Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kimberly-clark Corporation

Alan Francis Schleinz

Michael John Faulks

Timothy Raymond Heindel

Richard Francis Keller

Mary P Jordan

Daniel W Dick

Daniel Robert Schlinz

David Arthur Kuen

Richard Thomas Wehrle

Neal A Rollins

Thomas David Ehlert

Timothy James Blenke

Thomas Walter Odorzynski

Michael Donald Sperl

Paul John Serbiak

David Louis Zenker

Gordon Allen Shaw

Thomas Allan Eby

Jeffrey Lawrence McManus

Hoa La Wilhelm

Ronald Alex Hilt

David W Heyn

Mark John Beitz

Gregory Todd Sudduth

Mark George Everson

Allen Todd Leak

Patrick Dean Abney

Tom Russell Belau

Thomas Patrick Jorgenson

Julie Ann Moser

David James VanEperen

Dale Arthur Peterson

Raymond Gerard St Louis

Gregory James Hess

Paula Kay Zoromski

Rebecca Jean Kuepper

Jean Feyen Niemeyer

Steven Walter Moster

Charles P Keuhn, Jr

A disposable diaper having an attachment assembly including a subassembly bonded or attached to an exterior surface of a front waist region of the diaper and extending laterally from opposing side edges of the front waist region to form laterally opposing front ears. A reduced-size attachment panel is properly positioned and bonded to the subassembly to improve the functionality of a fastening system of the diaper without interfering with or limiting the extensibility of the diaper chassis, while minimizing the use of relatively expensive attachment panel material.

Attachment assembly for absorbent article

The present invention provides a pattern-unbonded material that has at least two distinct regions. One region has different bond pattern than another region. The different bond pattern provides different, specific functionality or characteristics to the material. In an embodiment, the one region provides an optimal mechanical fastener, hook engagement. The different characteristics include, but are not limited to, opacity, tensile strength or stiffness. The different characteristics are provided by a bond pattern specific to the particular region. The outer regions, in an embodiment, are stronger and appear more substantial by being more opaque than or color-shifted relative to an inner region. The outer regions, in an embodiment, are not directly backed or supported by the garment to which the material is attached. Accordingly, it is important for the outer regions to provide adequate strength, stiffness, color, and opacity absent the garment backing the outer regions.

Pattern unbonded nonwoven web and process for making same

An absorbent article ( ) has a longitudinal direction ( ) and a lateral direction ( ). The article includes a backsheet layer ( ), a liquid-permeable topsheet layer ( ), and an absorbent body ( ) sandwiched between the backsheet layer ( ) and topsheet layer ( ). A surge management member ( ) is joined between the topsheet layer ( ) and the absorbent body ( ), and the surge management member ( ) includes at least a first nonwoven fabric layer ( ). In particular aspects, the article ( ) can be bent around a wearer's body contours with a reduced tendency to form a transverse channel crease ( ) along the cross-direction of the surge management member, particularly when the surge member ( ) is curved through the wearer's crotch region. In further aspects, the article ( ) can be bent around a predetermined radius of curvature substantially without forming, within the surge management member ( ), a severe channel crease ( ) that extends over a significant portion of a corresponding lateral width ( ) of the surge management member ( ).

Absorbent article

An absorbent article, such as the shown diaper (10), has a front waistband portion (14), a back waistband portion (12) and an intermediate portion (16) interconnecting said front and back waistband portions. The article includes a backsheet member (30), a liquid permeable topsheet layer (28), and an absorbent body (32) sandwiched between the topsheet layer (28) and backsheet member (30). The backsheet member includes an air permeable, polymer sheet layer (96), and a first, outward nonwoven fibrous web (94) attached to or otherwise operatively joined with a major facing surface (78) of the polymer sheet layer (96) at a plurality of individual, spaced apart thermal bonds (98). The outward nonwoven web (94) includes a plurality of fibers having substantially unbonded lengths which extend substantially continuously between at least an adjacent pair of the bonds, and the substantially unbonded fiber lengths are arched away from an outward surface of the thermal bonds by arch heights (60) which provides a distinctive embossing element depth value. In addition, the fibers of the outward nonwoven web can have a selected denier, and the outward nonwoven web (94) can have a selected basis weight.

Absorbent article with visually and tactilely distinctive outer cover

An absorbent article includes an absorbent core located between a bodyside liner and an outer cover. A leg cuff is mounted to a base structure of the absorbent article in the crotch portion thereof. The leg cuffs are partially stretched when attached to respective longitudinal side portions near the crotch portion of the absorbent article. An outboard edge of the leg cuffs is generally unattached to the base structure of the absorbent article and can be stretched beyond the length of that portion of the base structure along which the leg cuffs are mounted. The leg cuffs may be mounted at an angle of between 5 and 25 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis. The leg cuffs extend outwardly toward the rear portion of the absorbent article and inwardly in the front portion when mounted at an angle.

Absorbent article using extensible leg cuffs

An absorbent article (10) which includes a backsheet layer (30) having a pair of laterally opposed and longitudinally extending side margins (20). Each side margin has an outwardly concave, terminal side edge contour 15 located at appointed leg opening regions (17) in an intermediate portion (16) of the side margin. Each concave side edge contour (15) has a selected longitudinal extent along a length dimension (26) of the article (10). A liquid permeable topsheet layer (28) is connected in a superposed facing relation to the backsheet layer (30), and an absorbent body (32) is sandwiched between the topsheet layer (28) and the backsheet layer (30). A separately provided gusset-flap composite member (19) is connected to at least one of the backsheet and topsheet layers along each of the leg opening regions (17). The gusset-flap member (19) provides a leg gusset section (142) and a containment flap section (144). The gusset-flap member includes a barrier layer (174) having a pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending, barrier layer side edges (140, 141), and has a first major facing surface (148) and a second major facing surface (149). A nonwoven fabric layer (176) is joined in facing relation with the first facing surface (148) of the barrier layer (174). The fabric layer (176) has a leg gusset region (136), an outboard side portion (170), a containment flap region (63), and an inboard side portion (62). The outboard side portion (170) of the gusset-flap fabric layer (176) is arranged to wrap around at least one side edge of the barrier layer (174) and to extend inboard therefrom along the second facing surface (149) of the barrier layer (174). A first arrangement of a first plurality of separate, longitudinally extending elastomeric members (138) are attached and interposed between the barrier layer (174) and the fabric layer (176) within the leg gusset section (142) of the gusset-flap member (19).

Absorbent article with enhanced elastic design for improved aesthetics

An absorbent article has a moisture barrier and an absorbent assembly disposed on the moisture barrier. In one embodiment, fecal containment members of the absorbent article are positioned transversely outward of the absorbent assembly between the absorbent assembly and each longitudinal side edge of the article. The fecal containment members have a wet compression recovery of at least about 85 percent and a mean pore size of at least about 1.5 millimeters.

Absorbent article providing improved fecal containment

Disclosed is a distinctive absorbent article which includes a pair of stretchable leg containment gaskets. The leg containment gaskets include a bodyfacing surface which extends along a width of the leg containment gaskets and which is adapted to be in a contacting relationship with a wearer's body when in use. An outboard edge of each of the leg containment gaskets is attached to the longitudinal side portions of the absorbent article along an attached width. An inboard edge of each of the leg containment gaskets remains unattached from said longitudinal side portions in at least the crotch portion of the absorbent article along an unattached width. The attached width of each of the leg containment gaskets in the crotch portion of the absorbent article is at least about 30 percent of the width of the leg containment gasket. The absorbent article may also include a pair of stretchable waist containment gaskets. In addition, the absorbent article may include at least one waist flap to provide additional void volume to help contain bodily exudates.

Absorbent article having containment gaskets

A feminine guard product capable of absorbing urine applied to said product in relatively small amounts at a relatively low velocity or in relatively large amounts at a relatively high velocity and menses. The feminine guard comprises an outer shell which defines a basin having a volume, an absorbent structure present in said basin, an acquisition layer comprising hydrophilic fibers and present in said basin, and a body side liner having a passage volume of 40 percent and being attached to the outer shell and covering the basin.

Disposable feminine guard

A garment and attachment system of the present invention include a pair of first attachment pads attached to a first waist section of a garment shell. Each first attachment pad has a primary axis directed generally toward the nearest corner of the garment shell and forming an angle of from 25 to 45 degrees with the transverse axis of the garment shell. At least one second attachment pad is attached to a second waist section of the garment shell. A pair of strap members each have forward and rearward end portions with fasteners attached thereto. The fasteners are releasably engageable with the attachment pads. In particular embodiments, the attachment pads are formed of a loop material having a predetermined loop tip orientation.

Garment attachment system

An attachment system for securing a garment to a wearer includes attachment pads on front and back waist sections of the garment. A pair of straps extend between the front and back waist sections. In one embodiment, the straps releasably engage adapter elements, which in turn releasably engage some attachment pads. In another embodiment, the straps releasably engage some attachment pads directly and releasably engage buckle-type fasteners, which in turn releasably engage other attachment pads.

Adjustable garment attachment system

A distinctive method and apparatus for depositing a pattern of material, such as hot-melt adhesive, onto a substrate comprises a supplying mechanism for forming a first and at least a second substantially continuous stream of the selected material, and a gas-directing mechanism for forming a plurality of gas streams. The gas streams have selected velocities and are arranged to entrain the material streams to impart a swirling motion to each of the material streams as it moves toward the substrate. A transport mechanism moves the substrate relative to the supply mechanism along a selected machine direction. A regulating mechanism controls the supplying mechanism and gas-directing mechanism to direct the material stream in a selected path toward the substrate and deposit the material in adjacent semi-cycloidal patterns on the substrate while closely controlling a selected cross-directional positioning of one or more of the deposited patterns.

Sprayed adhesive diaper construction

Growing community of inventors

Appleton, WI, United States of America

Alan Francis Schleinz