Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kurt Garrett Krupka

Robert Lee Popp

Brian Robert Vogt

David Albert Maxton

Chadwick Irvin Romzek

Jesse James Pasterski

Michael William Protheroe

Jack Lee Couillard

Charles Robert Tomsovic

David John Enz

Jason Gene Csida

Brian Wayne Tomac

Sarah Anne Olson

Todd W Wilkes

Bradley M Marohl

Claudiu Andrei Bouruc

Joseph Daniel Coenen

Marcille Faye Ruman

Henry Louis Carbone, Ii

Tim G Dollevoet

Debra Hartley Durrance

Heather Schenck Mortell

Scott Gerald Chapple

Clinton David Clark

Archie Dodds Morgan

Matthew Lee Koele

Joseph J Gimenez

Thomas Earl Williamson

Timothy A Thorson

Jeffrey Louis Heinen

Larry Dean Primeau

Scott A Ainsworth

David Michael Clemens

Steven L Schnasse

John P Hillmer

Michael John Wanner

Scott John Andrew Swanson

Jesse J Pasterski

Henry L Carbone Ii

Henry L Ii Carbone

Timothy Alan Thorson

Clinton D Clark

Michael W Protheroe

A method of manufacture for a vaginal insert. The vaginal insert may have a core, a cover, and a removal element. In various embodiments, the cover can be conformed to the vaginal insert.

Vaginal insert method of manufacture

In a method and apparatus for securing engagement between fastening components of a pre-fastened garment upon initial assembly thereof, the fastening components are arranged by the apparatus in at least partially opposed relationship with each other and then engaged with each other to define an engagement seam. The garment is then mechanically handled by the apparatus to subject the engagement seam to a shear stress to promote increased engagement between the fastening components during initial assembly of the garment.

Apparatus and method for securing engagement between fastening components of pre-fastened garments

In a method and apparatus for making and inspecting pre-fastened articles, such as disposable training pants, having at least two generally flexible elements capable of connection with each other during initial assembly of the article, the elements are arranged in overlapping relationship with each other and connected together to define an engagement seam of the article. The article is arranged to define an interior space thereof whereby the interior space is bounded in part by the engagement seam. The elements are irradiated at the engagement seam by a radiation source within the interior space of the article and an image of the irradiated engagement seam is captured by an image capturing device. In one embodiment, the image capturing device is positioned within the interior space of the article and the radiation source is either within the interior space or exterior of the article.

Apparatus and method for inspecting pre-fastened articles

A method and apparatus for folding garments is suitable for use with garments having discrete mechanical fastening components and suitable for the manufacture of prefastened and refastenable garments. The garments or other discrete articles define leading and trailing halves with opposed side panels. A chassis portion and side panels of the garments can be controlled during folding by providing a three piece vacuum puck design and/or a channeled transfer plate as well as a layer of air under the leading side panels.

Methods for improving product chassis and panel control during folding of garment

A method for positioning side panels during manufacture of a pant includes positioning the side panels within fluid flow devices. The side panels can move parallel or perpendicular to a pant transport plane as the pant is transported in the machine direction and the side panels reside within the fluid flow devices. The side panels can include refastenable fastening components. The method and apparatus can move the fastening components closer together in the cross-machine direction while the side panels reside within the fluid flow devices.

Method for positioning garment side panels

A process for making prefastened and refastenable garments includes providing a plurality of discrete articles with mating fastening components disposed in the waist regions. First fastening components are separated from one another by an initial transverse distance. The waist region containing the first fastening components is modified to transversely displace these fastening components to a post displacement distance that is not equal to the initial distance. The process allows for convenient alignment of the fastening components to form refastenable seams.

Presentation of fastening components for making prefastened and refastenable pants

A method of folding pants is suitable for use with discrete articles including mechanical fastening components and suitable for the manufacture of prefastened and refastenable pants. The discrete articles define leading and trailing halves with opposed side panels. The leading side panels can be maintained separate from the trailing side panels during folding and until the discrete articles are downstream of a folding nip.

Folding and manufacture of pants

Growing community of inventors

Hortonville, WI, United States of America

Kurt Garrett Krupka