Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kimberly-clark Corporation

Velcro Industries B.v.

Paul John Serbiak

Robert Eugene Vogt

Bruce Michael Siebers

Timothy Raymond Heindel

Tim Joseph Janssen

Scott Lee Pennings

Georgia Lynn Zehner

Thomas David Ehlert

Rebecca Lyn Dilnik

John Gerard Hein

Allen Todd Leak

Kathleen Ann Peterson

George A Provost

Patrick Sean McNichols

Mark Michael Mleziva

Michael A Snyder

A Todd Leak

Apiromraj Srisopark Roslansky

Mark J Condon

Scott Leslie Williams

Robert John Leveille

Michael John Faulks

Daniel Robert Schlinz

Barbara Oakley Sauer

Robert J Peerenboom

Thomas Walter Odorzynski

Jody Dorothy Suprise

Gary Lee Shanklin

Gary Mack Reynolds

Valerie Victoria Finch

Annamaria Cesco-Cancian

Edwin G Greenman

Julie Kathleen Fredrick

Christopher Peter Olson

Timothy James Blenke

Duane Girard Uitenbroek

James John Hlaban

Richard Warren Tanzer

Patricia A Mitchler

Earle Harry Sherrod

Alan Francis Schleinz

Frederich O Lassen

Alice Y Romans-Hess

Ann M Nichols

Mary A Bruemmer

David R King

Thomas W Van Den Bogart

Chantelle M Beal

A hook fastener member having rows of molded hook-shaped fastener elements that lie in planes aligned with the rows, with generally planar plate portions at the outermost ends of at least some of the fastener elements, the plate portions lying generally parallel to the base of the fastener member. The plate portions can enhance engagement of the hook fastener members with mating loop fastener members, particularly with low loft non-woven loop fastener members. A method of making fastener members is provided. Molten resin is extruded and applied to a molding roller, creating preforms. The outermost portions of at least some of the preforms are flattened, thereby forming generally plate shaped portions. Disposable absorbent garments advantageously incorporate the hook fastener members.

Hook fasteners and methods of manufacture

Disclosed is an improved fastening tape for use on a disposable absorbent garment. The fastening tape comprises a first substrate and an interlocking material attached to said first substrate. The interlocking material extends the entire width of the fastening tape, and the interlocking material is longitudinally spaced from both transverse edges of the fastening tape. Also disclosed is a process for manufacturing the fastening tape. The process involves providing a continuous length of an interlocking material having a width and traveling in a first direction. The interlocking material is attached to a first substrate to form a composite. The composite is then cut along a second direction to form fastening tapes suitable for attachment on a disposable absorbent garment. The second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

Mechanical fastening tapes and method for their construction

A personal care article for preventing exudates from contacting the body of a user comprises a substrate including an extensible bodyside liner layer, and an aperture support structure limiting extensibility of the bodyside liner layer along the length of the aperture support structure. One support band of an aperture support structure runs through the gluteal fold between the buttocks of a user. The aperture support structure positions an aperture in the bodyside liner layer in the gluteal fold of a user, in alignment with the anus, so that fecal material enters a containment receptacle upon leaving the anus. In another embodiment, the personal care article can include a comfort stretch layer comprising an elastomeric, hot melt, pressure-sensitive adhesive located between a bodyside liner layer and an outer layer. Elastomeric elements can follow the outside edges along the length of the personal care article and then curve inwardly at the crotch portion and cross each other at a cooperative location frontward of the aperture and corresponding to the perineum of a user. The personal care article can also have a first length at rest, and a second length when secured to the body of a user, the second length being at least 30% greater than the first length.

Personal care article with aperture aligned for receiving fecal material

Disclosed is an improved process for attaching and protecting a mechanical fastener on a disposable absorbent article and a disposable absorbent article produced by the same. The process comprises the following steps: (1) providing a disposable absorbent article which includes an outer cover, a bodyside liner, and an absorbent core disposed between the outer cover and the bodyside liner; (2) providing a mechanical fastener which includes a first fastening element; (3) attaching the first fastening element of the mechanical fastener to the disposable absorbent article; (4) releasably engaging the first fastening element with the disposable absorbent article to protect the first fastening element; and (5) subsequently packaging the disposable absorbent article for commercial sale. The first fastening element and a portion of the disposable absorbent article may be releasably engaged by constrictively passing them between a pair of rotatable nip rolls. In a particular aspect, the first fastening element is the hook material of a hook-and-loop type mechanical fastener.

Process of providing mechanical fasteners on disposable absorbent articles

Mechanical fastening tapes

A disposable absorbent article includes a multi-functional fastening system which includes a pair of primary fasteners which are located on the opposed side edges in one of the waist regions of the absorbent article. The primary fasteners are configured to releasably engage the opposite waist region of the absorbent article. The fastening system also includes at least one secondary fastener which is located in one of the waist regions of the absorbent article. The secondary fastener is configured to releasably engage the opposite waist region of the absorbent article to conform the waist regions of the article to a wearer's body after the primary fasteners have been releasably engaged. The primary fasteners may be prefastened to allow the disposable absorbent article to be pulled on or off over the wearer's hips. The fastening system may further include a belt segment to which the secondary fasteners are attached.

Multi-functional fastener for disposable absorbent articles

An absorbent article includes a rear reservoir to receive and hold fecal and other body exudates. The rear reservoir preferably includes a spacer located at a rear portion preferably between a bodyside liner layer and an outer cover layer, assisting in formation of the rear reservoir. A rear waist flap, preferably comprised of the base structure of the absorbent article can be folded inwardly from the rear edge to form, in combination with the spacer and optionally other elements of the absorbent article, the rear reservoir. The rear waist flap can alternatively be formed by a separate element attached to the rear portion of the absorbent article. The separate element can comprise an elastic member, or a nonelastic member with rear waist elastics. The rear waist flap preferably is substantially stretched with respect to the rear portion to assist in shaping the rear reservoir. The spacer preferably comprises an internal filler, and has a rod-like shape.

Absorbent article having a rear reservoir with void volume capacity

An absorbent article includes an absorbent core located between a bodyside liner and an outer cover. A leg cuff is mounted to a base structure of the absorbent article in the crotch portion thereof. The leg cuffs are partially stretched when attached to respective longitudinal side portions near the crotch portion of the absorbent article. An outboard edge of the leg cuffs is generally unattached to the base structure of the absorbent article and can be stretched beyond the length of that portion of the base structure along which the leg cuffs are mounted. The leg cuffs may be mounted at an angle of between 5 and 25 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis. The leg cuffs extend outwardly toward the rear portion of the absorbent article and inwardly in the front portion when mounted at an angle.

Absorbent article using extensible leg cuffs

Process of providing mechanical fasteners on disposable absorbent

Growing community of inventors

Appleton, WI, United States of America

Paul John Serbiak