Sanitary Napkin Embossment Segmentation for Stress Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing absorbent articles with pulpless polymer sheets face issues in forming embossments with good appearance due to stress and strain accumulation during the embossing process, leading to wrinkles, breaks, and reduced functionality, as continuous embossed grooves can cause damage and inadequate fluid containment.
Innovation Solution
An absorbent article with a polymer sheet featuring superabsorbent polymer between upper and lower layers, where embossments are formed as discontinuous lines with a ratio of compressed to non-compressed parts between 7:1 and 1:1, allowing stress release and maintaining fluid containment effectiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If embossed grooves are formed continuously along the longitudinal direction, then fluid containment function is improved, but stress and strain accumulate causing wrinkles and breaks in the front-side sheet and absorber
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous embossed groove is segmented into multiple compressed parts along the longitudinal direction, separated by non-compressed parts. This segmentation allows stress and strain to be released at the non-compressed parts, preventing wrinkles and breaks while maintaining fluid containment function through the distributed compressed parts.
2Strength
If the length of non-compressed parts is short, then stress release is insufficient causing wrinkles and breaks, but if the length is too long, body fluid diffuses outward reducing absorbent article functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The lengths of compressed parts and non-compressed parts are optimized within specific ranges (compressed parts: 3-70mm, non-compressed parts: 0.4-50mm) with a length ratio between 7:1 and 1:1. This parameter optimization ensures sufficient stress release at non-compressed parts while maintaining effective fluid containment through appropriately sized compressed parts.
3Volume of moving object
If a pulpless polymer sheet is used as absorber, then thickness is reduced and wearing discomfort is reduced, but stress and strain from compression are less likely to be relaxed causing more wrinkles and breaks
Solution Approach 1:
The embossment is divided into compressed parts and non-compressed parts, where the non-compressed parts serve as stress release zones. This segmentation compensates for the reduced stress relaxation capability of pulpless polymer sheets, preventing wrinkles and breaks while maintaining the thin profile and comfort advantages.
4Strength
If the ratio of compressed to non-compressed part length is outside the 7:1 to 1:1 range, then stress release or fluid containment is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The length ratio of compressed parts to non-compressed parts is controlled within the specific range of 7:1 to 1:1. This parameter control ensures optimal balance between stress release at non-compressed parts and fluid containment at compressed parts, maintaining both structural integrity and functional effectiveness.
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 prevents wrinkles and breaks, maintains embossment functionality, and ensures good appearance by effectively managing stress and strain, while ensuring adequate fluid containment and wearability.
Implementation Method 1
a polymer sheet including a superabsorbent polymer disposed between an upper-layer sheet disposed on a skin side and a lower-layer sheet disposed on a non-skin side
Implementation Method 2
prevent diffusion of body fluid in the width direction
Implementation Method 3
an embossment that is formed on a skin-side surface of the polymer sheet along a longitudinal direction of the absorbent article and is shaped like a discontinuous line formed by arranging compressed parts and non-compressed parts alternately
Implementation Method 4
stress and strain caused by the compression gradually accumulate... trapped stress and strain may cause the front-side sheet and the absorber to wrinkle and/or break
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
This disclosure makes it possible to form embossments with good appearance even when a polymer sheet is used as an absorber and makes it possible to reliably implement the function of the embossments. A sanitary napkin (1) includes a polymer sheet (4) including a superabsorbent polymer (12) disposed between an upper-layer sheet (10) disposed on a skin side and a lower-layer sheet (11) disposed on a non-skin side, and an embossment (20) that is formed on a skin-side surface of the polymer sheet (4) along a longitudinal direction of the sanitary napkin (1) and is shaped like a discontinuous line formed by arranging compressed parts (21) and non-compressed parts (22) alternately. The ratio A:B of a length (A) of each of the compressed parts (21) to a length (B) of each of the non-compressed parts (22) is between 7:1 and 1:1.