Reticulated Mechanical Fastening Strip With Segmented Strands

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional hook and loop fastening systems for disposable absorbent articles face challenges in providing a secure, breathable, and flexible attachment that resists shifting forces while minimizing material usage and maintaining comfort.

Innovation Solution

A mechanical fastening strip comprising multiple strands of thermoplastic backing attached at bridging regions and separated by interrupted slits, creating openings that enhance breathability and flexibility, and can be annealed to maintain the spread configuration, allowing for a larger coverage area with reduced material usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If conventional hook and loop fastening systems use continuous backing material, then the fastening system provides adequate strength and coverage, but the material usage increases and breathability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial usageVSAvoidfastening security

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The continuous backing material is segmented into multiple discrete strands separated by interrupted slits, creating a reticulated structure that reduces material usage while maintaining fastening coverage area through the spread configuration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional fastening systems use dense material structure, then the fastening system provides adequate strength, but breathability and flexibility decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovebreathabilityVSAvoidfastening strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The fastening strip employs a porous reticulated structure with openings between strands that enhances breathability and flexibility while maintaining fastening strength through the distributed hook elements and bridging regions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

3Ease of operation

If the fastening strip is made flexible to enhance comfort, then comfort improves, but resistance to shifting forces decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecomfortVSAvoidresistance to shifting forces

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The segmented strand structure with bridging regions provides both flexibility for comfort and distributed anchoring points that resist shifting forces through the spread configuration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The reticulated structure introduces a three-dimensional configuration with openings and strand separation that simultaneously enables flexibility and provides mechanical resistance to shifting forces

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

4Loss of substance

If the fastening strip covers a larger area to reduce the number of fastening points, then material usage decreases, but maintaining structural integrity becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial usageVSAvoidstructural integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The backing is segmented into multiple strands connected by bridging regions, allowing the structure to span larger areas while maintaining integrity through the distributed strand-network configuration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The reticulated structure creates a two-dimensional network of strands and openings that maintains structural integrity across larger areas through geometric distribution rather than continuous material

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 provides a secure, breathable, and flexible fastening system that resists shifting forces, enhances comfort, and reduces material costs by covering a larger area with less material, while maintaining the integrity of the absorbent article.

Implementation Method 1

annealing the multiple strands of the thermoplastic backing in a spread configuration to maintain the at least one opening between the multiple strands of the thermoplastic backing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAnnealing: Annealing

Data Source

PatentUS10456303B2Method of making a mechanical fastening strip and reticulated mechanical fastening strip therefrom

Publication Date: 2019.10.29 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES CO

AI summary

A method of making a mechanical fastening strip and a reticulated mechanical fastening strip are disclosed. The method includes providing a backing having upstanding posts; providing interrupted slits through the backing, the interrupted slits being interrupted by at least one intact bridging region; spreading the slit backing to provide multiple strands separated from each other between at least some of the bridging regions to provide at least one opening; and fixing the multiple strands of the backing in a spread configuration. The reticulated mechanical fastening strip includes multiple strands of a backing attached to each other at bridging regions in the backing and separated from each other between the bridging regions to provide openings. Upstanding posts on each of the multiple strands have bases attached to the backing, and each of the multiple strands has a width that is greater than that of the bases of its attached upstanding posts.