Pant-shaped Incontinence Article Multi-axis Folding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pant-shaped incontinence articles are challenging to fold and package compactly, leading to variations in thickness and making them difficult to stack uniformly, which affects their storage and handling.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a second fold axis extending longitudinally on both sides of the absorbent body and a third fold axis in the transverse direction, along with a gradual decrease in absorbent body material basis weight from the transverse central axis towards the ends, allows for a compact and uniform folded configuration without protrusions, enhancing grip and ease of removal from packaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If pant-shaped incontinence articles are folded for packaging, then storage efficiency is improved, but variations in thickness occur making uniform stacking difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The incontinence article is divided into three separate components (front section, back section, and crotch section) that are joined later. This segmentation allows each component to be folded and packaged independently, enabling uniform thickness control while maintaining storage efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The basis weight of absorbent body material is varied locally - higher in the crotch section and lower in the front and back sections. This local quality variation ensures that when folded, all sections achieve comparable thickness, eliminating protrusions and enabling uniform stacking.
2Productivity
If multiple fold axes are introduced to achieve compact folding, then packaging efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the article into three components with different basis weights, the folding process is simplified. Each segment is designed to fold along specific axes (first fold axis for front and back sections, second fold axis for crotch section), achieving compact packaging without complex folding mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The basis weight parameter of the absorbent body material is changed across different sections to control folding behavior. The crotch section has higher basis weight to maintain thickness during folding, while front and back sections have lower basis weight, enabling efficient multi-axis folding with simple mechanics.
3Quantity of substance
If absorbent body material basis weight is decreased towards the ends, then material usage is optimized, but folded article thickness uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The basis weight is optimized locally in each section based on its functional requirements. The crotch section maintains higher basis weight for absorption performance, while front and back sections use lower basis weight for cost efficiency. This local optimization achieves both material efficiency and uniform folded thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The basis weight parameter is strategically changed across different sections: higher in the crotch section (50-150 g/m²) and lower in front and back sections (20-80 g/m²). This parameter variation optimizes material usage while ensuring uniform thickness when folded along the defined fold axes.
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 configuration results in a compact, uniformly thick folded article that is easier to handle and store, with improved grip and reduced material visibility, allowing for efficient packaging and easier access during use.
Implementation Method 1
first elasticizing means are provided, which extend at a distance from one another and parallel to one another in the transverse or hip circumferential direction and thus elasticize the stomach section and the back section over a large area
Implementation Method 2
crotch section having an absorbent body, which extends in the longitudinal direction between the stomach section and the back section
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~4
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a folded incontinence article (2) in the form of underpants for receiving bodily excretions, comprising a front stomach section (4) and a rear back section (6) which are formed by separated components arranged at a distance to each other in a longitudinal direction (9) along a longitudinal central axis (44) but which are interconnected by the manufacturer in order to form a continuous stomach and back strip in transversal or peripheral direction (16) of the hips with a hip opening (18) which is closed in the peripheral direction of the hips at lateral seam regions (14) on both sides, and comprising a crotch section (8) which has an absorption body (7) and which extends in the longitudinal direction (9) between the stomach section (4) and the back section (6) and which is attached undetachably at its side facing away from the body to the stomach section (4) and to the back section (6) in a mutual overlapping region (36, 38), wherein the stomach section (4), the back section (6) and the crotch section (8) jointly delimit leg openings (19) of the incontinence article, first elasticising means (28, 29) being provided in the stomach section (4) and in the back section (6) and extending at a distance from each other and parallel to one another in the transversal or peripheral direction (16) of the hips and thus extensively elasticising the stomach section (4) and the back section (6), second elasticising means (40, 42) being provided in a region (22, 26) of the stomach section (4) and of the back section (6), said region being located on the crotch side and facing the leg openings (19), and extending, in particular proceeding from the two lateral seam regions (14), towards a longitudinal central axis (44) of the incontinence article and extending into the overlapping region (36, 38) of the crotch section (8) and the stomach section (4) and/or of the crotch section (8) and the back section (6), wherein said second elasticising means may lose their elasticising effect here, in particular be cut, the incontinence article being placed into a folded state by the manufacturer, and a first fold axis (150) being formed by a transversal central axis (30); the incontinence article is characterised in that a second fold axis (152) which extends substantially in longitudinal direction (9) is provided on both sides of the absorption body (7) and outside the absorption body (7), about which second fold axis projecting regions (154) of the stomach section (4) and the back section (6) are placed laterally towards the longitudinal central axis (44) on both sides over the crotch section (8), and in that indeed a third fold axis (156) which extends in transversal direction (16) is provided in the region of the absorption body (7), about which third fold axis the article is folded, and in that, after being folded about the third fold axis (156), the hip edge (17) of the stomach and back strip, which is continuous in transversal or peripheral direction of the hips, does not protrude beyond the first fold axis (150) in longitudinal direction (9), i.e. not beyond the external fold edge (158) of the incontinence article formed by the first fold axis (150), and in that the absorption body (7) has a first basis weight in suction body material in the region of the transversal central axis (30), and in that, proceeding from the transversal central axis (30) along the longitudinal central axis (44) towards the stomach-section-side end (134) of the absorption body (7) and towards the back-section-side end (135) of the absorption body (7), the basis weight decreases in suction body material, and in that the third fold axis (156) is provided at such a distance from the transversal central axis (30) in longitudinal direction (9) that the absorption body (7) has a basis weight in suction body material there which measures at most 80% of the value of the first basis weight in the region of the transversal central axis (30).