Doubled-Over Tail Seal With Controlled Adhesive Penetration
Solution Overview
Problem
Imperfect tail sealing in bath tissue rolls leads to consumer complaints due to ply separation and difficulty in removing tissue, caused by inadequate adhesive penetration and strength, resulting in either too weak or too strong adhesive bonds.
Innovation Solution
Controlling adhesive penetration to form even bonds between layers, using a doubled-over tail seal with controlled adhesive distribution to create a strong yet weak bond, ensuring the tail seal is spread over a wide area to prevent tearing and ply separation, and positioning the adhesive away from perforation lines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If adhesive penetration is increased to strengthen the tail seal, then the bond strength between tail and roll body is improved, but the adhesive penetrates through an odd number of plies causing ply separation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different adhesive properties to different regions: the adhesive has controlled penetration characteristics that allow it to bond the tail to the roll body while stopping at an even number of plies, creating locally different bond strengths. The adhesive formulation and application parameters are optimized to achieve sufficient bond strength at the tail seal while preventing excessive penetration that would cause ply separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls adhesive penetration by adjusting parameters such as adhesive viscosity, application amount, and penetration depth. By changing these parameters, the adhesive forms bonds of appropriate strength without penetrating through an odd number of plies, thus resolving the contradiction between bond strength and ply separation.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If adhesive penetration is decreased to prevent ply separation, then the adhesive bond between layers is weakened, but the tail seal becomes too weak
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive is formulated and applied to create locally differentiated bonding: strong bonds where needed (tail to roll body attachment) and controlled/weaker bonds where ply separation should be prevented (between inner and outer plies). This local quality approach allows the tail seal to be strong while preventing ply separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive application uses partial action by controlling penetration to affect only the necessary layers. The adhesive penetrates enough to create the required tail seal strength but stops before penetrating through an odd number of plies, achieving the desired effect without excessive penetration.
3Reliability
If adhesive bond strength is increased to prevent tail detachment during manufacturing, then the tail seal becomes too strong, but it causes tearing when consumers try to remove tissue from the roll
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive creates different bond strengths in different locations: strong bonds between the tail and roll body to prevent detachment during manufacturing, and controlled/weaker bonds between tissue layers to allow easy consumer removal. This spatial differentiation of bond strength resolves the contradiction between manufacturing reliability and consumer ease of use.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive application uses partial action by limiting penetration to achieve sufficient tail attachment strength without creating excessively strong bonds that would prevent tissue removal. The adhesive penetrates just enough to secure the tail during manufacturing but not so much as to cause tearing during consumer use.
4Strength
If adhesive is applied to secure the tail tab to the roll body, then the tail seal strength is improved, but the adhesive may penetrate through plies causing difficulty in removing tissue sheets
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive is applied with controlled penetration characteristics that create strong attachment at the tail tab to roll body interface while maintaining easier separation at the tissue sheet interfaces. The local bonding properties are optimized to achieve strong tail attachment without impeding sheet removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive application uses controlled penetration depth to achieve the necessary tail tab attachment strength without excessive penetration that would bond tissue sheets together. The adhesive penetrates sufficiently to secure the tail but not so deeply as to prevent sheet removal.
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
Significantly reduces ply separation and tail-seal issues, enhancing the ease of starting the roll and maintaining a neat, aesthetically pleasing appearance by ensuring the adhesive bond strength is neither too high nor too low, thus preventing tissue tearing and separation.
Implementation Method 1
the penetration of the adhesive used for tail sealing is not properly controlled, the adhesive will penetrate through an odd number of plies on multi-ply products
Implementation Method 2
applying a controlled penetration adhesive to the inner surface of the inwardly folded portion of the tail—the surface of the folded portion which will contact the log when the tail is respooled against it
Data Source
AI summary
Easy starting rolls of perforated tissue product which have a reduced tendency to ply separate are formed with an adhesively secured doubled over tail tab folded against the roll. The strength and location of the bonds are controlled by controlling the penetration of the adhesive into the tissue. The dry tensile strength of the projecting folded over tail tab exceeds 400 g/in and the caliper thereof exceeds one mil The adhesive bonds are spaced away from lines of perforation joining sheets in the initial sheets of the roll.