Tampon Wrapper Perforation Angles for Easy Removal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tampon wrappers, particularly for digital tampons, often stick to the tampon, making removal difficult, and may separate into multiple pieces, causing inconvenience and static issues during use.
Innovation Solution
A tampon wrapper with a continuous line of weakness, such as perforations or reduced thickness, that allows for easy removal as a single unitary piece, optimized with specific ratios and angles to minimize tearing force and prevent separation, ensuring the wrapper remains intact during use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the wrapper is made tight-fitting to maintain tampon shape, then the tampon shape is maintained and deformation is prevented, but the wrapper becomes difficult to remove from the tampon
Solution Approach 1:
The wrapper is segmented by introducing a continuous line of weakness (perforations or reduced thickness) that allows controlled separation. This segmentation enables the wrapper to be easily removed from the tampon while maintaining its tight-fitting shape during use, resolving the contradiction between shape maintenance and removal ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The wrapper has different local qualities: the main body maintains tight-fitting properties to preserve tampon shape, while the line of weakness provides a specific localized area for easy removal. This local differentiation allows the wrapper to simultaneously achieve shape maintenance and easy removal.
2Reliability
If the wrapper material sticks to the tampon surface, then the wrapper maintains secure coverage, but removal becomes difficult and requires prying
Solution Approach 1:
The line of weakness segments the wrapper-material interface, allowing controlled separation without requiring forceful prying. This segmentation enables reliable coverage during use while facilitating easy removal by directing the separation along the predetermined weak line.
Solution Approach 2:
The line of weakness acts as an intermediary element between the wrapper and tampon, providing a controlled separation path. This intermediary structure allows the wrapper to maintain secure coverage during use while enabling easy removal without direct material-to-material adhesion forces.
3Ease of operation
If the wrapper is separated into multiple pieces for easy opening, then opening becomes easier, but the wrapper pieces cling to fingers due to static charge and require one-handed handling
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous line of weakness provides a segmented opening path that allows the wrapper to be opened easily while remaining connected as a single piece. This segmentation approach enables easy opening without creating multiple separate pieces that would cling to fingers and require complex one-handed management.
Solution Approach 2:
The wrapper design merges the opening function with the single-piece structure by incorporating the line of weakness throughout the continuous material. This merging allows the wrapper to be opened easily while maintaining unity, eliminating the complexity of managing multiple separate pieces.
4Ease of operation
If a continuous line of weakness is introduced for easy removal, then removal becomes easier and wrapper integrity is maintained, but the wrapper may separate into multiple pieces during use
Solution Approach 1:
The line of weakness is introduced as a localized feature within the wrapper material, concentrated in specific areas while maintaining overall material integrity. This local quality approach enables easy removal at the weakness line while preserving wrapper integrity during normal use, preventing unintended separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The line of weakness is preliminarily created during manufacturing as a controlled feature. This preliminary action prepares the wrapper for easy removal while maintaining structural integrity during use, as the weakness is pre-positioned and controlled rather than being a result of manufacturing defects or material failures.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A packaged elongate intravaginal device (10) has an overwrap (100; 302) substantially enclosing the elongate intravaginal device. The overwrap has a longitudinal overlap seam (70) disposed generally parallel to the longitudinal axis (X-X). The overwrap has a substantially continuous line of weakness (60; 160; 200; 304) comprising open and land portions, each having a length associated therewith, disposed about the device having an angle to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the packaged device of about 20° to about 35°. The line of weakness originates proximate a withdrawal end (46) of the packaged elongate intravaginal device with a ratio of open length to land length along the line of weakness of less than about 3:2 and a ratio of open length to land length along the line of weakness distal the withdrawal end of at least about 2:1.