Absorbent Article Topsheet with Raised Region for Excrement Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current absorbent articles for personal hygiene, such as diapers, face challenges in effectively containing semi-solid and solid excrements away from the skin and managing liquid runoff, with existing solutions either compromising absorbency or being difficult to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a wearer-facing topsheet with a raisable region attached to elasticized barrier leg cuffs, creating an empty volume between the topsheet and the chassis, allowing for better containment of excrements and urine, with the garment-facing side being longer than the wearer-facing side to facilitate curvature and expansion of this volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a void space or pocket is created in the absorbent core to contain feces, then containment of excrements is improved, but the overall absorbency of the article deteriorates because the pocket does not comprise absorbent material
Solution Approach 1:
The topsheet is segmented into a raisable region that can be lifted by the barrier leg cuffs, separating the containment function (empty volume under raisable region) from the absorbency function (absorbent core underneath). This allows the void space to contain excrements while the absorbent core beneath continues to absorb liquids.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from a two-dimensional flat absorbent core to a three-dimensional structure by raising the topsheet region vertically using elasticized barrier leg cuffs. This creates an empty volume above the absorbent core, allowing containment of semi-solid excrements while preserving the absorbent core's liquid absorption capability below.
2Ease of manufacture
If the topsheet is fully attached to the chassis, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but the ability to form an empty volume for excrement containment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment arrangement is segmented such that only specific regions of the topsheet are attached to the chassis, while the raisable region remains unattached or partially attached to allow it to be lifted by the barrier leg cuffs and form the empty volume for excrement containment.
Solution Approach 2:
The topsheet transitions from a static fully-attached state to a dynamic configuration where the raisable region can move upward when the barrier leg cuffs are raised, enabling the formation of the empty volume while maintaining simplicity in the base attachment design.
3Ease of operation
If barrier leg cuffs are made elasticized and protruding, then comfort and fit are improved, but the complexity of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier leg cuffs are merged with the raisable region attachment system, combining the barrier function (preventing excrement contact) with the structural function (raising the topsheet to create empty volume). This integration achieves comfort and fit improvement without adding separate complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The elasticized barrier leg cuffs automatically raise the raisable region of the topsheet through their elastic recovery force, creating the empty volume without requiring additional actuators or complex mechanisms. The system uses the inherent elastic properties of the cuffs to drive the topsheet positioning.
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 enhances comfort and efficiency by keeping excrements away from the skin, providing a larger temporary storage for urine and semi-solids, and improving overall absorbency without compromising the absorbent core's functionality.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of barrier leg cuffs disposed symmetrically relative to the longitudinal axis, each barrier leg cuff defined by a proximal edge attached to the chassis of the article, and an elasticized terminal edge that can be raised away from the chassis
Data Source
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AI summary
An absorbent article (20) for personal hygiene having a front edge (10) and a back edge (12) and comprising a liquid impermeable backsheet (25), a liquid permeable topsheet (24), an absorbent core (28) and a pair of barrier leg cuffs (34) disposed symmetrically relative to the longitudinal axis. Each barrier leg cuff is defined by a proximal edge (36) attached to the rest of the article and an elasticized terminal edge 38 that can protrude upwards. The topsheet (24) comprises a raisable region (240) that is attached to the barrier leg cuffs at a position away from the proximal edge of the barrier leg cuff and not to the chassis of the article underneath, so that when the barrier leg cuffs are raised, the raisable region is lifted up by the barrier leg cuffs and an empty volume (300) is formed between the raisable region and the chassis of the article underneath. The wearer-facing side of the article has a length L that is shorter than the length L1 of the garment-facing side of the article as measured along the longitudinal axis (80).