Absorbent Article Wrapper Sheet Opacity and Color Balance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing absorbent articles, such as sanitary napkins and pantiliners, face challenges in showcasing aesthetic features while maintaining opacity to conceal soiled articles, which is contradictory to the desire to display design elements and control visibility post-use.

Innovation Solution

A nonwoven wrapper sheet with an opacity of 8.5% to 50% and non-white coloration treatment is used to individually package absorbent articles, allowing for visibility of aesthetic features without revealing soiled contents, achieved by ensuring the wrapper sheet is not folded with the article and is not affixed to it.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a non-transparent wrapper sheet is used to conceal soiled articles, then the visibility of soiled contents is controlled, but the aesthetic features of the absorbent article cannot be displayed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisibility of soiled contentsVSAvoidaesthetic features

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The wrapper sheet incorporates a non-white coloration treatment that introduces or mixes a non-white color pigment into the fibers of the nonwoven material. This color treatment allows the wrapper to maintain sufficient opacity to conceal soiled contents while simultaneously enabling the aesthetic features of the absorbent article to be visible through the wrapper sheet.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

2Loss of information

If the wrapper sheet is made transparent to show aesthetic features, then aesthetic features are visible, but the soiled article becomes visible through the wrapper sheet

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaesthetic featuresVSAvoidvisibility of soiled contents

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The non-white coloration treatment of the wrapper sheet creates an optimal balance by reducing the transparency enough to conceal soiled contents while maintaining sufficient visual penetration to display aesthetic features. The specific opacity range of 8.5% to 50% achieves this balance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention specifies an opacity parameter range of 8.5% to 50% for the wrapper sheet, which optimizes the balance between concealing soiled contents and displaying aesthetic features. This parameter control resolves the contradiction by finding the optimal transparency level.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of information

If graphics are printed on the wrapper sheet to show design, then aesthetic features are displayed, but material costs and manufacturing complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaesthetic featuresVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The wrapper sheet's non-white coloration treated nonwoven material inherently displays the aesthetic features of the absorbent article through it, eliminating the need for additional printing or graphic application on the wrapper. The colored nonwoven material itself serves as the aesthetic display medium, reducing manufacturing steps and costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11534349B2Packaged absorbent article

Publication Date: 2022.12.27 PROCTER & GAMBLE CO

AI summary

A packaged absorbent article having a body surface and a garment surface; and a wrapper sheet for wrapping the absorbent article so that at least a portion of the garment surface of the absorbent article can be seen through the wrapper sheet.