Sewn Absorbent Sheet Stack with Perforation for Easy Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumers need easily accessible and aesthetically pleasing absorbent sheet products that can be conveniently dispensed in various locations throughout the home, providing quick access to clean up spills and messes without damaging surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A stack of absorbent sheets is sewn along one edge and perforated for easy removal, allowing for both horizontal and vertical mounting options, using a binding element with stitching and perforation holes arranged pairwise for secure and accessible dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If absorbent sheets are stored in plain view for easy access, then convenience and accessibility are improved, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The absorbent sheet product is segmented into multiple individual sheets within a stack, bound together at one end. This allows the stack to be displayed aesthetically while enabling easy access to individual sheets by pulling from the loose end, resolving the contradiction between visible storage and accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
A binding element (saw blade-like structure with teeth) serves as an intermediary between the stacked sheets and the user. The bound end provides structural integrity for aesthetic display, while the loose end allows convenient access. The binding element mediates between the need for neat appearance and easy sheet removal.
2Ease of operation
If individual sheets are perforated for easy removal, then ease of operation is improved, but structural integrity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Perforations are applied locally only to the bound end of the stack where sheets are joined, not to the entire sheet surface. This localized perforation allows easy sheet separation at the binding point while maintaining the full strength and integrity of the individual absorbent sheets themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The binding structure is segmented into discrete teeth or perforations that individually connect adjacent sheets. This segmentation allows sheets to be easily pulled apart through the perforations while the overall bound structure maintains sufficient integrity to hold the stack together during storage and display.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the stack is bound tightly to hold sheets together, then stack stability is improved, but ease of sheet removal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The binding element employs a dynamic design where the bound end provides strong holding force to maintain stack stability during storage, but the perforated structure allows the binding to be easily overcome during sheet removal. The binding strength is dynamic - strong at rest, easily broken during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The binding element uses a repeated pattern of teeth or perforations along the bound end, creating multiple identical connection points. This copying of the binding structure provides cumulative stability to hold the entire stack, while each individual perforation remains easy to break for sheet removal.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a stack comprising a plurality of absorbent sheets stacked in facing arrangement. The stack is bound along its top edge by at least one line of stitches comprising a plurality of spaced apart stitch holes and a thread disposed therein. Individual sheets further comprise a line of perforations comprising a plurality of spaced apart perforation holes. The line of stitches and the line of perforations are such that there is generally a one-to-one numerical correspondence amongst at least a majority of the plurality of stitch holes and perforation holes.