JP2024063436A - Absorbent article for pet - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an absorbent article for pet which can prevent breakage due to a hook tape when taking out and developing the absorbent article for pet even in a situation where multiple absorbent articles for pet in a folded state are stacked and packaged.SOLUTION: An absorbent article for pet 10 comprises: a main body part 20 including a liquid permeable top sheet 21, a liquid impermeable back sheet 22, and an absorber 23 arranged between the top sheet 21 and the back sheet 22 and being long in a first direction; a hook tape 30 provided on one end of the main body part 20 in the first direction and being detachably attached to the other end of the main body part 20 in the first direction; and a covering sheet 40 being detachably fitted to the hook tape 30 and covering the hook tape 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

This disclosure relates to absorbent articles for pets.

Recently, many households have kept dogs, cats, and other pets. As a result, the number of pets with excretory or other disabilities has increased significantly. For example, absorbent articles for pets are used for such pets to prevent them from soiling the home with their excrement. Similar to absorbent articles for humans, absorbent articles for pets have a structure that includes a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent body located between the top sheet and the back sheet.

Pet absorbent articles are worn by wrapping them around the pet's torso near the buttocks, but because pets dislike being restrained by the pet absorbent article and tend to move around, there is the problem that it is difficult to wear the pet absorbent article correctly. If the pet absorbent article is not worn correctly, the pet will feel cramped, reducing the comfort of the pet absorbent article, and in some cases the pet may even take it off on its own. Various proposals have been made to solve this problem.

Patent Document 1 describes an absorbent article for pets that is configured in a rectangular shape with a liquid-permeable surface layer, a liquid-impermeable back layer, and an absorbent body disposed therebetween, with a first end and a second end that face each other, and a pair of side portions that are perpendicular to the first end and the second end and face each other, and that is wrapped around the pet's waist with the first end positioned on the pet's body side and the second end removably attached to the outer surface of the first end, and further includes an elastic member that is stretched along the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article for pets, in which a high-rigidity portion that is more rigid than the second end is formed at the first end, a strip-shaped tape member with multiple hook portions is attached to the outer surface of the first end, and the inner surface of the second end is configured of at least the nonwoven fabric that constitutes the surface layer without a separate engaging member that engages with the tape member, and the second end side is configured symmetrically to the first end side.

Patent No. 5924753

Generally, absorbent articles for pets are manufactured by stacking multiple sheets in a folded state and wrapping them in a packaging material.

In the pet absorbent article described in Patent Document 1, a strip-shaped tape member with multiple hook portions is attached to the outer surface of the first end, and the inner surface of the second end is made of nonwoven fabric that forms at least the surface layer. In this way, when hook tape is provided for use when wrapping the pet absorbent article around the pet's torso and attaching it, there is a possibility that the surface material of the part that abutted against the hook tape will become frayed and damaged when the folded and packaged pet absorbent article is removed from the packaging material and unfolded.

The present disclosure therefore aims to provide an absorbent article for pets that can prevent damage caused by the hook tape when the absorbent article for pets is taken out and unfolded, even when multiple sheets of the absorbent article for pets are stacked and packaged in a folded state.

In order to solve the above problems, the first aspect of the present invention provides an absorbent article for pets, which comprises a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, and is provided with a main body portion that is long in a first direction, a hook tape provided at one end of the main body portion in the first direction and detachable from the other end of the main body portion in the first direction, and a cover sheet that is detachably attached to the hook tape and covers the hook tape.

The second aspect of the present invention is the absorbent article for pets of the first aspect, in which the covering sheet is a nonwoven fabric having a basis weight of 10 gsm or more and 40 gsm or less.

The third aspect of the present invention is the absorbent article for pets of the first or second aspect, in which the covering sheet covers the entire area of the hook tape.

The fourth aspect of the present invention is the absorbent article for pets of the third aspect, in which the hook tape extends along a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the length of the covering sheet in the second direction is longer than the length of the hook tape in the second direction.

The fifth aspect of the present invention is the absorbent article for pets of the fourth aspect, in which at least one side of the covering sheet in the second direction protrudes from the end of the hook tape in the second direction to the one side by 5 mm to 15 mm.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an absorbent article for pets that can prevent damage caused by the hook tape when the absorbent article for pets is taken out and unfolded, even when the absorbent article for pets is packaged in a folded state and stacked in multiple sheets.

1 is a plan view of an absorbent article for pets according to one embodiment of the present invention, seen from the skin side. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the non-skin side of the absorbent article for pets. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing a pet absorbent article in a folded state, (b) shows a state where it is folded in three, (c) shows a state where it is folded in two,

Below, we will explain an absorbent article 10 for pets according to one embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the skin side of a pet absorbent article according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a plan view of the non-skin side of the pet absorbent article. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in Figure 1. Note that Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-section of the pet absorbent article. Furthermore, each figure does not stipulate the size relationship of the components of the pet absorbent article 10, and the dimensions of each component can be appropriately selected from a wide range depending on the purpose of the pet absorbent article 10 and the type of pet for which it is used.

In this specification, wearing the absorbent article for pets 10 refers to a state in which the absorbent article for pets 10 is wrapped around the body (torso) of the animal pet, regardless of whether it is before or after absorbing bodily fluids. The first direction of the absorbent article for pets 10 refers to the direction along the circumferential direction of the pet's torso when the absorbent article for pets 10 is worn, and is the direction along the arrow X in the figure. The second direction of the absorbent article for pets 10 refers to the direction intersecting (orthogonal to) the first direction, and is the direction along the arrow Y in the figure. The thickness direction of the absorbent article for pets 10 refers to the direction in which each component is layered, and is the direction along the arrow Z in the figure. The skin side of the absorbent article for pets 10 refers to the direction toward the body of the pet when the absorbent article for pets 10 is worn in the thickness direction, and the non-skin side refers to the direction opposite to the skin side in the thickness direction. Bodily fluids refer to liquids discharged from the pet's body to the outside, such as urine, blood, and water in loose stools.

<Absorbent articles for pets>
The pet absorbent article 10 according to this embodiment is to be worn by a pet (e.g., a dog, a cat, etc.), and is particularly suitable for use with male pets. The pet absorbent article 10 is folded and stacked in a plurality of sheets, and is packaged in a packaging material to produce a product. The pet absorbent article 10 according to this embodiment has a dimension in a first direction (longitudinal direction) of, for example, 350 mm or more and 550 mm or less, and a dimension in a second direction (transverse direction) of, for example, 150 mm or more and 250 mm or less.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the absorbent article for pets 10 comprises a main body 20, a hook tape 30, and a covering sheet 40.

<Main body>
The main body 20 has, as basic structural units, a liquid-permeable top sheet 21 located on the skin side when worn, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 22 located on the non-skin side when worn, and an absorbent 23 disposed between the top sheet 21 and the back sheet 22, and is formed long in the first direction. The main body 20 may be subjected to various known modifications as necessary. For example, as in this embodiment, the main body 20 may have, in addition to the above basic structure, an absorbent paper 24 that entirely wraps the absorbent 23, a pair of three-dimensional gathers 25 provided on the skin side of the top sheet 21, and an exterior sheet 26 attached to the non-skin side of the back sheet 22.

(Top sheet)
The top sheet 21 may be formed from a substrate having liquid permeability that allows bodily fluids to move to the absorbent body 23. A part of the top sheet 21 of this embodiment can be engaged with the hook tape 30 described later, and has a function of fastening the pet absorbent article 10. Examples of substrates for the top sheet 21 include hydrophilic sheets, composite nonwoven fabrics that are laminates of the same or different hydrophilic sheets, open-ended films such as open-ended polyethylene films, and foamed films such as polyethylene foam and urethane foam. Examples of hydrophilic sheets include air-through nonwoven fabrics, thermal bond nonwoven fabrics, spunlace nonwoven fabrics, spunbond nonwoven fabrics, and the like, which are made using synthetic fibers made of synthetic resins such as polypropylene and polyethylene, regenerated fibers such as rayon, and natural fibers such as cotton. Among these, nonwoven fabrics are preferred, and air-through nonwoven fabrics are more preferred from the viewpoints of texture, engagement with the hook tape 30, and the like.

The top sheet 21 may be embossed or perforated on the surface in order to improve the durability and liquid permeability of the hook tape 30 against repeated attachment and detachment. Any known method may be used for the embossing or perforation without any limitation. In addition, the top sheet 21 may contain lotion, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory component, pH adjuster, antibacterial agent, moisturizer, etc. in order to reduce irritation to the skin. The basis weight of the top sheet 21 is preferably, for example, 15 g/m ² or more and 120 g/m ² or less in terms of strength, processability, and liquid return amount. The shape of the top sheet 21 is not particularly limited, but may be a shape that covers the absorbent body 23 in order to guide body fluid to the absorbent body 23 without leakage.

(Back seat)
The back sheet 22 may be formed using a liquid-impermeable substrate so that the body fluid held by the absorbent 23 does not leak to the non-skin side, and is formed from a material such as a resin film or a composite sheet in which a resin film and a nonwoven fabric are laminated. The nonwoven fabric used in the composite sheet is not particularly limited in its manufacturing method, and examples thereof include composite nonwoven fabrics in which multiple nonwoven fabrics of the same type and/or different types are laminated, such as spunbond nonwoven fabric, meltblown nonwoven fabric, spunbond nonwoven fabric/meltblown nonwoven fabric, spunbond nonwoven fabric/meltblown nonwoven fabric/spunbond nonwoven fabric, and composite materials thereof. Examples of the resin film include polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polypropylene, and composite films of polyethylene and polypropylene.

From the viewpoint of strength and processability, the basis weight of the back sheet 22 is preferably 15 g/m ² or more and 60 g/m ² or less, and more preferably 15 g/m ² or more and 40 g/m ² or less. In addition, in order to prevent stuffiness during wearing, it is preferable that the back sheet 22 has breathability. In order to provide the back sheet 22 with breathability, for example, a filler may be blended into the resin film of the base material, or the back sheet 22 may be embossed. In addition, calcium carbonate may be used as the filler, and the blending method may be a known method without any restrictions. For example, a porous (breathable) resin film can be obtained by kneading a resin and a filler, forming the resulting kneaded product into a film, and removing the filler from the resulting film.

(Exterior sheet)
The exterior sheet 26 is formed from a breathable and liquid-impermeable base material, and is attached to the non-skin side (hereinafter referred to as the "non-skin side") of the back sheet 22. As the exterior sheet 26, a nonwoven fabric such as a thermal bonded nonwoven fabric, an air-through nonwoven fabric, or a spunbonded nonwoven fabric, preferably an air-through nonwoven fabric or a spunbonded nonwoven fabric made of a thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene, polyester, or polyethylene, can be used.

(Absorber)
The absorbent body 23 is disposed between the top sheet 21 and the back sheet 22, and absorbs and retains bodily fluids that have passed through the top sheet 21. The absorbent body 23 has a dimension (maximum length) in a first direction (longitudinal direction) of, for example, 150 mm or more and 350 mm or less, and a dimension (maximum width) in a second direction (width direction) of, for example, 80 mm or more and 200 mm or less. The absorbent body 23 may be embossed entirely or partially. Examples of the shape of the absorbent body 23 in a plan view include an I-shape, a rectangle, a rounded rectangle with rounded corners, an oval, and the like.

The absorbent body 23 may contain, for example, absorbent fibers and a highly absorbent polymer as an absorbent base material.

(Absorbent Fiber)
The absorbent fiber is not particularly limited as long as it is generally used in absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, paper diapers, and urine pads, and examples thereof include fluff pulp, cotton, rayon, acetate, tissue, absorbent paper, hydrophilic nonwoven fabric, etc. Among these, fluff pulp is preferred from the viewpoint of absorbency. Examples of fluff pulp include wood pulp (e.g., coniferous bleached kraft pulp (N-BKP) such as southern pine and Douglas fir), synthetic fiber, resin fiber, cotton-like defibrated material such as non-wood pulp, etc. When fluff pulp is used as the absorbent fiber in the absorber 23, the basis weight of the absorbent fiber is preferably, for example, in the range of 100 g/m ² or more and 300 g/m ² or less, and more preferably in the range of 140 g/m ² or more and 200 g/m ² or less. This allows more body fluid to be absorbed without impairing the feel on the skin.

(Superabsorbent polymer)
The superabsorbent polymer (hereinafter also referred to as "SAP") is not particularly limited as long as it can absorb body fluids and prevent backflow, and examples thereof include polyacrylates, polyaspartates, (starch-acrylic acid) graft copolymers, (acrylic acid-vinyl alcohol) copolymers, (isobutylene-maleic anhydride) copolymers, and saponification products thereof. Among these, from the viewpoint of the absorption amount per weight, polyacrylates are preferred, alkali metal polyacrylates are more preferred, and sodium polyacrylate is even more preferred. The superabsorbent polymers may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The superabsorbent polymer is used in the form of particles, fibers, etc., for example, but is preferably used in the form of particles from the viewpoint of ease of handling. In this case, by avoiding the use of a fine powder of superabsorbent polymer that has poor flowability as a powder and using a superabsorbent polymer with a median particle size, the basic absorption performance can be improved and the rough feel caused by the hardness of the absorbent body 23 can be reduced. The median particle size of the superabsorbent polymer is preferably in the range of 50 μm to 600 μm, for example, and more preferably in the range of 100 μm to 500 μm.

The basis weight of the SAP in the absorbent body 23 is, for example, preferably in the range of 80 g/ ^m2 or more and 350 g/ ^m2 or less, and more preferably in the range of 100 g/ ^m2 or more and 250 g/ ^m2 or less. By setting the basis weight of the SAP within the above-mentioned numerical range, gel blocking in the absorbent body 23 can be prevented, and a large amount of body fluid can be absorbed by the absorbent body 23. Furthermore, in the absorbent body 23, the ratio of the weight of the superabsorbent polymer to the total weight of the absorbent body 23, (weight of superabsorbent polymer/total weight of absorbent body 23)×100(%), is, for example, preferably in the range of 15 wt% or more, and more preferably in the range of 15 wt% or more and 70 wt% or less.

In the absorbent body 23, the absorbent fibers and SAP may be in the form of a mixture of SAP particles in absorbent fibers, or an SAP sheet in which SAP particles are fixed between absorbent fibers. Another form of absorbent body 23 that can be used is an absorbent sheet that includes multiple hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics and a superabsorbent polymer fixed between the hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics.

(Absorbent paper)
In this embodiment, the entire absorbent 23 may be wrapped in absorbent paper 24. As the absorbent paper 24, any hydrophilic sheet commonly used in this field may be used, for example, hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics such as thermal bonded nonwoven fabrics, spunbonded nonwoven fabrics, airlaid nonwoven fabrics, air-through nonwoven fabrics, and pulp-containing nonwoven fabrics, tissue paper, absorbent paper, etc. Among hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics, hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics such as thermal bonded nonwoven fabrics, spunbonded nonwoven fabrics, air-through nonwoven fabrics, and pulp-containing nonwoven fabrics are more preferred, and tissue paper (crepe paper), spunbonded nonwoven fabrics that have been subjected to hydrophilic treatment as necessary, etc. are even more preferred. The tissue paper preferably has a basis weight in the range of 10 g/m ² or more and 30 g/m ² or less, and a thickness in the range of 0.03 mm or more and 0.15 mm or less. The spunbond nonwoven fabric preferably has a basis weight in the range of 10 g/ ^m2 to 30 g/ ^m2 , and a thickness in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.8 mm. The thickness is measured using a thickness gauge (a dial thickness gauge "PEACOCK" manufactured by Ozaki Manufacturing Co., Ltd.). The measurement conditions are a measurement load of 3.7 kPa and a gauge diameter of 30 mm. The sample is placed between the gauge and the measuring table, and the gauge is read when the gauge is lowered at a speed of 1 mm or less per second. The measurement is repeated 10 times, and the measurement results are averaged. The measurement is performed by stacking 10 sheets, and the value is divided by 10 to obtain the thickness value.

(3D gathers)
The three-dimensional gathers 25 are fixed to the skin-side surface of the top sheet 21 along the length direction of the absorbent body 23 near both ends in the second direction of the absorbent body 23 in order to prevent, for example, lateral leakage of bodily fluids excreted by a pet wearing the pet absorbent article 10. The three-dimensional gathers 25 include a water-repellent and/or waterproof sheet member 25a and an elastic stretchable member 25b.

The sheet member 25a is a water-repellent and/or waterproof sheet, and is made of, for example, a nonwoven fabric. Here, the nonwoven fabric may be any water-repellent and/or waterproof (liquid-impermeable) nonwoven fabric made of hydrophobic fibers, and may be, for example, a spunbonded nonwoven fabric, a meltblown nonwoven fabric, or a composite nonwoven fabric (SMS nonwoven fabric) that is a spunbonded nonwoven fabric/meltblown nonwoven fabric/spunbonded nonwoven fabric laminate. The basis weight of the sheet member 25a is, for example, in the range of 10 g/m ² to 20 g/m ^2. One end side of the sheet member 25a in the second direction is fixed along the first direction near both ends in the second direction of the skin side surface of the back sheet 22 (hereinafter referred to as the "skin side surface"). The middle part in the second direction of the sheet member 25a is fixed along the first direction near both ends in the second direction of the skin side surface of the top sheet 21, and the other end side in the second direction is a free end. The fixed position of the fixed end (one end in the second direction) of the sheet member 25a is not limited to this embodiment, and examples include the non-skin side of the back sheet 22, near both ends in the second direction of the skin side or non-skin side of the joint between the top sheet 21 containing the absorbent body 23 inside and the back sheet 22, and near both ends in the second direction of the skin side of the top sheet 21.

The elastic stretchable member 25b is disposed in the first direction near the free end of the sheet member 25a, imparting uprightness to the free end and allowing the free end of the sheet member 25a and its neighboring area to be deformed to fit the pet's body shape. The elastic stretchable member 25b may be, for example, a thread-, string-, or band-shaped member made of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, polyurethane, or the like.

An elastic stretch member 27 is provided between one end (fixed end) of the sheet member 25a in the second direction and the skin side of the back sheet 22. The elastic stretch member 27 is fixed to the sheet member 25a and the back sheet 22 in a state along the first direction. The elastic stretch member 27 allows both ends of the main body 20 in the second direction to be deformed to fit the pet's body shape. In other words, the elastic stretch member 27 functions as a side gather. As with the elastic stretch member 25b, the elastic stretch member 27 may be, for example, a thread-like, string-like, or band-like member made of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, polyurethane, or the like, as appropriate.

<Hook tape>
The hook tape 30 is a tape for fastening both ends of the main body 20 in the first direction to each other when the pet absorbent article 10 is attached to a pet, and is provided at one end of the main body 20 in the first direction. In this embodiment, the hook tape 30 is fixed to the non-skin side of the exterior sheet 26 at one end of the main body 20 in the first direction. That is, the hook tape 30 in this embodiment is fixed to the non-skin side 20a at one end of the main body 20 in the first direction. The hook tape 30 extends in a strip shape along the second direction. In this embodiment, the pet absorbent article 10 is attached to a pet by engaging the hook tape 30 with the skin side 20b (e.g., the skin side of the top sheet 21) at the other end of the main body 20 in the first direction while the pet absorbent article 10 is wrapped around the pet's torso. The hook tape 30 can be made of a material that can be engaged with the skin side 20b (e.g., the skin side of the top sheet 21) of the main body 20, and examples of such materials include hook-and-loop fasteners.

In this embodiment, the hook tape 30 extends in a strip shape along the second direction, but is not limited to this. For example, multiple hook tapes may be arranged side by side with a distance between them in the second direction. In this embodiment, the hook tape 30 is provided on the non-skin side 20a of one end of the main body 20 in the first direction, but is not limited to this. The hook tape 30 may be provided on the skin side 20b (top sheet 21 side) of one end of the main body 20 in the first direction. In this case, the hook tape 30 can be engaged with the non-skin side 20a of the other end of the main body 20 in the first direction. Also, a hook-and-loop material capable of engaging with the hook tape 30 may be fixed to the other end of the main body 20 in the first direction.

<Covering sheet>
The covering sheet 40 is a sheet for protecting another sheet facing the hook tape 30 from the hooks of the hook tape 30 when the pet absorbent article 10 is folded when not in use (hereinafter referred to as the "folded state"), and is removably attached to the hook tape 30 to cover the hook tape 30. The covering sheet 40 is flexible and can be attached to the hook tape 30 without the use of an adhesive or the like. When putting the pet absorbent article 10 on a pet, the covering sheet 40 is removed from the hook tape 30 and used.

As the covering sheet 40, for example, a nonwoven fabric that can be attached and detached to the hook tape 30 is preferable. Examples of nonwoven fabrics include air-through nonwoven fabrics, point-bonded nonwoven fabrics, spunlace nonwoven fabrics, spunbonded nonwoven fabrics, melt-blown nonwoven fabrics, composite nonwoven fabrics (SMS nonwoven fabrics) that are spunbonded nonwoven fabric/meltblown nonwoven fabric/spunbonded nonwoven fabric laminates, and composite materials thereof. The material of these nonwoven fabrics can be selected from materials generally used in nonwoven fabrics, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, rayon, and nylon. In particular, from the viewpoints of strength and cost, spunbonded nonwoven fabrics made of polypropylene, meltblown nonwoven fabrics, or composite nonwoven fabrics thereof are preferable.

The basis weight of the nonwoven fabric used in the covering sheet 40 is preferably 10 gsm or more and 40 gsm or less, and more preferably 15 gsm or more and 30 gsm or less. If the basis weight of the nonwoven fabric is lower than 10 gsm, the hooks are likely to penetrate when attached to the hook tape 30, and the effect of protecting other sheets facing the hook tape 30 in the folded state (hereinafter simply referred to as the "protective effect of other sheets") may be reduced. In addition, when removing the covering sheet 40 from the hook tape 30, the covering sheet 40 may be torn and difficult to peel off. On the other hand, if the basis weight of the nonwoven fabric is higher than 40 gsm, the protective effect of other sheets will be increased more than necessary, resulting in unnecessary cost increases.

The size of the covering sheet 40 is preferably large enough to cover the entire hook tape 30. The length of the covering sheet 40 in the second direction is preferably longer than the length of the hook tape 30 in the second direction. In this case, it is preferable that at least one side of the covering sheet 40 in the second direction protrudes 5 mm to 15 mm from the end of the one side in the second direction of the hook tape 30. In this embodiment, the covering sheet 40 covers the entire hook tape 30, and both sides of the covering sheet 40 in the second direction protrude outward in the second direction beyond both ends 30a of the hook tape 30 in the second direction.

Next, we will explain the pet absorbent article 10 in a folded state.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a pet absorbent article in a folded state, where (a) shows the absorbent article folded in three, (b) shows the absorbent article folded in four, and (c) shows the absorbent article folded in two.

As shown in FIG. 4, the pet absorbent article 10 is manufactured by stacking multiple sheets in a folded state and wrapping them in a wrapping material. When folding the pet absorbent article 10, from a hygienic standpoint, it is folded with the top sheet 21 side facing inward so that the skin side 20b of the main body 20 is not exposed to the surface.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), when the pet absorbent article 10 is folded in three by folding both sides in the first direction (longitudinal direction) inward in the first direction, if one end side in the first direction where the hook tape 30 is provided is folded back before the other end side, the hook tape 30 faces the skin side 20b of the main body 20. In this case, since the hook tape 30 is covered by the covering sheet 40, the covering sheet 40 is interposed between the hook tape 30 and another sheet (e.g., the top sheet 21) constituting the skin side 20b located in a position opposite to it. On the other hand, if the other end side in the first direction of the pet absorbent article 10 is folded back before the one end side in the first direction where the hook tape 30 is provided, the hook tape 30 is located on the front side of the folded pet absorbent article 10 (position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4(a)) and faces the non-skin side of another pet absorbent article (not shown) that is layered on top of it. In this case, the hook tape 30 is covered by the covering sheet 40, so that the covering sheet 40 is interposed between the hook tape 30 and another sheet (e.g., the exterior sheet 26) that constitutes the non-skin side of another absorbent article for pets located opposite the hook tape 30.

As shown in FIG. 4(b), when the pet absorbent article 10 is folded in half in the middle in the first direction and then folded in half again to fold the pet absorbent article 10 in four, if the hook tape 30 is folded inward during the second folding, the hook tape 30 faces the non-skin side 20a of the main body 20. In this case, since the hook tape 30 is covered by the covering sheet 40, the covering sheet 40 is interposed between the hook tape 30 and another sheet (e.g., the exterior sheet 26) constituting the non-skin side 20a located opposite to the hook tape 30. On the other hand, if the hook tape 30 is folded outward during the second folding, the hook tape 30 is located on the front side of the folded pet absorbent article 10 (position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4(b)) and faces the non-skin side of another pet absorbent article (not shown) that is placed on top of it. In this case, the hook tape 30 is covered by the covering sheet 40, so that the covering sheet 40 is interposed between the hook tape 30 and another sheet (e.g., the exterior sheet 26) that constitutes the non-skin side of another absorbent article for pets located opposite the hook tape 30.

As shown in FIG. 4(c), when the pet absorbent article 10 is folded in half in the middle in the first direction to fold the pet absorbent article 10 in two, the hook tape 30 faces the non-skin side of another pet absorbent article 10a (the upper pet absorbent article in FIG. 4(c)) that is placed on top of it. In this case, since the hook tape 30 is covered by the covering sheet 40, the covering sheet 40 is interposed between the hook tape 30 and another sheet (e.g., the exterior sheet 26) that constitutes the non-skin side of the other pet absorbent article 10a that is located opposite it.

The pet absorbent article 10 configured as described above includes a cover sheet 40 that is removably attached to the hook tape 30 and covers the hook tape 30. Therefore, as described above, the cover sheet 40 is interposed between the hook tape 30 of the pet absorbent article 10 in the folded state and the other sheet (the sheet that constitutes the skin side 20b or non-skin side 20a of the pet absorbent article 10 itself, or the sheet of another pet absorbent article) that faces the hook tape 30. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the other sheet by the hook tape 30 when a new pet absorbent article 10 is taken out of the packaged product, or when the folded pet absorbent article 10 is unfolded after being taken out.

In this way, according to this embodiment, even if the pet absorbent article 10 is packaged in a folded state with multiple sheets stacked on top of each other, it is possible to provide a pet absorbent article 10 that can prevent damage caused by the hook tape 30 when the pet absorbent article 10 is taken out and unfolded.

In addition, by covering the entire hook tape 30 with the covering sheet 40, damage to the other sheets mentioned above by the hook tape 30 can be reliably prevented.

In addition, by making the length of the covering sheet 40 in the second direction longer than the length of the hook tape 30 in the second direction, when removing the covering sheet 40 from the hook tape 30, the end of the covering sheet 40 in the second direction can be grasped and the covering sheet 40 can be easily removed. In addition, by making at least one side of the covering sheet 40 in the second direction protrude from the end of the one side in the second direction of the hook tape 30 by 5 mm to 15 mm to one side, when removing the covering sheet 40 from the hook tape 30, the end of the one side in the second direction of the covering sheet 40 can be reliably grasped and the covering sheet 40 can be easily removed.

In this embodiment, the three folding states shown in FIG. 4 are described, but the folding method of the pet absorbent article 10 is not limited to these, and various folding methods can be applied.

The present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the contents of the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other words, all other embodiments, examples, and operational techniques made by those skilled in the art based on this embodiment are naturally included in the scope of the present invention.

10: Absorbent article for pets 20: Main body 21: Top sheet 22: Back sheet 23: Absorbent body 30: Hook tape 40: Covering sheet

Claims (5)

A main body portion having a liquid permeable top sheet, a liquid impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, the main body portion being elongated in a first direction;
a hook tape provided at one end of the main body portion in the first direction and detachable from the other end side of the main body portion in the first direction;
and a cover sheet that is removably attached to the hook tape and covers the hook tape. The absorbent article for pets according to claim 1, wherein the covering sheet is a nonwoven fabric having a basis weight of 10 gsm or more and 40 gsm or less. The absorbent article for pets according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the covering sheet covers the entire area of the hook tape. The hook tape extends along a second direction intersecting the first direction,
The absorbent article for pets according to claim 3 , wherein the length of the covering sheet in the second direction is longer than the length of the hook tape in the second direction. The absorbent article for pets according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one side of the covering sheet in the second direction protrudes from an end of the hook tape in the second direction to the one side by 5 mm to 15 mm.