Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Daniel Marvin Nussbaum

Joseph Daniel Coenen

Marcille Faye Ruman

Joseph John Sina

Adam Schoultz

Lori Roocks

Kathy Irene Bennett

David A Palzewicz

Tom Russell Belau

Stephen A Marrano

Timothy Dale Ferguson

Scott C Locy

Soft point bonded nonwoven webs, and methods of making the same, are described that utilize a pattern of small, discrete bond points in a sequent pattern that together form macro-elements. The macro-elements are themselves positioned and aligned within a pattern such that mechanical stretching operations on the point bonded nonwoven webs yields soft and bulky fabrics but with reduced incidence of tearing or rupturing of the individual bond points.

Method of making a nonwoven web

An apparatus can control the movement of a substrate through a manufacturing process. The apparatus can transport the substrate in the machine direction of the manufacturing process and can control the movement of the substrate in the cross-machine direction as well as the z-direction.

Apparatue for controlling movement of a substrate

A bonding and slitting device is adapted to form fin seams in absorbent articles having a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region extending between the front waist region and the back waist region. The device includes a first bonding member and a second bonding member having a contact element configured to cooperate with the first bonding member to bond the front region of the chassis to the back region to define the fin seams. A slitter is configured to simultaneously act on material outboard of the bonds from both the front and back regions of the chassis.

Bonding and slitting device

A method for manufacturing absorbent articles includes folding each of the absorbent articles about a fold line generally bisecting the article such that front and back waist regions of the articles are positioned in facing relationship, and simultaneously bonding and one of trimming and weakening the front and back waist regions adjacent each opposing side edge of the article to form a pair of fin seams. A bonding and slitting device adapted to form fin seams in absorbent articles includes a first bonding member; and a second bonding member having a contact element configured to cooperate with the first bonding member to bond a front region of the article to the back region to define the fin seams, and a slitter configured to simultaneously act on material outboard of the bonds from both the front and back regions of the article.

Method of manufacturing an absorbent article having a fin seam

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Neenah, WI, United States of America

Daniel Marvin Nussbaum