Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Mark John Beitz

Robert J Makolin

Andrew Thomas Hammond

Sarah A Kleuskens

Stacy Elaine Evenson

Patrick Dean Abney

Raymond Gerard St Louis

Alissa R Bruss

Daniel Hoo

Lorry F Sallee

David Andrae Justmann

Richard Francis Keller

Chris Lee Heikkinen

David James VanEperen

Douglas Paul Rammer

Michael John Faulks

Ann Louise McCormack

Daniel Robert Schlinz

Kuo-Shu Edward Chang

David Louis Zenker

Jayant Chakravarty

Thomas Arthur Bett

William Bela Haffner

Alan Francis Schleinz

Kroy Donald Johnson

Niall Finn

Sandra M Yarbrough

Barbara Ann Gossen

Cynthia Helen Nordness

Andy R Butler

Joy Francine Jordan

Eric Scott Kepner

Steven Scott Friderich

David James Van Eperen

Robert Michael Hill, Jr

Paul Alois Weber

Donald LeRoy Smith

Darin Allen Engelhart

Cynthia Louise Wyngaard

Jeffrey Joseph Samida

Thomas Michael Killian

Kevin Gerald Dolan

Robert Thomas Cimini

Joseph Conrad Burriss

Thomas Tanakon Ungpiyakul

Monica Lynn Bontrager

Roxanne Marie Zuleger

Hong Y Lin

Phil Penaia

Barbara Jean Wink

Danielle Kirby

Amy Q Feng

An absorbent article having improved handling of body exudates. The absorbent article can minimize the amount of body exudates in contact with a wearer's skin and can minimize the incidence of leakage of body exudates from the absorbent article. The benefits of the absorbent article are achieved, in part, by a body facing material having features that help minimize contact of body exudates with the wearer's skin while also being constructed so that the body facing material does not stick to the wearer's skin in use. The body facing material includes a plurality of hollow projections, a plurality of apertures and bonded areas. The bonded areas may be formed with adhesive or by mechanical bonds.

Incorporation of apertured area into an absorbent article

The present invention is directed to a process and apparatus for formation of a fluid-entangled laminate web. The laminate web includes a support layer and a nonwoven projection web having a plurality of projections which are preferably hollow. The laminate web also includes a plurality of apertures interspersed with the projections. As a result of the fluid-entangling process, entangling fluid is directed through the support layer and into the projection web which is situated on a forming surface. The force of the entangling fluid causes the two layers to be joined to one another and the fluid causes a portion of the fibers in the projection web to be forced into openings present in a forming surface thereby forming the hollow projections. The force of the entangling fluid also causes the fibers of the two layers to be moved around protrusions present in the forming surface thereby forming the apertures.

Process for making fluid-entangled laminate webs with hollow projections and apertures

An absorbent article having a liner adapted for contiguous relationship with the wearer's body, an outer cover in generally opposed relationship with the liner, and an absorbent body disposed between the liner and the outer cover. An absorbent structure of the absorbent body has a length, a thickness, a width, a longitudinal axis and a non-uniform lateral compression stiffness across its width. The non-uniform lateral compression stiffness is such that the absorbent structure assumes a pre-determined, or non-random buckled configuration under lateral compression thereof. In one embodiment, the buckled configuration is generally symmetric about a plane normal to the absorbent structure and in which the longitudinal axis of the absorbent structure lies.

Absorbent article with stabilized absorbent structure having non-uniform lateral compression stiffness

A method of accumulating a web includes pivoting subsets of rolls to a generally vertical alignment; moving one set of rolls past the other; passing the web between the sets of rolls; moving one set of rolls past the other to engage the web; pivoting the subsets to a generally horizontal alignment; moving the web alternatively between the subsets; and moving the sets apart to accumulate the web and together to discharge the web. A web accumulator includes at least two sets of rolls. Each set of rolls has subsets of rolls. The subsets have two consecutive staggered rolls. The accumulator has a web path defined by alternating between subsets of the first set and subsets of the second set.

Method and apparatus for accumulating a web

A process for splicing a first portion of absorbent material to a second portion of absorbent material to form a longer, continuous length of absorbent material suitable for uninterrupted sequential infeed to a processing machine. The process includes the steps of placing a trailing end of the first portion adjacent a leading end of the second portion and aligning the ends. A piece of splicing material is attached to the ends. The piece of splicing material has a fluid permeability at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the first portion of absorbent material and at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the second portion of absorbent material.

Process for making a splice for a stabilized absorbent

A personal care absorbent article including spliced absorbent material. The absorbent material has a first portion of absorbent material spliced to a second portion of absorbent material to form a longer, continuous length of absorbent material suitable for uninterrupted sequential infeed to a processing machine. A trailing end of the first portion is adjacent a leading end of the second portion. A piece of splicing material is attached to the ends. The piece of splicing material has a fluid permeability at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the first portion of absorbent material and at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the second portion of absorbent material.

Personal care absorbent article having spliced absorbent material

A process for splicing a first portion of absorbent material to a second portion of absorbent material to form a longer, continuous length of absorbent material suitable for uninterrupted sequential infeed to a processing machine. The process includes the steps of placing a trailing end of the first portion adjacent a leading end of the second portion and aligning the ends. A piece of splicing material is attached to the ends. The piece of splicing material has a fluid permeability at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the first portion of absorbent material and at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the second portion of absorbent material. In other aspects, the disclosure includes a spliced, continuous length of absorbent material, and a personal care absorbent article formed from the spliced absorbent material.

Usable splice for a stabilized absorbent

Pattern embossed low gauge films are disclosed having multiple microporous film layers with distinct coloration, such as a dark colored layer and a light colored layer, wherein the color of the underlying film causes a visible color contrast only at the embossed regions and yet does not discolor the outer most layer. Also disclosed are film laminates and personal care articles incorporating such multilayer films.

Pattern embossed multilayer microporous films

An absorbent article (,) which includes a backsheet layer (,) having a pair of laterally opposed and longitudinally extending side margins (,). Each side margin has an outwardly concave, terminal side edge contour,located at appointed leg opening regions (,) in an intermediate portion (,) of the side margin. Each concave side edge contour (,) has a selected longitudinal extent along a length dimension (,) of the article (,). A liquid permeable topsheet layer (,) is connected in a superposed facing relation to the backsheet layer (,), and an absorbent body (,) is sandwiched between the topsheet layer (,) and the backsheet layer (,). A separately provided gusset-flap composite member (,) is connected to at least one of the backsheet and topsheet layers along each of the leg opening regions (,). The gusset-flap member (,) provides a leg gusset section (,) and a containment flap section (,), and is distinctively configured to provide improved leakage resistance, fit and comfort.

Absorbent article with more conformable elastics

A distinctive method and apparatus for forming an article includes a moving of at least one first strand of material, such as strand (,), along an appointed machine-direction (,). The at least one first strand of material is attached to a base layer of material (,) to provide a substrate composite (,), and a laminate layer (,) can be placed adjacent the at least one first strand of material to provide a laminate composite web (,). In a particular aspect, at least one second strand of material, such as strand (,), can be moved along its appointed machine-direction, and the at least one second strand of material can be attached to the base layer (,). In another aspect, an appointed portion of the base layer (,) can be folded to substantially enclose the at least one second strand (,) with the base layer material. Alternatively or additionally, an appointed portion of the base layer (,) can be folded to substantially enclose the at least one first strand (,) and the laminate layer (,) with the base layer material. In a further aspect, at least one of the strands of material can be divided of into a plurality of strand segments to provide a substantially nongathering section of at least one of the strands.

Process for manufacturing an elastic article

An absorbent article (10) which includes a backsheet layer (30) having a pair of laterally opposed and longitudinally extending side margins (20). Each side margin has an outwardly concave, terminal side edge contour 15 located at appointed leg opening regions (17) in an intermediate portion (16) of the side margin. Each concave side edge contour (15) has a selected longitudinal extent along a length dimension (26) of the article (10). A liquid permeable topsheet layer (28) is connected in a superposed facing relation to the backsheet layer (30), and an absorbent body (32) is sandwiched between the topsheet layer (28) and the backsheet layer (30). A separately provided gusset-flap composite member (19) is connected to at least one of the backsheet and topsheet layers along each of the leg opening regions (17). The gusset-flap member (19) provides a leg gusset section (142) and a containment flap section (144). The gusset-flap member includes a barrier layer (174) having a pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending, barrier layer side edges (140, 141), and has a first major facing surface (148) and a second major facing surface (149). A nonwoven fabric layer (176) is joined in facing relation with the first facing surface (148) of the barrier layer (174). The fabric layer (176) has a leg gusset region (136), an outboard side portion (170), a containment flap region (63), and an inboard side portion (62). The outboard side portion (170) of the gusset-flap fabric layer (176) is arranged to wrap around at least one side edge of the barrier layer (174) and to extend inboard therefrom along the second facing surface (149) of the barrier layer (174). A first arrangement of a first plurality of separate, longitudinally extending elastomeric members (138) are attached and interposed between the barrier layer (174) and the fabric layer (176) within the leg gusset section (142) of the gusset-flap member (19).

Absorbent article with enhanced elastic design for improved aesthetics

Growing community of inventors

Appleton, WI, United States of America

Mark John Beitz