Preferential bend structure and articles containing said structure

• US 20070074381A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Kline, Mark, Raycheck, Jeromy, Lavash, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 8,652,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 24/452
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/10 specially adapted for fingers, hands, or arms; Finger-stalls; Nail-protectors restraining devices for arms A61F5/37; shoulder bandages A61F13/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49001 having preferential bending zones, e.g. fold lines or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49007 Form-fitting, self-adjusting disposable diapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49011 the elastic means is located at the waist region
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49014 the elastic means is located at the side panels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49017 the elastic means being located at the crotch region
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49019 the elastic means being placed longitudinally, transversely or diagonally over the article
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4902 characterised by the elastic material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49473 the edge leakage prevention means having a continuous closed form, e.g. circle, ellipse, rectangle
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 15/006 Bandage fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00119 elastic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/27 including readily dissociable fastener having numerous, protruding, unitary filaments randomly interlocking with, and simultaneously moving towards, mating structure [e.g., hook-loop type fastener]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/2792 having mounting surface and filaments constructed from common piece of material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24752 Laterally noncoextensive components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24851 Intermediate layer is discontinuous or differential
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249993 Hydrocarbon polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31913 Monoolefin polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31938 Polymer of monoethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon

Abstract

A preferential bend structure may have a first face and an opposing second face. The preferential bend structure may comprise at least a base layer and an auxiliary layer, wherein a first deforming force applied to the first face results in a first deflection and a second deforming force applied to the second face results in a second deflection which is equal to the first deflection, and wherein the second deforming force is not equal to the first deforming force.

Claims

16. A fastening system comprising an engaging member and a receiving member;

wherein the engaging member or the receiving member comprise a preferential bend structure having a first face and an opposing second face, said preferential bend structure comprising a base layer and an auxiliary layer;

wherein a first deforming force applied to the first face results in a first deflection and a second deforming force applied to the second face results in a second deflection which is equal to the first deflection, and wherein the second deforming force is not equal to the first deforming force.

17. The fastening system of claim 16 wherein the member comprising the preferential bend structure exhibits Percent Load Difference of about 10% or greater.

18. The fastening system of claim 16 wherein the engaging member is joined to a first region of a product and the receiving member is joined to a second region of the product, wherein the first region and second region are joined upon fastening of the engaging member and the receiving member.

19. The fastening system of claim 18 wherein the product is a wrap, a medical product, or an absorbent article.

20. The fastening system of claim 16 wherein the engaging member is a tab member and the receiving member is a slot member.

21. A disposable absorbent article having a body-facing surface, a garment-facing surface, and at least a first end region, a second end region, and an intermediate region;

wherein at least one of said first end region, second end region, or intermediate region comprises a first preferential bend structure having a first face and an opposing second face, said first preferential bend structure comprising a base layer and an auxiliary layer, wherein a first deforming force applied to the first face results in a first deflection and a second deforming force applied to the second face results in a second deflection which is equal to the first deflection, and wherein the second deforming force is not equal to the first deforming force.

1. A preferential bend structure having a first face and an opposing second face, said preferential bend structure comprising at least a base layer and an auxiliary layer, wherein a first deforming force applied to the first face results in a first deflection and a second deforming force applied to the second face results in a second deflection which is equal to the first deflection, and wherein the second deforming force is not equal to the first deforming force.

2. The preferential bend structure of claim 1 wherein the preferential bend structure exhibits a Percent Load Difference of about 10% or greater.

3. The preferential bend structure of claim 1 wherein the base layer comprises a base material selected from polymeric materials, films, foams, nonwoven webs, woven webs, cellulosic materials, metals, laminates thereof, and combinations thereof and wherein the auxiliary layer comprises an auxiliary material selected from polymeric materials, films, foams, nonwoven webs, woven webs, cellulosic materials, metals, laminates thereof, and combinations thereof.

4. The preferential bend structure of claim 1 wherein the base layer and the auxiliary layer differ in geometry.

5. The preferential bend structure of claim 1 wherein the preferential bend structure further comprises an intermediate layer disposed between the base layer and the auxiliary layer.

6. The preferential bend structure of claim 5 wherein the intermediate layer comprises discontinuities or void regions.

7. The preferential bend structure of claim 6 wherein the void region has a width and a depth, wherein said width is approximately equal to or greater than the depth.

8. The preferential bend structure of claim 6 wherein the laminate comprises a first void region having a first void width and a first void depth and a second void region having a second void width and a second void depth, wherein the first void region and second void region differ in void width or void depth.

9. A disposable absorbent article having first waist region, a second waist region opposed to the first waist region, a crotch region positioned between the first waist and the second waist region, a perimeter region, and a central region;

said disposable absorbent article comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent core disposed between said backsheet and topsheet, and the preferential bend structure of claim 1 disposed in a region selected from the first waist region, the second waist, the crotch region, the central region, the perimeter region, or combinations thereof.

10. A disposable absorbent article having a waist gasketing region adjacent a waist opening and a leg gasketing region adjacent a leg opening, said disposable absorbent article comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent core disposed between said backsheet and topsheet, and the preferential bend structure of claim 1 disposed at least partially within the waist gasketing region or the leg gasketing region.

11. A disposable absorbent article comprising an elasticized topsheet with a slit opening there through, a backsheet, an absorbent core disposed between said backsheet and elasticized topsheet, and the preferential bend structure of claim 1 disposed on the elasticized topsheet.

12. A disposable absorbent article having a body-facing surface;

said disposable absorbent article comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent core disposed between said backsheet and topsheet, and a pair of barrier leg cuffs extending from the body-facing surface;

wherein the barrier leg cuffs comprise the preferential bend structure of claim 1.

13. A commercial good comprising the preferential bend structure of claim 1 wherein the commercial good is a medical product, a wrap, an article of clothing, an absorbent article, or footwear.

14. The preferential bend structure of claim 1 wherein the structure has a first region and a second region, wherein said first region bends about a first axial line, and said second region bends about a second axial line.

15. The preferential bend structure of claim 14 wherein the first region and second region overlap.

22. The disposable absorbent article of claim 21 further comprising a second preferential bend structure having a first face and an opposing second face, said second preferential bend structure comprising a base layer and an auxiliary layer, wherein a first deforming force applied to the first face results in a first deflection and a second deforming force applied to the second face results in a second deflection which is equal to the first deflection, and wherein the second deforming force is not equal to the first deforming force;

wherein the second preferential bend structure is located in a region, which does not comprise the first preferential bend structure, selected from the first end region, second end region, or intermediate region.

23. The disposable absorbent article of claim 22 wherein the first preferential bend structure exhibits preferential bend toward the body-facing surface of the article and the second preferential bend structure exhibits preferential bend toward the garment-facing surface of the article.

24. The disposable absorbent article of claim 22 wherein the article further comprises a third preferential bend structure having a first face and an opposing second face, said third preferential bend structure comprising a base layer and an auxiliary layer, wherein a first deforming force applied to the first face results in a first deflection and a second deforming force applied to the second face results in a second deflection which is equal to the first deflection, and wherein the second deforming force is not equal to the first deforming force;

wherein the third preferential bend structure is located in a region, which does not comprise the first preferential bend structure or the second preferential bend structure, selected from the first end region, second end region, or intermediate region.

25. The disposable absorbent article of claim 24 wherein the first preferential bend structure is located in said first end region, said second preferential bend structure is located in said second end region, and said third preferential bend structure is located in said intermediate region wherein said third preferential bend structure exhibits a preferential bend toward the garment-facing surface of the article

26. The disposable absorbent article of claim 24 wherein the first preferential bend structure exhibits a preferential bend about a first axial line, the second preferential bend structure exhibits a preferential bend about a second axial line, and the third preferential bend structure exhibits a preferential bend about a third axial line, wherein the third axial line has a different direction from the first axial line or the second axial line.

23-1. The disposable absorbent article of claim 22 wherein the first preferential bend structure exhibits a preferential bend about a first axial line and the second preferential bend structure exhibits a preferential bend about a second axial line having a different direction from the first axial line.