Absorbent articles with extended leg elastics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11679038-B2
Application number	US-201716489000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2017
Priority date	Feb 28, 2017
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

An absorbent article is described that includes leg elastics that form the outermost edges of the product. The leg elastics can include an increased number of elastomeric strands and can extend outboard of the chassis. In this manner, the leg elastics can form a proper seal with the legs of the wearer without interference and can be visually inspected by a caregiver. Placing the leg elastics outboard of the chassis also provides for an efficient manner of producing the garment by attaching multiple elastic components to the garment along a vertical bonding seam.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An absorbent article comprising:
a chassis including an outer cover, a bodyside liner, and an absorbent structure positioned in between the outer cover and the bodyside liner, the chassis including a front region, a crotch region, and a back region, the front region and the back region defining a waist opening therebetween opposite two leg openings, the chassis having a length and including a first longitudinal edge opposite a second longitudinal edge that extend over the length of the chassis;
a first fastening device associated with a first side panel and a second fastening device associated with a second side panel, the first side panel extending from the first longitudinal edge of the chassis at the back region of the chassis, the second side panel extending from the second longitudinal edge of the chassis at the back region of the chassis, the fastening devices for securing the article around the waist of a wearer;
a first leg elastic and a second leg elastic, the first leg elastic being positioned along one of the leg openings within the crotch region of the chassis, the second leg elastic being located along the other leg opening within the crotch region of the chassis; and
a first vertical bonding seam and a second vertical bonding seam, the first vertical bonding seam being located along the first longitudinal edge of the chassis, the second vertical bonding seam being located along the second longitudinal edge of the chassis, and wherein the first side panel and the first leg elastic are bonded to the chassis along the first vertical bonding seam and wherein the second side panel and the second leg elastic are bonded to the chassis along the second vertical bonding seam, and wherein the first leg elastic extends outboard of the first longitudinal edge and the second leg elastic extends outboard of the second longitudinal edge within the crotch region of the chassis, wherein each vertical bonding seam comprises a column of bond points and wherein the bond points have a higher density over the side panels.

2. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the absorbent article further comprises a first elastic containment flap and a second elastic containment flap, the first elastic containment flap being bonded to the chassis along the first vertical bonding seam and the second elastic containment flap being bonded to the chassis along the second vertical bonding seam.

3. An absorbent article as defined in claim 2 , wherein the outer cover comprises a first outer layer and a second layer superimposed on the first outer layer, and wherein the first side panel is bonded to the first leg elastic along the first vertical bonding seam and the second side panel is bonded to the second leg elastic along the second vertical bonding seam, the first side panel including an edge and the second side panel including an edge and wherein the edges of the side panels do not overlap with the second layer of the outer cover.

4. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first side panel is bonded to the first leg elastic along the first vertical bonding seam and the second side panel is bonded to the second leg elastic along the second vertical bonding seam.

5. An absorbent article as defined in claim 4 , wherein the first side panel includes an edge and the second side panel includes an edge and wherein the edges of the side panels overlap the chassis by less than about 6 mm, or do not overlap the chassis.

6. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1 , wherein each leg elastic includes a plurality of inner elastomeric strands and a plurality of outer elastomeric strands, the plurality of outer elastomeric strands having a length shorter than a length of the plurality of inner elastomeric strands.

7. An absorbent article as defined in claim 6 , wherein the plurality of outer elastomeric strands extend over the back region and the crotch region of the absorbent article, the outer elastomeric strands having a length that is from about 30% to about 60% of the length of the absorbent article.

8. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the absorbent article further includes an elastic waistband having a first end and a second and opposite end and wherein the first end of the waistband is bonded to the absorbent article along the first vertical bonding seam and the second end of the elastic waistband is bonded to the absorbent article along the second vertical bonding seam.

9. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first leg elastic comprises a plurality of elastomeric strands and the second leg elastic comprises a plurality of elastomeric strands.

10. An absorbent article as defined in claim 9 , wherein the elastomeric strands of the first leg elastics and of the second leg elastics have been severed or retracted where the leg elastics overlap the corresponding side panels.

11. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1 , wherein the density of the bond points over the side panels is sufficient to destroy the elasticity of the leg elastics.

Assignees

• Kimberly Clark Co

Inventors

• Kleuskens Sarah A
• Evenson Stacy E
• Hammond Andrew T
• Olson Sarah A

Classifications

• A61F13/49011 Primary

  the elastic means is located at the waist region · CPC title

• A61F13/495

  with faecal cavity · CPC title

• A61F13/49014

  the elastic means is located at the side panels · CPC title

• A61F13/49406

  the edge leakage prevention means being at the crotch region · CPC title

• A61F13/49017 Primary

  the elastic means being located at the crotch region · CPC title