Granted Patent B2

US 12,460,321 · App. 18/443,405 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Inventors: Arman Ashraf (Mason, OH); Kelyn Anne Arora (Cincinnati, OH); Paul Thomas Weisman (Cincinnati, OH); Nathan Ray Whitely (Cincinnati, OH)

Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company

D01D5/0985A61F13/15252A61F13/15658A61F13/4902A61F13/51104A61F13/512A61F13/55115B32B5/022D01F6/06D01F8/06D04H3/02D04H3/102D04H3/14D04H3/16A61F2013/1526A61F2013/15373A61F2013/15406A61F2013/15552A61F2013/49092B32B2555/02D10B2403/033D10B2509/026

Abstract

Claims (27)

1 . A through air bonded nonwoven fabric comprising a first surface, a second surface, and a visually discernible zone of three-dimensional features on one of the first surface or the second surface, each of the three-dimensional features defining a microzone comprising a first region and a second region, wherein the first region is different than the second region, the first and second regions have a difference in values for an intensive property, wherein the intensive property is volumetric density;

wherein the first surface has a first TS7 value, wherein the second surface has a second TS7 value, and wherein the first TS7 value is different than the second TS7 value; and

wherein at least a portion of one or more of the three-dimensional features comprises a curvilinear shape.

2 . The through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 1 , wherein the first TS7 value is in the range of about 3 to about 14 dB V2 rms, and wherein the second TS7 value is in the range of about 2 dB V2 rms to about 12 dB V2 rms.

3 . An absorbent article comprising the through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 1 , the absorbent article comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core positioned intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet, wherein the through air bonded nonwoven fabric comprises a strip or patch positioned on the topsheet or forms a portion of the topsheet.

4 . The through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 1 , wherein thicknesses in the first region and the second region are both greater than zero.

5 . The through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven fabric comprises an aperture.

6 . The through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the aperture abuts at least one of the first region and the second region.

7 . The through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 6 , wherein loose fibers extend into the aperture, and wherein the loose fibers extending into the aperture originate in at least one of the abutting first or second regions.

8 . The through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven fabric comprises carded fibers.

9 . A through air bonded nonwoven fabric comprising:

a first surface, a second surface, and a visually discernible zone of three-dimensional features on one of the first surface or the second surface, each of the three-dimensional features defining a microzone comprising a first region and a second region, wherein the first region is different than the second region, the first and second regions having a difference in values for thickness;

wherein the first surface has a first TS7 value, wherein the second surface has a second TS7 value, and wherein the first TS7 value is different than the second TS7 value; and

wherein at least a portion of one or more of the three-dimensional features comprises a curvilinear shape.

10 . The through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 9 , wherein the difference in a value for the intensive property in the first region is an order of magnitude different than a value for the intensive property in the second region.

11 . The through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 9 , wherein the thicknesses of the first region and the second region are both greater than zero.

12 . The through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 9 , wherein the nonwoven fabric comprises an aperture.

13 . The through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the aperture abuts at least one of the first region and the second region, and wherein loose fibers extend into the aperture.

14 . The through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 13 , wherein the loose fibers extending into the aperture originate in at least one of the abutting first or second regions.

15 . The through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 9 , wherein the nonwoven fabric comprises carded fibers.

16 . The through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 9 , comprising a second visually discernible zone comprising three-dimensional features and apertures.

17 . An absorbent article comprising the through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 9 , the absorbent article comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core positioned intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet, wherein the through air bonded nonwoven fabric comprises a strip or patch positioned on the topsheet or forms a portion of the topsheet.

18 . A through air bonded nonwoven fabric comprising a first surface, a second surface, and a visually discernible zone of three-dimensional features, each of the three-dimensional features defining a microzone comprising a first region and a second region, wherein the first region is different than the second region, the first and second regions having a difference in values for an intensive property, wherein the intensive property is thickness;

wherein the first surface has a first TS7 value of about 3 to about 14 dB V2 rms, wherein the second surface has a second TS7 value in the range of about 2 dB V2 rms to about 12 dB V2 rms, and wherein the first TS7 value is different than the second TS7 value; and

wherein at least a portion of one or more of the three-dimensional features comprises a curvilinear shape.

19 . An absorbent article comprising the through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 18 , the absorbent article comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core positioned intermediate the topsheet and the backsheet, wherein the through air bonded nonwoven fabric comprises a strip or patch positioned on the topsheet or forms a portion of the topsheet.

20 . The through air bonded nonwoven fabric of claim 18 , comprising a second visually discernible zone comprising three-dimensional features and apertures.

Continuity (5)

References Cited (312)