Wearable Article with Extensible Fastening Member Having Stress Distribution Features and/or Fastening Combination Performance Characteristics, and Method of Testing and Selecting Fastening Combination Performance Characteristics

• US 20110092947A1
• Filed: 10/14/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Mason, Oliver Edwin Clarke, Kline, Mark James
• Granted Patent: US 9,068,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/391
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/49015 the elastic means being elastic panels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/62 Mechanical fastening means, A61F13/5611, A61F13/5616, A61F13/581, A61F13/66 take precedence; Fabric strip fastener elements, e.g. hook and loop
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/627 characterised by the loop
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 19/04 Measuring adhesive force between materials, e.g. of sealing tape, of coating
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2203/0016 Tensile or compressive
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2203/0025 Shearing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2203/0091 Peeling or tearing

Abstract

A wearable article with an extensible fastening member having a fastener proximate its end is disclosed. The fastening member may be highly extensible, and may have construction features and shape characteristics that affect distribution of force components when the fastener is in use, and reduce the chances of buckling or flipping of the fastening member along its edges, and the chances that the edges of the fastener will be lifted away from a surface to which it is attached. The fastener and material forming an accompanying landing zone on the article may be selected to form a fastening combination having performance attributes that provide further resistance to unintended pop-off under wearing conditions.

Claims

1. A wearable article, comprising:

a chassis having a front waist region, a rear waist region, a landing zone disposed on the front waist region, the landing zone comprising a loop material, and an integrally-formed, highly extensible fastening member extending laterally from the rear waist region and having a fastener disposed thereon, the fastener comprising a hook material, wherein the loop material and the hook material form a fastening combination, wherein the fastening combination exhibits the following value when tested according to a Vertical Pull Test at a 1 mm Shear Displacement;

a Vertical Peak Load of at least 4.0 N.

2. The wearable article of claim 1 wherein the fastening combination further exhibits the following value when tested according to the Vertical Pull Test at a 1 mm Shear Displacement:

a Greatest Vertical Load between 0.0 and 0.5 mm Displacement of at least 1.5 N.

3. The wearable article of claim 1 wherein the fastening combination further exhibits the following value when tested according to the Vertical Pull Test at a 1 mm Shear Displacement:

a Greatest Vertical Load between 0.0 and 1.0 mm Displacement of at least 3.0 N.

4. The wearable article of claim 1 wherein the fastening combination further exhibits the following values when tested according to the Vertical Pull Test at a 1 mm Shear Displacement:

a Greatest Vertical Load between 0.0 and 0.5 mm Displacement of at least 1.5 N; and

a Displacement at Vertical Peak Load of at least about 0.5 mm.

5. The wearable article of claim 1 wherein the fastening combination further exhibits the following values when tested according to the Vertical Pull Test at a 1 mm Shear Displacement:

a Greatest Vertical Load between 0.0 and 1.0 mm Displacement of at least 3.0 N; and

a Displacement at Vertical Peak Load of at least about 0.5 mm.

6. The wearable article of claim 1, wherein the fastening combination further exhibits the following value when tested according to the Vertical Pull Test at a 2 mm Shear Displacement:

a Vertical Peak Load of equal to or greater than 4.0 N.

13. The wearable article of claim 1 wherein said fastening member extends from a junction line along a stretch direction transverse to said junction line, and ends at an outboard end;

wherein said junction line connects first and second longitudinally outermost junction points on a first longitudinally outermost lateral edge and an opposing second longitudinally outermost lateral edge, respectively, of said fastening member, said first longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a first profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end, and said second longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a second profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end; and

said fastening member further comprises;

an extensible zone bounded by inboard and outboard extensible zone extents; and

a fastener zone disposed outboard of said extensible zone, said fastener zone comprising said fastener, and having first and second inboard fastener zone corners, said fastener zone having a Stiffness of at least about 1,500 N/m;

wherein said first profile intersects a first line segment connecting said first longitudinally outermost junction point and said first inboard fastener zone corner, at a first intersection point inboard of said first inboard fastener zone corner.

16. The wearable article of claim 1 wherein said fastening member extends from a junction line along a stretch direction transverse to said junction line, and ends at an outboard end, wherein said junction line connects first and second longitudinally outermost junction points on a first longitudinally outermost lateral edge and an opposing second longitudinally outermost lateral edge, respectively, of said fastening member, said first longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a first profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end, and said second longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a second profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end;

and said fastening member further comprises;

an extensible zone bounded by inboard and outboard extensible zone extents; and

a fastener zone disposed outboard of said extensible zone, said fastener zone comprising said fastener, and having first and second inboard fastener zone corners, said fastener zone having a Stiffness of at least about 1,500 N/m;

wherein said fastening member has an acting width (WA) measured from an outboard edge of said fastener zone to said inboard extensible zone extent;

said acting width is bounded by longitudinal lines W0 and W100, and said acting width may be divided into four equal portions by longitudinal lines W25 at 25% of said acting width, W50 at 50% of said acting width, and W75 at 75% of said acting width;

said fastening member has lengths L0, L25, L50 and L100 measurable along lines W0, W25, W50, and W100, respectively, and the following relationships exist;

L0 is at least about 25% of L100;

L25 is at least about 30% of L100; and

L50 is at least about 50% of L100.

19. The wearable article of claim 1 wherein said fastening member extends from a junction line along a stretch direction transverse to said junction line, and ends at an outboard end, wherein said junction line connects first and second longitudinally outermost junction points on a first longitudinally outermost lateral edge and an opposing second longitudinally outermost lateral edge, respectively, of said fastening member, said first longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a first profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end, and said second longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a second profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end;

and said fastening member further comprises;

an extensible zone bounded by inboard and outboard extensible zone extents; and

a fastener zone disposed outboard of said extensible zone, said fastener zone comprising said fastener, and having first and second inboard fastener zone corners, said fastener zone having a Stiffness of at least about 1,500 N/m;

wherein said fastening member has an acting width (WA) measured from an outboard edge of said fastener zone to said inboard extensible zone extent line;

said acting width is bounded by longitudinal lines W0 and W100, and said acting width may be divided into four equal portions by longitudinal lines W25 at 25% of said acting width, W50 at 50% of said acting width, and W75 at 75% of said acting width; and

at least one of said longitudinally outermost lateral edges defines an inflection point approximately between lines W25 and W50.

22. The wearable article of claim 1 wherein said fastening member extends from a junction line along a stretch direction transverse to said junction line, and ends at an outboard end, wherein said junction line connects first and second longitudinally outermost junction points on a first longitudinally outermost lateral edge and an opposing second longitudinally outermost lateral edge, respectively, of said fastening member, said first longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a first profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end, and said second longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a second profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end;

and said fastening member further comprises;

an extensible zone bounded by inboard and outboard extensible zone extents;

a fastener zone disposed outboard of said extensible zone, said fastener zone comprising a fastener, and having first and second inboard fastener zone corners, said fastener zone having a Stiffness of at least about 1,500 N/m; and

a strengthened end region disposed outboard of said extensible zone, said strengthened end region having an inboard length (LR);

wherein said inboard length (LR) is within the range of about 66% to about 80% of said fastening member length (L).

7. A wearable article, comprising:

a chassis having a front waist region, a rear waist region, a landing zone disposed on the front waist region, the landing zone comprising a loop material, and an extensible fastening member extending laterally from the rear waist region and having a fastener disposed thereon, the fastener comprising a hook material, wherein the loop material and the hook material form a fastening combination, wherein the fastening combination exhibits the following value when tested according to a Vertical Pull Test at a 1 mm Shear Displacement;

a Greatest Vertical Load between 0.0 and 0.5 mm Displacement of at least about 1.5 N.

8. The wearable article of claim 7 wherein the fastening combination further exhibits the following value when tested according to the Vertical Pull Test at a 1 mm Shear Displacement:

a Displacement at Vertical Peak Load of at least about 0.5 mm.

9. The wearable article of claim 7, wherein the fastening combination further exhibits the following value when tested according to the Vertical Pull Test at a 2 mm Shear Displacement:

a Vertical Peak Load of equal to or greater than 1.5 N.

14. The wearable article of claim 7 wherein said fastening member is integrally-formed and highly extensible and extends from a junction line along a stretch direction transverse to said junction line, and ends at an outboard end;

wherein said junction line connects first and second longitudinally outermost junction points on a first longitudinally outermost lateral edge and an opposing second longitudinally outermost lateral edge, respectively, of said fastening member, said first longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a first profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end, and said second longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a second profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end; and

said fastening member further comprises;

an extensible zone bounded by inboard and outboard extensible zone extents; and

a fastener zone disposed outboard of said extensible zone, said fastener zone comprising said fastener, and having first and second inboard fastener zone corners, said fastener zone having a Stiffness of at least about 1,500 N/m;

wherein said first profile intersects a first line segment connecting said first longitudinally outermost junction point and said first inboard fastener zone corner, at a first intersection point inboard of said first inboard fastener zone corner.

17. The wearable article of claim 7 wherein said fastening member is integrally-formed and highly extensible and extends from a junction line along a stretch direction transverse to said junction line, and ends at an outboard end, wherein said junction line connects first and second longitudinally outermost junction points on a first longitudinally outermost lateral edge and an opposing second longitudinally outermost lateral edge, respectively, of said fastening member, said first longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a first profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end, and said second longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a second profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end;

and said fastening member further comprises;

an extensible zone bounded by inboard and outboard extensible zone extents; and

a fastener zone disposed outboard of said extensible zone, said fastener zone comprising said fastener, and having first and second inboard fastener zone corners, said fastener zone having a Stiffness of at least about 1,500 N/m;

wherein said fastening member has an acting width (WA) measured from an outboard edge of said fastener zone to said inboard extensible zone extent;

said acting width is bounded by longitudinal lines W0 and W100, and said acting width may be divided into four equal portions by longitudinal lines W25 at 25% of said acting width, W50 at 50% of said acting width, and W75 at 75% of said acting width;

said fastening member has lengths L0, L25, L50 and L100 measurable along lines W0, W25, W50, and W100, respectively, and the following relationships exist;

L0 is at least about 25% of L100;

L25 is at least about 30% of L100; and

L50 is at least about 50% of L100.

20. The wearable article of claim 7 wherein said fastening member is integrally-formed and highly extensible and extends from a junction line along a stretch direction transverse to said junction line, and ends at an outboard end, wherein said junction line connects first and second longitudinally outermost junction points on a first longitudinally outermost lateral edge and an opposing second longitudinally outermost lateral edge, respectively, of said fastening member, said first longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a first profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end, and said second longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a second profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end;

and said fastening member further comprises;

an extensible zone bounded by inboard and outboard extensible zone extents; and

a fastener zone disposed outboard of said extensible zone, said fastener zone comprising said fastener, and having first and second inboard fastener zone corners, said fastener zone having a Stiffness of at least about 1,500 N/m;

wherein said fastening member has an acting width (WA) measured from an outboard edge of said fastener zone to said inboard extensible zone extent line;

said acting width is bounded by longitudinal lines W0 and W100, and said acting width may be divided into four equal portions by longitudinal lines W25 at 25% of said acting width, W50 at 50% of said acting width, and W75 at 75% of said acting width; and

at least one of said longitudinally outermost lateral edges defines an inflection point approximately between lines W25 and W50.

23. The wearable article of claim 7 wherein said fastening member is integrally-formed and highly extensible and extends from a junction line along a stretch direction transverse to said junction line, and ends at an outboard end, wherein said junction line connects first and second longitudinally outermost junction points on a first longitudinally outermost lateral edge and an opposing second longitudinally outermost lateral edge, respectively, of said fastening member, said first longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a first profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end, and said second longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a second profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end;

and said fastening member further comprises;

an extensible zone bounded by inboard and outboard extensible zone extents;

a fastener zone disposed outboard of said extensible zone, said fastener zone comprising a fastener, and having first and second inboard fastener zone corners, said fastener zone having a Stiffness of at least about 1,500 N/m; and

a strengthened end region disposed outboard of said extensible zone, said strengthened end region having an inboard length (LR);

wherein said inboard length (LR) is within the range of about 66% to about 80% of said fastening member length (L).

10. A wearable article, comprising:

a chassis having a front waist region, a rear waist region, a landing zone disposed on the front waist region, the landing zone comprising a loop material, and an extensible fastening member extending laterally from the rear waist region and having a fastener disposed thereon, the fastener comprising a hook material, wherein the loop material and the hook material form a fastening combination, wherein the fastening combination exhibits the following value when tested according to a Vertical Pull Test at a 1 mm Shear Displacement;

a Greatest Vertical Load between 0.0 and 1.0 mm Displacement of at least about 3.0 N.

11. The wearable article of claim 10 wherein the fastening combination further exhibits the following value when tested according to the Vertical Pull Test at a 1 mm Shear Displacement:

a Displacement at Vertical Peak Load of at least about 0.5 mm.

12. The wearable article of claim 10, wherein the fastening combination further exhibits the following value when tested according to the Vertical Pull Test at a 2 mm Shear Displacement:

a Vertical Peak Load of equal to or greater than about 3.0 N.

15. The wearable article of claim 10 wherein said fastening member is integrally-formed and highly extensible and extends from a junction line along a stretch direction transverse to said junction line, and ends at an outboard end;

wherein said junction line connects first and second longitudinally outermost junction points on a first longitudinally outermost lateral edge and an opposing second longitudinally outermost lateral edge, respectively, of said fastening member, said first longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a first profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end, and said second longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a second profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end; and

said fastening member further comprises;

an extensible zone bounded by inboard and outboard extensible zone extents; and

a fastener zone disposed outboard of said extensible zone, said fastener zone comprising said fastener, and having first and second inboard fastener zone corners, said fastener zone having a Stiffness of at least about 1,500 N/m;

wherein said first profile intersects a first line segment connecting said first longitudinally outermost junction point and said first inboard fastener zone corner, at a first intersection point inboard of said first inboard fastener zone corner.

18. The wearable article of claim 10 wherein said fastening member is integrally-formed and highly extensible and extends from a junction line along a stretch direction transverse to said junction line, and ends at an outboard end, wherein said junction line connects first and second longitudinally outermost junction points on a first longitudinally outermost lateral edge and an opposing second longitudinally outermost lateral edge, respectively, of said fastening member, said first longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a first profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end, and said second longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a second profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end;

and said fastening member further comprises;

an extensible zone bounded by inboard and outboard extensible zone extents; and

a fastener zone disposed outboard of said extensible zone, said fastener zone comprising said fastener, and having first and second inboard fastener zone corners, said fastener zone having a Stiffness of at least about 1,500 N/m;

wherein said fastening member has an acting width (WA) measured from an outboard edge of said fastener zone to said inboard extensible zone extent;

said acting width is bounded by longitudinal lines W0 and W100, and said acting width may be divided into four equal portions by longitudinal lines W25 at 25% of said acting width, W50 at 50% of said acting width, and W75 at 75% of said acting width;

said fastening member has lengths L0, L25, L50 and L100 measurable along lines W0, W25, W50, and W 100, respectively, and the following relationships exist;

L0 is at least about 25% of L100;

L25 is at least about 30% of L100; and

L50 is at least about 50% of L100.

21. The wearable article of claim 10 wherein said fastening member is integrally-formed and highly extensible and extends from a junction line along a stretch direction transverse to said junction line, and ends at an outboard end, wherein said junction line connects first and second longitudinally outermost junction points on a first longitudinally outermost lateral edge and an opposing second longitudinally outermost lateral edge, respectively, of said fastening member, said first longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a first profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end, and said second longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a second profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end;

and said fastening member further comprises;

an extensible zone bounded by inboard and outboard extensible zone extents; and

a fastener zone disposed outboard of said extensible zone, said fastener zone comprising said fastener, and having first and second inboard fastener zone corners, said fastener zone having a Stiffness of at least about 1,500 N/m;

wherein said fastening member has an acting width (WA) measured from an outboard edge of said fastener zone to said inboard extensible zone extent line;

said acting width is bounded by longitudinal lines W0 and W100, and said acting width may be divided into four equal portions by longitudinal lines W25 at 25% of said acting width, W50 at 50% of said acting width, and W75 at 75% of said acting width; and

at least one of said longitudinally outermost lateral edges defines an inflection point approximately between lines W25 and W50.

24. The wearable article of claim 10 wherein said fastening member is integrally-formed and highly extensible and extends from a junction line along a stretch direction transverse to said junction line, and ends at an outboard end, wherein said junction line connects first and second longitudinally outermost junction points on a first longitudinally outermost lateral edge and an opposing second longitudinally outermost lateral edge, respectively, of said fastening member, said first longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a first profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end, and said second longitudinally outermost lateral edge having a second profile beginning at said junction line and ending at said outboard end;

and said fastening member further comprises;

an extensible zone bounded by inboard and outboard extensible zone extents;

a fastener zone disposed outboard of said extensible zone, said fastener zone comprising a fastener, and having first and second inboard fastener zone corners, said fastener zone having a Stiffness of at least about 1,500 N/m; and

a strengthened end region disposed outboard of said extensible zone, said strengthened end region having an inboard length (LR);

wherein said inboard length (LR) is within the range of about 66% to about 80% of said fastening member length (L).