Absorbent article with lengthwise, compact-fold
First Claim
1. A personal care article having a 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;
said article comprising;
a liquid permeable topsheet layer; and
a backsheet layer which is operatively connected to the topsheet layer;
whereinat least an operative portion of said first end-section has been folded along a first laterally-extending, end-fold-region which is substantially convex along a backsheet-side of the article and extends along at least a major portion of a corresponding lateral width of the first end-fold-region;
at least an operative portion of said second end-section has been folded along a second laterally-extending, end-fold-region which is substantially convex along the backsheet-side of the article and extends along at least a major portion of a corresponding lateral width of the second end-fold-region;
at least an operative portion of said first end-section has been folded along a first, lengthwise-fold-region, which is positioned to extend longitudinally along a major portion of the first end-section;
at least an operative portion of said second end-section has been folded along a second, lengthwise-fold-region, which is positioned to extend longitudinally along a major portion of the second end-section; and
at least an operative portion of said intermediate-section has been folded along a third lengthwise-fold-region, which is positioned to extend longitudinally along a major portion of the intermediate-section, and wherein the third lengthwise-fold-region is substantially convex along the backsheet-side of the article and substantially concave along the topsheet-side of the article.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A personal care article (20) has a longitudinal-direction (22), a lateral cross-direction (24), a first end-section (72), a second end-section (72a), and an intermediate-section (76) interposed between the first end-section (72) and the second end-section (72a). At least a portion of the first end-section has been folded along or otherwise includes a first end-fold-region (64) which is substantially convex along a backsheet-side of the article. At least a portion of the second end-section has been folded along or otherwise includes a second end-fold-region (66) which is substantially convex along the backsheet-side of the article. In other aspects, the article can include a first, lengthwise-fold-region (58) in the first end-section, a second, lengthwise-fold-region (62) in the second end-section, and a third, lengthwise-fold-region (68) in the intermediate section. Additionally, the first lengthwise-fold-region can have a first, fold-direction that is opposite a third, fold-direction of the third lengthwise-fold-region.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A personal care article having a 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;
said article comprising;a liquid permeable topsheet layer; and a backsheet layer which is operatively connected to the topsheet layer; wherein at least an operative portion of said first end-section has been folded along a first laterally-extending, end-fold-region which is substantially convex along a backsheet-side of the article and extends along at least a major portion of a corresponding lateral width of the first end-fold-region; at least an operative portion of said second end-section has been folded along a second laterally-extending, end-fold-region which is substantially convex along the backsheet-side of the article and extends along at least a major portion of a corresponding lateral width of the second end-fold-region; at least an operative portion of said first end-section has been folded along a first, lengthwise-fold-region, which is positioned to extend longitudinally along a major portion of the first end-section; at least an operative portion of said second end-section has been folded along a second, lengthwise-fold-region, which is positioned to extend longitudinally along a major portion of the second end-section; and at least an operative portion of said intermediate-section has been folded along a third lengthwise-fold-region, which is positioned to extend longitudinally along a major portion of the intermediate-section, and wherein the third lengthwise-fold-region is substantially convex along the backsheet-side of the article and substantially concave along the topsheet-side of the article. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- a relatively shorter lateral cross-direction;
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6. A personal care article having a 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;
said article comprising;a liquid permeable topsheet layer; and a backsheet layer which is operatively connected to the topsheet layer; wherein at least an operative portion of said first end-section has been folded along a first laterally-extending, end-fold-region which is substantially convex along a backsheet-side of the article and extends along at least a major portion of a corresponding lateral width of the first end-fold-region; at least an operative portion of said second end-section has been folded along a second laterally-extending, end-fold-region which is substantially convex along the backsheet-side of the article and extends along at least a major portion of a corresponding lateral width of the second end-fold-region; at least an operative portion of said first end-section has been folded along a first, lengthwise-fold-region, which is positioned to extend longitudinally along a major portion of the first end-section; at least an operative portion of said second end-section has been folded along a second, lengthwise-fold-region, which is positioned to extend longitudinally along a major portion of the second end-section; and at least an operative portion of said intermediate-section has been folded along a third lengthwise-fold-region, which is positioned to extend longitudinally along a major portion of the intermediate-section, wherein the first end-fold-region has been configured to be convex along the backsheet-side of the article along approximately 100% of a corresponding lateral width of the first end-fold-region; the second end-fold-region has been configured to be convex along the backsheet-side of the article along approximately 100% of a corresponding lateral width of the second end-fold-region; the first, laterally extending, end-fold-region is positioned along a portion of the first end-section which is proximally adjacent the intermediate-section of the article, with the first end-fold region operatively arranged to provide a folded-over first end-section which is positioned onto the intermediate-section; the second, laterally extending, end-fold-region is positioned along a portion of the second end-section which is proximally adjacent the intermediate-section of the article, with the second end-fold region operatively arranged to provide a folded-over second end-section which is positioned onto the folded-over first end-section, thereby providing a preliminary-folded article; and the preliminary-folded article has been folded along a longitudinally-extending, composite fold-line, thereby providing a composite-folded article, wherein the preliminary-folded article has been folded along said longitudinally-extending, composite fold-line to provide a composite fold region which is substantially convex along the backsheet-side of the intermediate section of the article. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
- a relatively shorter lateral cross-direction;
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15. A personal care article having a 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;
said article comprising;a liquid permeable topsheet layer; and a backsheet layer which is operatively connected to the topsheet layer; wherein at least an operative portion of said first end-section has been folded along a first laterally-extending, end-fold-region which is substantially convex along a backsheet-side of the article and extends along at least a major portion of a corresponding lateral width of the first end-fold-region; at least an operative portion of said second end-section has been folded along a second laterally-extending, end-fold-region which is substantially convex along the backsheet-side of the article and extends along at least a major portion of a corresponding lateral width of the second end-fold-region; at least an operative portion of said first end-section has been folded along a first, lengthwise-fold-region, which is positioned to extend longitudinally along a major portion of the first end-section; at least an operative portion of said second end-section has been folded along a second, lengthwise-fold-region, which is positioned to extend longitudinally along a major portion of the second end-section; and at least an operative portion of said intermediate-section has been folded along a third lengthwise-fold-region, which is positioned to extend longitudinally along a major portion of the intermediate-section, wherein the first, laterally extending, end-fold-region is positioned along a first, laterally-extending, fold-line;
the second, laterally extending, end-fold-region is positioned along a second, laterally-extending, fold-line; and
the first and second, laterally-extending fold-lines have been configured to trisect a longitudinal length of the article into three sections having approximately equal section-lengths along the longitudinal direction.
- a relatively shorter lateral cross-direction;
Specification