Abstract: An absorbent article includes a chassis. The chassis includes a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, and at least one elastically elongatable panel joined to the chassis. The elastically elongatable panel includes a stretch laminate having layers that are joined by ultrasonic bonding. The stretch laminate has at least one cover layer and an elastomeric film attached to the cover layer. The elastomeric film has two surfaces and a skin on at least one of the surfaces. The stretch laminate includes at least one anchoring zone and at least one stretch zone. The stretch laminate may include activation stripes and/or a plurality of wrinkles.

Abstract: An absorbent article includes a chassis comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, and at least one elastically elongatable panel joined to the chassis. The elastically elongatable panel includes a stretch laminate having layers that are joined by ultrasonic bonding. The stretch laminate has at least one cover layer, an elastomeric film attached to the cover layer, the elastomeric film having two surfaces and a skin on at least one of the surfaces. The stretch laminate has at least one anchoring zone and at least one stretch zone. A portion of the skin is located in the anchoring zone and has a plurality of wrinkles, and the wrinkles have furrows.

Abstract: An absorbent article includes a chassis includes a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, and at least one elastically elongatable panel joined to the chassis. The elastically elongatable panel includes an ultrasonically bonded stretch laminate. The stretch laminate includes a first nonwoven and a second nonwoven, and an elastomeric film sandwiched between the first and second nonwovens. The elastomeric film has two surfaces and a skin on at least one of the surfaces. The stretch laminate further incudes a zone that is unactivated. The laminate is elastically extensible in a stretch direction. The elastomeric film includes activation stripes.

Abstract: An absorbent article includes a chassis comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, and at least one elastically elongatable panel joined to the chassis. The elastically elongatable panel includes a stretch laminate having layers that are joined by ultrasonic bonding. The stretch laminate has at least one cover layer, an elastomeric film attached to the cover layer, the elastomeric film having two surfaces and a skin on at least one of the surfaces. The stretch laminate has at least one anchoring zone and at least one stretch zone. A portion of the skin is located in the anchoring zone and has a plurality of wrinkles, and the wrinkles have furrows.

Abstract: An absorbent article includes a first waist region, a second waist region, and a crotch region disposed between the first and second waist regions. The article also includes a chassis having a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and backsheet; and an ear joined to the chassis. The ear includes a laminate formed from a first nonwoven and an elastomeric material. The laminate further includes a plurality of ultrasonic bonds.

Abstract: An absorbent article includes a first waist region, a second waist region and a crotch region disposed between the first and second waist regions; and a chassis comprising a topsheet, a backsheet and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet. The absorbent article also includes an ear disposed in one of the waist regions. The ear includes a laminate having a first nonwoven and a second nonwoven and an elastomeric material sandwiched between said first and second nonwovens in an elasticized region. The laminate also includes a first bonding region comprising a first plurality of ultrasonic bonds having a first bond density, and a second bonding region comprising a second plurality of ultrasonic bonds having a second bond density. The first bond density is greater than the second bond density.

Abstract: An absorbent article includes a first waist region, a second waist region, and a crotch region disposed between the first and second waist regions. The article also includes a chassis having a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and backsheet; and an ear joined to the chassis. The ear includes a laminate formed from a nonwoven and an elastomeric material sandwiched between said first and second nonwovens. The laminate further includes a plurality of ultrasonic bonds.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for stretching, transferring, and bonding elastic parts under tension to an advancing carrier substrate during the assembly of absorbent articles. A continuous carrier substrate may be advanced in a machine direction at a first speed, and a discrete elastic part may be cut from a continuous elastic substrate having a direction of stretch in a cross direction. The speed of the discrete elastic part is changed from a second speed to the first speed, and the central region of the discrete elastic part is stretched in the cross direction. The discrete elastic part is bonded with the continuous carrier substrate such that the stretched central region extends in the cross direction between the first and second longitudinal edges of the continuous carrier substrate. The discrete elastic part may also be bonded with the carrier substrate with adhesive and/or mechanical bonds.

Abstract: Methods and systems for mechanically forming one or more surface protrusions integrally from a garment material, the one or more surface protrusions extending outwardly from a garment surface of the garment material, include pre-heating at least one selected area of the garment material; placing the at least one selected area of the garment surface that is pre-heated against a first surface of a forming die, the first surface having a plurality of openings which have a configuration and orientation corresponding with the configuration and orientation of the one or more surface protrusions of the garment material. The garment surface may be softened by application of a source of energy, at least some of the softened garment surface positioned into at least one opening of the plurality of openings.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for stretching, transferring, and bonding elastic parts under tension to an advancing carrier substrate during the assembly of absorbent articles. A continuous carrier substrate may be advanced in a machine direction at a first speed, and a discrete elastic part may be cut from a continuous elastic substrate having a direction of stretch in a cross direction. The speed of the discrete elastic part is changed from a second speed to the first speed, and the central region of the discrete elastic part is stretched in the cross direction. The discrete elastic part is bonded with the continuous carrier substrate such that the stretched central region extends in the cross direction between the first and second longitudinal edges of the continuous carrier substrate. The discrete elastic part may also be bonded with the carrier substrate with adhesive and/or mechanical bonds.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to elastic laminates and methods for assembling elastic laminates that may be used to make absorbent article components. Elastic laminates may include one or more reinforcement layers positioned between unstretched portions of elastic materials and substrates to which the elastic materials are bonded.

Abstract: A stretch laminate for an absorbent article. The stretch laminate includes a nonwoven substrate and an elastomeric film joined to the nonwoven substrate by a plurality of bonds. These bonds may be ultrasonic bonds or some combination of mechanical bonds, including ultrasonic bonds. The plurality of bonds form a bond pattern including a first bond having a longest bond dimension (D) and a second bond adjacent to the first bond. When the Bond Separation Angle between the first bond and the second bond is from 0° up to and including 35°, the Bond Separation Distance between the first and second bond is at least 2.1 D and less than 4.1 D. Further, when the Bond Separation Angle between the first bond and the second bond is greater than 35° and 90° or less, the Bond Separation Distance between the first and second bond is at least 1.3 D and less than 2.1 D.

Abstract: A stretch laminate for an absorbent article. The stretch laminate includes a nonwoven substrate and an elastomeric film joined to the nonwoven substrate by a plurality of bonds. These bonds may be ultrasonic bonds or some combination of mechanical bonds, including ultrasonic bonds. The plurality of bonds form a bond pattern having a percent relative standard deviation greater than about 30% according to the Inter-Bond Measurement Test.

Abstract: Methods and systems for mechanically forming one or more surface protrusions integrally from a garment material, the one or more surface protrusions extending outwardly from a garment surface of the garment material, include placing at least one selected area of the garment surface against a first surface of a forming die having a plurality of openings which have a configuration and orientation corresponding with the configuration and orientation of the one or more surface protrusions of the garment material. The garment surface may be softened by application of a source of energy, wherein the source of energy comprises at least two sonotrodes mounted in a rotary drum. At least some of the softened garment surface is positioned into at least one opening of the plurality of openings.

Abstract: Methods and systems for mechanically forming one or more surface protrusions integrally from a garment material, the one or more surface protrusions extending outwardly from a garment surface of the garment material, include pre-heating at least one selected area of the garment material; placing the at least one selected area of the garment surface that is pre-heated against a first surface of a forming die, the first surface having a plurality of openings which have a configuration and orientation corresponding with the configuration and orientation of the one or more surface protrusions of the garment material. The garment surface may be softened by application of a source of energy, at least some of the softened garment surface positioned into at least one opening of the plurality of openings.

Abstract: An absorbent article includes a first waist region, a second waist region and a crotch region disposed between the first and second waist regions. The absorbent article further includes a topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, and a laminate. The laminate has an elasticized region. The laminate includes a first nonwoven, a second nonwoven and an elastomeric material sandwiched between said first and second nonwovens in the elasticized region. The laminate includes a bonding region with a bond density of at least 3% and at least partially overlapping the elastomeric material. The laminate exhibits an Unload Force at 50% of at least 0.90 N.

Abstract: An absorbent article including a side panel having an ultrasonically bonded, gathered laminate is provided. The laminate has an elastomeric layer and a substrate and is joined to the absorbent article chassis at a chassis attachment bond and positioned in one of a first or second waist region. The ultrasonically bonded, gathered laminate also includes an ear structural feature comprising a surface modification to the substrate and comprising at least one of the following: embossing, apertures, perforations, slits, melted material or coatings, compressed material, secondary bonds that are disposed apart from a chassis attachment bond, plastic deformation, and folds.

Abstract: Absorbent articles comprising a multilayer outer cover comprising a first outer layer and a second outer layer comprising a component that exhibits at least partial elastic recovery after mechanical activation in the machine direction; an inner layer, disposed between the first outer layer and the second outer layer, the inner layer comprising elastic strands; and wherein at least one of the first outer layer and second outer layer is laminated to the inner layer.

Abstract: An absorbent article includes a first waist region, a second waist region and a crotch region disposed between the first and second waist regions. The absorbent article further includes a topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, and a laminate. The laminate has an elasticized region. The laminate includes a first nonwoven, a second nonwoven and an elastomeric material sandwiched between said first and second nonwovens in the elasticized region. The laminate includes a bonding region with a bond density of at least 4% and at least partially overlapping the elastomeric material. The laminate exhibits an Unload Force at 50% of at least 0.90 N.

Abstract: An absorbent article having a chassis and an ear joined to the chassis is provided. The ear includes a laminate having a first nonwoven, a second nonwoven, and an elastomeric material sandwiched between the first nonwoven and the second nonwoven. The laminate further includes a plurality of ultrasonic bonds. The elastomeric material has a maximum dimension, Y, in a stretch direction and defines a primary region including an elastic region and one or more unstretched zones. The elastic region has a maximum dimension, X, in the stretch direction, and the one or more unstretched zones has an aggregate lateral width of Wd. A ratio of Wd to Y is 0.3 or less.