Disposable Worn Article Fabric Layering and Elastic Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing disposable worn articles result in waste of non-woven fabric and stiffness issues due to overlapping fabric layers, which increase material costs and reduce wearability.
Innovation Solution
A method involving cutting non-woven fabric along a wave-shaped line to create protruding portions, placing elastic members, and folding the fabric to sandwich them, while positioning the absorbent body to avoid layered fabric overlap, thereby reducing fabric waste and maintaining flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If two sheets of non-woven fabric are layered together across the entire length of the around-torso member, then the structural integrity is improved, but the material cost increases and wearability deteriorates due to stiffness
Solution Approach 1:
The non-woven fabric is divided into multiple sheets that are layered only in specific regions (crotch and around-torso members) rather than continuously across the entire product, segmenting the layering application to maintain structural integrity where needed while reducing material usage and stiffness in other areas
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the product have different layering configurations - the crotch and around-torso members have layered fabric for structural support, while the torso regions have non-layered fabric for flexibility and comfort, creating local quality variations that optimize both strength and wearability
2Strength
If two sheets of non-woven fabric are layered together across the entire length of the around-torso member, then the structural integrity is improved, but the material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous layering is segmented into discrete regions, with non-woven fabric sheets layered only in the crotch and around-torso member areas, eliminating unnecessary material usage in the torso regions and reducing overall fabric waste
Solution Approach 2:
The layering structure is extracted from being a continuous feature and applied only where structurally necessary, removing redundant material from the torso regions while preserving the required structural integrity in the around-torso members
3Area of stationary object
If the two sheets of non-woven fabric or laminate overlap the absorbent body over the front torso and rear torso, then the coverage is improved, but the wearability deteriorates due to stiffness
Solution Approach 1:
The non-woven fabric is configured to be non-layered in the torso regions that contact the absorbent body, creating local quality variations that provide flexibility and comfort in these areas while maintaining layered construction in the around-torso members for structural support
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of layering the fabric continuously for maximum coverage, the invention inverts the approach by using non-layered fabric in the torso regions and layered fabric only in the around-torso members, achieving coverage through strategic placement rather than continuous layering
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 approach minimizes non-woven fabric waste, reduces material costs, and enhances wearability by avoiding stiffness, ensuring a more comfortable fit without compromising the structural integrity of the absorbent body.
Implementation Method 1
placing at least one elastic member stretchable in the carrying direction at least on the first and second protruding portions
Data Source
AI summary
A method including: placing at least one elastic member stretchable in the carrying direction so that at least one elastic member extends in base portions of each continuous portion located at the same positions in the carrying direction as protruding portions or in the protruding portions; and intermittently folding the divided non-woven fabrics so that the elastic member is sandwiched between the base portions and the protruding portions and so that layered portions are formed, each layered portion including a protruding portion laid on a base portion adjacent to the protruding portion.