US 6,713,159 B1Granted

Tear-resistant bond pattern

AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.

InventorsTimothy James Blenke, Gregory Lynn Malchow, Daniel Hoo, Jeffry Jon Radke

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Abstract

This invention pertains to bonded composites, and absorbent articles comprising such bonded composites. The bonded composites comprise first and second layers of thin-section sheet material bonded by bond elements defining a bond pattern. The bond pattern has a length, and width. The bond pattern includes a first sub-array of longitudinally-oriented separate and distinct stress receptor elements proximate the side edges, and spaced at first distances from each other, and a second sub-array of longitudinally-oriented separate and distinct transfer and dissipation elements preferably disposed inwardly of the side edges and inwardly of the stress receptor elements, and at second distances from the stress receptor elements less than spacing of the stress receptor elements from each other. Bonds can be activated by application of thermal or ultrasonic energy, or pressure e.g. against adhesive. The thin-section elements can comprise polymeric material selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyesters, and polyamides, and copolymers, mixtures, and blends of such polymeric materials, and are preferably structured as fibrous, film, or foam work pieces. The composite contact length at a given point along the length of the pattern preferably varies from the average composite contact length by no more than about 13 percent. In preferred embodiments, stress transfer and dissipation elements direct stresses inwardly into the interior of the pattern. In some embodiments, transfer and dissipation elements have first ends disposed on the interior of the pattern, and extend to second ends adjacent side edges of the pattern between respective ones of the stress receptor elements.

Claims59

Dependent claims

A bonded composite, comprising:

(a) a first flexible sheet material having first and second opposing major surfaces, the first and second major surfaces defining a first overall area of said first flexible sheet material, and a first web interior between the first and second major surfaces, said first flexible sheet material being suitable for use in a personal care absorbent article;
(b) a second flexible sheet material having third and fourth opposing major surfaces, the third and fourth major surfaces defining a second overall area of said second flexible sheet material, and a second web interior between the third and fourth major surfaces, said second flexible sheet material being suitable for use in a personal care absorbent article, and being bonded to the first flexible sheet material by bond elements defining an elongate bond pattern, the elongate bond pattern having regularly repeating bond segments along a length thereof, the bond elements in each bond segment being spaced from each other according to a pattern of bond elements common to the respective bond segments, the bond pattern having a pattern length, and first and second side edges, the pattern length and the side edges, in combination, defining a third area within which the bond pattern is defined, the third area being smaller than at least one of the first and second areas of the respective first and second flexible sheet materials such that a portion of at least one of the first and second areas of respective said first and second flexible sheet materials is outside the bond pattern, the bond pattern having a bond pattern interior between the first and second side edges, and a pattern width between the first and second side edges, and a central longitudinal axis, the bond pattern comprising an array of separate, distinct, and spaced elongate bond elements in a repeating arrangement affixing said first and second flexible sheet materials to each other, ones of said bond elements extending across the width of said bond pattern, from loci proximate the side edges, at angles of between about 10 degrees and about 85 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis, a bond width being defined by a distance between the first and second side edges perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, including spaces between bond elements, at any point along the length of the pattern, such bond width extending along the pattern width, bond element contact lengths being correspondingly defined along the bond width, the composite of the bond element contact lengths along a respective bond width defining a composite contact length for the respective bond width, the composite contact length, taken at equally spaced intervals along the length of the bond pattern, defining an average composite contact length, the composite contact length at a given point along the length of the pattern varying from the average composite contact length by no more than about 13 percent.

A bonded composite, comprising:

(a) a first flexible sheet material having first and second opposing major surfaces, the first and second major surfaces defining a first overall area of said first flexible sheet material, and a first web interior between the first and second major surfaces, said first flexible sheet material being suitable for use in a personal care absorbent article;
(b) a second flexible sheet material having third and fourth opposing major surfaces, the third and fourth major surfaces defining a second overall area of said second flexible sheet material, and a second web interior between the third and fourth major surfaces, said second flexible sheet material being suitable for use in a personal cars absorbent article;
and
(c) a multiplicity of bond elements defining bonds bonding said first and second flexible sheet materials to each other in a bond pattern, the bond pattern having a pattern length, and first and second side edges, the pattern length and the side edges, in combination, defining a third area within which the bond pattern is defined, the third area being smaller than at least one of the first and second areas of the respective first and second flexible sheet materials such that a portion of at least one of the first and second areas of respective said first and second flexible sheet materials is outside the bond pattern, the bond pattern having a bond pattern interior between the first and second side edges, and a pattern width between the first and second side edges, and a central longitudinal axis, the bond pattern comprising an array of separate, distinct, and spaced elongate bond elements in a repeating arrangement affixing said first and second flexible sheet materials to each other,
(d) as ones of said bond elements, a first sub-array of longitudinally-oriented separate and distinct bond elements disposed along the length, and proximate the side edges of, the bond pattern, the side edges of the bond pattern being defined generally between outwardly-disposed sides of sequentially-adjacent ones of said first sub-array of bond elements, and
(e) as ones of said bond elements, a second sub-array of longitudinally-oriented separate, distinct, and spaced bond elements disposed along the length of the bond pattern, inwardly of the side edges of the bond pattern and generally inwardly of said first sub-array of bond elements, respective ones of said second sub-array of bond elements having spaced first and second ends, and legs extending from the respective first and second ends toward each other and outwardly of the longitudinal axis along the length of the bond pattern to outwardly-disposed portions of said legs, joined to each other, between said ones of said first sub-array of bond elements.

3 more elements

A bonded composite, comprising:

(a) a first flexible shoot material having first and second opposing major surfaces, the first and second major surfaces defining a first overall area of said first flexible sheet material, and a first web interior between the first and second major surfaces, said first flexible sheet material being suitable for use in a personal care absorbent article;
(b) a second flexible sheet material having third and fourth opposing major surfaces, the third and fourth major surfaces defining a second overall area of said second flexible sheet material, and a second web interior between the third and fourth major surfaces, said second flexible sheet material being suitable for use in a personal care absorbent article, and being bonded to the first flexible sheet material by bond elements defining an elongate bond pattern, the elongate bond pattern having regularly repeating bond segments along a length thereof, the bond elements in each bond segment being spaced from each other according to a pattern of bond elements common to the respective bond segments, the bond pattern having a pattern length, and first and second side edges, the pattern length and the side edges, in combination, defining a third area within which the bond pattern is defined, the third area being smaller than at least one of the first and second areas of the respective first and second flexible sheet materials such that a portion of at least one of the first and second areas of respective said first and second flexible sheet materials is outside the bond pattern, the bond pattern having a bond pattern interior between the first and second side edges, and a pattern width between the first and second side edges, and a central longitudinal axis, the bond pattern comprising an array of separate and distinct elongate bond elements in a repeating arrangement affixing said first and second flexible sheet materials to each other, a bond width being defined by the width of the pattern perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, including spaces between bond elements, at any point along the length of the pattern, such bond width extending along the pattern width, bond element contact lengths being correspondingly defined along the bond width, the composite of the bond element contact lengths along a respective bond width defining a composite contact length for the respective bond width, the composite contact length, taken at equally spaced intervals along the length of the bond pattern, defining an average composite contact length, a steady power distribution across the width of the bond pattern, as the bond pattern is being formed, defining minimum variations in composite contact lengths as compared to the average composite contact length for the bond pattern for at least a complete circumferential rotation of a rotary anvil reflecting the bond pattern, wherein variations in composite contact lengths of the bond pattern reflect no more than about 13 percent of the average composite contact length of the bond pattern throughout the complete circumferential anvil rotation.

An absorbent article having a front portion and a rear portion, and a crotch portion extending between said front portion and said rear portion, said absorbent article comprising:

(a) a first flexible shoat material having first and second opposing major surface, the first and second major surfaces defining a first overall area of said first flexible sheet material , and a first web interior between the first and second major surfaces;
(b) a second flexible sheet material having third and fourth opposing major surfaces, the third and fourth major surfaces defining a second overall area of said second flexible sheet material, and a second web interior between the third and fourth major surfaces;
and
(c) a multiplicity of bond elements defining bonds bonding said first and second flexible sheet materials to each other in a bond pattern, and
(d) an absorbent core disposed adjacent at least one of said first and said second flexible sheet materials, the bond pattern having a pattern length and including a central longitudinal axis, and first and second side edges, the pattern length and the side edges, in combination, defining a third area within which the bond pattern is formed, the third area being smaller than at least one of the first and second areas of the respective first and second flexible sheet materials such that a portion of at least one of the first and second areas of respective said first and second flexible sheet materials is outside the bond pattern, the bond pattern having a bond pattern interior between the first and second side edges, and a pattern width between the first and second side edges, the bond pattern comprising an array of separate, distinct, and spaced elongate bond elements in a repeating arrangement affixing said first and second flexible sheet materials to each other, ones of said bond elements extending across the width of said bond pattern, from loci proximate the side edges, at angles of between about 10 degrees and about 65 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis, a bond width being defined across the width of the bond pattern perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, including spaces between bond elements, at any point along the length of the pattern, such bond width extending along the pattern width, bond element contact lengths being correspondingly defined along the bond width, the composite of the bond element contact lengths along a respective bond width defining a composite contact length for the respective bond width, the composite contact length, taken at equally spaced intervals along the length of the bond pattern, defining an average composite contact length, the composite contact length at a given point along the length of the pattern varying from the average composite contact length by no more than about 13 percent.

2 more elements

An absorbent article having a front portion and a rear portion, and a crotch portion extending between said front portion and said rear portion, said absorbent article comprising:

(a) a first flexible sheet material having first and second opposing major surfaces, the first and second major surfaces defining a first overall area of said first flexible sheet material, and a fast web interior between the first and second major surfaces;
(b) a so flexible sheet material having third and fourth opposing major surfaces, the third and fourth major surfaces defining a second overall area of said second flexible sheet material, and a second web interior between the first and second major surfaces;
(c) a multiplicity of bond elements defining bonds bonding said first and second flexible sheet materials to each other in a bond pattern, and
(d) an absorbent core disposed adjacent at least one of said first and said second flexible sheet materials, the bond pattern having a pattern length and including a central longitudinal axis, and first and second side edges, the pattern length and the side edges, in combination, defining a third area within which the bond pattern is formed, the third area being smaller than at least one of the first and second areas of the respective first and second flexible sheet materials such that a portion of at least one of the first and second areas of respective said first and second flexible sheet materials is outside the bond pattern, the bond pattern having a bond pattern interior between the first and second side edges, and a pattern width between the first and second side edges, the bond pattern comprising an array of separate, distinct, and spaced elongate bond elements in a repeating arrangement affixing said first and second flexible sheet materials to each other,
(e) as ones of said bond elements, a first sub-array of longitudinally-oriented separate, distinct and spaced bond elements disposed along the length of, and proximate the side edges of the bond pattern, and
(f) as ones of said bond elements, a second sub-array of longitudinally-oriented separate, distinct, and spaced bond elements disposed along the length of the bond pattern, inwardly of the side edges of the bond pattern and generally inwardly of said first sub-array of bond elements, respective ones of said second sub-array of bond elements having spaced first and second ends, and legs extending from the respective first and second ends toward each other and outwardly of the longitudinal axis along the length of the bond pattern to outwardly-disposed portions of said legs between ones of said first sub-array of bond elements.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/651,042Filed 30 Aug 2000
Granted: 30 Mar 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification31 codes

A61F 13/5622
Supporting or fastening means: specially adapted for diapers or the like
A61F 13/496
Specially adapted to be worn around the waist, e.g. diapers or nappies: in the form of pants or briefs
B29C 65/087
Using a rotary sonotrode or a rotary anvil: using both a rotary sonotrode and a rotary anvil
B29C 65/48
Joining or sealing of preformed parts , e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor: using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining…