Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kenneth Bradley Close

David Jon Baer

Scott Richard Lange

Richard C Beck

Susan Elaine Shawver

Deepak R Parikh

Jay Sheldon Shultz

Kenneth B Stewart

Paul Windsor Estey

Michael Alan Schmidt

Charles Allen Smith

C Allen Smith

David Martin Jackson

Yung Hsiang Huang

Nathan John Vogel

Lawrence James Romano, Iii

Larry Edgerton Brown

Stephen Harding Primm

Lisa L Nickel

Walter Andrew Mattingly

Jillian A Walter

Steven R Kalmanson

Brian Chun-Keet Kwok

A process and apparatus is used for making a fibrous nonwoven web with uniform, directionally-oriented projections by depositing fibrous material onto a first forming surface with holes positioned above a second forming surface with both forming surfaces traveling at different speeds to one another. As the fibers are deposited onto the first forming surface, a portion of the fibers are drawn down into the holes of the first forming surface forming the projections which contact the second forming surface. Due to the speed differential between the two forming surfaces the projections are uniformly skewed in the same direction. The resultant material is particularly suited for use as a wiping material which can be more abrasive in one direction but which is softer to the touch when wiped in the opposite direction thus making it a dual purpose material.

Process for forming a fibrous nonwoven web with uniform, directionally-oriented projections

A flexible coform nonwoven web that contains a matrix of meltblown fibers and an absorbent material is provided. The meltblown fibers may constitute from about 2 wt % to about 40 wt % of the coform web. The absorbent material may constitute from about 60 wt % to about 98 wt % of the coform web. The Cup Crush Energy/Thickness ratio of the nonwoven structure is desirably less than about 600. The coform web may be imparted with a three-dimensional texture by, for example, using a three-dimensional forming surface. The coform web is suitable for forming absorbent articles such as wipers and personal care absorbent products.

Flexible coform nonwoven web

A nonwoven web made from a polymeric fiber blend comprising at least one elastomeric polyolefin and at least one nonelastomeric polyolefin useful as the elastic base sheet for a nonwoven laminate is disclosed. Preferably, the polymeric blend will comprise a nonelastomeric resin in the range of from about 10 to about 90 percent by weight, and an elastomeric resin of from about 90 to about 10 percent by weight. The elastomeric polyolefin will have a density of less than about 0.885 g/cmand the nonelastomeric polyolefin will have a density of at least about 0.890 g/cm. In one particular embodiment, the polymeric blend may comprise about 50 percent to about 90 percent by weight of a narrow molecular weight distribution polyethylene and about 50 percent to about 10 percent by weight of a nonelastomeric polyolefin such as a linear low density polyethylene.

Laminates of elastomeric and non-elastomeric polyolefin blend materials

A method for increasing the thickness of a fibrous sheet including stretching the sheet beyond its relaxed length and returning the sheet to about the relaxed length, causing the sheet to have a second thickness greater than the first thickness. The sheet can be a wet-wipe. The wet-wipe includes an elastic layer and a fibrous layer, which increases in thickness when stretched then relaxed. The wet-wipe can be stored in a container which causes the wet-wipe to stretch as it is removed from the container.

Stretchable composite sheet for adding softness and texture

The invention relates to a stack of wipes for use in a wipes dispenser. The stack includes a plurality of wipes, each wipe of the plurality of wipes formed from a portion of a common material. Each wipe includes a leading edge portion with a pleat-like zone located along at least a portion of a length of the leading edge portion and the pleat-like zone is distinct from an adjoining main portion of each wipe. Each wipe is folded upon itself at least once and each wipe is positioned relative to adjacent wipes to form the stack of wipes.

Process and apparatus for producing wipes with a pleat-like zone along the leading edge portion

The invention provides a wipe. The wipes include at least one non-woven web. The web includes an edge portion adjoining a main portion. The web has a top surface and a spaced apart opposite bottom surface and is defined by a width of the web which is perpendicular to a length of the web. The top surface of the main portion defines a top plane and the bottom surface of the main portion defines a bottom plane. The top and bottom planes are parallel to one another and a z-directional dimension of the web extends through the top and bottom planes and is orthogonal to the top and bottom planes. The edge portion includes and edge treatment wherein the edge treatment comprises at least a portion of the edge portion being permanently deformed in a non-random pattern in the z-directional dimension.

Wipes with an edge treatment along a leading edge portion

The invention relates to a stack of wipes for use in a reach-in wipes dispenser having a dispensing opening, and related method. The stack includes a plurality of wipes stacked upon each other. Each wipe is separably joined to an adjacent wipe to form a joint therebetween. For at least 50% of the wipes in the stack of wipes, dispensing a top wipe from the stack of wipes causes an adjacent following wipe to at least partially be drawn upwards towards and/or through the dispensing opening, and the top wipe completely separates automatically from the following wipe at the joint before the following wipe completely passes through the dispensing opening, and when the top wipe completely separates automatically from the following wipe the following wipe falls back towards the stack of wipes and is positioned within the dispenser and below the dispensing opening.

Reach-in wipes with enhanced dispensibility

The present invention provides a wet-wipe comprising a non-woven composite elastic material comprising a non-woven elastic layer; and a non-woven gatherable layer. The gatherable layer is bonded to the elastic layer at at least two points; and is gathered between the bonded points. These wet-wipes have a softer more cloth like feel.

Composite material with cloth-like feel

Wipes with a pleat-like zone along the leading edge portion

The present invention provides a process for heat treatment of non-woven composite elastic material including a non-woven elastic layer; a non-woven gatherable layer. The process includes stretching the material, heating the material and cooling the material. The material has a softer more cloth-like feel.

Method for controlling retraction of composite materials

A nonwoven web made from a polymeric fiber blend comprising at least one elastomeric polyolefin and at least one nonelastomeric polyolefin useful as the elastic base sheet for a nonwoven laminate is disclosed. Preferably, the polymeric blend will comprise a nonelastomeric resin in the range of from about 10 to about 90 percent by weight, and an elastomeric resin of from about 90 to about 10 percent by weight. The elastomeric polyolefin will have a density of less than about 0.885 g/cm and the nonelastomeric polyolefin will have a density of at least about 0.890 g/cm . In one particular embodiment, the polymeric blend may comprise about 50 percent to about 90 percent by weight of a narrow molecular weight distribution polyethylene and about 50 percent to about 10 percent by weight of a nonelastomeric polyolefin such as a linear low density polyethylene.

Growing community of inventors

New London, WI, United States of America

Kenneth Bradley Close