Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kimberly-clark Corporation

John Carl Faison

Lawrence Howell Sawyer

Mary Lou McDaniel

Kenneth Yin Wang

Christopher Cosgrove Creagan

Mark L Kaspar

Mary C Wanek

Andrew Edward Diamond

Louise C Coe

David K Osteen

Laura Jane Anderson

An absorbent article is disclosed which exhibits improved fluid management. The article includes an absorbent having first and second oppositely aligned surfaces and a longitudinally extending central axis. A bicomponent cover is positioned over the first surface of the absorbent and includes a first and a second material. The first material has openings formed therein and is aligned along the longitudinally extending central axis of the absorbent. The second material is nonapertured and is secured to, or positioned adjacent to, the outer periphery of the first material. The first and second materials cooperate to enclose the absorbent. Positioned between the first material and the first surface of the absorbent is a separation means. The separation means directs fluid from the body downward, in the z direction, away from the bicomponent cover, and outward in the x and y directions to provide a more efficient use of the absorbent material. The absorbent article further contains a liquid-impermeable baffle which is positioned adjacent to the second surface of the absorbent.

Absorbent article exhibiting improved fluid management

Melt-spun filaments having a highly crimped configuration which is imparted by differential cooling, nonwoven webs of the crimped melt-spun filaments, and a process of forming a nonwoven web of the crimped filaments are disclosed. The filaments are formed from a random copolymer of propylene and ethylene or an alpha-olefin co-monomer having at least 4 carbon atoms which provides an enhanced response to filament crimping by differential cooling. The random copolymer may contain from about 0.5 to about 10 percent, by weight, of ethylene or an alpha-olefin co-monomer having at least 4 carbon atoms; and from about 99.5 to about 90 percent, by weight, propylene. The alpha-olefin co-monomer having at least 4 carbon atoms may be 1-butene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, 1-hexene, or 1-octene. When differentially cooled and collected into a nonwoven web, the crimped filaments provide a nonwoven web having a combination of softness, low density, high bulk and porosity which are associated with desirable fluid transfer characteristics.

Crimped melt-spun copolymer filaments

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Cumming, GA, United States of America

John Carl Faison