Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kimberly-clark Wordwide, Inc.

Sarah A Kleuskens

Marcille Faye Ruman

Andrew Thomas Hammond

Kyle Mark Barriger

Stacy Elaine Evenson

James R Niedt

Beth Johnson

Mark John Beitz

Patrick Dean Abney

Timothy A Thorson

Thomas A Ray

Stephen David Franger

Victor Stevens

Kevin Gerald Dolan

Marc A Morin, Jr

Sara Jane Wille Stabelfeldt

Nathan John Vogel

David John Enz

Brian Keith Rhodes

Kroy Donald Johnson

Brandon Mark Hokanson

Niall Finn

Andy R Butler

Phillip L Hutchison

Robert Michael Hill, Jr

Sarah Anne Olson

Justin M Mueller

William Joseph Meyer

Blake A Hondl

SangWook Lee

Pat Abney

Qianxiang Feng

James P King

Danielle Kirby

Phillip L Hutchinson

Amy Q Feng

Phil Penaia

Kyle M Barringer

Brian K Rhodes

William J Meyer

Absorbent articles with front and rear opening features are disclosed. An article may comprise an insert comprising an outer cover, a liner, and a core between the outer cover and liner, a first waist panel coupled to the insert throughout a first attachment region, and a second waist panel coupled to the insert throughout a second attachment region, the second panel being coupled to the first panel proximate a first side edge of the article and the second side edge of the article and further comprising a weakened region. The second attachment may comprise a low-strength attachment zone and a high-strength attachment zone, the high-strength attachment zone disposed proximate the attachment region bottom edge. The low-strength attachment zone may further have a first peel strength and the high-strength attachment zone may have a second peel strength, the second peel strength greater than the first.

Front or rear opening closed-sided absorbent articles

An absorbent article is described that includes leg elastics that form the outermost edges of the product. The leg elastics can include an increased number of elastomeric strands and can extend outboard of the chassis. In this manner, the leg elastics can form a proper seal with the legs of the wearer without interference and can be visually inspected by a caregiver. Placing the leg elastics outboard of the chassis also provides for an efficient manner of producing the garment by attaching multiple elastic components to the garment along a vertical bonding seam.

Process for making absorbent articles with extended leg elastics

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

Absorbent articles with front and rear opening features are disclosed. An article may comprise an absorbent insert comprising an outer cover, a liner, and a core between the outer cover and liner, a first waist panel coupled to the insert and having a first waist panel bottom edge, a first waist panel top edge, a first waist panel outer surface, and a first waist panel inner surface, and a second waist panel coupled to the insert. The first waist panel may be coupled to the second waist panel along side edges of the article, and the first waist panel may further comprise a weakened region comprising weakened portions extending at least partially between the first waist panel bottom edge and the first waist panel top edge. The weakened region may have a weakened region percentage of between about 45% and about 90%.

An absorbent article can include a bodyside liner that provides a barrier region. The barrier region can be a central portion of the bodyside liner not coupled to the absorbent body. The barrier region can include a first longitudinal side edge and a second longitudinal side edge. The first longitudinal side edge can be coupled to the projection portion of the first containment flap. The second longitudinal side edge can be coupled to the projection portion of the second containment flap. When the absorbent article is in the relaxed configuration and the projection portion of the first containment flap and the projection portion of the second containment flap extend away from the absorbent body, the central portion of the bodyside liner extends away from absorbent body.

Absorbent article with bodyside liner providing a barrier region

Absorbent articles with extended leg elastics

Absorbent articles with front and rear opening features are disclosed. An article may comprise an absorbent insert comprising an outer cover, a liner, and an absorbent core between the outer cover and the liner, a first waist panel coupled to the insert and comprising a weakened region and first waist band portion and first chassis portion, the first waist band portion and first chassis portion comprising elastic elements, and a second waist panel. The first waist panel may be bonded to the second along side edges of the article. One of the elastic elements of the first waistband portion may be spaced laterally from a second one forming a waistband non-elasticized region laterally between the first one of the elastic elements and the second one of the elastic elements, and the weakened region may extend at least partially through the waistband non-elasticized region.

A male incontinence article includes a liquid permeable liner, a liquid impermeable outer cover, and an absorbent core disposed between the liner and the outer cover. The article is configurable from a laid flat configuration to a use configuration. The article has, in the use configuration, an absorbent cup and an upstanding wall that extends upward from the cup. The cup has a closed bottom, a sidewall extending upward from the closed bottom, and an open top. The closed bottom and the sidewall cooperatively define an interior chamber adapted to receive at least a portion of the user's penis. Suitable packaging and methods of manufacturing such an article are also disclosed.

Male incontinence article having an absorbent cup

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

Carton for rolled products

A method of manufacturing an absorbent article includes feeding a first web of material in a machine direction, feeding a second web of material in the machine direction, the second web being spaced from the first web by a gap, attaching an absorbent assembly to the first web and the second web such that the absorbent assembly spans the gap between the first and second webs, forming a partial cut line through the second web, folding the first web into face-to-face relationship with the second web after forming the partial cut line, and cutting the first and second webs after folding the first web into face-to-face relationship with the second web to separate the absorbent article from the first and second webs. The partial cut line defines at least one finger tab on the absorbent article.

Absorbent article having finger tabs and methods of manufacturing same

A multiple use absorbent article includes a chassis absorbent unit having a chassis topsheet, a chassis backsheet, and a chassis absorbent core sandwiched between the chassis topsheet and the chassis backsheet. The article also includes an absorbent insert bonded to the chassis absorbent unit, a removable portion of the absorbent insert configured to be selectively removable from the chassis absorbent unit. The absorbent insert further includes a line of weakness that provides for separation of the absorbent insert into a removable portion configured to be removed from the chassis absorbent unit, and a resident portion that remains bonded to the chassis absorbent unit, wherein the absorbent insert includes a removal device configured to assist a user in separating the removable portion of the absorbent insert from the chassis absorbent unit.

Fixed and removable absorbent cores for absorbent articles

Growing community of inventors

Neenah, WI, United States of America

Sarah A Kleuskens