Disposable Underwear Crotch Panel Segmentation for Leg Opening Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pull-on disposable wearing articles with elastic leg-openings face issues where the elastic cuffs may collapse inward, leading to exposure of the buttocks and difficulty in putting on the garment due to constrained leg-openings and potential toe catching.
Innovation Solution
The design features a crotch panel with a transverse dimension ratio of 55 to 70% relative to the waist regions, ensuring the elastic side flaps maintain a planar contact with the thighs, preventing inward collapse and ensuring the leg-openings are not narrowed, thus preventing exposure and ease of donning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the width dimension of the crotch panel is broadened to prevent elastic cuffs from collapsing inward, then the elastic cuffs can maintain contact with thighs and prevent leakage, but the leg-openings become constrained in size and the wearer's toes may be caught by the crotch panel during donning
Solution Approach 1:
The crotch panel is segmented into multiple functional zones: an inelastic region adjacent to the absorbent structure that rises to prevent leakage, and elastic regions that extend outward to maintain contact with thighs while preserving leg-opening size. This segmentation allows different portions of the crotch panel to perform different functions simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between leakage prevention and ease of donning.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the crotch panel are assigned different mechanical properties: the inelastic region provides structural support and leakage prevention, while the elastic regions provide flexibility and maintain contact with the wearer's thighs. This local differentiation of material properties allows the crotch panel to simultaneously prevent leakage and maintain adequate leg-opening size for easy donning.
2Reliability
If the elastic cuffs are designed to be in close contact with the wearer's thighs to prevent body exudates from leaking sideways, then leakage prevention is improved, but the elastic cuffs may collapse inward and be tucked between the thighs and/or in cleavage of the buttocks causing buttocks exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic side flaps are divided into an inelastic region and elastic regions. The inelastic region provides structural stability and rises toward the wearer's body to prevent leakage, while the elastic regions maintain contact with the thighs without collapsing inward. This segmentation stabilizes the elastic cuffs' structure while maintaining their leakage-prevention function.
Solution Approach 2:
The inelastic region is positioned adjacent to the absorbent structure and configured to rise toward the wearer's body in advance, creating a preliminary barrier against leakage before the elastic regions come into contact with the thighs. This preliminary action ensures leakage prevention while allowing the elastic regions to maintain their stable, non-collapsing configuration.
3Reliability
If the pull-on disposable wearing article uses a three connecting piece structure with front waist panel, rear waist panel, and liquid-absorbent structure, then the article can provide adequate absorbency and waist fit, but the leg-openings are apt to be tucked in the buttock-cleavage of the wearer exacerbating the problems of cuff collapse and toe catching
Solution Approach 1:
In the three connecting piece structure, the crotch panel is further segmented into inelastic and elastic regions. The inelastic region adjacent to the liquid-absorbent structure provides structural support and prevents leg-opening collapse, while the elastic regions maintain contact with the wearer's thighs. This segmentation prevents the leg-openings from being tucked in the buttock-cleavage while maintaining adequate absorbency and waist fit.
Solution Approach 2:
The crotch panel in the three connecting piece structure incorporates regions with different mechanical properties: an inelastic region for structural stability and leakage prevention, and elastic regions for flexibility and thigh contact. This local quality differentiation prevents leg-opening collapse and ease of donning issues while maintaining the absorbency and waist fit benefits of the three piece structure.
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 configuration effectively covers the wearer's buttocks, prevents leakage, and allows for easy insertion of legs without the risk of toe catching, maintaining a secure fit and functionality.
Implementation Method 1
the inelastic regions rise toward the wearer's body to prevent leakage of body exudates
Implementation Method 2
the elastic regions project outward in the transverse direction and are kept in contact in planar state with the thighs
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The present invention aims to provide a pull-on disposable wearing article having leg-openings of sufficient size and assuring that respective peripheries of the leg-openings reliably cover the wearer's buttocks without apprehension that the peripheries of the leg-openings might collapse inward. A crotch panel (13) at least includes an absorbent structure (11) located on a skin-facing surface of a crotch region (16) and a pair of elastic side flaps (53) extending outward in a transverse direction (X) from both side edges of the absorbent structure (11). The elastic side flaps (53) have inelastic regions (57A) defined on the outer sides in the transverse direction (X) of both side edges of the absorbent structure (11) and elastic regions (57B) defined on the outer sides in the transverse direction (X) of the respective inelastic regions (57A). The crotch panel (13) has a dimension (W2) in the transverse direction (X) corresponding to about 55 to about 70% of a dimension (W1) in the transverse direction (X) of the front and rear waist regions (14, 15).