Perforated Sanitary Pad Top Sheet for Flushable Drain Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sanitary pads designed to be flushable often expand and clog sewers due to their absorbent materials, posing a risk of drain blockage and potential health hazards from blood-stained fibers.
Innovation Solution
A sanitary pad with a perforated top sheet that can be easily ripped apart before flushing, allowing the absorbent materials to disperse and dissolve in the waste stream, while the top and bottom sheets remain intact to prevent pipe clogging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the absorbent materials are made to dissolve quickly into small fibers, then the pad cannot block the drain, but the weak materials tend to leak causing blood to stain clothing
Solution Approach 1:
The pad is divided into two functional segments: the absorbent material layer that is designed to disintegrate into small fibers for safe sewer processing, and the sheet materials (top and bottom sheets) that maintain structural integrity to contain the absorbent material during use. This segmentation allows each component to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the pad have different material properties tailored to their specific functions. The absorbent material is made of weak, water-soluble fibers for drain safety, while the top and bottom sheets are made of stronger, more durable materials to prevent leakage during use. Each local region of the pad has optimized properties for its intended purpose.
2Reliability
If the pad materials are made more durable to prevent leakage, then the pad can maintain integrity during use, but the pad will expand significantly and clog drains when flushed
Solution Approach 1:
The pad structure separates the containment function (performed by durable top and bottom sheets) from the disposal function (performed by the dissolvable absorbent material). This allows the pad to be both leak-proof during use and drain-safe during disposal.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheet materials are localized to specific regions (top and bottom surfaces) where structural integrity is needed for leakage prevention, while the internal absorbent material is localized to the core region where rapid dissolution is needed for drain safety.
3Ease of operation
If perforations are added to the top sheet to aid ripping, then the pad can be easily destroyed before flushing, but the top sheet material integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Perforations are pre-formed in the top sheet at strategic locations to create stress concentration points that guide the ripping action. These pre-prepared weak points make it easy for users to tear the pad apart without requiring excessive force that would compromise the overall sheet integrity.
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
Prevents sewer clogging by ensuring the absorbent materials disperse effectively, maintaining the integrity of the non-perforated bottom sheet and allowing for the use of more durable materials for the top and bottom sheets.
Implementation Method 1
allowing the absorbent materials to disperse and dissolve in the waste stream
Implementation Method 2
allowing the absorbent materials to disperse and dissolve in the waste stream
Implementation Method 3
There is a stress concentration at the bottom of the slit which will aid the start of the rip
Data Source
AI summary
Sanitary pads can be made flushable by means of perforation and stress concentrations in the layers to aid ripping before they a flushed into the sewer system, allowing absorbent materials to disperse instead expanding inside the pad and causing sewer blockage.