Disposable worn article and method for producing same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a disposable worn article, including: an absorbent body 2 including an absorbent core 24 which absorbs body fluid laminated between a liquid-permeable top sheet 26 and a liquid-impermeable back sheet 27 ; a pair of front flaps Ff extending in a girth direction X to be continuous with a front portion 20 of the absorbent body 2 that covers a front surface of a torso of a wearer; and a pair of back flaps Fb extending in the girth direction to be continuous with a back portion 21 of the absorbent body 2 that covers a back surface of the torso of the wearer, wherein: the front and back flaps Ff and Fb include a stretchable non-woven fabric 31 that stretches in the girth direction X; and an entire area of the absorbent core 24 is not essentially covered by the stretchable non-woven fabric 31.

1 . A disposable worn article comprising:
 an absorbent body including an absorbent core absorbing body fluid, the absorbent core laminated between a liquid-permeable top sheet and a liquid-impermeable back sheet;   a pair of front flaps extending in a girth direction to be continuous with a front portion of the absorbent body that covers a front surface of a torso of a wearer; and   a pair of back flaps extending in the girth direction to be continuous with a back portion of the absorbent body that covers a back surface of the torso of the wearer, wherein:   the front flaps and the back flaps each include at least one stretchable non-woven fabric that stretches in the girth direction; and   an entire area of the absorbent core is not essentially covered by the stretchable non-woven fabric.   
     
     
         2 . A method for manufacturing a worn article according to  claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
 obtaining a first and second laminate non-woven fabrics including pieces of the stretchable non-woven fabric arranged intermittently on a continuous non-woven fabric that is continuous in a longitudinal direction and is essentially non-stretchable while the pieces of the stretchable non-woven fabric are being elongated in the longitudinal direction;   successively providing the absorbent bodies so as to span between a first portion of the first laminate non-woven fabric where the stretchable non-woven fabric is absent and a second portion of the second laminate non-woven fabric where the stretchable non-woven fabric is absent, while transferring the first and second laminate non-woven fabrics in parallel to each other and in the longitudinal direction; and   cutting the first and second laminate non-woven fabrics along a virtual cut-off line extending in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in areas of the first and second laminate non-woven fabrics between the absorbent bodies, so as to produce individual worn articles.   
     
     
         3 . A manufacturing method according to  claim 2 , further comprising the steps of:
 carrying an essentially non-stretchable continuous non-woven fabric for a girth area, from which the pair of front flaps and the pair of back flaps are formed, in the longitudinal direction;   laminating stretchable non-continuous non-woven fabrics, from which the pair of front and back flaps are formed, on the continuous non-woven fabric for the girth area while being elongated in the longitudinal direction so that the stretchable non-continuous non-woven fabrics are arranged intermittently in the longitudinal direction of the continuous non-woven fabric for the girth area; and   cutting off the continuous non-woven fabric for the girth area, together with the stretchable non-continuous non-woven fabrics, along a virtual cut-off line extending in the longitudinal direction, after the lamination, thereby obtaining the first and second laminate non-woven fabrics.   
     
     
         4 . A method for manufacturing a worn article according to  claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
 successively arranging the absorbent bodies intermittently on an essentially non-stretchable continuous non-woven fabric that is continuous in a longitudinal direction and has a pair of side edges;   forming holes to be leg holes in the continuous non-woven fabric between the absorbent bodies;   arranging the at least one stretchable non-woven fabric, while being elongated in the longitudinal direction, intermittently along the pair of side edges extending along the longitudinal direction with the leg holes interposed therebetween; and   cutting off the non-stretchable continuous non-woven fabric along a virtual cut-off line extending in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction between the absorbent bodies, so as to produce individual worn articles.   
     
     
         5 . A method for manufacturing a worn article according to  claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
 cutting off a stretchable continuous non-woven fabric that is continuous in a longitudinal direction and is stretchable in the longitudinal direction along a predetermined wave-shaped virtual cut-off line while carrying the stretchable continuous non-woven fabric in the longitudinal direction, thereby dividing the stretchable continuous non-woven fabric into a first continuous divided non-woven fabric having a first protruding portion and a first depressed portion, and a second continuous divided non-woven fabric having a second depressed portion and a second protruding portion;   spacing apart the first continuous divided non-woven fabric and the second continuous divided non-woven fabric from each other;   changing an arrangement relationship between the first continuous divided non-woven fabric and the second continuous divided non-woven fabric so that the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion oppose each other and the first depressed portion and the second depressed portion oppose each other;   successively providing the absorbent bodies so as to span between the first depressed portion and the second depressed portion; and   cutting off the first and second continuous divided non-woven fabrics along a virtual cut-off line extending in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction between the absorbent bodies, so as to produce individual worn articles.   
     
     
         6 . A method for manufacturing a worn article according to  claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
 cutting off a stretchable continuous non-woven fabric that is continuous in a longitudinal direction and is stretchable in the longitudinal direction along a predetermined wave-shaped virtual cut-off line while carrying the stretchable continuous non-woven fabric in the longitudinal direction, thereby dividing the stretchable continuous non-woven fabric into a first continuous divided non-woven fabric having a first protruding portion and a first depressed portion, and a second continuous divided non-woven fabric having a second depressed portion and a second protruding portion;   spacing apart the first continuous divided non-woven fabric and the second continuous divided non-woven fabric from each other;   changing an arrangement relationship between the first continuous divided non-woven fabric and the second continuous divided non-woven fabric so that the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion oppose each other and the first depressed portion and the second depressed portion oppose each other;   successively arranging the absorbent bodies so as to span between the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion; and   cutting off the first and second continuous divided non-woven fabrics along a virtual cut-off line extending in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction between the absorbent bodies, so as to produce individual worn articles.   
     
     
         7 . A method for manufacturing a worn article according to  claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
 cutting off a stretchable continuous non-woven fabric that is continuous in a longitudinal direction and is stretchable in the longitudinal direction along a predetermined wave-shaped virtual cut-off line while carrying the stretchable continuous non-woven fabric in the longitudinal direction, thereby dividing the stretchable continuous non-woven fabric into a first continuous divided non-woven fabric having a first protruding portion and a first depressed portion, and a second continuous divided non-woven fabric having a second depressed portion and a second protruding portion;   spacing apart the first continuous divided non-woven fabric and the second continuous divided non-woven fabric from each other;   successively providing the absorbent bodies so as to span between the first depressed portion and the second protruding portion or between the first protruding portion and the second depressed portion; and   cutting off the first and second continuous divided non-woven fabrics along a virtual cut-off line extending in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction between the absorbent bodies, so as to produce individual worn articles.   
     
     
         8 . A method for manufacturing a worn article according to  claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
 carrying a plurality of the absorbent bodies while the absorbent bodies are spaced apart from each other in the girth direction;   providing a first stretchable non-woven fabric, which accounts for two of the front flaps, so as to span between absorbent bodies adjacent to each other in the girth direction, and providing a second stretchable non-woven fabric, which accounts for two of the back flaps, so as to span therebetween; and   cutting off the first and second stretchable non-woven fabrics between the adjacent absorbent bodies so as to produce individual worn articles.