US 5,745,922 AGranted

Disposable garment and related manufacturing equipment and methods

AssigneeKimberly-Clark Corporation

InventorsGregory John Rajala, Steven Craig Gehling, Paul Daniel Suke

Life of this patent

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Abstract

This invention pertains to a three dimensional disposable garment, subassemblies of the garment, and apparatus and methods for making the garment and subassemblies. The garment is designed to hold a primary absorbent sanitary pad. The garment may have elasticized leg and waist openings and be stretchable about the hip and stomach regions of a user. The garment provides backup protection to control egress of fluids that leak or seep around or through the primary sanitary pad. The garment includes a secondary absorbent positioned in the crotch area and extending into the body of the disposable garment, front and back, and preferably over the leg elastics to trap, inside the garment, leakage from the primary absorbent, and to prevent strike through onto e.g. outer clothing and bed linen. The apparatus and methods facilitate assembling leg elastics and crotch elastics into the garment subassemblies while assembling a series of garment subassemblies in a continuous web structure at a constant, or relatively constant, continuous and efficient speed.

Claims37

Dependent claims

A garment blank subassembly having a front body portion, a back body portion, and a crotch intermediate of and extending from the front body portion to the back body portion and between a pair of leg openings in a garment to be assembled from the garment blank subassembly, the front body portion having first and second front leg edge portions along the leg openings, a front end opposite the first and second front leg edge portions and first and second front sides, the back body portion having first and second back leg edge portions along the leg openings, a back end opposite the first and second back leg edge portions and first and second back sides, the crotch having first and second crotch edge portions on opposing sides thereof along the leg openings, the garment blank subassembly having a length extending between the front and back ends, width extending between the first and second sides and a longitudinal centerline between the first and second front and back sides, each of the first and second back leg edge portions having an angular portion extending generally along a line forming an acute angle with the longitudinal centerline, the garment blank subassembly, when laid out flat, comprising:

(a) a first layer, extending from the first end through the crotch to the second end;
(b) a first elastic attached to the first layer, and extending from a first locus adjacent the first back side, as a first section of the first elastic, along the width of the garment blank subassembly, toward the front end at an acute angle with the longitudinal centerline and generally following the first back leg edge portion toward the crotch, as a second section of the first elastic across the crotch, and as a third section of the first elastic away from the first end at an acute angle with the longitudinal centerline and generally following the second back leg edge portion, to a second locus adjacent the second back side, wherein the first and third sections of the first elastic are stretched and the second section of the first elastic being substantially relaxed when the garment blank subassembly is laid out flat.

(a) a first layer, extending from the first end through the crotch to the second end;
(b) a first elastic extending from a first locus adjacent the first front side, as a first section of the first elastic, along the width of the garment blank subassembly and generally following the first front leg edge toward the crotch at an angle essentially perpendicular to longitudinal centerline, as a second section of first elastic across the crotch, and as a third section of the first elastic along and generally following the second front leg edge portion at an angle essentially perpendicular to longitudinal centerline to a second locus adjacent the second front side, wherein the first and third sections of the first elastic are stretched when the garment blank subassembly is laid out flat and the second section of the first elastic is substantially relaxed when the garment blank subassembly is laid out flat.

(a) a first layer, extending from the first end through the crotch to the second end;
(b) a first elastic attached to the first layer, and extending from a first locus adjacent the first back side, as a first section of the first elastic, along the width of the garment blank subassembly, toward the front end at an acute angle with the longitudinal centerline and generally following the first back leg edge portion toward the crotch, as a second section of the first elastic across the crotch, and as a third section of the first elastic along and generally following the second front leg edge portion at an angle essentially perpendicular to longitudinal centerline to a second locus adjacent the second front side, the second section of the first elastic being substantially relaxed when the garment blank subassembly is laid out flat;
(c) a second elastic extending from a third locus adjacent the first front side, as a first section of the second elastic, along the width of the garment blank subassembly and generally following the first front leg edge toward the crotch at an angle essentially perpendicular to longitudinal centerline, as a second section of second elastic across the crotch, and as a third section of the second elastic away from the first end at an acute angle with the longitudinal centerline and generally following the second back leg edge portion, to a fourth locus adjacent the second back side, the second section of the second elastic being substantially relaxed when the garment blank subassembly is laid out flat and wherein the first and third sections of the first elastic and the first and third sections of the second elastic are stretched when the garment blank subassembly is laid out flat.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/382,108Filed 31 Jan 1995
Granted: 5 May 1998
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

A61F 13/496
Specially adapted to be worn around the waist, e.g. diapers or nappies: in the form of pants or briefs
A61F 13/15593
Of babies' napkins, e.g. diapers: having elastic ribbons fixed thereto; Devices for applying the ribbons
A61F 13/49017
With elastic means: the elastic means being located at the crotch region
A61F 13/49019
With elastic means: the elastic means being placed longitudinally, transversely or diagonally over the article