Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

James George Van Himbergen

David Arthur Fell

David John Paulson

Kendell Jean Williams

Nicholas Alan Kraft

Steven Michael Hurley

Donald LeRoy Smith

Thomas Gerard Vercauteren

Sara Lynn Rosack

Johanna Marie Buss

Michael Barth Venturino

Edward E Werner

David Charles Musil

Joseph Michael Kugler

Norman Earl Brown

Kenneth Thomas Borowski

Mark Scott Lancaster

John Christopher Garstka

Leon E Chambers, Jr

Thomas George Olsen

Leon Robert Flesburg

Leon Eugene Chambers, Jr

John Wallace De Vos

Brian Keith Costelic

Ryan Joseph Roth

Gerald Frank Mischler

James Joseph Wiltzius

James Lawrence Kappell

Joe Michael Kugler

A liquid absorbent structure is made by dry laying a fibrous web having incorporated therein a superabsorbent material, and applying an aqueous composite stabilizer to at least one surface of the web. The aqueous composite stabilizer imparts integrity to the resulting structure without substantially impairing the effectiveness of the superabsorbent material to absorb liquid while forming the absorbent structure without removing the water from aqueous composite stabilizer or drying out the absorbent structure. The absorbent composite absorbs the water from the aqueous composite stabilizer. The absorbent composite comprises about 70% by weight of a superabsorbent material.

Method of forming an absorbent structure

In an absorbent structure for an absorbent article, a non-woven absorbent core extends from one longitudinal end region of the absorbent structure through a central region thereof to an opposite longitudinal end region of the absorbent structure. The absorbent core has a first face, a second face opposite the first face, and laterally opposite side edges. A liquid permeable wrapsheet is wrapped about the first face, the laterally opposite side edges and at least a portion of the second face of the absorbent core to define a wrapped configuration of the wrapsheet. Tbe wrapsheet is constructed of a non-woven material and is secured in its wrapped configuration about the absorbent core at at least one securement region having a length substantially less than the length of the absorbent structure.

Wrapped absorbent core

In a method and apparatus for making an absorbent structure, an absorbent core and a wrapsheet are arranged in an unwrapped configuration with a first face of the absorbent core facing a first face of the wrapsheet, and with the absorbent core disposed laterally between laterally opposite side margins of the wrapsheet such that the side margins of the wrapsheet extend laterally outward beyond the side edges of the absorbent core. Gas is directed to flow over the first and second faces of the wrapsheet at the lateral side margins thereof in a direction which moves the lateral side margins of the wrapsheet from the unwrapped configuration around the side edges of the absorbent core and over at least a portion of the second face of the absorbent core to define a wrapped configuration of the wrapsheet.

Method and apparatus for making a wrapped absorbent core

Methods and systems for making an absorbent pad for use in an absorbent article utilize a forming device for forming material into an absorbent core, a supply device for supplying a containment layer against the first surface of the absorbent core and spray apparatus for spraying fibers of molten resin onto the second surface of the absorbent core. The fibers form a stabilization layer on the absorbent core that increases the integrity of the absorbent core. The spray apparatus includes a nozzle having a resin aperture for exhausting resin therefrom and multiple gas apertures for exhausting gas therefrom to provide a random pattern to the fibers of molten resin as the fibers are sprayed onto the second surface. Resin can also be sprayed onto first and second portions of the containment layer extending outwardly from edges of the absorbent core so the containment layer and the stabilization layer encompass the absorbent core. In another embodiment, a second containment layer can be placed on the second surface of the absorbent core and first and second stabilization layers can be spaced outwardly therefrom and deposited on the absorbent core.

Apparatus for making an absorbent pad for use in absorbent articles

Method of making an absorbent pad

A distinctive method and apparatus (20) for forming a composite fibrous web (22) includes a web supply (24, 25), which provides at least two appointed fiber layer sections (26, 28) of desired fiber material. Each of the layer sections (26, 28) has a selected composition. A fiberizer (30) disintegrates each of the fiber layer sections (26, 28) into individual, laterally adjacent fiber streams (32, 33) while substantially maintaining a lateral separation of the fiber streams while the fiber streams (32, 33) are moving through the fiberizer (30). A directing channel (34) delivers the fiber streams (32, 33) from the fiberizer (30) to a forming chamber (40). The forming chamber (40) is configured to substantially maintain the separation of the fiber streams. A foraminous forming surface (48) is disposed within the forming chamber (40), and is configured to receive each of the fiber streams (32, 33) to produce individual, fibrous web sections (76a, 76b) substantially corresponding to the individual fiber streams (32, 33). A transporter (60) removes the fibrous web sections (76a, 76b) from the forming surface (48), and an integrator (62) laterally displaces and superposes one of the fibrous sections (32, 33) onto another of the fibrous web sections to provide the composite fibrous web (22).

Side-by-side absorbent pad forming

Growing community of inventors

Kimberly, WI, United States of America

James George Van Himbergen