A look at recently issued patents.

Liquid Reception Medium With Liquid Activated Mechanical Mass Transport Means: No. 6,761,709; Michael Morman, Bryan Haynes and Thomas Roessler, assignors to Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI. Filed 4/12/02. Issued 7/6/04.

A liquid reception device has been issued a patent. The device features a liquid-receiving layer including a target zone, a peripheral zone located within or outside the liquid receiving layer and mechanical liquid transport means located within the target zone and adapted for liquid communication with the peripheral zone. The liquid transport means is made up of at least one tube with at least one sealed opening within the target zone; suction means for drawing liquid through at least one tube from the target zone to the peripheral zone and opening means for opening at least one sealed opening activated by contact with the liquid, thereby causing the suction means to draw liquid from the target zone to the peripheral zone.

Absorbent Articles With Refastenable Side Seams: No. 6,761,711; Amy Lynn Fletcher, Lisa Dimitrijevs, Christopher Olson, Kathleen Ratliff, Shirlee Weber and Susan West, assignors to KimberlyClark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI. Filed 11/22/99. Issued 7/6/04.

An absorbent article has been awarded a patent. The article includes an absorbent chassis defining a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis, front and back waist edges parallel to the transverse axis, opposite side edges extending between the front and back waist edges, a front waist region contiguous with the front waist edge, a back waist region contiguous with the back waist edge and a crotch region that extends between and interconnects the front and back waist regions.

The absorbent chassis is made up of a rectangular composite structure with opposite linear side edges parallel to the longitudinal axis and opposite linear end edges parallel to the transverse axis. The composite structure includes a bodyside liner, an outer cover bonded to the bodyside liner and an absorbent assembly between the bodyside liner and the outer cover. First and second front side panels are bonded to the composite structure in the front waist region. First and second back side panels are bonded to the composite structure in the back waist region.

The article also includes a fastening system for releasably securing it in a pant-like configuration. The fastening system has first and second fastening components connected to the respective first and second back side panels, which are adapted to releasably engage first and second mating fastening components connected to the respective first and second front side panels. Elastomeric components are located transversely between the fastening components and the absorbent assembly.

A transverse distance between the first and second fastening components is substantially equal to a transverse distance between the first and second mating fastening components. The pant-like configuration makes up a waist opening and leg openings and engagement of the fastening components and mating fastening components makes up refastenable seams. The refastenable seams cover about 90-98% of a distance between the waist opening and the leg openings.

Bundles Of Fibers Useful For Moving Liquids At High Fluxes And Acquisition/Distribution Structures That Use The Bundles: No. 6,761,957; Bobby Phillips, Jackson Nelson and Shriram Bagrodia, assignors to Clemson University Research Foundation, Clemson, SC. Filed 11/18/99. Issued 7/6/04.

Patented is a liquid acquisition/distribution structure. The article includes a top layer that is permeable to a liquid and a distribution layer with a capillary system of a parallel bundle of synthetic fibers arranged so that in a region their axes are parallel to the top layer. The bundle has an average inter-fiber capillary width of 25-400 microns, a Specific Volume greater than 4.0 cc/gm and a MPFB greater than or equal to 0.14 cc/(den/hr), providing capillary forces on the liquid when the liquid is in contact with the distribution layer. The liquid is transported parallel to the top layer. A resistance layer with top and bottom surfaces provides resistance to transmission of the liquid from the top to the bottom surface.

Disposable Pants Of Trunks-Type: No. 6,761,712; Toshifumi Otsubo and Hiroki Yamamoto, assignors to Uni-Charm Corporation, Kawanoe, Japan. Filed 6/12/01. Issued 7/6/04.

A patent has been issued for disposable trunks-type pants with a waist-opening and a pair of leg-openings. The pants include a pair of lateral trunk panels opposed to each other and a middle trunk panel extending between the lateral trunk panels. Each of the lateral trunk panels has an upper section and a lower section extending downward from the upper section. The middle trunk panel has a front trunk section, a rear trunk section opposed to the front trunk section, a crotch section extending between the front and rear trunk sections and a pair of downward extensions extending downward from transversely opposite sides of the crotch section.

Each of the upper sections and the front and rear trunk sections has side edges and an upper edge. The side edges of each of the upper sections are bonded to the respective side edges of the front and rear trunk sections. The upper edges of the upper sections and the front and rear trunk sections are not bonded to each other and together define a peripheral edge of the waist-opening. Each of the lower sections and the downward extensions has side edges and a lower edge, the side edges of each of the lower sections are bonded to the respective side edges of the downward extensions, the lower edges of the lower sections and the downward extensions are not bonded to each other and together define peripheral edges of the leg-openings. The front trunk section extends continuously and seamlessly between bonding lines where the side edges of the upper sections are bonded to the respective side edges of the front trunk section.

Absorbent Article With Surface Structural Body Of Continuous Filaments: No. 6,762,340; Kodai Furuya, Hiroo Hayashi and Takamitsu Igaue, assignors to Uni-Charm Corporation. Filed 8/23/01. Issued 7/6/04.

An absorbent article has been patented. The article includes a liquid permeable surface structural body, a backing sheet and an absorbent core between the surface structural body and the backing sheet. The surface structural body includes a lower layer adjacent to the absorbent core, an upper layer away from the absorbent core and an intermediate layer between the lower layer and the upper layer. Widths of the lower layer, the intermediate layer and the upper layer are varied in descending order from the lower layer to the upper layer so that the upper layer is located over a center portion of the lower layer or two separate portions of the upper layer are located over laterally opposed side portions of the lower layer.

Each layer is a bundle of continuous filaments individually extending over their entire length. The continuous filaments of respective layers are partially fixed together and the hydrophilicities of the upper layer, the intermediate layer and the lower layer are varied in ascending order from the upper to lower layer.

Multi-Layer, White Cavitated Bioriented Polyethylene Film With A High Water Vapor Transmission Rate: No. 6,824,864; Michael Bader, assignor to ExxonMobil Oil Corporation, Irving, TX. Filed 10/23/01. Issued 11/30/04.

A multi-layer, bioriented film stretched in the machine direction and in the transverse direction has been patented. The film includes a base layer made up of polyethylene and a cavitating agent. The layer has first and second side and skin layers on the first and second sides of the base layer. At least one of the skin layers includes a hydrocarbon resin and a copolymer of ethylene and at least one monomer with at least three carbon atoms. The multi-layer film has a WVTR of at least 3.0 grams/100 square inches/day at 38[degrees]C. and 100% relative humidity.

Fiber Reinforced Polypropylene-Based Composite Material: No. 6,824,863; Takeo Kitayama and Hiroyuki Hamada, assignors to Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited, Osaka, Japan. Filed 9/28/00. Issued 11/30/04.

A fiber reinforced polypropylene-based composite material has been awarded a patent. The composite features reinforcing fibers and a matrix resin, which are made of different polypropylene-based resins. A melting point, Tm(F), of the polypropylene-based resin is the material forming the reinforcing fibers. A melting point, Tm(M), of the polypropylene-based resin is the matrix resin satisfying Tm(F)_Tm(M)>10[degrees] C. A nucleating agent is added to the polypropylene-based resin, which is the material forming the reinforcing fibers. The matrix resin contains crystals growing from the surfaces of the fibers.

Pliable Pad For Collecting And Absorbing Liquids: No. 6,824,853; Daniel Levine, David Levine and Marshall Levine, assignors to Alpha Scientific Corporation, Malvern, PA. Filed 10/18/00. Issued 11/30/04.

An apparatus for collecting and absorbing spilled liquid recently received a patent. The apparatus includes a layer formed of a material capable of absorbing liquid and a formable material coupled with the layer formed of the absorbent material. The formable material is formed of a bendable material that is capable of retaining a shape assumed by the formable material after shaping. The formable material has a planar configuration before shaping and at least portions of the layer formed of the absorbent material cover at least portions of the formable material.

Method For Controlling Noisome Decomposition Byproducts From Human Efflux Retained In Personal Hygiene Products: No. 6,825,392; Lisa Baker, assignor to Polymer Group, Inc., North Charleston, SC. Filed 12/21/01. Issued 11/30/04.

Patented is a composition for controlling odor produced by human waste retained in a disposable hygiene product. The composition includes a hydroxydiphenyl ether in a modified aliphatic acidic carrier provided on a base substrate material in the form of a dispersing layer. The base substrate material consists of a nonwoven fabric and a polymeric film. An aqueous admixture is applied topically to the hydroxydiphenyl ether and the aliphatic acidic carrier on the substrate. The acidic carrier shifts the pH of the hydroxydiphenyl ether environment to an approximate range of 3.0-5.0.

Absorbent Article: No. 6,824,535; Ewa Kolby-Falk, assignor to SCA Hygiene Products AB, Gothenburg, Sweden. Filed 12/7/01. Issued 11/30/04.

An absorbent article with a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction has been awarded a patent. The article features a liquid-permeable surface layer, a liquid-blocking surface layer and an absorption body arranged between the two surface layers. Two side edges extend in the longitudinal direction. There is also a front edge, a rear edge, a front section and a rear section. The rear section has a width not exceeding 40 mm and a fastening member intended to be fastened to the body of a user, wherein the product is essentially triangular in shape and the fastening member is applied to the liquid-permeable surface layer only in the rear section of the absorbent article.

Microporous Polyolefin Film And Process For Producing The Same: No. 6,824,865; Hidehiko Funaoka, Kotaro Takita, Norimitsu Kaimai, Shigeaki Kobayashi and Koichi Kono, assignors to Tonen Chemical Corporation, Tokyo, Japan. Filed 9/29/99. Issued 11/30/04. Patented is a microporous polyolefin membrane with fine fibrils. The membrane includes a polyolefin with a weight-average molecular weight of 5_105 or more or polyolefin fibrils with a weight-average molecular weight of 5_105 or more. The fibrils are connected to each other. The average pore size of the membrane is 0.05-5 mm and the crystal lamellas of the polyolefin are inclined at an angle of 80-100[degrees] to the plane constituting the membrane. The crystal lamellas account for at least 40% of the total lamellas both on a section cut in the mechanical direction and on a section cut in the direction perpendicular to the mechanical direction and in the thickness direction.