Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kimberly-clark Corporation

Kimberly-clark Wordwide, Inc.

Patrick Robert Lord

Kyle Mark Barriger

Andrew Mark Long

Gordon Allen Shaw

David John Enz

Jason Gene Csida

Andrew Edsel Huntoon

Brian K Nortman

David Andrae Justmann

Anne M Fahrenkrug

Eric-John Raoul Gilgenbach

Paula Kay Zoromski

Rebecca Suzanne Walter

Sang Van Tran

Jason C Cohen

Richard John Schmidt

Palani Raj Ramaswami Wallajapet

Catherine Marguerite Hancock-Cooke

Audra Stefanik Wright

Kroy Donald Johnson

Daniel Lee Ellingson

Nickolas Paul Barnes

Martha Lillian Tate

Nancy H Puckett

Matthew Randall Jones

Frank Fritz Kromenaker

Mari-Pat Yvonne Von Feldt

Daniel J Grassl

Timothy Schmitz

Arvinder Singh

Lori A Roocks

Rick Beal

Adrienne Nicole Hengels

Himanshi Arunkumar Patel

Mark Andrew Long

Bonnie Lynn VandenPlas

Lori Ann Roocks

Absorbent articles of the present disclosure may be constructed with a secondary liner sheet placed on top of a body facing liner of the articles configured to form a pocket. The pocket provides a barrier, thereby separating a front region of the absorbent articles from a rear region. In this manner, the absorbent articles of the present disclosure may reduce the spread of bodily exudates throughout the articles. The reduced spreading of exudates may help to keep skin healthy by reducing the amount of skin exposed to the skin irritants within the exudates and/or by preventing additional skin irritants from being created by preventing the mixing of BM and urine, at least in proximity to the skin of the wearer.

Absorbent article with pocket dividing front and rear regions

An absorbent article with a fastening system with reduced waste and method of manufacturing such an absorbent article is disclosed. The method of manufacturing an absorbent article can include cutting a first web of ear tab material to provide a first ear tab that is registered and cutting a second web of ear tab material to provide a second ear tab that is registered. The method can also include providing a web of ear panel material, coupling the first and second ear tabs to the web of ear panel material, cutting the web of ear panel material to provide first and second ear panels to form first and second ears, and coupling the first and second ears to the absorbent assembly to form at least a portion of the fastening system for the absorbent article. The first and second ears can be configured to be different from one another.

Absorbent article with a fastening system with reduced waste and method of manufacturing the same

An absorbent article includes an absorbent assembly including longitudinally opposite ends, transversely opposite sides, a front waist region, a back waist region. The absorbent article also includes a pair of ears extending transversely outward from the opposite sides of the absorbent assembly in the back waist region, each of the ears comprising a loop fastening component. The absorbent article also includes a nonwoven shield coupled to the garment-facing surface of the outer cover and a hook material patch, wherein the hook material patch is disposed between the outer cover and the shield such that at least a portion of the plurality of hooks is accessible through an aperture, and such that at least a portion of the base layer edges is covered by the shield.

Absorbent article having a protected fastening system

Absorbent articles with carefully controlled stretch properties are disclosed. In particular, the absorbent articles have a waistband that encompasses a pair of opposing side panels and a waist region of the article. The side panels are attached to longitudinal edges of a chassis and are configured to extend around a person's waist. The side panels are attached to fastening devices for fastening the absorbent article to a wearer. In accordance with the present invention, the side panels and the waist region are both elastic. In order to improve fit and comfort, the stretch properties of the side panels are matched with the stretch properties of the waist region. For example, elongation of the side panels can be matched to elongation of the waist region or, alternatively, displacement of the side panels can be matched to the displacement of the waist region for a given range of forces.

Absorbent articles having a waist region and corresponding fasteners that have matching stretch properties

A device is provided for simulating a human skin microclimate and for measuring conditions such as temperature and humidity in the simulated microclimate. The microclimate is formed, for example, with fluids, gases and/or heat in a chamber of the device or between a surface of the device and a material disposed about the surface. In one aspect, a sensor is placed in the chamber to sense the microclimate. Methods of using the device and measuring microclimate conditions are also provided.

Virtual arm for measurement of humidity, temperature, and water vapor transmission rate in materials

An article (,), has a first article portion (,), a second article portion (,), and a fastener (,). The fastener secures the first article portion to the second article portion and includes at least one first fastener component (,), which is attached to the first portion of the article. A cooperating, second fastener component (,) is mechanically interengageable with the first fastener component (,) and is attached to the second portion of the article (,). The first fastener component (,) includes a plurality of engagement members (,) having a first quantity of engageable stalk members (,).

Mechanical fastening system having a plurality of engagement members which include stalk members

An article (,) has a lengthwise longitudinal direction (,), a lateral cross-direction (,), a first article portion (,), a second article portion (,), and a fastener (,) for securing the first article portion (,) to the second article portion (,). The fastener (,) includes at least one first fastener component (,) attached to a lateral side section (,) of the first article portion (,), and a cooperating, second fastener component (,) attached to the second article portion (,). The first fastener component includes an engagement substrate (,) having an appointed lift region (,), and a plurality of engagement members (,), such as the representatively shown hook members, which are operably attached to extend away from the engagement substrate. The lift region (,) is disposed along at least a longitudinally extending, outboard edge of the engagement substrate (,), and the lift region contains a plurality of engagement members which have been substantially deactivated.

Fastener system with a lift region

An absorbent article, such as a diaper (10) has a first waistband portion (12), a second waistband portion (14) and an intermediate portion (16) which interconnects the first and second waistband portions. The article includes a backsheet layer (30) and a liquid permeable topsheet layer (28) and absorbent body structure (32) is sandwiched between the backsheet and topsheet layers. A primary fastening system is configured for holding the article on a wearer. The primary fastening system includes at least one laterally extending fastener tab (36) which is operably attached to the first waistband portion (12), and a fastener landing zone or member (50) which is disposed on an appointed surface of the second waistband portion (14). The fastener tab (36) has a factory-bond section (52) and a user-bond section (54), and the user-bond section has a first primary mechanical fastener component (70) disposed on an appointed mating surface (56) of the user-bond section (54). The fastener landing zone (50) includes a cooperating, second primary mechanical fastener component (72) which is disposed therein and provides an operably secure, fastening engagement with the first primary mechanical fastener component (70). A secondary, transition fastening system is attached to the factory-bond section (52) of the fastener tab (36), and releasably joins at least a portion of the fastener tab (36) to the first waistband portion (12) of the article with a transition peel strength. An engagement of the first primary mechanical fastener component (70) with the second primary mechanical fastener component (72) during an initial fastening there between within the primary fastening system provides an initial primary peel strength which is not more than the transition peel strength. A continued engagement between the first primary mechanical fastener component (70) with the second primary mechanical fastener component (72) after an ordinary wearing provides an increased, aged primary peel strength which is greater than the transition peel strength of the transition fastening system.

Absorbent article with transition fasteners

An absorbent article (10) has a first waistband portion (12), a second waistband portion (14) and an intermediate portion (16) interconnecting the front and back waistband portions. The article (10) comprises a backsheet layer (30), a liquid permeable topsheet layer (28) and an absorbent structure (32) which is sandwiched between the backsheet and topsheet layers. A fastening system is configured to operably connect the first waistband portion (12) to the second waistband portion (14) to hold the article on a wearer. The fastening system includes at least one fastener tab (36) attached to extend laterally at a side edge region (86) of the first waistband portion (12), and an articulated landing member (50) attached to the second waistband portion (14). The fastener tab (36) includes an extending layer member which has a predetermined clasping contour (60) formed therein, and the landing member has a moveable section (52) which is pivotably attached to the second waistband portion (14) of the article (10). A first mechanical fastener component (70), such as provided by a hook material, is attached to an appointed mating surface (54) of the moveable section (52). A second complimentary mechanical fasteners component (72), such as provided by a loop material, is attached to an appointed engagement surface section (58) of the second waistband portion (14), and the engagement surface section (58) is located substantially subjacent to the moveable section (52).

Absorbent article with hook fasteners

A distinctive article can include an elastomerically stretchable side panel having a longitudinal dimension and a lateral dimension. A member of hook material is operably connected to a first, laterally outboard edge portion of the side panel, and each member of hook material includes a hook base layer which has an appointed fastening region and an appointed grip region. The fastening region has a plurality of hook elements which are integrally formed with the base layer and extend away from a base plane of the hook base layer. The hook elements are configured to operably engage a selected, cooperating loop material. The grip region has a relatively lower density of the hook elements per unit area, as compared to the fastening region. The fastening region is interposed between the side panel and the grip region. The grip region provides a laterally terminal edge of the article.

Mechanical fastening system with grip tab

Belted diaper

A diaper comprises a rectangular disposable chassis assembly capable of absorbing and containing bodily wastes, including front, crotch and rear portions and a liquid-previous liner and liquid-impermeable barrier formed together about a liquid-absorbing core. A reusable elasticized cloth belt is removably retained by the chassis assembly, holding the diaper in place against the body during use. When fastened about a wearer, the belt provides a line of support extending transversely across the body of the core in the front portion of the chassis assembly corresponding to the lower abdominal region of the wearer. The belt cinches to snugly position the chassis assembly for absorbing discharged wastes. Preferably, the core contains a lower pledget with hydrogel that swells outwardly against the belt. Breathable elasticized leg cuffs extend along the side margins of the chassis assembly.

Diaper having disposable chassis assembly and reuseable elasticized belt

Growing community of inventors

Appleton, WI, United States of America

Patrick Robert Lord