WO2013038683A1

WO2013038683A1 - Disposable wearing article

Info

Publication number: WO2013038683A1
Application number: PCT/JP2012/005855
Authority: WO
Inventors: Noriyuki Kurita; Tomoko Tsuji
Original assignee: Unicharm Corporation
Priority date: 2011-09-16
Filing date: 2012-09-13
Publication date: 2013-03-21
Also published as: JP2013063184A; JP5906045B2

Abstract

A disposable wearing article in which a chassis defining front and rear waist regions and a crotch region would not be ruptured. A diaper (1) includes a chassis (10) having a front waist region (11) and a rear waist region (12) and a crotch region (13) located between the front and rear waist regions (11, 12) and a pair of side panels (70) attached in lateral edges (16) in the rear waist region (12) of the chassis (10). The side panel (70) includes a stretchable member (80) being stretchable in the lateral direction (X) and a regulating member (90) overlapping the stretchable member (80). In the regulating member (90) of the side panel (70), a splitting guide line (93) extending in a longitudinal direction (Y) is defined by a series of perforations extending in the longitudinal direction (Y).

Description

DISPOSABLE WEARING ARTICLE

The present disclosure relates to disposable wearing articles, more specifically, relates to disposable wearing articles such as disposable diapers, disposable toilet training pants, disposable incontinent briefs, disposable sanitary pants, or the like.

Background

Wearing articles provided with front and rear waist regions being connectable to each other with fastening tapes when in use are known. For example, JP 2010-35726 A (PTL 1) discloses a disposable diaper including a chassis having front and rear regions and fastening tapes attached in the rear region, wherein an annular waist opening is formed by connecting the fastening tapes to an outer sheet in the front region. In each side flap located in the rear region, a slit is formed and an elastic band is attached so as to cover the slit from an outer surface side of the side flap. When putting on the diaper, the elastic band is stretched and the slit is opened in a lateral direction. The elastic band allows the entirety of the diaper to be capable of stretching and contracting in the lateral direction. As a result, a waist opening of the diaper may be kept in close contact with the wearer's body.

JP 2010-35726 A

Summary

According to the above discussed diaper, each slit is formed by cutting a portion of each side flap located in the rear region of the diaper chassis. However, the inventor(s) have recognized that, if the side flaps are further torn from the slits during use of the diaper, the chassis might be ruptured.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a disposable wearing article having a longitudinal direction and lateral direction. The article includes a chassis and a fastening system.
The chassis includes a skin facing side and a non-skin facing side opposite thereto, first and second waist regions, and a crotch region located between the first and second waist region.
The fastening system is for connecting the first and second waist regions to each other and includes a first fastening component disposed on the first waist region, and a second fastening component engageable with the first fastening component and attached in one of a pair of side panels extending from the second waist region in the lateral direction.
Each side panel includes a stretchable member capable of stretching in the lateral direction and a regulating member overlapping the stretchable member.
The stretchable member is joined to the regulating member at a pair of joining sections. The joining sections are spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction.
A splitting guide line is formed on the regulating member between the joining sections and extends between a front end edge and a rear end edge of the regulating member in the longitudinal direction.

FIG.1 is a perspective view illustrating an assembled state of a disposable diaper as an example of disposable wearing articles in some embodiments. FIG.2 is a plan view seen from a skin facing side of the diaper in a developed state. FIG.3 is a perspective partially broken view of the diaper. FIG.4 is a cross section view along IV-IV line of FIG.2. FIG.5(a) is a plan view of a side panel of a first embodiment, before a regulating member of the side panel is split along a splitting guide line. FIG.5(b) is a plan view of the side panel after the regulating member is split along the splitting guide line. FIG.6(a) is a cross-section view of a side panel of a second embodiment, before a regulating member of the side panel is split along a splitting guide line. FIG.6(b) is a cross-section view of the side panel after the regulating member is split along a splitting guide line. FIG.7 is a plan view similar to FIG. 5(a) illustrating another variation of the splitting guide line. FIG.8 is a plan view similar to FIG. 5(a) illustrating another variation of the splitting guide line. FIG.9 is a plan view similar to FIG. 5(a) illustrating another variation of the splitting guide line.

<First Embodiment>
Referring to FIG.1, a diaper 1 has a longitudinal direction Y and lateral direction X, and includes a front waist region 11, a rear waist region 12, a crotch region 13 located between the front and

rear waist regions

11, 12, front and

rear end edges

14, 15 extending in the lateral direction X, and lateral edges 16 extending in the longitudinal direction Y. One of the front and rear waist regions is referred to herein as a first waist region, and the other of the front and rear waist regions is referred to herein as a second waist region. The diaper 1 further includes a waist opening formed by engaging hook components 72 of a fastening system provided in the rear waist region 12 with the front waist region 11 thereby to come in close contact with the wearer's body.

Referring to FIGs.2 to 4, the diaper 1 has an imaginary longitudinal center line P-P to bisect a dimension in the lateral direction X so as to be substantially symmetrical about the imaginary longitudinal center line P-P. In the drawings, some reference signs of similar symmetrical components/portions are omitted.

The diaper 1 includes a liquid permeable topsheet 20 lying on a skin facing side, a backsheet 30 lying on a non-skin facing side (garment facing side) opposite to the skin facing side, an absorbent structure 40 interposed between these top- and

backsheets

20, 30, and a hardly-liquid permeable or liquid impermeable leakage-barrier sheet 50 interposed between the absorbent structure 40 and the backsheet 30. On the skin facing side of the topsheet 20, a pair of containment sheets 60 is provided being spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction X and extending in the longitudinal direction Y. The topsheet 20 and backsheet 30 define a chassis 10 of the diaper 1.

As the topsheet 20, for example, a hydrophilic spunbond nonwoven fabric or a point-bonded nonwoven fabric having a mass per unit area of about 15 to about 35 g/m², preferably about 18 to about 23 g/m² may be used. As the backsheet 30, for example, a spunbond/melt-blown/spunbond (hereinafter referred to as SMS) nonwoven fabric or a spunbond nonwoven fabric having a mass per unit area of about 10 to about 30 g/m² may be used.

As the containment sheets 60, for example, an SMS nonwoven fabric having a mass per unit area of about 10 to about 30 g/m²may be used. Each containment sheet 60 are laid on the topsheet 20 so that the front and

rear end edges

61, 62 of the containment sheet 60 may respectively align with front and

rear end edges

21, 22 of the front sheet 20 and be joined to each other by known joining means such as a hot melt adhesive or the like (not illustrated). A proximal edge portion 63 of each containment sheet 60 overlaps a lateral edge portion 33 of the backsheet 30 and joined to each other by known joining means such as a hot melt adhesive or the like (not illustrated). A distal edge portion 64 of each containment sheet 60 lying on the topsheet 20 in a state in which the diaper 1 is stretched out in the longitudinal direction Y. In the distal edge portion 64, an elastic 65 extending in the longitudinal direction Y is contractibly attached in a stretched state. Due to the contraction of the elastic 65, the distal edge portion 64 may be spaced apart from the topsheet 20 toward the wearer's skin so as to come into close contact with the wearer's skin. As a result, bodily waste such as feces may be contained inside the containment sheet 60.

The absorbent structure 40 is disposed at least in the crotch region 13. In this embodiment, however, it is arranged to extend from the crotch region 13 into the front and

rear waist regions

11, 12, thereby to absorb bodily exudates such as urine or the like in a relatively large range. The absorbent structure 40 is formed by wrapping a liquid absorbent core with a liquid dispersing wrapping sheet such as tissue paper or the like. As the core, fluff wood pulp, superabsorbent polymer particles or a mixture thereof may be used. The core and the wrapping sheet may be joined to each other by known joining means such as a hot melt adhesive or the like (not illustrated).

As the material of the leakage-barrier sheet 50 disposed between the absorbent structure 40 and the backsheet 30, a hardly-liquid permeable, preferably a liquid impermeable and breathable plastic film may be used. The leakage-barrier sheet 50 is formed to have a larger area than that of the absorbent structure 40. With such an arrangement, it is possible to prevent the exudates such as urine or the like having been absorbed by the absorbent structure 40 from leaking outside the diaper 1. The leakage-barrier sheet 50 may be interposed between the wrapping sheet of the absorbent structure 40 and the backsheet 30 and secured by known joining means such as a hot melt adhesive or the like (not illustrated).

On a surface opposite to a surface facing the backsheet 30 of the leakage-barrier sheet 50, leg elastics 51 and waist elastics 52 are attached. The leg elastics 51 and the waist elastics 52 are secured to at least one of the leakage-barrier sheet 50 and the containment sheet 60 by known joining means such as a hot melt adhesive or the like (not illustrated). The leg elastics 51 are disposed so as to extend in the longitudinal direction Y along the both lateral edges 16 and are contractibly attached to the diaper 1 in the crotch region 13. The leg elastics 51 respectively include a first end edge 51a located on the side of the front waist region 11 and a second end edge 51b located on the side of the rear waist region 12. The first end edge 51a extends to the front waist region 11, while the second end edge 51b extends to the rear waist region 12. The waist elastics 52 are disposed so as to extend in the lateral direction X along the rear end edge 15 and are contractibly attached to the diaper 1 in the rear waist region 12. As the leg elastics 51 and the waist elastics 52, a plurality of thread, string or strand elastics may be used.

A pair of side panels 70 is attached to the lateral edges 16 in the rear waist region 12 of the chassis 10. Each side panel 70 includes a stretchable member 80 stretchable in the lateral direction X and a regulating member 90 overlapping the stretchable member 80 and attached thereto so as to regulate the stretch/elongation of the stretchable member 80. The stretchable member 80 includes a first sheet 81 lying on the skin facing side, a second sheet 82 lying on the non-skin facing side, and a plurality of side panel elastics 83 disposed between these sheets.

The first and

second sheets

81, 82 are substantially the same in shape and size and joined to each other by known joining means such as a hot melt adhesive or the like (not illustrated). As material thereof, for example, an SMS nonwoven fabric having a mass per unit area of about 10 to about 30 g/m² may be used. These first and

second sheets

81, 82 are non-stretchable. As used herein, the term "non-stretchable" means that it is not elastically stretchable and, when it is used for the diaper 1, it does not change any dimension affecting a circumferential dimension of the waist opening when putting the diaper 1 on a wearer even if it is pulled by at least a normal force in the lateral direction X. Even if such a normal force dissolves the entanglement and/or fusion bonding of fibers of the nonwoven fabric to cause it to elongate slightly non-elastically, this is considered to be non-stretchable. This is because it does not affect the circumferential dimension of the waist opening.

The respective side panel elastics 83 are contractibly attached at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction Y and contractibly attached in a stretched state in the lateral direction X. With such an arrangement, the stretchable member 80 may be elastically stretchable. As the side panel elastics 83, for example, thread, string or strand elastics of about 470 to about 940 dtex may be used and the elastics may be disposed at a pitch of about 5 to about 15 mm in the longitudinal direction Y and attached in a stretched state in a stretch ratio in a range from about 2 to about 3 in the lateral direction X, for example. In a specific configuration of this embodiment, the side panel elastics 83 of about 620 dtex are used, and are disposed at a pitch of about 10 mm in the longitudinal direction Y and attached in a stretched state in a stretch ratio of about 2.6 in the lateral direction X.

The second sheet 82 of the stretchable member 80 has a surface on which a regulating member 90 is placed, and an opposite surface facing the first sheet 81. The regulating member 90 is non-stretchable, and is made, for example, of a nonwoven fabric. As the regulating member 90, for example, a spunbond nonwoven fabric, an SMS nonwoven fabric or the like having a mass per unit area of about 40 to about 60 g/m², may be used. Referring to FIG.4, each regulating member 90 is joined to the second sheet 82 via the joining

sections

91, 92 which are spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction X and extend in the longitudinal direction Y. The joining

sections

91, 92 are provided on at least one of facing surfaces of the stretchable member 80 and the regulating member 90. The joining

sections

91, 92 are positioned so as not to overlap the side panel elastics 83, i.e., provided in portions where a contracting force of the elastics 83 is not directly exerted. When the side panel elastics 83 have end portions thereof cut back or the like in the attaching process, it is possible to position the joining

sections

91, 92 to overlap the end portions of the side panel elastics 83, that is, the relaxed end portions where the contracting force is not exerted. In a region in which the contracting force of the side panel elastics 83 is exerted, gathers may be formed in the second sheet 82, and if the joining

sections

91, 92 overlap the gathers, the joining force between the second sheet 82 and the regulating member 90 is likely to be reduced. In this embodiment, however, since the joining

sections

91, 92 are formed in the position in which the contracting force of the side panel elastics 83 is not exerted, it is possible to prevent the joining force from reducing. As a joining means used in the joining

sections

91, 92, known joining means such as a hot melt adhesive or fusion bonding may be applied.

It should be appreciated here that it is possible to provide the joining

sections

91, 92 in positions in which the contracting force of the side panel elastics 83 is exerted. In such configuration, the joining

sections

91, 92 having an increased joining strength may be provided so that the regulating member 90 may not peel off from the second sheet 82. In addition, while the second sheet 82 is directly joined to the regulating member 90 in this embodiment, it is also possible that further sheet or sheets is/are interposed between the second sheet 82 and the regulating member 90. In such configuration, the joining

sections

91, 92 are provided on the second sheet 82 or on the regulating member 90 via other non-stretchable sheet(s).

The regulating member 90 has an inner edge portion 90c secured by joining means (not illustrated) between the backsheet 30 and the containment sheet 60 and extending outwardly from the lateral edges 16 of the chassis 10 in the lateral direction X. Each pair of hook components 72 as a mechanical fastening element is attached to one of the pair of side panels 70 extending from the second waist region 12 in the lateral direction X, e.g., on an outer edge portion 90d of a tab sheet 71 which is joined on the regulating member 90.

By engaging the hook components 72 with the nonwoven fabric of the backsheet 30 of the front waist region 11, the front and

rear waist regions

11, 12 are connected to each other. The hook components 72 are also referred to as a second fastening component, and predetermined areas on the backsheet 30 of the front waist region 11 are also referred to as a first fastening component. By using the backsheet 30 as the first fastening component, the hook components 72 may be engaged with selective areas of the non-skin facing side of the chassis 10. Thus, since the hook components 72 may be engaged with a wide range of the front waist region 11, the front and

rear waist regions

11, 12 may be connected based on the body shape or physical condition of the wearer so as to keep it in close contact with the wearer's body. Moreover, since the backsheet 30 is used as the first fastening component, it does not require other members and the production cost may be reduced accordingly. In further embodiments, the fastening system uses releasable adhesive instead of, or in addition to, the described hook and loop arrangement.

Referring to FIG.5, a splitting guide line 93 extending in the longitudinal direction Y is formed between the joining

sections

91, 92 in the regulating member 90. The splitting guide line 93 passes through the regulating member 90 in a thickness direction thereof and is formed by a series of perforations 94 in the longitudinal direction Y. The perforations 94 extend from the front and

rear end edges

90a, 90b of the regulating member 90 inwardly in the longitudinal direction Y respectively. In this embodiment, the perforations 94 are arranged in a straight line. In this embodiment, each of the perforations 94 is a slit extending in the longitudinal direction Y. Along the splitting guide line 93 formed by such perforations 94, the regulating member 90 is splittable.

In the state illustrated in FIG.5(a), the regulating member 90 is joined so as to overlap the second sheet 82 when the stretchable member 80 is contracted. Accordingly, even if an attempt is made to stretch the stretchable member 80 when the regulating member 90 is not split along the splitting guide line 93, the stretch/elongation of the stretchable member 80 is regulated (i.e., limited) by the regulating member 90.

Referring to FIG.5(b), once the regulating member 90 is split along the splitting guide line 93 so as to be separated in the lateral direction X into two portions, the stretchable member 80 becomes exposed therebetween and may be elastically stretchable in the lateral direction X via the joining

sections

91, 92.

With regard to the diaper 1 as described above, when the diaper 1 is put on a wearer having a small waist size, the diaper 1 may be put on by engaging the hook components 72 with the front waist region 11 without splitting the regulating member 90, i.e., keeping the state as illustrated in FIG.5(a). When the diaper 1 is applied on a wearer having a large waist size, the diaper 1 may be put on by engaging the hook components 72 with the front waist region 11 after splitting the regulating member 90 as illustrated in FIG.5(b). As described above, the configuration of the side panels 70 may be chosen based on a body shape of the wearer so that the diaper 1 may be kept in close contact with the wearer's body. In addition, when the diaper 1 is used with the regulating member 90 that has been split, the diaper 1 may come in contact with the wearer's body more closely due to the elasticity of stretchable member 80. Moreover, since a pair of side panels 70 is attached to the chassis 10 at the lateral edges, it is also possible to use the diaper 1 by splitting only either one of the regulating members 90 without splitting the other.

The splitting guide line 93 is formed between the front and

rear end edges

90a, 90b of the regulating member 90. With such an arrangement, for example for a wearer having a protruding abdomen, only a portion of the splitting guide line 93 in the vicinities of the rear end edge 90b may be split so that the elasticity may appear in the vicinities of the rear end edge of the stretchable member 80, i.e., in the vicinities of the waist opening, thereby the diaper 1 may come in contact with the wearer's body more closely. For a wearer having a body shape of a small waist and large buttocks, it is possible to split only a portion of the splitting guide line 93 in the vicinities of the front end edge 90a so that the elasticity of the stretchable member 80 may appear in the vicinities of the front end edge of the stretchable member 80, i.e., in the vicinities of the leg openings. By forming the series of perforations 94 which are intermittent in the splitting guide line 93, it becomes possible to split the splitting guide line 93 halfway from either end edge as described above.

Even when the diaper 1 is used with the splitting guide line 93 has been split halfway in the longitudinal direction Y and the splitting guide line 93 is split further due to the wearer's movements during use thereof, since the stretchable member 80 is disposed to overlap the splitting guide line 93, the close contact between the diaper 1 and the wearer's body will not be interrupted. Moreover, even if the splitting guide line 93 is split unintentionally, since the splitting guide line 93 is formed in the side panel 70, the absorption performance and/or pleasant feel of the diaper 1 will not be affected. If the splitting guide line 93 is formed in the chassis 10 and is split unintentionally, the feel of the diaper 1 against the wearer's skin might be deteriorated and/or the absorption performance of the absorbent structure 40 disposed in the chassis 10 might be decreased, and eventually leading to leakage of a body fluid such as urine.
Since the regulating member 90 is disposed on the non-skin facing side of the stretchable member 80, the split edges of the regulating member 90 do not come into contact with the wearer's skin, thereby preventing skin irritation.

The strength to split the regulating member 90 may be changed appropriately in the splitting guide line 93. For example, while the diaper 1 is worn, it is possible to split the regulating member 90 along the splitting guide line 93 in conforming with movements of the wearer, or to hold the splitting guide line 93 by both hands to pull it by a certain force so as to split the regulating member 90. The splitting strength may be adjusted by a dimension of each perforation 94 in the longitudinal direction Y or a dimension between each perforation 94, and also may be adjusted by the type of a nonwoven fabric used as the regulating member 90. It is possible to set the dimension of each perforation 94 in the longitudinal direction Y at about 3 to about 22 mm, and the dimension of each non-through portion in the longitudinal direction Y between the adjacent perforations 94 at about 0.2 to about 2 mm. In a specific configuration of this embodiment, the dimension of each perforation 94 is set at about 9 mm, while the dimension of each non-through portion is set at about 1 mm. It is possible to set all the dimensions of perforations 94 to be equal, or, for example, to increase a dimension of the perforations 94 on the side of the front end edge 90a and decrease a dimension of the perforations 94 on the side of the rear end edge 90b. If the dimensions of the respective perforations 94 are equal, the larger the dimension of the perforation 94 is, the easier to split along the splitting guide line 93. Accordingly, when the dimension of the perforations 94 are formed to be smaller on the side of the rear end edge 90b, it is possible to make it harder to split the splitting guide line 93 on the side of the rear end edge 90b. In the rear end edge 90b defining a portion of the leg openings, there is a possibility that movements of the wearer's legs might split the splitting guide line 93 unintentionally if the rear end edge 90b are formed to be readily split. However, this may be prevented by reducing the dimension of each perforation 94 on the side of the rear end edge 90b. In other words, a force for splitting the splitting guide line 93 at one of the front and

rear end edges

90a, 90b is greater than at the other of the front and

rear end edges

90a, 90b.

When a nonwoven fabric is used as the regulating member 90, it is possible to arrange fibers thereof to be oriented in the longitudinal direction Y. By arranging the fibers to be oriented in the longitudinal direction Y and the perforation 94 to extend in the longitudinal direction Y, it becomes possible to split the regulating member 90 easily along the splitting guide line 93.

The side panel 70 continuously extends from the rear end edge 15 to the crotch region 13 in the rear waist region 12, and the dimension from the front end edge 70a to the rear end edge 70b in the longitudinal direction Y is about 180 to about 300 mm. In a specific configuration of this embodiment, it is about 240 mm (refer to FIG.2). The dimension of the rear waist region 12 in the longitudinal direction Y is about 260 to about 320 mm. In a specific configuration of this embodiment, it is about 281.8 mm. The dimension of the front waist region 11 in the longitudinal direction Y is about 170 to about 240 mm. In a specific configuration of this embodiment, it is about 193.5 mm. The dimension of the front and

rear waist regions

11, 12 in the longitudinal direction Y is a distance from the front and rear end edges 14, 15 of the chassis 10 to a border with the crotch region 13 in which a dimension in the lateral direction X is small. Since the side panel 70 extends substantially across the entire dimension of the rear waist region 12 in the longitudinal direction Y, it is possible to keep the diaper 1 in close contact with the wearer not only in the waist opening formed by the front and rear end edges 14, 15, but also in the vicinities of the leg opening formed by the side edge 16 of the crotch region 13. Furthermore, since a dimension of the side panel 70 is formed to be larger than the dimension of the front waist region 11 in the longitudinal direction Y, the side panel 70 may be engaged with the front waist region 11 over the entire dimension of the front waist region 11 in the longitudinal direction Y, thereby keeping the front waist region 11 in close contact with the wearer. However, in further embodiments, the side panel 70 may be disposed only on the side of the rear end edge 15 or on the side of the crotch region 13 in the rear waist region 12, or a plurality of side panels separated from each other in the longitudinal direction Y may be used.

The leg elastics 51 is attached in the crotch region 13 of the diaper 1 and the second end edge 51b thereof is located inboard of the side panel 70 in the lateral direction X. More specifically, as best seen in Fig.2, the second end edge 51b of the leg elastics 51 is positioned between a pair of side panels 70, and an imaginary extension line extending in the lateral direction X to connect front end edges 70a of the side panels 70 intersects with the leg elastics 51. With such an arrangement, when the side panels 70 are pulled outwardly in the lateral direction X so as to connect to the front waist region 11, the second end edges 51b of the leg elastics 51 are also pulled outwardly in the lateral direction X together with the side panels 70, thereby the lateral edges 16 of the chassis 10 may be kept in close contact about the wearer's legs.

The waist elastics 52 extending in the lateral direction X along the rear end edge 15 are attached in the rear waist region 12 of the chassis 10. Therefore, even if the regulating member 90 is not split along the splitting guide line 93 and the elasticity do not appear in the side panels 70, the elasticity of the waist elastics 52 enables the waist opening of the diaper 1 to stay in close contact with the wearer. It is possible that the waist elastics 52 are attached at least in one of the front and

rear waist regions

11, 12. While the splitting guide line 93 is formed by the series of perforations 94 in this embodiment, it is not limited to this configuration as long as the regulating member 90 may be split. For example, it is also possible that the regulating member 90 is melted by heat and/or pressure to be easier to split than other portions, or is decreased in the thickness dimension to be smaller than other portions, so as to be used as the splitting guide line 93.

In this embodiment, the stretchable member 80 is configured to be elastically stretchable by attaching the thread, strand, or string side panel elastics 83 between the non-stretchable first and

second sheets

81, 82. However, this disclosure is not limited to this configuration. For example, it is also possible to use an elastic film, an elastic nonwoven fabric, or the like to make a nonwoven fabric or the like elastically stretchable. While a non-stretchable nonwoven fabric is used as the regulating member 90 in this embodiment, this disclosure is not limited to the non-stretchable nonwoven fabric as long as the elasticity thereof are lower than that of the stretchable member 80. This is because, if the elasticity of the regulating member 90 are lower than the elasticity of the stretchable member 80, even if the regulating member 90 is pulled before the splitting guide line 93 is split, the stretchable member 80 does stretch, yet, the stretch/elongation thereof may be regulated (i.e., limited) to some extent.
While the joining

sections

91, 92 are formed of a hot melt adhesive in this embodiment, the regulating member 90 may also be joined to the stretchable member 80 by thermal welding of a heat seal, sonic seal, or the like.

While the backsheet 30 of the front waist region 11 is used as the first fastening component in this embodiment, a loop component or the like may be also separately attached in the front waist region 11. When the loop component or the like is attached in the backsheet 30 as the first fastening component, a breathable plastic sheet or the like may be used as the backsheet 30. When the backsheet 30 is not used as the first fastening component, the chassis 10 does not include the backsheet 30 and it is also possible to form the first fastening component in the leakage-barrier sheet 50. While the hook component is used as the second fastening component in this embodiment, a fastening component normally used to be developed in this technical field, such as an adhesive tape or the like, may also be used as long as is engageable with the non-skin facing side of the front waist region 11. When the adhesive tape or the like is used as the second fastening component, a plastic sheet or the like may be used as the first fastening component, for example. In such an embodiment, the leakage-barrier sheet 50 may be used as the first fastening component corresponding to the adhesive tape. The first fastening component may be attached in a portion of the front waist region 11 or substantially over the entire front waist region 11.

In the second sheet 82 of the stretchable member 80, a display element may be formed by illustrations, letters, or the like on a surface facing the regulating member 90 so that the display element may be visually recognized when the regulating member 90 is split along the splitting guide line 93. In other word, the section of the second sheet 82 hidden by the regulating member 90 may be used as a display section.
While the side panels 70 are disposed in the rear waist region 12 in this embodiment, it may also be disposed in the front waist region 11.

While the diaper 1 for adults is described as an example in this embodiment, it may also be applied to baby diapers as well. In this application, the dimension of each constituent may be accordingly changed so as to fit the wearer.

<Second Embodiment>
FIG.6 is a cross-section view similar to Fig. 4 showing a side panel in accordance with the second embodiment. However, in FIG.6, the side panel 70 is enlarged and the absorbent structure 40 is omitted. FIG.6(a) illustrates a state before the splitting guide line 93 is split and FIG.6(b) illustrates a state after the splitting guide line 93 is split. In this embodiment, a non-stretchable nonwoven fabric is used to form the stretchable member 80. Since the other constituents are similar to those of the first embodiment, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The stretchable member 80 is joined to the regulating member 90 by relaxing (i.e., leaving slack in) a portion thereof in the lateral direction X between the joining

sections

91, 92. Therefore, when the splitting guide line 93 of the regulating member 90 is split, it is possible to extend the stretchable member 80 only by the relaxed portion in the lateral direction X. Since the stretchable member 80 may be formed by a piece of sheet, the number of components may be reduced compared to a case in which other constituents are used. In the second embodiment, it is possible to use the stretchable member 80 which is elastically stretchable as described in the first embodiment. By further relaxing the stretchable member 80 in the lateral direction X so as to join to the regulating member 90, it is possible to decrease the dimension of the regulating member 90 in the lateral direction X to be joined to the stretchable member 80, and thereby the material costs may be reduced.

FIGs. 7 to 9 are plan views similar to FIG. 5(a) illustrating variations of the splitting guide line 93. In the variation illustrated in FIG.7, the splitting guide line has a first splitting guide line 93a extending inwardly from the front end edge 90a of the regulating member 90 in the longitudinal direction Y, and a second slitting guide line 93b extending inwardly from the rear end edge 90b in the longitudinal direction Y. The first and second

splitting guide lines

93a, 93b extend substantially in parallel without intersecting or being aligned with each other. In the side panel 70 as described above, even if only either one of the first and second

splitting guide lines

93a, 93b is split for use, there will be unlikely more ruptures inwardly in the longitudinal direction Y. Therefore, this variation may be used in the diaper 1 suitable to a case in which the side panel 70 is partially split in the longitudinal direction Y, while the remaining portion is kept without being split. In this variation, the first splitting guide line 93a is located inside the lateral direction X, while the second splitting guide line 93b is located outward in the lateral direction X; however, the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration.

According to the variation illustrated in FIG.8, the splitting guide line 93 is inclined from the rear end edge 90b to the front end edge 90a, i.e., toward the right bottom corner of the drawing. More specifically, the splitting guide line 93 is inclined relative to the longitudinal direction as if it intersects with the imaginary longitudinal center line P-P. According to the illustrated example in Fig. 8, it is inclined, as the splitting guide line 93 extends outwardly in the lateral direction X, toward the waist opening, in other words, toward the rear end edge 90b such that the dimension of the waist opening in the lateral direction X becomes larger when the splitting guide line 93 is split. Consequently, the waist opening may be readily expanded, thereby it may be suitably used for a wearer having a large waist relative to the buttocks, for example. Alternatively, the splitting guide line 93 may be inclined from the rear end edge 90b to the front end edge 90a, i.e., toward the left bottom corner of the drawing. In such configuration, it may be suitably used for a wearer having large buttocks relative to the waist. The inclination direction and the inclination angle of the splitting guide line 93 may be accordingly changed.

According to the variation illustrated in FIG.9, it is also possible to form the splitting guide line 93 in a wave or zigzag shape so as to alternately intersect with the imaginary longitudinal center line P-P. In such configuration, it becomes much easier to split the splitting guide line 93 halfway because it is not formed in a straight line. More specifically, when the regulating member 90 is split along the splitting guide line 93 formed in a straight line, it is difficult to stop splitting at a desired position and the splitting guide line 93 might be ruptured more than necessary and/or further ruptured while the diaper 1 is worn. However, by forming the splitting guide line 93 in a wave or zigzag shape, it is possible to prevent it from further being ruptured more than necessary.

The disclosure described above may be summarized as follows:
(i) A disposable wearing article having a longitudinal direction and lateral direction, the article including:
a chassis including:
a skin facing side and a non-skin facing side opposite thereto;
first and second waist regions; and
a crotch region located between the first and second waist regions, and
a fastening system configured to connect the first and second waist regions to each other, the fastening system including:
a first fastening component located on the first waist region; and
a second fastening component engageable with the first fastening component and attached in one of a pair of side panels extending from the second waist region in the lateral direction, wherein:
each side panel includes a stretchable member being stretchable in the lateral direction and a regulating member overlapping the stretchable member;
the stretchable member is joined to the regulating member at a pair of joining sections, wherein the joining sections are spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction; and
a splitting guide line formed on the regulating member between the joining sections and extending between a front end edge and a rear end edge of the regulating member in the longitudinal direction.

The aspects described in the above item (i) may include at least the following embodiments, which may be taken in isolation or in combination with one another:
(1) The stretchable member is elastically stretchable in the lateral direction, and elasticity of the regulating member are lower than that of the stretchable member.
(2) The splitting guide line is formed in a straight line between the front and rear end edges of the regulating member.
(3) The splitting guide line includes a series of perforations extending in the longitudinal direction.
(4) The stretchable member includes non-stretchable first and second sheets and elastics contractibly attached in a stretched state between the first and second sheets.
(5) Each of the joining sections is formed in a region in which a contracting force of the elastics is not directly exerted.
(6) The regulating member is formed of a non-stretchable sheet.
(7) The regulating member is disposed on the non-skin facing side of the stretchable member.
(8) Each of the perforations is a slit extending in the longitudinal direction.
(9) A dimension of the side panel in the longitudinal direction is larger than a dimension of the first waist region in the longitudinal direction.
(10) Leg elastics are contractibly attached in a stretched state in the longitudinal direction to the crotch region, the leg elastics include first end edges located on a side of the first waist region and second end edges located on a side of the second waist region, and the second end edges are located in the second waist region and inboard of the side panel in the lateral direction.
(11) A force for splitting the splitting guide line at one of the front and rear end edges is greater than at the other of the front and rear end edges.
(12) A non-woven fabric is used as the regulating member and has fibers oriented in the longitudinal direction.
(13) The stretchable member includes a display element formed on the surface facing the regulating member to be visually recognized when the regulating member is split along the splitting guide line.
(14) The splitting guide line includes a first splitting guide line extending inwardly from the front end edge of the regulating member in the longitudinal direction, and a second slitting guide line extending inwardly from the rear end edge in the longitudinal direction, and
the first and second splitting guide lines extend without intersecting or being aligned with each other.

The described aspects and/or embodiments provide one or more of the following effects:
According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the disposable wearing article includes a chassis and side panels extending from the lateral edges of the chassis, each side panel includes a stretchable member and a regulating member overlapping the stretchable member, and a splitting guide line is formed in the regulating member. With such an arrangement, the stretchable member may be stretchable in the lateral direction by splitting the regulating member along the splitting guide line, and the wearing article may be kept in close contact with the wearer by splitting the splitting guide line according to a body shape of the wearer. Moreover, even if the regulating member is split by the splitting guide line, the chassis will not be ruptured since the splitting guide line is formed in the side panel.

As constituting members of the disposable diaper 1 as one example of disposable wearing articles, various known materials normally used in the related technical field or materials to be developed in the art may be used without limitation in addition to the materials described in the present specification. In the specification and claims of the present application, the terms "first" and "second" are used to merely distinguish similar elements, positions, or the like.

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 2011-203741 the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

Claims

A disposable wearing article having a longitudinal direction and lateral direction, the article comprising:
a chassis including:
a skin facing side and a non-skin facing side opposite thereto;
first and second waist regions; and
a crotch region located between the first and second waist regions, and
a fastening system configured to connect the first and second waist regions to each other, the fastening system including:
a first fastening component located on the first waist region; and
a second fastening component engageable with the first fastening component and attached in one of a pair of side panels extending from the second waist region in the lateral direction, wherein:
each side panel includes a stretchable member being stretchable in the lateral direction and a regulating member overlapping the stretchable member;
the stretchable member is joined to the regulating member at a pair of joining sections, wherein the joining sections are spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction; and
a splitting guide line formed on the regulating member between the joining sections and extending between a front end edge and a rear end edge of the regulating member in the longitudinal direction.
The disposable wearing article according to claim 1, wherein the stretchable member is elastically stretchable in the lateral direction, and elasticity of the regulating member are lower than that of the stretchable member.
The disposable wearing article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the splitting guide line is formed in a straight line between the front and rear end edges of the regulating member.
The disposable wearing article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the splitting guide line includes a series of perforations extending in the longitudinal direction.
The disposable wearing article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the stretchable member includes non-stretchable first and second sheets and elastics contractibly attached in a stretched state between the first and second sheets.
The disposable wearing article according to claim 5, wherein each of the joining sections is formed in a region in which a contracting force of the elastics is not directly exerted.
The disposable wearing article according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the regulating member is formed of a non-stretchable sheet.
The disposable wearing article according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the regulating member is disposed on the non-skin facing side of the stretchable member.
The disposable wearing article according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein each of the perforations is a slit extending in the longitudinal direction.
The disposable wearing article according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a dimension of the side panel in the longitudinal direction is larger than a dimension of the first waist region in the longitudinal direction.
The disposable wearing article according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein leg elastics are contractibly attached in a stretched state in the longitudinal direction to the crotch region, the leg elastics include first end edges located on a side of the first waist region and second end edges located on a side of the second waist region, and the second end edges are located in the second waist region and inboard of the side panel in the lateral direction.
The disposable wearing article according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein a force for splitting the splitting guide line at one of the front and rear end edges is greater than at the other of the front and rear end edges.
The disposable wearing article according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein a non-woven fabric is used as the regulating member and has fibers oriented in the longitudinal direction.
The disposable wearing article according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the stretchable member includes a display element formed on the surface facing the regulating member to be visually recognized when the regulating member is split along the splitting guide line.
The disposable wearing article according to claim 1, wherein
the splitting guide line includes a first splitting guide line extending inwardly from the front end edge of the regulating member in the longitudinal direction, and a second slitting guide line extending inwardly from the rear end edge in the longitudinal direction, and
the first and second splitting guide lines extend without intersecting or being aligned with each other.