Acquisition Material with 3D Features for Low Viscosity Waste
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current absorbent articles are ineffective in acquiring and storing low viscosity feces or waste, leading to leakage and residue on the skin or topsheet, due to limitations in acquisition materials.
Innovation Solution
The development of an absorbent article with a liquid permeable topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an acquisition material with a caliper of 2.5 mm to 10 mm and air permeability of 5,000 to 11,000 l/m², featuring three-dimensional features that extend from one surface to another, enhancing the acquisition and storage of low viscosity waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional acquisition materials are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the capacity to acquire and store low viscosity feces is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The acquisition material is transformed from a conventional two-dimensional flat layer to a three-dimensional structured material with voids, channels, and lofted regions. This dimensional change increases the available volume for waste acquisition and storage while maintaining a compact overall profile, directly addressing the insufficient capacity problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The acquisition material incorporates a porous structure with controlled voids, channels, and interconnected spaces that facilitate the absorption and retention of low viscosity feces. The porosity enables the material to take in and hold waste products effectively, resolving the capacity issue without requiring excessive material thickness.
2Quantity of substance
If the acquisition material thickness is increased to improve storage capacity, then more waste can be stored, but the air permeability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The acquisition material features spatially varying properties with different regions optimized for specific functions: highly porous zones for waste absorption, channels for fluid transport, and less dense regions for breathability. This local differentiation allows simultaneous achievement of high storage capacity and maintained air permeability through strategic property distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
By creating a three-dimensional structured material with vertical and horizontal channels, voids, and lofted regions, the design provides multiple pathways for air flow while maximizing waste storage volume. The multi-dimensional architecture ensures that increased thickness does not linearly reduce permeability, as air can travel through various routes including vertical channels and horizontal voids.
3Reliability
If conventional acquisition materials are used, then manufacturing is simple, but leakage of low viscosity feces occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The acquisition material is designed with pre-formed three-dimensional structures, channels, and voids that are created during the manufacturing process itself. This preliminary structuring ensures that the material has inherent capacity to contain and direct waste flow before actual use, preventing leakage by establishing containment pathways and storage regions in advance rather than requiring additional components or post-processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The acquisition material combines multiple material properties and structures within a single integrated layer, including hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, varying fiber densities, and interconnected void spaces. This composite approach creates a multi-functional material that simultaneously provides absorption, containment, and leakage prevention capabilities, achieving reliable waste management without complex multi-component assemblies.
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
The solution effectively increases the capacity to acquire and store low viscosity feces, reducing leakage and residue on the skin or topsheet, while maintaining high air permeability and caliper, thereby improving the overall performance of absorbent articles.
Implementation Method 1
The porous sublayer may be referred to as an acquisition layer or material. Viscous liquid bodily waste deposited on the apertured topsheet may, to some extent, penetrate the topsheet, primarily through the apertures in the topsheet if the apertures are of a sufficient size, and be partially acquired and stored in the porous acquisition material
Data Source
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AI summary
An absorbent article includes a liquid permeable, apertured topsheet, a liquid impermeable backsheet, an absorbent core disposed at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet, and an acquisition material disposed at least partially intermediate the topsheet and the absorbent core. The acquisition material has a caliper in the range of about 2.5 mm to about 10 mm, according to the Caliper Test, and an Air Permeability in the range of about 5,000 l/m2/s to about 11,000 l/m2/s, according to the Air Permeability Test. The acquisition material has a first surface, a second surface, and a plurality of three-dimensional features extending outwardly from the first surface or the second surface.