Kao Corporation

Wataru Saka

Takanobu Miyamoto

Shoichi Taneichi

Yasuo Toyoshima

Yoshihiro Sakai

Hideyuki Kobayashi

Hiroko Sugiura

Yasuhiro Komori

Manabu Kaneta

Noriko Sakamoto

Ken Nemoto

Shinobu Takei

Takeshi Miyamura

Hiromichi Suzuki

Koji Kanazawa

Koji Asano

Taeko Kanai

Hiroshi Kohira

Soichi Fujita

Aya Yoshimoto

A shaped sheet, comprising: a plurality of protrusions () on one surface side of the shaped sheet formed of fibers; and connecting portions () for being barriers and connecting the protrusions () to one another, wherein the connecting portion () has a fiber density higher than a fiber density of the protrusion ().

Shaped sheet and absorbent article using the same

A bulky sheet material having three-dimensional protrusions comprises a first fiber layer and a second fiber layer provided on at least one side of the first fiber layer. The first fiber layer contains thermally shrunken heat-shrinkable fibers. The second fiber layer comprises heat non-shrinkable fibers. The first fiber layer and the second fiber layer are partly joined together at a large number of joints formed by fusion bonding. The joints are formed by melting and solidification of a heat fusible resin having a higher melting point than the shrinkage starting temperature of the heat shrinkable fiber. The second fiber layer forms a large number of protrusions between the joints by the heat shrinkage of the first fiber layer while leaving the joints as depressions.

Bulky sheet material having three-dimensional protrusions

A topsheet for absorbent articles is disclosed. The topsheet is used on the side of an absorbent article to be brought into contact with a wearer's body. The topsheet has an air permeability of 10 ml/cm&#xb7;sec or more in the horizontal direction under a pressure of 10 cN/cm. The topsheet also has an air permeability of 10 to 500 ml/cm&#xb7;sec in the horizontal direction under a pressure of 50 cN/cm.

Topsheet for absorbent article

A bulky sheet material having three-dimensional protrusionsis disclosed. The sheet material comprises a first layerand a second layeradjacent to the first layer. The first layerand the second layeris partly joined together at jointsin a prescribed pattern. The first layerhas a number of raised portions which are located among the joints. The second layercomprises a material which exhibits elastomeric behavior. The bulky sheet materialexhibits elastomeric behavior as a whole and breathability.

A topsheetof an absorbent article is a nonwoven fabric having a plurality of heat fusion jointsformed by embossing. Fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric protrude in the thickness direction of the nonwoven fabric between the jointsto form a plurality of protrusionsandon both the upper and the lower sides of the nonwoven fabric. The base of the individual protrusionsformed on the lower side projects in the planar direction of the nonwoven fabric.

Topsheet of absorbent article

A topsheet for an absorbent article which has an uneven profile formed on a surface thereof to be brought into contact with a wearer's skin, the uneven profile being flexibly deformable in conformity to the contour of the wearer's body and to the wearer's movement, and depressions of the uneven profile being capable of trapping high-viscosity excreta thereby separating the high-viscosity excreta from the wearer's skin while an absorbent article having the topsheet is worn.

A method for restoring bulkiness of nonwoven fabric which contains crimped thermoplastic fiber and is in a roll form is disclosed. The method comprises unwinding the nonwoven fabric from the stock roll, and blowing hot air to the unwound nonwoven fabric by a through-air technique to make the nonwoven fabric increase in bulkiness. The hot air is heated at a temperature lower than the melting point of the thermoplastic fiber and not lower than a temperature lower than that melting point by about 50&#xb0; C., and is blown for about 0.05 to 3 seconds.

Method for restoring bulkiness of nonwoven fabric

A topsheetfor an absorbent article comprising a first fiber layerdisposed on the side of a wearer and a second fiber layerdisposed on the side of an absorbent member, the first fiber layerand the second fiber layerbeing partially bonded together at jointsin a prescribed pattern, the first fiber layerhaving protrusionson the wearer's side in portions other than the joints, and the second fiber layerbeing a fiber aggregate containing heat shrinkable fiber and having heat shrunken partsthat have shrunken and densified partsthat have been inhibited from heat shrinkage.

Growing community of inventors

Tochigi, Japan

Wataru Saka