US 11,992,394 B2
Absorbent article with selectively positioned waist containment member having an improved waist seal
KyungSik Jang, Daejeon (KR); Nickolas Barnes, Menasha, WI (US); and Roxanne M. Zuleger, Appleton, WI (US)
Assigned to KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC., Neenah, WI (US)
Filed by Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US)
Filed on Oct. 9, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/597,320.
Application 16/597,320 is a division of application No. 15/307,932, granted, now 10,470,943, previously published as PCT/US2015/052894, filed on Sep. 29, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2020/0038256 A1, Feb. 6, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61F 13/15 (2006.01); A61F 13/49 (2006.01); A61F 13/494 (2006.01); A61F 13/495 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 13/495 (2013.01) [A61F 13/49001 (2013.01); A61F 13/49011 (2013.01); A61F 13/49012 (2013.01); A61F 13/4902 (2013.01); A61F 13/49466 (2013.01); A61F 13/49473 (2013.01); A61F 2013/49025 (2013.01); A61F 2013/49092 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An absorbent article including a front waist region including a front waist edge, a rear waist region including a rear waist edge, a crotch region disposed intermediate the front waist edge and the rear waist edge, the absorbent article defining a longitudinal axis, a lateral axis located midway between the front waist edge and the rear waist edge and a vertical axis, the absorbent article comprising:
a chassis including an absorbent body, the chassis including a body facing surface; and
a waist containment member being separate from the chassis and coupled to the body facing surface of the chassis, the waist containment member being an elastic laminate formed of a waist containment material and a plurality of elastic members, the waist containment member having a first longitudinal side edge and a second longitudinal side edge, a first end edge and a second end edge;
the waist containment member having a proximal portion with a proximal edge defining a proximal portion lateral width between the first longitudinal side edge and the second longitudinal side edge in the proximal portion, the waist containment member including a proximal portion elastic member, the proximal portion being coupled to the body facing surface of the chassis adjacent the front waist edge or the rear waist edge; and
the waist containment member having a distal portion with an outermost distal edge defining a distal portion lateral width between the first longitudinal side edge and the second longitudinal side edge in the distal portion, the proximal portion lateral width being equal to or greater than the distal portion lateral width when the absorbent article is in a stretched, laid flat configuration;
the distal portion including a distal portion elastic member located in the distal portion with the distal edge being free to move with respect to the chassis when the absorbent article is in a relaxed configuration so as to form a pocket with the chassis,
wherein the waist containment member has a first fold extending in the direction of the lateral axis when the absorbent article is in a stretched, laid flat configuration, the first fold defining a transition between the proximal portion and the distal portion, and
wherein the first fold is closer than the proximal portion elastic member to the respective front waist edge or rear waist edge to which the proximal portion is more closely coupled, and where the distal edge is closer to the lateral axis than the first fold.