3D Sheet Material Minimizing Skin Contact in Absorbent Articles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing absorbent articles for personal care, such as diapers and sanitary napkins, face challenges in rapidly absorbing fluids while promoting skin wellness and comfort, as they often require materials that balance fluid handling with air circulation and minimal skin contact.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensional sheet material with a layered structure featuring embossed and apertured regions that create liquid channels and capillaries, reducing skin contact area and enhancing fluid flow, is developed. This material can be used as a top sheet or body-contacting layer in absorbent articles, allowing for efficient fluid absorption and distribution while maintaining skin dryness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dense liner material is used to prevent fluid penetration, then fluid containment is improved, but air circulation and skin drying are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous foam material for the liner layer that allows air circulation through its cellular structure while maintaining fluid containment capabilities. The porous structure enables gas permeability for drying purposes while the closed-cell nature prevents liquid fluid penetration, thus resolving the contradiction between fluid containment and air circulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure combining foam material with potential coating layers or treatments that provide both fluid barrier properties and breathable characteristics. This composite approach allows simultaneous achievement of fluid containment and air permeability for skin wellness.
2Reliability
If a thick liner material is used to prevent rewet, then fluid barrier performance is improved, but comfort and skin contact are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The foam liner provides rewet prevention through its porous structure that allows vapor transmission while blocking liquid fluid backflow. The three-dimensional cellular structure creates capillary barriers that prevent rewet without requiring excessive material thickness, thereby maintaining comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional two-dimensional flat liner structures to a three-dimensional foam structure. This dimensional change provides enhanced fluid barrier performance through the vertical cellular architecture while maintaining thin overall profile for comfort and reduced skin contact.
3Ease of manufacture
If a flat liner structure is used for simplicity, then manufacturing is easier, but fluid distribution and air circulation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a three-dimensional foam structure that enhances fluid distribution through its vertical cellular architecture. The 3D structure creates multiple fluid pathways and increases surface area for better fluid management while remaining manufacturable through conventional foam formation processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the structural parameters of the liner from flat to foamed, creating a cellular architecture that improves fluid distribution and air circulation. The foam cell size, density, and distribution can be controlled during manufacturing to optimize both performance and manufacturability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The three-dimensional sheet material effectively minimizes skin contact, reduces rewet, and enhances comfort by facilitating quick fluid absorption and distribution, thereby improving skin wellness and reducing irritation.
Implementation Method 1
The embossed and apertured regions create liquid channels and capillaries, reducing skin contact area and enhancing fluid flow
Data Source
AI summary
The present application discloses and claims a three-dimensional sheet material and an absorbent article which utilizes the sheet material within the article. The three-dimensional sheet material is designed to minimize the contact area on one side of the material thereby making it useful for various applications including a body contacting top sheet or liner material.