Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

John Timothy Hahn

Michael Barth Venturino

Daniel Robert Schlinz

Sara Jane Wille Stabelfeldt

Connie May McMorrow

Thomas Harold Roessler

Georgia Lynn Zehner

Eric Donald Johnson

David Fleger Bishop

Shannon Kathleen Melius

Julie Ann Paveletzke

Earl David Brock

Nancy E Dawson

Nicole Jeane Barna

Kusum Gosain

Vipula Jitendra Tailor

Russell Evan Thorson

Paul Joseph Datta

Catherine Marguerite Hancock-Cooke

Daniel Lee Ellingson

Russell Joseph Brumm

Jeffrey Alan DeBroux

Paul Alois Weber

Chantel Spring Buhrow

Gary Alan Krueger

Eric-John Raoul Gilgenbach

Patsy Ann Krautkramer

Raymond Gerard St Louis

Christina Marie Rhein

Sara Stabelfeldt

Chantel Spring Mundschau

Bradley John Berken

An absorbent article includes a front waist region, a rear waist region, and a crotch region, the front waist region having a front fastener and an outermost surface, the absorbent article further including a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis. The absorbent article also includes an absorbent assembly including a bodyside liner, an outer cover, and an absorbent body disposed between the bodyside liner and the outer cover; and a gripper handle disposed in the front waist region and extending from the outermost surface, wherein the outermost surface is one of the outer cover and the front fastener.

Absorbent article with wipe gripper handle

An absorbent article () can include a fastening system including a primary fastening system () and a secondary fastening system (). The primary fastening system () can include at least one primary first fastening component () and at least one primary second fastening component (). The secondary fastening system () can include a first secondary first fastening component () and at least one secondary second fastening component (). The absorbent article () can also include a pocket () disposed in the front waist region () such that at least one primary first fastening component () is configured to engage the pocket () when engaging the at least one primary second fastening component () in the fastened condition of the absorbent article () and the first secondary first fastening component () can engage the at least one secondary second fastening component () in the fastened condition.

Absorbent article with pocket and secondary fastening system

An absorbent article having improved handling of body exudates. The absorbent article can have a pair of leg opening adjustment mechanisms which a user of the absorbent article can independently adjust to provide a desired tension and/or closure of the absorbent article about the legs of the wearer of the absorbent article.

Absorbent article

A method of making disposable absorbent garments includes providing an elastomeric body panel and an absorbent assembly having an absorbent core. The method includes stretching the elastomeric body panel in the transverse direction, attaching side margins of the absorbent assembly to the stretched elastomeric body panel at attachment regions, and relaxing the body panel so as to induce folds in the absorbent assembly. A center region of the absorbent assembly between the attachment regions is minimally attached to the stretched elastomeric body panel to reduce bunching of the absorbent core. A garment made thereby is also disclosed.

Process for making elastomeric absorbent garments to reduce absorbent bunching

A diaper having a front portion with at least one line of weakness adapted to be torn and at least one umbilical cover defined in part by the at least one line of weakness. The at least one umbilical cover is moveable from a starting position to an anchored position upon tearing the at least one line of weakness. The diaper has at least one umbilical cover anchor adapted to maintain the at least one umbilical cover in the anchored position.

Diaper with umbilical feature

A waistband structure for an absorbent article is disclosed. The waistband structure extending across at least one of the front and back waist regions and is composed of a filler material and a waistband material positioned over the filler material. The waistband structure may be bonded to at least one of the front and back waist regions via a bond pattern. The bond pattern may vary position in the longitudinal direction and have at least one peak and one valley across the respective waist region. Typically, a distance between the peak and the valley in the bond pattern is between 5 and 100 mm. The bond pattern results in a z-directional height of the waistband structure varying on the respective waist region.

Absorbent article with cushioned waistband

An absorbent article includes a liquid pervious liner, a liquid impervious back sheet, and an absorbent composite located between the liner and the back sheet. The absorbent composite includes a first sheet, a second sheet, and a unitary absorbent core. The unitary absorbent core has a plurality of holes there through, wherein each hole has an area less than 200 mm. The unitary absorbent core has a uniform density and is positioned between the first sheet and the second sheet. The first sheet is directly joined with the second sheet at a plurality of bond points. The bond points are located within the holes and are substantially devoid of absorbent material.

Stabilized absorbent composite

Absorbent articles with carefully controlled stretch properties are provided. Of particular advantage, the carefully controlled stretch properties can prevent too much tension in the front leg area of the garment. The outer cover is constructed such that the front leg zone has a tension of less than about 1200 grams-force at about 160% to about 175% stretch in the lateral direction, and each of the front waist zone, the front crotch zone, the back crotch zone, the back leg zone, and the back waist zone of the outer cover has a tension of greater than about 1500 grams-force at about 160% to about 175% stretch in the lateral direction. Methods of making such an absorbent article are also provided.

Absorbent garments with improved fit in the front leg area

An absorbent article includes a liquid pervious bodyside liner; a liquid impervious outer cover; and an absorbent core positioned between the bodyside liner and the outer cover. The absorbent article defining a crotch portion connected between a front portion and a back portion; the front portion includes a front waist region, a front waist edge, and a front waist relief area. The front waist relief area is defined in part by a first material cut edge and a second material cut edge wherein the second material cut edge extends beyond the first material cut edge to define a fringe.

Absorbent article with waist relief feature

A method of making an absorbent article with a waist relief area includes providing a web of outer cover material moving in a machine direction; cutting a plurality of first relief holes in the web of outer cover material; at least partially covering the plurality of first relief holes with an overlay material to define a fringe; and cutting the web of outer cover material in a cross-machine direction to define a plurality of discrete absorbent articles wherein each cut extends through each first relief hole. The fringe may be made from the waist elastic material, liner material, fastening material, or facing material. The fringe may also be cut with a plurality of second relief holes having an area smaller than the area of the first relief holes.

Method for making a waist relief feature

A method for forming and stabilizing an absorbent composite web includes conforming a first web onto a forming surface having a plurality of raised nubs having upper surfaces. The first web defines a plurality of bond areas corresponding to those portions of the first web overlying the upper surfaces of the nubs. The method further includes depositing absorbent material onto the first web to form a unitary absorbent core having a plurality of holes therein. The method further includes joining a second web to the first web at the bond areas to form an absorbent composite web. The unitary absorbent core is positioned between the first web and the second web. The first web and the second web are bonded together through the holes in the absorbent core. The method further includes removing the absorbent composite web from the forming surface.

Method for making a stabilized absorbent composite

A method of producing an intermittently elastic web. The method includes providing a first longitudinally extending web having a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge and an intermediate portion located between the first and second lateral edges. The method also includes joining a first elastic element to the intermediate portion in a longitudinally extending wave shape, the wave shape having wave crests and wave troughs.

Method of producing intermittently elastic webs

A method and apparatus for forming an airlaid fibrous web on a moving surface can include a contoured foraminous member (,) having a first side portion (,), a laterally opposed second side portion (,), and a depth contour. A longitudinally extending, first side-masking member (,) can be located superjacent the first side portion (,) of the foraminous member (,), and can have a first inboard side wall surface (,). At least a second, separately provided, longitudinally extending, side-masking member (,) can be located superjacent the second side portion (,) of the foraminous member (,), and can have a second inboard side wall surface (,). Either or both of the first and second side-masking members (,) are at least laterally movable relative to the foraminous member (,). A releasable attachment system (,) can selectively hold at least the first side-masking member (,) at a substantially fixed position relative to the foraminous member (,).

Growing community of inventors

Merrill, WI, United States of America

John Timothy Hahn