Ostomy Appliance Weld Segmentation for Bulge Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ostomy appliances tend to bulge outwardly when full, causing discomfort and potentially detaching from the user due to the collection of waste at the bottom, leading to undesirable detachment of the wafer connection.
Innovation Solution
The ostomy appliance design features additional weld portions that extend from the periphery downwardly towards the bottom, distributing the force of waste collection evenly and preventing bulging, with these weld portions being elongate, arcuate, and inclined at specific angles to enhance stability and prevent detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the ostomy appliance collects waste at the bottom, then the waste collecting function is improved, but the appliance bulges outwardly causing discomfort and potential detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The weld structure is segmented into multiple portions (first weld portion, second weld portion, third weld portion) distributed at different locations around the appliance perimeter. Each weld portion independently reinforces the appliance wall, distributing the structural support function across multiple segments rather than a single continuous weld, thereby preventing bulging while maintaining waste collection capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The weld portions are strategically positioned at specific locations where bulging is most likely to occur, particularly around the bottom and sides of the appliance. The weld portions have varying lengths and positions (first weld portion extending from top, second weld portion at middle, third weld portion at bottom) to provide localized reinforcement exactly where needed to maintain shape stability during waste collection
2Quantity of substance
If the ostomy appliance collects waste at the bottom, then the waste collecting function is improved, but the wafer connection detaches due to pulling force
Solution Approach 1:
The weld structure is divided into multiple portions positioned at different heights and locations around the appliance. This segmentation distributes the mechanical load of waste collection across multiple reinforcement points rather than concentrating it at the bottom, thereby reducing the pulling force on the wafer connection at the top and improving connection reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The weld portions are pre-positioned during manufacturing to provide structural reinforcement before the appliance is used. The first weld portion extending from the top and the third weld portion at the bottom create a pre-established structural framework that prevents excessive pulling force from developing during waste collection, thereby protecting the wafer connection in advance
Data Source
AI summary
An ostomy appliance for receiving waste is described including: first and second walls connected to each other at or near their peripheries, the first wall having a stoma-receiving opening; a waste collecting cavity defined between the first and second walls; a first weld portion positioned to one side of the appliance and which connects the first and second walls together, which first weld portion extends away from a periphery of the appliance and downwardly towards a bottom of the appliance; and a second weld portion positioned on an opposite side of the appliance to the first weld portion and which connects the first and second walls together, which second weld portion extends away from a periphery of the appliance and downwardly towards a bottom of the appliance.