Absorbent article having integral barrier cuffs and process for making the same

A method for making an absorbent article having barrier leg cuffs, a first waist region, a second waist region, a crotch region disposed between the first and second waist regions, a longitudinal centerline, and a pair of opposed longitudinal side edges comprising the steps of:

• providing a web having side edges, the web comprising a fluid pervious topsheet, a fluid impervious backsheet, an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the absorbent core having side edges and waist edges, and at least one elastic member disposed adjacent each side edge of the web;
• cutting the web to provide a pair of laterally opposed cuts along the side edges of the web, the cuts comprising a perforation pattern having a predetermined length inboard of the side edge of the web which defines a closed end of the cut;
• folding each side edge of the web toward the longitudinal centerline adjacent a line connecting the closed ends of the cuts on the side of the web where the cuts are located to form a folded portion on each side of the web;
• providing first and second longitudinally spaced apart attachment means to join the folded portion on each side of the web to underlying portions of the web, one first attachment means being adjacent each cut and the second attachment means being a predetermined longitudinal distance away the first attachment means;
• and
• severing the web adjacent the second attachment means to form the absorbent article.

An absorbent article having a longitudinal centerline, a lateral centerline, longitudinal side edges and lateral ends defining a periphery, a first waist region, a second waist region and a crotch region between the first waist region and the second waist region, and comprising:

• a liquid pervious topsheet;
• a liquid impervious backsheet joined to the topsheet;
• an absorbent core having longitudinal side edges disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet;
• an elastic waist feature in the second waist region;
• elasticized ear panels in the second waist region having side edges which extend laterally outwardly beyond the side edges of the absorbent core;
• fastening means disposed on the waist feature for forming a closure in the absorbent article;
• and
• a pair of longitudinally extending barrier cuffs, each of the barrier cuffs being integrally formed from a lateral extension of the topsheet and the backsheet beyond the side edge of the absorbent core, the lateral extension being provided with first and second cuts defining a cuff area having first and second ends, the cuff area further having a free distal edge, the distal edge being folded toward the longitudinal centerline in a C-fold, one of the ends of said cuff area being joined to said first waist region and the other of the ends of the cuff area being joined to the second waist region to form the barrier cuff, each of the barrier cuffs being further provided with a spacing means adjacent the distal edge for spacing the barrier cuffs upwardly away from the topsheet in at least the crotch region wherein the backsheet is narrower than the topsheet, the spacing means comprises an elastic member adjacent the distal edge of the cuff area, and the top sheet is folded about the elastic member in a C-fold.

A method of making a disposable absorbent article having barrier cuffs, a first waist region, a second waist region, a crotch region disposed between the first and second waist regions, a longitudinal centerline, and a pair of opposed longitudinal side edges comprising the steps of:

• providing a web comprising a fluid pervious topsheet, a fluid impervious backsheet, an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the absorbent core having side edges and waist edges, and at least one elastic member disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet adjacent each side edge of the absorbent core;
• making at least one pair of laterally opposed cuts along the side edges of the web, at least one of the cuts having an opened end and a closed end, each pair of cuts defining a cuff area which extends from the closed end outwardly to the longitudinal side edge of the web, the cuff area including an inner longitudinal portion being coterminous with the closed ends of the cuts, a middle longitudinal portion, and an outer longitudinal portion, each cuff area having a body facing surface, a garment facing surface, and first end and a second end;
• and
• attaching the first and second ends of the cuff area to the topsheet so that a barrier cuff having a distal edge which is unattached to the topsheet in at least the crotch region results, wherein said step of attaching further comprises the steps of:
• providing a first means for bonding in the first and second waist regions of the article on either side of a line extending between the closed ends of the cuts;
• making a first fold, along a line conterminous with the closed ends of the cuts, toward the longitudinal centerline so that the first means for bonding secures a portion of the inner longitudinal portion to the topsheet in each of the first and second waist regions and the remainder of the inner longitudinal portion remains unattached in the crotch region;
• providing a second means for bonding on the garment facing surface of the folded over cuff area in either the inner or middle longitudinal portions;
• providing a third means for bonding on the topsheet adjacent the cut lines in the first and second waist regions of the web;
• making a second longitudinal fold in the middle longitudinal portion of the cuff area away from the longitudinal centerline so that the second means for bonding attaches the cuff area to itself in the middle longitudinal portion;
• and
• attaching the first and second ends of the outer longitudinal portion of the cuff area to the topsheet in the first and second waist regions by a third means for bonding to produce gasketing cuffs each having a distal edge, wherein the backsheet is laterally narrower than the topsheet so that the barrier cuffs each comprise two layers of topsheet material and a center layer of backsheet material and the gasketing cuffs each comprise only topsheet material.

A method of making a disposable absorbent article having barrier cuffs, a first waist region, a second waist region, a crotch region disposed between the first and second waist regions, a longitudinal centerline, and a pair of opposed longitudinal side edges comprising the steps of:

• providing a web comprising a fluid pervious topsheet, a fluid impervious backsheet, an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, the absorbent core having side edges and waist edges, and at least one elastic member disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet adjacent each side edge of the absorbent core;
• making at least one pair of laterally opposed cuts along the side edges of the web, at least one of the cuts having an opened end and a closed end, each pair of cuts defining a cuff area which extends from the closed end outwardly to the longitudinal side edge of the web, the cuff area including an inner longitudinal portion being coterminous with the closed ends of the cuts, a middle longitudinal portion, and an outer longitudinal portion, each cuff area having a body facing surface, a garment facing surface, a first end and a second end;
• attaching the first and second ends of the cuff area to the topsheet so that a barrier cuff having a distal edge which is unattached to the topsheet in at least the crotch region results, wherein said step of attaching further comprises the steps of:
• providing a means for bonding longitudinally adjacent to either side of a line extending between the closed ends of the cuts in the crotch region;
• folding toward the longitudinal centerline so that the means for bonding attaches the inner longitudinal portion to the topsheet in at least the crotch region;
• making a second longitudinal fold in the middle longitudinal portion of the cuff area away from the longitudinal centerline;
• and
• attaching the ends of the cuff area to the topsheet in at least the first and second waist regions so that the cuff area remains unattached forming the barrier cuffs in the crotch region and so that the portion of the cuff areas adjacent to the longitudinal edges of the web forms gasketing cuffs, each having a distal edge.