Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kimberly-clark Corporation

John Edward Kerins

William S Pomplun

Yihua Chang

Yung Hsiang Huang

Garry Roland Woltman

Pavneet Singh Mumick

Sara Jane Wille Stabelfeldt

Catherine Marguerite Hancock-Cooke

Christopher Martin Pieper

Deanna R Kathumbi-Jackson

Frank Steven Glaug

David Martin Jackson

Ann Louise McCormack

Fu-Jya Daniel Tsai

Paul Joseph Datta

Susan Marie Weyenberg

Charles Wilson Colman

Earle Harry Sherrod

Stephen Michael Campbell

Brendon Frank Ribble

Vickie Marie Thomack

Mary Jo Meyer

Brian K Nortman

Sarah Lee Christoffel

Jennifer Cappel Larson

Michael Joseph Nelson

Marci Elizabeth Sojka

Mark George Everson

Richard L Shick

Timothy J Probst

Jason K Wehner

Nathan Allen Genke

Robert Clarke Hochholzer

Joseph Robert Riegert

Jan E Carr

Emil Stavinoha, Sr

An absorbent article, such as a disposable diaper, includes a chassis having a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region extending between the front and back waist regions. An outer cover member and a bodyside liner extend longitudinally between the front and back waist regions. An absorbent body structure is sandwiched between the outer cover member and the bodyside liner. A waistband portion includes at least one elastomeric portion. The waistband portion has a relaxed circumference wherein between about 45% to about 70% of the circumference is defined by the elastomeric portion. The waistband portion has an extended circumference for a target wearer wherein, at the extended circumference, the elastomeric portion is extended between about 10% to about 40% of its relaxed circumferential length.

Absorbent article with an elastic waistband having a preferred ratio of elastic to non-elastic materials

The present invention is directed to a personal cleansing product which can be sized as a single use personal cleansing product. The cleansing product is an extruded foam product which can disintegrate upon contact with water when used in the standard fashion to wash. As the foam disintegrates, the cleansing agent held in the foam matrix is released. The disintegration of the product can take place slowly, over a period of time such that when an individually sized cleanser is used to scrub until it completely disintegrates, scrubbing duration is long enough to ensure desired levels of cleanliness have been attained. Alternatively, the product can disintegrate immediately, and release all of the soap at essentially one time. The product is an extruded foam expanded from a mixture of a natural starch, a nucleating agent, a water soluble disintegrant, a blowing agent, a water soluble polymer, and a soap base. Optionally, the foam can include a destructured starch, natural, dyes, fragrances, and the like to obtain specific product characteristics.

Extruded cleansing product

A method of evaluating a product for use on a body used to develop a preferred product configuration using a computer-based virtual product development and testing system. A virtual wearer sub-model is created of the body and a virtual product sub-model is created of a product for use on the body. An environment sub-model is generated so that environmental factors affecting the product or the body are also used in designing or evaluating the product. Instructions defining how the wearer sub-model, the product sub-model and the environment sub-model interact are introduced in an interaction model. The sub-models and the interaction defined by the interaction model are then combined to create a virtual use model simulating the use of the virtual product sub-model by the virtual wearer sub-model. The use model determines the forces, deformations and stresses caused by movement and interaction between the virtual wearer sub-model and the virtual product sub-model using numerical method analysis. The results of the use model are analyzed to evaluate the performance of product features embodied in the virtual product sub-model such as when positioned on a virtual wearer and exposed to typical movements or forces. The analysis evaluates the performance of at least one product feature of the product and/or wearer body.

Method of evaluating the performance of a product using a virtual environment

A method of designing a product for use on a body used to develop a preferred product configuration using a computer-based virtual product development and testing system. A virtual wearer sub-model is created of the body and a virtual product sub-model is created of a product for use on the body. An environment sub-model is generated so that environmental factors affecting the product or the body are also used in designing or evaluating the product. Instructions defining how the wearer sub-model, the product sub-model and the environment sub-model interact are introduced in an interaction model. The sub-models and the interaction defined by the interaction model are then combined to create a virtual use model simulating the use of the virtual product sub-model by the virtual wearer sub-model. The use model determines the forces, deformations and stresses caused by movement and interaction between the virtual wearer sub-model and the virtual product sub-model using numerical method analysis. The results of the use model are analyzed to evaluate the performance of product features embodied in the virtual product sub-model such as when positioned on a virtual wearer and exposed to typical movements or forces. The analysis evaluates the performance of at least one product feature of the product and/or wearer body. The product sub-model is then modified in response to the determined performance of the product feature and the steps of interacting the models and combining the models are reperformed in the use model to design the product.

Method of designing a product worn on a body in a virtual environment

The disclosure describes a commode liner made from a first and a second opposing member defining a top with an opening, a bottom, and a pair of opposing sides. The pair of opposing sides includes a separation distance D, which varies from the top to the bottom, and the distance D is larger at the top than at the bottom. The opposing members can be formed from a latently dispersible barrier composite material including an exposed low strength barrier component, an internal water sensitive layer, and a water permeable, inextensible, water dispersible support layer. When exposed to aqueous conditions on the barrier side, the composite prevents it from passing through to the other layers. When exposed to aqueous conditions on the opposite side, the commode liner readily disperses and may be disposed of by flushing in a toilet, for example. Examples of barrier layers include polylactic acid. Examples of water sensitive layers include polyvinyl alcohol. Examples of support layers include low stretch grades of toilet tissue.

Flushable commode liner

The present invention is directed to a novel process of making water-sensitive products. In addition, the present invention is directed to water-sensitive products, which maintain their integrity and strength when in use, but dissolve or disperse when place in contact with water, such as in a conventional toilet. Moreover, the present invention is directed to water-dispersible products, including flushable products such as release liners, product packaging, etc., which contain a water-sensitive film strategically coated with a discontinuous hydrophobic material to provide water protection to the film.

Screen printed coating on water-sensitive film for water protection

An absorbent swimwear garment having a fluid draining mechanism included in the layers of the garment. The swimwear garment includes a body side liner, an outer cover, and an absorbent assembly between the body side liner and the outer cover. Between the absorbent assembly and the outer cover is a layer of water-dispersible material, such as a film or a nonwoven web, coated on a surface facing the absorbent assembly with a barrier coating. During initial product use, the absorbent swimwear garment is able to contain urine and bowel movements, similar to ordinary diapers and training pants. When the swimwear garment is submersed in swim water, such as pool or lake water, the water-dispersible material becomes soluble and allows swim water, but not bowel movements, to drain out through the outer cover of the garment.

Swimwear with fluid draining mechanism

The present invention is directed to a flushable release liner/wiper combination. The flushable release liner/wiper combination is formed by applying a release coating onto a first surface of a water-sensitive film and an absorbent fibrous material onto an opposite surface of the water-sensitive film. The flushable release liner/wiper combination maintains its integrity and strength when in use, but loses its integrity and strength when placed in contact with water. The flushable release liner/wiper combination quickly breaks up and disperses in a flushing toilet or sink due to the force of the flowing water on the liner/wiper combination. Moreover, the present invention is directed to methods of making the flushable release liner/wiper combination and water-dispersible products, including flushable products, which contain the flushable release liner/wiper combination.

Flushable release film with combination wiper

The present invention provides a composition comprising a low-molecular weight, amorphous polyalphaolefin layer and a water-sensitive substrate layer. Preferably, the polyalphaolefin comprises either a propylene-ethylene copolymer or an ethylene-butene copolymer. Polyalphaolefin coated water-dispersible films of the present invention may be advantageously employed in the preparation of a wide variety of products designed to be contacted with aqueous fluids. Although the coated water-dispersible film of the present invention is particularly suited for personal care products, the coated water-dispersible film of the present invention may be advantageously employed in the preparation of a wide variety of consumer products other than personal care products. When the entire product is disposed of in water, the water-sensitive layer is wetted and weakens. Since the polyalphaolefin layer is already mechanically weak, hydraulic force from a toilet flow causes the composition to disperse into pieces small enough to flow through the toilet and beyond without clogging the water system.

Method of making a flushable film having barrier properties

The present invention provides a composition comprising an ion-trigger polymer coating joined to a water-sensitive substrate. When the composition is employed as a diaper outercover or a pantiliner baffle, for example, the ion-trigger coating is oriented toward the body and is exposed to bodily fluids. The coating inhibits the transport of the fluids to the inner, body-side water-sensitive substrate, maintaining the structural integrity of the composition. When the entire article is disposed of in a large volume of water, such as in the hydraulic flow of a toilet, both the water-sensitive substrate layer and the ion-trigger polymer coating layer mechanically weaken and break apart into small pieces.

Compositions of ion-trigger polymer coatings on water-sensitive polymer films

Disclosed herein is a water dispersible pantiliner which has a triggerably dispersible body side facing liner, a garment side facing baffle, and, optionally, a triggerably dispersible absorbent core disposed between the liner and baffle. The garment baffle may be biodegradable. In one embodiment, the invention has a peel strip overlaying a garment attachment adhesive layer which adhesively attaches the peel strip to the clothing of a wearer on one side and to one side of a baffle on the other. The baffle is in turn attached on a second side to a body facing side with a construction adhesive. The body facing side may be made from multiple layers such as a body side liner and absorbent layer.

Water dispersible pantiliner

The present invention is directed to a flushable water-sensitive film, which maintains its integrity and strength when in use, but disperses when place in contact with water, such as in a conventional sink or toilet. Moreover, the present invention is directed to a flushable release liner, which performs like conventional release papers, but adds the convenience of disposal by flushing in a sink or toilet. The present invention is also directed to products, which contain a flushable water-sensitive film or release liner.

Flushable release liners and methods of making the same

The present invention is directed to a flushable release liner. The flushable release liner is formed by applying a release coating onto at least one surface of a water-sensitive film. The flushable release liner maintains its integrity and strength when in use, but disperses when placed in contact with water, such as in a conventional sink or toilet. Moreover, the present invention is directed to water-dispersible products, including flushable products, which contain the flushable release liner.

Flushable release liner comprising a release coating on a water-sensitive film

The present invention is directed to a flushable double-sided release liner. The flushable double-sided release liner is formed by applying a release coating onto both surfaces of a water-sensitive film. The flushable double-sided release liner maintains its integrity and strength when in use, but disperses when placed in contact with water, such as in a conventional sink or toilet. Moreover, the present invention is directed to water-dispersible products, including flushable products, which contain the flushable double-sided release liners.

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Neenah, WI, United States of America

John Edward Kerins