Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kimberly-clark Wordwide, Inc.

Joseph John Sina

Marcille Faye Ruman

Kathleen Irene Bennett

Joseph Daniel Coenen

Thomas Harold Roessler

Michael Barth Venturino

Adam Schoultz

Lori Roocks

Gerald Keith Sosalla

Daniel Marvin Nussbaum

Brandon B Kussow

Charles Robert Sample

Kathy Irene Bennett

Michael Donald Sperl

Kyle Mark Barriger

James R Niedt

Andrew Edward Neubauer

Rodney Lee Miller, Jr

Steven Todd Moore

Daniel J Grassl

Aster Ellen Kammrath

Caleb E Ihrig

David B Walbrun

Walter Hagy

Frédérique Vignali

Adam Nicholas Schoultz

Brandon Benjamin Kussow

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

A method for manufacturing absorbent articles comprises delivering a continuous web assembly including a backsheet material, a liquid permeable bodyside liner material, and an absorbent structure interposed between the backsheet material and the bodyside liner material, the web assembly having a body-facing side and a garment-facing side; attaching a discrete segment of first waist elastic material to the body-facing side of the web assembly; attaching a discrete segment of second waist elastic material to the garment-facing side of the web assembly such that the web assembly is interposed between the discrete segments of first and second waist elastic materials; and cutting the web assembly to form a plurality of absorbent articles.

Method of manufacturing an absorbent article having fully encircling bodyside and garment-side waistband

Pulpless absorbent cores and methods of manufacture are disclosed. A method of forming a pulpless absorbent core may comprise moving a foraminous forming surface having un-masked portions and masked portions in a machine direction, the un-masked portions defining an absorbent core region. The method may further comprise depositing particulate material at a velocity of less than 1200 meters per minute in the absorbent core region while applying a vacuum. The absorbent core region may comprise: a front core region spanning a first half of the absorbent core region and a rear core region spanning a second half, wherein the front core region trails the rear core region in the machine direction, and the masked portions of the foraminous forming surface block airflow through the forming surface to cause greater than 60% of the particulate material deposited in the absorbent core region to locate in the front core region.

Absorbent cores and methods for forming absorbent cores

Pulpless absorbent cores and methods of manufacture are disclosed. A first exemplary absorbent core may comprise a carrier sheet having a first edge region, a central region, and a second edge region and particulate material disposed on the carrier sheet through the first edge region, the central region, and the second edge region. The absorbent core may additionally have an absorbent core width and the central region may have a central region width, and the central width may comprise between 33% and 75% of the absorbent core width. Further, the central region may comprise an average basis weight of particulate material that is at least 110% of an average basis weight of particulate material within at least one of the left edge region and the right edge region.

An absorbent article includes a chassis and an absorbent assembly. The absorbent assembly is formed separately from the chassis, and attached to the chassis by an attachment area. The attachment area includes a front attachment zone, a rear attachment zone, and a central attachment zone extending between the front and rear attachment zones. The front and rear attachment zones have a first width and a second width, respectively, and the central attachment zone has a third width less than the first and second widths.

Absorbent article having a zoned attachment area for securing an absorbent assembly to a chassis

A bonding and slitting device is adapted to form fin seams in absorbent articles having a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region extending between the front waist region and the back waist region. The device includes a first bonding member and a second bonding member having a contact element configured to cooperate with the first bonding member to bond the front region of the chassis to the back region to define the fin seams. A slitter is configured to simultaneously act on material outboard of the bonds from both the front and back regions of the chassis.

Bonding and slitting device

Apparatus for shaping a segment of material includes a forming member having a curved sidewall shaped complementary to a desired shape of the segment of material, and a conforming member having an applicator side and an engagement side disposed for engagement with the curved sidewall of the forming member. The conforming member includes a plurality of attachment regions disposed on the applicator side. Each attachment region is adapted to hold the segment of material on the conforming member. Engagement of the conforming member with the forming member causes the attachment regions to move from a first shape profile to a second shape profile, the second shape profile being the desired shape of the segment of material.

Apparatus for and method of shaping and applying a segment to a moving web

An absorbent assembly includes a liquid permeable bodyside liner, a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent structure disposed between the liner and the backsheet. A pair of laterally opposed containment flaps is integrally formed from the bodyside liner.

Absorbent article having an absorbent assembly with integral containment flaps

A method for manufacturing absorbent articles includes folding each of the absorbent articles about a fold line generally bisecting the article such that front and back waist regions of the articles are positioned in facing relationship, and simultaneously bonding and one of trimming and weakening the front and back waist regions adjacent each opposing side edge of the article to form a pair of fin seams. A bonding and slitting device adapted to form fin seams in absorbent articles includes a first bonding member; and a second bonding member having a contact element configured to cooperate with the first bonding member to bond a front region of the article to the back region to define the fin seams, and a slitter configured to simultaneously act on material outboard of the bonds from both the front and back regions of the article.

Method of manufacturing an absorbent article having a fin seam

A vacuum roll includes an inner rotor, an intermediate stator, and an outer shell roll. The inner rotor has open and closed portions and is adapted to rotate within the intermediate stator which is rotationally fixed and also has open and closed portions. The outer shell roll has open and closed portions and is adapted to move around the intermediate stator. Together the inner rotor and the intermediate stator define an internal rotary valve interface adapted to control fluid communication between the interior chamber and the outer shell.

Growing community of inventors

Appleton, WI, United States of America

Joseph John Sina