Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Eric Scott Kepner

Lawrence Howell Sawyer

William Grover Reeves

Sylvia Bandy Little

Richard Norris Dodge, Ii

Clifford Jackson Ellis

Connie Lynn Hetzler

Thomas Patrick Jorgenson

Gerald Lee Richmond

William Galey Robertson

Mary Jeanne Dupuis

Ali Yahiaoui

Susan Elaine Shawver

Debra Nell Welchel

Kuo-Shu Edward Chang

Candace Dyan Krautkramer

James Russell Fitts, Jr

Wing-Chak Ng

Daniel Hoo

Kurtis Lee Brown

Lorry F Sallee

Mark John Beitz

Robert Cosmo Di Luccio

Sandra M Yarbrough

Barbara Ann Gossen

Joy Francine Jordan

Alexander J Neeb

Cynthia Helen Nordness

Terry K Timmons

Richard Francis Keller

David Andrae Justmann

Christian Lee Sanders

Christopher Dale Fenwick

Renette E Richard

Steven Scott Friderich

Chris Lee Heikkinen

Monica Graciela Varriale

Raymond Gerard St Louis

David James VanEperen

Chad Michael Freese

Jared Lockwood Martin

Douglas Paul Rammer

Crystal Sutphin Leach

Lee Cullen Boney

Cynthia Louise Wyngaard

Richard Arnold Borders

Thomas William Brock

Roxanne Marie Zuleger

Monica Lynn Bontrager

Lindsay C Shelley

Warren L Collier, Iv

Thomas Brock

A method of producing a laminate material includes the steps of providing a first flexible sheet material; providing a second flexible sheet material having a first surface and a second surface, and also having a first width of 1&#xd7;; stretching the second flexible sheet material in a cross-machine direction to a second width of between about 1.2&#xd7; and 3&#xd7; when in a flattened state; necking the second flexible sheet material to produce an accordion shape, thereby reducing the second width of the sheet material to a third width, less than the width of the first width, such that the third width is between 0.65&#xd7; to 0.975&#xd7; when in an accordion shape; applying adhesive to the first surface of the second flexible sheet material with a slot coat adhesive process; and joining the first flexible sheet material to the first surface of the second flexible sheet material.

Extensible and stretch laminates with comparably low cross-machine direction tension and methods of making same

There is provided a surge material for personal care products comprising a layered structure of at least one relatively high permeability layer on a top side toward a wearer and at least one relatively low permeability layer where the structure has a capillary tension range between about 1 and 5 cm with a differential capillary tension of at least about 1 cm from top to bottom. The surge material should have a high permeability layer with a permeability of at least 1000 Darcys and a low permeability layer with a permeability of less than 1000 Darcys. The surge material should also have a said high permeability layer which has a permeability of at least 250 Darcys greater than the low permeability layer. Such a layered structure should have a first insult run-off value of at most 30 ml from a 100 ml insult delivered at 20 ml/second. Such a surge material is useful in personal care products like diapers, training pants, absorbent underpants, adult incontinence products, feminine hygiene products and the like.

Heterogeneous surge material for absorbent articles

High loft, low density nonwoven webs suitable for use in a variety of applications requiring strong fabric layers are produced by forming substantially continuous, spunbond, crimped, bicomponent fibers of crimpable, e.g., side by side or eccentric sheath/core (A/B) configuration which are unheated prior to collection. The fibers are then heated and cooled in the absence of impeding forces to achieve maximum crimp in the Z-direction and produce a web of lofted material of greater uniformity than attained with comparable material whose fibers are drawn by a heated process. The resultant nonwoven material can then be pattern bonded or laminated for additional strength without interfering with the desired loft of the low density nonwoven. The additionally strengthened nonwoven may then be further processed such as by lamination or the like to further increase its utility.

Strong high loft low density nonwoven webs and laminates thereof

An absorbent composition comprising an uncrosslinked, high molecular weight polymer, wherein the uncrosslinked, high molecular weight polymer is treated by a means to effectively insolubilize the uncrosslinked, relatively high molecular weight polymer such that the absorbent composition exhibits desirable absorbent properties. In particular, the absorbent composition has the ability to absorb a large quantity of liquid. The absorbent composition is useful in disposable absorbent products, such as those disposable absorbent products that are used to absorb bodily liquids. Suitable polymers include polyethylene oxide, poly(acrylic acid), poly(vinyl alcohol), and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) wherein the polymer has a weight average molecular weight that is greater than about 1,000,000.

Absorbent composition including an uncrosslinked polymer

An absorbent article (,) which includes a backsheet layer (,) having a pair of laterally opposed and longitudinally extending side margins (,). Each side margin has an outwardly concave, terminal side edge contour,located at appointed leg opening regions (,) in an intermediate portion (,) of the side margin. Each concave side edge contour (,) has a selected longitudinal extent along a length dimension (,) of the article (,). A liquid permeable topsheet layer (,) is connected in a superposed facing relation to the backsheet layer (,), and an absorbent body (,) is sandwiched between the topsheet layer (,) and the backsheet layer (,). A separately provided gusset-flap composite member (,) is connected to at least one of the backsheet and topsheet layers along each of the leg opening regions (,). The gusset-flap member (,) provides a leg gusset section (,) and a containment flap section (,), and is distinctively configured to provide improved leakage resistance, fit and comfort.

Absorbent article with more conformable elastics

Disclosed herein is an entangled nonwoven composite made from absorbent fibers such as wood pulp fibers and matrix fibers such as polyolefin staple fibers. The absorbent fibers are entangled with the matrix fibers in such a manner so that the composite has an absorbent-rich side and a matrix-rich side. Intermediate the two exterior sides there is an entangled interior portion made from a mixture of the absorbent and matrix fibers. The composite is particularly well-suited for use in multifunctional handling of fluids such as, for example, body fluids which are absorbed by personal care absorbent articles. The matrix fiber portion of the composite acts as a fluid intake region while the absorbent fiber portion acts as a fluid retention region and the portion of the composite intermediate the two exterior surfaces acts as a fluid transfer region.

Hydroentangled nonwoven composites

Odor reduction for products such as disposable diapers and training pants, sanitary napkins and tampons, incontinent products, and medical dressings is obtained by the use of an internal additive for synthetic polymers or an external additive for natural polymers. Results are further enhanced by the use of a surfactant especially in the case of synthetic polymers. Webs, fibers and films find uses as components of the described products and are effective in absorbing odors such as ammonia, triethylamine, indole and skatole, for example, which are commonly found in body fluids like sweat, menses, urine and fecal matter.

Enhanced odor absorption by natural and synthetic polymers

Growing community of inventors

Alpharetta, GA, United States of America

Eric Scott Kepner