Absorbent articles with external access to internal conductors
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsDarold Dean Tippey, Andrew Mark Long, Thomas Michael Ales, III, Thomas David Ehlert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An absorbent article includes a liner and an outercover in facing relation and at least one conductive element located between the liner and the outercover. At least a portion of the conductive element is exposed through the liner and/or the outercover to define at least one external contact point. The external contact point defines a perimeter and the liner and/or the outercover is sealed about the perimeter. The contact points provide external access to the internal conductive elements.
Claims20
An absorbent article comprising,
- a liner and a outercover in facing relation;
- and
- at least one conductive element located between the liner and the outercover, wherein at least a portion of the conductive element is exposed through at least one of the liner and the outercover to define at least one external contact point and wherein the at least one external contact point defines a perimeter and wherein at least one of the liner and the outercover is sealed about the perimeter.
An absorbent article having a length and comprising,
- a liner and an outercover in facing relation;
- and
- a first conductive element and a second conductive element located between the liner and the outercover and extending the length of the absorbent article,
- wherein a plurality of portions of the first conductive element and the second conductive element are at least partially exposed through the outercover to define a plurality of external contact points and
- wherein each external contact point defines a perimeter and the outercover is sealed about each perimeter.
A method of exposing portions of internally positioned conductive elements to an external surface of an absorbent article, comprising,
- providing an outercover and liner in facing relation with a conductive element located therebetween;
- at least partially exposing a portion of the conductive element through the outercover to define at least one external contact point on an outer article surface;
- and
- sealing the outercover about a perimeter of the at least one external contact point by at least partially melting portions of the outercover.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.