Kimberly-clark Corporation

John C Wilson

Robert A Stevens

Leona G Boland

Gregory John Rajala

Georgia Lynn Zehner

Stanley Roy Kellenberger

Thomas Walter Odorzynski

Bruce Michael Siebers

Dan D Endres

Deborah Lynn Proxmire

Lin-Sun Woon

Lynn A Johnson

A disposable absorbent garment (10) of the type having opposed engageable waistband portions (14) separated by an intermediate portion (16), comprises a breathable elastomeric nonwoven fabric outer cover (12) and a superposable absorbent structure (32), including a liquid-impervious baffle (36), a liquid-pervious bodyside liner (34), and an absorbent core (38) disposed therebetween. The absorbent structure (32) preferably forms an independent insert separately attached to the outer cover (12) without restricting the stretchability thereof. The garment (10) has a generally asymmetrical hourglass profile with leg cut-out openings (18) converging together to define a narrow crotch portion, front (28) and rear (30) panels on either side of the crotch and pairs of front (20, 22) and rear (24, 26) ear portions extending from the waistbands (14) to the leg openings (18). A plurality of fastener members (42, 44, 46, 48) each having inner (49) and outer (51) peripheral edges, extend across the bodyside of the ear portions (20, 22, 24, 26) substantially from an associated waistband portion (14) to one of the marginal leg openings (18), with the rear pair of fastener members (42, 46) being hingedly attached along their outer peripheral edges (51) to the laterally opposed rear pair (20, 22) of associated ears. The hinged fastener members releasably engage the other pair of front fastener members (46, 48) fixedly attached along both their inner (49) and outer (51) peripheral edges to the front pair (24, 26) of laterally opposed ears. When longitudinally opposed pairs of the fasteners are fastened together about the body of a wearer, the hinged rear fastener members (42, 44) are bent peripherally outwardly so that their respective outer peripheral edges (51) abut the outer marginal edge of an engaged longitudinally opposed ear portion, forming a tailored, spliced seam presenting a neat, trim fit and appearance. The rear pair of fastener members (41, 44) includes a pair of snap elements (50A) spaced from one another in essentially coplanar relationship and engageable with a mating pair of snap elements (50B) similarly situated on the longitudinally opposed front pair of fastener members (46, 48), forming a primary load bearing closure. The snap elements (50A, 50B) on the fastener member (42, 44, 46, 48) are separated by abutment surfaces (52, 54, 56, 58) presenting cooperable secondary load bearing surfaces (62) for effecting and maintaining a substantially continuous closure between the primary snap closures (50A-50B) when longitudinally opposed pairs (42, 46; 44, 48) of the fastener members are fastened together, providing full-length, fixed point fastening substantially from waist to leg of a wearer.

Fastening system for a disposable absorbent garment having a tailored

An anatomically form-fitting generally self-adjusting disposable absorbent garment and methods of integrating and using the garment. The garment comprises a breathable elastomeric nonwoven fabric outer cover resiliently stretchable in cross-body direction, including a pair of leg openings, front and rear waist sections fastenable with one another defining a waist opening, a crotch section situated between the leg openings and opposing front and rear panels separated by the crotch section. An absorbent insert structure is substantially superposable on the front and rear panels and the crotch section, including a liquid impermeable barrier, a liquid permeable body side liner and an absorbent composite disposed therebetween. The absorbent insert has opposed longitudinal ends which are attached to the outer cover by bonds or snaps at selected waist attachment zones, defining one or more free-span zones of the outer cover underlying the insert and having substantially unrestricted functional stretchability therein. The insert may also be attached along the leg openings.

Disposable absorbent garment having elastic outer cover and integrated

A disposable absorbent garment (10) of the type having opposed waistband portions (14 ) separated by an intermediate portion (16), comprises a breathable elastomeric nonwoven fabric outer cover (12) having an absorbent structure (32) integral therewith, including a liquid-impervious baffle (36), a liquid-pervious bodyside liner (34), and an absorbent core (38) therebetween. The absorbent structure (32) preferably forms an insert attached to the outer cover (12) without restricting the stretchability thereof. The garment (10) has a generally asymmetrical hourglass profile with leg cut-out openings (18) converging together to define a narrow crotch with front (28) and rear (30) panels on either side thereof, having pairs of front (20, 22) and rear (24, 26) ear portions, respectively. Laterally-opposed pairs of rear fastener members (42, 44) and front (46, 48) fastener members extend across the rear ear portions (20, 22) and front ear portions (24, 26), respectively. Longitudinally opposed pairs (42, 46; 44, 48) of the fastener members are engagable with one another, forming substantially full-length closures from the waistband (14) to each leg opening (18) of the garment (10). Each fastener member (42, 46; 44, 48) comprises at least two spaced snap elements (50A, 50B), representing primarily fixed-point closures, separated by an abutment surface (52, 54, 56, 58) presenting a secondary load-bearing closure, such as a cohesive adhesive strip (64), for effecting and maintaining a substantially continuous closure between the primary closures formed by the snap elements (50A, 50B) when longitudinally opposed pairs (42, 46; 44, 48) of the fastener members are fastened together about the body of a wearer, providing full-length, fixed-point fastening substantially from waist to leg of the wearer, resulting in a neat, trim fit and appearance.

Fastening system for a disposable absorbent garment

An anatomically form fitting, self-adjusting disposable garment with a resiliently stretchable outer cover (20) with an absorbent structure (22) retained therein. The absorbent structure (22) has a resiliently stretchable bodyside liner (42) which causes the absorbent structure (22) to assume a body conforming shape. The disposable garment also features fixed position fasteners to fasten the garment around a wearer.

Form-fitting self-adjusting disposable garment with a stretchable

An anatomically form-fitting, self-adjusting disposable garment with a resiliently stretchable outer cover (20), stretchable in two directions (67) (69), an absorbent structure (22) and fixed position, full-length fasteners (70) (72) (74) (76) attached to the outer cover (20).

Form-fitting self-adjusting disposable garment with two-direction

An anatomatically form-fitting, self-adjusting disposable diaper with an outer cover (20), an absorbent structure (22) and full-length fasteners 70, 72, 74, 76 extending from waist opening 87 to leg openings (81). The outer cover 20 is resiliently stretchable and air permeable. The full-length fasteners 70, 72, 74, 76 are fixed position fasteners.

Form-fitting self-adjusting disposable garment with fixed full-length

An anatomically form-fitting, self-adjusting disposable diaper with a stretchable outer cover (20), an absorbent structure (22) and fixed position fasteners (70) (72) (74) (76) attached to the outer cover (20).

Form-fitting self-adjusting disposable garment with fixed position

An anatomically form-fitting, self-adjusting disposable diaper with a stretchable outer cover (20), an absorbent structure (22) and fixed position fasteners (70) (72) (74) (76), elastic 60 in the front waist and/or elastic (58) in the back waist and/or leg elastics (62) in the crotch section wherein the respective ends of the elastics are anchored by the fixed position fasteners (70) (72) (74) (76).

Form-fitting self-adjusting disposable garment with anchored waist and

In disposable diapers which are equipped with tape closure means and have an impermeable thin film backing, the improvement in which selected areas of the thin film, which areas serve as tape securement zones when the diapers are in use, have uniformly adhered to that side of the film facing the diaper interior a layer of hot melt adhesive to provide a composite structure in the selected areas having a high resistance to tearing when tensile loads are applied. The hot melt adhesive layer has a lower modulus of elasticity than the film and is applied in heat-softened condition to obtain strong, uniform adherence to the film. In a method for applying the adhesive layer, a wide band of adhesive of predetermined thickness is extruded in heat-softened condition into direct contact with selected areas of a moving web of the film. The adhesive is one which has a Ring & Ball softening point lower than the heat distortion temperature of the film and during application will not thermally degrade or distort the film.

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Neenah, WI, United States of America

John C Wilson