The Procter Gamble Company

E Kelly Linman

John Joseph Curro

Russell P Bridges

Eugene Weinshenker

William Robert Ouellette

James C Baird

Donald L Gerth

George M Vernon

Daniel S Alcombright

A method for producing a pant-style garment from a substrate having a plurality of tensioned garters. A garter is any continuous loop of elastic material or a laminate of elastic bands and one or more flexible backing sheets. In one embodiment a substrate is joined to one or more mandrels having tensioned garters fitted thereon. Substrate material is removed from within the loop of the garter, thereby forming apertures in the substrate. The substrate is folded along its longitudinal centerline such that its longitudinal edges meet. The substrate is subsequently joined along lines of joinder, and the substrate is cut into individual pant-style garments. In preferable embodiments, a process for providing elastics to the longitudinal edges of the substrate, thereby producing elasticized waistbands is included.

Continuous, high-speed method for producing a pant-style garment having

A method for producing a pant-style garment from a substrate having a plurality of tensioned garters. A garter is any continuous loop of elastic material or a laminate of elastic bands and one or more flexible backing sheets. In one embodiment a substrate is joined to one or more mandrels having tensioned garters fired thereon. Substrate material is removed from within the loop of the garter, thereby forming apertures in the substrate. The substrate is folded along its longitudinal centerline such that its longitudinal edges meet. The substrate is subsequently joined along lines of joinder, and the substrate is cut into individual pant-style garments. In preferable embodiments, a process for providing elastics to the longitudinal edges of the substrate, thereby producing elasticized waistbands is included.

Method for enhancing blood circulation in a predetermined portion of a patient's body remote from the patient's heart. In a preferred embodiment the method comprises: placing an isolated portion of the patient's body within a chamber comprised of substantially gas impervious material; forming a substantially airtight seal between the chamber and the isolated portion of the patient's body; constricting venous blood flow from the isolated portion of the patient's body; evacuating sufficient air from within the chamber to create a partial vacuum within the chamber; maintaining the partial vacuum within the chamber for a period of time sufficient for the patient's arterial pressure to engorge the blood vessels contained within the isolated portion of the patient's body with blood and to distend the blood vessels; releasing the constriction on venous blood flow; and allowing sufficient air to enter the chamber to at least partially dissipate the vacuum existing within said chamber, thereby allowing the engorged, distended blood vessels within the isolated portion of the patient's body to return from their distended condition to a non-distended condition and forcing blood contained within the blood vessels from the isolated portion of the patient's body. Upon completion of the engorgement cycle, restoration of unrestricted venous blood flow is preferably followed by the application of pressure to the limb to avoid stagnation of blood in the limb being treated, after which the engorgement cycle is automatically repeated.

Method and apparatus for augmenting blood circulation

A backing for an absorptive device such as a disposable diaper or a sanitary napkin, said backing comprising a combination of two layers. The first layer which does not contact the wearer's skin is preferably comprised of a liquid-impervious layer of polymeric film or the like. The second layer is also preferably comprised of a polymeric film which has been made pervious to liquid by providing a multiplicity of relatively small protuberances, each ending in an aperture, substantially across its entire surface. The apertured protuberances, which resemble a tiny volcano in cross-section, exhibit a soft, highly consumer preferred tactile impression which is sometimes characterized as 'silky'.In backsheets of the present invention, the second layer is oriented so that the tiny volcano-like cusps of the second layer constitute the exposed portion of the backsheet. This minimizes the area of contact between the backsheet and the wearer's skin. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second layer is macroscopically expanded to provide a three-dimensional pattern in its surface, thereby increasing the amount of stand-off between the wearer's skin and the liquid impermeable first layer of the composite backsheet. The tiny apertures in the second layer substantially prevent occlusion of the wearer's skin by providing circulation of air between the first liquid impervious layer of the backsheet of the wearer's skin. This effect is enhanced even further when the first layer is macroscopically expanded to enhance the amount of stand-off between the wearer's skin and the liquid impervious first layer. The reduced contact area and the enhanced air circulation between the backsheet and the wearer's skin reduce the tendency toward perspiration and sticking of the backsheet to the wearer's skin.

Non-occluding, liquid-impervious, composite backsheet for absorptive

A macroscopically expanded, three-dimensional fluid-handling polymeric web having first and second surfaces located in substantially parallel planes which are remote from one another. The web includes a multiplicity of fluid-handling capillary networks of macroscopic cross-section for rapidly transmitting fluids which are dynamically deposited on the first surface of said web to the second surface of said web using the dynamic and gravitational head of the fluid as a primary driving force. Each of the macroscopic cross-section capillary networks originates as an aperture in the first surface of the web and has a continuously interconnected sidewall extending in the direction of the second surface of said web. The continuously interconnected sidewall terminates to form at least one aperture in the second surface of said web, whereby the bulk of the dynamically deposited fluid is transmitted from the first surface to the second surface of said web by the macroscopic cross-section capillary networks. The first surface of the web in which the macroscopic cross-section capillary networks originate further includes a multiplicity of fluid-handling capillary networks which are substantially smaller in cross-section than the macroscopic cross-section fluid-handling capillary networks. The smaller fluid-handling capillary networks exhibit a degree of capillary suction sufficient to transmit static fluid contained on the surface of objects which contact the first surface of said web generally in the direction of the second surface of said web by capillary attraction.

Macroscopically expanded three-dimensional polymeric web for

A microapertured polymeric web exhibiting a substantially uniform soft and silky tactile impression on at least one of its surfaces. In a preferred embodiment the present invention relates to webs exhibiting a fine scale pattern of discrete surface aberrations, each of said surface aberrations having its amplitude oriented substantially perpendicular to the surface in which said surface aberration originates. At least one tiny aperture (microaperture) is provided substantially coincidental with the maximum amplitude of each surface aberration. The discontinuity created by the aperture at the peak of each of the surface aberrations substantially reduces the resistance to both compression and shear of each individual surface aberration. In addition the volcano-like edges formed at the periphery of each microaperture are typically in the form of thin, irregularly shaped petals which not only reduce the total contact area with the user's skin, but which are also easily deflected when relative movement with the user's skin occurs. Microapertured webs of the present invention are also relatively quiet when subjected to movement, making them particularly suitable for use as topsheets and/or backsheets in disposable absorbent structures such as adult incontinent briefs.

Microapertured polymeric web exhibiting soft and silky tactile impression

A continuous, multi-phase process for debossing and perforating a substantially continuous web of substantially planar polymeric film to coincide with the image of one or more forming structures, each having a patterned forming surface with a multiplicity of holes and an opposed surface. Each forming structure is open from the holes in the forming surface to its opposed surface. The web of film has an indefinite length, a first surface, a second surface and a thickness. The thickness comprises the distance between the first surface and the second surface. The process comprises at least two sequential forming phases, one of which involves three-dimensional conformance of the web to the macroscopic profile of the forming structure and another of which involves aperturing of the web to coincide with fine-scale apertures in either the same or a separate forming structure. The order in which the phases are carried out will depend upon the properties desired in the resultant macroscopically expanded, three-dimensional, apertured polymeric web. Because the process is carried out in sequential phases, previously incompatible characteristics which could not be provided by prior art single-phase forming processes can now be achieved.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

E Kelly Linman