Folding Chute for Consistent Disposable Garment Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for folding pant-like disposable absorbent garments result in inconsistent and unpredictable folding, leading to bulging or lumpy stacks, which disrupt automated packaging, affect product quality perception, and potentially impair the absorbent core's performance.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a chute with side walls to transport and fold the garment in a controlled manner, using fold lines to position waist side regions over the waist center region, ensuring consistent folding and alignment with machine directions, thereby maintaining a stable and neat package.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional folding methods are used, then the garments can be packaged, but the folding is inconsistent and unpredictable, resulting in bulging or lumpy stacks that disrupt automated packaging operations
Solution Approach 1:
A folding chute is introduced as an intermediary device between the garment and the packaging process. The chute provides a controlled environment with specific geometry (width, length, and angle) that guides and constrains the folding action, ensuring consistent results. This mediator device transforms the uncontrolled conventional folding into a predictable process that works seamlessly with automated packaging equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameters of the folding process by specifying precise chute dimensions (width corresponding to garment width, length at least equal to garment length, and angle between 0-45 degrees relative to machine direction). These parameter specifications ensure that the folding geometry is controlled and repeatable, producing consistent folds that prevent bulging and lumping in the packaged stacks.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional folding methods are used, then packaging can be completed, but the stacks become bulging and lumpy, causing unstable packages on retail shelves and poor quality perception
Solution Approach 1:
The folding chute serves as a mediator that ensures uniform folding geometry before packaging. By controlling the folding path and pressure distribution through the chute's structured design, the garment is folded into a compact, uniform shape that stacks neatly. This prevents the formation of bulges and lumps, resulting in stable packages that maintain their composition on retail shelves.
3Device complexity
If haphazard folding is used, then packaging is simpler, but consumers develop negative quality impressions and the absorbent core may suffer creases or cracks
Solution Approach 1:
The invention specifies precise parameters for the chute geometry (width, length, angle) and folding process to control where folds occur. This ensures that folds are created at appropriate locations away from critical areas of the absorbent core, preventing creases and cracks. The controlled folding parameters maintain core integrity while still achieving efficient packaging.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of folding a pant-like disposable absorbent garment includes providing a garment defining first and second waist side regions, a waist center region positioned therebetween, and a crotch region longitudinally below the waist center region. In particular embodiments, the method further includes folding the garment along a transversely extending fold line so as to bring the crotch region into superposed relation with the waist center region; providing a chute having a floor and first and second side walls; urging the garment into the chute; and, while the garment is in the chute, folding the garment along longitudinally extending first and second fold lines so as to position the first and second waist side regions over the waist center region. The first and second fold lines are adjacent the first and second side walls, respectively.