer's urethra is located when the diaper 1 is worn, and corresponds to the central part of the non-adhesive region 15 in the width direction. By providing the non-adhesive region 15, the absorbent material 8 expands more easily towards the non-skin side in the urethral opening region compared to the regions before and after the non-adhesive region 15. If the expansion of the absorbent material is completely restricted in the urethral opening region, the rate of urine absorption by the absorbent material will decrease. A decrease in the absorption rate of the absorbent material can cause urine leakage. Therefore, in the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, the non-adhesive region 15 is provided in the urethral opening region to allow the expansion of the absorbent material 8, while the contractile force of the elastic thread 4F3 lifts the absorbent material 8 on the skin side of the non-adhesive region 15 towards the skin side, pressing the absorbent material 8 against the urethral opening and making it easier for the absorbent material 8 to absorb urine. Furthermore, if the wearer is male, the absorbent material 8 can be pushed up towards the skin to cover the male genitalia, making it easier for the absorbent material 8 to absorb urine discharged from the tip of the penis. Because the absorbent material 8 in this embodiment easily absorbs urine, leakage of urine to the outside can be suppressed.

Furthermore, in a diaper, the area corresponding to the urethral opening is the area that absorbs and retains the most urine moisture, and is prone to sagging downwards due to the weight of the urine. In this embodiment, the elastic thread 4F3 lifts the area corresponding to the urethral opening from the non-skin side to the abdominal side, preventing the diaper from separating from the wearer's skin more than necessary. In addition, the diaper 1 uses the elastic thread 4F3 to restrict excessive expansion of the absorbent material 8 in the area corresponding to the urethral opening, that is, to reduce the urine absorption rate in the area corresponding to the urethral opening, moving the urine outside the area corresponding to the urethral opening and enabling absorption and retention of urine throughout the entire absorbent material 8. Moreover, when the absorbent material 8 sags due to the weight of the excrement, the diaper 1 allows expansion and sagging of the absorbent material 8 in the area corresponding to the urethral opening to prevent excessive pressure on the urethral opening, while the contractile force of the elastic thread 4F3 prevents the area corresponding to the urethral opening from moving away from the urethral opening, thus preventing leakage. The diaper 1 according to this embodiment can prevent urine from leaking out.

In this embodiment, a stretchable elastic thread 4R3 for forming leg gathers is used as an elastic member that pulls the absorbent material 8 outward in the width direction. When the wearer's legs are passed through the left and right lower limb openings 2L and 2R, the elastic thread 4R3 is pulled outward in the width direction, thereby allowing the elastic thread 4R3 to pull the absorbent material 8 further outward in the width direction.

In this embodiment, a rubber thread 4R3 for forming leg gathers is used as the stretchable member that pulls the absorbent body 8 outward in the width direction, but this is not the only option. For example, the stretchable member that pulls the absorbent body 8 outward in the width direction may be directly bonded to the absorbent body 8, or a separate stretchable member from the one used for forming leg gathers may be provided on the outer casing. When a stretchable member such as the rubber thread 4R3 that pulls the absorbent body 8 outward in the width direction is provided on the outer casing, the inner cover sheet 5 and the back sheet 6 are bonded together in the extended region of the stretchable member, and the back sheet 6 and the absorbent body 8 are bonded together. This allows the absorbent body 8 to be pulled by the elastic force of the stretchable member.

Furthermore, the inner end of the elastic thread 4R3 in the width direction overlaps with the absorbent 8 when viewed in the thickness direction, and its stretch direction has a component in the width direction. This allows the elastic thread 4R3 to pull the absorbent 8 more reliably outward in the width direction.

Furthermore, the inner cover sheet 5 and the absorbent body 8 are bonded between the pair of elastic threads 4R3. Here, the area between the pair of elastic threads 4R3 is the anal area 30 shown in Figure 4. The bonding of the absorbent body 8 to the outer casing increases the bending rigidity between the pair of elastic threads 4R3, making it less likely for the cross-sectional shape to become W-shaped. In contrast, a non-bonded area 15 is provided in the ventral urethral opening area, making the absorbent body 8 more easily bent than in the anal area 30. To make the absorbent body 8 in the urethral opening area more easily bent than in the anal area 30, the bonded portion between the absorbent body 8 and the inner cover sheet 5 may be narrower in the urethral opening area than in the anal area 30, or the bonded portion may gradually narrow towards the ventral side.

Furthermore, on the ventral side, diaper 1 is fitted snugly around the torso using elastic threads 4F1 and 4F2, and around the legs using elastic thread 4F3. This lifts the area around the wearer's anus away from the wearer on the dorsal side, creating a space around the anus where feces can be contained. This also helps to suppress a decrease in wearing comfort. In addition, by providing a non-adhesive area 15, the contractile force of elastic thread 4F3 does not act to contract the absorbent material 8 in the left-right direction and deform it into a W shape, but rather acts to push the absorbent material 8 towards the skin side, improving the adhesion between the absorbent material and the skin in the area corresponding to the urethral opening.

Furthermore, the abdominal elastic threads 4F1 and 4F2, which are provided on the outer casing so as to expand and contract in the width direction when extended along the torso opening 2T, have a different color from the outer casing (for example, a colored color such as red or blue). In this embodiment, the diaper 1 can significantly change its appearance between the abdominal and dorsal sides by using the elastic threads 4F1 and 4F2 to clarify the contour around the abdominal torso and the elastic thread 4F3 to clarify the contour around the abdominal legs. This makes it easier to distinguish the front from the back of the diaper 1.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, a non-adhesive region 15 is provided in the area where the elastic thread 4F3 and the absorbent material 8 overlap. If the non-adhesive region 15 were not provided, and the absorbent material 8 and the inner cover sheet 5 were bonded to each other via the back sheet 6 in that region, the contractile force of the elastic thread 4F3 would act to contract the absorbent material 8 in the width direction. This could cause the outer casing to become entangled in the irregularities created on the absorbent material 8, potentially obscuring the elastic thread 4F3 from external view in that area. In this embodiment, the non-adhesive region 15 is provided, making the elastic thread 4F3 visible from the outside.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the diaper according to Embodiment 1, viewed from the side of the torso opening 2T after it has been widened. The side sheets 10L and 10R, which form the three-dimensional gathers 3BR and 3BL, are positioned outside the center of the diaper 1 in the width direction and on the skin side of the top sheet 9. The side sheets 10L and 10R are bonded to the left and right ends of the top sheet 9 in the width direction using hot melt adhesive. The side sheets 10L and 10R are folded outwards on the inside of the fold lines 10L2 and 10R2 in the width direction of the diaper 1, and have free ends 3BL1 and 3BR1 at their tips. The side sheets 10L and 10R have elastic threads 10L1 and 10R1 positioned on the free end 3BL1 and 3BR1 side. When the elastic threads 10L1 and 10R1 contract, they form a leak-proof wall that rises from the fold lines 10L2 and 10R2 towards the wearer.

Here, at least one of the three elastic threads 10L1, 10R1 is a different color from the outer body. For example, it is sufficient if the outermost of the three elastic threads 10L1, 10R1 is a different color from the outer body. The diaper 1 contracts the outer body at the crossing of the elastic thread 4F3 by contracting the elastic thread 4F3, allowing the left and right lower limb openings 2L, 2R to open wide on the front body area 1F side. As a result, when the left and right lower limb openings 2L, 2R are viewed from the front body area 1F side, the three-dimensional gathers 3BL, 3BR are visible, and furthermore, the elastic threads 10L1, 10R1 are also visible. Because the elastic thread 10L1 is a different color from the outer body, the diaper 1 can be easily distinguished as to the front and back by identifying the side on which the different colored elastic thread 10L1 is visible from the left and right lower limb openings 2L, 2R.

As mentioned above, the entire elastic thread 4F3 is a color other than white (for example, blue or red), while the entire elastic thread 4R3 is the same white as the outer casing. Similarly, the elastic threads 10L1 and 10R1 are also a color other than white (for example, blue or red), and the elastic threads 10L1 and 10R1 and the elastic thread 4F3 are the same color. The elastic threads 10L1 and 10R1 extending in the front-to-back direction (longitudinal direction) and the elastic thread 4F3 forming the front leg gather 3LF are the same color. When viewing the diaper 1 from the torso opening 2T, these same-colored elastic threads 10L1, 10R1 and 4F3 appear to intersect. Therefore, when the wearer inserts their legs into the left and right lower leg openings 2L and 2R of the diaper 1, they can visually recognize that the side with the intersecting elastic threads 10L1, 10R1 and 4F3, which are a different color from the outer casing, is the front. This makes it easier to distinguish the front and back of diaper 1.

Furthermore, since the elastic thread 4F3 extends in a direction intersecting the elastic threads 10L1 and 10R1 that extend along the front-to-back direction (the width direction), the boundary between the elastic threads 10L1 and 10R1 and the elastic thread 4F3 is easily visible. This makes it easier for the wearer to grasp the edges of the left and right lower limb openings 2L and 2R when inserting their legs, thus preventing the wearer's legs from getting caught on the edges of the lower limb openings 2L and 2R.

Furthermore, the elastic thread 4R3 forming the rear leg gather 3LR is the same color as the sheets of the outer and inner lining. Specifically, the elastic thread 4R3 is the same color as the cover sheet 4, inner cover sheet 5, top sheet 9, and side sheets 10L and 10R, and is white. As a result, when the diaper 1 is viewed from the waist opening 2T, the elastic thread 4R3 is less visible than the elastic thread 4F3, and the wearer focuses on the elastic thread 4F3 on the front. Generally, darker colors are easier to see than colorless (e.g., white) or light colors, so the wearer and the caregiver putting on the diaper will more easily recognize the side with the darker colored elastic thread 4F3 as the front. This makes it easy to distinguish the front and back of the diaper 1.

Furthermore, even if the wearer's heel catches on the edges of the left and right lower limb openings 2L and 2R, insertion of the leg into the lower limb openings 2L and 2R is not hindered. However, if the wearer's big toe catches on the edges of the left and right lower limb openings 2L and 2R, there is a risk of the wearer falling. For this reason, when the wearer puts on the diaper themselves, or when a caregiver puts the diaper on the wearer, care should be taken to prevent the big toe from catching on the edges of the left and right lower limb openings 2L and 2R. In the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, when the elastic threads 10L1 and 10R1 provided on the three-dimensional gathers 3BL and 3BR located on the inside of the left and right lower limb openings 2L and 2R in the width direction, and the elastic thread 4F3 that intersects with the elastic threads 10L1 and 10R1, can be seen, the point where the elastic threads 10L1 and 10R1 intersect with the elastic thread 4F3 can be recognized as the front edge of the left and right lower limb openings 2L and 2R. Therefore, the wearer and caregiver can be made aware to prevent their thumbs from getting caught on this edge. Furthermore, since the side with the colored elastic thread 4F3 is the front of the diaper 1, the wearer and caregiver can recognize the side with the elastic thread 4F3 as the front of the diaper 1, thereby ensuring that the diaper 1 is worn with the correct front and back orientation.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, a non-adhesive region 15 is provided where the elastic thread 4F3 is not adhered to the outer and inner layers of the diaper in the portion where it crosses the absorbent material 8 horizontally on the non-skin side of the absorbent material 8. In the diaper 1, the non-adhesive region 15 is located on the non-skin side of the inner layer, and the outer layer in the area where the non-adhesive region 15 is provided bulges outwards (towards the non-skin side). Therefore, when viewing the diaper 1 from the outside, it is easy to distinguish the front from the back. As a result, it is easy to distinguish the front from the back of the diaper 1.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, we will describe the diaper 1 according to Embodiment 2. Figure 6 is an example of an exploded perspective view of the diaper according to Embodiment 2. Note that components identical to those of Embodiment 1 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

As shown in Figure 6, a thread elastic 4F7 (an example of the "third stretchable member" in this disclosure) is provided in the widthwise center between the back sheet 6 and the core wrap sheet 7, stretched longitudinally from the front body region 1F to the crotch region 1B. The thread elastic 4F7 is bonded to the back sheet 6 and, via the back sheet 6, to the inner cover sheet 5 and the cover sheet 4. The thread elastic 4F7 exerts a force that contracts the inner cover sheet 5 and the cover sheet 4 in the longitudinal direction. It is preferable that the area where the thread elastic 4F7 is provided is an area where the absorbent 8 and the inner cover sheet 5 are not bonded, but it may also be an area where the absorbent 8 and the inner cover sheet 5 are bonded. The thread elastic 4F7 may also be provided between the cover sheet 4 and the inner cover sheet 5.

Furthermore, a rubber thread cover sheet 13 (stretchable member cover sheet) is placed on the skin-facing side of the rubber thread 4F7. The rubber thread cover sheet 13 covers the rubber thread 4F7 from the skin-facing side and is adhered to the back sheet 6. The rubber thread cover sheet 13 is placed between the rubber thread 4F7 and the absorbent body 8. Also, the rubber thread cover sheet 13 is not entirely adhered to the core wrap sheet 7 of the absorbent body 8. The rubber thread cover sheet 13 is placed between the absorbent body 8 and the back sheet 6, adhered to the back sheet 6, and partially unglued from the core wrap sheet 7 of the absorbent body 8. This prevents the elastic force (contraction force) of the rubber thread 4F7 from acting too much on the absorbent body 8, and prevents the absorbent body 8 from deforming excessively. Note that if a strip-shaped stretchable member is used instead of the rubber thread 4F7, the rubber thread cover sheet 13 can be omitted, and the stretchable member and the core wrap sheet 7 can be partially unglued. Also, in this embodiment, the rubber thread cover sheet 13 is formed to the same length as the back sheet 6. The elastic thread cover sheet 13 may be formed to a length that matches the extended area of the elastic thread 4F7, or it may be formed to be longer than the extended area of the elastic thread 4F7 and shorter than the back sheet 6. The elastic thread cover sheet 13 may be partially detached from the absorbent 8. The elastic thread cover sheet 13 may also be entirely detached from the absorbent 8.

Figure 7 is an example of a schematic diagram showing the diaper 1 according to Embodiment 2 in an unfolded and extended state. Figure 7(A) schematically shows the internal structure of the unfolded and extended diaper 1 as viewed from the left side. Figure 7(B) is a plan view of the unfolded and extended diaper 1.

As shown in Figure 7, the elastic thread 4F7 is positioned in the center of the width direction between the back sheet 6 and the core wrap sheet 7, stretched longitudinally from the front body region 1F to the crotch region 1B. In practice, the elastic thread 4F7 is positioned between the back sheet 6 and the elastic thread cover sheet 13. The area behind the elastic thread 4F7 corresponds to the wearer's anus when wearing the diaper 1. The absorbent material 8 is compressed linearly around the elastic thread 4F7, and is shown as line 14 in Figure 7. Line 14 is provided in the width direction at its end on the crotch region 1B side. Furthermore, line 14 is bent outward in the width direction at its end on the front body region 1F side. This compression of the absorbent material 8 is achieved, for example, by embossing with a roller.

Next, the lines 14 formed on the absorbent material 8 will be explained using Figures 8 and 9. Figure 8 is a plan view showing the absorbent material 8 and a portion of the elastic threads 4F3 and 4R3 extracted from the diaper 1. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view obtained when the diaper 1 is cut in the width direction along line AA in Figure 7(B).

As shown in Figure 8, line 14 has four grooves. The four grooves consist of grooves 14AL, 14AR, 14BL, and 14BR (an example of the "pair of left and right grooves" in this disclosure). Grooves 14AL and 14AR are formed in the absorbent body 8 and are a pair of left and right grooves that extend outward from the center in the width direction of the diaper 1 toward the front body region 1F side end in the region corresponding to the wearer's groin. Grooves 14AL and 14AR are compression grooves formed by compressing the absorbent body 8. Note that grooves 14AL and 14AR may be formed by compressing only the absorbent core 8c, or they may be formed by compressing the absorbent body 8 including the core wrap sheet 7. In this embodiment, grooves 14AL and 14AR are formed by compressing the core wrap sheet 7 and the absorbent core 8c from the skin side. The absorbent material 8 bends along the wearer's groin area due to the grooves 14AL and 14AR that are formed therein.

Furthermore, the non-adhesive region 15 includes the region where grooves 14AL and 14AR overlap when viewed from above. If the non-adhesive region 15 were not formed including the overlapping region of grooves 14AL and 14AR, and the absorbent material 8 and inner cover sheet 5 were adhered in that region, the outer casing would spread out and press against the skin. As a result, the state of the outer casing would be transmitted to the absorbent material 8, causing a force to act on the absorbent material, causing it to move from a folded state along the groin to a flatter state. In contrast, the diaper 1 according to this embodiment, configured as described above, allows the absorbent material 8, which is folded along the groin, to be pressed against the skin while maintaining its folded state. This improves the adhesion of the absorbent material 8 to the wearer's skin.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the non-adhesive region 15 extends in the width direction of the diaper 1 and has a substantially rectangular shape. Although not shown in Figure 8, the non-adhesive region 15 extends to the widthwise end of the inner lining of the diaper 1. When the diaper 1 is worn, and the outer lining is pulled in the left-right direction, the outer lining pushes the absorbent material 8 towards the skin, allowing the absorbent material 8 to be pressed against the wearer's skin. This improves the adhesion of the absorbent material 8 to the wearer's skin.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, when the diaper 1 is viewed from above, the diaper 1 is equipped with elastic thread 4F3 that is attached to the inner cover sheet 5 and the cover sheet 4 in an extended state in the area overlapping the non-adhesive area 15. As shown in Figure 7, the ends of the elastic thread 4F3 are positioned at the widthwise ends of the left lower limb opening 2L and the right lower limb opening 2R. When the legs are inserted through the left and right lower limb openings 2L and 2R provided in the outer body, the outer body is pulled outward in the widthwise direction, and the elastic thread 4F3 is also pulled outward in the widthwise direction. As a result, in the area where the elastic thread 4F3 extends in the widthwise direction and crosses the crotch area 1B, the outer body is pushed towards the skin side, but this area is provided with a non-adhesive area 15 where the absorbent material 8 and the outer body are not adhered. Therefore, the absorbent material 8 is pushed up by the outer body to move closer to the skin side while maintaining its bent state along the groin. In this embodiment, the elastic thread 4F3 for forming leg gathers extends across the non-adhesive region 15 and is connected on both sides. However, the elastic thread provided in the non-adhesive region 15 and crossing the crotch region 1B may be provided separately from the elastic thread for forming leg gathers. Furthermore, the ends of the elastic thread 4F3 may be adhered to the outer casing, and in the non-adhesive region 15, which is the center in the width direction, the elastic thread may be adhered to another sheet material positioned between the outer casing and the backsheet. Even with this configuration, the diaper 1 can achieve the above-described effects as long as the backsheet and the other sheet material are not adhered in the non-adhesive region 15.

Next, grooves 14BL and 14BR will be described. Grooves 14BL and 14BR are formed in the absorbent body 8 and are a pair of left and right grooves that extend longitudinally in the region corresponding to the wearer's urethral opening. Grooves 14BL and 14BR are compression grooves formed by compressing the absorbent body 8. Note that grooves 14BL and 14BR may be formed by compressing only the absorbent core 8c, or by compressing the absorbent body 8 including the core wrap sheet 7. In this embodiment, grooves 14BL and 14BR are formed by compressing the core wrap sheet 7 and the absorbent core 8c from the skin side. Due to the formation of grooves 14BL and 14BR, the absorbent body 8 between the grooves is raised toward the urethral opening. As a result, the diaper 1 can press the absorbent body 8 against the urethral opening, thereby improving the adhesion of the absorbent body 8 to the wearer's skin.

Furthermore, the elastic thread 4F3 is positioned to include an area that overlaps with the front body area 1F of the grooves 14BL and 14BR when viewed from above. This configuration enhances the effect of pressing the absorbent material 8 against the wearer's skin in a folded state by the elastic thread 4F3. This is because, by providing a non-adhesive area 15 in the area where the elastic thread 4F3 and the absorbent material 8 overlap, the absorbent material 8 is not deformed by the contraction of the elastic thread 4F3, but rather the absorbent material 8, which is folded by the grooves 14BL and 14BR, is lifted towards the skin by the elastic thread 4F3, allowing the absorbent material 8 to be pressed against the skin. In addition, in order to achieve this effect, it is preferable that the elastic thread 4F3 is pulled in the left-right direction when the legs are inserted through the left and right lower leg openings 2L and 2R, thereby pressing the absorbent material 8 against the skin. For this reason, it is preferable that the elastic thread 4F3 is an elastic thread for forming leg gathers, with its ends positioned at the ends in the width direction of the diaper 1. Furthermore, when viewed in the thickness direction, if the elastic thread 4F3 for forming the leg gathers overlaps with the grooves 14AL and 14AR, it is suitable for pressing the absorbent body 8, which is folded along the groin area, against the wearer's skin side by the contractile force of the elastic thread 4F3. Also, when viewed in the thickness direction, if the elastic thread 4F3 for forming the leg gathers overlaps with the grooves 14BL and 14BR, it is suitable for pressing the absorbent body 8 against the urethral opening, or for pressing the inner pad (urine pad) placed on the top sheet 9 against the urethral opening. In addition, the diaper 1 may be configured such that the elastic thread 4F3 overlaps with the grooves 14AL and 14AR, but does not overlap with the grooves 14BL and 14BR, thereby being suitable for pressing the absorbent body 8, which is folded along the groin area, against the wearer's skin side by the contractile force of the elastic thread 4F3. Furthermore, the diaper 1 may be configured such that the elastic thread 4F3 does not overlap the grooves 14AL and 14AR, but overlaps the grooves 14BL and BR. This configuration is suitable for pressing the absorbent body 8 against the urethral opening, or for pressing the inner pad (urine pad) placed on the top sheet 9 against the urethral opening, when the elastic thread 4F3 for forming the leg gathers overlaps the grooves 14BL and 14BR. Alternatively, as in this embodiment, the diaper 1 may have the elastic thread 4F3 overlapping the grooves 14AL, 14AR and the grooves 14BL and 14BR, thus adopting both of the two preferred configurations described above.

Furthermore, grooves 14AL, 14AR, and 14BL, 14BR are not limited to compression grooves. The grooves 14AL, 14AR, and 14BL, 14BR only need to allow the absorbent body 8 to be bent starting from the groove. They may also be weight-reducing grooves or through grooves formed by reducing the pulp weight of the absorbent core 8c only in the groove-forming area. By making grooves 14AL, 14AR, and 14BL, 14BR compression grooves, the groove-forming area can be made more rigid, preventing deformation of the groove-forming area.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, groove 14AL and groove 14BL are connected, and groove 14AR and groove 14BR are connected. This allows grooves 14AL and 14BL, and grooves 14AR and 14BR, to be formed integrally. Note that grooves 14AL and 14BL may be adjacent with a gap between them, and grooves 14AR and 14BR may also be adjacent with a gap between them. Also, if a gap is provided between these grooves, the end of groove 14BL does not have to be located on the extension of groove 14AL, nor does the end of groove 14BR have to be located on the extension of groove 14AR.

Furthermore, the non-adhesive area 15 includes the area that overlaps with the front body area 1F side edge of grooves 14BL and 14BR when viewed from above. When the legs are inserted through the left and right lower limb openings 2L and 2R provided in the outer garment, the outer garment is pulled outward in the width direction, and the elastic thread 4F3 is also pulled outward in the width direction. As a result, in the area where the elastic thread 4F3 extends in the width direction across the crotch area 1B, the outer garment is pushed upward toward the skin side. However, a non-adhesive area 15 is provided where the absorbent material 8 and the outer garment are not adhered. Therefore, the absorbent material 8 maintains a raised state toward the urethral opening between grooves 14BL and 14BR, while being pushed upward toward the urethral opening by the outer garment. This allows the diaper 1 to press the absorbent material 8 against the urethral opening, thereby improving the adhesion of the absorbent material 8 to the wearer's skin.

The grooves 14BL and 14BR allow the absorbent material 8 to be folded into a W-shape when cut in the width direction, enabling the skin-side of the absorbent material 8 to be pressed against the urethral opening. If grooves 14BL and 14BR are provided only in the urethral opening area, the absorbent material 8 will be flat in parts other than the groove-forming area, and the grooves will not function as a folding mechanism for the absorbent material 8. For this reason, it is necessary to extend the grooves beyond the urethral opening area. Therefore, in this embodiment, the pair of left and right grooves 14BL and 14BR extending along the longitudinal direction of the diaper 1 extend from the ventral urethral opening area to the dorsal anal area 30. The anal area 30 is the area where the wearer's anus is located when the diaper 1 is worn. In this embodiment, by extending the grooves 14BL and 14BR to the anal area 30, the absorbent material 8 can be folded into a W-shape, improving the adhesion of the absorbent material 8 to the wearer's urethral opening.

However, if grooves 14BL and 14BR are formed up to the anal area 30, and the absorbent material 8 folds along the grooves 14BL and 14BR, there is a risk that the absorbent material 8 may dig into the wearer's buttocks (gap). If the absorbent material digs into the wearer's buttocks, the wearer will feel pressure, and the stool expelled by the wearer will press against the skin around the buttocks, reducing comfort. Therefore, the diaper 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a pair of elastic threads 4R3 arranged on both sides of the width direction of the grooves 14BL and 14BR. The elastic threads 4R3 pull the absorbent material 8 outward in the width direction of the diaper 1. As a result, the diaper 1 can prevent the absorbent material 8 in the anal area 30 from folding along the grooves 14BL and 14BR, and prevent the absorbent material 8 from digging into the wearer's buttocks, thereby suppressing a decrease in comfort.

The inner end of the elastic thread 4R3 in the width direction overlaps with grooves 14BL and 14BR when viewed in the thickness direction. This overlap of grooves 14BL and 14BR with the elastic thread 4R3 allows the grooves 14BL and 14BR to be pulled outward in the width direction from directly below them. This suppresses the W-shape of the absorbent material 8's cross-sectional shape in the width direction within the anal contact area 30, preventing the absorbent material 8 from digging into the gluteal cleft. Pulling grooves 14BL and 14BR from directly below acts as a force that separates the absorbent material 8 from the top sheet 9, making the grooves 14BL and 14BR more flexible. This weakens the rigidity (hardness) of the compression grooves, thereby reducing the force that causes the absorbent material 8 to deform into a W-shape within the anal contact area 30.

Furthermore, the inner end of the elastic thread 4R3 in the width direction may be positioned outside the grooves 14BL and 14BR when viewed in the thickness direction. Conversely to pulling the grooves 14BL and 14BR from directly below, this makes it difficult to detach the adhesive between the absorbent 8 and the skin-side material (e.g., the top sheet 9) in the grooves 14BL and 14BR, and suppresses the peeling of the skin-side material throughout the entire area of the grooves 14BL and 14BR, starting from that point. This prevents the absorbent 8 from becoming difficult to deform into a W-shape in the urethral opening area due to the grooves 14BL and 14BR. Note that even in this case, it is preferable to pull the area near the grooves 14BL and 14BR outwards with the elastic thread 4R3.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, grooves 14BL and 14BR extend from the urethral opening region to the anal area 3
It is provided including 0. The dorsal ends of grooves 14BL and 14BR are the anal contact area 30. If grooves were formed further dorsally than the anal contact area 30, there is a risk that even if the absorbent body 8 is pulled outward in the width direction by the expandable member, a force will act on the absorbent body 8 in front of and behind the anal contact area 30 that will deform its cross-section into a W shape. In this embodiment, by positioning the dorsal ends of grooves 14BL and 14BR within the anal contact area 30, a force that would deform the absorbent body 8 in a W shape in its cross-section will not act on the absorbent body 8 in front of and behind the anal contact area 30.

Furthermore, the elastic thread 4F7 is positioned in the overlapping area between the pair of grooves 14BL and 14BR, and stretches and contracts in the longitudinal direction. The elastic thread 4F7 contracts the outer covering, consisting of the inner cover sheet 5 and the cover sheet 4, pushing the absorbent material 8 towards the skin. This allows the diaper 1 to lift the portion of the absorbent material 8 that protrudes towards the urethral opening between the pair of grooves 14BL and 14BR towards the skin using the outer covering. Because the diaper 1 can press the absorbent material 8 against the urethral opening, the adhesion of the absorbent material 8 to the wearer's skin can be improved.

The elastic thread 4F7 is positioned on the non-skin side of the absorbent material 8. Furthermore, the elastic thread 4F7 is located in the center of the width direction of the diaper 1, while the elastic thread 4F3 extends through the urethral opening area in the crotch region 1B. Here, the elastic thread 4F7 has a different color (e.g., red or blue) from the outer casing and absorbent material 8, and is visible from the outside of the outer casing, i.e., from the outside of the cover sheet 4. In this embodiment, the intersection of the elastic threads 4F7 and 4F3 is visible from the outside on the ventral side, but this intersection is not visible on the dorsal side, making it easier to distinguish the front from the back. Note that the elastic thread 4F7 may be attached to the non-skin side of the absorbent material 8.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, when viewed in the thickness direction, grooves 14BL and 14BR overlap with the elastic thread 4F3. Even if the absorbent body 8 is bent in a W-shape along grooves 14BL and 14BR, the presence of the non-adhesive region 15 prevents the elastic thread 4F3 from becoming obscured from external view due to the outer casing becoming entangled in the irregularities of the absorbent body 8.

Furthermore, when viewed in the thickness direction, the ventral grooves 14AL, 14AR, 14BL, and 14BR overlap with the non-adhesive area 15. Because of the presence of the non-adhesive area 15, when the diaper is viewed from the outside of the outer casing, the lines of the skin-facing grooves 14AL, 14AR, 14BL, and 14BR within the non-adhesive area are difficult to see, or may not be visible at all. In contrast, since there is no non-adhesive area on the dorsal side, when the diaper is viewed from the outside of the outer casing, the lines of the dorsal grooves 14BL and 14BR are easy to see, or may be clearly visible. This makes it easy to distinguish the front and back of the diaper 1.

Alternatively, the elastic thread 4F7 may be bonded to the absorbent body 8 without providing the elastic thread cover sheet 13 shown in Figures 6 and 9. This causes the absorbent body 8 to contract in the front-to-back direction, making it easier for the absorbent body 8 in the urethral opening area to deform into a W-shape. The elastic thread 4F7 may also be placed in the area where the inner cover sheet 5 and the absorbent body 8 are bonded via the back sheet 6. While the presence of the elastic thread 4F7 makes the absorbent body 8 more prone to W-shape deformation, in this embodiment, the elastic thread 4R3 pulls the absorbent body 8 outwards, suppressing deformation of the absorbent body 8 in the anal area 30.

Furthermore, the elastic thread 4F7 extends between the pair of grooves 14AL and 14AR when the diaper 1 is viewed from above. In the region where the absorbent material 8 bends from the grooves 14AL and 14AR and follows the groin area, the outer casing contracts longitudinally, becoming loose on the non-skin side and easily deforming along the base of the legs. This improves the wearing comfort of the diaper 1.

As described above, the elastic thread 4F7 extends between grooves 14AL, 14AR and grooves 14BL, 14BR. As shown in Figure 7, in a plan view of the diaper 1, the elastic thread 4F7 does not overlap with the elastic thread 4F2 for the tummy gathers. This configuration allows the diaper 1 to create space between the tummy gathers and the wearer's skin at the crotch area 1B, making it easier for urine reaching the front body area 1F (abdominal side) to flow to the other side. For example, if the wearer is male and urinates with the tip of his penis pointing to either the left or right, the urine is more likely to flow to the other side, thus preventing urine leakage.

Furthermore, the elastic thread 4F7 is positioned on the front panel area 1F side of the area corresponding to the wearer's anus. This configuration allows the diaper 1 to lift its outer covering towards the skin side due to the contractile force of the elastic thread 4F7. This lifts the portion of the absorbent material 8 that protrudes between grooves 14BL and 14BR towards the skin side, but prevents the absorbent material 8 from lifting towards the skin side in the anal area 30. This makes it easier for the diaper 1 to separate from the skin side of the anus.

<Embodiment 3>
Next, a diaper 1 according to Embodiment 3 will be described. Figure 10 is an example of an exploded perspective view of the diaper according to Embodiment 3. Note that components identical to those of Embodiment 1 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

The absorbent body 8 comprises an absorbent core 8c consisting of multiple mats and a core wrap sheet 7 enclosing the absorbent core 8c. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, the absorbent core 8c has an upper absorbent mat 8a and a lower absorbent mat 8b. The upper absorbent mat 8a is roughly hourglass-shaped with a constricted portion, and the lower absorbent mat 8b is rectangular. The width of the lower absorbent mat 8b is approximately the same as the width of the constricted portion of the upper absorbent mat 8a. In this embodiment, the upper absorbent mat 8a is roughly hourglass-shaped with a constriction near the center. Thus, the absorbent core 8c may be formed by laminating two layers of absorbent mats.

<Other variations>
Although this embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In the above embodiment, a pant-type disposable diaper was used as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto and can also be applied to absorbent articles such as tape-type disposable diapers.

In the above embodiment, the absorbent 8 and the inner cover sheet 5 are not adhered in the non-adhered region 15 where the elastic thread 4F3 traverses the width direction. However, the absorbent 8 and the inner cover sheet 5 may be partially adhered in the non-adhered region 15 shown in Figures 4 and 8. In this case, displacement of the absorbent 8 relative to the inner cover sheet 5 can be prevented. The area where they are partially adhered may, for example, be the central part in the width direction.

In the above embodiment, the outer covering on the front body region and the outer covering on the back body region are formed integrally; however, the outer covering on the front body region and the outer covering on the back body region may be provided as separate parts.

The embodiments and variations disclosed above can be combined in various ways.

1B: Crotch area 1F: Front body area 1R: Back body area 2L: Left lower limb opening 2R: Right lower limb opening 2T: Torso opening 3BL, 3BR: Three-dimensional gathers 3LF, 3LR: Leg gathers 3R: Waist gathers 4: Cover sheet 4F1, 4F2, 4F3, 4F7: Elastic thread 4F4, 4F5: Edge 4FF: Fold-over line 4R1, 4R2, 4R3, 4R3: Elastic thread 4R4, 4R5: Edge 4RF: Fold-over line 5: Inner cover sheet 6: Back sheet 7: Core wrap sheet 8: Absorbent material 8c: Absorbent core 9: Top sheet 10L, 10R: Side sheet 10L1, 10R1: Elastic thread 10L2, 10R2: Fold-over line 11F, 11R: End sheet 12: Tummy gathers 13: Elastic thread cover sheet 14 : Lines 14AL, 14AR, 14BL, 14BR: Groove 15 : Non-adhesive area 30 : Anus corresponding area

Claims (3)

An absorbent article having a length along the longitudinal direction and a length along the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction,
An absorbent body is provided in a position including the crotch area and capable of absorbing the wearer's excretory fluids,
An outer casing having a waist opening through which the wearer's waist can be inserted, and two leg openings through which the wearer's legs can be inserted, and positioned on the non-skin side of the wearer than the absorbent material,
On the ventral side of the wearer, a first expandable member is provided on the outer body along the leg opening,
On the back side of the wearer, a second expandable member is provided on the outer body along the leg opening,
Equipped with,
The first expandable member has a different color from the exterior body.
The second expandable member has the same color as the exterior body.
The first extendable member is provided along one of the leg openings and across the crotch area, extends along the other leg opening, and is provided on the outer body in an extended state.
The second expandable member is arranged on both sides in the width direction, and the second expandable member at one end in the width direction and the second expandable member at the other end in the width direction are not connected at the center in the width direction.
The first expandable member causes the outer body in the crotch area to contract in the width direction,
The second stretchable member pulls the outer body in the crotch area outward in the width direction.
Absorbent material. The third expandable member is positioned on the non-skin side of the absorbent and extends in the longitudinal direction,
The third expandable member is provided in the center in the width direction, has a different color from the outer casing and the absorber, and is visible from the outside of the outer casing.
The first expandable member extends in the crotch area so as to pass through the region corresponding to the urethral opening.
The absorbent article according to claim 1. The exterior body is provided with a fourth expandable member that expands and contracts in the width direction when extended along the opening around the waist,
The fourth stretchable member has a different color from the outer body on the ventral side of the wearer.
The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2.