Stack of web material for hygiene products
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dispensers for web materials like paper towels and napkins face challenges with heavy rolls, inconsistent product availability due to limited dispenser sizes, and time-consuming refills, especially for large dispensers, which require unwrapping and adhering multiple stacks.
Innovation Solution
A stack of web material with Z-folded panels featuring connectors on the end surfaces that use surface adhesion for interconnection, allowing for easy linking and unlinking without residue, suitable for continuous web materials with weakening lines, designed to withstand shear forces and facilitate efficient refilling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If web material is provided as rolled web, then continuous supply is achieved, but the roll becomes heavy and requires strong web material to withstand forces
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous web material is divided into discrete folded stacks, each stack being a separate unit that can be independently handled and replaced. This segmentation reduces the weight of individual replacement units while maintaining continuous supply capability through stacking multiple lighter units.
Solution Approach 2:
The heavy roll structure is extracted and replaced with lighter folded stacks. The essential function of continuous supply is maintained through the arrangement of multiple stacks, but the harmful weight characteristic is eliminated by removing the roll configuration.
2Stability of the object's composition
If adhesive tape or glue is applied to interconnect stacks in large dispensers, then stacks are adhered together, but the refilling process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive tape and glue are replaced with a disposable mechanical connector system. The connectors are simple, inexpensive components that enable rapid connection and disconnection of stacks without the time-consuming process of applying and removing adhesive materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The chemical bonding method (adhesive tape/glue) is replaced with a mechanical connection system using connectors. This substitution eliminates the manual application and drying time required for adhesives, allowing for much faster refilling operations.
3Ease of manufacture
If dispensers are made in fixed sizes, then manufacturing is simplified, but product availability consistency is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The dispenser system is segmented into modular components - standardized dispenser units combined with variable numbers of folded stacks. This allows fixed-size dispensers to be configured with different stack arrangements to meet varying product availability requirements while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized dispenser design is made universal by allowing it to accommodate different numbers and configurations of folded stacks. This multi-functionality enables the same dispenser model to serve different capacity requirements, improving product availability consistency without requiring multiple fixed-size variants.
4Quantity of substance
If refilling involves unwrapping and adhering multiple stacks, then large dispensers can be filled, but labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The time-consuming adhesive application process is replaced with disposable mechanical connectors that enable rapid stack interconnection. This allows large dispenser capacity to be achieved without proportionally increasing refilling labor costs.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple stacks are merged together using simple connector mechanisms rather than requiring separate unwrapping and adhesive application for each stack. This combining process dramatically reduces the total refilling time and labor required to fill large dispensers with high web material capacity.
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 enables efficient refilling of large dispensers by simplifying the interconnection of stacks, reducing labor costs, and ensuring consistent product availability while maintaining the integrity of the web material during handling and use.
Implementation Method 1
said first and second connectors being adapted for interconnection of the first and/or second end surface of the stack to a second and/or first end surface of another, similar stack via said connectors. The first connector comprises a first generally smooth connection surface consisting of a first material, and the second connector comprises a second generally smooth connection surface consisting of a second material; said first and second materials having such properties that, upon bringing said first and second smooth surfaces into contact with each other, the surfaces attach to each other by surface adhesion of the kind where the surfaces are repeatedly removable from and reattachable to each other while leaving the surfaces substantially unaltered
Data Source
AI summary
A of web material for hygiene products includes at least one folded continuous web material, and a first connector and a second connector, adapted for interconnection of the first end surface of the stack to a second end surface of another, similar stack. The first connector includes a first connection surface consisting of a first material, and the second connector includes a second connection surface consisting of a second material; said first and second materials having properties that, upon bringing said first and second surfaces into contact with each other, the surfaces attach to each other by surface adhesion so that the surfaces are repeatedly removable from and reattachable to each other while leaving the surfaces substantially unaltered, whereby a connection between a first/second connector of the stack and a second/first connector of a similar stack is accomplished.