# US 11,992,394 B2 · Absorbent article with selectively positioned waist containment member having an improved waist seal > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,992,394 B2 - Document ID: US11992394B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/597,320 - Filed: 2019-10-09 - Published: 2020-02-06 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2019-10-09 - Assignees: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Applicants: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Inventors: KyungSik Jang; Nickolas Barnes; Roxanne M. Zuleger - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11992394B2 ## CPC - A61F 13/495: with faecal cavity - A61F 13/49001: {having preferential bending zones, e.g. fold lines or grooves} - A61F 13/49011: {the elastic means is located at the waist region} - A61F 13/49012: {the elastic means being elastic panels} - A61F 13/4902: {characterised by the elastic material} - A61F 13/49466: {the edge leakage prevention means being at the waist region} - A61F 13/49473: {the edge leakage prevention means having a continuous closed form, e.g. circle, ellipse, rectangle} - A61F 2013/49025: {having multiple elastic strands} - A61F 2013/49092: {comprising leg cuffs} - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract An absorbent article can include a chassis including an absorbent body. The chassis can include a body facing surface. The absorbent article can also include a waist containment member. The waist containment member can include a proximal portion coupled to the body facing surface of the chassis and a distal portion that includes a distal edge. The proximal portion includes proximal portion elastic members and the distal portion can include distal portion elastic members. The distal portion can be free to move with respect to the chassis when the absorbent article is in a relaxed configuration. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An absorbent article including a front waist region including a front waist edge, a rear waist region including a rear waist edge, a crotch region disposed intermediate the front waist edge and the rear waist edge, the absorbent article defining a longitudinal axis, a lateral axis located midway between the front waist edge and the rear waist edge and a vertical axis, the absorbent article comprising: a chassis including an absorbent body, the chassis including a body facing surface; and a waist containment member being separate from the chassis and coupled to the body facing surface of the chassis, the waist containment member being an elastic laminate formed of a waist containment material and a plurality of elastic members, the waist containment member having a first longitudinal side edge and a second longitudinal side edge, a first end edge and a second end edge; the waist containment member having a proximal portion with a proximal edge defining a proximal portion lateral width between the first longitudinal side edge and the second longitudinal side edge in the proximal portion, the waist containment member including a proximal portion elastic member, the proximal portion being coupled to the body facing surface of the chassis adjacent the front waist edge or the rear waist edge; and the waist containment member having a distal portion with an outermost distal edge defining a distal portion lateral width between the first longitudinal side edge and the second longitudinal side edge in the distal portion, the proximal portion lateral width being equal to or greater than the distal portion lateral width when the absorbent article is in a stretched, laid flat configuration; the distal portion including a distal portion elastic member located in the distal portion with the distal edge being free to move with respect to the chassis when the absorbent article is in a relaxed configuration so as to form a pocket with the chassis, wherein the waist containment member has a first fold extending in the direction of the lateral axis when the absorbent article is in a stretched, laid flat configuration, the first fold defining a transition between the proximal portion and the distal portion, and wherein the first fold is closer than the proximal portion elastic member to the respective front waist edge or rear waist edge to which the proximal portion is more closely coupled, and where the distal edge is closer to the lateral axis than the first fold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The absorbent article of claim 1, further comprising a first containment flap extending between the front waist region and the rear waist region and a second containment flap extending between the front waist region and the rear waist region, each of the first containment flap and the second containment flap comprising a base portion coupled to the body facing surface and a projection portion configured to extend away from the body facing surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The absorbent article of claim 2, wherein the waist containment member is coupled to the body facing surface of the chassis such that at least part of the projection portions of each of the first containment flap and the second containment flap are disposed between the waist containment member and the absorbent body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The absorbent article of claim 3, wherein the waist containment member is coupled to the body facing surface of the chassis such that at least part of the base portions each of the first containment flap and the second containment flap are disposed between the waist containment member and the absorbent body. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The absorbent article of claim 3, wherein the waist containment member is coupled to the body facing surface of the chassis between the projections portions of the first containment flap and the second containment flap. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The absorbent article of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the waist containment member is coupled to the first containment flap and the second containment flap. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the distal portion is bonded to the proximal portion proximate at least one of the first longitudinal side edge and the second longitudinal side edge. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the proximal portion lateral width is between about 10 percent and about 40 percent greater than the distal portion lateral width. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the proximal portion lateral width is between about 20 percent and about 30 percent greater than the distal portion lateral width. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the first longitudinal side edge and the second longitudinal side edge extend in a non-linear fashion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the proximal portion comprises a first material and the distal portion comprises a second, different material, the first material and the second material being bonded together. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the distal portion includes a distal portion elastic member located in the distal portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The absorbent article of claim 1, wherein the proximal portion elastic member in the proximal portion comprises a plurality of elastic strands.