Disposable Absorbent Article Side Panel Gathering and Binding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disposable absorbent articles face challenges in providing a comfortable, secure, and easy-to-use design, particularly in maintaining the gathered configuration of side panels which affects fit, handling, and manufacturing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The disposable wearable absorbent article features gathered side panels with a mechanical fastening material and binding material, forming a tapered shape from a rectangular sheet, which simplifies manufacturing and enhances user experience by reducing the surface area that fastens, making it easier to find and unfasten the fasteners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If side panels are made from rectangular sheets and gathered to form tapered shape, then manufacturing is simplified and material waste is reduced, but the complexity of maintaining the gathered configuration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The side panels are pre-gathered and secured in their tapered configuration during manufacturing using binding material applied to the gathered panels. This preliminary action ensures the panels maintain the desired tapered shape during use without requiring complex active maintenance mechanisms, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and configuration maintenance complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The binding material is applied in a specific configuration state (gathered/tapered) rather than on flat panels. This parameter change in the application state allows the binding material to effectively maintain the gathered configuration while the manufacturing process remains simple, addressing the contradiction between ease of manufacture and device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If the surface area of side panels that fasten to mechanical fastening means is reduced, then ease of use is improved by making fasteners easier to find and unfasten, but the fastening security may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical fastening material is concentrated at specific locations on the side panels rather than being distributed across the entire surface. This local concentration provides sufficient fastening security at the critical points while reducing the overall surface area that needs to be manipulated, thereby improving ease of operation without compromising reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The side panels are pre-gathered and secured in their tapered configuration during manufacturing, which pre-position the fastening material in an optimized location and configuration. This preliminary action ensures that during use, the fastening material is easily accessible and can be quickly engaged or disengaged, improving ease of operation while maintaining secure fastening through the pre-positioned configuration.
3Ease of operation
If side panels are gathered to form tapered shape, then fit and handlability are improved, but the surface area of the article increases when stored in folded configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The side panels are pre-gathered and secured in their tapered configuration during manufacturing using binding material. This preliminary action creates a compact, space-efficient stored configuration that minimizes the surface area when the article is folded, while ensuring that the panels maintain their tapered shape and provide improved handlability during use without requiring additional storage space.
Data Source
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AI summary
A disposable wearable absorbent article (10) comprises a chassis (12) having an absorbent core (19) and first and second side panels (20, 22) extending transversally outwards towards respective outer edges (20a, 22a). Each of the first and second side panels (20, 22) comprises a mechanical fastening material (24) affixed to an outer end portion of the panel whereby, in use, the first and second side panels can extend around a user's waist to couple the first and second side panels to the chassis. Each of the side panels (20, 22) is gathered in a longitudinal direction to form at least one pleat (28) extending in the transverse direction, and comprises a binding material (26) affixed to respective side panels to maintain each of the first and second side panels (20, 22) in a gathered configuration. A method for forming disposable wearable absorbent articles is also disclosed.