Diaper Leg Cuff Design for Leakage and Softness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current diaper designs suffer from a plastic-like touch and paper-like noise due to polymeric film usage in outer leg cuffs, which affects tactile and perceived softness, and may convey a cheap or low-quality image.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a pair of outer cuffs with a cuff sealing, first and second cuff elastic elements, and a cuff fringe, where the second cuff elastic element has a lower tensile force and is located outward of the backsheet, and the cuff fringe is formed by the cuff material and outer cover layer, reducing the presence of the backsheet material for improved softness and breathability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If polymeric film layer is used in outer leg cuff, then leakage protection and manufacturing reliability are improved, but tactile softness and perceived quality deteriorate due to plastic-like touch and paper-like noise
Solution Approach 1:
The outer leg cuff is divided into multiple functional zones: a first zone containing the polymeric film layer for leakage protection, and a second zone containing the cuff fringe made of soft material. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between leakage protection and tactile softness.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the outer leg cuff are assigned different material properties: the inner region near the leg opening uses polymeric film for liquid barrier functionality, while the outer cuff fringe uses soft, breathable material for comfort and quality perception. This local differentiation of material quality resolves the contradiction by ensuring each area has the appropriate properties for its function.
2Manufacturing precision
If polymeric film layer is used in outer leg cuff, then manufacturing precision is improved, but sensory quality deteriorates due to paper-like noise upon handling
Solution Approach 1:
The polymeric film layer is extracted from the outer cuff region and repositioned to the inner zone, while the outer cuff fringe is formed from soft material without the film layer. This extraction eliminates the source of paper-like noise and plastic touch from the visible and tactile outer surface, while the film layer continues to provide manufacturing precision benefits in its new location.
3Reliability
If outer cuff is made with backsheet material, then leakage protection is improved, but breathability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The outer leg cuff is segmented into an inner zone with polymeric film for leakage protection and an outer cuff fringe zone with breathable soft material. This segmentation allows the breathable material to contact the wearer's skin in the cuff region, improving air circulation and moisture wicking, while the polymeric film layer maintains its leakage protection function in the inner zone.
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 enhances tactile feel, perceived softness, and breathability while maintaining leakage protection, providing a higher-quality image and consumer acceptance.
Implementation Method 1
The outer leg cuff contains the outer leg elastic strands, which create the contraction forces and gathers
Implementation Method 2
the tensile force of each elastic body of the second cuff elastic element is no more than 70% of the tensile force of any elastic body of the first cuff elastic element
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Disclosed is an absorbent article (20) comprising: 1) a water permeable topsheet (58); 2) a water impermeable backsheet (60); 3) an absorbent core (62); 4) an outer cover layer (42); and 5) a pair of outer cuffs (66) for providing leg gasketing function, each outer cuff comprising : a) a cuff sealing (76) located transversely between the absorbent core and the longitudinal side edge of the backsheet, b) a first cuff elastic element (72) located transversely inward of the longitudinal side edge of the backsheet, and no more transversely inward than 3mm from the cuff sealing; c) a second cuff elastic element (74) located transversely outward of the longitudinal side edge of the backsheet; wherein the tensile force of each elastic body of the second cuff elastic element is no more than 70％ of the tensile force of any elastic body of the first cuff elastic element; d) a cuff gap (70) located between the of the first cuff elastic element and the second cuff elastic element, the cuff gap having a transverse width of at least 3mm; and e) a cuff fringe (78) located transversely outward the second cuff elastic element, the cuff fringe having a transverse width of at least 5mm; wherein the cuff sealing (76) bonds all of the materials existing in the thickness direction of the article where the cuff sealing is located.