Diaper Pant Frangible Belt Pathways for Hygienic Disposal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing absorbent articles, particularly diaper pants, face challenges in hygienic disposal of soiled products, as they often require sliding down the legs or tearing, which can lead to feces smearing and loss of control, and existing disposal features do not fully enclose the soiled diaper for secure wrapping.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of frangible pathways in the waist belts of absorbent articles, allowing easy separation and refastenable disposal configurations, with a disposal wrap defined by the combination of belt extensions and a fastener component, ensuring complete enclosure and secure disposal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If absorbent articles are designed for extended use and reusable, then cost-effectiveness and sustainability improve, but hygiene and contamination risks worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The absorbent article is divided into separate reusable components (backsheet, acquisition layer) and disposable components (fluid-receiving portion, contaminated portions). This segmentation allows the clean reusable parts to be separated from contaminated disposable parts, enabling hygiene maintenance while extending overall usage duration through reuse of clean components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a system where contaminated portions (fluid-receiving portion, saturated acquisition layer) are discarded after use, while clean portions (backsheet, unsaturated acquisition layer) are recovered and reused. This selective discarding and recovering approach maintains hygiene standards while extending the functional lifespan of the absorbent article system.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If absorbent articles are designed as disposable, then hygiene and contamination control improve, but waste generation and environmental impact worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The absorbent article is segmented into disposable contaminated portions and reusable clean portions. This segmentation enables targeted disposal of only the contaminated parts that generate waste, while the clean parts are recovered and reused, thereby reducing overall waste generation while maintaining effective contamination control during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements selective discarding of only the contaminated fluid-receiving portion and saturated acquisition layer, while recovering and reusing the clean backsheet and unsaturated acquisition layer. This approach minimizes waste generation (reducing loss of substance) while maintaining hygiene and contamination control through proper disposal of contaminated components.
3Loss of substance
If absorbent articles are designed for reuse, then waste reduction and sustainability improve, but device complexity and separation mechanisms worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The absorbent article incorporates pre-defined separation zones and frangible pathways that simplify the segmentation process. These design features create natural separation points that guide the user in easily dividing the article into reusable and disposable portions, reducing the complexity of the separation mechanism while enabling effective waste reduction through reuse.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the absorbent article with easily extractable disposable portions that can be readily separated from the reusable components. The frangible pathways and separation zones enable the disposable contaminated portions to be quickly removed and discarded, while the reusable clean portions remain intact for reuse, thereby reducing waste without requiring complex separation mechanisms.
4Ease of operation
If frangible pathways are made easily breakable, then separation ease improves, but structural integrity during use worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The absorbent article employs local quality differentiation where the frangible pathways are designed with locally reduced strength at specific separation zones, while the main structural components maintain full strength. This allows the frangible pathways to be easily broken for separation while the overall structural integrity remains sufficient to maintain containment and functionality during normal use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates segmented structural design with distinct frangible separation zones that are intentionally weakened only at these specific locations. This segmentation enables easy separation at the frangible pathways while the rest of the absorbent article maintains adequate structural integrity through its reinforced non-frangible portions, resolving the contradiction between separation ease and structural strength.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1A
Figure 2A
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to diaper pants having a first belt and a second belt with one or more frangible pathways. A frangible pathway may extend between inner edge and outer edges of a belt. A grip region comprising an accessibility opening may be positioned between the inner and outer edges of the belt. The frangible pathway may comprise a first tear zone and a second tear zone extending from the accessibility opening to a distal terminus and to a proximal terminus. Such frangible pathway configurations provide a feature that allows a belt of a diaper pant to be relatively easily torn along the frangible pathway. Once torn along the frangible pathway, the diaper pant may be removed from a wearer and rolled up for disposal. A fastener component may be connected with another portion of the diaper pant to help maintain the diaper pant in a disposal configuration.