3m Innovative Properties Company

Mark A Peltier

Leigh E Wood

Michael R Berrigan

Stephen M Sanocki

William C Unruh

Andreas Urban

Steven J Perron

Todd L Nelson

Neelakandan Chandrasekaran

Thomas P Hanschen

Michael R Gorman

Jayant Chakravarty

Thomas J Gilbert

Kristopher K Biegler

Pieter J Gagnon

Michael W Mills

Neal C Rothwell

Gerald Steven Deeb

Stanley Rendon

Shou-Lu G Wang

Volker Hauschildt

Timothy P Pariseau

Daniel E Johnson

Timothy Diekmann

Peter J Bugeja

Rebecca A Shipman

Ibrahim S Gunes

Peter Kitzer

Ryan M Luepke

William H Sikorski, Jr

Timothy V Stagg

Stuart L Eynon

Vathsala Rajagopal

Kent R Schoenherr

Mary Beth Henke

Bernard G Rolstad

Gerald S Deeb

Jerald W Hall

William H Sikorski

Edwin P Zonneveld

Timothy J Diekmann

The method of making a laminate () includes stretching a thermoplastic layer () so that it plastically deforms, relaxing the plastically deformed thermoplastic layer () to reduce its tensile strain, and subsequently laminating the thermoplastic layer () to a substrate () to make the laminate (). The stretching, relaxing, and laminating are completed in-line. The thermoplastic layer has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, with the first surface of the thermoplastic layer bearing a plurality of male fastening elements. The second surface of the thermoplastic layer () is laminated to the substrate ().

Method of making a laminate with a stretched thermoplastic layer

Absorbent article including a chassis and fastening tab. The fastening tab includes a carrier, a first fastener having first male fastening elements, and a second fastener. The second fastener includes a backing with first and second opposing surfaces, with second male fastening elements on the first surface. A first portion of the second surface of the backing is connected to the carrier, and a second portion of the second surface of the backing is attached to the topsheet side of the chassis. The carrier is attached to the backsheet side of the chassis. Some fastening laminates, before attachment to the article, have the second portion of the second fastener folded over to face the first portion of the second fastener. Other laminates have the second fastener positioned with its first surface toward the carrier and attached to the carrier with a film.

Absorbent article and fastening laminate

The article includes a thermoplastic layer having opposing first and second side edges and a first surface bearing male fastening elements. The thermoplastic layer is plastically deformed and has a retardance profile having an average retardance along a line from the first edge to a location 500 micrometers from the first edge and a distance from the first edge where 75% of the average retardance is observed of at least 10 micrometers. In some cases, a distance between the first and second side edges is up to 50 millimeters. In some cases, the article is a fastening tab. The method includes providing a thermoplastic film having opposing first and second side edges, with a distance between the opposing side edges of up to 50 millimeters, and stretching the thermoplastic film to form the thermoplastic layer, which is plastically deformed. The first surface of the thermoplastic film bears male fastening elements.

Fastening articles and methods of making the same

A method of making a mechanical fastening strip and a reticulated mechanical fastening strip are disclosed. The method includes providing a backing having upstanding posts; providing interrupted slits through the backing, the interrupted slits being interrupted by at least one intact bridging region; spreading the slit backing to provide multiple strands separated from each other between at least some of the bridging regions to provide at least one opening; and fixing the multiple strands of the backing in a spread configuration. The reticulated mechanical fastening strip includes multiple strands of a backing attached to each other at bridging regions in the backing and separated from each other between the bridging regions to provide openings. Upstanding posts on each of the multiple strands have bases attached to the backing, and each of the multiple strands has a width that is greater than that of the bases of its attached upstanding posts.

Method of making a mechanical fastening strip and reticulated mechanical fastening strip therefrom

A method of making a mechanical fastener. The method includes providing a slit web having mechanical fastening elements, applying tension to the slit web in the machine direction, and spreading the slit web in the cross-machine direction by moving the slit web over a crowned surface to provide a spread mechanical fastening web. The slit web includes a plurality of interrupted slits that are interrupted by intact bridging regions of the web. The crowned surface may be an air bearing, or at least a portion of the crowned surface is a low-friction surface, and the crowned surface and the slit web are not moving at the same speed in the same direction. The crowned surface may be provided with at least one ridge.

Method of making a mechanical fastener using a crowned surface

Mechanical fastener

Mechanical closure element

An absorbent article including a chassis and a laminate. The chassis has a topsheet side, a backsheet side, and first and second opposing longitudinal edges extending from a rear waist region to an opposing front waist region. The laminate includes a carrier having a first face and a second face and a fastening patch on a portion of the first face of the carrier. The laminate is wrapped around the first longitudinal edge of the chassis in the rear waist region so that the second face of the carrier contacts the topsheet side and the backsheet side of the chassis. The fastening patch includes fastening elements that are exposed on the topsheet side of the chassis. A method of making the absorbent article is also disclosed.

Absorbent article including laminate and method of making the same

A method of increasing a width of a polymeric netting is disclosed. The method includes providing a polymeric netting having a length in a machine direction and running the polymeric netting in the machine direction onto a stretchable surface. The polymeric netting is in contact with the stretchable surface for a path length in the machine direction, and for at least a portion of the path length, the stretchable surface is stretching in the cross-machine direction. The traction between the polymeric netting and the stretchable surface during the stretching increases the width of at least a portion of the polymeric netting in the cross-machine direction.

Method of separating strands on a stretching surface

A method of making a mechanical fastener. The method includes providing a slit web having mechanical fastening elements, applying tension to the slit web in the machine direction, and spreading the slit web in the cross-machine direction by directing its side edges over two rotating diverging disks to provide a spread mechanical fastening web. The slit web includes a plurality of interrupted slits that are interrupted by intact bridging regions of the web. The two rotating diverging disks are laterally spaced and have a support surface between them that contacts the slit web during the spreading. The spread mechanical fastening web includes multiple strands of the slit web attached to each other at least at some of the intact bridging regions and separated from each other between at least some of the intact bridging regions.

Method of making a mechanical fastener using diverging disks

A method of making extensible web laminates comprising a multilayer film and at least one web layer and the use of such extensible web laminates in personal care articles. The method generally includes activating the multilayer film in a first direction by stretching at least a portion of the multilayer film past the elastic deformation limit of the skin layers and recovering the skin layers with the elastomeric core layer to produce a multilayer film that is elastic in the first direction. The activated multilayer film is subsequently stretched beyond the deformation limit of the skin layers in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. At least one web layer is applied to the multilayer film while in the stretched state. The multilayer film is then recovered to produce an extensible web laminate.

Method of making extensible web laminates

A method of separating strands of a slit web is disclosed. The method includes providing a slit web having a length in a machine direction and running the slit web in the machine direction onto a stretchable surface. The slit web includes multiple strands provided by a plurality of slits extending in a first direction not parallel to a cross-machine direction. The slit web is in contact with the stretchable surface for a path length in the machine direction, and for at least a portion of the path length, the stretchable surface is stretching in the cross-machine direction. The traction between the slit web and the stretchable surface during the stretching at least partially separates at least some of the multiple strands of the slit web in a second direction transverse to the first direction. A method of increasing a width of a polymeric netting is also disclosed.

Frontal patch on a disposable absorbent article

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Forest Lake, MN, United States of America

Mark A Peltier