Macro closure device for disposable articles

• US 6,880,211 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2003
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Wood, Leigh E., Jackson, Byron M., Alberg, Randall L.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAKRAN, VICTOR N
• Application Number:
  US10/350,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20030229975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 246/981, 247/00, 247/01, 247/02, 246/51, 245/791.1, 245/891, 604/385.16, 604/378, 604/361
• US Class Current: 24/698.1
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 13/0023 made of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/5622 specially adapted for diapers or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45084 for safety belt buckle, strap, harness, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45215 Slot and tab or tongue
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45969 Hook-shaped projection member passing through cavity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4599 including closed elongated access opening for guiding transverse projection travel after insertion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45995 having access opening with gapped perimeter for allowing movement of noninserted projection support therepast

Abstract

There is provided an improved tab member for a closure system comprising a tab portion and a slot member. The slot member includes a slit or a loop, with the slot located between an inboard portion and an outboard portion. The tab portion has a tab member having a length, an inner edge, an outer edge and at least one lip portion. The tab member outer edge is passed through the slot of the slot member to engage the fastening device. Once passed through the slot, at least one lip portion of the tab member overlaps or catches the outboard portion of the slot member to prevent the tab member from disengaging from the slot member. The slot member outward portion is retained between the lip portion(s) and the underlying generally flexible tab carrier substrate.

Claims

1. A fastening tab laminate for use in a slot and tab closure system comprising tab portion having a rigid tab member and a related flexible tab carrier substrate wherein the rigid tab member has a outer edge and an inner edge, the inner edge forming at least one lip portion, the tab member formed by a rigid tab substrate laminated to at least one flexible substrate web which substrate web also forms at least in part the tab substrate carrier which flexible web layer is in a single plane where it is continuous between the tab carrier substrate and the rigid tab member, such that the tab carrier substrate and the rigid tab members are coplanar and wherein the lip portion is detached from the tab carrier substrate such that it can pivot away from the coplanar tab carrier substrate.

2. The fastening tab laminate of claim 1 wherein the at least one substrate web is a porous web.

3. The fastening tab laminate of claim 2 wherein the at least one flexible substrate web is a nonwoven fibrous web.

4. The fastening tab laminate of claim 2 wherein the rigid tab substrate is a thermoplastic polymer material.

5. The fastening tab laminate of claim 4 wherein the rigid tab substrate thermoplastic material is at least partially penetrated into the porous structure of the flexible substrate web.

6. The fastening tab laminate of claim 5 wherein the at least one flexible substrate web is attached to the tab members to extend over at least 25% of the tab member.

7. The fastening tab laminate of claim 6 wherein the flexible substrate web extends over at least 50% of the tab member.

8. The fastening tab laminate of claim 6 wherein the flexible substrate web extends over at least 10% of the tab carrier substrate.

9. The fastening tab laminate of claim 8 wherein the flexible substrate web extends over at least 25% of the tab carrier substrate.

10. The fastening tab laminate of claim 1 wherein the rigid tab substrate is laminated onto two flexible substrate webs on opposite faces of the rigid tab substrate.

11. The fastening tab laminate of claim 10 wherein both flexible substrate webs also form at least in part the tab carrier substrate.

12. The fastening tab laminate of claim 11 wherein at least one elastic element is attached to a flexible substrate web forming the tab carrier substrate so as to provide an elastic fastening tab laminate.

13. The fastening tab laminate of claim 1 wherein the rigid tab member has a curved outer edge.

14. The fastening tab laminate of claim 13 wherein the rigid tab member has an curved inner edge forming the lip portion, which lip portion extends at least 3 to 10 mm from a pivot point or region.

15. The fastening tab laminate of claim 1 wherein the rigid tab member has a Gurley stiffness of from 500 to 8000.

16. The fastening tab laminate of claim 15 wherein the tab carrier substrate has a Gurley stiffness of from 1 to 500.

17. The fastening tab laminate of claim 16 wherein the rigid tab member has a Gurley stiffness at least two times greater than that of the tab carrier substrate.

18. The fastening tab laminate of claim 17 wherein the rigid tab member stiffness is at least five times as great as the tab carrier substrate.

19. The fastening tab laminate of claim 17 wherein the tab substrate is a thermoplastic polymer having a thickness of from 0.1 to 1.0 mm.

20. The fastening tab laminate of claim 19 wherein the tab substrate is a thermoplastic polymer having a thickness of from 0.2 to 0.8 mm.

21. The fastening tab laminate of claim 1 wherein the lip portion pivots away from the tab carrier substrate forming a V-shaped gap which lip portion extends at least 3 mm from a pivot point or region.

22. The fastening tab laminate of claim 1 wherein the lip portion pivots away from the tab carrier substrate forming a V-shaped gap which lip portion extends at least 3 to 10 mm from a pivot point or region.

23. The fastening tab laminate of claim 21 wherein the lip portion is a reverse mirror image of a cutout portion of the tab carrier substrate.

24. The fastening tab laminate of claim 1 wherein the tab member further comprises at least one wing member that extends into that portion of the tab member comprising the lip portion in the lengthwise direction of the tab portion, which wing elements are not pivotable away from the carrier substrate.

25. The fastening tab laminate of claim 24 wherein the at least one wing member is attached to the tab carrier substrate.

26. The fastening tab laminate of claim 25 wherein there are two wing members on the outermost edges of the tab member outside of all lip portions.