Kimberly-clark Corporation

Lynn A Johnson

Deborah Lynn Proxmire

Georgia Lynn Zehner

Robert A Stevens

Dan D Endres

Leona G Boland

John C Wilson

An anatomically form-fitting generally self-adjusting disposable absorbent garment and methods of integrating and using the garment. The garment comprises a breathable elastomeric nonwoven fabric outer cover resiliently stretchable in cross-body direction, including a pair of leg openings, front and rear waist sections fastenable with one another defining a waist opening, a crotch section situated between the leg openings and opposing front and rear panels separated by the crotch section. An absorbent insert structure is substantially superposable on the front and rear panels and the crotch section, including a liquid impermeable barrier, a liquid permeable body side liner and an absorbent composite disposed therebetween. The absorbent insert has opposed longitudinal ends which are attached to the outer cover by bonds or snaps at selected waist attachment zones, defining one or more free-span zones of the outer cover underlying the insert and having substantially unrestricted functional stretchability therein. The insert may also be attached along the leg openings.

Disposable absorbent garment having elastic outer cover and integrated

An anatomatically form-fitting, generally self-adjusting disposable absorbent garment comprises a breathable elastomeric nonwoven outer cover wherein an elastic nonwoven web is joined to one or more gatherable nonwoven webs, including leg and waist openings and cooperating full-length fastening closures extending from the waist to each leg opening. The leg elastics extend about the outermost portions of the leg openings and are tensioned adjacent the inner thighs of the wearer. The leg elastics are routed so that they direct tensile stresses away from the leg opening, thereby reducing detrimental stress concentrations associated with the fastening closures.

Routing of leg elastic to reduce stresses in a stretchable outer diaper

An anatomically form-fitting, self-adjusting disposable garment with a stretchable outer cover (20), stretchable at an angle (23) from the cross body direction (25). An absorbent structure (22) is disposed within the outer cover (20) in such a way that the stretchability of the outer cover (20) is uninhibited. Fixed position fasteners (70) (72) (74) (76) are attached to the outer cover (20).

Growing community of inventors

DePere, WI, United States of America

Lynn A Johnson