Weyerhaeuser Company Limited

Paragon Trade Brands, Inc.

Other

Weyerhaueser Company

E Peter Lancaster

Richard H Young, Sr

Michael R Hansen

Richard Hall Young

Christel Brunnenkant

Haresh R Mehta

J Donald Soderlund

A cellulose dope prepared by subjecting a slurry of cellulose to cavitation either before, during or after treatment with a solvent. The cavitation results in the efficient fibrillization or delamination of the pulp fibers by peeling back the layers of fiber. The cavitation makes the fibers highly accessible to solvents for dissolution. One preferred cellulose solvent is sodium hydroxide at soda cellulose Q condition.

Method of producing cellulose dope

A disposable absorbent garment includes a moisture impervious outer layer, a nonwoven moisture pervious inner layer, an absorbent layer sandwiched and encased between the inner and outer layers, with the sandwiched layers having opposed first and second waist edges and two opposed side margins. The garment further includes a fastener or closure system comprising a pair of gripping strips or extensions from each of the side margins along the second waist edge, each gripping strip having a plurality of first resiliently deformable connectors integrally formed therein. The fastener system further includes a pair of targets located on the outer layer along the first waist edge adjacent each side margin, each target having a plurality of second connectors integrally formed thereon which are adapted to engage the first connectors of the gripping strips. The first and second connectors comprise interlocking means of the fastener system and include a plurality of interlockable projections and receptacles. The projections and receptacles may be circular or of any polygonal shape or they may comprise interlocking ridges and grooves. In one embodiment, each of the first connectors is a receptacle comprising a throat which extends through the gripping strip, and each of the second connectors comprise a projection which projects through and interlocks with a gripping strip throat.

Disposable diaper with refastenable mechanical fastening system

A method of processing cellulose sausage skins is disclosed in which sausage skins are filled with contents to make sausages, the cellulose sausage skins are removed from the sausages, the removed sausage skins are dissolved to form a recycled cellulose dope, and new sausage skins are formed from the recycled cellulose dope. Dissolving sausage skins under soda cellulose Q condition for subsequent reuse is specifically described. In addition, forming a dissolved cellulose feed stock for use in producing sausage skins employing cavitation and a solvent is disclosed.

Method of processing cellulose sausage skins

A composite absorbent article is described having a plural layer absorbent core comprising a bonded insert pad and a dispersion pad. The insert pad preferably comprises binder coated fibers to which superabsorbent particles are adhered. By using heat fusible binders, a heat bonded superabsorbent containing insert pad is provided. The dispersion pad also typically comprises fibers and enhances the wicking of liquid throughout the insert pad. In addition, the insert pad may be bound to the dispersion pad at the interface between the pads to provide a stronger composite structure and to also entangle the fibers of the two pads at their interface to improve the wicking of liquid from the dispersion pad into the insert pad. In addition, hydrophilic fibers may be included in the insert pad to enhance the wicking of liquid into the insert pad. The use of surfactant materials in the binder enhances the vertical wicking characteristics of the composite pad. In addition, densification of the dispersion pad, within limits, also enhances the rewet characteristics of the article. In a disposable diaper construction, the insert pad is preferably positioned underneath the facing sheet of the diaper with the dispersion pad being positioned between the insert pad and the backing sheet of the diaper.

Absorbent article with superabsorbent particle containing insert pad and

The present invention is a method and apparatus for making a diaper having one or more elastic margins. The diaper uses for the entire moisture permeable backing sheet an elastomeric material of the type that is heat unstable and relatively inelastic in its unshrunk form and stable and relatively elastic in its heat shrunk form. Diapers made using one of these materials as a backing sheet can be conventionally assembled. After assembly, the marginal areas, which may be either or both of the transverse and longitudinal margins, may be heated to a sufficient temperature for shrinkage to occur in the backing sheet. This shrinkage will only occur when the backing sheet is unrestrained. The method provides for the maintenance of longitudinal tension in the central portion of an end-to-end assembly of diaper units while relaxing the edge tension on the units. This is accomplished in the present diaper making machine by passing the assembly over a series of rollers which are of cylindrical form in the central portion and are tapered at each end. The marginal portions overhang the tapered portion where they are free to shrink after heating. If an elastic waist construction is desired, the diapers are similarly heated in a transverse direction whereupon any transverse tension is relaxed to enable transverse shrinkage to occur. While the preferred diaper uses the heat shrinkable material as the entire backing film, it is within the scope of the invention to insert ribbons of this material along the appropriate marginal edges of the diapers and use conventional backing film materials.

Method and apparatus for manufacture of a diaper with elastic margins

The present invention is an elastic leg diaper and a method and equipment for its manufacture. A preferred form of the diaper uses for the entire moisture impermeable backing sheet an elastomeric material of the type that is heat unstable and relatively inelastic in its unshrunk form and stable and relatively elastic in its heat shrunk form. Numerous materials of this type are available. Included among them are block copolymers which include a rubbery material as one component, polyurethanes, and irradiated polyethylene. Diapers made using one of these materials as a backing sheet can be conventionally assembled. After assembly, the marginal areas, which may be either or both of the transverse and longitudinal margins, may be heated to a sufficient temperature for shrinkage to occur in the backing sheet. This shrinkage will only occur when the backing sheet is unrestrained. The method provides for the maintenance of longitudinal tension in the central portion of an end-to-end assembly of diaper units while relaxing the edge tension on the units. This is accomplished in the present diaper making machine by passing the assembly over a series of rollers which are of cylindrical form in the central portion and are tapered at each end. The marginal portions overhang the tapered portion where they are free to shrink after heating. If an elastic waist construction is desired, the diapers are similarly heated in an transverse direction whereupon any transverse tension is relaxed to enable transverse shrinkage to occur. While the preferred diaper uses the heat shrinkable material as the entire backing film, it is within the scope of the invention to insert ribbons of this material along the appropriate marginal edges of the diapers and use conventional backing film materials.

Growing community of inventors

Gig Harbor, WA, United States of America

E Peter Lancaster