Absorbent article with waist seal and method of manufacturing

Abstract

Absorbent articles with waist seals are disclosed. The seals are formed from folded stacks, discrete segments, or pleated material arranged to provide a resiliently compressible seal that can be located at one or more locations within the absorbent article, e.g., along a central portion of the rear waist region of a diaper. The seals may be constructed from relatively thin materials that (through folding, stacking, pleating, etc.) can provide a resiliently compressible seal that is thick enough and appropriately shaped to conform to the wearer's anatomy well enough to provide the desired sealing. At the same, time, the continuous web material used to form the seal is preferably thin enough to be economically delivered to the manufacturing line in roll form.

1 . An absorbent article adapted to fit about the waist of a wearer, the article comprising:
 a central region comprising absorbent material, the central region comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and the second end are spaced at opposite ends of the central region along a longitudinal direction;   a front waist region located at the first end of the central region, wherein the front waist region extends in a lateral direction across a first end of the central region, wherein the lateral direction is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction;   a rear waist region located at the second end of the central region, wherein rear waist region extends in the lateral direction across the second end of the central region; and   a seal occupying a portion of the rear waist region, wherein the seal comprises a folded stack of three or more layers of resilient material, wherein the folded stack comprises a continuous length of the resilient material with two or more folds spaced apart across the rear waist region in the lateral direction and a segment of the resilient material extending in the lateral direction between each pair of folds at opposing ends of the segment.   
     
     
         2 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein the resilient material extends in the lateral direction across 50% or more of the rear waist region. 
     
     
         3 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein the two or more folds are generally aligned with the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         4 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein the segments in the folded stack of resilient material comprise different lengths as measured in the lateral direction. 
     
     
         5 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein the folded stack of resilient material comprises five or more layers of the resilient material. 
     
     
         6 . An article according to  claim 1 , further comprising an inelastic stabilizing layer located within the portion of the rear waist region occupied by the folded stack of resilient material. 
     
     
         7 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein the folded stack of resilient material comprises bonds formed between the three or more layers of resilient material. 
     
     
         8 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein the folded stack of resilient material comprises a cross-sectional profile that is generally convex when taken in a z-direction plane that is transverse to a plane formed by the lateral and longitudinal directions and is also parallel to the lateral direction. 
     
     
         9 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein the seal comprises a lower edge that is not aligned with the lateral direction. 
     
     
         10 . An absorbent article adapted to fit about the waist of a wearer, the article comprising:
 a central region comprising absorbent material, the central region comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and the second end are spaced at opposite ends of the central region along a longitudinal direction;   a front waist region located at the first end of the central region, wherein the front waist region extends in a lateral direction across a first end of the central region, wherein the lateral direction is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction;   a rear waist region located at the second end of the central region, wherein rear waist region extends in the lateral direction across the second end of the central region; and   a seal occupying a portion of the rear waist region, wherein the seal comprises a continuous length of resilient material gathered in a plurality of pleats, wherein the pleats comprise folds separating segments of the resilient material, and wherein the segments of each pleat are oriented generally transverse to a plane defined by the longitudinal and lateral directions.   
     
     
         11 . An article according to  claim 10 , wherein the segments in the plurality of pleats comprise different lengths between the folds. 
     
     
         12 . An article according to  claim 11 , wherein the lengths of the segments in the plurality of pleats reach a maximum proximate a center of the seal. 
     
     
         13 . An article according to  claim 10 , wherein adjacent pleats of the plurality of pleats are separated from each other in the lateral direction along the waist region, wherein the segments of the adjacent pleats do not contact each other when the seal is uncompressed. 
     
     
         14 . An article according to  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of pleats are immediately adjacent each other in the lateral direction along the waist region. 
     
     
         15 . An article according to  claim 10 , wherein the resilient material extends in the lateral direction across 50% or more of the rear waist region. 
     
     
         16 . An article according to  claim 10 , further comprising a stabilizing layer located within the portion of the rear waist region occupied by the plurality of pleats of resilient material. 
     
     
         17 . An article according to  claim 10 , wherein the segments in each pleat of the plurality of pleats are bonded to each other between the folds. 
     
     
         18 . An article according to  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of pleats form a seal that comprises a cross-sectional profile that is generally convex when taken in a z-direction plane that is transverse to a plane formed by the lateral and longitudinal directions and is also parallel to the lateral direction. 
     
     
         19 . An article according to  claim 10 , wherein the seal comprises a lower edge that is not aligned with the lateral direction. 
     
     
         20 . An absorbent article adapted to fit about the waist of a wearer, the article comprising:
 a central region comprising absorbent material, the central region comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and the second end are spaced at opposite ends of the central region along a longitudinal direction;   a front waist region located at the first end of the central region, wherein the front waist region extends in a lateral direction across a first end of the central region, wherein the lateral direction is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction;   a rear waist region located at the second end of the central region, wherein rear waist region extends in the lateral direction across the second end of the central region; and   a seal occupying an inelastic portion of the rear waist region, wherein the seal comprises a stack of two or more discrete segments of resilient material, wherein the two or more discrete segments have different lengths along the lateral direction.   
     
     
         21 . An article according to  claim 20 , wherein the two or more discrete segments of resilient material are constructed of different materials. 
     
     
         22 . An article according to  claim 21 , wherein the stack of two or more discrete segments of resilient material comprises bonds formed between the two or more discrete segments of resilient material. 
     
     
         23 . An article according to  claim 20 , wherein the stack of two or more discrete segments of resilient material forms a seal that comprises a cross-sectional profile that is generally convex when taken in a z-direction plane that is transverse to a plane formed by the lateral and longitudinal directions and is also parallel to the lateral direction. 
     
     
         24 . An article according to  claim 20 , wherein the seal comprises a lower edge that is not aligned with the lateral direction. 
     
     
         25 . A method of manufacturing an absorbent article with a waist seal, the method comprising:
 folding a continuous web of resilient material to form a folded stack of three or more layers of the resilient material;   separating a portion of the folded stack from the continuous web of resilient material;   attaching the folded stack of resilient material within a rear waist region of an absorbent article;   wherein the absorbent article comprises:   a central region comprising absorbent material, the central region comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and the second end are spaced at opposite ends of the central region along a longitudinal direction;   a front waist region located at the first end of the central region, wherein the front waist region extends in a lateral direction across a first end of the central region, wherein the lateral direction is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction; and   wherein the rear waist region is located at the second end of the central region, wherein the rear waist region extends in the lateral direction across the second end of the central region;   and wherein the folded stack of resilient material comprises a continuous length of the resilient material with two or more folds spaced apart across the rear waist region in the lateral direction and a segment of the resilient material extending in the lateral direction between each pair of folds at opposing ends of the segment.   
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 25 , wherein the folding comprises folding the continuous web to include fold lines extending along the length of the continuous web, and wherein the separating comprises sheeting the continuous web after the folding. 
     
     
         27 . A method according to  claim 25 , further comprising bonding the layers of resilient material within the folded stack. 
     
     
         28 . A method according to  claim 27 , wherein the bonding comprises applying adhesive to the resilient material before the folding. 
     
     
         29 . A method according to  claim 27 , wherein the bonding comprises welding the resilient material after the folding. 
     
     
         30 . A method of manufacturing an absorbent article with a waist seal, the method comprising:
 pleating a continuous web of resilient material to form a pleated continuous web comprising plurality of pleats;   separating a portion of the pleated continuous web from the continuous web to form a pleated seal;   attaching the pleated seal within a rear waist region of an absorbent article;   wherein the absorbent article comprises:   a central region comprising absorbent material, the central region comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and the second end are spaced at opposite ends of the central region along a longitudinal direction;   a front waist region located at the first end of the central region, wherein the front waist region extends in a lateral direction across a first end of the central region, wherein the lateral direction is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction; and   wherein the rear waist region is located at the second end of the central region, wherein the rear waist region extends in the lateral direction across the second end of the central region;   and wherein the pleated seal comprises a continuous piece of the resilient material, wherein the pleats comprise folds separating segments of the resilient material.   
     
     
         31 . A method according to  claim 30 , wherein the pleating comprises folding the continuous web to include fold lines extending along the length of the continuous web, and wherein the separating comprises sheeting the pleated continuous web after the folding. 
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 30 , further comprising bonding the segments within the pleats. 
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 32 , wherein the bonding comprises applying adhesive to the resilient material before the pleating. 
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 32 , wherein the bonding comprising welding the resilient material. 
     
     
         35 . A method of manufacturing an absorbent article with a waist seal, the method comprising:
 aligning two or more continuous webs of resilient material to form a continuous stacked web of two or more layers of resilient material, wherein at least two of the two or more layers comprise different widths;   separating a portion of the continuous stacked web to form a stack of discrete segments of resilient material;   attaching the stack of discrete segments of resilient material within a rear waist region of an absorbent article;   wherein the absorbent article comprises:   a central region comprising absorbent material, the central region comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and the second end are spaced at opposite ends of the central region along a longitudinal direction;   a front waist region located at the first end of the central region, wherein the front waist region extends in a lateral direction across a first end of the central region, wherein the lateral direction is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction; and   wherein the rear waist region is located at the second end of the central region, wherein the rear waist region extends in the lateral direction across the second end of the central region.   
     
     
         36 . A method according to  claim 35 , wherein all of the two or more layers are constructed of the same material. 
     
     
         37 . A method according to  claim 35 , wherein at least two of the two or more layers are constructed of different material. 
     
     
         38 . A method according to  claim 35 , further comprising bonding the layers within the continuous stacked web. 
     
     
         39 . A method according to  claim 35 , wherein the aligning comprises slitting a wider continuous web to form the two or more continuous webs of resilient material.