The Procter Gamble Company

The Proctor 'gamble Company

Kimberly A Dreier

Donald Carroll Roe

Dean Jeffrey Daniels

Edward Paul Carlin

Carolyn Mae Jasper

Sheila S Rodriguez

David J Goulait

Miguel Alvaro Robles

Carl Louis Bergman

Constance Lee Fisher

David Joseph Kenneth Goulait

Mark James Kline

Brandon Ellis Wise

Thomas Allen Desmarais

Margaret Henderson Hasse

Sandra H Clear

Gary Dean Lavon

John Carroll Molander

Tracey Elaine Beckman

Frank Heinrich Bakes

Michael T Huber

Randy Levy Bernard

M Elaine Freeland

Sheila S Rodriquez

Constance Lee Dakin

Disclosed is a nonwoven web comprising a plurality of first regions and a plurality of second regions comprised of the same material and being visually distinct from each other, wherein the first regions will exhibit resistive forces in response to an applied elongation along at least one axis before a substantial portion of the second regions develop significant resistive forces to the applied elongation.

Structural elastic-like nonwoven web

Absorbent article with multiple zone structural elastic-like film web extensible waist feature

An absorbent article having a void space for receiving bodily exudates comprises a spacer including an opening in communication with the void space and a body for maintaining at least a portion of the void space. The spacer includes an alignment guide which aids in keeping the spacer opening in a desired configuration for receiving and containing bodily exudates.

Wearable article having a spacer maintaining a void space

A disposable garment having a consumer-activated component that is expandable to improve the fit and function of the garment. The expandable component includes a compressed, resilient, expansible member disposed within a sealed, air-impermeable envelope. The expandable component can be activated so that the component expands in a direction toward the body of the wearer of the garment by the application of a tensile force on the garment to expose an opening in the envelope, to thereby admit air into the envelope and allow the compressed expansible element to expand to its substantially uncompressed condition. When expanded, the expansible element can define a collection chamber for waste matter, or it can provide closer contact between the garment and the body of the wearer at predetermined areas to improve the fit of the garment to the body of the wearer, or it can provide closer contact between the garment and the body of the wearer to position an absorptive member adjacent a body opening to improve the absorption by the absorptive member of waste bodily fluids. The garment can thus be a disposable diaper, a sanitary napkin, or the like.

Disposable garment having an expandable component

Absorbent articles such as disposable diapers, incontinent briefs, diaper holders, training pants, feminine hygiene garments and the like, that have a unique waist feature that improves the dynamic fit as well as the containment characteristics of the absorbent article. Such absorbent articles comprise a chassis assembly preferably comprising a liquid pervious topsheet, a liquid impervious backsheet, and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet and the backsheet; an extensible back waist feature; and a closure system for maintaining the absorbent article on the wearer. The extensible back waist feature provides an extensible feature that provides a more comfortable and contouring fit by initially conformably fitting the diaper to the wearer and by sustaining this fit. The extensible back waist feature has a hip panel, a central waistband panel, and a pair of side panels. The force/extension characteristics of each panel is designed to provide such improved fit and containment. While each panel of the extensible waist feature may be constructed from a number of extensible materials, the panels preferably comprise a structural elastic-like film web. The structural elastic-like film (SELF) web exhibits an elastic-like behavior in the direction of elongation without the use of added elastic materials. The configuration of the SELF web in each panel has specific characteristics to provide the desired force/extension characteristics of each panel.

A disposable garment, such as a diaper, having a liner, an absorbent core and a liquid impervious bottom sheet. Coextensive openings are formed in the liner, bottom sheet and core, and a transparent layer of material overlays the openings to form a window through the openings into the diaper. An opaque, pliable cover is preferably attached to an exterior surface of the bottom sheet so as to overlie the transparent window. The cover includes a layer of adhesive material to enable the cover to be releasably affixed to the window. The cover preferably further includes a tab, the tab and adhesive cooperating to enable the cover to be selectively pulled back to allow for viewing through the transparent layer into the diaper, and then replaced over the opening to conceal the contents of the diaper.

Disposable garment with inspection porthole

Absorbent articles such as disposable diapers, incontinent briefs, diaper holders, training pants, feminine hygiene garments, and the like, having extensible side panel features that improve the dynamic fit of the diaper around the legs and waist of the wearer. Such absorbent articles include a containment assembly including a liquid pervious topsheet; a liquid impervious backsheet; an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet; and extensible side panels, each including a waist panel and a thigh panel disposed along each longitudinal edge of the containment assembly in the first waist region. The waist panel and the thigh panel are operatively associated so that the waist panel has a primary direction of extensibility in one direction and the thigh panel has a primary direction of extensibility in a different direction. This forms a multi-directional extensible side panel wherein the waist panel provides tension around the wearer's waist to maintain fit about the waist and to hold the diaper on the wearer, and the thigh panel expands and contracts to maintain a dynamic fit around the leg of the wearer. Thus, the waist and thigh panels reduce the negative effects of the dynamic forces on the absorbent article, such as sagging and gapping that can cause leakage, while increasing freedom of motion and wearer comfort.

Absorbent article with multi-directional extensible side panels

Absorbent articles such as disposable training pants, pull-up diapers, incontinence briefs, diaper holders, feminine hygiene garments, and the like, having extensible side panel features that improve the dynamic fit of the diaper around the legs and waist of the wearer. Such absorbent articles include a containment assembly including a liquid pervious topsheet; a liquid impervious backsheet; an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet; and extensible side panels, each including a waist panel and a thigh panel disposed along each longitudinal edge of the containment assembly in the first waist region. The waist panel and the thigh panel are operatively associated so that the waist panel has a primary direction of extensibility in one direction and the thigh panel has a primary direction of extensibility in a different direction. This forms a multi-directional extensible side panel wherein the waist panel provides tension around the wearer's waist to maintain fit about the waist and to hold the diaper on the wearer, and the thigh panel expands and contracts to maintain a dynamic fit around the leg of the wearer. Thus, the waist and thigh panels reduce the negative effects of the dynamic forces on the absorbent article, such as sagging and gapping that can cause leakage, while increasing freedom of motion and wearer comfort.

Disposable absorbent article with extensible side panels

A disposable absorbent article including a chassis having a body facing surface and a garment facing surface. The disposable absorbent article also includes a fold down waist feature disposed in the rear waist region which extends longitudinally outwardly from the rear waist edge of the core and includes at least one ear flap extending laterally outwardly from one of the longitudinal edges of the core. A fastening system for joining a portion of the front waist region and a portion of the rear waist region is provided. The fastening system preferably includes a first fastening element disposed on the inner surface of the side panel, a second fastening element disposed on the outer surface of the side panel and a third fastening element disposed on the garment facing surface of the chassis in the front waist region. Both the first fastening element and the second fastening element are separately engageable with the third fastening element such that the absorbent article may be fitted to a wearer in a first configuration wherein the first fastening element is engaged with the third fastening element and a second configuration wherein at least a portion of the waist feature is folded longitudinally inwardly.

Absorbent article with adjustable waist feature

Absorbent article with multiple zone structural elastic-like film web

The present invention provides a disposable absorbent article including a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core having a pair of opposed longitudinal edges. The absorbent article includes a leg cuff extending at least laterally outwardly from each opposed longitudinal edge. Each leg cuff has a proximal edge, a distal edge and an elasticized region disposed between the proximal edge and the distal edge. The elasticized region has an inner edge, an outer edge and a width. The proximal edge of each leg cuff extends generally longitudinally along and adjacent to at least a portion of one of the opposed longitudinal edges and the distal edge of each of said leg cuffs is disposed laterally outwardly from the proximal edge. Each leg cuff includes an inner bond disposed adjacent at least a portion of the proximal edge of each leg cuff. An outer bond is spaced laterally outwardly from the inner bond, the spacing between the inner bond and said outer bond defining a leg cuff base width. Each leg cuff also includes an inner wall that extends upwardly and laterally outwardly from the inner bond to the inner edge of the elasticized region having a first height, and an outer wall that extends upwardly and laterally inwardly from the outer bond to the outer edge of the elasticized region having a second height. An elastic element is disposed in the elasticized region of each leg cuff and is provided generally parallel to the wearer's skin.

Diaper having an improved leg cuff

Disposable absorbent article flap

A disposable absorbent article such as a diaper. The diaper has a topsheet, backsheet, and an intermediate core. Affixed to the outwardly oriented surface of the topsheet is an expulsive spacer. The spacer receives and collects fecal material from the wearer. The spacer may be removable from the diaper, or may be articulable relative to the diaper. By expelling the spacer from the diaper, fecal material can be easily flushed into the toilet, rather than discarded into a waste receptacle where it presents a sanitation hazard.

Diaper having expulsive spacer

Absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers, having two waist regions and a crotch region are provided. The absorbent articles comprise a liquid pervious topsheet, a liquid impervious backsheet, an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, and a pair of longitudinally extending barrier cuffs. The barrier cuffs are formed from a lateral extension of the topsheet and the backsheet in at least the crotch region of the absorbent article using material that is normally discarded when the crotch area is formed. A cuff area is defined by pairs of laterally opposed cuts in the lateral extension of the topsheet and the backsheet. The cuff area is then folded and joined to the topsheet or other underlying structure to form the barrier cuff and an optional gasketing cuff.

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Kimberly A Dreier