Absorbent Waist Panels With Region-Specific Stretch From One Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing absorbent articles with front and back waistbands having different stretch characteristics requires different supplies of waistband materials, leading to increased costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
The absorbent article comprises a first waist panel with a first structural feature and a second waist panel with a second structural feature, where the first structural feature is not included in the second or is different from the second, providing different stretch characteristics, achieved by bonding elastic films to nonwovens in a stretched state and incorporating slits or other structural features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If different supplies of waistband materials with different stretch characteristics are used for front and back waistbands, then the fit and comfort of the absorbent article is improved, but the manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different stretch characteristics in different regions of the same waistband material. The first waist panel includes first structural features (such as folds, pleats, or embossing patterns) that provide a first stretch characteristic, while the second waist panel includes second structural features that provide a second stretch characteristic. This allows the front and back waistbands to have different stretch properties without using different materials, thereby maintaining fit and comfort while reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the waistband into multiple panels (first waist panel and second waist panel) with different structural features. Each panel can be independently configured with specific structural characteristics (such as the number, size, and arrangement of folds or pleats) to provide region-specific stretch characteristics. This segmentation approach allows for customized stretch properties in different waist regions without requiring separate material supplies.
2Reliability
If different supplies of waistband materials with different stretch characteristics are used for front and back waistbands, then the stretch characteristics are optimized for different body regions, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using different materials for front and back waistbands, the patent applies different structural features to different panels of the same material. The first waist panel may include first structural features such as deeper folds or pleats for regions requiring more stretch, while the second waist panel includes second structural features for regions requiring less stretch. This approach maintains optimized stretch characteristics while using a single material supply, thereby reducing manufacturing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters of the waistband material through structural modifications rather than material substitution. By varying parameters such as fold depth, pleat spacing, embossing density, or layer configuration in different waist panels, the patent achieves different stretch characteristics from the same base material. This parameter-based differentiation is more cost-effective than maintaining separate material inventories and supply chains.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single supply of waistband material is used for both front and back waistbands, then manufacturing cost and complexity are reduced, but achieving different stretch characteristics becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent demonstrates that a single material supply can produce different stretch characteristics through localized structural modifications. The first waist panel may be configured with first structural features such as vertical folds or horizontal pleats, while the second waist panel receives second structural features that create different stretch behavior. This local quality differentiation enables stretch characteristic variation without compromising manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic structural features such as folds, pleats, or embossed patterns that can be applied to different regions of the same material during the manufacturing process. These dynamic structural elements allow the material to exhibit different stretch characteristics in different regions while being processed as a single continuous web, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving versatility in stretch properties.
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 approach allows for absorbent articles with tailored waistband stretch characteristics without the need for multiple materials, reducing manufacturing complexity and costs while enhancing fit and comfort.
Implementation Method 1
a first waist panel (158a) positioned in the first waist region (116) and comprising a first elastic film (408) bonded to a first nonwoven (402) in a stretched state
Implementation Method 2
a first waist panel (158a) positioned in the first waist region (116) and comprising a first elastic film (408) bonded to a first nonwoven (402) in a stretched state
Implementation Method 3
the first structural feature or the second structural feature provides different stretch characteristics between the first waist panel (158a, 158b) and the second waist panel (158b), wherein in at least a portion of the first waist panel (158a), the first structural feature comprises slits
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to absorbent articles with front and back waist panels having different stretch characteristics. A first waist panel may be connected with a chassis and positioned in a first waist region, and a second waist panel may be connected with the chassis and positioned in a second waist region. In some configurations, the first waist panel may comprise a first structural feature that is not included in the second waist panel or may comprise a first structural feature is different from a second structural feature included in the second waist panel. As such, the first structural feature provides different stretch characteristics between the first waist panel and the second waist panel.