Interfolded Absorbent Sheet Structure for Higher Single-Sheet Absorbency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional folded absorbent sheet products have limited absorbency and thickness, leading to excessive waste due to their single-fold design, which requires users to take multiple sheets at once to achieve desired absorbency.
Innovation Solution
A stack of interfolded absorbent sheet products is created by folding each sheet along multiple axes to form inner and outer panels, with at least one outer panel of each sheet inserted between adjacent sheets, increasing volume and thickness, and a method for folding and stacking these sheets to enhance absorbency and reduce waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If single folded tissue is used, then the product is simple and easy to manufacture, but the absorbency and thickness are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by inserting outer panels of one sheet into crevices or spaces between panels of adjacent sheets in the stack. This allows additional absorbent material to be packed into the existing structure, increasing the quantity of absorbent substance without significantly increasing the overall product volume or complicating the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-fold design to a multi-dimensional stacked configuration with panels extending in multiple directions. By creating a three-dimensional arrangement with inner and outer panels that interlock, the design increases the surface area and volume of absorbent material available, thereby improving absorbency while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
2Device complexity
If single folded tissue is used, then the product structure is simple, but the thickness is limited requiring multiple sheets to be taken at once
Solution Approach 1:
Outer panels are nested into the structure of adjacent sheets, creating an interlocked stack that increases overall thickness. This nesting arrangement allows multiple layers of absorbent material to be compacted into a manageable form factor, providing increased thickness without requiring the user to manually gather multiple separate sheets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple sheets into a single integrated stack where outer panels of one sheet combine with inner panels of adjacent sheets. This merging creates a unified product structure with increased thickness and volume, eliminating the need for users to handle multiple separate sheets while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing processes.
3Ease of manufacture
If single folded tissue with limited absorbency is used, then the manufacturing cost is low, but excessive waste occurs due to needing to take multiple sheets
Solution Approach 1:
By nesting outer panels into the stack structure, the patent maximizes the utilization of each sheet's absorbent material. This ensures that users receive adequate absorbency from a single sheet, reducing the likelihood of taking multiple sheets and thereby minimizing product waste while maintaining cost-effective manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-dimensional stacked configuration increases the effective absorbency of each individual sheet by arranging material in three dimensions rather than a simple fold. This provides sufficient absorbency capacity in a single sheet, preventing users from needing to take multiple sheets and thus reducing waste while keeping manufacturing costs low.
Data Source
AI summary
A stack of interfolded absorbent sheet products comprising a plurality of absorbent sheets and a method of folding and stacking the same. Each one of the absorbent sheets is folded twice about a first axis to define two inwardly folded inner panels and at least once about a second axis to define at least two outer panels sandwiching the inner panels therebetween. The second axis is substantially perpendicular to the first axis, Each of the absorbent sheet products comprises at least one outer panel at least partially sandwiched between a pair of outer panels of an adjacent one of the absorbent sheet products of the stack. Each one of the absorbent sheet products is entirely detached from all other absorbent sheet products of the stack.