Absorbent article with lengthwise, compact-fold and wrap layer

• US 20070250031A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Pateras, Carrie, Heck, Angela, Schroeder, Karyn, Ruman, Marcille, Woltman, Gary
• Application Number:
  US11/408,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20070250031A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/385.201
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/4704 having preferential bending zones, e.g. fold lines or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5514 each item packaged single

Abstract

A personal care article (20) has a longitudinal-direction (22), a relatively shorter, lateral cross-direction (24), a first end-section (72), a second end-section (72a), and an intermediate-section (76). The article has been operatively connected in facing relation with a wrap member (98), and the article has been folded about a first, laterally extending end-fold-region (64). The article and a corresponding section of the wrap member have been folded about a second, laterally extending end-fold-region (66). A preliminary-folded article (82) and a corresponding, preliminary-folded wrap member have been provided after the article has been folded about both the first and second end-fold-regions. The preliminary-folded article and wrap member have also been folded along a longitudinally extending, composite-fold-region (96a) of both the preliminary-folded article and wrap member, to provide a composite-folded, wrapped article (114).

Claims

1. A personal care article having a lengthwise longitudinal-direction;

a relatively shorter, lateral cross-direction;

a first end-section;

a second end-section; and

an intermediate-section which is interposed between said first end-section and said second end-section;

the article comprising;

a liquid permeable topsheet layer; and

a backsheet layer operatively connected to the topsheet layer;

wherein

the article has been operatively connected in facing relation with a wrap member;

the article has been folded about a first, laterally extending end-fold-region;

the first end-fold-region has been operatively arranged to provide a folded-over first end-section of the article, at least a portion of which is in facing relation with the intermediate-section of the article;

the article and a corresponding section of the wrap member have been folded about a second, laterally extending end-fold-region;

the second end-fold-region has been-operatively arranged to provide a folded-over second end-section of the article, at least a portion of which is in facing relation with the intermediate-section of the article, and is positioned at least proximally adjacent the article intermediate-section;

a preliminary-folded article and a corresponding, preliminary-folded wrap member have been provided after the article has been folded about both the first end-fold-region and the second end-fold-region; and

the preliminary-folded article and wrap member have been folded along a longitudinally extending, composite-fold-region of both the preliminary-folded article and wrap member, thereby providing a composite-folded, wrapped article.

2. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein

the wrap member includes at least one end-section and an intermediate section;

and

a laterally-opposed pair of the side-margins in the at least one end-section of the wrap member have been operatively connected to a corresponding laterally-opposed pair of side-margins in the intermediate-section of the wrap member.

3. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein

the wrap member includes a first end-section, a second end-section and an intermediate section;

a laterally-opposed pair of the side-margins in the first end-section of the wrap member have been operatively connected to a corresponding laterally-opposed pair of side-margins in the intermediate-section of the wrap member;

a laterally-opposed pair of the side-margins of a second end-section of the wrap member have been operatively connected to a corresponding laterally-opposed pair of the side-margins in the first end-section of the wrap member.

4. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein the wrap member has included a wrap retainer mechanism which has been configured to operatively hold the composite-folded, article and composite-folded wrap member in their composite-folded condition to provide a composite-folded, wrapped article.

5. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein the wrap member has an inward, article-facing surface, an opposed outward-facing surface, and a laterally-opposed pair of side margins, with each of the side-margins of the wrap member extending transversely outboard and beyond a corresponding, terminal side-edge of the article.

6. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, further including a garment-attachment mechanism operatively secured to a garment-side of the backsheet layer.

7. A personal care article as recited in claim 6, wherein the garment-attachment mechanism has been releasably secured to a strip of release material.

8. A personal care article as recited in claim 6, wherein the garment-attachment mechanism has been releasably secured to an immediately adjacent surface of the wrap member.

9. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein

the article includes a garment-attachment mechanism which is operatively connected to a garment-side of the backsheet layer, and a separately provided release layer which is releasably secured to the garment-attachment mechanism;

the article has an overall longitudinal length and an overall cross-directional width; and

the wrap member has a longitudinal length which is less than the longitudinal length of the article, and a cross-directional width which is greater than the cross-directional width of the article.

10. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein the first, laterally extending end-fold-region of the article is substantially convex along a backsheet side of the article and substantially concave along a topsheet side of the article.

11. A personal care article as recited in claim 10, wherein the second, laterally extending end-fold-region of the article is substantially convex along a backsheet side of the article and substantially concave along a topsheet side of the article.

12. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein the composite-fold-region in the preliminary-folded article is substantially convex along a backsheet-side of the intermediate section of the article.

13. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein the composite-fold-region in the preliminary-folded article is substantially concave along a backsheet-side of the intermediate section of the article.

14. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein

the first end-fold-region of the article has been operatively arranged to provide a folded-over first end-section of the article, which is immediately adjacent and faces against the intermediate-section of the article;

and

the second end-fold-region of the article has been operatively arranged to provide a folded-over second end-section of the article, which is proximally adjacent and in facing relation with the folded-over first end-section.

15. A personal care article as recited in claim 14, wherein

a first, topsheet portion in the folded-over first end-section has been positioned in facing relation onto an intermediate topsheet portion in the intermediate-section of the article;

and

a second, topsheet portion in the folded-over second end-section has been positioned in facing relation onto a first, wrap-layer portion that has been operatively folded with the folded-over first end-section.

16. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein

at least a portion of said first end-section of the article has also been folded about a first, lengthwise-fold-region, which is substantially convex along a topsheet-side of the article;

at least a portion of said second end-section of the article has also been folded about a second, lengthwise-fold-region, which is substantially convex along the topsheet-side of the article; and

at least a portion of said intermediate-section of the article has also been folded about a third, lengthwise-fold-region, which is substantially concave along the topsheet-side of the article.

17. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein

at least a portion of said first end-section of the article has also been folded about a first, lengthwise-fold-region, which is substantially concave along a topsheet-side of the article;

and

at least a portion of said second end-section of the article has also been folded about a second, lengthwise-fold-region, which is substantially concave along the topsheet-side of the article; and

at least a portion of said intermediate-section of the article has also been folded about a third, lengthwise-fold-region, which is substantially convex along the topsheet-side of the article.

18. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein

the article and wrap member have been folded about a first, laterally extending end-fold-line positioned proximally adjacent a first portion of the intermediate-section of the article to provide the first end-fold-region;

the article and wrap member have been folded about a second, laterally extending end-fold-line positioned proximally adjacent a second portion of the intermediate-section of the article to provide the second end-fold-region; and

the preliminary-folded article and preliminary-folded wrap member have been folded along a longitudinally extending, composite fold-line, which is proximate a longitudinally-extending centerline of the article.

19. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein the preliminary-folded article has been folded along a longitudinally extending, composite-fold-region to provide a composite-folded article having a composite-folded girth which is less than about 15 cm and a composite-folded length which is less than about 10 cm.

20. A personal care article as recited in claim 1, wherein

the first end-fold-region of the article has been configured to be substantially convex along the backsheet-side of the article along at least about 65% of a corresponding lateral width of the first end-fold-region;

and

the second end-fold-region of the article has been configured to be substantially convex along the backsheet-side of the article along at least about 65% of a corresponding lateral width of the second end-fold-region.