Washable Outer Shell Hook Covers Preventing Hook Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Washable outer shells for absorbent articles face issues with impaired functionality and damage during washing due to hook materials interacting with other parts or items, leading to reduced lifespan and hygiene concerns.
Innovation Solution
The outer shell features hook cover members on the outer surface that can be easily folded over the corner edges to protect the hook members during washing, preventing interaction with other parts and items, and are designed to be larger than the hook members to ensure complete coverage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If the outer shell is washed repeatedly, then the outer shell can be reused multiple times, but the hook material functionality becomes impaired and hook materials attach to other parts during washing
Solution Approach 1:
A hook cover member is introduced as an intermediary element between the hook material and the washing environment. The hook cover member covers the hook material during washing, preventing direct contact with other parts of the outer shell or other items, thus maintaining hook material functionality while allowing repeated washing of the outer shell.
2Ease of manufacture
If the hook material is exposed during washing, then the outer shell can be thoroughly cleaned, but the hook material attaches to other parts and items causing damage and cleaning issues
Solution Approach 1:
The hook cover member serves as a protective intermediary that can be positioned to cover the hook material during washing operations. This prevents undesired attachment of hook materials to other parts of the outer shell or to other items in the washing machine, while still allowing the rest of the outer shell to be thoroughly cleaned.
3Reliability
If the hook cover member is always covering the hook member, then the hook member is protected during washing, but the hook member cannot attach to the hook attachment zone
Solution Approach 1:
The hook cover member is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be dynamically positioned in different states: covering the hook member during washing to provide protection, and being moved away to allow the hook member to attach to the hook attachment zone when needed. This dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction between protection and functionality.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a washable outer shell (1) for an absorbent assembly (2), the outer shell (1) comprising an inner surface (3) and an outer surface (4) opposite to the inner surface (3), the outer shell (1) has an extension in the longitudinal direction (L) and in the transverse direction (T), the outer shell (1) comprises a front region (5), a crotch region (6) and a rear region (7), the rear region (7) comprising a first and a second corner region (7a,7b) and a rear central region (7c) arranged between the first and the second corner regions (7a,7b), the outer shell (1) comprising a first hook member (9a) provided in the first corner region (7a) on the inner surface (3) of the outer shell (1) and a second hook member (9b) provided in the second corner region (7b) on the inner surface (3) of the outer shell (1), the first corner region (7a) comprising a first corner outer edge (7a') and the second corner region (7b) comprising a second corner outer edge (7b'), the outer shell (1) comprising a hook attachment zone (8) on the outer surface (4) in the front region (5) of the outer shell (1), the first and second hook members (9a,9b) being adapted to be attached to the hook attachment zone (8) to form a waist opening, wherein each of the first corner region (7a) and the second corner region (7b) is provided with a respective first and second hook cover member (11a,11b), each hook cover member (11a,11b) having a first mode in which the respective hook cover member (11a,11b) is arranged to expose the respective first and second hook member (9a,9b) and a second mode covering the respective hook member (9a,9b) and wherein each of the first and the second hook cover member (11a,11b) is arranged on the outer surface (4) of the outer shell (1) when in the first mode and wherein each of the first and the second hook cover member (11a,11b) is folded over the respective first and a second corner outer edge (7a',7b') and arranged on the inner surface (3) of the outer shell (1) when in the second mode.