Form-Changing Wearing Article with Breathable Irregular Front Sheet

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wearing articles that can change between an underpants shape and a development form do not adequately consider improving the wearing feeling at the skin-contacting parts.

Innovation Solution

A wearing article design featuring a waist member with expandable and contractible elasticity, an absorber with a core for fluid absorption, and engagement mechanisms that allow form change, incorporating a front sheet with irregularities for improved skin contact and breathability, and a back sheet for support, along with specific engagement and weakening treatments to enhance comfort.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the wearing article is designed to change form between underpants shape and development form using engagement portions, then the adaptability and versatility are improved, but the complexity of the device increases due to additional engagement mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveform change capabilityVSAvoidengagement mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The wearing article is divided into separate functional modules: a waist member with engagement portions and an absorber with corresponding engagement portions. These modules can be detached and reattached, enabling form change while maintaining simplicity of each individual component. The segmentation allows the engagement mechanism to be distributed across multiple simple parts rather than one complex integrated system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the core uses water absorbent polymer with holding regions and low-density regions, then the absorption performance is improved, but the volume of the core increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefluid absorption performanceVSAvoidcore volume
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The core is designed with non-uniform density distribution, featuring holding regions with higher density and low-density regions with lower density. This local quality variation optimizes fluid absorption performance in critical areas while reducing overall core volume. The holding regions concentrate absorbent material where fluid contact is most likely, while low-density regions provide structural support with minimal material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If the front sheet is provided with irregularities for improved skin contact, then the wearing feeling is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewearing feelingVSAvoidirregularity formation precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The front sheet incorporates irregularities that create a dynamic, three-dimensional surface structure. These irregularities are designed to adapt to the wearer's body contours, providing improved wearing feeling through enhanced breathability and reduced skin contact pressure. The irregularities can be formed through molding processes that create consistent three-dimensional patterns without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 design enables form change between underpants and development shapes while significantly enhancing the wearing feeling by reducing skin contact discomfort and improving breathability and texture.

Implementation Method 1

a core-side first non-woven fabric that holds the water absorbent polymer so as to form a holding region that holds the water absorbent polymer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCapillary action: Capillary Action

Implementation Method 2

a core for absorbing a body fluid, and a core-side first non-woven fabric that holds the water absorbent polymer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOsmosis: Osmosis

Implementation Method 3

a waist body extending in a width direction, having elasticity capable of expanding and contracting in the width direction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4233818B1Wearing article
Publication Date: 2025.11.05 ZUIKO CORP
  • EP4233818B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4233818B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4233818B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A wearing article (1) includes: a waist member 10 including a waist body capable of expanding and contracting in a width direction and a male fastener (12); and an absorber (20) that is disposed on a back portion, a crotch portion, and a front abdomen portion of a wearer. The absorber (20) includes a core (25), a front sheet (24), a back sheet (26), and a female fastener (22). The core (25) includes a core-side first non-woven fabric having a holding region holding an SAP and a first low-density region holding the SAP that has a low density and is adjacent in the orthogonal direction to both end portions in the orthogonal direction of the holding region. The male fastener (12) and the female fastener (22) are engaged with each other in a state where the absorber (20) is folded in two in the orthogonal direction and both side portions (10a) of the waist member (10) are folded in the width direction.