Kimberly-clark Corporation

Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Laurie Couture-Dorschner

Valerie Victoria Finch

Thomas H Gilman

Catherine Marguerite Hancock-Cooke

Sarah Lee Christoffel

Marci Elizabeth Sojka

David R King

Dede A Hirt

Robert Lee Popp

Gregory John Rajala

William S Pomplun

Jack Lee Couillard

David Arthur Kuen

Joseph DiPalma

Brendon Frank Ribble

Tanakon Ungpiyakul

Rebecca Lyn Dilnik

Heather Schenck Mortell

Donald George Fox

Daniel James Heuer

Ann M Nichols

James Frederick Roth

William George Stoeger

Arch D Morgan

Douglas J Marver

Louise C Coe

Timothy Scot Stilp

Christopher Dines Nelsen

Edward Wright Leaphart, Jr

Mary S Semanek

Timothy J Ketenhofen

Thomas Douglas C

Dede Ann Hirt

A pant-like absorbent refastenable garment adapted to easy application and removal has hook and loop fasteners on the front and back side panels and in particular embodiments frangible bonds connecting the front and back side panels. The frangible bonds connecting the front and back side panels can be easily broken by the user prior to use and the hook and loop fasteners can be engaged prior to, or during, donning. The hook and loop fasteners do not need to be prefastened at the time of manufacture.

Absorbent article with fastening system

A nonwoven fabric protective cover article disclosed comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, at least one edge, and at least one weight joined thereto. The nonwoven fabric of the protective cover article is hydrophobic and has a basis weight from between about 0.15 osy to about 8.0 osy, an air permeability from about 60 ft /min/ft to about 110 ft /min/ft , and stain resistance from about 4 to about 5 for blueberry, instant coffee, gravy, and wine.

Protective cover article

A disposable, one-piece swimsuit for girls includes a bodice attached to a chassis. The bodice is designed to provide upper torso coverage while the chassis can include absorbent and containment features. The upper torso coverage contributes to social decency and also protects the wearer's skin against excessive exposure to the sun. The absorbent and containment features can either be integrated within the chassis or can be in the form of a separate, pant-like, absorbent garment covered by the chassis.

Disposable one-piece swimsuit for girls

A method for producing a pant-type garment in which a first substantially rectangular fabric layer is placed on top of a second substantially rectangular fabric layer. The first substantially rectangular fabric layer is joined to the second substantially rectangular fabric layer, forming a multi-layer fabric. A crescent-shaped cutout section is cutout from the opposed multi-layer fabric edges of the multi-layer fabric, forming opposed tabs at each end of the opposed multi-layer fabric having a first tab and a second tab. The multi-layer fabric is cut transversely in half, forming two multi-layer fabric halves. Each of the multi-layer halves is folded longitudinally and the first tab and the second tab on one side of each of the multi-layer fabric halves is joined to the corresponding first tab and second tab on the opposed side of each respective multi-layer fabric half, forming two outside-in pant-like garments.

High speed method for producing pant-like garments

An absorbent article, such as a sanitary napkin, has an absorbent and a substantially non-absorbent resilient layer adjacent to the absorbent. The absorbent is sufficiently stiff to resist twisting of the absorbent article during use. The resilient layer is sufficiently resilient to resist bunching during use. As a result, the absorbent article resists both twisting and bunching. The absorbent article has zones which vary in caliper, stiffness and absorbency. A central absorbent zone is thickest in caliper, more absorbent than the other zones and is stiffer than the other zones. An adjacent zone is less thick in caliper, less absorbent and less stiff. A peripheral zone, located near the outer side edges, is least thick in caliper, least absorbent and least stiff.

Article having a non-absorbent resilient layer

An absorbent article having at least one flap for attachment to the undergarment of a wearer is disclosed. The absorbent article includes biasing means for disposing the flap in an outward direction relative to the undergarment facing side of the absorbent article.

Absorbent article having an oppositely biased attachment flap

An absorbent article is disclosed for absorbing body fluids such as urine, menses, blood, excrement, etc. The absorbent article includes a liquid-permeable cover, a liquid-impermeable baffle and an absorbent positioned therebetween. The absorbent is constructed of first and second members each having a predetermined width, with the width of the first member being equal to or greater than the width of the second member. The second member is positioned below at least a portion of the first member. The second member has a greater wicking capability than said first member and this facilitates movement of body fluid in a horizontal plane throughout the second member. The body fluid present in the second member will then be transferred back into the first member over an area equal to the saturated area of the second member.

Absorbent article

A curved tampon applicator is disclosed having an improved fingergrip for preventing rotation of the applicator during insertion of a catamenial tampon into a woman's vagina. The applicator includes a tubular member having an arcuate shape with a centerline formed on an arc having a predetermined radius of curvature. The tubular member has a stepped outer profile with an enlarged portion designed to house a tampon joined to a smaller fingergrip portion. The tubular member has a forward end through which the tampon is ejected and a rearward end through which a plunger is slidable. The fingergrip portion has a passageway formed therethrough which is sized and configured to receive the plunger and an exterior periphery. Formed on the exterior periphery of the fingergrip portion are first and second pairs of flat surfaces. The first pair of the flat surfaces is aligned parallel to a plane coincident with a radius forming the arcuate centerline of the tubular member and the second pair of flat surfaces is aligned perpendicular to the first pair of flat surfaces. The fingergrip portion also contains a plurality of spaced apart ribs, each of which completely surrounds the exterior periphery. The ribs cooperate with the first and second pairs of flat surfaces to prevent rotation of the curved tampon applicator during insertion of a tampon into a woman's vagina.

Curved tampon applicator having an improved fingergrip

An absorbent article is disclosed which exhibits enhanced wicking capacity. The absorbent article includes a liquid-permeable cover, a liquid-impermeable baffle and an absorbent enclosed therebetween. The absorbent is constructed of first, second and third members. Each member has a wicking capacity for body fluids discharged by a human body. The first member has a high wicking capacity, the second member has a lower wicking capacity than the first member, and the third member has a greater wicking capacity than the second member. The different wicking capacities of the three members promotes a systematic distribution of body fluid away from the body-side cover down into the absorbent article. The second member also has an equal or greater width than either the first or third members so as to provide a visual cue of when the absorbent article is in need of changing. By changing the absorbent article when the second member appears to be soiled, the user can prevent side leakage and soiling of an adjacent undergarment.

Absorbent article having enhanced wicking capacity

The present invention provides an apparatus for examining a moving web composed of an interconnected plurality of articles to determine a location of a selected component thereof. The apparatus includes an indicating mechanism for providing marker data corresponding to the presence of a selected article. A metering mechanism generates gauge data corresponding to selected incremental lengths along the article in the movement direction of the web. A designating mechanism provides reference data corresponding to a selected reference point on the article, and a locating mechanism detects position data corresponding to a position of a selected component of the article. An evaluating mechanism processes the reference data, location data and gauge data to determine a spaced distance between the component and the reference point. A comparator mechanism determines a difference between the spaced distance and a predetermined acceptance spacing range, and a culling mechanism designates selected articles for which the spaced distance is outside of the acceptance spacing range.

Method and apparatus for detecting the placement of components on

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Hortonville, WI, United States of America

Laurie Couture-Dorschner