Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kimberly-clark Corporation

John Joseph Sayovitz

Gregory Todd Sudduth

Peter Michailovich Kobylivker

Robert Leslie Hudson

Robert James Gerndt

Lawrence James Romano, Iii

Simon Kwame Ofosu

Mary Lou DeLucia

Ernest P Sedlock

Nancy Jane Zimmerman

Alison Cecile Bates

Joel E Edwards

Michael Tod Morman

Ann Louise McCormack

Frank Paul Abuto

Richard Daniel Pike

Howard Martin Welch

Stephen Michael Campbell

Jay Sheldon Shultz

Steven Wayne Fitting

Michael P Mathis

Ruth Lisa Levy

Patricia Hwang Calhoun

Robert David Wright

Cheryl A Perkins

Courtney Eileen Shea

Charles Edward Edmundson

Mark G Kupelian

Wendy Marie Takken

Ernest Paul Sedlock, Jr

Kenneth J Mitchell

Rasha Wafik Guirguis

Danial Owen Fischer

Angela Dobson

Angela Raye Mayfield

James Randall Morgan

Joel Muniz De Los Santos

Daniel Owen Fischer

Joel Muniz Los Santos

Angela R Mayfield

Mark Gilbert Kupelian

Angela Grace Dobson

A thermal transfer roller includes a first end chamber in communication with a source of thermal transfer fluid, an annulus for receiving the fluid and facilitating thermal transfer to a substrate, and a second end chamber in communication with the annulus for receiving the spent thermal transfer fluid. At least one end chamber includes a plurality of channels, each channel having a wider end approaching the annulus and a narrower end away from the annulus. Preferably, the channels are present in both end chambers. The channels substantially reduce angular flow of the fluid caused by rotation of the roller, and help stabilize and maintain desired fluid volumes flowing through the roller as its velocity is increased.

Fluid distribution system for thermal transfer rollers

The present invention provides a one or two step method for bonding and creping or double creping a nonwoven web. In the method of the present invention, a nonwoven web is adhered to a creping roll and bonded while on the creping roll. The bonding of the nonwoven adheres the nonwoven to the creping roll in a pattern of the bonding roll. Once creped from the creping roll, the resulting nonwoven web is creped in the pattern of the bonding roll. The creped nonwoven webs of the present invention are useful in a wide variety of application including as wipes, liners, transfer or surge layers, outercovers, other fluid handling materials and looped fastener materials.

Method for producing creped nonwoven webs

A process for making a plurality of necked nonwoven strips having similar or identical cross-directional profiles includes the steps of slitting a neckable nonwoven web into a plurality of neckable nonwoven strips, passing the neckable nonwoven web between a first pair of nip rollers having a first surface velocity and a second pair of nip rollers having a second surface velocity greater than the first surface velocity, and necking the nonwoven web between the first pair of nip rollers and the second pair of nip rollers.

Slit neck spunbond process and material

A stabilized creped nonwoven web and a method for producing the same, wherein a creped nonwoven web is thermally stabilized, for example by through-air-bonding or embossing, to produce the stabilized creped nonwoven web. The stabilized creped nonwoven web having increased tensile strength in the machine direction and an enhanced appearance. The stabilized creped nonwoven web of this invention id capable of withstanding a tensile force or load in a machine direction of at least about 2.0 lbs. at 20% strain and a tensile force or load in the machine direction of at least about 5.0 lbs. at 50% strain.

Method of producing post-crepe stabilized material

A nonwoven material including at least a meltblown web is stretched by about 1-35% in at least one direction using a short-distance drawing process, to provide a fabric having improved softness and liquid barrier compared to otherwise similar fabrics prepared using longer drawing distances. The drawing process may include one or multiple stages. When multiple stages are employed, the fabric has adequate liquid barrier at a lower basis weight.

Nonwoven webs having improved softness and barrier properties

High strength spunbond fabric from high melt flow rate polymers

Repeating pattern for a bonded fabric with background

The present invention provides bond patterns for nonwoven fabrics and laminates thereof, and a process of producing the bond patterns. The bond patterns provides highly distinct and recognizable patterns without significantly reducing the physical properties of the nonwoven fabrics. The bond pattern comprises a series of unbonded regions in a geometric pattern of regularly bonded regions, and each unbonded region forms an unbonded area enclosed by the bonded regions surrounding the unbonded region, whereby the series of unbonded regions forms a visually recognizable pattern, wherein the bonded regions cover from about 3% to about 50% of the surface of the nonwoven web, and wherein each of the unbonded areas has a size equal to or less than about 0.3 cm.sup.2.

Pattern bonded nonwoven fabrics

Repeating pattern for a bonded fabric

A spunbond nonwoven fabric is provided which has superior strength characteristics to conventional fabrics yet is comparably soft. The fabric is a laminate having a web made from a high melt flow rate polyolefin polymer and a low melt flow rate polymer. The spunbond laminate fabric of this invention may have therebetween a layer of meltblown nonwoven fabric or film. The laminate produced according to this invention has a strength which is at least 10% greater than a comparable fabric made without the high melt flow rate polymer web. The nonwoven fabric of this invention may be used in products such as, for example, garments, personal care products, medical products, protective covers and outdoor fabrics.

Nonwoven fabric

Pattern bonded nonwoven fabric web

There is provided a method of softening a nonwoven web by wetting a nonwoven web having a starting, unstretched width and a starting cup crush value, with an aqueous solution of softening chemicals, necking the saturated nonwoven web, drying the nonwoven web at a temperature and time sufficient to remove at least 95 percent of the moisture from the nonwoven web, wherein the web has a final cup crush value which is less than 50 percent of the starting cup crush value. The method may optionally include the step of un-necking the nonwoven web to about between 80 and 125 percent of its starting, unstretched width.

Chemical and mechanical softening process for nonwoven web

A polymeric fabric having enhanced wettability, a method for producing such wettable polymeric fabric, and composition for us in the method are provided. The polymeric fabric comprises a primary surfactant on the surface of the polymeric fabric, the primary surfactant having a low solubility in water and dispersible in water. The primary surfactant is applied to the fabric in an aqueous solution. The primary surfactant is preferably applied to the fabric in a composiiton comprising the primary surfactant, water, and a co-surfactant functional to wet the polymeric fabric with the composition during application of the composition to the polymeric fabric. The co-surfactant is present in the composition in an amount sufficient to provide for substantially uniform distribution of the primary surfactant onto the polymeric fabric.

Wettable polymeric fabrics

Improved method of forming bonded web laminates by application of a liquid spray between the component layers prior to application of high frequency vibrational energy commonly referred to as 'ultrasonic energy'. The liquid is preferably water and added in a minor amount, preferably less than about 25% by weight of the combined webs. The water may be added by spraying or misting and, after bonding and drying, provides improved uniformity and web bonding while allowing increased bonding rates. The method of the invention is particularly useful with heavier basis weight thermoplastic polymeric nonwoven fiber webs to be combined for durable applications such as recreational fabrics for tents and the like.

Method of ultrasonically bonding nonwoven webs

Growing community of inventors

Marietta, GA, United States of America

John Joseph Sayovitz