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:
Nov. 30, 1999
Filed:
Oct. 20, 1997
Raymond Gerard St Louis, Fremont, WI (US);
David James VanEperen, Appleton, WI (US);
Mark John Beitz, Appleton, WI (US);
Michael John Faulks, Neenah, WI (US);
Alan Francis Schleinz, Appleton, WI (US);
Daniel Robert Schlinz, Greenville, WI (US);
Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US);
Abstract
An absorbent article (10) which includes a backsheet layer (30) having a pair of laterally opposed and longitudinally extending side margins (20). Each side margin has an outwardly concave, terminal side edge contour 15 located at appointed leg opening regions (17) in an intermediate portion (16) of the side margin. Each concave side edge contour (15) has a selected longitudinal extent along a length dimension (26) of the article (10). A liquid permeable topsheet layer (28) is connected in a superposed facing relation to the backsheet layer (30), and an absorbent body (32) is sandwiched between the topsheet layer (28) and the backsheet layer (30). A separately provided gusset-flap composite member (19) is connected to at least one of the backsheet and topsheet layers along each of the leg opening regions (17). The gusset-flap member (19) provides a leg gusset section (142) and a containment flap section (144). The gusset-flap member includes a barrier layer (174) having a pair of laterally opposed, longitudinally extending, barrier layer side edges (140, 141), and has a first major facing surface (148) and a second major facing surface (149). A nonwoven fabric layer (176) is joined in facing relation with the first facing surface (148) of the barrier layer (174). The fabric layer (176) has a leg gusset region (136), an outboard side portion (170), a containment flap region (63), and an inboard side portion (62). The outboard side portion (170) of the gusset-flap fabric layer (176) is arranged to wrap around at least one side edge of the barrier layer (174) and to extend inboard therefrom along the second facing surface (149) of the barrier layer (174). A first arrangement of a first plurality of separate, longitudinally extending elastomeric members (138) are attached and interposed between the barrier layer (174) and the fabric layer (176) within the leg gusset section (142) of the gusset-flap member (19).