Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Georgia Lynn Zehner · Duane Girard Uitenbroek · John Philip Vukos ·
Assignee(s)	Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. ·  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Armstrong Teasdale LLP ·
Primary Examiner	Jacqueline F. Stephens ·
Application Number	US10011089
Filing date	12/07/2001
Issue date	12/08/2009
Prior Publication Data	US20030208171 - 11/06/2003
Predicted expiration date	05/24/2024
Patent term adjustment	1305
U.S. Classifications	604/385.22  · 604/396  · 604/385.31  · 604/385.3  · 604/386  · 604/385.01  ·
International Classifications	A61F1315  ·
Kind Code	B2
Related U.S. Application Data	CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part application of application, Ser. No. 09/698,517, filed on Oct. 27, 2000. The co-pending parent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and is made a part hereof, including but not limited to those portions which specifically appear hereinafter.

Patent Family

Abstract

A self-forming seal absorbent article is provided and includes a biaxially extensible outer cover, a biaxially extensible bodyside liner forming a wearer adjacent surface, a biaxially extensible absorbent core assembly interposed between the outer cover and the bodyside liner, and a pair of laterally-spaced apart and longitudinally-extending containment flap members disposed along the wearer adjacent surface of the bodyside liner.

Independent Claims | See all claims (66)

1. 1. A self-forming seal absorbent article adapted to be worn by a wearer having a body contour, the absorbent article comprising: a chassis having opposed first and second longitudinal sides and opposed first and second lateral sides, the chassis including; a biaxially extensible outer cover forming a cover perimeter, a biaxially extensible bodyside liner forming a wearer adjacent surface and a liner perimeter, a biaxially extensible absorbent core assembly interposed between the outer cover and the bodyside liner, the absorbent core assembly providing a footprint contour adapted to match the body contour of a wearer of the absorbent article, the footprint contour comprising a back waist area, a front waist area narrower than the back waist area, and a crotch area narrower than the front waist area disposed between the front and back waist areas, and a pair of laterally-spaced apart and longitudinally-extending containment flap members disposed along the wearer adjacent surface of the bodyside liner, each of the containment flap members comprises a material extensible in at least one of the longitudinal and lateral directions, wherein the chassis includes a perimeter area and an interior area, the perimeter area is defined at least in part by the cover perimeter and the liner perimeter, the interior area comprises all area of the chassis completely surrounded by the perimeter area, and the perimeter area and the interior area are free of leg elastics.
2. 36. A self-forming seal absorbent article adapted to be worn by a wearer having a body contour, the absorbent article comprising: a chassis having opposed first and second longitudinal sides and opposed first and second lateral sides, the chassis having an original longitudinal length and an original lateral length, the chassis including; a biaxially extensible outer cover forming a cover perimeter, a biaxially extensible bodyside liner forming a wearer adjacent surface and a liner perimeter, a biaxially extensible absorbent core assembly interposed between the biaxially extensible outer cover and the biaxially extensible bodyside liner, the absorbent core assembly providing a footprint contour adapted to match the body contour of a wearer of the absorbent article, the footprint contour comprising a back waist area, a front waist area narrower than the back waist area, and a crotch area narrower than the front waist area disposed between the front and back waist areas, and a pair of laterally-spaced apart and longitudinally-extending containment flap members disposed along the wearer adjacent surface of the bodyside liner, each of the containment flap members being extensible in at least one of the longitudinal and lateral directions; wherein the chassis can be longitudinally extended at least 5 percent and up to 150 percent of its original longitudinal length and laterally extended at least 10 percent and up to 200 percent of its original lateral length, wherein the chassis includes a perimeter area and an interior area, the perimeter area is defined at least in part by the cover perimeter and the liner perimeter, the interior area comprises all area of the chassis completely surrounded by the perimeter area, and the perimeter area and the interior area are free of leg elastics.
3. 54. A self-forming seal absorbent article adapted to be worn by a wearer having a body contour, the absorbent article comprising: a biaxially stretchable chassis having opposed first and second longitudinal sides and opposed first and second lateral sides, the chassis having an original longitudinal length and an original lateral length, the chassis including; a biaxially stretchable outer cover forming a cover perimeter, a biaxially stretchable bodyside liner forming a wearer adjacent surface and a liner perimeter, a biaxially stretchable absorbent core assembly interposed between the outer cover and the bodyside liner, the absorbent core assembly providing a footprint contour adapted to match the body contour of a wearer of the absorbent article, the footprint countour comprising a back waist area, a front waist area narrower than the back waist area, and a crotch area narrower than the front waist area disposed between the front and back waist areas, and a pair of laterally-spaced apart and longitudinally-extending containment flap members disposed along the wearer adjacent surface of the bodyside liner, each of the containment flap members being extensible in at least one of the longitudinal and lateral directions; wherein the chassis can be longitudinally stretched at least 5 percent and up to 150 percent of its original longitudinal length and laterally stretched at least 10 percent and up to 200 percent of its original lateral lengths, wherein the chassis includes a perimeter area and an interior area, the perimeter area is defined at least in part by the cover perimeter and the liner perimeter, the interior area comprises all area of the chassis completely surrounded by the perimeter area, and the perimeter area and the interior area are free of leg elastics.