Disposable Wearable Flap Rigidity for Fastening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Disposable wearable articles with nonwoven fabric flap parts face issues of insufficient fastening power due to folding of the flap part tip end over the fastener member, particularly with hook fasteners, leading to weak attachment.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a thermally-fused part in the flap parts made of thermoplastic nonwoven fabric to increase bending rigidity, preventing the flap part tip end from folding over the fastener member, ensuring sufficient fastening power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the flap part is made of nonwoven fabric and extends beyond the fastener member, then the fastener member can be disposed at a distance from the tip end to prevent hard fastening surfaces from being touched, but the nonwoven fabric may fold and cover the fastener member, reducing fastening power
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a thermally-fused part only in the specific region where the flap part extends beyond the fastener member. This localized thermal fusion increases bending rigidity precisely where needed to prevent folding and covering of the fastener member, while leaving other regions of the flap part with their original flexibility and softness for comfortable contact with the skin.
2Ease of operation
If the tip end of the flap part is made flexible for comfort, then it can contact the skin softly, but it may fold and attach to the fastening surface, causing insufficient fastening area
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements local quality by selectively applying thermal fusion to create a rigid extending part only in the region beyond the fastener member, while maintaining the flexibility of the main flap part for comfortable skin contact. This localized structural modification ensures that the flexible portion does not fold onto the fastening surface, thereby preserving the full fastening area.
3Reliability
If hook fastener portions are densely disposed for strong fastening, then fastening power increases, but the nonwoven fabric tip end may be caught by hook portions, causing discomfort or injury
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the taking out principle by extracting the potentially harmful interaction between the nonwoven fabric tip end and the hook fastener portions. By creating a thermally-fused extending part that maintains a distance between the fabric tip and the fastener member, the invention eliminates the risk of fabric being caught by hooks, while still allowing the hooks to engage effectively with the opposing fastening surface for strong fastening power.
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 thermally-fused part effectively suppresses flap part folding, enhancing the fastening power of the fastener member, thereby ensuring secure attachment.
Implementation Method 1
a thermally-fused part having bending rigidity of the nonwoven fabric increased by thermally fusing the nonwoven fabric
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(a)~3(b)
AI summary
The present invention suppresses folding of an end on the tip side of a flap part, prevents the end on the tip side of the flap part from covering a fastener member, and ensures sufficient fastening power of the fastener member. The present invention comprises: an absorptive body (12) in which an absorber is disposed between a top sheet and a back sheet; flap parts (14u) that are put on one (12a) of a front part (12c) and back part (12a) of the absorptive body (12) and extend to the both sides in the around-torso direction (10x); and fastener members (16) that are each provided on the flap part (14u) at a distance from a tip end (14v) of the flap part (14u) in the around-torso direction (10x) and are attachably and detachably joined to an opposing part (13) put on the absorptive main body (12). Each flap part (14u) is formed from thermoplastic nonwoven fabric and has, in an extending part (14p) between the tip end (14v) of the flap part (14u) and the fastener member (16), a thermally-fused part (18) at which the nonwoven fabric is thermally fused and bending rigidity of the nonwoven fabric is increased.