Pet Absorbent Article Structure Separating Absorber From Urethral Opening

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional absorbent articles for pets, particularly for male animals, face issues with urine leakage due to the absorber coming into close contact with the urethral opening or pushing it ventrally, leading to insufficient urine capture.

Innovation Solution

The design includes a top sheet with liquid permeability, a waterproof sheet, an absorber between them, rising gathers on both sides, and a belt-shaped waist sheet with specific edge and overlap configurations to create a urine capture space by separating the absorber from the urethral opening.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the absorber is positioned close to the urethral opening to improve urine capture, then the absorber can capture urine more effectively, but the absorber may come into close contact with or push up the urethral opening, causing leakage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveurine capture effectivenessVSAvoidurine leakage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a urine capture region as an intermediary space between the absorber and the urethral opening. This space acts as a mediator that allows the absorber to be positioned for effective urine capture while preventing direct contact with the urethral opening, thus avoiding the harmful effect of pushing up the opening and causing leakage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a three-dimensional urine capture region by forming a space between the absorber and the urethral opening using the waist sheet and rising gather structures. This dimensional approach allows the absorber to be positioned close to the urethral opening for effective capture while maintaining separation to prevent harmful contact and pushing up.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If the absorber is positioned to cover the urethral opening, then urine capture is improved, but the space between the urethral opening and absorber becomes narrow, causing contact or pushing up

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveurine capture effectivenessVSAvoidspace between urethral opening and absorber
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a three-dimensional urine capture region by forming a space between the absorber and the urethral opening using the waist sheet and rising gather structures. This dimensional approach allows the absorber to be positioned close to the urethral opening for effective capture while maintaining separation to prevent harmful contact and pushing up.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a urine capture region as an intermediary space between the absorber and the urethral opening. This space acts as a mediator that allows the absorber to be positioned for effective urine capture while preventing direct contact with the urethral opening, thus avoiding the harmful effect of pushing up the opening and causing leakage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the waist sheet is made elastically stretchable to improve fit, then the absorbent article can adapt to different body shapes, but the absorber may be pushed toward the ventral side, causing leakage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefit to body shapeVSAvoidurine leakage
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different elastic properties to different regions of the waist sheet. The first region overlapping the absorber is made non-elastic to prevent the absorber from being pushed ventrally, while the second region extending beyond the first region is made elastically stretchable to provide overall fit and adaptability to different body shapes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The waist sheet is divided into two distinct regions with different functional properties: a first region with non-elastic characteristics for absorber stabilization and a second region with elastic characteristics for body adaptation. This segmentation allows the waist sheet to simultaneously achieve both fit and leakage prevention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 effectively suppresses urine leakage by forming a urine capture space, ensuring the absorber can adequately absorb urine without contacting the urethral opening, thereby preventing leakage.

Implementation Method 1

an absorber provided between the top sheet and the waterproof sheet

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCapillary action: Capillary Action

Implementation Method 2

a rising gather provided on both sides of the absorbent article in the width direction over the entire front-back direction, the rising gather rising toward a skin side

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4595744A1Absorbent article for pets
Publication Date: 2025.08.06 DAIO PAPER CORP
  • EP4595744A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4595744A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4595744A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

This absorbent article for pets includes a top sheet, a waterproof sheet, an absorber, a rising gather, and a waist sheet. The distance between a ventral-side edge of the waist sheet and a ventral-side edge of the absorbent article is 0 to 5 mm. The distance between a ventral-side edge of the absorber and the ventral-side edge of the absorbent article is 15 to 35 mm. The rising gather has both ends thereof in the front-back direction fixed to the top sheet. The distance between a fixation starting end on the ventral side of the rising gather and the ventral-side edge of the absorber is 0 to 5 mm. The waist sheet includes: a first region that overlaps a portion of the absorber on the ventral side; and a second region that extends beyond the first region toward the ventral side and toward the outer side in the width direction and that does not overlap the absorber. The second region is elastically stretchable in the width direction, but the first region is not elastically stretchable in the width direction.