Absorbent article with improved leg and flap elastics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020085641-A1
Application number	US-201716471828-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 20, 2017
Priority date	Dec 30, 2016
Publication date	Mar 19, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Absorbent articles with improved barrier and leg cuffs are disclosed. In an embodiment, an absorbent article comprises a chassis and a combined leg and barrier cuff coupled to the chassis which comprises leg elastic members, at least one barrier cuff elastic member, and a cuff material encompassing all of the elastic members. The first combined leg cuff and barrier cuff further comprises a first un-elasticized portion extending between a seam bond and a leg elastic member, a first elasticized portion encompassing the leg elastic members, and a second un-elasticized portion extending between the seam bond and the barrier cuff elastic member. A length encompassing the first un-elasticized portion and the first elasticized portion is greater than the length of the second un-elasticized portion, and the length of the first un-elasticized portion is less than or equal to the length of the second un-elasticized portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An absorbent article comprising:
a chassis having a front waist region and a rear waist region, the front waist region and the rear waist region being joined by a crotch region, the chassis further having a body facing surface and a garment facing surface, the chassis extending in a longitudinal direction and having a first longitudinally extending side edge and a longitudinally extending lateral side edge, the chassis comprising:
a bodyside liner,
a garment facing outer cover, and
an absorbent body disposed between the bodyside liner and the outer cover; and
a first combined leg cuff and barrier cuff structure bonded to the body facing surface of the chassis proximate the first longitudinally extending side edge and extending between the front waist region and the rear waist region, the first combined leg cuff and barrier cuff structure comprising:
a plurality of leg elastic members, at least one of the plurality of leg elastic members disposed outboard of the first longitudinally extending side edge of the chassis;
at least one barrier cuff elastic member; and
a cuff material encompassing the plurality of leg elastic members and the at least one barrier cuff elastic member,
wherein the first combined leg cuff and barrier cuff structure is bonded to the chassis by a seam bond between the cuff material and the chassis, the seam bond being located between the plurality of leg elastic members and the at least one barrier cuff elastic member and dividing the combined leg cuff and barrier cuff structure into a leg cuff portion and a barrier cuff portion, and the first combined leg cuff and barrier cuff structure further comprising:
a first un-elasticized portion extending between the seam bond and the leg elastic member of the plurality of leg elastic members most proximate to the seam bond;
a first elasticized portion extending between the leg elastic member most proximate to the seam bond and a distal end of the leg cuff portion; and
a second un-elasticized portion extending between the seam bond and the at least one barrier cuff elastic member that is most proximate to the seam bond,
wherein the length of the first un-elasticized portion plus the length of the first elasticized portion is greater than the length of the second un-elasticized portion, and wherein the length of the first un-elasticized portion is less than or equal to the length of the second un-elasticized portion.

2 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the cuff material comprises a single piece of material wrapped around the plurality of leg elastic members and the at least one barrier cuff elastic member.

3 . The article of claim 2 , wherein the seam bond between the first combined leg cuff and barrier cuff structure and the body facing surface of the chassis further bonds a first end of the single piece of material with a second end of the single piece of material.

4 . The article of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the plurality of leg elastic members are disposed outboard of the first longitudinally extending side edge of the chassis.

5 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the at least one barrier cuff elastic member comprises a plurality of barrier cuff elastic members.

6 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the length of the first un-elasticized portion is less than the length of the second un-elasticized portion by between about 5% and about 50%.

7 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the length of the first un-elasticized portion is less than the length of the second un-elasticized portion by between about 10% and about 50%.

8 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the length of the first un-elasticized portion is less than the length of the second un-elasticized portion by between about 15% and about 50%.

9 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the length of the first un-elasticized portion is less than the length of the second un-elasticized portion by between about 15% and about 45%.

10 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the length of the first un-elasticized portion is less than the length of the second un-elasticized portion by between about 20% and about 45%.

11 . A method of forming an absorbent article, comprising:
moving an absorbent article chassis in a machine direction, the chassis having a front waist region and a rear waist region, the front waist region and the rear waist region being joined by a crotch region, the chassis further having a body facing surface and a garment facing surface, the chassis extending in a longitudinal direction and having a first longitudinally extending side edge and a second longitudinally extending side edge; moving a first combined leg cuff and barrier cuff structure in the machine direction, the first combined leg cuff and barrier cuff structure comprising:
a plurality of leg elastic members;
at least one barrier cuff elastic member; and
a cuff material encompassing the plurality of leg elastic members and the at least one barrier cuff elastic member; and
bonding the first combined leg cuff and barrier cuff structure to the body facing surface of the chassis with a seam bond between the cuff material and the body facing surface of the chassis such that at least one of the plurality of leg elastic members is disposed outboard of the first lateral side edge of the chassis, wherein the seam bond divides the first combined leg cuff and barrier cuff structure into a first leg cuff and a first barrier cuff, the first leg cuff having a first leg cuff un-elasticized portion extending between the seam bond and the leg elastic member of the plurality of leg elastic members most proximate to the seam bond, the first leg cuff having a first leg cuff elasticized portion extending between the leg elastic member most proximate to the seam bond and a distal end of the first leg cuff, and the first barrier cuff having a first barrier cuff un-elasticized portion extending between the seam bond and the at least one barrier cuff elastic member that is most proximate to the seam bond, wherein a length of the leg cuff is greater than a length of the barrier cuff, and wherein a length of the first leg cuff un-elasticized portion is less than or equal to a length of first barrier cuff un-elasticized portion.

12 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the length of the first leg cuff un-elasticized portion is less than the length of the first barrier cuff un-elasticized portion by between about 5% and about 50%.

13 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the length of the first leg cuff un-elasticized portion is less than the length of the first barrier cuff un-elasticized portion by between about 10% and about 50%.

14 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the length of the first leg cuff un-elasticized portion is less than the length of the first barrier cuff un-elasticized portion by between about 15% and about 50%.

15 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the length of the first leg cuff un-elasticized portion is less than the length of the first barrier cuff un-elasticized portion by between about 15% and about 45%.

16 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the length of the first leg cuff un-elasticized portion is less than the length of the first barrier cuff un-elasticized portion by between about 20% and about 45%.

Assignees

• Kimberly Clark Co

Inventors

• Kleuskens Sarah

Classifications

• A61F13/494

  characterised by edge leakage prevention means · CPC title

• A61F13/4942 Primary

  the barrier not being integral with the top- or back-sheet · CPC title

• A61F13/49 Primary

  specially adapted to be worn around the waist, e.g. diapers, nappies · CPC title

• A61F13/496 Primary

  in the form of pants or briefs · CPC title

• A61F13/15585

  of babies' napkins, e.g. diapers (A61F13/15617 - A61F13/15804 take precedence) · CPC title