US 12,102,516 B2
Products with materials that shrink in one dimension and expand in another dimension
Jin Chen, Appleton, WI (US); Xuedong Song, Alpharetta, GA (US); William Clayton Bunyard, DePere, WI (US); and Andrew M. Long, Neenah, WI (US)
Assigned to Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US)
Appl. No. 16/982,810
Filed by Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 22, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/023708
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 21, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/182594, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 26, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0059876 A1, Mar. 4, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61F 13/537 (2006.01); A61F 13/15 (2006.01); A61F 13/47 (2006.01); A61F 13/49 (2006.01); A61L 15/26 (2006.01); A61L 15/42 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 13/537 (2013.01) [A61F 13/15577 (2013.01); A61F 13/47 (2013.01); A61F 13/49007 (2013.01); A61L 15/26 (2013.01); A61L 15/425 (2013.01); A61F 2013/53773 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A disposable absorbent product comprising:
a double-network polymer element including a cross-linked, covalently-bonded polymer and a reversible, partially ionicly-bonded polymer, wherein the element has a moisture level less than or equal to 15 percent of the total weight of the element, wherein the element is porous, wherein the element comprises a latent retractive force, and wherein the element is configured to release the retractive force to achieve a dimensional change in the disposable absorbent product with exposure of the element to an aqueous liquid, wherein the dimensional change is a flap movement or a curvature of the disposable absorbent product.