Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Wing-Chak Ng

Howard Martin Welch

Peiguang Zhou

Janis Wilson Hughes

Ann Louise McCormack

James Russell Fitts, Jr

Margaret Gwyn Latimer

Patricia Hwang Calhoun

Mark Michael Mleziva

Oomman Painummoottil Thomas

Bryon Paul Day

Glynis Allicia Walton

Thomas Harold Roessler

Lawrence Howell Sawyer

Bryan David Haynes

Sridhar Ranganathan

Susan Elaine Shawver

Sara Jane Wille Stabelfeldt

Charles John Morell

Charles Wilson Colman

Catherine Marguerite Hancock-Cooke

Debra Jean McDowall

Stephen Michael Lindsay

Peter Michailovich Kobylivker

Prasad Shrikrishna Potnis

Gregory K Hall

John Joseph Lassig

Varunesh Sharma

Joy Francine Jordan

Steven R Stopper

Renette E Richard

Robert David Wright

Eric Scott Kepner

Christian Lee Sanders

Timothy Ray Martin

Jose Augusto Vidal De Siqueira

Jose Siqueira

Norman Earl Brown

Karen Goeders

Marsha R Forthofer

Feng Chen

Braulio Arturo Polanco

Jason Sybren Fairbanks

Bryan James Stadelman

Raymond Jeffrey May

James Austin

Stephen C Meyer

Jared Lockwood Martin

Glynis Alicia Walton

Lisa Sanabria

Christopher Laslie

Joerg Hendrix

Thomas William Brock

Lindsay C Shelley

Peter Michelovich Kobylivker

Iris V Schumacher

Keyur Desai

Bryon P Day

Greg Nicholas Geiser

Ann L Mccormack

James R Fitts

James Russell Fitts Jr

Thomas Brock

Charles Herman Ellison

Jose Enrique Maldonado Pacheco

A material for distributing fluid can include a first side edge, a second side edge, a first end edge, and a second end edge. The material can include a first surface and a second surface opposite from the first surface. The material can be liquid impermeable and at least one of the first surface and the second surface include at least one channel. The channel can include a channel width, a channel length, and a channel depth. The channel width can be from 0.1 mm to 2.5 mm. The channel depth can be configured such that the channel does not extend completely through the material.

Material including channel for improved fluid distribution

A nonwoven substrate includes individual fibers each having a fiber surface and a fiber diameter, wherein a portion of the individual fibers include a micro-embossed pattern, and wherein the micro-embossed pattern includes pattern elements equal to or smaller than the fiber diameter. The pattern elements can be recessed into and/or extend out of the fiber surface, and the nonwoven substrate can include polypropylene or polyethylene. A disposable absorbent article includes a nonwoven substrate having individual fibers each having a fiber surface and a fiber diameter, wherein a portion of the individual fibers include a micro-embossed pattern, and wherein the micro-embossed pattern includes pattern elements equal to or smaller than the fiber diameter.

Micro- and nano-structured fiber-based substrates

Described herein are absorbent composites containing embossed superabsorbent materials and methods of manufacturing absorbent composites containing embossed superabsorbent materials. The absorbent composites have significantly improved rates of intake. Compositions and methods described herein are useful in a variety of absorbent products.

Absorbent composites containing embossed superabsorbent materials

A capillary structure for passive, directional fluid transport, includes a capillary having a forward direction and a backward direction extending in an x-y plane and a depth extending in a z-direction, the capillary including first and second capillary units each having a diverging section having a backward end, a forward end, and a width in the y-direction, wherein the width increases from the backward end to the forward end, wherein the backward end of the second capillary unit diverging section is connected to the forward end of the first capillary unit diverging section to form a transition section having a step decrease in width from the forward end of the first capillary unit diverging section to the backward end of the second capillary unit diverging section, and wherein the depth in the transition section is less than the depth in each diverging section.

Surface for directional fluid transport including against external pressure

Unitary films and laminates thereof are provided having at least first and second film segments which extend adjacent one another and are permanently joined together. The first and second film segments are joined at an interface, wherein at the interface a tip of the second segment overlaps the first segment in the cross-direction of the film. The film has a thickness 'T' at the tip of the second segment, and the second segment has a thickness 't' at a distance T in the cross direction from the tip of the second segment. The ratio T/t is suitably greater than about 3. The unitary films and laminates thereof are well suited, for example, for use as outer covers in personal care articles.

Segmented films with high strength seams

As described herein, an extensible sheet material includes a first and a second zone that is separate from the first zone. The first zone exposes a first color or pattern when the extensible sheet material is stretched beyond a first percentage. The second zone exposes a second color or pattern when the extensible sheet material is stretched beyond a second percentage greater than the first percentage. Absorbent articles that include the extensible sheet material are capable of indicating to a wearer when the extensible sheet material has been stretched too little, too much, or just the right amount.

Extensible sheet material with visual stretch indicator

An elastic nonwoven composite that contains an elastic film laminated to one or more nonwoven web materials is provided. The composite is formed by passing the film through a nip to bond the film to the nonwoven web material(s). Concurrent with bond formation, apertures are also formed in the elastic film. The apertures are of a size sufficient to provide a desired level of texture, softness, hand feel, and/or aesthetic appeal to the composite without having a significant adverse effect on its elastic properties. Aperture and bond formation are accomplished in the present invention by selectively controlling certain parameters of the lamination process, such as film content, bonding pattern, degree of film tension, bonding conditions, etc.

Nonwoven composite containing an apertured elastic film

Unitary films and laminates thereof are provided having at least first and second film segments which extend adjacent one another and are permanently joined together. The multi-segment films include a pattern of surface embossments on a surface of the first film segment and a pattern of apertures extending through the second film segment. The first and second segments have different compositions whereby the unitary film includes distinct segments having varied physical properties such as, for example, varied levels of breathability and/or elasticity. The unitary films and laminates thereof are well suited, for example, for use as outer covers in personal care articles.

Apertured segmented films

An elastic composite formed from a lightweight nonwoven facing that has a low degree of strength in the cross-machine direction ('CD') is provided. Through selective control over certain parameters of the materials employed in the composite and the formation process, the present inventors have discovered that such low strength and lightweight facings may be readily laminated to an elastic film without significantly damaging their integrity. For example, in one embodiment, the elastic film may possess a multi-layered construction that includes an elastomeric elastic layer positioned adjacent to a strength-enhancing thermoplastic layer. The polymer content and thickness of the thermoplastic layer are generally selected to impart additional strength and integrity to the film. Likewise, the polymer content of the elastic layer may also be selected so that the film possesses a sufficient tack for adhering to the facing. In certain cases, it may be desirable to position the layer between two elastic layers so that the strength-enhancing layer does not substantially contact the nonwoven facing. In this manner, the strength-enhancing layer may avoid substantial damage during the lamination process.

Elastic composite containing a low strength and lightweight nonwoven facing

Various garments are disclosed which include a body adhesive for attaching the garment to the skin of a wearer. More particularly, the garment can include at least one extensible portion. An adhesive member comprising an adhesive layer and a cover member may be positioned over the extensible portion. The cover member may completely cover the adhesive layer when the extensible portion is in a relaxed condition. When the extensible portion is stretched, however, the cover member may define openings that expose the adhesive layer for adhering the adhesive to a wearer. The garment may comprise, for instance, a diaper, a training pant, a swim pant, a hospital gown, an industrial garment, a glove, a feminine hygiene product, an adult incontinence product, and the like. The adhesive member can be positioned over any suitable extensible portion on the garment.

Elastic member for a garment having improved gasketing

An elastic laminate capable of being rolled for storage and unwound from a roll when needed for use, includes an elastic layer of an array of continuous filament strands with meltblown deposited on the continuous filament strands, and a facing layer bonded to only one side of the elastic layer. The meltblown layer may include an elastic polyolefin-based meltblown polymer having a degree of crystallinity between about 3% and about 40%. The laminate suitably has an inter-layer peel strength of less than about 70 grams per 3 inches cross-directional width at a strain rate of 300 mm/min. Alternatively or additionally, the continuous filament strands and/or the facing layer may include an elastic polyolefin-based meltblown polymer having a degree of crystallinity between about 3% and about 40%. In certain embodiments, the elastic laminate may include an extensible facing layer bonded to an elastic or semi-elastic film layer having a basis weight of about 50 gsm or less, wherein the facing layer includes an elastic polyolefin-based polymer having a degree of crystallinity between about 3% and about 40%.

Single sided stretch bonded laminates, and methods of making same

An elastic-powered shrink laminate includes a shrinkable layer and an elastic layer bonded together while the elastic layer is in a dimensionally unstable, stretched state. The elastic layer remains substantially in the stretched state prior to shrinkage of the shrinkable layer. When the shrinkable layer is activated, the laminate retracts, and the retraction is aided (i.e. powered) by the elastic layer. The elastic-powered shrink laminate is useful in personal care absorbent articles where latent, post-assembly retraction of a waistband region is desired.

Elastic-powered shrink laminate

An elastic multilayer composite includes a pattern unbonded elastic layer attached to at least one extensible facing layer. A method for forming an elastic multilayer composite includes the steps of providing an elastic material; bonding the elastic material to form a pattern unbonded elastic material; and attaching the pattern unbonded elastic material to at least one facing material.

Elastic multilayer composite including pattern unbonded elastic materials, articles containing same, and methods of making same

Growing community of inventors

Suwanee, GA, United States of America

Wing-Chak Ng