Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kimberly-clark Corporation

Debra Jean McDowall

Rob David Everett

Robert Lee Popp

James Hongxue Wang

Lawrence Howell Sawyer

David Louis Zenker

Shannon Kathleen Melius

Xin Ning

Richard Norris Dodge, Ii

Samuel Edward Marmon

Sridhar Ranganathan

Sylvia Bandy Little

Susan Carol Paul

Yong Li

Stanley Michael Gryskiewicz

Xiaomin Zhang

Christopher Cosgrove Creagan

Billie Jean Matthews

Charles Allen Smith

Violet May Grube

Thomas Gerald Bolwerk

Ali Yahiaoui

Michael John Faulks

Eugenio Go Varona

Bryan David Haynes

Sheng-Hsin Hu

Kuo-Shu Edward Chang

Cathleen Mae Uttecht

Candace Dyan Krautkramer

Palani Raj Ramaswami Wallajapet

Pamela Jean Mayberry

Audra Stefanik Wright

David Lewis Myers

David Craige Strack

Jeffrey Lawrence McManus

David Charles Potts

Frank Jerrel Akin

Ronald Lee Edens

Hoa La Wilhelm

Margaret Gwyn Latimer

Darryl Franklin Clark

Charles Edward Bolian, Ii

Terry K Timmons

Cheryl Ann Mocadlo

Robert David Wright

Kevin Edward Smith

Dmitry Yavich

Justin Max Duellman

Peter Robert Elliker

Toan Thanh LeMinh

Cynthia Marie Phillips

Charles Paul Keuhn, Jr

Daniel Joseph VanHout

Dave Allen Soerens

Ann Louise McCormack

Eric Donald Johnson

David Arthur Fell

Garry Roland Woltman

Roger Bradshaw Quincy, Iii

Daniel Robert Schlinz

Elizabeth Deibler Gadsby

Susan Elaine Shawver

Sara Jane Wille Stabelfeldt

Wing-Chak Ng

Charles Wilson Colman

Catherine Marguerite Hancock-Cooke

Henry Louis Griesbach, Iii

Ty Jackson Stokes

Brenda Marie Nelson

Jay Sheldon Shultz

Michael David Powers

Michael Charles Cook

Michael William Veith

Jason Matthew Laumer

Kendell Jean Williams

Ruth Lisa Levy

Janis Wilson Hughes

Alice Y Romans-Hess

Kambiz Bayat Makoui

Billy Dean Arnold

Russell Paul George

Kenneth Russell Casson

Ryan Clinton Frank

EoYeon Hwang

Dana Elizabeth Stano

JinHee Lee

Melanie Stephens Winstanley

JinYoung Jung

WonYoung Lee

Allyson Marie Sagel

Julie Anne Draves

Henry L Iii Griesbach

Rob D Everett

An absorbent article having improved handling of liquid and improved intake and retention of liquid loadings during use. The absorbent article can minimize the amount of moisture in contact with a wearer's skin and can provide a feeling of softness on the skin of the wearer.

Absorbent article with point fusion bonding

Various garments are disclosed which include a body adhesive for attaching the garment to the skin of a wearer. More particularly, the garment can include at least one extensible portion. An adhesive member comprising an adhesive layer and a cover member may be positioned over the extensible portion. The cover member may completely cover the adhesive layer when the extensible portion is in a relaxed condition. When the extensible portion is stretched, however, the cover member may define openings that expose the adhesive layer for adhering the adhesive to a wearer. The garment may comprise, for instance, a diaper, a training pant, a swim pant, a hospital gown, an industrial garment, a glove, a feminine hygiene product, an adult incontinence product, and the like. The adhesive member can be positioned over any suitable extensible portion on the garment.

Elastic member for a garment having improved gasketing

An absorbent binder coating including monoethylenically unsaturated polymer units, polyacrylate ester units that include an alkoxysilane functionality, and polyolefin glycol units and/or polyolefin oxide units, can be applied to various substrates. For example, the coating can be self-applied to an article of clothing or to a person's skin to provide absorbency. Alternatively, the coating can provide moisture absorbency, as well as adhesive properties, when incorporated into various articles including medical devices, wound dressings, laminates, absorbent garments, packaging materials, and horticultural products.

Absorbent binder coating

Absorbent article including an absorbent core having multiple absorbent layers. The absorbent layers interact in a manner which desirably locates absorbed liquid in an appointed, high saturation wicking layer.

Layered absorbent structure with a zoned basis weight

An improved nonwoven web composite is formed by combining splittable bicomponent thermoplastic filaments with a component selected from other fibers and particles. The bicomponent filaments include distinct regions of first and second incompatible polymers extending the length of the filaments. After the bicomponent filaments are combined with the other fibers and/or particles, the bicomponent filaments are caused to split lengthwise along boundaries between the regions of different polymers, resulting in a web or matrix of finer filaments which entrap, ensnare and contain the other fibers and/or particles within the web or matrix. The nonwoven web composite is particularly useful for making absorbent articles, which require durability and optimum levels of absorbent fibers and/or particles.

Bicomponent nonwoven webs containing splittable thermoplastic filaments and a third component

An improved nonwoven web composite is formed by combining bicomponent thermoplastic filaments having adhesive properties with a component selected from other fibers and particles. The bicomponent filaments include distinct regions of first and second incompatible polymers across a cross-section of individual filaments. After the bicomponent filaments are combined with the other fibers and/or particles, the adhesive properties of the bicomponent filaments result in a web or matrix of filaments having improved ability to entrap, ensnare and contain the other fibers and/or particles within the web or matrix. The nonwoven web composite is particularly useful for making absorbent articles, which require stability and optimum levels of absorbent fibers and/or particles.

Bicomponent nonwoven webs containing adhesive and a third component

An absorbent article ( ) has a longitudinal direction ( ), a lateral, transverse direction ( ), an article front portion ( ), an article back portion ( ), and an intermediate portion ( ) interconnecting the front and back portions. The article includes an elastomerically stretchable backsheet member ( ), a liquid-permeable topsheet layer ( ), and an elastomerically stretchable retention portion ( ) sandwiched between the backsheet member ( ) and the topsheet layer ( ). The topsheet layer can be elastomerically stretchable, and the absorbent article ( ) can also provide a selected combination of physical properties, such as a composite-article elongation-at-peak-load value which is at least about 50 percent.

Absorbent product containing an elastic absorbent component

An absorbent article includes a vapor permeable backsheet, a liquid permeable topsheet positioned in facing relation with the backsheet; and an absorbent body located between the backsheet and the topsheet. The absorbent body may include multiple zones of high air permeability or may include materials which provide improved air exchange after being wetted. The absorbent article may also include a ventilation layer between the absorbent body and the backsheet and a surge management layer between the absorbent body and the topsheet. The article exhibits improved air exchange within the article during use. As a result, the article exhibits substantially reduced levels of hydration of the wearer's skin when in use which renders the skin less susceptible to the viability of microorganisms.

Absorbent article with increased wet breathability

A distinctive absorbent article includes an absorbent core having multiple absorbent layers, wherein the absorbent layers interact in such a manner which preferentially locates absorbed liquid in an appointed, high saturation wicking layer. The localization of the liquid within this wicking layer increases the potential of this layer to move liquid through capillary action due to the higher saturation level and increased amount of liquid available. The intake capability of the absorbent system is maintained or improved over current systems by keeping a second layer of the absorbent system at low saturation levels through as many insults of the product as possible, while providing optimum intake performance through appropriate control of the composite properties. The low saturation in this layer provides void volume for the incoming insult as well, as a high permeability, thus increasing the intake rate of the absorbent system as a whole, but the structure of the low saturation layer is also balanced to provide an appropriately high level of capillary tension to provide enough control of the liquid to stop leakage from occurring. This low saturation layer is used in addition to a surge material and provides intake functionality in addition to that provided by the surge material. In particular aspects of the invention, the body side layer of the absorbent core does not extend over the entire surface of the overall absorbent core, therefore is not used as the high saturation, wicking layer, but as the intake layer. This arrangement also allows the intake layer to be in direct contact with the incoming liquid, therefore allowing for more immediate access and improved intake function. In additional aspects, at least one primary layer region can have a non-uniform, selectively zoned basis weight distribution. Particular configurations of the at least one primary layer region can be constructed with a target area of such primary layer region having a basis weight which is less than a basis weight of another non-target portion of the primary layer region. Moreover, at least one primary layer region can have a heterogeneous structure. In particular constructions, the at least one primary layer region can include a plurality of two or more sublayers.

Layered absorbent structure with a zoned basis weight and a heterogeneous layer region

A distinctive absorbent article includes an absorbent core having multiple absorbent layers, wherein the absorbent layers interact in such a manner which preferentially locates absorbed liquid in an appointed, high saturation wicking layer. The localization of the liquid within this wicking layer increases the potential of this layer to move liquid through capillary action due to the higher saturation level and increased amount of liquid available. The intake capability of the absorbent system is maintained or improved over current systems by keeping a second layer of the absorbent system at low saturation levels through as many insults of the product as possible, while providing optimum intake performance through appropriate control of the composite properties. The low saturation in this layer provides void volume for the incoming insult as well, as a high permeability, thus increasing the intake rate of the absorbent system as a whole, but the structure of the low saturation layer is also balanced to provide an appropriately high level of capillary tension to provide enough control of the liquid to stop leakage from occurring. This low saturation layer is used in addition to a surge material and provides intake functionality in addition to that provided by the surge material. In particular aspects of the invention, the body side layer of the absorbent core does not extend over the entire surface of the overall absorbent core, therefore is not used as the high saturation, wicking layer, but as the intake layer. This arrangement also allows the intake layer to be in direct contact with the incoming liquid, therefore allowing for more immediate access and improved intake function.

Layered absorbent structure

An absorbent elastic nonwoven material having improved conformability includes a matrix of thermoplastic elastomeric nonwoven filaments, present in an amount of about 3 to less than 20% by weight of the absorbent elastic nonwoven material. A plurality of absorbent fibers and a superabsorbent material are contained within the matrix, each constituting about 20-77% by weight of the absorbent elastic nonwoven material. The absorbent elastic nonwoven material is useful in a wide variety of personal care and medical absorbent articles where softness and conformability, as well as absorbency and elasticity, are important.

Elastic absorbent structures

The present disclosure is directed to a method of forming a treated fiber. A molten polymer is delivered to a fiber spinning assembly adapted to form and distribute polymer streams. At least one treatment is applied in a liquid state to at least one region on the surface of at least one molten polymer stream within the fiber spinning assembly. A substantial portion of the treatment remains on the surface of the resulting fiber within the treated region. One or more regions on the surface of the molten polymer may be treated with one or multiple treatments. The degree of coverage may vary from little coverage to complete coverage of the fiber surface. The treated regions may be in contact with one another or may be separate and distinct. A nonwoven web may be produced with selectively treated fiber regions by designing one or more fiber spinning assemblies to treat selected fibers or to apply multiple treatments. The regions of the nonwoven web may vary in treatment type, amount, or degree of coverage.

Method of forming a treated fiber and a treated fiber formed therefrom

An absorbent article (,) has a longitudinal direction (,), a lateral, transverse direction (,), an article front portion (,), an article back portion (,), and an intermediate portion (,) interconnecting the front and back portions. The article includes an elastomerically stretchable backsheet member (,), a liquid-permeable topsheet layer (,), and an elastomerically stretchable retention portion (,) sandwiched between the backsheet member (,) and the topsheet layer (,). The topsheet layer can be elastomerically stretchable, and the absorbent article (,) can also provide a selected combination of physical properties, such as a composite-article elongation-at-peak-load value which is at least about 50 percent.

A nonwoven web material of polymeric fibers having at least one internal surfactant and at least one topical surfactant. The internal surfactant is an organosilicon compound. The topical surfactant is at least one of an ethoxylated hydrogenated fatty oil, a monosaccharide, a monosaccharide derivative, a polysaccharide, and a polysaccharide derivative. The nonwoven web material treated with internal and external surfactants has improved durability and processability over conventional materials treated with only internal or topical surfactants.

Internal and topical treatment system for nonwoven materials

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Neenah, WI, United States of America

Debra Jean McDowall