Absorbent article and method for producing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018008481-A1
Application number	US-201615547444-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 29, 2016
Priority date	Jan 30, 2015
Publication date	Jan 11, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Both high air permeability and high peeling strength are achieved.
The above problem is solved by providing an underpants-type disposable diaper including a stretchable region ( 80 ) stretchable at least in one direction in an outer body ( 20 ), in which the stretchable region ( 80 ) is formed by stacking an elastic film ( 30 ) between a first sheet layer ( 20 A) composed of a nonwoven fabric and a second sheet layer ( 20 B) composed of a nonwoven fabric, and in a state in which the elastic film ( 30 ) is stretched in the stretching and contracting direction, the first sheet layer ( 20 A) and the second sheet layer ( 20 B) are joined via through holes ( 31 ) formed in the elastic film ( 30 ) at a large number of sheet bond portions ( 40 ) arranged at intervals in each of a stretching and contracting direction and a direction orthogonal thereto, and in the sheet bond portions ( 40 ), the first sheet layer ( 20 A) and the second sheet layer ( 20 B) are joined at least by a melted and solidified material ( 30 m ) of the elastic film ( 30 ) among the first sheet layer ( 20 A) and the second sheet layer ( 20 B).

First claim

1 . An absorbent article comprising
a stretchable region stretchable at least in one direction, wherein the stretchable region is formed by stacking an elastic film between a first sheet layer composed of a nonwoven fabric and a second sheet layer composed of a nonwoven fabric, and in a state in which the elastic film is stretched in a stretching and contracting direction of the stretchable region, the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer are joined via through holes formed in the elastic film at a large number of sheet bond portions arranged at intervals in each of a stretching and contracting direction and a direction orthogonal thereto, and in the sheet bond portions, the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer are joined at least by a melted and solidified material of the elastic film among the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer.

2 . The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein
fibers of the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer continuing from around the sheet bond portions are left in the sheet bond portions, and the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer are joined by the melted and solidified material of the elastic film, which has infiltrated and solidified among the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer.

3 . The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein
an area of each of the sheet bond portions in the stretchable region is in a range of 0.14 to 3.5 mm 2 , an area of an opening of each of the through holes in a natural length state is 1 to 1.5 times the area of each of the sheet bond portions, and an area rate of the sheet bond portions in the stretchable region is in a range of 1.8 to 22.5%.

4 . The absorbent article according to claim 1 , wherein the absorbent article is an underpants-type disposable diaper having an outer body included in a front body and a back body, an inner body that includes an absorber and is fixed to an internal surface of the outer body and, wherein
both side portions of the front body of the outer body are respectively joined to both side portions of the back body of the outer body to define side seal portions, and an annular torso region, a waist opening, and a pair of right and left leg openings are thereby formed, and the stretchable region is included in the outer body.

5 . A method of manufacturing an absorbent article including a stretchable region stretchable at least in one direction, wherein
in forming the stretchable region, in a state in which an elastic film is interposed between a first sheet layer composed of a nonwoven fabric and a second sheet layer composed of a nonwoven fabric while the elastic film is stretched in a stretching and contracting direction of the stretchable region, the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer are welded at a large number of positions arranged at intervals in each of the stretching and contracting direction and a direction orthogonal thereto, thereby the elastic film is melted at the large number of positions to form through holes, and the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer are joined at least by solidification of melted material of the elastic film at the positions of the through holes.

6 . The method of manufacturing an absorbent article according to claim 5 , wherein a melting point of the first sheet layer and a melting point of the second sheet layer are higher than a melting point of the elastic film, the elastic film is melted at the positions for welding, and a part of the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer is not melted or a whole of the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer is not melted.

7 . An absorbent article having an absorber that absorbs excrement, the absorbent article comprising
an elastic film stretchable structure in which an elastic film is stacked between a first sheet layer and a second sheet layer, and the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer are joined via through holes penetrating the elastic film at a large number of sheet bond portions arranged at intervals, wherein a region having the elastic film stretchable structure includes a stretchable region stretchable in at least one direction, the stretchable region is contracted in a stretching and contracting direction by a contraction force of the elastic film while it is possible that the stretchable region is stretched in the stretching and contracting direction, and in at least one of the first sheet layer and the second sheet layer of the stretchable region, a vent hole is formed by piercing to penetrate the sheet layer in a thickness direction at a portion other than the sheet bond portions.

8 . The absorbent article according to claim 7 , wherein in a state in which the stretchable region is stretched, the vent hole is disposed with respect to the through holes such that a part or a whole of the vent hole overlaps each of the through holes.

9 . The absorbent article according to claim 7 , wherein independently of a state in which the stretchable region is stretched or not, none of the vent hole overlaps the through holes.

10 . The absorbent article according to claim 7 , wherein the first sheet layer is a nonwoven fabric and the second sheet layer is a nonwoven fabric, and the number of vent holes per unit area is smaller than the number of through holes per unit area.

11 . The absorbent article according to claim 7 , wherein at least one vent hole is formed on each side of each of the sheet bond portions in the stretching and contracting direction.

12 . The absorbent article according to claim 7 , wherein an area of the vent hole is in a range of 0.34 to 3.5 mm 2 , and an area rate of the vent hole is in a range of 4.4 to 19.1%.

13 . The absorbent article according to claim 7 , wherein
a region having the elastic film stretchable structure includes a non-stretchable region provided at least at one side of the stretchable region in the stretching and contracting direction, the non-stretchable region is a region in which an elongation at an elastic limit in the stretching and contracting direction is 130% or less, and the vent hole is formed in the non-stretchable region and the vent hole is or is not formed in the stretchable region.

14 . The absorbent article according to claim 7 , wherein
the absorbent article is an underpants-type disposable diaper having an outer body included in a front body and a back body, an inner body that includes an absorber and is fixed to the outer body, wherein both side portions of the front body of the outer body are respectively joined to both side portions of the back body of the outer body to define side seal portions, and an annular torso region, a waist opening, and a pair of right and left leg openings are thereby formed, and the elastic film stretchable structure is included in the torso region of the outer body in at least one of the front body and the back body such that the stretching and contracting direction thereof corresponds to a width direction.

Assignees

• Daio Seishi Kk

Inventors

• Takahashi Aya
• Furuhashi Yukina

Classifications

• A61F13/4902

  characterised by the elastic material · CPC title

• B29C66/1122

  Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints (B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61F13/49011 Primary

  the elastic means is located at the waist region · CPC title

• B29C66/41

  Joining substantially flat articles (B29C66/47 and subgroups take precedence); Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles (B29C66/51 and subgroups take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C66/433

  Casing-in, i.e. enclosing an element between two sheets by an outlined seam (for bookbinding B42C11/06; for packaging B65B; by laminating B32B37/00; enclosing tubular articles between substantially flat elements B29C66/53261) · CPC title