TWI782122B - absorbent articles - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an absorbent article for urine, which can exhibit good absorbent performance even when urine is repeatedly supplied from the wearer. The absorbent article for urine of the present invention has: the surface sheet (2) protrudes toward the skin facing side in the thickness direction and has a convex portion (21) extending in the first direction; The non-skin-facing side is recessed and the groove portion (22) extending parallel to the convex line portion (21) toward the first direction has a concavo-convex structure alternately arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and It is composed of a non-woven fabric with a basis weight of 25g/m ² to 50g/m ² and a thickness of 0.7mm to 2.0mm. Furthermore, the aforementioned surface sheet (2) has a relatively high fiber density in the aforementioned groove (22). The high density portion has protein dispersion means for dispersing Tamhorsfall mucous membrane protein contained in urine on the surface opposite to the skin.

Description

absorbent article

The present invention relates to absorbent articles for urine, such as (light) incontinence pads and disposable diapers.

Conventionally, absorbent articles such as (light) incontinence pads, disposable diapers, and sanitary napkins have been required to quickly absorb excretions such as urine and menstrual blood excreted from the wearer without The ability to keep it leaking outward.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses the absorbability of water-soluble compounds containing 3 or more nitrogen atoms and 1 to 3 carbon atoms in absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins and panty liners. thing. In the absorbent article disclosed in this patent document 1, the above-mentioned water-soluble compound modifies the protein contained in excreted fluid such as menstrual blood and secretions (hereinafter referred to as "menstrual blood, etc."), and the menstrual blood When the viscosity of the menstrual blood or the like is lowered, the menstrual blood or the like can be quickly sent toward the absorber. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Document]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-100256

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

On the other hand, in absorbent articles targeting urine such as (light) incontinence pads and disposable diapers, when an elderly wearer repeatedly discharges urine, the absorption rate of the absorbent article gradually decreases. down to give the wearer a moist feeling, and urine may leak to the outside depending on the situation. There have been various speculations about the cause of this decrease in absorption rate (for example, solid components contained in urine (such as magnesium ammonium phosphate stones, calcium oxalate crystals, etc.) are blocked by pores on the surface of absorbent articles, etc. ), but because the specific reason has not been clarified, so the inventors, etc., concentrated on investigating the cause of the decline in the absorption rate and thoroughly found out that the decrease in the absorption rate is called urine contained in the wearer. Specific proteins in the Tamm-Horsfall mucoprotein (THP) are caused by pore plugging in surface sheets. In view of this knowledge, it can be expected that the above-mentioned decrease in absorption rate can be avoided by applying the above-mentioned water-soluble compound of Patent Document 1 to an absorbent article for urine. The above-mentioned water-soluble compounds are suitable for absorbent articles targeting urine, but unlike the above-mentioned menstrual blood, urine has a low viscosity and easily reaches the absorber, so the protein component modified by the above-mentioned water-soluble compounds is the same as Urine reaches the absorber together and adheres to the surface of the absorbent material (for example, superabsorbent copolymer (SAP), etc.) in the absorber. As a result, the absorbing performance of the absorber and thus the absorbing performance of the absorbent article may decrease.

Here, an object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article targeting urine, which can exhibit good absorbing performance even when urine is repeatedly supplied from the wearer. [Means to solve the problem]

One aspect (aspect 1) of the present invention is an absorbent article for urine having a surface sheet and an absorber repeatedly arranged in the thickness direction, wherein the surface sheet has: The protruding protruding part on the skin-facing side of the absorbent article and extending in the first direction, and the protruding part in the thickness direction toward the non-skin-facing side of the absorbent article and facing the first direction in parallel with the protruding part The extended grooves have a concavo-convex structure alternately arranged along the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and are made of non-woven fabric with a basis weight of 25g/m ² to 50g/m ² and a thickness of 0.7mm to 2.0mm Furthermore, the above-mentioned surface sheet has a high-density portion having a relatively high fiber density in the above-mentioned groove portion, and has a protein that disperses the Tamhorsfall mucosal protein contained in urine on the surface opposite to the skin. means of dispersion.

In the absorbent article of this aspect, by forming the surface sheet with the above-mentioned concave-convex structure and a specific nonwoven fabric having a basis weight and thickness, urine supplied to the surface sheet can be diffused along the above-mentioned grooves while Penetrates through the thickness of the surface flakes. In this case, the absorbent article of this aspect has protein dispersion means for dispersing Tamhorsfall mucosal protein (THP) contained in urine on the surface of the surface sheet opposite to the skin. THP, which is the cause of clogging the pores of the surface sheet (that is, the cause of the decrease in the absorption rate), is dispersed on the surface sheet, and penetrates into the thickness direction of the surface sheet together with the flow of urine, and the dispersed component of THP is directed toward the inside of the surface sheet. It is scattered in the thickness direction and the surface direction, and is easily held in at least the above-mentioned high-density portion and remains in the surface sheet. Therefore, in the absorbent article of this aspect, it is difficult to cause pore clogging by THP in the surface sheet (that is, it is difficult to cause a decrease in the absorption rate in the surface sheet), and the dispersed THP (dispersed component of THP) can be difficult to reach. An absorbent material that is arranged on the non-skin-facing side of the surface sheet and is difficult to adhere to the absorbent body (that is, makes the absorption performance of the absorbent body difficult to decrease), so even if urine is repeatedly supplied from the wearer It can exhibit good absorption performance as an absorbent article.

Another aspect (aspect 2) of the present invention is the absorbent article of the above-mentioned aspect 1, wherein the protein dispersing means is composed of a protein modifying agent, an anionic surfactant, a salt concentration regulator, a proteolytic enzyme , At least one component selected from the group consisting of weak alkalinizing agents.

In the absorbent article of this aspect, the protein dispersing means is at least one component selected from the group consisting of protein modifying agent, anionic surfactant, proteolytic enzyme, and weak alkalinizing agent, and these components, It is an ingredient that modifies or even decomposes THP, and makes THP into small pieces or even water-soluble (that is, soluble in urine). At the same time, it is also an ingredient that can be easily applied to the surface sheet, so it can be contained in the wearer's urine. The THP is more efficiently and effectively dispersed.

Still another aspect (aspect 3) of the present invention is the absorbent article of the above-mentioned aspect 2, wherein the protein dispersion means is the protein modifying agent, and the protein modifying agent is a chaotropic salt.

In the absorbent article of this aspect, the protein dispersing means is a chaotropic salt. Since this chaotropic salt has a strong modifying effect on THP, it can modify THP so that there is no salting-out effect and the solubility of water is improved. Therefore, clogging of the pores of the surface sheet produced by the above-mentioned THP can be more reliably and effectively prevented.

Still another aspect (aspect 4) of the present invention is the absorbent article of the above-mentioned aspect 2, wherein the protein dispersion means is the anionic surfactant, and the anionic surfactant is sodium lauryl sulfate.

In the absorbent article of this aspect, the protein dispersion means is sodium dodecyl sulfate (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; SDS). This kind of SDS has a strong modification effect on protein, even if it is difficult to dissolve in other methods, it has strong hydrophobicity. The protein can also be dissolved, and because the function of the protein can be inactivated (deactivated), the pore blockage caused by the above-mentioned THP can be more difficult to produce.

In still another aspect (aspect 5) of the present invention, in the absorbent article according to any one of the above-mentioned aspects 1 to 4, the thickness of the ridge portion of the top sheet is larger than the thickness of the groove portion. 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm, the ridge portion has a width of 2.0 mm to 4.0 mm, and the groove portion has a width of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

In the absorbent article of this aspect, since the ridges and grooves of the surface sheet have the above-mentioned specific structure, the THP dispersed components in the ridges can be easily dropped into the grooves, and even if the surface sheet is wet with urine, it can It is difficult to crush the convex part. Accordingly, even when urine is repeatedly supplied from the wearer, the absorbent article of this aspect can easily ensure a flow path for urine in the convex line of the top sheet, thereby exhibiting more excellent absorbing performance. [Effect of the invention]

According to the absorbent article for urine of the present invention, good absorbing performance can be exhibited even when urine is repeatedly supplied from the wearer.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the absorbent article of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, in this specification, unless otherwise specified, "an object (such as an absorbent article, a surface sheet, an absorbent body, etc.) placed on a horizontal plane in an unfolded state is viewed from the upper side in the vertical direction (the object is In the case of absorbent articles, when the surface sheet side) is viewed in the thickness direction of the object", it is simply referred to as "viewed from a top view".

Regarding various directions and the like used in this specification, unless otherwise stated, it is as follows. In this specification, the "longitudinal direction" means "the direction in which the length of a vertically long object (such as an absorbent article, top sheet, absorber, etc.) is long when viewed from a plan view", and the "width direction" means "The direction in which the length of a vertically long object is short (width direction)" and "thickness direction" refer to "the direction perpendicular to an object placed on a horizontal plane in an unfolded state", and these The longitudinal direction, the width direction, and the thickness direction each have a relationship of perpendicularly intersecting each other. In addition, in this specification, "plane direction" means "the direction in which the plane of a substantially sheet-shaped object (such as an absorbent article, a surface sheet (nonwoven fabric), etc.) extends (that is, the horizontal plane direction) when viewed from a plan view", The surface direction and the thickness direction have a relationship of perpendicularly intersecting each other. Furthermore, in this specification, "in the longitudinal direction of a vertically elongated object, with respect to the proximal side of the longitudinal central axis C _W located in the center of the longitudinal direction of the object and extending in the width direction" is referred to as "the length The inner side in the direction" refers to "the outer side in the longitudinal direction" as "the side farther away from the central axis C _W in the longitudinal direction in the longitudinal direction of the aforementioned elongated object". Similarly, "in the width direction of a vertically elongated object, with respect to the proximal side of the width direction central axis _CL that is located in the width direction center of the object and extends in the length direction" is referred to as "the inner side of the width direction.""side","in the width direction of the longitudinally long object, the side relatively far from the width direction central axis _CL " is referred to as "the outside side in the width direction". In addition, in this specification, unless otherwise specified, in the thickness direction of an absorbent article, "the side near the wearer's skin when the absorbent article is worn" is referred to as the "skin-facing side", and " When the absorbent article is worn, the side farther away from the wearer's skin is referred to as the "non-skin facing side". Here, "when worn" refers to the period from when the wearer puts on the absorbent article (that is, when the absorbent article becomes usable) to the period during which the absorbent article is maintained (wearing period). In addition, in this specification, "the surface on the skin-facing side" and "the surface on the non-skin-facing side" of an absorbent article and various members (for example, a top sheet, an absorber, a back sheet, etc.) constituting the absorbent article ", which are only called "skin-facing side" and "non-skin-facing side" respectively.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an incontinence pad 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is an end view of the cross section of the incontinence pad 1 taken along line II-II' in Fig. 1 . And, FIG. 3 is an enlarged end view of main parts of the top sheet 2 in the light incontinence pad 1 . As shown in FIG. 1, an incontinence pad 1 (an example of an "absorbent article" in the present invention) has a longitudinal direction L and a width direction W in a plan view, and further, both ends having a longitudinal direction L are The outer shape of an oval protrudes toward the outer side in the longitudinal direction L in an arc-drawing manner. In addition, in the present invention, the shape of the outer shape of the absorbent article is not limited to such a shape, and if the length in the longitudinal direction L is longer than the length in the width direction W, it can adopt a shape corresponding to various uses, etc. Any lengthwise shape (for example, rectangle, ellipse, sand clock shape, etc.).

Furthermore, the light incontinence pad 1, as shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 3, in the thickness direction T, its main constituent members are provided with: located on the side T1 _of the skin-facing surface and provided with a convex portion 21 described later. The liquid-permeable surface sheet 2 made of non-woven fabric with a specific concave-convex structure of the groove portion 22, and the liquid-impermeable back sheet ₃ located on the non-skin facing side T2, and located between these two sheets (that is, in the In the non-skin-facing surface side T2 in the thickness direction T, the absorbent core 4 of the liquid absorbing and liquid retentive properties overlaps with the surface sheet ₂ ). And this light incontinence pad 1, as shown in the 1st figure and the 2nd figure, its constituent member further has: the both ends that are positioned at the widthwise direction W in the skin facing surface side T1 _of the surface sheet 2, can be used as anti-incontinence pad 1. A pair of liquid-impermeable side sheets 5, 5 that function as leaky walls; and are arranged on the surface of the non-skin-facing side T2 of the back sheet ₃ to fix the light incontinence pad 1 to the wearer's underwear, etc. Clothing fixing adhesive portion (not shown) for clothing; and the surface of the non _- skin-facing side T2 of the clothing fixing adhesive portion to protect the clothing fixing adhesive portion before use. Peel off the foil (not shown).

In addition, the light incontinence pad 1 is worn by peeling off the above-mentioned release sheet, and the light incontinence pad ₁ is arranged on the surface of the non-skin facing side T2 through the adhesive part for fixing the clothes. And it is fixed on the inner surface of the clothes such as the underwear of the wearer, and the surface sheet 2 is worn so that the skin surface of the wearer faces it. And, if the urine is discharged from the wearer, the urine is supplied to the surface of the skin-facing side T1 of the top sheet 2 of the light incontinence pad ₁ , and spreads toward the thickness direction T while spreading in the face direction on the top sheet 2. The non-skin _- opposite side T2 passes through and is absorbed and held in the absorber 4 .

And in the light incontinence pad ₁ of this embodiment, the surface sheet 2, as shown in FIGS. (An example of the "first direction" in the present invention) the protruding part 21 extending in the thickness direction T, and the protruding part 21 that is recessed toward the non-skin _- facing surface side T2 and extends in the longitudinal direction L in parallel with the above-mentioned protruding part 21. The groove portion 22 has a concavo-convex structure alternately arranged along the width direction W (an example of the "second direction" in the present invention), and has a basis weight of 25g/m ² to 50g/m ² and a thickness of 0.7mm to 2.0mm The thickness of the non-woven fabric. Moreover, this surface sheet 2 has a high-density portion having a relatively high fiber density in the above-mentioned groove portion 22, and further, has a Tamhorsford fiber to be contained in the wearer's urine on the surface of the skin _- facing side T1. Protein dispersion means for Thallein mucosal protein (THP) dispersion.

In this way, in the light incontinence pad 1 of this embodiment, the surface sheet 2 is formed of the above-mentioned concave-convex structure, a specific non-woven fabric having a basis weight and thickness, and the urine supplied to the surface sheet 2 can be moved along the above-mentioned surface sheet. The groove portion 22 diffuses toward the longitudinal direction L while penetrating toward the non-skin-facing surface side T2 of the thickness direction T of the surface sheet ₂ . In this case, the light incontinence pad ₁ is formed into the surface sheet 2 by having a protein dispersion means for dispersing THP contained in the wearer's urine on the surface of the skin-facing side T1 of the surface sheet 2. The THP that is the cause of pore clogging (that is, the reason for the decrease in the absorption rate) is dispersed on the surface sheet 2, and the dispersed component of THP penetrates into the surface sheet 2 while penetrating in the thickness direction T of the surface sheet 2 together with the flow of urine. The thickness direction T and the surface direction of the disperse, and can be maintained at least in the above-mentioned high-density portion and easily stay in the surface sheet 2 . Therefore, in the light incontinence pad 1 of the present embodiment, it is difficult for THP to cause pore clogging in the top sheet 2 (that is, it is difficult to cause a decrease in the absorption rate in the top sheet 2), and the dispersed THP (dispersed component of THP) It is difficult to reach the absorber 4 disposed on the non-skin-facing side T2 of the surface sheet ₂ and is difficult to adhere to the absorbent material in the absorber 4 (that is, the absorption performance of the absorber 4 is difficult to decline), so even if the urine is from wearing Good absorption performance can also be exhibited even when it is repeatedly supplied.

Hereinafter, various members constituting the absorbent article of the present invention will be described in more detail using the incontinence pad 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment.

[Surface sheet] In the light incontinence pad 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment, the top sheet 2 is as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, except for the portion overlapping with the pair of side sheets 5, 5 in the thickness direction T. In addition, it is a liquid-permeable non-woven fabric that is arranged at a position that can directly contact the wearer's skin (that is, the position of the skin-facing side T1 of the light incontinence pad ₁ ), and is permeable to the urine discharged from the wearer. constituted.

The surface sheet 2 is, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, viewed from a plan view, the surface of the skin-facing surface side T1 of the absorber 4 disposed on the non-skin-facing surface side T2 _of the surface sheet ₂ The overall covering extends in the longitudinal direction L and the width direction W, and both ends of the longitudinal direction L have the same shape as the outer shape of the light incontinence pad 1 and protrude outward in the longitudinal direction L in an arc-drawing manner. The shape of the oblong shape. In addition, in the absorbent article of the present invention, the outer shape of the surface sheet is not limited to this aspect, and the surface of the absorber on the side facing the skin is not exposed in a region corresponding to at least the crotch portion of the wearer. In this case, any external shape and size corresponding to various uses and the like can be adopted.

In the present invention, the nonwoven fabric that can be used as the surface sheet is not particularly limited if it has the characteristics (such as liquid permeability, skin feel, softness, strength, etc.) used as the surface sheet of absorbent articles, and can be used For example, any nonwoven fabric such as breathable nonwoven fabric, spunbonded nonwoven fabric, and point bonded nonwoven fabric. Also, the nonwoven fabric may be subjected to a hydrophilization treatment.

And the fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric are not particularly limited, for example, thermoplastic resins such as olefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyester resins such as polylactic acid, etc. can be used. For the resin fibers to be formed, one type of resin may be used alone, or two or more types of resin may be used in combination.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the nonwoven fabric usable as the surface sheet has a basis weight of 25 g/m ² to 50 g/m ² and a thickness of 0.7 mm to 2.0 mm. If the surface sheet is made of a nonwoven fabric having such a basis weight and thickness, it is easy to move the dispersed component of THP dispersed by the above-mentioned protein dispersion means toward the thickness direction T of the surface sheet (nonwoven fabric) together with urine. permeate, and is easily held between the constituent fibers inside the non-woven fabric (in other words, it is easy to filter the dispersed components of THP from urine), so the dispersed components of THP can be kept dispersedly in at least the thickness direction in the non-woven fabric, and the urine The flow path is guaranteed to be easy.

Also, in the present invention, the basis weight of the nonwoven fabric is preferably in the range of 28 g/m ² to 48 g/m ² , more preferably in the range of 30 g/m ² to 45 g/m ² . In addition, the thickness of the nonwoven fabric is preferably within a range of 0.7 mm to 1.8 mm, more preferably within a range of 0.8 mm to 1.6 mm. In addition, in this specification, the thickness of the non-woven fabric refers to the height from the horizontal plane when the non-woven fabric (surface sheet) is placed on the horizontal plane so that the surface on the non-skin-facing side becomes the downward side, as shown in FIG. 3 . The distance in the thickness direction between the top of the highest ridge and the horizontal plane means the thickness d of the entire nonwoven fabric.

Here, the basis weight of the nonwoven fabric can be measured in accordance with JIS L 1906 5.2, and the thickness of the nonwoven fabric can be measured using a laser displacement meter (such as a high-precision 2-dimensional laser displacement gauge manufactured by KEYENCE Co., Ltd. Meter LJ-G series (type: LJ-G030)), measured by non-contact method. Also, the thickness of the nonwoven fabric was measured by measuring five different measurement target portions (that is, the tops of the ridges), and adopting the average value thereof.

And in the above-described embodiment, the surface sheet 2, as shown in FIGS. ₁ to 3, has a shape that protrudes toward the skin-facing side T1 in the thickness direction T and faces the _first direction D1 (in the present invention). In the embodiment, corresponding to the direction of the length direction L of the light incontinence pad ₁ ), the protruding part 21 extends; The grooves 22 extending in the _first direction D1 are alternately arranged along the _second direction D2 (in this embodiment, the direction corresponding to the width direction W of the light incontinence pad ₁ ) perpendicularly intersecting the first direction D1. Concave-convex structure. If the surface sheet is provided with such a concave-convex structure of the convex portion and the groove portion, the urine supplied to the surface sheet can be diffused along the above-mentioned groove portion toward the longitudinal direction, and the urine that is not supplied to the non-skin surface in the thickness direction of the surface sheet can be sprayed. The opposite side gradually infiltrates. At this time, in the surface of the skin-facing side of the surface sheet, because there is a protein dispersion means for dispersing THP contained in urine, the cause of the clogging of the pores of the surface sheet (that is, the cause of the decrease in the absorption rate) can be eliminated. ) THP is dispersed on the surface sheet toward the surface direction, and gradually permeates toward the thickness direction of the surface sheet together with the flow of urine, and the dispersed component of THP is dispersed toward the thickness direction and the surface direction of the surface sheet. Thereby, the above-mentioned surface sheet can more easily secure a urine flow path, and at the same time, it becomes difficult to clog pores by THP.

In addition, in the present invention, the direction in which the ridges and grooves of the top sheet extend (i.e., the first direction D ₁ ) is not limited to the aspects of the above-mentioned embodiments (i.e., the direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article). Any direction such as a direction corresponding to the width direction of the absorbent article can be adopted as the direction in which the urine supplied to the skin-facing side of the top sheet can be diffused in the front direction. And, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the ridge portion and the groove portion of the surface sheet are, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, arranged on the whole of the surface sheet (that is, from one side end to the other side in the longitudinal direction). end and alternately arranged from one side end to the other side end in the width direction), but the absorbent article of the present invention is not limited to this arrangement form, and even if only the ribs and grooves are It may be arranged on a predetermined portion of the surface sheet. In this case, the ridges and the grooves are arranged in areas overlapping in the thickness direction with the absorber on the non-skin-facing side of at least the surface sheet (that is, at least area of overall coverage on the opposite side of the skin) is preferred.

In this specification, the ridges and grooves of the surface sheet can be classified as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, when the surface sheet ₂ is placed on a horizontal plane so that the surface of the non-skin-facing side T2 becomes the lower side, the part with the highest height from the horizontal plane is used as the ""Top21T", the "bottom 22B" of the groove 22 is the lowest part from the horizontal plane, compared to the position where the thickness d2 of the entire surface sheet (nonwoven fabric) is equally divided (that is, from the thickness direction T of the top 21T and bottom 22B) The portion of the virtual reference horizontal plane P where the distance is d/2 is expanded further upward is the "protruding line portion 21", and the portion recessed downward is the "groove portion 22".

Moreover, these ridges and grooves can be identified from photographs or images by enlarging and observing the cross-section along the _second direction D2 of the surface flake by means of magnifying observation such as a scanning electron microscope.

And in above-mentioned embodiment, surface sheet 2, as shown in the _2nd figure and the 3rd figure, has the surface that makes the non-skin facing side T2 have the convex line portion ₂₁ and the groove portion corresponding to the skin facing side T1. The concavo-convex structure of the concave portion and the convex portion of 22 has a hollow structure in the internal structure of the convex portion 21 . In the absorbent article of the present invention, the surface structure of the non-skin-facing side of the surface sheet is not limited to such a structure as long as it does not hinder the effect of the present invention. Arbitrary structures such as the structure (that is, the internal structure of the protruding part is a solid structure) are also possible, but from liquid permeability (especially, the permeability of repeatedly supplied urine), cushioning, muscle feel, etc. As for the point, the surface structure of the non-skin-facing side of the surface sheet is, as in the above-mentioned embodiment, provided with a concave-convex structure corresponding to the convex portion and the groove portion of the skin-facing side (that is, the concave-convex structure of the convex portion). The internal structure is preferably a hollow structure).

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the surface sheet 2 has a high-density portion (not shown) having a relatively high fiber density in the groove portion 22 . If the surface sheet has such a high-density portion in the groove, the dispersed component of THP that penetrates in the surface sheet (non-woven fabric) in the thickness direction T together with urine slips between the constituent fibers of the non-woven fabric because of the high density in the groove. It is held in the part, so the dispersed component of THP can be easily left in the surface sheet. This makes it difficult for the dispersed component of THP to reach the absorber located on the non-skin-facing side of the surface sheet and to adhere to the absorbent material in the absorber (that is, the absorption performance of the absorber is less likely to decrease). Moreover, since such a high-density portion exists in the groove portion, it becomes easy to secure a urine flow path in the convex portion, so the liquid permeability of the surface sheet can be improved even when urine is repeatedly supplied from the wearer. maintained.

Here, the judgment of the density (fiber density) in each part (protrusion part, groove part, etc.) It can be visually judged from the number of fibers per unit area, etc., without magnifying the observation with a magnification observation means such as a scanning electron microscope at a magnification of about 20 to 100 times.

In the present invention, the specific structures of the above-mentioned ridges and grooves are not particularly limited as long as they do not impede the effects of the present invention. The distance in the direction) is in the range of 0.1 mm to 3.0 mm, the depth of the groove (that is, the distance in the thickness direction from the virtual reference horizontal plane P to the bottom) is in the range of 0.1 mm to 3.0 mm, and further, the plurality of convex lines The pitch (that is, the distance between the top centers of the two ribs adjacent to the second direction) is in the range of 1.0 mm to 10.0 mm.

And the width of the rib portion (that is, as shown in FIG. 3 , the length of the second direction D ₂ in the surface of the skin facing side T ₁ of the rib portion 21 becomes the length of the second direction D ₂ of the longest portion 21W. ) is, for example, in the range of _0.5 mm to 5.0 mm, the width _of the groove (that is, as shown in FIG. The length of the _second direction D2), for example, is in the range of 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm. In addition, the widths of these ridges and grooves may be the same width or different widths.

As mentioned above, in the present invention, the structure of the convex portion and the groove portion of the surface sheet is not particularly limited as long as it does not hinder the effect of the present invention, but the surface sheet, such as the surface sheet 2 shown in FIG. 3, is a convex portion. The thickness (that is, the thickness t ₁ of the top 21T of the convex portion 21 in FIG. 3 ) is 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm larger than the thickness of the groove (that is, the thickness t ₂ of the bottom 22B of the groove 22 in FIG. 3 ), Furthermore, the ridge portion preferably has a width of 2.0 mm to 4.0 mm, and the aforementioned groove portion preferably has a width of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm. If the surface sheet has such a specific structure, the dispersed component of THP can easily fall into the groove in the convex portion, and even if the surface sheet is wet with urine, it is difficult to crush the convex portion. Thus, even if urine is repeatedly supplied from the wearer, it becomes easy to ensure a flow path for urine in the convex portion of the surface sheet (that is, it becomes easy to maintain the liquid permeability of the surface sheet), so it can be used as an absorbent material. The article exhibits more excellent absorbent properties.

In addition, the pitch and width of the above-mentioned ridges and grooves can be measured from a planar image or a cross-sectional image of the nonwoven fabric in a non-pressurized state by magnifying observation means such as a scanning electron microscope. Furthermore, the height, depth, thickness, etc. of the ridges and grooves may be measured by magnified observation with an magnified observation means such as a scanning electron microscope in the same manner as the above-mentioned pitch and width. Contact measurement is also possible.

The method of forming the concave-convex structure on the surface sheet (nonwoven fabric) as described above is not particularly limited. For example, a method of continuously blowing gas (such as air, etc.) on one side of the fiber web before forming the nonwoven fabric (hereinafter, also referred to as Any shape-setting method such as "gas blowing method"), a method using gear processing (hereinafter also referred to as "gear processing method"), a method using vacuum forming or compression molding. Among them, the gas blowing method and the gear machining method are preferable in terms of being easy to shape the above-mentioned concave-convex structure and forming a high-density portion with a high fiber density in the groove portion.

In addition, the surface sheet may be joined to the non-skin-facing surface of the above-mentioned pair of side sheets, to the skin-facing surface or the non-skin-facing surface of the absorber, to the skin-facing surface of the back sheet, or to any of them. also can. Also, the bonding method is not particularly limited, and any bonding means such as thermal fusion adhesive and thermal fusion can be used.

[Protein Dispersion Means] Next, the protein dispersion means that can be used in the absorbent article of the present invention will be described. In the present invention, the protein dispersing means is applied to the surface of the surface sheet on the skin-facing side, has contact with the wearer's urine supplied to the surface of the surface sheet on the skin-facing side, and will be contained in Actor of specific protein dispersion of Tam Horsfall protein (THP) in the urine. In addition, in the present specification, "dispersing the protein" means dispersing the protein into small pieces or even soluble in water (ie, soluble in urine).

In the present invention, the protein dispersing means is not particularly limited if it can disperse THP contained in the wearer's urine and is applicable to the surface sheet of the absorbent article. For example, protein modifying agents, anionic Components such as surfactants, salt concentration regulators, proteolytic enzymes, and weak alkaline agents. These ingredients modify or even decompose THP, and THP can be broken into small pieces or even water-soluble (that is, soluble in urine). Because it is also a component that can be easily applied to the surface flakes, it can be included in The point at which THP in the wearer's urine disperses more efficiently and effectively is optimal. Moreover, these components may use each component individually, or may use 2 or more types of components together.

In the present invention, the protein modifying agent that can be used as a protein dispersing means is not particularly limited as long as it can modify and disperse THP, but it is best to use a chaotropic salt. Specific examples of chaotropic salts include Hofmeister series, which have a strong effect on protein modification, I ^- , ClO ^4- , SCN ^- , Li ⁺ , Mg ²⁺ , Ca ^{2 +} , Ba ²⁺ , Gu ⁺ (guanidine ion) compounds and urea, among them, guanidine compounds (such as guanidine, 1-methylguanidine, arginine, etc.) . This chaotropic salt, because it has a strong modification effect on THP, can modify THP toward a state where there is no salting-out effect and the solubility of water is improved, so it can be more reliably and effectively difficult to produce the THP produced by the above-mentioned THP. The pores of the surface flakes are clogged.

The anionic surfactant used as a protein dispersing means is not particularly limited as long as it can disperse THP, but sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is most preferable. This kind of SDS is produced by the above-mentioned THP because it has a strong modification effect on proteins, and can dissolve even highly hydrophobic proteins that are difficult to dissolve in other methods, and can inactivate (deactivate) the function of proteins. Clogged pores can be more difficult to produce. Also, when an anionic surfactant is used as the protein dispersing means, it is necessary to use an added amount equal to or greater than the critical micelle concentration value.

And the salt concentration regulator that can be used as a protein dispersion means is not particularly limited if the salt concentration in the urine can be adjusted toward a concentration that increases the solubility of THP (that is, salt solution). For example, a predetermined concentration can be used. Arbitrary salts such as sodium salt and potassium salt.

Furthermore, the proteolytic enzyme that can be used as a protein dispersion means is not particularly limited as long as it can decompose THP, and any protease such as serine protease, thiol protease, acid protease, metalloprotease, etc. can be used.

And the weakly alkaline agent that can be used as a protein dispersion means is not particularly limited if it can change the urine supplied to the surface sheet to be weakly alkaline (that is, the pH in the range of 8.0 to 11.0), and can be used. Any base composition.

Also, the position of the surface sheet (non-woven fabric) where the protein dispersion means is applied is not particularly limited as long as it does not hinder the effect of the present invention. Both the strip portion and the groove portion (that is, the entire surface facing the skin of the surface sheet) are also acceptable. And the method of applying the protein dispersion means to the surface sheet (nonwoven fabric) is not particularly limited as long as it does not hinder the effect of the present invention. For example, an extruder equipped with a discharge nozzle; a screw coater, a curtain coater, a spray Non-contact applicators such as applicators and dip applicators; arbitrary applicators such as contact applicators. In addition, when the protein dispersing means is applied to the entire surface sheet, the impregnation method of impregnating the nonwoven fabric constituting the surface sheet with a solution containing the protein dispersing means, and the method of coating the constituent fibers of the nonwoven fabric with the protein dispersing means in advance, etc. also can. Also, the amount (applicable amount) of applying the protein dispersing means to the surface sheet (nonwoven fabric) varies depending on the type of the protein dispersing means, for example, the amount within the range of 1 g/m ² to 300 g/m ² can be used .

[Back Sheet] Next, the back sheet that can be used in the absorbent article of the present invention will be described. In the incontinence pad ₁ of the above-mentioned embodiment, the back sheet 3, as shown in FIG. It is formed of a liquid-impermeable sheet having a function of preventing the penetration of urine discharged from the wearer and preventing the urine from leaking into the wearer's underwear or the like. In addition, it is preferable that the liquid-impermeable sheet used as the back sheet has predetermined air permeability through which liquid such as urine does not pass through. If the back sheet has such air permeability, the moisture released from the absorbent body (specifically, moisture from urine absorbed and retained by the absorbent body) easily passes through the back sheet toward the outside of the absorbent article. Therefore, it is difficult for moisture to stay inside the absorbent article or between the absorbent article and the wearer's skin.

The liquid-impermeable sheet that can be used as the back sheet is not particularly limited, and for example, a polyolefin-based sheet made of arbitrary hydrophobic thermoplastic resin fibers (such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), etc. can be used. fiber, polyester fibers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), various composite fibers such as core-sheath type, etc.); hydrophobic non-woven fabrics such as PE and PP A porous or non-porous resin film formed of a resin; a non-woven fabric laminated to the resin film laminate; an arbitrary liquid-impermeable sheet such as a laminated non-woven fabric such as an SMS non-woven fabric.

The thickness, basis weight, and shape of the back sheet are not particularly limited as long as they do not hinder the effects of the present invention, and any thickness, basis weight, and shape corresponding to the desired leak-proof performance, air permeability, and strength can be used. shape etc.

[absorber] Next, the absorber that can be used in the absorbent article of the present invention will be described. In the light incontinence pad 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment, the absorber 4 is arranged between the surface sheet 2 and the back sheet 3, and can hold and absorb urine passing through the surface sheet 2 and has a predetermined absorbent structure. Liquid and liquid-retentive absorbent member. Such an absorber 4, as shown in FIG. 1, has a planar view that extends across the longitudinal direction L of the light incontinence pad 1, and furthermore, a substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction L is oriented toward the width direction W. The shape of the vertically elongated profile that the inner side tapers. In addition, in the absorbent article of the present invention, the shape of the outer shape of the absorber is not limited to this aspect, and any shape (such as a rectangle, an ellipse, a sand clock shape, etc.) corresponding to various uses can be adopted. ) and dimensions.

The absorbent member usable as the absorbent body is not particularly limited as long as it can absorb and hold at least urine, and any absorbent member known in the art can be used. Examples of such an absorbent member include at least one absorbent core made of an absorbent material, one covered with a core wrapping sheet such as hydrophilic tissue paper, and the like. Here, the absorbent material constituting the absorbent core includes, for example, hydrophilic fibers and superabsorbent copolymers, and more specifically, cellulose-based fibers such as pulverized pulp, cotton, rayon, and acetate; Particulate matter composed of superabsorbent copolymers such as sodium acrylate copolymers; and mixtures of these arbitrarily combined.

The thickness and basis weight of the absorber are not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are not hindered, and any thickness, basis weight, etc. corresponding to desired absorbency, softness, and the like can be employed. In addition, the thickness, basis weight, etc. of the absorber may be constant as a whole across the surface direction of the absorber, or may be partially different.

Also, in the above-mentioned light incontinence pad 1, the absorbent body 4, the surface sheet 2 on the skin-facing surface, and the back sheet 3 on the non-skin-facing surface are respectively bonded with heat-fused adhesives or the like. An arbitrary joining means is joined.

In addition to the light incontinence pads of the above-mentioned embodiments, the present invention can be applied to various products that absorb urine, such as sanitary pads, incontinence pads (urine-absorbing pads), and disposable diapers. Absorbent articles of all kinds. Moreover, the absorbent article of this invention is not limited to the said Example etc., In the range which does not deviate from the object of this invention, a summary, a combination, substitution, a change, etc. are possible suitably. In addition, in this specification, numbers such as "1st" and "2nd" are for distinguishing users from items to which the numbers are attached, and do not mean the order, priority, or importance of each item.

1‧‧‧light incontinence pad (absorbent article) 2‧‧‧surface sheet 21‧‧‧convex part 22‧‧‧groove part 3‧‧‧back sheet 4‧‧‧absorbent body 5‧‧‧side sheet C _w ‧‧‧Central axis in the length direction C _L ‧‧‧Central axis in the width direction II‧‧‧Line II-II'‧‧‧Line L‧‧‧Width direction in the length direction W

[FIG. 1] A plan view of an incontinence pad 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [FIG. 2] An end view of a cross-section taken along line II-II' in FIG. 1 of the light incontinence pad 1 . [FIG. 3] An enlarged end view of main parts of the top sheet 2 in the light incontinence pad 1. FIG.

1‧‧‧Light incontinence pads (absorbent articles)

2‧‧‧Surface flakes

4‧‧‧Absorber

5‧‧‧Side sheet

21‧‧‧Convex part

22‧‧‧Ditch Department

C _w ‧‧‧central axis in the length direction

C _L ‧‧‧Central axis in width direction

II‧‧‧line

II-II'‧‧‧Line

L‧‧‧longitudinal direction

W‧‧‧width direction

Claims (5)

An absorbent article having a surface sheet and an absorber repeatedly arranged in a thickness direction, and having urine as an object, wherein the surface sheet protrudes toward the skin-facing side of the absorbent article in the thickness direction and The ridges extending in the first direction, and the grooves extending in the first direction parallel to the ridges and extending in parallel to the first direction, are recessed toward the non-skin-facing surface side of the absorbent article in the thickness direction. A concavo-convex structure alternately arranged in a second direction intersecting perpendicularly, and is composed of a non-woven fabric having a basis weight of 25g/m ² to 50g/m ² and a thickness of 0.7mm to 2.0mm. Further, the aforementioned surface sheet is The groove portion has a high-density portion having a relatively high fiber density, and a protein dispersion means for dispersing Tamhorsfall mucous membrane protein contained in urine is provided on the surface opposite to the skin. Such as the absorbent article of item 1 of the scope of the patent application, wherein, The protein dispersing means is at least one component selected from the group consisting of protein modifying agent, anionic surfactant, salt concentration regulator, proteolytic enzyme, and weak alkalinizing agent. Such as the absorbent article of item 2 of the scope of the patent application, wherein, The aforementioned protein dispersing means is the aforementioned protein modifying agent, and the aforementioned protein modifying agent is a chaotropic salt. Such as the absorbent article of item 2 of the scope of the patent application, wherein, The aforementioned protein dispersing means is the aforementioned anionic surfactant, and the aforementioned anionic surfactant is sodium lauryl sulfate. Such as the absorbent article of any one of items 1 to 4 in the scope of the patent application, wherein, In the surface sheet, the thickness of the ridges is 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm greater than that of the grooves, the ridges have a width of 2.0 mm to 4.0 mm, and the grooves have a width of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.

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