Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Dennis Y Lee

Vasily Aramovich Topolkaraev

Palani Raj Ramaswami Wallajapet

Thomas David Ehlert

Robert J Henshaw

Patrick Sean McNichols

Ann Louise McCormack

Russell J Kroll

George Ikuya Nukuto

Carl Gerard Rippl

MeeWha Lee

Mark G Reichmann

Peter Michailovich Kobylivker

Kiran K Reddy

Joy Francine Jordan

Steven R Stopper

Mark Londborg

Thomas Glenn Merrill

Stephanie Ann Rossignol

Paul Woon

Denis R Grimard

Cameron Ray Morris

Maya Aroch

Barton Andrew Laughlin

Jose Ricardo Rubio-Flores, Jr

John Ford Condron

Patrick Martin Downey

Nagabhusan Senapati

Nathan P Hendon

Rowland Jaynes McClellan, Jr

Jose Ricardo Rubio-Flores Jr

The present invention provides a nonwoven web prepared from an aliphatic polyester polymer which has sufficient tear strength and is biodegradable. Biodegradable nonwoven webs of the present are prepared from a polymer blend having from about 65% by weight to about 99% by weight of a biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer and from about 1% by weight to about 35% by weight of a second polymer selected from the group consisting of a polymer having a lower melting point than the biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer, a polymer having a lower molecular weight than the biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer and mixtures thereof. Surprisingly, the nonwoven webs of the present invention have a tear strength greater than the tear strength of a nonwoven web prepared from the biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer alone. In addition, other properties of the resulting nonwoven web, such as the tensile strength and energy to break, are not adversely affected, by the addition of the second polymer, in ways that make the resulting nonwoven web unusable for its intended purpose.

High strength nonwoven web from a biodegradable aliphatic polyester

In a method and apparatus for forming a bonded web comprised at least in part of a polyester, a first material web and a second material web are arranged in opposed relationship with each other at least along those portions of the first and second material webs to be bonded together. At least one of the first and second material webs is comprised at least in part of the polyester. The opposed webs are transported in a machine direction to the nip of a bonding apparatus comprised of a first bonding member and a second bonding member defining the nip therebetween for passage of the opposed first and second material webs therebetween in the machine direction. A shear force is applied to the webs generally in the machine direction at the nip and the webs are mechanically bonded together at the nip while the shear force is applied to webs.

Method and apparatus for mechanically bonding material webs

An adjustable-size mop head assembly that may be used with a handle and a disposable cleaning substrate is disclosed. The mop head assembly includes a central frame section with a central portion and a lower substrate support surface configured to hold a disposable cleaning substrate. The mop head assembly also includes at least one adjunct frame section configured to be operably coupled to the central frame section and configured to move between a stored configuration, where the adjunct frame section is stored by the central frame section, and an extended configuration where the adjunct frame section extends from the central frame section to add width to the central frame section and the lower substrate support surfaces. A continuous web of disposable cleaning substrate that may be used with the adjustable-size mop head assembly is also disclosed. The continuous web of disposable cleaning substrate includes lines of weakness at regular intervals configured such that various widths of cleaning substrate are removable via the lines of weakness.

Adjustable-size mop head and selectable-size cleaning substrate

Growing community of inventors

Appleton, WI, United States of America

Dennis Y Lee