JP7550078B2 - Absorbent articles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an absorbent article.

When a user wears disposable diapers or the like, bodily fluids such as feces and urine are excreted, and the odor generated by these fluids is a nuisance to the user, the user's caregivers, and those around the user. For this reason, there is a demand for absorbent articles such as disposable diapers to take measures against odors caused by excretion of bodily fluids.

As regards absorbent articles that have been designed to combat odors, for example, attempts have been made to use materials with deodorizing properties that are expected to eliminate odors caused by body fluids as materials for absorbent articles.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an absorbent article having an absorbent core, a core wrap sheet covering the absorbent core or laminated to the absorbent core, and a liquid-permeable outer layer sheet covering at least one side of the core wrap sheet, in which the core wrap sheet is a sanitary tissue paper containing oxidized cellulose fibers having a carboxyl group or carboxylate group amount of 0.1 to 2.0 mmol/g relative to the bone dry mass of the oxidized cellulose fibers, and containing ions of one or more metal elements selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, Pt, Pd, Ni, Mn, Fe, Ti, Al, Zn, and Cu, and the Canadian standard freeness of the metal ion-containing cellulose fibers is 30 to 400 mL.

As a countermeasure against odors caused by excretion of bodily fluids, attempts have been made to reduce the unpleasant odors caused by bodily fluids by using fragrances that have a masking or harmonizing effect rather than deodorizing the odor.

For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a diaper-type wearable product in which a coating that disintegrates when wet is placed between a water-impermeable transparent or translucent cover member and a urine absorbing member, and microcapsules made of a material that releases a fragrant nucleus material when the coating disintegrates when wet.

In addition to the method using microcapsules, Patent Document 3 discloses a paper diaper that includes an airtight water-soluble bag containing a fragrance sealed therein together with the paper diaper constituent materials.

International Publication No. 2017/014255 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59-106501 Published Utility Model No. 63-100021

However, chemical deodorizing methods such as those described in Patent Document 1 above are unable to remove odors to the point where they are completely unnoticeable, and are therefore insufficient for deodorizing absorbent articles such as disposable diapers. They are also insufficient in terms of sustaining the deodorizing effect for a long period of time.

In the method using microcapsules as described in Patent Document 2, it is expected that the capsules will collapse when the user expels bodily fluids, and this will allow the aromatic components inside the capsules to emit their aroma to the outside. However, in the case of such microcapsules, the absorbent absorbs bodily fluids before the microcapsules do, so some capsules do not collapse and remain, preventing a sufficient amount of aroma from being released to the outside.

The inventors also considered adding fragrance components (fragrance) to the constituent materials of disposable diapers, such as fluff pulp, as another countermeasure, but found this to be insufficient. For example, with absorbent articles such as disposable diapers, as time passes from the time of product shipment, the fragrance penetrates the packaging material, such as polyethylene, that wraps the disposable diaper and gradually evaporates, so the fragrance does not last. Therefore, by the time a user uses the absorbent article, the fragrance release effect has weakened and it is not possible to release a sufficient amount of fragrance to the outside.

Furthermore, the inventors have also considered using a fragrance bag in which the fragrance components are sealed in a water-soluble film bag as in Patent Document 3, rather than encapsulation as in Patent Document 2, but have found that the conventional technology is still insufficient. It is certainly expected that when bodily fluids adhere to the fragrance bag, the storage bag will dissolve and the fragrance will be released from the fragrance components, but the dissolved, paste-like water-soluble film components will ooze out in large quantities from the surface of the absorbent article (for example, the surface of the top sheet, etc.), causing stickiness. Therefore, simply using a fragrance bag in which fragrance components are stored in such a water-soluble film bag will cause the surface of the absorbent article to become sticky when worn, causing problems such as discomfort to the user.

There is also a demand for caregivers, for example, to be able to notice when the wearer is urinating.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide an absorbent article that can maintain the strength of the fragrance until it is actually worn, is not sticky to the user, has sufficient odor control measures in place even if bodily fluids are discharged while the article is worn, and allows the user to notice when they have urinated.

As a result of intensive research by the inventors in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the inventors have come to the discovery of an absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, a fragrance bag disposed between the top sheet and the absorbent body, the fragrance bag containing a fragrance material containing pulp impregnated with a fragrance component stored inside a bag body formed into a bag shape by a water-soluble film, and a perforated film having perforations formed therein is laminated on the surface of the bag body facing the top sheet, and when bodily fluids are discharged during wear, at least a portion of the bag body dissolves, thereby enabling the release of fragrance to the outside. Based on this discovery, the inventors have come to complete the present invention.

In other words, the present invention is as follows.

(1)
The absorbent article includes a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent body disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet, and a fragrance bag is disposed between the top sheet and the absorbent body. The fragrance bag contains a fragrance material including pulp impregnated with a fragrance component stored inside a bag body formed into a bag shape by a water-soluble film, and a perforated film having openings formed therein is laminated on the surface of the bag body facing the top sheet, and when bodily fluids are discharged during wear, at least a portion of the bag body dissolves, thereby enabling the release of fragrance to the outside.
(2)
The absorbent article according to (1) above, wherein the bag body is formed by overlapping two sheets of the water-soluble film, and has a seal portion where the edges of the two overlapping sheets of the water-soluble film are heat-sealed.
(3)
The absorbent article according to (1) or (2), wherein the apertures in the perforated film are circular in top view, and the diameter of the apertures is 0.5 mm or more and 1 mm or less.

The present invention provides an absorbent article that can maintain the strength of the fragrance until it is actually worn, is not sticky to the user, and has sufficient odor control measures in place even if bodily fluids are discharged while the article is worn, allowing the user to be aware of urination.

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of an absorbent article according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the perfume bag of this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of the spice bag of this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of an aperture in the apertured film of this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a method for manufacturing the spice bag of this embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example of a conventional spice bag.

The following describes in detail the form for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter, simply referred to as the "present embodiment"). The following present embodiment is an example for explaining the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention to the following content. The present invention can be carried out with appropriate modifications within the scope of its gist.

In the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the positional relationships such as up, down, left, and right are based on the positional relationships shown in the drawings. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios of the drawings are not limited to the ratios shown in the drawings.

In this specification, terms with "abbreviation" attached indicate the meaning of the term excluding "abbreviation" within the scope of common technical knowledge of a person skilled in the art, and include the meaning itself excluding "abbreviation."

Figure 1 is a schematic top view of an absorbent article according to this embodiment, Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fragrance bag according to this embodiment, Figure 4 is a schematic top view of the fragrance bag according to this embodiment, and Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a perforated film according to this embodiment.

The absorbent article 1 according to this embodiment is an absorbent article including a liquid-permeable top sheet 10, a liquid-impermeable back sheet 20, and an absorbent 30 disposed between the top sheet 10 and the back sheet 20. Between the top sheet 10 and the absorbent 30, a fragrance bag 40 is disposed. The fragrance bag 40 contains a fragrance material 41 containing pulp impregnated with a fragrance component, stored inside a bag body formed into a bag shape by water-soluble films 42 and 43. Here, the case where the bag body is formed by overlapping two water-soluble films 42 and 43 and heat sealing them is illustrated. A perforated film 45 having perforations 45h formed therein is laminated on the surface of the bag body on the top sheet 10 side (see FIG. 4). When body fluid is discharged during wearing, the absorbent article 1 can release a fragrance to the outside by dissolving at least a part of the bag body by the body fluid.

In the description of this specification, the absorbent article 1 when worn refers to at least one of when the absorbent article 1 is worn and after it is worn. The longitudinal direction of the absorbent article 1 is the direction that spans the front and back of the user when the absorbent article 1 is worn. The width direction of the absorbent article 1 is the direction horizontal or perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the skin contact surface is the surface of each member, such as the absorbent body 30, that faces the skin side of the user (see arrow F) when worn, and the non-skin contact surface is the surface of each member, such as the absorbent body 30, that faces the side opposite the skin side of the user when worn. Body fluids refer to liquids discharged from the body to the outside, such as urine, blood, and water in loose stools.

The absorbent article 1 may be for babies, adults, or care, and examples of the absorbent article 1 include light incontinence pads, pants-type paper diapers, tape-fastened paper diapers, etc., but is not limited to these and may be other absorbent articles 1.

Each component is explained below.

＜Top sheet＞

A known material can be used as the top sheet 10. The top sheet 10 is preferably formed from a nonwoven fabric that has liquid permeability that allows bodily fluids to move to the absorbent body 30. Bodily fluids that flow onto the top sheet 10 diffuse into the absorbent body 30 and are quickly absorbed by the absorbent body 30.

The top sheet 10 is preferably formed from a material such as a nonwoven fabric, such as an air-through nonwoven fabric, a thermal bonded nonwoven fabric, a spunbonded nonwoven fabric, a two-layer laminated composite nonwoven fabric of thermal bond/spunbond, a foamed film such as urethane foam, or a composite sheet made by laminating these.

In addition, the surface of the top sheet 10 may be embossed or perforated to improve liquid permeability. Any known method may be used to perform the embossing or perforation without any restrictions. In addition, in order to reduce irritation to the skin, the top sheet 10 may contain lotion, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory ingredient, pH adjuster, antibacterial agent, moisturizer, etc.

The basis weight of the top sheet 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 18 g/ ^m2 or more and 400 g/m2 or ^less from the viewpoints of strength, processability, and liquid return. The shape of the top sheet 10 is not particularly limited, but it may be any shape that can guide body fluid to the absorbent body 30 without leakage. The top sheet 10 is provided so as to cover the entire surface of the absorbent body 30, but is not limited thereto, and may be configured so that, for example, a part of the absorbent body 30 is exposed. From the viewpoint of efficiently guiding body fluid to the absorbent body 30, it is preferable that the top sheet 10 is arranged so as to cover the absorbent body 30.

＜3D gathers＞

The absorbent article 1 may have a pair of three-dimensional gathers 50 on the skin side of the top sheet 10 along the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article 1 in order to prevent side leakage of bodily fluids excreted by the user. One end of the three-dimensional gathers 50 in the width direction of the absorbent article 1 is fixed near both ends of the skin side of the back sheet 20 (or near both ends of the non-skin side). The three-dimensional gather sheet is arranged so that the other end in the width direction is a free end that is not fixed to the top sheet 10.

In addition, by providing an elastic stretch member 51 for the three-dimensional gathers along the longitudinal direction near the free end of the three-dimensional gathers 50, the free end of the three-dimensional gathers 50 can be made to stand up, allowing it to be deformed to fit the user's body shape. Note that in this embodiment, the three-dimensional gathers 50 do not necessarily have to be provided.

As the elastic stretchable member 51 for three-dimensional gathers, for example, polyurethane thread, strip-shaped polyurethane film, thread-shaped or strip-shaped natural rubber, etc. are used when worn, and as the three-dimensional gather sheet, water-repellent or liquid-impermeable nonwoven fabric formed from hydrophobic fibers, for example, spunbond nonwoven fabric, meltblown nonwoven fabric, composite nonwoven fabric that is a laminate of spunbond nonwoven fabric/meltblown nonwoven fabric/spunbond nonwoven fabric, etc. are used when worn.

＜Back seat＞

The back sheet 20 may be made of any known material, and is preferably made of a liquid-impermeable substrate that prevents the body fluids held by the absorbent 30 from wetting clothing. It is preferably made of a material such as a resin film or a composite sheet made by laminating a resin film and a nonwoven fabric. The nonwoven fabric used in the composite sheet may be made by any method, and examples of the nonwoven fabric include spunbond nonwoven fabric, meltblown nonwoven fabric, laminated composite nonwoven fabric such as spunbond/meltblown or spunbond/meltblown/spunbond, and composite materials thereof. Examples of the resin film include polyester, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polypropylene, and composite films of polyethylene and polypropylene.

The basis weight of the back sheet 20 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 15 g/m ² or more and 40 g/m ² or less from the viewpoint of strength and processability. In addition, from the viewpoint of preventing stuffiness during wearing, the back sheet 20 is preferably breathable. The method of imparting breathability to the back sheet 20 is not particularly limited, and a known method can be adopted. For example, a method of making a resin film that is the base material of the back sheet 20 porous, a method of embossing the base material of the back sheet 20, etc. are included. As an example of a method of making a resin film porous, a method of making a resin contain a filler to form a film, and removing the filler from the obtained film, etc. are included. As a filler, for example, an inorganic salt such as calcium carbonate can be mentioned.

＜Absorbent＞

Any known absorbent material can be used as the absorbent body 30. For example, it may contain fluff pulp and a highly absorbent polymer.

Examples of fluff pulp include wood pulp (e.g., bleached kraft pulp (NBKP) made from coniferous trees such as southern pine and Douglas fir), synthetic fibers, resin fibers, and non-wood pulp that have been defibrated into a cotton-like form.

There are no particular limitations on the superabsorbent polymer, so long as it is capable of absorbing bodily fluids and preventing backflow, and those made from materials such as sodium polyacrylate, polyaspartate, (starch-acrylic acid) graft copolymer, (acrylic acid-vinyl alcohol) copolymer, (isobutylene-maleic anhydride) copolymer, and saponified products thereof can be worn. Of these, sodium polyacrylate is preferred from the viewpoint of absorption per weight.

The form of the fluff pulp and superabsorbent polymer in the absorbent body 30 may be formed by mixing superabsorbent polymer particles in fluff pulp, or may be a superabsorbent polymer sheet in which superabsorbent polymer particles are fixed between fluff pulp.

The absorbent body 30 may be wrapped in a carrier sheet to prevent leakage of the superabsorbent polymer particles and to stabilize the shape of the absorbent body 30. The base material of the carrier sheet may be any material that has hydrophilicity, and examples of such base materials include tissue, absorbent paper, and hydrophilic nonwoven fabrics such as airlaid nonwoven fabrics. When multiple carrier sheets are provided, the base materials of the multiple carrier sheets may be the same or different.

＜Scent bag＞

The fragrance bag 40 contains fragrance material 41 inside a bag body formed into a bag shape by water-soluble films 42, 43. Furthermore, a perforated film 45 with perforations 45h formed therein is laminated on the surface of the bag body on the top sheet 10 side. The fragrance bag 40 may be placed between the top sheet 10 and the absorbent body 30, but it is preferable that it is fixed to the surface of the absorbent body 30 by hot melt or the like. This allows the fragrance bag 40 to be positioned so that it does not move when worn.

Here, we will explain an example of a conventional fragrance bag that uses a water-soluble film.

Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example of a conventional fragrance bag.

In the conventional fragrance bag 400, the fragrance material 410 is stored in a bag body composed of two water-soluble films 420, 430, which are integrated by a seal part 440. The fragrance bag 400 is designed to dissolve the water-soluble films 420, 430 when the body fluid discharged by the user comes into contact with the fragrance bag 400, and to emit a fragrance from the fragrance material 410 to the outside. However, when the water-soluble films 420, 430 constituting the bag body dissolve, they become paste-like (high-viscosity fluid). For example, when the user urinates, a large amount of body fluid comes into contact with the water-soluble films 420, 430, and a large amount of the paste-like water-soluble resin seeps out onto the outer surface of the top sheet 10 (i.e., the side facing the skin of the user). This causes a problem of excessive stickiness of the skin when worn.

However, according to this embodiment, by using a fragrance bag 40 having the configuration described below, such problems do not occur, and the strength of the fragrance components can be maintained until the user actually wears the product, eliminating stickiness for the user. Each component of the fragrance bag 40 of this embodiment is described below.

(Bag body)

The water-soluble films 42 and 43 that make up the bag body are preferably water-soluble resin films such as polyvinyl alcohol film (PVA film) in order to obtain aroma retention and heat sealability.

It is preferable that the PVA film is soluble in water at 10°C or less. Generally, various types of polyvinyl alcohol are used, such as hot water soluble types (those that do not dissolve in cold water and can only dissolve in warm water such as 60°C or higher or 70°C or higher) and cold water soluble types (those that can dissolve in a wide range of water temperatures from cold water to warm water), but in this embodiment, so-called cold water soluble types are more preferable. If they are cold water soluble, they will dissolve quickly and release fragrance regardless of the temperature of the body fluid.

In addition, it is preferable that the PVA film has excellent chemical resistance and gas barrier properties. By having such properties, it is possible to prevent the film from being unintentionally eroded by chemicals other than body fluids, acids, alkalis, etc.

The thickness of the water-soluble films 42, 43 of PVA or the like described above is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20 μm to 60 μm, more preferably 30 μm to 50 μm, and even more preferably 35 μm to 45 μm, from the viewpoint of being able to firmly encapsulate the fragrant material 41 and being able to dissolve quickly when in contact with body fluids and release the fragrance to the outside. By having a thickness within the above range, the stored fragrant material 41 can be firmly held when not in use, and the amount of resin that has dissolved and become pasty due to body fluids can be kept low when in use. If the amount of resin that has dissolved and become pasty is large, problems such as the majority of the fragrant material 41 being covered with the pasty resin, making it difficult for the fragrant components to be released outside the fragrance bag 40, or the generation of a large amount of pasty resin may cause problems such as stickiness. However, by setting the thickness of the water-soluble films 42, 43 within the above range, such problems can be effectively prevented.

From the above viewpoints, the complete dissolution time of the water-soluble films 42, 43 in water at 10°C is preferably 15 seconds or more and 45 seconds or less, and more preferably 20 seconds or more and 40 seconds or less. The complete dissolution time is measured by taking a sample of the water-soluble films 42, 43, 6 cm x 6 cm square with a 3 cm x 3 cm square cut out in the center, placing this in water at 10°C and starting stirring. Then, by visual observation, measuring the time it takes for the film to completely dissolve in water.

From the above viewpoints, the tear time of the water-soluble films 42, 43 in water at 10°C is preferably 3 to 20 seconds, more preferably 5 to 18 seconds, and even more preferably 7 to 15 seconds. The tear time is measured by cutting the water-soluble films 42, 43 into 8 cm x 8 cm square samples, placing them in water at 10°C and starting to stir, and then visually observing the time it takes for the film to tear in the water.

The bag body of the fragrance bag 40 may be formed from water-soluble films 42, 43, but is preferably formed from at least two water-soluble films 42, 43 and has a seal portion 44 (see, for example, the shaded area in FIG. 4) in which the edges of the two overlapping water-soluble films 42, 43 are heat-sealed. For example, when the water-soluble films 42, 43 are substantially rectangular, the seal portion 44 may be sealed around the entire edge as shown in FIG. 4, or may be a single folded water-soluble film sealed on three sides. There are no particular limitations on the bag-making method as long as the fragrance bag 40 is sealed so that the fragrance components do not evaporate until it comes into contact with bodily fluids.

Furthermore, the sealed portion 44 may be formed by heat-sealing the water-soluble films 42, 43 and the perforated film 45. As will be described in detail later, the fragrance material 41 may be placed on the water-soluble film 43 (the absorbent body 30 side), and the other water-soluble film 42 (the top sheet 10 side) and the perforated film 45 may be placed on top of it in that order, and the edges of the overlapped water-soluble films 42, 43 and the perforated film 45 may be heat-sealed at the same time.

(Fragrance components)

The fragrance material 41 in the fragrance bag 40 is a fragrance material that includes pulp impregnated with a fragrance component. Examples of the fragrance material 41 include a pulp-based sheet impregnated with a fragrance component, and a granular pulp impregnated with a fragrance component. When the fragrance component is in liquid form, the liquid fragrance component can be immobilized by impregnating pulp such as a pulp-based sheet or granular pulp with the fragrance component. Note that the pulp-based sheet referred to here also includes various types of paper and nonwoven fabric, as described below.

The bag body formed by the water-soluble films 42 and 43 may have a thin seal portion 44 due to heat sealing, weakening its strength or causing pinholes. In such a case, if a liquid fragrance is put directly into the bag body, the liquid fragrance may leak from the weakened parts of the bag body or the parts with pinholes. If such leakage is severe, the absorbent body 30 may become oily. In addition, some fragrances weaken the adhesive strength of hot melt, so that the components constituting the absorbent article 1 may peel off when such fragrances are used. However, in this embodiment, the liquid fragrance is not put directly into the bag body, but is impregnated with the fragrance component in a pulp-based sheet or granular pulp, and is contained therein, so that the occurrence of such defects can be effectively suppressed.

As the fragrance component, fragrances such as natural fragrances and synthetic fragrances can be used, but it is preferable that the fragrance has a masking effect on the odor of excrement, and especially a harmonizing effect. Specific examples of the fragrance component include natural extract fragrances such as magus incense, benzoin, beaver incense, spirit cat incense, clove oil, galbanum, jasmine absolute, melilot, mimosa, musk tonkin, rosemary oil, sandalwood oil, vetiver oil, and violet leaf absolute; various synthetic fragrances such as higher alcohols, aldehydes, benzaldehyde, benzoic acid, cinnamic acid, cinnamic aldehyde, cinnamic alcohol, esters, ketones, salicylic acid and derivatives thereof, and vanillin; or mixtures of two or more of these. As the fragrance, other known fragrances and commercially available fragrances can also be used. In addition, it is preferable that the fragrance component is liquid at room temperature and normal pressure.

The aroma components may contain known additives and solvents in addition to the above-mentioned fragrances.

Examples of pulp-based sheets to be impregnated with the aroma components include filter paper and airlaid nonwoven fabric. Among these, filter paper is preferable from the viewpoint of being able to impregnate and retain a large amount of the aroma components without altering the quality. Examples of pulp include pulp such as bleached coniferous kraft pulp (NBKP) of radiata pine, slash pine, southern pine, lodgepole pine, spruce, Douglas fir, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

The granular pulp to be impregnated with the aroma components can be, for example, the above-mentioned pulp made into granules. Specific examples of granular pulp include the above-mentioned pulp opened and granulated with water or a water-soluble resin to a diameter of 1 mm to 5 mm.

Among the above, granular pulp is preferred as the impregnating member. The advantages of using granular pulp include that the surface area is increased by granulation, which increases the amount of fragrance components that evaporate to the outside, and that bodily fluids can pass between the particles, so the fragrance bag 40 does not interfere with the absorption of bodily fluids by the absorbent body 30. Granulation also makes it easier to fill the bag body with fragrance material than sheet-like fragrance material.

(perforated film)

The perforated film 45 preferably contains an olefin resin. Examples of olefin resins include polyethylene and polypropylene. Among these, polyethylene is more preferable from the viewpoint of softness. Specific examples of the perforated film 45 include olefin resin-based films such as polyethylene film and polypropylene film, and such olefin resin-based films that have been perforated can be used.

The number of openings 45h per unit area of the perforated film 45 is preferably 40/ ^cm2 or more and 130/ ^cm2 or less. By setting the number of openings 45h per unit area of the perforated film 45 in the above range, it is possible to further improve the balance between preventing bleeding of the pasty water-soluble films 42, 43 and volatilizing the fragrance. The number of openings 45h per unit area can be measured by counting the number of openings 45h within a certain range of the perforated film 45, but when the openings at the boundary portion are not completely contained within the measurement range, the area is measured and the value obtained by dividing the area by the average area of the openings 45h is used.

When the aperture 45h is circular in top view, the diameter of the aperture 45h (aperture diameter d, see FIG. 5) is preferably 0.5 mm or more and 1 mm or less. By setting the diameter within the above range, it is possible to prevent the pasty water-soluble films 42, 43 from seeping out from the aperture 45h. The diameter (aperture diameter d) here refers to, for example, the diameter as seen from the surface of the perforated film 45 that does not have the tapered protruding rib R (the larger diameter of both surfaces), and is the arithmetic mean of the diameters (aperture diameter d) of the apertures 45h formed in the perforated film 45. In addition, when the aperture 45h is not a perfect circle, a perfect circle with the same area is assumed, and the diameter is adopted.

From the viewpoints of strength, processability, etc., the basis weight of the perforated film 45 is preferably from 20 g/ ^m2 to 60 g/ ^m2 , and more preferably from 23 g/ ^m2 to 30 g/ ^m2 . By setting the basis weight to be equal to or more than the above lower limit, there is a tendency that breakage of the film can be further prevented, and by setting the basis weight to be equal to or less than the above upper limit, there is a tendency that the film can be further prevented from becoming hard to the touch.

The perforated film 45 may be laminated on the surface of the bag body on the side of the top sheet 10. The lamination method may be heat sealing together with the water-soluble films 42 and 43, or bonding with an adhesive. When heat sealing is performed, a hot melt adhesive or the like may be used in combination.

The method of manufacturing the perforated film 45 is not particularly limited, and may be manufactured by a known method. For example, when the perforated film 45 is an olefin resin film, a method of forming the olefin resin composition into a film and then forming perforations in the film can be mentioned. The method of forming the olefin resin composition into a film is not particularly limited, and for example, a casting method, a lamination method, an inflation film forming method, etc. can be adopted. In addition, the olefin resin composition may be melt-kneaded in advance by a twin-screw extruder or the like before film formation. Furthermore, the method of forming perforations in the film can also be a method of perforating perforations with high-temperature air, a method of perforating perforations with high-pressure hot water, a method of perforating perforations with a heated needle, a method of perforating perforations with a laser, etc. Specific examples include a method of forming the olefin resin composition into a film by a casting method, and then contacting the film with a punching metal (a perforated plate having a perforation pattern) having a predetermined perforation rate, and blowing hot air to form perforations.

The perforated film 45 obtained by the above-mentioned manufacturing method is a non-perforated film that is perforated to form the perforations 45h, and thus the perforations form ribs R on the film surface. That is, when the perforated film 45 is produced, as shown in FIG. 5, ribs R may be formed around the periphery of the perforations 45h. When tapered ribs R protruding from one surface (first surface) to the opposite surface (second surface) are formed on the perforations 45h of the perforated film 45, the presence of the ribs R can more effectively suppress the occurrence of stickiness during use. Furthermore, as described below, it is preferable to arrange the surface (second surface) on which the tapered ribs R are located on the bag body side.

For example, the nonwoven fabric or other material used for the top sheet 10 is liquid permeable, so the top sheet 10 is often made of a porous material with a low basis weight. Therefore, even if the pasty water-soluble films 42, 43 have low fluidity, the fibers of the nonwoven fabric or other material may be pushed into the resin of the water-soluble films 42, 43 due to pressure from the user's weight, and the pasty water-soluble films 42, 43 may seep out from between the fibers to the surface.

In this regard, according to the present embodiment, the perforated film 45 can be manufactured by a method such as that described in JP-A-11-206811. For example, a manufacturing method can be used in which a film mainly made of polyethylene is placed on a perforated plate having a perforation pattern, and hot air is blown onto the film to provide perforations having a shape corresponding to the perforations of the perforated plate. When the perforated film 45 is manufactured by such a manufacturing method, the shape of the perforations 45h is such that a tapered rib R is formed (see Blow and symbol R in FIG. 5) protruding from the surface (second surface, see lower side in FIG. 5) opposite the surface (first surface, see upper side in FIG. 5) on which the hot air is blown.

In this way, when tapered ribs R protruding from one side (first side, see the upper side of FIG. 5) of the perforated film 45 to the opposite side (second side, see the lower side of FIG. 5) are formed around the periphery of the perforations 45h, when the weight of the user is applied to the perforated film 45, the ribs R are crushed and the perforations 45h are blocked, preventing the pasty water-soluble films 42, 43 from passing through the perforations 45h. As a result, the phenomenon of the water-soluble resin seeping out to the surface can be effectively prevented, and the occurrence of stickiness can be more effectively suppressed.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is preferable to arrange the surface (second surface) with the tapered rib R so that it faces the bag body. With such an arrangement, the pasty water-soluble films 42, 43 are less likely to pass through the openings 45h. The crushed rib R then acts as a spacer, forming a small gap between the water-soluble films 42, 43 and the perforated film 45. Through this gap, the aroma components can emit the aroma to the outside via the openings 45h that are not blocked by the weight of the user and are not blocked by the pasty water-soluble resin. As a result, more aroma can be emitted to the outside.

The fragrance bag 40 can be manufactured, for example, by the following method.

Two water-soluble films 42, 43 are overlapped and the edges are heat-sealed except for at least a portion of the overlapped edges to obtain a bag body with an opening. Fragrance material 41 is then placed inside the bag body through the opening and the open end is heat-sealed to enclose the fragrance material 41 inside the bag body. A perforated film 45 is then laminated by hot melt onto the surface of the water-soluble film 42 (top sheet 10 side) to obtain the fragrance bag 40.

When the fragrance material 41 is granular pulp impregnated with the fragrance component, it is preferable to stack two water-soluble films 42, 43 and a perforated film 45, heat seal three sides of the stack to form a bag with an opening, fill it with a measured amount of granular pulp impregnated with the fragrance component, and close the opening with a heat seal.

As described above, the fragrance bags 40 may be manufactured in units of one piece, but as shown in FIG. 6, a continuous laminate 40S having multiple fragrance bags 40 may be produced and then cut into individual bags using a paper diaper manufacturing machine or the like.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a method for manufacturing a fragrance bag according to this embodiment.

On a long water-soluble film 43, multiple pieces of fragrance material 41 are placed at a predetermined interval along the lengthwise direction, and a long water-soluble film 42 and a long perforated film 45 are placed on top of them. The edges of the long water-soluble films 42, 43 and the perforated film 45 are then heat-sealed, and the longitudinal boundaries are also heat-sealed. This results in a continuous laminate 40S having multiple fragrance bags 40 in the lengthwise direction. Although four fragrance bags 40, 40a, 40b, and 40c are shown in FIG. 6, a continuous laminate having more or less fragrance bags may be used.

Then, multiple fragrance bags 40 are obtained by cutting and separating the vertical boundaries (borders in the short direction, see cut in Figure 6) of the fragrance bags 40 arranged side by side in the continuous laminate 40S.

If the bond between the water-soluble film 42 and the perforated film 45 is weak when heat sealed alone, hot melt adhesive may be applied to the area to be heat sealed in advance.

For example, if the perforated film 45 has a rib R at the perforation 45h, and the perforated film 45 is positioned so that the tapered rib R faces the water-soluble film 42, the contact area is small and the hot melt adhesive alone may not bond the water-soluble film 42 and the perforated film 45 together. Also, it may be difficult to obtain sufficient strength by heat sealing alone. In such cases, the adhesive strength can be increased or sufficient strength can be ensured by applying hot melt adhesive between the water-soluble film 42 and the perforated film 45 in advance and then crushing the rib R of the perforated film 45 by heat sealing to increase the contact area.

<Diffusion layer>

In this embodiment, it is sufficient that the fragrance bag 40 is disposed between the top sheet 10 and the absorbent body 30. Therefore, although not shown, this embodiment may further include a diffusion layer. The diffusion layer may be provided, for example, between the fragrance bag 40 and the top sheet 10 and/or between the fragrance bag 40 and the absorbent body 30.

As described above, the absorbent article 1 according to this embodiment can maintain the strength of the fragrance until it is actually worn, is not sticky to the user, and has sufficient odor countermeasures even if bodily fluids are discharged while wearing it, so that the user himself or a caregiver can notice the user's urination. For example, when the user urinates, an aroma is released to the outside of the absorbent article 1, and this aroma can be used as a trigger to make the caregiver notice the user's urination. Furthermore, when used in diapers, discomfort during diaper changing can be reduced. From this perspective, the absorbent article 1 according to this embodiment can be suitably used as a paper diaper equipped with it. In particular, it can be suitably used as a nursing absorbent article for users who need a caregiver (for example, a nursing paper diaper).

Reference Signs List 1: Absorbent article 10: Top sheet 20: Back sheet 30: Absorbent body 40, 40a, 40b, 40c: Fragrance bag 40S: Continuous laminate
41: Fragrance material 42, 43: Water-soluble film 44: Sealed portion 45: Perforated film 45h: Perforation 50: Three-dimensional gathers 51: Elastic and stretchable member for three-dimensional gathers 400: (conventional) fragrance bag 410: (conventional) fragrance material 420:, 430: (conventional) water-soluble film 440: (conventional) Sealed portion F: Arrow R: Rib d: Perforation diameter

Claims (3)

An absorbent article comprising a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent disposed between the top sheet and the back sheet,
A fragrance bag is disposed between the top sheet and the absorbent body,
The fragrance bag has a fragrance material including pulp impregnated with a fragrance component, and the fragrance material is stored inside a bag body formed into a bag shape by a water-soluble film,
a perforated film having perforations formed therein is laminated on a surface of the bag body on the side of the top sheet,
The perforated film is formed by perforating an olefin resin film,
When body fluids are discharged during wear, at least a part of the bag body dissolves, thereby releasing an aroma to the outside.
Absorbent articles. The bag body is formed by overlapping two sheets of the water-soluble film, and has a seal portion formed by heat-sealing edges of the two overlapped sheets of the water-soluble film.
The absorbent article of claim 1. The apertures of the apertured film are circular in top view,
The diameter of the opening is 0.5 mm or more and 1 mm or less.
3. The absorbent article according to claim 1 or 2.