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AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsWilliam H. Goodman, Jr., Donald L. Gerth
Estimating the term…
A resilient three-dimensional plastic web exhibiting reduced skin contact area and a fiber-like appearance and tactile impression. The web has a multiplicity of apertures therein, each being defined by a multiplicity of intersecting fiber-like elements interconnected to one another in the plane of a first surface of the web. Each of the fiber-like elements exhibits a substantially uniform generally upwardly concave-shaped cross-section along its length. The cross-section comprises a pair of convergent substantially linear portions which intersect one another at an end to form a vertex in the plane of the first surface of the web. This vertex reduces the skin contact area of the web providing a more comfortable feel for the user when the web is employed as a wearer contacting topsheet on an absorbent article. Furthermore, the web provides a substantially non-glossy visible surface as there is almost no substantially planar portion in its uppermost surface to reflect incident light to the viewer's eye. The pattern of intersecting vertices in the first surface of the web substantially eliminates pooling of fluid on the first surface of the web, since there is almost no substantially planar portion on which fluid may pool. This further contributes to the web's clean and dry appearance in use as well as more rapid fluid transport into the underlying absorbent element.
A resilient three-dimensional web having a first surface in a first plane and a second surface in a second plane, said web exhibiting a fiber-like appearance and tactile impression, said web being comprised of a fluid-impervious plastic material, said first surface having a multiplicity of apertures therein, each of said apertures being defined by a multiplicity of intersecting fiber-like elements interconnected to one another in the first plane, each of said fiber-like elements exhibiting a substantially uniform generally upwardly concave-shaped cross-section along its length, said cross-section comprising a pair of convergent substantially linear portions which intersect one another at an end to form a single vertex in said first plane, said vertex defining an angle theta (.theta.) such that theta (.theta.) is from about 20.degree. to about 140.degree., said cross-section further comprising a sidewall portion joined to a free end of each of said linear portions, said sidewall portions extending generally in the direction of said second surface of said web, said intersecting substantially linear portions and said intersecting sidewall portions being interconnected to one another, respectively, intermediate said first and second surfaces of said web, said interconnected sidewall portions terminating substantially concurrently with one another in the second plane of said web.
A resilient three-dimensional web having a first surface in a first plane and a second surface in a second plane, said web exhibiting a fiber-like appearance and tactile impression, said web being comprised of a fluid-impervious plastic material, said first surface having a multiplicity of apertures therein, each of said apertures being defined by a multiplicity of primary intersecting fiber-like elements interconnected to one another in the first plane of said web, each of said primary fiber-like elements exhibiting a substantially uniform generally upwardly concave-shaped cross-section along its length, said cross-section comprising a pair of convergent substantially linear portions which intersect one another at an end to form a single primary vertex in said first plane, said primary vertex defining a angle theta (.theta.) such that theta (.theta.) is from about 20.degree. to about 140.degree., said cross-section further comprising a primary sidewall portion joined to a free end of each of said primary linear portions, said primary sidewall portions extending generally in the direction of said second surface of said web, said primary intersecting substantially linear portions and said primary intersecting sidewall portions being interconnected to one another respectively intermediate said first and said second surfaces of said web, said interconnected primary sidewall portions being further connected to at least one secondary intersecting fiber-like element exhibiting a substantially uniform generally upwardly concave-shaped cross-section along its length, said cross-section of said secondary element comprising a pair of secondary convergent substantially linear portions which intersect one another at an end to form a single secondary vertex in a plane intermediate said first and second surfaces of said web, said secondary vertex defining an angle theta (.theta.) such that theta (.theta.) is from about 20.degree. to about 140.degree., said cross-section further comprising a secondary sidewall portion joined to a free end of each said secondary linear portions, said secondary sidewall portions extending generally in the direction of said second surface of said web, said interconnected primary and secondary sidewall portions terminating substantially concurrently with one another in the second plane of said web.
A resilient three-dimensional web having a first surface in a first plane and a second surface in a second plane, said web exhibiting a fiber-like appearance and tactile impression, said web being comprised of a fluid-impervious plastic material, said first surface having a multiplicity of apertures therein, each of said apertures being defined by a multiplicity of intersecting fiber-like elements interconnected to one another in the first plane, each of said fiber-like elements exhibiting a substantially uniform generally upwardly concave-shaped cross-section along its length, said cross-section comprising a pair of convergent substantially linear portions which intersect one another at an end to form a single vertex in said first plane, said vertex defining an angle theta (.theta.) such that theta (.theta.) is from about 20.degree. to about 140.degree., said linear portions each representing a cross-section through a substantially planar surface and said vertex representing a line of intersection of said planar surfaces such that an upper surface of each fiber-like element forms a dihedral angle, said cross-section further comprising a sidewall portion joined to a free end of each of said linear portions, said sidewall portions extending generally in the direction of said second surface of said web, said intersecting substantially linear portions and said intersecting sidewall portions being interconnected to one another, respectively, intermediate said first and second surfaces of said web, said interconnected sidewall portions terminating substantially concurrently with one another in the second plane of said web.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.