Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kimberly-clark Corporation

Stanley Michael Gryskiewicz

Kuo-Shu Edward Chang

Lawrence Howell Sawyer

Sylvia Bandy Little

Yong Li

Billie Jean Matthews

David Martin Jackson

Richard Norris Dodge, Ii

Richard Daniel Pike

Earle Harry Sherrod

Frank Jerrel Akin

Sridhar Ranganathan

Paul Joseph Datta

David Louis Zenker

Tamara Lee Mace

Debra Jean McDowall

Shannon Kathleen Melius

Xiaomin Zhang

Hoa La Wilhelm

Connie Lynn Hetzler

Margaret Gwyn Latimer

Rob David Everett

Andrew Scott Burnes

Violet May Grube

Richard Allen Anderson

James Brian Riddle

Thomas Gerald Bolwerk

Eugenio Go Varona

Frank Paul Abuto

Pamela Jean Mayberry

Douglas Bryan Cole

James Arthur Davis

Leslie Warren Collier, Iv

Linda Marie Gryskiewicz

Stacey Michelle Gryskiewicz

Michael Tod Morman

Ann Louise McCormack

Richard John Schmidt

Susan Carol Paul

Gordon Allen Shaw

Wanda Walton Jackson

Andrew Edsel Huntoon

Gary H Meitner

Frank Andrew Rosch, Iii

Mark George Everson

Nancy Donaldson Kollin

Gerald Lewis Clark

Scott Richard Lange

Mark Charles Jacobs

Mary Garvie Weber

Jerome Joseph Schwalen

Jason Douglas Hadley

Mary Eva Garvie Weber

Penny Atieno Abuto

Marshall Kenneth Bryant

Susan Marie Vanage

Clarence Neece Cook, Iii

Absorbent article including an absorbent core having multiple absorbent layers. The absorbent layers interact in a manner which desirably locates absorbed liquid in an appointed, high saturation wicking layer.

Layered absorbent structure with a zoned basis weight

There is provided an absorbent system for personal care products which may be transversely divided into about an equally sized center zone, two intermediate zones and two end zones where the ratio of the amount of liquid stored in the center zone to the amount of liquid stored in at least one of the end zones 30 minutes each of three insults of 80 ml according to a MIST Evaluation Test after less than 5:1. Such an absorbent system may be used in personal care products like diapers, training pants, feminine hygiene products, absorbent underpants, adult incontinence products, and the like.

Absorbent articles with controllable fill patterns

A distinctive absorbent article includes an absorbent core having multiple absorbent layers, wherein the absorbent layers interact in such a manner which preferentially locates absorbed liquid in an appointed, high saturation wicking layer. The localization of the liquid within this wicking layer increases the potential of this layer to move liquid through capillary action due to the higher saturation level and increased amount of liquid available. The intake capability of the absorbent system is maintained or improved over current systems by keeping a second layer of the absorbent system at low saturation levels through as many insults of the product as possible, while providing optimum intake performance through appropriate control of the composite properties. The low saturation in this layer provides void volume for the incoming insult as well, as a high permeability, thus increasing the intake rate of the absorbent system as a whole, but the structure of the low saturation layer is also balanced to provide an appropriately high level of capillary tension to provide enough control of the liquid to stop leakage from occurring. This low saturation layer is used in addition to a surge material and provides intake functionality in addition to that provided by the surge material. In particular aspects of the invention, the body side layer of the absorbent core does not extend over the entire surface of the overall absorbent core, therefore is not used as the high saturation, wicking layer, but as the intake layer. This arrangement also allows the intake layer to be in direct contact with the incoming liquid, therefore allowing for more immediate access and improved intake function. In additional aspects, at least one primary layer region can have a non-uniform, selectively zoned basis weight distribution. Particular configurations of the at least one primary layer region can be constructed with a target area of such primary layer region having a basis weight which is less than a basis weight of another non-target portion of the primary layer region. Moreover, at least one primary layer region can have a heterogeneous structure. In particular constructions, the at least one primary layer region can include a plurality of two or more sublayers.

Layered absorbent structure with a zoned basis weight and a heterogeneous layer region

Bonded fluff structures and a method for producing such bonded fluff structures in which a pulp sheet having a material suitable for producing fluff and a heat activatable fiber material is fiberized to produce a mixture of fluff and heat activatable fibers. The mixture is contacted with a hot air stream, heating the heat activatable fibers to an activation temperature. The resulting heated mixture is then deposited onto a forming structure, forming a bonded fluff/fiber composite matrix structure.

Bonded fluff structures and process for producing same

A distinctive absorbent article includes an absorbent core having multiple absorbent layers, wherein the absorbent layers interact in such a manner which preferentially locates absorbed liquid in an appointed, high saturation wicking layer. The localization of the liquid within this wicking layer increases the potential of this layer to move liquid through capillary action due to the higher saturation level and increased amount of liquid available. The intake capability of the absorbent system is maintained or improved over current systems by keeping a second layer of the absorbent system at low saturation levels through as many insults of the product as possible, while providing optimum intake performance through appropriate control of the composite properties. The low saturation in this layer provides void volume for the incoming insult as well, as a high permeability, thus increasing the intake rate of the absorbent system as a whole, but the structure of the low saturation layer is also balanced to provide an appropriately high level of capillary tension to provide enough control of the liquid to stop leakage from occurring. This low saturation layer is used in addition to a surge material and provides intake functionality in addition to that provided by the surge material. In particular aspects of the invention, the body side layer of the absorbent core does not extend over the entire surface of the overall absorbent core, therefore is not used as the high saturation, wicking layer, but as the intake layer. This arrangement also allows the intake layer to be in direct contact with the incoming liquid, therefore allowing for more immediate access and improved intake function.

Layered absorbent structure

Disclosed herein is a liquid absorbent material that is particularly useful as a liner material for personal care absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants, incontinence garments, sanitary napkins, bandages and the like. The material contains a plurality of peaks across its surface at spaced-apart intervals separated by channels. Disposed within the peaks is a liquid absorbing material capable of absorbing body exudates and liquids in general. Due to the materials and the nature of the construction of the present invention, when used as a liner material for personal care absorbent articles such as diapers, it tends to reduce the total surface area in contact with the infant's skin and it also provides a plurality of air channels within the diaper from the front waistband to the back waistband of the diaper thereby providing a path for increased air circulation. The material of the present invention has other uses as, for example, a packing or liner material for packaging and shipping materials containing liquids. In addition, the peaks can contain other additive such as soaps so the material can be used as a wash pad or cloth.

Liquid absorbent material for personal care absorbent articles and the like

The present invention provides a barrier laminate having a barrier layer and a lofty crimped-fiber nonwoven web layer, which laminate provides a foam-like resiliency, cloth-like texture and liquid barrier property. The barrier layer of the laminate is selected from films, microfiber nonwoven webs and laminates thereof, and the crimped-fiber web layer, which contains a structural fiber component and an heat-activatable adhesive component, has substantially uniformly distributed interfiber bonds. Additionally provided are thermoformed articles from the laminate and a thermoforming process for producing the articles.

Thermoformable barrier nonwoven laminate

There is provided an absorbent system for personal care products which may be transversely divided into about an equally sized center zone, two intermediate zones and two end zones where the ratio of the amount of liquid stored in the center zone to the amount of liquid stored in at least one of the end zones 30 minutes after each of three insults of 80 ml according to a MIST Evaluation Test is less than 5:1. Such an absorbent system may be used in personal care products like diapers, training pants, feminine hygiene products, absorbent underpants, adult incontinence products, and the like.

Holiday ornament end cap

There is provided a stretchable absorbent material for personal care products which has a liquid permeable top sheet, a bottom sheet, and beams of an absorbent composition between the top and bottom sheets whereby the beams are spaced apart by bond rows therebetween. The stretchable absorbent material provides a more conformable product and can aid in moving liquid away from the target zone, and in air circulation within the product.

Elastic absorbent material for personal care products

An absorbent article includes a garment shell and at least one liquid containment beam formed of an absorbent material. The liquid containment beam has an attachment edge bonded to the garment shell so that the containment beam can lie against the garment shell and also pivot about an axis defined by the attachment edge. For comfort during use, the containment beam desirably has a width to thickness ratio of at least about 3:1. In particular embodiments, the absorbent article includes pairs of inner and outer containment beams, with the inner containment beams adapted to lie against the garment shell and the outer containment beams adapted to lie against the inner containment beams.

Absorbent article including liquid containment beams

A method of making an absorbent article includes providing a liquid containment beam having longitudinal ends and attachment and free edges that extend between the longitudinal ends. The attachment edge is bonded to an interior surface of the absorbent article and a bottom surface of the containment beam is adapted to lie against but be unadhered to the interior surface. The resulting containment beam can pivot about an axis defined by the attachment edge in response to lateral compression of the article, extension or contraction of elastic members, absorption of liquids, or a combination of these factors.

Method of making an absorbent article including liquid containment beams

A 3-dimension thermoformed bicomponent fiber nonwoven material comprising a lofty bicomponent material layer forming a plurality of peaks separated from one another by channels and having a basis weight in the range of about 0.5 to 7.0 ounces per square yard. The bicomponent material layer comprises a structural component and a heat activatable adhesive component suitable for thermoforming. Also disclosed are various configurations of this material suitable for use in absorbent personal care articles such as sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, incontinent-care pads and the like.

Ultra resilient three-dimensional nonwoven fiber material and process

Holiday ornament

Growing community of inventors

Woodstock, GA, United States of America

Stanley Michael Gryskiewicz