Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Leon Robert Flesburg

Michael Barth Venturino

David W Heyn

Mark Charles Jacobs

Thomas George Olsen

John Wallace De Vos

Lorry F Sallee

Richard Francis Keller

James George Van Himbergen

Randy Keith Burr

Jennifer Lynn Dopke

Brian Keith Costelic

Ryan Joseph Roth

James Joseph Wiltzius

A method is provided for making absorbent pads that may have a longitudinally asymmetric shape. The pads may be used in various consumer absorbent articles. The method includes delivering a supply of an absorbent web material in a machine-direction and cutting the absorbent web material in a cross-direction to form a repeating nested pattern of generally identically shaped and oppositely oriented absorbent pads, the pads being disposed longitudinally in the cross-direction of the absorbent web. The pads are longitudinally asymmetric and nested such that the crotch portion of one pad is oriented towards the back portions of immediately adjacent pads, and adjacent nested pads share defining cut lines such that there is no wastage of absorbent web material between the nested pads.

Cross-machine-direction nested absorbent pads with minimal waste geometries

A method and apparatus ( ) for making an absorbent article can include a delivering of a first contoured web-strip ( ) from a first production supply ( ) of contoured web-strip material, with the first contoured web-strip ( ) presenting a primary production sequence of side edge contours during its delivery. At least a second contoured web-strip ( ) can be delivered from a second production supply ( ) of the contoured web-strip material, with the second contoured web-strip ( ) also presenting the primary production sequence of side edge contours during its delivery. In a particular aspect, the first and second contoured web-strips ( and ) have been produced from a web ( ) of absorbent material which has been divided to provided at least two web-strips ( ) having a substantially nested configuration. In another aspect, the first web-strip ( ) provides a first orientation which presents a first sequence of side edge contours; and the second web-strip ( ) provides a longitudinally-reversed orientation which presents a different, substantially reversed sequence of side edge contours. In an additional aspect, the web-strips ( ) have been separately stored to provide the first and second production supplies ( ) of contoured web-strip material.

Apparatus and process for converting asymmetrically nested absorbent webs

A method and apparatus for forming an article ( ) includes a moving of a forming surface ( ) through an operative forming chamber ( ) along a forming path length ( ). A first fibrous stratum ( ) of fiber material ( ) can be deposited onto the forming surface ( ), and the first fibrous stratum ( ) can have a first stratum thickness ( ). A first quantity of a first superabsorbent material ( ) can be directed to form a selected combination with the first fibrous material to provide a first superabsorbent-containing stratum. A second fibrous stratum ( ) of fibrous material can be deposited to overlie the first fibrous stratum ( ), and the second fibrous stratum ( ) can have a second stratum thickness ( ). A second superabsorbent material ( ) can be directed to form a selected combination with the second fibrous material to provide a second superabsorbent-containing stratum.

Method for obtaining a dual strata distribution of superabsorbent in a fibrous matrix

A distinctive method and apparatus (20) for forming a composite fibrous web (22) includes a web supply (24, 25), which provides at least two appointed fiber layer sections (26, 28) of desired fiber material. Each of the layer sections (26, 28) has a selected composition. A fiberizer (30) disintegrates each of the fiber layer sections (26, 28) into individual, laterally adjacent fiber streams (32, 33) while substantially maintaining a lateral separation of the fiber streams while the fiber streams (32, 33) are moving through the fiberizer (30). A directing channel (34) delivers the fiber streams (32, 33) from the fiberizer (30) to a forming chamber (40). The forming chamber (40) is configured to substantially maintain the separation of the fiber streams. A foraminous forming surface (48) is disposed within the forming chamber (40), and is configured to receive each of the fiber streams (32, 33) to produce individual, fibrous web sections (76a, 76b) substantially corresponding to the individual fiber streams (32, 33). A transporter (60) removes the fibrous web sections (76a, 76b) from the forming surface (48), and an integrator (62) laterally displaces and superposes one of the fibrous sections (32, 33) onto another of the fibrous web sections to provide the composite fibrous web (22).

Side-by-side absorbent pad forming

Growing community of inventors

Neenah, WI, United States of America

Leon Robert Flesburg