Absorbent Article Pocket Dividing Front and Rear Regions
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing absorbent articles fail to effectively contain and manage bowel movement (BM) exudates, leading to skin irritation and the potential mixing with urine, which can cause further skin irritation and discomfort.
Innovation Solution
The design of absorbent articles with a secondary liner sheet forming a pocket between the front and rear regions, utilizing a 35 gsm spunbond polypropylene material treated with surfactant, where the secondary liner sheet is attached to containment flaps to create a barrier that prevents BM exudates from spreading forward and contacting the genital area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a secondary liner sheet is attached to containment flaps to form a pocket, then exudate containment and regional separation are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The absorbent article is divided into distinct regions (front region and rear region) separated by the pocket formed from the secondary liner sheet. This segmentation prevents mixing of different types of exudates and maintains separate functional zones within the article.
Solution Approach 2:
The secondary liner sheet is nested within the absorbent article structure, attached to the containment flaps to form a pocket that creates an additional containment layer without requiring a completely separate external structure.
2Reliability
If the secondary liner sheet is attached proximate the distal edges of containment flaps, then BM exudate containment is improved, but the length of attachment regions increases material usage
Solution Approach 1:
The secondary liner sheet is selectively attached to the containment flaps at specific locations (distal edges) rather than uniformly across the entire flap surface. This localized attachment strategy provides effective BM containment at the critical rear region while minimizing material usage and avoiding unnecessary attachment in areas where containment is less critical.
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 configuration enhances the absorbent article's functionality by reducing skin exposure to BM irritants, preventing the mixing of BM and urine, and maintaining healthier skin by containing exudates within specific regions, thereby reducing leakage and skin irritation.
Implementation Method 1
a secondary liner sheet which forms a pocket which provides a barrier separating a front region of the absorbent articles from a rear region
Implementation Method 2
A primary function of personal care absorbent articles is to absorb and retain body exudates
Implementation Method 3
an absorbent body disposed between the garment facing outer cover and the body facing liner
Data Source
AI summary
Absorbent articles of the present disclosure may be constructed with a secondary liner sheet placed on top of a body facing liner of the articles configured to form a pocket. The pocket provides a barrier, thereby separating a front region of the absorbent articles from a rear region. In this manner, the absorbent articles of the present disclosure may reduce the spread of bodily exudates throughout the articles. The reduced spreading of exudates may help to keep skin healthy by reducing the amount of skin exposed to the skin irritants within the exudates and/or by preventing additional skin irritants from being created by preventing the mixing of BM and urine, at least in proximity to the skin of the wearer.