3M Innovative Properties Company

Other

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Sca Hygiene Products Ab

Essity Hygiene and Health Aktiebolag

Lori-Ann S Prioleau

Leigh E Wood

Ronald Wayne Ausen

William J Kopecky

Michelle L Legatt

Justin M Johnson

Donald R Battles

Robert D Lorentz

Steven J Perron

James C Vanous

Brinda B Badri

Jacob D Chatterton

Zhiqun Zhang

Delony L Langer-Anderson

Wei Zhang

Thomas B Galush

Kerstin K Ehlers

Andrew R Fox

Jayant Chakravarty

Badri Veeraraghavan

Janet A Venne

Dennis L Becker

Kent Vartiainen

Neelakandan Chandrasekaran

Charlotte Persson

Thomas R LaLiberte

Peter Kitzer

Timothy V Stagg

Patrik Andersson

George Canty

Britt-Marie Wiezell

Bernard Vincent

Charlotta Hanson

Robert C Etter

Michael J McNamara

Thomas R Laliberte

Peter P Kitzer

Kerstin Ehlers

Michael J Mcnamara

Charlotta Persson

Diaper assemblies, along with related articles and methods, are provided. The diaper assembly includes a diaper comprising an inner surface and a blocking member coupled to a portion of the inner surface. The blocking member has a resilient pad coextends along a portion of the inner surface and further includes an attachment layer bonded to the resilient pad and may be repositionably attached at other locations along the inner surface. Advantageously, the blocking member can provide a releasable and repositionable seal that conveniently enhances the functionality of commercially available diapers.

Diaper accessories and related methods

A multi-component fiber including at least first and second components. In some cases, at least a portion of the first component is opaque and microporous, and the second component is different from the first component. In some cases, at least a portion of the second component can be seen through at least a portion of the first component. A fiber having an opaque, microporous region and a see-through region of lower porosity is also disclosed. Fibrous webs including such fibers are also disclosed. In some cases, the fibrous web has at least one first region where first portions of the multiple fibers are opaque and microporous and at least one second region where second portions of the multiple fibers form a see-through region of lower porosity. Articles and laminates including the fibrous webs are disclosed. Methods of making the fibers, fibrous webs, and articles are also disclosed.

Fibers and articles including them

Polymeric netting comprising polymeric ribbons and polymeric strands, each of the polymeric ribbons and polymeric strands having a length and a width, wherein the length is the longest dimension and the width is the shortest dimension, wherein a plurality of the polymeric strands are bonded together to form a netting layer, wherein adjacent polymeric strands in the netting layer are bonded intermittently at multiple locations along their respective lengths, wherein the netting layer has first and second opposing major surfaces, wherein the polymeric ribbons have a height-to-width aspect ratio of at least 2:1 and a minor surface defined by their width and length, and wherein the minor surface of a plurality of the polymeric ribbons is bonded to the first major surface of the netting layer. Polymeric netting described herein are useful, for example, in an absorbent article.

Polymeric netting with ribbons and strands, and methods of making the same

A polymeric netting includes polymeric strands and first and second polymeric ribbons. The first and second ribbons each independently have a height-to-width aspect ratio of at least three to one and a major surface that is intermittently bonded to a polymeric strand, with first and second edges symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of a center line bisecting the major surface. The netting has first and second opposing major surfaces transverse to the major surfaces of the first and second ribbons. The first major surface of the netting includes the first edges of the first ribbons, and the second major surface includes the second edges of the second ribbons. The first ribbons do not extend to the second major surface, and the second ribbons do not extend to the first major surface. Articles including the netting, an extrusion die, and a method useful for making the netting are also disclosed.

Polymeric netting of strands and first and second ribbons and methods of making the same

A filtration medium including a polymeric netting of polymeric ribbons and polymeric strands. Each of the polymeric ribbons and strands has a length and width, with the length being the longest dimension and the width being the shortest dimension. The polymeric ribbons have a height-to-width aspect ratio of at least three to one or five to one a major surface that is intermittently bonded to a polymeric strand, and a height typically greater than the height of the one polymeric strand. A filter including the filtration medium and a method useful for making the polymeric netting are also disclosed.

Filtration medium including polymeric netting of ribbons and strands

A polymeric netting including polymeric ribbons and polymeric strands. Each of the polymeric ribbons and strands has a length and width, with the length being the longest dimension and the width being the shortest dimension. The polymeric ribbons have a height-to-width aspect ratio of at least five to one, a major surface that is intermittently bonded to only one polymeric strand, and a height greater than the height of the one polymeric strand. An extrusion die and method useful for making the polymeric netting are also disclosed.

Polymeric netting of ribbons and strands and methods of making the same

A wetness sensor includes a substrate that carries a tuned RF circuit. The circuit includes a conductive pattern applied to the substrate, a capacitor, and a jumper all disposed on a same side of the substrate. The conductive pattern includes an inductive coil, and an inner and outer terminus. The jumper electrically couples the inner terminus to the outer terminus. The jumper also includes a frangible link which, when contacted by a target fluid, produces a drastic change in the operation of the RF circuit. The drastic change can be interpreted by a remote reader as a 'wet' condition. Contact of the frangible link by the target fluid may change the impedance or resistance of the RF circuit by at least a factor of 5, 10, 100, or more, and/or may cause the frangible link to disintegrate to produce an open circuit, and/or may substantially render the RF circuit inoperative.

Wetness sensor using RF circuit with frangible link

An absorbent article, the absorbent article being a personal hygiene article, comprising a liquid permeable top sheet, a liquid impermeable back sheet, and an absorbent core enclosed between the top sheet and the back sheet, and a fluid flow control member arranged between the top sheet and the backsheet, said fluid flow control member being of a nonwoven material comprising a three dimensional network of fibres, said fibres having a thickness of 200-700 &#x3bc;m, said nonwoven material having a strain of max 50% at 5 kPa.

Absorbent article having fluid flow control member

A wetness sensor includes a self-supporting substrate and an electrically conductive trace carried by the substrate. The trace is patterned to provide at least a portion of a tuned RF circuit, which may be disposed on only one side of the substrate and characterized by an impedance or resistance. The trace is not self-supporting. The substrate is adapted to dissolve, swell, or otherwise degrade when contacted by a target fluid. Such degradation produces a drastic change in the operation of the RF circuit, which can be interpreted by a remote reader as a 'wet' condition. Contact of the substrate by the target fluid may change the impedance or resistance of the RF circuit by at least a factor of 5, 10, 100, or 1000, and/or may cause the trace to disintegrate so as to provide the RF circuit with an open circuit, and/or may substantially render the RF circuit inoperative.

Wetness sensors

An assembled intermediate is described comprising a fluid transport element proximate an absorbent material is described. The fluid transport element comprises a thermoplastic nonwoven web comprising a plurality of bonded staple fibers having an average diameter of 20 to 500 microns and the web has a thickness of 3 to 20 mm, a density ranging from 0.01 to 0.10 g/cm, and a work of compression no greater than 20 kJ/m. Also described are articles comprising such assembled intermediate.

Assembled intermediate comprising staple fiber nonwoven web and articles

There is provided a hook fastener comprising a base, where at least one surface has a multiplicity of engaging projections, which projections have a top surface and an attached end that are arranged in a region to form one or more shapes. There is also provided a method for forming the above fastener comprising dispersing onto a contact release surface polymer particles in at least one discrete area forming a predetermined shape and forming preform projections. The front surface of the base is fixed to the terminal ends of at least some of the preform projections and then removed from the contact release surface in the form of the predetermined shape. In an alternative method polymer particles are uniformly dispersed onto a contact release surface using electrostatic attraction and selectively transferred to the base in the predetermined shape by masks or selective adhesion or the like.

Methods for making fasteners

Negative-acting flexographic printing plates display enhanced performance when backside irradiated with ionizing radiation instead of longer wavelength ultraviolet radiation. A better defined floor and more readily controlled floor is produced on the final printing plate.

Flexographic printing plate

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Lori-Ann S Prioleau