Balanced Layered Tape Winding for Sanitary Products
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of layered tapes for sanitary products often results in unbalanced winding due to varying elastic film distribution, leading to non-uniform thickness and difficulty in coiling, especially for larger applications like bariatric diapers.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method involving an anvil wheel with a rotary drum and layer input devices that allow for precise feeding and bonding of layers, including a stretchable film, to create balanced layered tapes by overlapping and bonding strips in a specific pattern, enabling uniform winding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the elastic film width is increased to achieve desired performance in larger applications, then the side panel performance is improved, but the thickness balance in cross direction deteriorates, making winding difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different thickness zones within the laminate structure. Specifically, it uses a multi-layer construction where the elastic film is combined with nonwoven layers in varying ratios across the width, resulting in thicker and thinner sections that compensate for each other during winding, thus achieving both performance and winding balance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining elastic film with nonwoven materials in a layered laminate structure. This composite approach allows the thinner elastic film to provide necessary performance while the nonwoven layers contribute to thickness balance, enabling successful winding of previously unwindable configurations
2Loss of substance
If the elastic film is provided over part of the width to reduce cost, then material cost is reduced, but the laminate becomes unbalanced in cross direction, causing winding problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates intentional local quality variations in the laminate thickness profile. By designing specific thicker and thinner zones through the layered construction, the unbalanced thickness distribution is transformed into a controlled pattern that maintains winding stability while reducing elastic film usage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of thickness unbalance into a beneficial winding pattern. The varying thickness zones, which would normally cause winding problems, are designed to create a self-balancing effect during the winding process, transforming the defect into a functional advantage
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein are a method and an apparatus for manufacturing layered tapes (T1, T2) and a layered tape arrangement comprising a pair of layered tapes (T1, T2) wound together. each of the layered tape is individually unbalanced as far as the number of layers in a cross direction, but the resulting tape arrangement is nevertheless balanced, allowing for a balanced rolling of the layered tapes in a coil, or balanced folding of the tape arrangement into a ply stack.