Absorbent Unit Packaging Color Matching for Thin Film Concealment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging for absorbent articles faces challenges in maintaining a premium aesthetic while using thin, non-opaque materials, which can reveal graphical markings or colors of the products through the outer enclosure, compromising visual appeal and perceived quality.
Innovation Solution
A package design featuring an outer enclosure with a thickness less than 70 μm, utilizing a first color and absorbent units with a second color in the L*a*b* color space, ensuring a dominant light area with a lightness value above 75 and a controlled color difference to conceal the absorbent units' appearance, along with optional graphical items positioned to avoid visibility through the enclosure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the outer enclosure is made from a thin layer of material (thickness ≤ 70 μm) to reduce cost and improve flexibility, then manufacturing cost is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the enclosure becomes non-opaque and graphical markings or colors of absorbent articles become visible through it, worsening the aesthetic appearance and perceived quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color matching between the outer enclosure and absorbent articles to control visibility. By selecting colors where the absorbent articles match the enclosure color (particularly using light colors with high lightness values), the articles become less visible through the thin semi-transparent material, maintaining aesthetic appearance without requiring thicker opaque material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the color parameters (lightness, chroma, hue) of both the outer enclosure and absorbent articles to achieve optimal matching. By controlling the lightness value to be above 75 and adjusting color difference metrics (ΔE, ΔL, Δa, Δb), the patent optimizes the visual appearance through the thin material, resolving the contradiction between thin material usage and aesthetic quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If the outer enclosure is made opaque with dark material to conceal absorbent articles and maintain premium appearance, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but the material thickness increases and manufacturing cost increases, worsening ease of manufacture and cost-efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from dark opaque materials to light-colored semi-transparent materials. By using light colors with high lightness values for both the enclosure and articles, the patent achieves concealment through color matching rather than opacity, allowing thin material usage while maintaining aesthetic appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite approach combining thin semi-transparent material with carefully selected color properties. Rather than relying solely on material thickness for opacity, the solution integrates optical properties (color, lightness) with the thin material structure to achieve the desired concealment and aesthetic effects.
3Manufacturing precision
If light-colored material is used for the outer enclosure to meet design trends, then aesthetic appearance and modern design are improved, but the material becomes more transparent, causing absorbent articles to be more visible, worsening the concealment function
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses light-colored materials for both the outer enclosure and absorbent articles, creating color harmony that reduces visual contrast. By matching the lightness and color properties, the articles remain concealed even though the material is semi-transparent, maintaining both the modern light-colored design aesthetic and the concealment function.
Data Source
AI summary
A package has an outer enclosure enclosing absorbent units and being at least partially non-opaque, wherein said outer enclosure has a thickness which is less than 70 μm, and wherein the outer enclosure is at least partly of a first predetermined colour and the absorbent units are at least partly of a second predetermined colour as viewed through the outer enclosure. The absorbent units have at least one lightly coloured or light grey area and the outer enclosure has a dominant area covering a substantial part of the area of the outer enclosure and having a lightness value above 75, and the colour difference between the dominant area and the lightly coloured or light grey area as seen through the outer enclosure is chosen so that the absorbent units are generally not visible through the outer enclosure.