Leg Sheet Elastic Configuration for Wearing Article Gathers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elastic composite sheets used in wearing articles, such as diapers, have irregular elastic configurations due to adhesive-free regions, leading to potential disfigurement and unintended movement, causing gathers that may catch the wearer's body during use.
Innovation Solution
A wearing article design featuring leg sheets with elastically contractible regions between joint areas and elastically relaxed regions at the ends, where leg elastics are attached under tension to prevent irregular contraction and form gathers on the surface, ensuring the article remains stable and comfortable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If elastics are cut in adhesive-free regions to form inelastic regions, then the elastics can be snapped back to create functional inelastic areas, but the elastics form irregular curves that are visible through the sheet causing disfigurement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the elastic material from the adhesive-free regions and places it in dedicated elastic regions that are always covered by adhesive. This separation allows the elastic to function properly without creating visible irregularities on the sheet surface, as the adhesive layer conceals the elastic material.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive layer serves as an intermediary that covers and conceals the elastic material. By placing adhesive over the elastic regions, the patent hides the irregular elastic configurations from view while maintaining the elastic's functional performance in the designated areas.
2Reliability
If elastics are cut in adhesive-free regions, then inelastic regions are formed, but the sheet in these regions can freely move and behave in unintended manners causing gathers that may catch the wearer's body
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the inelastic regions from the adhesive-free areas and relocates them to dedicated elastic regions that are covered by adhesive. This ensures that the sheet portions corresponding to inelastic regions are always bonded to the back sheet, preventing unintended movement and gather formation that could harm the wearer.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive acts as an intermediary bonding agent that secures the sheet to the back sheet in the elastic regions. This continuous bonding prevents the sheet from freely moving or forming gathers in the inelastic regions, eliminating the risk of the wearer's body being caught by unintended gathers.
3Strength
If adhesive is distributed in alternating regions with elastics, then proper bonding is achieved in adhesive regions, but adhesive-free regions create instability and unintended sheet movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sheet into distinct functional regions: adhesive regions for bonding and elastic regions for elasticity. The adhesive is applied only in the adhesive regions, while the elastic regions are dedicated to containing elastic material. This segmentation ensures that bonding strength is maintained where adhesive is present, while the elastic regions are properly contained and secured.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive serves as an intermediary that bonds the sheet to the back sheet in the adhesive regions, providing strong attachment. By limiting adhesive application to specific regions and covering the elastic regions with adhesive, the patent maintains bonding strength while preventing instability and unintended movement in what would otherwise be adhesive-free regions.
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 solution prevents disfigurement and unintended movement of the elastic composite sheet, providing a stable and comfortable fit by allowing the leg elastics to rectilinearly contract and form gathers, thus maintaining the article's integrity and user comfort.
Implementation Method 1
each of the leg sheets includes a backing sheet and at least one leg elastic attached under tension to the backing sheet so as to extend in the longitudinal direction
Data Source
AI summary
In a wearing article (1) including front and rear waist panels (20, 30) and a crotch panel (40), a pair of leg sheets (42) including backing sheets (49) and leg elastics (46) attached under tension between two layers of the respectively doubled up backing sheets (49) extends along lateral edge portions (40C) of the crotch panel (40), and distal end portions (42D, 42E) of the leg sheets (42) are attached to respective skin-facing surfaces of the front and rear waist panels (20, 30) through first and second joint regions (27, 37). In this way, the pair of leg sheets (42) has an elastically contractible region (42A) between the first and second joint regions (27, 37) and elastically relaxed regions (42B) in end portions located outboard of the first and second joint regions (27, 37) in a longitudinal direction (Y), and the elastically relaxed regions (42B) are formed on surfaces thereof with gathers.