Absorbent Article Longitudinal Folded Side Regions

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge is to create a cost-effective absorbent article that provides leakage protection, conforms well to the body, and maintains a dry feel for the wearer while minimizing production costs.

Innovation Solution

The absorbent article features longitudinal direction folded side regions that can transition between configurations, with a bonded configuration for leakage protection and an unbonded configuration for conformability, incorporating elastic members and a layered structure of an outer cover, bodyside liner, and absorbent body to manage body exudates effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If additional features and materials are incorporated to enhance performance and appearance, then leakage protection and body conformity are improved, but manufacturing cost and material cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveleakage protectionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The absorbent article is divided into distinct functional regions: a conforming waist region with bonded side regions for leakage protection, and a crotch region with unbonded folded side regions for body conformity. This segmentation allows each region to be optimized independently, providing high reliability where needed while reducing manufacturing complexity in other areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the absorbent article have different bonding characteristics: the waist region features bonded side regions for structural integrity and leakage protection, while the crotch region has unbonded folded side regions that can move freely to conform to the body. This local differentiation of properties optimizes performance without uniformly increasing manufacturing complexity throughout the entire article.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If additional features and materials are incorporated to enhance performance and appearance, then body conformity is improved, but manufacturing cost and material cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebody conformityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The folded side regions in the crotch area are designed to be unbonded, allowing them to dynamically adjust and conform to the wearer's body movements and shape. This dynamic adaptability is achieved without complex mechanisms, simply by omitting bonds in specific regions, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture while improving body conformity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of manufacture

If simplified materials and processes are used to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but leakage protection and body conformity deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidleakage protection

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The article is segmented into waist and crotch regions with different bonding configurations. The waist region uses bonded side regions to provide leakage protection using simpler, more cost-effective manufacturing processes, while the crotch region uses unbonded regions for conformity, avoiding the need for complex bonding in areas where it is not critical for leakage prevention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Ease of manufacture

If simplified materials and processes are used to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but body conformity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidbody conformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The unbonded folded side regions are specifically located in the crotch area where body conformity is most critical, while the waist region maintains bonded regions for structural support. This localized approach to simplification maintains conformity where needed without requiring complex bonding processes throughout the entire article, thus reducing overall manufacturing cost while preserving adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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

This design enhances leakage protection and body conformity while maintaining a dry feel for the wearer, achieving these attributes at a lower cost by optimizing the use of materials and configurations in the absorbent article.

Implementation Method 1

An absorbent body can be positioned between the outer cover and the bodyside liner

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAbsorption: Absorption (physical)

Implementation Method 2

absorbent article having longitudinal direction folded side regions

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCapillary action: Capillary Action

Implementation Method 3

each of the longitudinal direction folded side regions comprises at least one elastic member

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS10660804B2Absorbent article having longitudinal direction folded side regions

Publication Date: 2020.05.26 KIMBERLY CLARK WORLDWIDE INC

AI summary

An absorbent article which can have longitudinal direction folded side regions. The longitudinal direction folded side regions of the absorbent article can provide the absorbent article with a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration, the lateral direction width of each of the front waist edge and the back waist edge can be the same. In the second configuration, the lateral direction width of the front waist edge can be smaller than the lateral direction width of the back waist edge.