Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

James R Niedt

Kyle Mark Barriger

Sarah A Kleuskens

Beth Johnson

Timothy A Thorson

Thomas A Ray

Victor Stevens

Matthew Randall Jones

Kirk Jon Dempsey

Daniel J Grassl

Robert W Scholl

Walter Hagy

Marc A Morin, Jr

Joseph John Sina

Joe Sina

Kyle M Barringer

Absorbent articles with front and rear opening features are disclosed. An article may comprise an insert comprising an outer cover, a liner, and a core between the outer cover and liner, a first waist panel coupled to the insert throughout a first attachment region, and a second waist panel coupled to the insert throughout a second attachment region, the second panel being coupled to the first panel proximate a first side edge of the article and the second side edge of the article and further comprising a weakened region. The second attachment may comprise a low-strength attachment zone and a high-strength attachment zone, the high-strength attachment zone disposed proximate the attachment region bottom edge. The low-strength attachment zone may further have a first peel strength and the high-strength attachment zone may have a second peel strength, the second peel strength greater than the first.

Front or rear opening closed-sided absorbent articles

A unique and distinctive adhesive pattern is applied to a base web, such as a nonwoven web. The adhesive pattern can include a plurality of treated discrete areas that can extend parallel in the longitudinal direction of the web. Each treated discrete area can include a head portion connected to a tail portion. The head portion, in one embodiment, can have a greater amount of adhesive composition based on mass per area in relation to the amount of adhesive composition contained in the tail portion. The overall length of the treated discrete area can be relatively short in relation to adhesive patterns produced in the past using conventional slot coating processes. The adhesive pattern provides a secure attachment to an adjoining material and can provide various processing advantages.

Adhesive pattern residing on a moving base web

A system and process are disclosed for applying an adhesive composition to a moving web of material. During the process, a web of material is conveyed very rapidly adjacent to a nozzle of an adhesive applicator. A defecting device periodically deflects the web into contact with a surface of the nozzle. An adhesive flow control device is used to control the flow of adhesive through the nozzle. Adhesive flows through the nozzle and is timed with the deflection device. In one embodiment, the flow of adhesive is started prior to contact with the web. In this manner, treated discrete areas of the adhesive composition can be formed on the web. The treated discrete areas can have lengths that are minimized through the process of the present disclosure allowing for adhesive to be applied at extremely fast speeds.

System and process for applying an adhesive to a moving web

Absorbent articles having curved elasticized laminates and apparatuses and methods for forming such articles are disclosed. In one embodiment a method of forming an article may comprise moving absorbent assemblies and elasticized laminates in the machine direction. The method may further comprise oscillating the elasticized laminates in the cross-machine direction to impart a curvature, bonding the elasticized laminates to the absorbent assemblies while maintaining the imparted curvature such that at least a portion of the elasticized laminates are disposed outboard of longitudinal side edges of the absorbent assemblies, and finally separating the absorbent assemblies into individual absorbent articles, where the elasticized laminates extend in a curving manner throughout the absorbent articles.

Absorbent articles with curved elasticized laminates

Absorbent articles with front and rear opening features are disclosed. An article may comprise an absorbent insert comprising an outer cover, a liner, and a core between the outer cover and liner, a first waist panel coupled to the insert and having a first waist panel bottom edge, a first waist panel top edge, a first waist panel outer surface, and a first waist panel inner surface, and a second waist panel coupled to the insert. The first waist panel may be coupled to the second waist panel along side edges of the article, and the first waist panel may further comprise a weakened region comprising weakened portions extending at least partially between the first waist panel bottom edge and the first waist panel top edge. The weakened region may have a weakened region percentage of between about 45% and about 90%.

Absorbent articles with front and rear opening features are disclosed. An article may comprise an absorbent insert comprising an outer cover, a liner, and an absorbent core between the outer cover and the liner, a first waist panel coupled to the insert and comprising a weakened region and first waist band portion and first chassis portion, the first waist band portion and first chassis portion comprising elastic elements, and a second waist panel. The first waist panel may be bonded to the second along side edges of the article. One of the elastic elements of the first waistband portion may be spaced laterally from a second one forming a waistband non-elasticized region laterally between the first one of the elastic elements and the second one of the elastic elements, and the weakened region may extend at least partially through the waistband non-elasticized region.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Chute, WI, United States of America

James R Niedt