Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Lori Sue Schutkoske

Paul Theodore Van Gompel

Suzanne Marie Schmoker

Cindy Lou Price

Sarah Jane Marie Freiburger

Paul Theodore VanGompel

Mary Anne Bruemmer-Prestley

Paul William Christoffel

Julie Terese Brocker

Donald Joseph Sanders

Harold Norbert Heller

Betsy Carolyn Westlake

Jerome Steven Veith

Jesse Paul Sorenson

Thomas Patrick Jorgenson

Jesse P Sorenson

Apparatus and methods for manufacturing personal care absorbent articles. Such personal care absorbent article includes a fastening area in the front portion for receiving fastener material thereon. First and second fault lines are formed on opposing sides of the fastening area leaving uncut web portions at the fault lines during selected manufacturing operations, thus to support machine direction stresses on the front portion web, and subsequently trimming away such uncut web portions of the fault lines. Fastener material is applied over the first and second fault lines, thus bridging the fault lines. The fastener material is releasably secured to the fastening area, non-releasably secured to the front portion outwardly of the respective fault lines, and unsecured to the front portion between the fastening area and the fault lines thus to support a re-fastening feature of such personal care absorbent articles.

Method of assembling personal care absorbent article

Apparatus and methods for manufacturing personal care absorbent articles. Such personal care absorbent article includes a fastening area in the front portion for receiving fastener material thereon. First and second fault lines are formed on opposing sides of the fastening area leaving uncut web portions at the fault lines during selected manufacturing operations, thus to support machine direction stresses on the front portion web, and subsequently trimming away such uncut web portions of the fault lines. Fastener material is applied over the first and second fault lines, thus bridging the fault lines. The fastener material is releasable secured to the fastening area, non-releasable secured to the front portion outwardly of the respective fault lines, and unsecured to the front portion between the fastening area and the fault lines thus to support a re-fastening feature of such personal care absorbent articles.

A refastenable absorbent garment comprises a body panel comprising a non-woven material, and preferably a non-woven spunbond material having a pattern of discrete bonded areas. The body panel has a non-elasticized area. A hook-type fastener member comprises a high-density array of hooks with a hook density of at least about 60 hooks per square centimeter. At least a portion of the array of hooks is engaged with the non-woven material at the non-elasticized area of the body panel. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, between about 5% and 25% of the non-woven spunbond material comprises the bonded area. In another preferred embodiment, the non-woven spunbond material has a basis weight of between about 0.3 osy and about 2.0 osy. A method for making the absorbent garment, and for securing the absorbent garment to a user, also are provided.

Refastenable absorbent garment

A refastenable absorbent garment comprises a front body panel comprising a pair of side portions defining opposite side edges and a landing portion extending between said side portions, wherein the landing portion and each of the side portions are separated by a line of weakness. A rear body panel comprises opposite side edges that are joined to the opposite side edges of the front body panel to form a side seam. A hook-type fastener member comprises a carrier member secured to the side portions of the front body panel in front of the side seam and a plurality of hooks extending from the carrier member, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of hooks are engaged with the landing portion. A method for making the absorbent garment, and for securing the absorbent garment to a user, also are provided. In another aspect, an absorbent garment comprises a body panel having a length and a fastening member comprising at least two engagement portions releasably engaging the body panel. Each of the engagement portions having an engagement length, wherein the sum of the engagement lengths is at least about 20% of the body panel length. In one preferred embodiment, the fastening member comprises a carrier member having a length, which is preferably at least about 50% of the length of a seam between a front and rear body panel, and which is preferably at least about 50% of the length of the rear body panel.

An elongated sanitary napkin has deflectable longitudinal side edges formed by an edge or peripheral seal along the opposite sides of an absorbent. A garment attachment panel is secured to the underside of each side edge. A fixed portion of the panel is bonded flat against the side edge so that a free portion of the panel, extending from the fixed portion, is directed inward and downward. During use, the panels are fastened together beneath an undergarment crotch portion by hook and loop type fastener. Fastener and panels are sized so that when fastened the panels exert a pull on the side edges, controlling their deflection and, for example, preventing them from folding in over the absorbent. The garment attachment panels confine the undergarment crotch portion under the absorbent so that, for example, an elasticized edge of the crotch portion is prevented from pulling up and onto the absorbent.

Sanitary napkin with garment attachment panels

An elongated, curved sanitary napkin having elasticized, raised side edges along the opposite sides of an absorbent. A garment attachment panel is secured to the underside of each side edge. A fixed portion of the garment attachment panel is bonded to each side edge so that a free portion of each of the garment attachment panels, extending from the fixed portion, is directed generally inward and downward. During use, the garment attachment panels are fastened together beneath an undergarment crotch. The fastener and the garment attachment panels are dimensioned so that, when fastened, the garment attachment panels exert a pull on the side edges and control their deflection, thereby preventing them from folding in over the absorbent. The garment attachment panels confine the crotch portion of the undergarment under the absorbent so that the edges of the panty crotch are prevented from pulling up and onto the absorbent.

Curved sanitary napkin with garment attachment panels

An absorbent article is provided having a liquid-permeable cover, a liquid--impermeable baffle and an absorbent with longitudinal side portions positioned intermediate thereof. The cover and/or baffle can extend beyond the longitudinal side portions to form longitudinal side edges of the absorbent article. The absorbent article further includes integral side barriers formed by gathering the longitudinal side edges inward toward the absorbent. In a preferred embodiment, the integral, longitudinal side barriers have a tensioning member for imparting a curved configuration to the absorbent article.

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Butte des Morts, WI, United States of America

Lori Sue Schutkoske