Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Kimberley-Clark Corporation

Ann Louise McCormack

William Bela Haffner

Carol Ann Blaney

Wing-Chak Ng

Howard Martin Welch

Mary Lou McDaniel

Garry Roland Woltman

Susan Elaine Shawver

Adrienne Rae Loyd

Kevin George Hetzler

David Craige Strack

David John Enz

Margaret Gwyn Latimer

Wanda Walton Jackson

Carmen Lira

Katie Ann Boland

Joy Francine Jordan

Cherie H Everhart

Deborah Snell Hannah

Jose Siqueira

Renee Sue Booms

Norman Earl Brown

Vasily Aramovich Topolkaraev

Duane Girard Uitenbroek

Fred R Radwanski

Tamara Lee Mace

Jay Sheldon Shultz

Bryon Paul Day

Ruth Lisa Levy

Thomas William VanDenBogart

Richard L Shick

Karen Lynn English

Kevin Edward Smith

Courtney Eileen Shea

Paul Francis Tramontina

Michael Tod Morman

Richard Paul Lewis

Bryan David Haynes

David Arthur Fell

Roger Bradshaw Quincy, Iii

Daniel Robert Schlinz

Elizabeth Deibler Gadsby

Debra Nell Welchel

Frank Paul Abuto

Richard Daniel Pike

James Russell Fitts, Jr

Charles John Morell

Palani Raj Ramaswami Wallajapet

Susan Carol Paul

Pamela Jean Mayberry

Sarah Jane Marie Freiburger

Gordon Allen Shaw

Debra Jean McDowall

Paulette Mary Rosch

Earle Harry Sherrod

David Lewis Myers

Stephen Michael Campbell

Jeffrey Lawrence McManus

Stanley Michael Gryskiewicz

Christopher Cosgrove Creagan

Samuel Edward Marmon

John Edward Kerins

Douglas Bryan Cole

Mark G Reichmann

William F Cartwright

Darryl Franklin Clark

John Joseph Sayovitz

Peter Michailovich Kobylivker

Frances Wynn Mayfield

Michael P Mathis

Mark John Beitz

Linda A Connor

Prasad Shrikrishna Potnis

Andrew Edsel Huntoon

Marianne Keevill Leick

Xin Ning

Varunesh Sharma

Janis Wilson Hughes

Glynis Allicia Walton

Steven R Stopper

Frank Andrew Rosch, Iii

Matthew Lee Koele

Christopher Dale Fenwick

Deborah Lynn Proxmire

Charles Allen Smith

James Arthur Davis

Gerald Lewis Clark

Scott Richard Lange

Leslie Warren Collier, Iv

Timothy Ray Martin

Mark George Everson

Charles Herbert Goerg

Nancy Donaldson Kollin

Audrie Tomoko Ono

Randall James Palmer

Andrew Scott Burnes

Lance James Garrett, Jr

Mark Charles Jacobs

Jeffrey Jennings Krueger

Sharon W Gwaltney

The present invention provides a body adhering absorbent article which is capable of absorbing bodily fluids. In this particular embodiment of the present invention, provided is an absorbent article which is specifically designed for attachment to a wearer's skin in the vulva region of the wearer's torso.

Body adhering absorbent article

An elastic nonwoven composite that contains an elastic film laminated to one or more nonwoven web materials is provided. The composite is formed by passing the film through a nip to bond the film to the nonwoven web material(s). Concurrent with bond formation, apertures are also formed in the elastic film. The apertures are of a size sufficient to provide a desired level of texture, softness, hand feel, and/or aesthetic appeal to the composite without having a significant adverse effect on its elastic properties. Aperture and bond formation are accomplished in the present invention by selectively controlling certain parameters of the lamination process, such as film content, bonding pattern, degree of film tension, bonding conditions, etc.

Nonwoven composite containing an apertured elastic film

The present invention provides a nonwoven web prepared from an aliphatic polyester polymer which has sufficient tear strength and is biodegradable. Biodegradable nonwoven webs of the present are prepared from a polymer blend having from about 65% by weight to about 99% by weight of a biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer and from about 1% by weight to about 35% by weight of a second polymer selected from the group consisting of a polymer having a lower melting point than the biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer, a polymer having a lower molecular weight than the biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer and mixtures thereof. Surprisingly, the nonwoven webs of the present invention have a tear strength greater than the tear strength of a nonwoven web prepared from the biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer alone. In addition, other properties of the resulting nonwoven web, such as the tensile strength and energy to break, are not adversely affected, by the addition of the second polymer, in ways that make the resulting nonwoven web unusable for its intended purpose.

High strength nonwoven web from a biodegradable aliphatic polyester

Breathable laminates of a film and nonwoven with increased toughness and the ability to undergo strain without splitting for applications as components of personal care products and other uses. The film is formed using a carrier/letdown resin approach where the filled carrier resin is an ethylene polymer or copolymer having a density at least 0.003 g/cc higher than the letdown resin which is also an ethylene copolymer but has a density in the range of less than about 0.915 g/cc and a melt index less than about 6. The resin phases may be dry blended, formed into a film, stretched and bonded to a nonwoven support layer.

Microporous stretch thinned film/nonwoven laminates and limited use or disposable product applications

Disclosed is an absorbent article defining a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the absorbent article including an outercover, the outercover comprising a laminated material including two layers; an absorbent body disposed adjacent the outercover; and a graphic associated with the outercover, wherein the laminated material exhibits a Poisson's Ratio less than 1.0 at 4 percent longitudinal strain using ASTM-E132. The laminated material optimally exhibits a Poisson's Ratio less than 0.75 at 4 percent longitudinal strain using ASTM-E132. The laminated material more optimally exhibits a Poisson's Ratio less than 0.4 at 4 percent longitudinal strain using ASTM-E132.

Absorbent article featuring a laminated material with a low Poisson's Ratio

A portable partition system includes an air permeable nonwoven sheet material as the primary isolation material. An elongated support member with an attachment device are used to erect the sheet material. The attachment device includes a head with opposed separable clamping surfaces having a hook material provided thereon. The sheet material is inserted between the clamping surfaces so as to be engaged directly by the hook material on opposite sides of the sheet material upon erecting the system into a portable partition.

Portable breathable dust partition system

A stretch activated disposable article, such as a wipe or mitt, includes an upper material layer, and a lower material layer joined to the upper material layer such that a space is defined between the material layers. A functional element, for example a fluid composition, is stored in the space between the upper and lower material layers and becomes functional upon being exposed through the upper material layer with use of the article. The upper material layer includes a plurality of materially weakened positions along the surface thereof that are configured to part or separate upon stretching of the upper material layer to expose the functional element through the upper material layer.

Stretch activated article for delivering various compositions or functional elements

Disclosed herein is a cushioned blown film including a first blown film layer, a second blown film layer, and a plurality of cushioning cells defined between the first blown film layer and the second film layer. The cushioned blown films may be bonded to a fibrous web to make film nonwoven laminates. Processes for making the cushioned blown film and the film nonwoven laminates are also disclosed. Such laminates are highly useful for use in personal care products, protective wear garments, medical care products, mortuary and veterinary products and the like.

Films and film laminates having cushioning cells and processes of making thereof

A multilayer, breathable film that contains a base layer and at least one skin layer is provided. The skin layer is incorporated with a filler that is capable of reducing odor. The base layer may be substantially free of the odor-reducing filler to maintain the integrity of the resulting film. As a result, it has been discovered that the multilayer film of the present invention can be used to reduce odor in a variety of applications, while still maintaining the desired breathability.

Breathable multilayer films for use in absorbent articles

A breathable, elastic film/support layer laminate includes a thermoplastic elastomer film sheet of a thermoplastic elastomer and a filled semi crystalline predominantly linear polymer. The film includes between about 25 and 70 weight percent filler, between about 5 and 30 by weight percent semi-crystalline linear polymer, and between about 15 and 60 by weight percent elastomeric polymer. The filler is closely associated with the semi-crystalline linear polymer. The film demonstrates a load loss value at a 50 percent elongation of less than 50 percent, and a breathability of greater than 100 g/m/24 hours and is laminated to a nonwoven layer.

Microporous breathable elastic film laminates, methods of making same, and limited use or disposable product applications

A thermoplastic elastomer film includes a thermoplastic elastomer and a filled semi crystalline predominantly linear polymer. The film includes between about 25 and 70 weight percent filler, between about 5 and 30 by weight percent semi-crystalline linear polymer, and between about 15 and 60 by weight elastomer. The filler is closely associated with the semi-crystalline linear polymer. The elastic film demonstrates a load loss value at a 50 percent elongation of less than about 50 percent, and a breathability of greater than about 100 g/m/24 hours.

Microporous breathable elastic films, methods of making same, and limited use or disposable product applications

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Cumming, GA, United States of America

Ann Louise McCormack