Embossed Interior Layer Structure for Wet-Soft Multi-Ply Products
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-layered products, such as absorbent paper products, lose strength, bulk, and softness when wetted, and are often not biodegradable, which is undesirable for environmental and consumer acceptance.
Innovation Solution
A multi-layered product with an embossed interior layer, featuring a waffle pattern with protrusions and recesses, secured by adhesive, maintains strength and softness when wet and is biodegradable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the bonding area between adjacent plies is increased to improve strength, then the product becomes stiffer and loses softness and drape
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive is applied in a discontinuous pattern rather than covering the entire surface, creating localized bonding zones. This allows the product to have sufficient strength at bonded areas while maintaining softness and drape in non-bonded areas, resolving the contradiction between bonding strength and flexibility.
2Strength
If the bonding area between adjacent plies is increased to improve strength, then the product may become less absorbent
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive is applied in a discontinuous pattern rather than covering the entire surface, creating localized bonding zones. This allows the product to have sufficient strength at bonded areas while maintaining softness and drape in non-bonded areas, resolving the contradiction between bonding strength and flexibility.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional multi-layered structures are used, then manufacturing is simple, but the product loses bulk and softness when wetted
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive application transitions from a continuous two-dimensional coverage to a discontinuous pattern, creating three-dimensional spacing and air pockets between layers. This dimensional change allows the structure to maintain bulk and softness when wetted while still providing adequate bonding.
4Strength
If non-biodegradable materials are used in multi-layered products, then product strength and durability are improved, but environmental acceptability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The product uses a composite structure combining biodegradable tissue layers with a biodegradable adhesive system. This composite approach maintains the necessary strength and durability while ensuring complete biodegradability, resolving the contradiction between product performance and environmental acceptability.
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 product retains bulk and softness, even when wet, and is environmentally friendly, suitable for forming biodegradable packages and absorbent products.
Implementation Method 1
The multi-layered product also utilizes an adhesive which secures at least a portion of the interior surfaces of the first and second layers to the first and second surfaces of the third layer
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-layered product having an embossed interior layer is disclosed along with a method of making the product. The multi-layered product has a first layer with an interior surface, a second layer with an interior surface, and a third layer sandwiched between the first and second layers. The third layer has a first surface and a second surface and has a thickness therebetween. The third layer is embossed into a waffle pattern having a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of recesses. Each of the plurality of protrusions and recesses is adjacently aligned and horizontally offset from one another. The plurality of protrusions forms a horizontal plane, at the first surface, which is positioned above a horizontal plane formed by the plurality of recesses, at the first surface. The product also has an adhesive which secures the three layers together.