The Birth Story of "moffn" Bandage Balls
1. It all began with "waste" hidden in the factory
Hohtai pants prioritize feel and comfort.
To achieve this, an intentionally inefficient cutting process was used, resulting in more leftover fabric (scraps) than usual. It was a waste to discard such high-quality material.
Moreover, disposal incurred costs. From the desire to "make use of this fabric," a cardboard box of leftover fabric was sent to Tokyo, and development began.
2. The potential of a "small ball" was discovered
Cutting and sewing the arrived fabric.
Amidst trial and error, an old idea came to mind: "make small balls from leftover bandage fabric." When we showed the prototype balls and stuffed animals to acquaintances, we were fortunate enough to have them reviewed by Professor Miyazato of Ochanomizu University, an authority in early childhood education.
3. The "texture of bandages" recognized by experts
Professor Miyazato highly praised the prototypes.
"The unevenness and slightly rough texture of the fabric are very comfortable on the skin."
At the same time, issues in childcare settings became apparent.
Standard balls are difficult to use indoors due to the risk of hitting children or breaking windows. However, soft bandage balls allow children to play safely indoors.
From this point, development officially began.
4. Thoroughly pursued safety
The filling is also bandage material. After trying various materials like sponges, beads, and buckwheat hulls...
Only bandage fabric could achieve both "washability for hygiene" and "the unique softness of bandages."
Measures against accidental ingestion: Considering the average throat diameter of a child (approx. 3cm), the cut fabric inside is limited to 1.5-2cm. It's designed to be safe even if accidentally swallowed.
Ideal specifications: Through verifying the space ratio and weight for children to firmly grasp, we arrived at a weight of 80g and a diameter of 12cm (small size 8cm).
5. An unprecedented "warm rejection notice" and patent acquisition
The completed prototype was tested repeatedly in elementary schools and kindergartens with the cooperation of Professor Matsumoto of the University of Tsukuba and others, receiving high evaluations before a patent application was filed.
Normally, the initial application results in a "rejection notice" with a list of issues.
However, the notification contained an unusual piece of advice from the examiner: "It might be possible to obtain a patent if these changes are made."
Even veteran patent attorneys were surprised, saying, "I've never seen such a warm rejection notice."
After revisions, a patent was acquired at an exceptional speed.
The sentiment of "no waste" and the warm cooperation of many experts
created the unique bandage ball "moffn."
