TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to absorbent articles.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, as absorbent articles such as panty liners, sanitary napkins, and incontinence pads, those having an absorber provided between a liquid-permeable top sheet and a liquid-impermeable bottom sheet are known. Furthermore, in recent years, absorbent articles configured to more closely adhere to a body in order to prevent leakage of a body fluid are known.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an absorbent article having a skin contact surface in which compressed grooves are formed, where the compressed grooves include a pair of first central grooves disposed along a longitudinal direction in an excretory part contact region and a first annular groove positioned in at least one of a front region and a rear region and offset to one side in a width direction, the first annular groove being at a position overlapping the longitudinal centerline and including a curved portion and an inward-protruding bent point, the inward-protruding bent point being at a position not overlapping the longitudinal centerline.

Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a sanitary napkin in which a left groove and a right groove that curve to bulge widthwise outward and a front groove and a rear groove that curve to bulge longitudinally outward in a plan view are provided on the skin contact surface side, where the grooves are separate from one another with the front ends of the left groove and the right groove being positioned longitudinally forward of and widthwise inside the rear end of the front groove and the rear ends of the left groove and the right groove being positioned longitudinally rearward of and widthwise inside the front end of the rear groove and with the left groove and the right groove being symmetrical in shape with respect to the longitudinal centerline and the widthwise centerline and the front groove and the rear groove being symmetrical in shape with respect to the longitudinal centerline.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENT

Patent Document

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5755856Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 4757039

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

The absorbent article described in Patent Document 1 is configured in consideration of leakage of a body fluid from the perimeter of the absorbent article. The grooves, however, are connected or formed in succession. Therefore, in particular, a front side portion and a rear side portion are likely to become coarse, which may result in an uncomfortable fit.

According to the sanitary napkin described in Patent Document 2, a body fluid that diffuses forward and rearward along the left groove and the right groove may diffuse to the front lateral side and the rear lateral side, so that it may be impossible to prevent leakage to a satisfactory extent. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes an embodiment in which a pair of side grooves that curve to bulge widthwise inward are further provided along the side edges of the napkin. Such an embodiment, however, may cause more discomfort.

In view of the above-described points, the present invention has an object of providing an absorbent article that can satisfactorily prevent leakage of a body fluid from the front lateral side and the rear lateral side and provides a good fit.

Means for Solving the Problems

To solve the above-described problems, a first embodiment of the present invention is an absorbent article including an elongated body, the body including a liquid-permeable top sheet, a liquid-impermeable bottom sheet, and an absorber provided between the top sheet and the bottom sheet, wherein compressed grooves are formed in the body from the top sheet toward the bottom sheet, the compressed grooves include a pair of central compressed grooves formed substantially along a longitudinal direction of the body in line symmetry with respect to a centerline extending in the longitudinal direction of the body serving as an axis of symmetry, a pair of front lateral side compressed grooves formed in line symmetry with respect to the centerline serving as an axis of symmetry on a front lateral side of the central compressed grooves, and a pair of rear lateral side compressed grooves formed in line symmetry with respect to the centerline serving as an axis of symmetry on a rear lateral side of the central compressed grooves, each of the pair of the front lateral side compressed grooves and the pair of the rear lateral side compressed grooves includes a first compressed groove and a second compressed groove positioned more distant from the centerline than the first compressed groove, the first compressed groove and the second compressed groove have a circular arc shape, and are disposed such that inner circular arcs of both compressed grooves face each other, and an extension line of the central compressed grooves passes between an end of the first compressed groove and an end of the second compressed groove, and does not pass between another end of the first compressed groove and another end of the second compressed groove.

According to the above-described first embodiment, the pair of front lateral side compressed grooves and the pair of rear lateral side compressed grooves are provided on the front lateral side and the rear lateral side, respectively, of the central compressed grooves. Each of the pair of front lateral side compressed grooves and the pair of rear lateral side compressed grooves includes the first compressed groove and the second compressed groove. The first compressed groove and the second compressed groove have a circular arc shape, and are disposed such that the inner circular arcs of both compressed grooves face each other. An extension line of the central compressed grooves passes between an end of the first compressed groove and an end of the second compressed groove, and does not pass between another end of the first compressed groove and another end of the second compressed groove. This makes it possible to easily draw a body fluid that has diffused forward and rearward along the central compressed grooves into the front lateral side compressed grooves and the rear lateral side compressed grooves. Specifically, it is possible to draw in a body fluid between the first compressed groove and the second compressed groove and to guide the body fluid such that the body fluid meanders along a path formed between the first compressed groove and the second compressed groove. As a result, it is possible to control diffusion of the body fluid to the front lateral side and the rear lateral side and to satisfactorily prevent leakage to the front lateral side and the rear lateral side.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the extension line of the central compressed grooves passes between the first compressed groove and the second compressed groove. The central compressed grooves and the front lateral side compressed grooves are not provided in succession, and the central compressed grooves and the rear lateral side compressed grooves are not provided in succession. Therefore, it is possible to reduce coarseness due to the compressed grooves. Furthermore, it also contributes to reduction in coarseness that each of the front lateral side compressed grooves and the rear lateral side compressed grooves includes the first compressed groove and the second compressed groove that are two separate compressed grooves having a circular arc shape.

According to a second embodiment of the present invention, a line segment connecting both ends of the first compressed groove and a line segment connecting both ends of the second compressed groove form an angle of 30° to 60° with the centerline.

According to the above-described second embodiment, the first compressed groove and the second compressed groove are inclined to a predetermined direction. Therefore, in particular, the action of controlling sideward diffusion of a body fluid is further exerted, so that it is possible to further improve the effect of preventing leakage of a body fluid to the front lateral side and the rear lateral side.

According to a third embodiment of the present invention, in a direction in which a line segment connecting both ends of the first compressed groove extends, the end of the second compressed groove closer to the central compressed grooves is offset to one side in the direction relative to the end of the first compressed groove closer to the central compressed grooves, and the end of the second compressed groove more distant from the central compressed grooves is offset to the one side in the direction relative to the end of the first compressed groove more distant from the central compressed grooves.

According to the above-described third embodiment, the first compressed groove and the second compressed groove are offset in a predetermined direction. Therefore, the action of drawing in a body fluid running through the central compressed grooves between the first compressed groove and the second compressed groove and the action of guiding the body fluid by causing the body fluid to meander are further improved, so that it is possible to satisfactorily prevent leakage from the side in particular even when the body fluid is suddenly discharged.

According to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, in the direction in which the line segment connecting both ends of the first compressed groove extends, the distance between the midpoint of the line segment connecting both ends of the first compressed groove and the end of the second compressed groove closer to the central compressed grooves is 0 to 0.15 times the length of the line segment connecting both ends of the first compressed groove.

According to the above-described fourth embodiment, by causing the offset of the first compressed groove and the second compressed groove to fall within a predetermined range, it is possible to further improve the action of drawing in a body fluid between the first compressed groove and the second compressed groove. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent hardening of the absorber, so that it is possible to further improve a fit.

According to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the line segment connecting both ends of the first compressed groove and the line segment connecting both ends of the second compressed groove is 0 to 0.2 times the length of the line segment connecting both ends of the first compressed groove.

According to the above-described fifth embodiment, the first compressed groove and the second compressed groove face each other in a predetermined arrangement. Therefore, the effect of drawing in a body fluid between the first compressed groove and the second compressed groove is further improved.

According to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, the first compressed groove and the second compressed groove has a shape of a circular arc having an angle of 135° to 180°.

According to the above-described sixth embodiment, because the circular arc shape of the first compressed groove and the second compressed groove has a predetermined angle of 180° or less, it is possible to prevent the absorber from becoming hard and coarse and to improve a fit while maintaining the action of drawing in a body fluid between the first compressed groove and the second compressed groove.

Effects of the Invention

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an absorbent article that can satisfactorily prevent leakage of a body fluid from the front lateral side and the rear lateral side and provides a good fit is provided.

