Barrier Leg Cuff Attachment Using Mechanical Bonds and Adhesive Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing absorbent articles for personal hygiene, such as diapers and incontinence products, face challenges in attaching barrier leg cuffs effectively without using adhesives, which can increase costs and environmental impact, and mechanical/heat bonding often results in holes that compromise the barrier function, especially with materials of low basis weight or high basis weight variation.
Innovation Solution
The absorbent article features barrier leg cuffs and gasketing cuffs formed from the same nonwoven barrier material, attached to the topsheet with mechanical and/or heat bonds, and an adhesive is used in the crotch region to seal any holes and ensure effective attachment, with the adhesive covering at least 20% of the bonding area to prevent side leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If adhesive is used to attach barrier leg cuffs to the rest of the article, then attachment strength is improved, but cost increases and environmental impact worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the adhesive from the attachment process and replaces it with mechanical/heat bonding methods. The barrier leg cuffs are attached to the chassis using bonding techniques that eliminate the need for adhesive, thereby reducing cost and environmental impact while maintaining attachment strength
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical bonding system (adhesive) with a physical bonding system (mechanical/heat bonding). The barrier leg cuffs are attached through mechanical interlocking and heat bonding processes, substituting the chemical adhesive mechanism with physical bonding mechanisms
2Ease of manufacture
If mechanical and/or heat bonding is used to attach barrier leg cuffs, then adhesive cost is reduced, but holes may be pierced through the bonded materials compromising liquid restraining function
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using different bonding approaches in different locations. The barrier leg cuff material has varying basis weight in different regions, with heavier material at bonded areas to prevent hole formation during mechanical/heat bonding, while lighter material is used in non-bonded areas to maintain barrier function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite barrier leg cuff materials consisting of multiple layers with different properties. The composite structure includes layers with different basis weights and bonding characteristics, allowing successful mechanical/heat bonding without compromising the liquid restraining function of the overall barrier system
3Ease of manufacture
If barrier leg cuff material has low combined basis weight to reduce cost, then material cost is reduced, but bonding process creates holes more easily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by varying the basis weight of the barrier leg cuff material across different locations. The material has higher basis weight at the bonding zones to withstand mechanical/heat bonding without creating holes, while maintaining lower basis weight in non-bonding areas to reduce overall material cost
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the basis weight parameter of the barrier leg cuff material strategically. By adjusting the basis weight distribution - heavier at bonding areas and lighter elsewhere - the patent optimizes both bonding quality and material cost, achieving successful mechanical/heat bonding without excessive material usage
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 solution provides a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method to attach barrier leg cuffs, effectively preventing side leakage by ensuring a strong bond and sealing any holes, even with materials of lower basis weight, while maintaining the barrier function against fluid leakage.
Implementation Method 1
an adhesive at least partially attaching the topsheet to the backsheet
Implementation Method 2
attached to the topsheet in the crotch region by a plurality of mechanical and/or heat bonds
Implementation Method 3
attached to the topsheet in the crotch region by a plurality of mechanical and/or heat bonds
Implementation Method 4
an adhesive at least partially attaching the topsheet to the backsheet... effectively preventing side leakage by ensuring a strong bond and sealing any holes
Data Source
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AI summary
An absorbent article (20) for personal hygiene having a body-facing surface and an opposed garment-facing surface, the article having a front region (Z1), a back region (Z3) and an intermediate crotch region (Z2). The absorbent article comprises on each longitudinal side a gasketing cuff (32) and a barrier leg cuff (34) formed from the same web of nonwoven barrier material (110). The web of nonwoven barrier material is attached at least in the crotch region (Z2) to the topsheet by a plurality of mechanical and/or heat bonds (70), the plurality of mechanical and/or heat bonds defining in the crotch region a longitudinally extending bonding area (71) having a width W1. An adhesive (75) attaches in the crotch region the topsheet to the backsheet so that the adhesive covers at least 20% of the bonding area, this being also the case when the adhesive is notionally shifted laterally by any distance up to 4 mm.