The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 23, 1990
Filed:
Aug. 25, 1987
John C Wilson, Neenah, WI (US);
Gregory J Rajala, Neenah, WI (US);
Leona G Boland, Neenah, WI (US);
Georgia L Zehner, Larsen, WI (US);
Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Neenah, WI (US);
Abstract
A disposable absorbent garment (10) of the type having opposed engageable waistband portions (14) separated by an intermediate portion (16), comprises a breathable elastomeric nonwoven fabric outer cover (12) and a superposable absorbent structure (32), including a liquid-impervious baffle (36), a liquid-pervious bodyside liner (34), and an absorbent core (38) disposed therebetween. The absorbent structure (32) preferably forms an independent insert separately attached to the outer cover (12) without restricting the stretchability thereof. The garment (10) has a generally asymmetrical hourglass profile with leg cut-out openings (18) converging together to define a narrow crotch portion, front (28) and rear (30) panels on either side of the crotch and pairs of front (20, 22) and rear (24, 26) ear portions extending from the waistbands (14) to the leg openings (18). A plurality of fastener members (42, 44, 46, 48) each having inner (49) and outer (51) peripheral edges, extend across the bodyside of the ear portions (20, 22, 24, 26) substantially from an associated waistband portion (14) to one of the marginal leg openings (18), with the rear pair of fastener members (42, 46) being hingedly attached along their outer peripheral edges (51) to the laterally opposed rear pair (20, 22) of associated ears. The hinged fastener members releasably engage the other pair of front fastener members (46, 48) fixedly attached along both their inner (49) and outer (51) peripheral edges to the front pair (24, 26) of laterally opposed ears. When longitudinally opposed pairs of the fasteners are fastened together about the body of a wearer, the hinged rear fastener members (42, 44) are bent peripherally outwardly so that their respective outer peripheral edges (51) abut the outer marginal edge of an engaged longitudinally opposed ear portion, forming a tailored, spliced seam presenting a neat, trim fit and appearance. The rear pair of fastener members (41, 44) includes a pair of snap elements (50A) spaced from one another in essentially coplanar relationship and engageable with a mating pair of snap elements (50B) similarly situated on the longitudinally opposed front pair of fastener members (46, 48), forming a primary load bearing closure. The snap elements (50A, 50B) on the fastener member (42, 44, 46, 48) are separated by abutment surfaces (52, 54, 56, 58) presenting cooperable secondary load bearing surfaces (62) for effecting and maintaining a substantially continuous closure between the primary snap closures (50A-50B) when longitudinally opposed pairs (42, 46; 44, 48) of the fastener members are fastened together, providing full-length, fixed point fastening substantially from waist to leg of a wearer.